Brahman Prarie

BRAHMAN PRARIE

     It was the summer of 1958, and I was 8 years old. I loved all of the animals on the farm but my favorite by far was Judah. He was born in the miracle barn. He was a brahman bull and the cutest one I had ever seen. His head was white as pure as snow and faded to silver on his neck and black near his hump. He had silver and white the rest of his body, but in a black patch near his hip was a white cross. We stayed in the barn as he was born to make sure everything was ok, but your grandma and grandpa went in for the night. I stayed out with my lantern and just sat there with momma and Judah. I leaned against him as he layed down and momma watched over us both.

     I loved watching Judah run with his cute floppy ears and whenever he spotted me, he would come running. Momma would just follow slowly behind him. He jumped and played with me just like a puppy dog. Not a day went by that i didnt atleast 2 or three hours just hanging out with Judah playing with him and cuddling.

     The next summer, Judah had grown so much and i would even ride him like a horse. I had never had such a bond with any animal before. I would hop on his back and we would go down to the creek. Id go for a swim to cool off and he would follow me in the water. Another year passed and our bond just kept growing. He had grown into one of the biggest, meanest looking bulls the folks around there had ever seen. He had to have weighed about 3,500 pounds.

      Many of the ranchers around wanted to buy him, but mom and dad said he was mine. He was mine and I was his and I couldnt part with him.

    One morning I was out doing chores and i didnt see him. I called his name and and normally he would and answer and come running. Nothing. I saddled my little horse to go ride the fenceline. The fence was down in one spot. So grandpa drove me around looking for him. We asked neighbors and no one had seen him. We spent all day looking and found no sign of him. Mom and dad had thier little prayer spot up in the barn but I had my own. Before sunset, I walked down to the creek. There was a big rock that I would sit on by the waterfall. That was my prayer spot, so I went down there to pray. God seemed to be my only hope to find my friend. So I prayed and prayed untill it got dark. I was going to get one more prayer in before I let the big full moon guide my way back to the house. But, before I could finish my prayer, I fell asleep.

      I remember the dream I had then vividly. Judah was the only thing on my mind so of coarse, I had a dream of Judah. I was walking in a big open field with the sun on my back calling for Judah. Then suddlenly a thunder storm rolled in. It was thunder and lightening like I had never seen. No rain but even the oxygen in the air seemed to vibrate with every bang of thunder. Then it was pitch black with only the lightening to give a brief glimpse of where I was at and where I was going. I got to the edge of the trees when I noticed a figure deep in the woods. I called judah's name but no response. A few seconds later an old man walked out of the trees. The bright blue fire from the sky shone just enough light in the trees to see his long white beard cloaked with a dark hooded coat. He didnt look up at me but he said "he is gone".

   "Yes, im looking for a big bull. Have you seen him"? I said.

    "He is gone", the somewhat creepy man said.

    "Did you see which way he went"?

    Then the man changed. He started to grow taller. The lightening stopped and two red eyes appeared. As if they were floating the eyes kept going up higher and higher. They must've stopped about 15 feet in the air. The lightening flashed across the sky, lighten the beast that was before me. This creature had two curly horns that twisted and curled to the side, then back. His face was like a dragon and a long neck that lead to a muscular chest that was split open in the center exposing his rib cage and all the insides glowed red. Long arms that had spines and looked like two crocidiles hanging from a shoulder like a rock. His legs looked like a t-rex from the museum but they had two knees that bent back then foward. I was so stunned, that I couldnt even run. Paraylized by what I saw in that long flash from the heavens, I stood there. Then the creature spoke in a deep growly voice " he is gone. We took him and you will never see him again. He is in the underworld and will be sacrificed".

     Suprisingly courageous, I said "he is protected. He was born in miracle barn and he does not belong to you. He belongs to God".

     Then the creature screamed and I had to cover my ears. I even fell to the ground. As I knelt on the ground with my arms around my head, it started to get light. So bright that I couldnt see anything but pure white. The beast was gone, and as the light faded, there stood Judah. I screamed with joy, "Judah!!!"

     Instead of the normal bull call that was music to my ears, I heard the cry of a mountain lion. Confused, I called his name again and again got the bone chilling roar of a cougar.

     It was then I woke up. I could see Judah right infront of me, gloriously lit by the moon light. But, he was facing away from me. As I began to call his name, "Ju..." I heard the cougar. Judah lowered his head and charged. The leaves and sticks crashed as my friend, the huge brahman bull came to my defense. I dont know where he came from but I was sure glad he was there. The cougar roared again and I seen him jump on Judah's back. Judah let our a roar I had never heard as he bucked and turned to throw the cougar off his back. The cougar flew through the air towards me. As the cougar recovered, he spotted my and sprinted right for me. The ground trembled as Judah charged for me also. The cougar lept into the air to attack me but Judah launched the big cat right over me then Judah lept over me. He lowered his head as he flew over me and rammed the cougar against a big rock. Judah just stood there as the cougar layed lifeless on the ground. I called for him quiet as a whisper.

     "Judah", then a litte louder, "Judah".

He let out a big snort daring the cat to get up. Then another like a sigh of relief. Then he turned towards me ever so gently and slowly walked to me and layed by my side. I was just a little girl and experienced a nightmare that would scare a vietnam vet, then this 300 pound cougar attacking. But when Judah layed next to me, I knew there was nothing to be scared of. I hugged him like never before and he nudged me onto his back. He stood and headed for the barn and as we got to the edge of the trees, I saw lanterns in the distance. Mom and dad were out searching for me. Judah let out a big bellow, calling my parents over. Judah carried me to the barn as my parents followed. As they rushed up to me thankfull I was ok, Judah layed down in the barn. As I was telling this story to my parents, the prayer tower of the barn shown just a bit of light that soon faded.

     Eventually, Judah got old and died. He was 20 years old when he passed. It seemed weird to my parents but I didnt want to just bury this miracle bull and my best friend for all those years. We took him to a taxidermist who did the massive shoulder mount and we buried him in the barn directly under the prayer tower.

    "Mom, is he still there"?

     "Yes dear, the taxidermy mount still hangs in the barn and I believe he still watches over the ranch with God".

      "Grandpa told me about that barn. Can we visit someday"?