Goodbye, Ol' Bessie

On a warm and humid summer night, Elizabeth lay on the floor of her family’s old barn. She watched the stars twinkle against an inky-blue sky through cracks in the roof, and listened to the typical nighttime sounds. There was a never ending hum of cicadas in the surrounding trees, accompanied by the occasional hoot of an owl. Inside the barn was mostly quiet, save for rustling of hay as the goats periodically made themselves more comfortable, and the soft breathing of the various animals around her.

Elizabeth’s body was nestled in the crook of her favorite animal’s shoulder, a Jersey cow affectionately named Ol’ Bessie. At eight years, the 950 pound cow wasn’t particularly “old”; but had been born with a perfect tuft of white hair on the crown of her head, earning her the nickname. The rest of Ol’ Bessie’s body was a delicate shade of light brown, velvet soft at the ears and coarser across her back and sides where the young girl now lay. The warmth of the summer air combined with the heat coming off the animal was almost unbearable, but Elizabeth dared not move. She knew she had to savor each moment of this night with her sweet mammalian friend.

In the morning, Elizabeth would have to say goodbye to Ol’ Bessie forever.

Craning her neck back, Elizabeth looked up at the large creature. Bessie’s eyes were open, which didn’t come as a surprise; cows typically only slept for a few hours a night, spending the rest of the time simply resting. Elizabeth felt her throat tighten as their eyes met, feeling guilty that the cow had no way of knowing what was to come in a few short hours. It’s not fair, she thought to herself. She should have more time. Her thoughts wandered back to the day Bessie was born.

Elizabeth’s father woke her up before dawn. It was an unusually chilly Saturday, just a few days before Elizabeth’s seventh birthday. She had been begging her father to let her help out more with the animals on the farm; she loved helping to feed and take care of them, particularly the babies. Elizabeth struggled to make friends at school, but felt an easy and natural connection to the animals her family raised.

Her father felt she was too young to be involved with the birthing process, thinking it was too much for a young kid to handle; but Elizabeth wanted so badly to help. When their young heifer Daisy became gravid, Elizabeth would ask her mother to read her books on bovine health instead of bedtime stories, wanting to understand the process as best she could. It was hard to say no to letting her get involved; it had been such a long time since something had made Elizabeth so happy and excited. Though he still had reservations, Elizabeth’s father promised to let her help when Daisy was ready to give birth.

“I think today’s the day!” he said as he gently woke her that morning. Though half awake, Elizabeth jumped out of bed and into her working clothes. They made their way down to the old barn where Daisy was kept, gathering fresh hay and water for her.

There wasn’t much else they could do, except to wait and monitor Daisy’s behavior. After the better part of an hour, the calf’s legs were visible, but no head. Elizabeth knew from her books that both should have come out by now, but Daisy seemed to be exhausted and unwilling to go any farther. Elizabeth listened, alarmed, as her dad called the veterinarian. As he hung up the phone, he rolled up his sleeves and turned to his young daughter.

“Doc is on his way. It doesn’t look like Daisy is going to be able to get this calf out herself, she’s going to need some help or else the calf isn’t going to make it.

Elizabeth’s eyes went wide, head whipping back and forth between the cow and her father. “Do I get to help?”

“This calf more than likely weighs more than you, so it isn’t safe for you to be back there. But I have an equally important job for you. I need you to go up by Daisy’s head and comfort her to help keep her calm. Can you do that?”

The young girl nodded back at him seriously. Daisy was laying down on her side and breathing heavily.

“Stay away from her feet, only walk around the other side of her. If she starts to move, you need to get out of the way immediately. Understand?”

“Yes, sir!” Elizabeth responded, making her way up around the cow’s head as directed. “It’s okay, Daisy girl. You’re doing a great job.” She spoke softly to the cow while gently petting her forehead and ears. “The doctor is coming to help soon. Just hang in there.”

Before long, the vet arrived at the barn. The two men were able to align the calf properly and help Daisy safely give birth. All the while, Elizabeth played her part and helped the cow stay calm and relaxed.

The little calf sat in a pile of hay, hair still matted down. Elizabeth wanted to help by giving it a bath, but she had read that it was important for the mother to clean the baby off herself. Sure enough, Daisy’s maternal instincts finally kicked in as she tended to her calf after a few minutes.

“It’s a female!” the vet declared. Elizabeth was thrilled, that meant the baby would stay on the farm!

After about thirty minutes, the calf was mostly cleaned off. “Do you have a name for her?” the vet asked Elizabeth’s father, who nodded over at her.

“I’m gonna call her Bessie!” Elizabeth beamed. She had seen the name in a children’s book about farm animals, and it felt like a good fit for the little calf.

Bessie, now clean, started trying to stand on wobbly feet. The poor creature shook and stumbled as she tried her best to get her footing. Elizabeth and her father couldn’t help but laugh a little as she took tiny, unsteady steps around the barn.

“She looks like a little old lady trying to cross the road!” Elizabeth giggled. Bessie was brown, like her mother, but had a patch of pure white hair on top of her head, which currently was splayed out in all directions.

“She does, huh kiddo?” her dad beamed down at her. “Little Ol’ Bessie”.

Though eight years had passed, Elizabeth would never forget that day. It was easily one of her happiest memories, getting to see Ol’ Bessie come into the world and helping Daisy get through her difficult first labor. Plus, the time she spent with her father, proving that his trust in her was not misplaced, meant the world to Elizabeth.

The best part of it all was getting to spend time with the little calf. She was a curious creature, seemingly unafraid of the new world she came into. Ol’ Bessie took to her human companions right away, especially Elizabeth; Bessie had decided to walk over to her first, sniffing Elizabeth’s hands and even trying to nurse off her fingers. Over the next few weeks, Elizabeth wanted to do nothing else but take care of her new friend. She was no longer bothered by her lack of human friends at school; instead, Elizabeth would rush home each afternoon to spend time with Bessie. The calf followed her everywhere on the farm, often acting like more of a puppy than a cow.

Their bond never faded, even after Bessie reached adulthood. The cow would patiently wait for Elizabeth to come home from school, trotting over to the gate to greet her when she returned. Any time Elizabeth had a bad day, it helped to know her friend was waiting for her. In fact, Bessie helped Elizabeth finally start making human friends in the first place; after bringing photos of the calf in for show-and-tell, she garnered the interest of a few girls she had never really spoken to before. From there, Elizabeth started coming out of her shell and thriving even outside of the farm.

Now that Elizabeth was almost fifteen, couldn’t picture life without Ol’ Bessie in it. She was such an integral part of her childhood; almost every important milestone in Elizabeth’s life had involved, or was somehow impacted by, her bovine friend. She was at a pivotal age; certainly no longer a child, but also not quite yet a young adult. Some days she didn’t know where she fit in, or where the next few years would take her. But the one constant in her life was Bessie, who was always there for her, unconcerned with where the future was leading them.

The love she felt for the cow made the news all the more devastating; the vet had found tumors in Bessie’s heart, resulting from Bovine Leukemia Virus, that restricted bloodflow and put a huge strain on her body. There was nothing they could do for the poor cow except to help her pass in peace. Elizabeth begged her father and the vet to give her one last day with her beloved pet, which they obliged.

Tears streamed down Elizabeth’s face as she stroked Ol’ Bessie’s forehead. Losing her was like losing a part of her childhood. It felt like a definitive close to a chapter in her life, one she wasn’t quite ready to let go of yet.

Elizabeth had loved every moment of growing up on the farm, exploring and taking care of the animals and helping her parents with the crops. All her experiences had shaped her into the adolescent she had become. But...she was also excited to start having more freedom, going out with her friends and exploring the world outside the dirt road she lived on. It was a conflicting feeling, one she was having difficulty understanding or coming to terms with.

Elizabeth snuggled back into Ol’ Bessie’s side. She didn’t need to figure it all out tonight; she just needed to spend every moment she could with her friend. Tomorrow, the vet would come. Tomorrow, she would have to say goodbye to Ol’ Bessie forever. Tomorrow, she would have to grow up a little, and face the fact she was no longer a child.

But tonight...she could just be a little girl, cuddling her cow.