The summer vacation was almost over for the 9 year old Mitch Cartwright. To end the long and warm vacation well the grandpa van the youngest Cartwright, Ben Cartwright, had arranged a weekend in San Francisco for his eldest grandson. The owner of the Ponderosa Ranch also had decided to take 1 of his 3 sons (Adam, Hoss and Little Joe) along.
On the evening of August 20 Ben said during supper, “Mitch, what would you say if we go this coming Friday to San Francisco as an ending of your vacation? Everything is already arranged including tickets for 2 baseball games.”
“Great grandpa. But are daddy, uncle Hoss and uncle Joe also coming or must they look after the house?”, asked the boy.
“Only your uncle Hoss is coming. We have some businesses to deal with and meanwhile you can go with your uncle to those games”, answered Ben.
“Pity but with baseball they always can use some extra bats”, his grandson remarked.
Adam and Sally, the parents of Mitch, and Ben too could laugh about it but of course Hoss and Little Joe couldn’t. Betsy, the wife of Hoss, also thought it was funny.
“Where do you sleep?”, asked Adam.
“In a chic 5 star hotel. On the 2nd evening there is a diner at the hotel as part of the arrangement”, told Ben.
“What must I take with me?”, asked Mitch.
“ Enough clothes for the weekend and of course your scoring book too”, said Adam.
“I help you with packing”, Sally, the stepmother of Mitch, promised.
The rest of the week Mitch was very excited about the weekend.
On Thursday August 22 the boy asked his father, “Nice isn’t it?”
“What is nice?”, Adam asked carefully and worried about the answer.
“That I may come with grandpa and you don’t. Besides I may go to 2 baseball games too”, answered his oldest son.
Adam sighed deep.
Then he said teasing, “Then we have rest too.”
“Rest with the twins, mom and aunty Betsy? Don’t make me laugh. Is the room for Lisa and Benji al finished?”, Mitch asked teasing.
“Almost. And before you make 1 rotten remark: your uncle Joe and I do that this coming weekend. But I promise you that we too will go together for a weekend to San Francisco”, was the answer of Adam.
“Just like then in Boston and New York?”, Mitch asked for the security.
Adam nodded.
Friday August 23.
The Cartwrights loaded the Mercedes in and there was a goodbye saying.
Adam and Sally said to their eldest, “Mitch, you must listen to grandpa and uncle Hoss. Otherwise this has been the very last time that this happens.”
“I will listen”, promised Mitch.
Adam and Sally knew that they could trust him.
The trip went successful and in the afternoon the Cartwrights arrived at the Hilton hotel. Ben parked the Mercedes in the parking garage and they went to check in.
“I had 2 rooms reserved under the name of Cartwright”, Ben said at the reception desk.
The woman at the reception looked into the computer and said, “That’s right. Room 402 and 404 are for you.”
She gave the keys and pushed on a little bell.
Mitch saw the little bell too and said, “Hop Sing should have such a little bell too.”
“Why?”, Hoss asked amazed.
“Well, if he installs something like that at the kitchen door everyone knows right away that you are coming in”, his nephew explained.
“Tonight I throw you into the swimming pool!”, said Hoss.
They got brought to their rooms. Hoss gave a tip to the piccolo while Mitch admired the view.
“Who sleeps in which room?”, asked Hoss.
“Hoss, you sleep with me and Mitch has the room alone. Tonight I am going to have dinner with a client so you are responsible for your own supper. Hoss, just take the car. I wait for you at the bar”, said the rancher.
“Alright pa”, said Hoss.
They went to unpack.
Ben went to his business appointment so that Hoss was stuck with his nephew. Not that he minded that but Mitch could be very dry sometimes with his remarks.
“Where will we eat?”, asked Mitch.
Hoss suggested, “I see there a Burger King. Shall we go there?”
Mitch nodded. He took his rucksack along and followed Hoss to the fast food restaurant. They took an extended meal where after the Cartwrights went to the baseball stadium.
At the stadium the Cartwrights had good seats, Hoss helped his nephew with scoring of the game.
After the game said the commentator, “All children may now come on the field to have their picture taken with the San Francisco Kings and to get their autograph.”
“Uncle Hoss, may I go too?”, Mitch asked a bit unsure.
“Mitchy, it goes for all children so for you too. Just go and I wait here for you”, answered Hoss.
Mitch got up and went with the other children to the field where they met the players. Each child received a book for autographs and had their picture taken. Mitch got that too and had his picture taken with the players and received the autographs. He went very satisfied and deliriously glad back to his uncle to go together to the hotel.
In the bar Ben was waiting. Mitch ran to him and told how the baseball game had been and especially what there was after the game.
“What do you want to drink?”, the rancher asked when he had heard everything.
“Do me a beer”, said Hoss.
Mitch got a 7 Up and Ben also had a beer.
“Tomorrow we show you San Francisco. In the evening there the surprise diner in the garden”, said Ben.
The next morning the Cartwrights were around 8 o’clock in the breakfast room. As usual Hoss had a very extended breakfast. First Ben and Mitch went to get their breakfast so that Hoss could hold their table. A moment later they came back but Ben went away again to get the drinks. So Hoss had to wait even longer to be able to fetch his breakfast.
“Aren’t you hungry, uncle Hoss?”, Mitch asked while he filled a croissant with baked egg.
“Of course I’m hungry but your grandpa stands there talking to someone and I may not leave you alone”, answered his uncle.
Mitch looked into the direction of Ben and said, “It looks like grandpa knows everyone.”
“Grandpa does a lot of business around the ranch and has got to know a lot of people throughout the years”, said Hoss.
Finally Ben came to their table with 2 coffee and a milk.
“Was that a business associate where you were talking with?”, Mitch asked without turning a hair.
“Yes, that was Glenn Taylor. He wanted to know why I was in San Francisco. When I told about your drawing talent he wanted to see some work of you so I have his address and he has ours. He wants to see your best work because maybe in a few years you can go to his art”, answered Ben.
Hoss got up to get his breakfast.
“I can’t draw that well that I can go to an art academy”, Mitch said in between 2 bites croissant with egg.
“Just send it to him and then we’ll see what he thinks about it”, said Ben.
He saw his 2nd son coming and whispered to Mitch, “Go and get a boiled egg and muffin for us both.”
A moment later Hoss joined with a tray full of delicious food. Ben and Mitch looked at each other meaningful and laughing.
“Is there anything left for the other guests?”, asked his nephew.
“Really because I left out the cheese”, was the reaction of his uncle.
“Then I will get something”, the boy said and he was away.
A second later Mitch returned with a boiled egg and a muffin for himself and Ben.
When the Cartwrights really had finished their breakfast they left the hotel and the round tour through San Francisco began. Mitch got a really extended tour through San Francisco but they didn’t go to the barberry coast. Ben and Hoss didn’t say anything about it so that the boy couldn’t ask about it either.
In the evening there was finally the item where especially Hoss had looked forward to all those days and nights. In the garden stood tables and chairs. The Cartwrights had a table under a tree.
“What shall we have for supper?”, asked Hoss.
Mitch answered dry, “A mix of carrot- and cheese salad as appetizer. The main course I pizza with carrot and cheese. The dessert is cheese custard with carrot sauce.”
Ben gave his grandson smiling a stroke across his head while Hoss groaned something inaudible. The waitresses took the order for the drinks and came to serve them along with the appetizer a second later.
“A delicious melon cocktail without alcohol”, said the waitresses.
She put down a glass by all 3 the Cartwrights.
When she was away the youngest Cartwright, “You are lucky uncle Hoss. It isn’t carrot and/or cheese salad.”
The boy got a very indignant look from his uncle. The melon cocktail tasted a but sour but the Cartwrights did ate it. Then the waitresses came again and she took the empty glasses with her.
“What was that sour. Not normal anymore”, said Mitch.
“Melon is always very sour”, said Ben.
The main course was potato balls, fish and stewed cauliflower
“Enjoy your meal”, said the waitresses.
Mitch tried the cauliflower but he didn’t like it very much. He ate it though. Ben and Hoss also ate it totally.
“Grandpa, I didn’t like that cauliflower but I have eaten it anyway though”, said the youngest Cartwright.
“I am glad for that son”, said the rancher.
The opinion of Hoss was, “I found it quite less.”
“If you had our portions then it was still too less for you”, his nephew remarked.
And again Mitch got an angry look thrown at by his uncle.
A moment later came the dessert. That was semolina pudding with banana, a piece of sour cream decorated with a leaf. The youngest Cartwright looked at it and quite soon he moved it away.
“Don’t you want to trey it?”, Ben asked carefully.
His grandson shook of no.
“Hoss, then you take his dessert”, said the rancher.
Hoss didn’t have to hear that twice. But yet before Hoss could get the dessert of his nephew his leaf blew away.
“My leaf!”, called Hoss.
Ben and Mitch first looked at each other amazed and began to laugh then. Hoss didn’t get hold of his leaf anymore and ate as comfort the dessert of his nephew.
Later that evening Hoss asked, “Mitchy, are you coming to get an ice cream somewhere?”
“May I grandpa?”, asked the boy
“Just go”, said Ben.
Not a minute later uncle and nephew had left.
Mitch got from his uncle a super big sorbet to make up for the missed dessert. Hoss himself took an extra big hamburger special.
“Uncle Hoss, has your hunger ever been silenced?”, Mitch suddenly asked.
The answered was, “No!”
After a good night rest and a delicious breakfast the Cartwrights checked out to go after that to the baseball stadium.
At the stadium the Cartwrights again had great seats. Before the game Mitch went to look at the batting practice. Suddenly the young Cartwright got hit by a hard ball. The object remained lying by him so that Mitch grabbed it. Just when Mitch went to the others again he noticed that his just healed broken ankle was hurting again. Though he walked on.
“How was the training?”, Ben asked when Mitch came to sit down again.
“Great but I got a ball against my ankle. I was allowed to keep it”, answered Mitch.
“Not your just healed ankle?”, Ben asked worried.
His grandson nodded and showed his injured ankle.
“Young man, there must be looked at right away. Are you coming?”, asked Ben.
Mitch nodded again. They got up and went to the First Aid. Mitch told what had happened and his ankle got examined.
“It is bruised. I will wrap up your ankle in elastic bandage and you have to rest with it”, said the doctor.
So said, so done.
Hoss saw his father and nephew coming. By the way Mitch walked Hoss knew enough.
“Mitch has a bruised ankle and must rest with it”, said Ben.
Despite his bruised ankle Mitch was in his element though. Just like the 1st game Hoss helped Mitch with scoring this game.
After the game the Cartwrights waited till most spectators had gone away.
“Hoss, help your nephew to the car or otherwise we’ll never get home”, said Ben.
Mitch grabbed his rucksack and gave it to Ben. Mitch got supported by Hoss to the car and put on the backseat carefully. Ben and Hoss each took a part of the car drive for their account.
When the Cartwrights rode upon the yard of their loyal ranch it was already dark. Mitch was already so that Hoss carried him to his room. Underway Hoss ran into Adam who took over the sleeping boy right away.
“His left ankle is bruised”, whispered Hoss.
Adam undressed his son and put him in bed. After that he tucked Mitch in. Hoss helped Adam carrying the luggage inside.
“Mitch has behaved himself very well in San Francisco”, the rancher said to Adam and Sally.
“Glad to hear that. Here was also everything quiet. And Hoss, your wife still hasn’t given birth yet”, answered Adam.
“I just go to bed as well. I have missed her very much. Goodnight”, Hoss said quickly.
Not much later everyone was fast asleep at the Ponderosa. It was a beautiful ending of a long and warm summer vacation.