Farewell to Freedom
In Farewell to Freedom, Character Cheyenne Stevens expresses her feelings well:
Hello Friends... Hey... its Cheyenne Stevens...
When my pal Jennifer insisted I go with her to Las Vegas who knew I'd end up with a ruthless cowboy. Okay, a woman does weird things when she’s vulnerable and lonely. Had I stayed with my husband Ryan, despite his affairs, I would have been better off. But instead, I chose to run away to a place called Freedom. It was easier to be with the cowboy, then to handle the embarrassment of divorce. What in the hell was I thinking?
I certainly have my regrets about walking away from my family and friends. I should have stayed on the Island and faced the heartbreak. Eventually, it's sad to say, I found out that the cowboy and Freedom didn't deserve a woman like me.
An impulsive spirit, I spent a ton of money in Freedom trying to create my idea of an ideal world. There's no doubt, I'd lost my mind! Why buy a huge ranch and build an arena, western lodge and restaurant? All I did was work my ass off. Sure, it was “fun” owning bucking bulls and being on the ranch, after I bought into Rowdy's bull business, but the cost of being a female stock contractor wasn't worth the glory. At the guest ranch, I entertained cowboy wannabe’s from around the world, and met some pretty interesting people. And, you won’t believe this... I even got a call from Hollywood. They wanted to make me a reality TV star.
It didn't take me long to discover that the wind never stops blowing on the prairie; and in time, Rowdy’s drinking began to drive me crazy. Early on, I was in deep over my head. Rodeo bulls are expensive, and I bought several to add to the herd. It's an expensive and competitive sport! I had no idea what I was getting into. The cost of feeding those danged bulls, buying the ranch, trucks, trailers and everything that goes along with the glory... quickly took a huge toll on my pocketbook.
My heart was broken again when I discovered Rowdy was a womanizer. He loved women. Maybe I could have accepted his occasional affair, but he used my money to entertain the bitches and took them to my bed when I was out of town. And that’s not all that went on! His freeloading buddies ate and drank at the restaurant for free. Rowdy went from drinking a few beers a day to starting his day with a beer in the shower and ending it with expensive vodka and fine red wine at night. Maybe he drank to cope with the guilt, who knows? What I do know is that his drinking ruined a good thing.
My money disappeared fast. After a few years, when I looked into the mirror at the end of the day, I didn’t recognize myself. The hard work and impossible situation took a huge toll. I wanted out! I thought I had the place sold to a guy from Vegas, but the scammer skipped town after the fire.
Are you ready for some good news? I finally sold the ranch, but the buyer doesn’t want the lodge. I’m closing it down and heading for Arizona until I can find a buyer.
Few would believe what I went through in Freedom! I'm going to write a book! My life here has truly been a new day western saga. Hell yes! I'll call it Farewell to Freedom.
Cheyenne
