Heavens to Bessie: The Weird, Wonderful Story of a Girl and Her Cow
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factory and even though it was physically demanding work, it was something he was accustomed to. There were also several Polish men working alongside him which made his long, grueling days a bit more tolerable. He planned on working in the factory for a few years while he saved up enough money to buy a farm of his own, this time in Winnipeg.
The girls initially had a difficult time getting used to Canada. They didn’t speak the language and mostly kept to themselves. Over the next few weeks, the girls were able to pick up some simple English words and phrases. Johanna had taught herself to read and write in English by watching her sisters and looking through books that her father brought home from work. She was quite the clever girl as she taught herself how to sew, write, and cook all on her own.
Eventually more and more Polish families began to arrive in Winnipeg. The Hinglots were able to speak in their native language again without feeling out of place amongst their English speaking neighbours. They were able to get caught up on everything that was happening back in Poland. Sadly, the country that they had left behind was being reduced to rubble by German invaders. Hearing about all of the destruction in their homeland was quite distressing for Mr. and Mrs. Hinglot. They really didn’t want to hear any more about their former homeland after that.
Johanna had become so busy helping her Mom and sisters around the house while learning new skills that she had almost forgotten about poor Bessie. Not wanting to upset her when she asked, her parents told her that Bessie was doing very well at a new farm with lots of other animals. They had no idea what had happened to Bessie but they didn’t want to upset their daughter and it seemed to her happy.
Johanna finally got the dog that she had wanted for so many years. A stray had followed Mr. Hinglot home from work one day and Johanna instantly fell in love with the affectionate pooch. The Hinglots would feed the dog who would repeatedly tried to sneak into the house. The poor dog would then be turned away by Mr. Hinglot so he ended up sleeping on their front porch every night. He would greet Mr. Hinglot every morning as he left for work. Eventually he couldn’t say no to the sweet dog and allowed for him to become part of their family
Johanna named the dog Tippy as his fur was completely black with white paws and a white tip at the end of the tail. The two soon became inseparable. Johanna would play outside for hours with Tippy and fed him scraps of food under the table during dinner. When it was time for bed, Tippy would assume his regular spot at the foot of her bed. He’d then wake her up every morning with sloppy dog kisses until she got out of bed.
It had taken a while, but the Hinglots were beginning to feel at home in Canada. While they were curious about the traditions of their adopted homeland, the Hinglots never forgot their Polish roots. They still spoke the language and prepared the foods that had long been a part of their culture. Every once and a while, Mr. Hinglot would bring out his accordion and the family would dance and sing to some of their favourite Polka songs. It was during those times that they felt like they were back in Poland again. They still missed their country, their farm, and all of their friends, but this was home now.
With a war going on in Europe, they knew that they would be safe here. A return to Poland was not going to happen anytime soon. Though they still had problems with the language barrier, they were starting to make friends in Winnipeg. Their English wasn’t very good but it was passable. They were able to converse with their new friends and neighbours
All of the kids in the neighbourhood wanted to play with Tippy who was such a sweet and loving dog. They would all assemble outside of the Hinglot home each morning waiting for Johanna and her dog. Tippy would follow Johanna around no matter where she went, kind of like a certain friend she had back in Poland. He was such a good-natured dog who loved everybody. Having him in her life helped to mend Johanna’s broken heart.
Whenever anyone would come to the front door, he would bark and get jump up and down before Johanna would calm him down. He was a rambunctious boy who only seemed to listen to Johanna and nobody else. She had a knack for talking to animals. Whether it was her gentle spirit or the tone of her voice, the little girl from Poland had the distinct ability to communicate with animals. She loved them and they loved her. It was a pure, innocent, and unconditional love that exists between gentle people and animals.
Late one morning, Mr. Hinglot returned from the post office where he had picked up the family’s mail for the week. He patted Tippy on the head and kissed Johanna on the forehead before telling her to get ready for dinner. Mrs. Hinglot had made rice pudding so all of the kids were told that they had to finish their dinner or else they wouldn’t get to have their favourite dessert.
After dinner the girls began their usual routine of clearing the table and washing the dishes. Mr. Hinglot asked Johanna if she could go to her room and bring him a hammer that he thought he had left in her room. He had been working on putting up some shelves in the girls’ bedroom the previous night. Johanna headed to her room with Tippy close behind only to find a letter lying on her pillow. It was addressed to “Ms. Johanna Hinglot.”
“What could this be?” she thought.
She carefully ripped open the letter and found a folded note and a picture inside. It was written in Polish and read:
“Dear Johanna, I hope you are doing well in Canada. When your family left, my family and I took over your farm. All of the animals are happy and healthy including Bessie. She wanted me to thank you for being such a special friend to her. She loves you and misses you very much and hopes to see you again one day. Bessie is now a mother and has two precious little calves of her own. We named one of them Johanna.”
God Bless, Walter Bialy
Tearing up from the wonderful news that she received about her beloved Bessie, Johanna then looked at the photo that had fallen to the floor. There was Bessie out grazing in the field with her two babies. Oh what a magnificent sight!
Johanna had been in her room for a while so Mrs. Hinglot went to check on her daughter. When she opened the door, she found Johanna fast asleep next to a snoring Tippy She lay there with the letter and picture of Bessie clutched close to her heart. Johanna’s mom turned out the lights, but the room remained lit by the angelic smile of joyful girl’s smile.
The End