|
Post by rep1270 on Sept 9, 2022 9:03:29 GMT -6
Thank you for your story. It is great. Thanks again. Ralph
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Sept 11, 2022 7:09:02 GMT -6
Chapter 18
“Aren’t you ready yet?” Alison and Brooke chorused.
At their mom’s insistence, the twins were going to Indian Valley with Chad, Mat, and Aunt Heather. Chad hoped their enthusiasm would energize them all the way but doubted it would. They’d tire long before reaching the town and be whiney the rest of the way. He wished his mom hadn’t said they should go. Yeah, it’d be good for them to see other people but he didn’t want to be burdened. Maybe they’d find other kids near their age, his mom insisted. But he still didn’t want to be stuck with them
Chad shouldered his pack, grumbling. It contained part of the twins’ gear. Of course, they couldn’t be expected to carry all their own stuff. They were too small. Now, if he didn’t end up carrying one of them. Silently, he mimicked their statement, Aren’t you ready yet?
With the pack settled, he felt the familiar lump of the harmonica in his pocket. His grumbling ceased. He didn’t expect to see Carol but he’d take it anyway, just in case. Maybe she’ll come, he thought hopefully.
Though not error-free, he could play a passable ‘On Top of Old Smokey’ and to a lesser degree, ‘Shenandoah’. He wondered what kind of music she liked and felt his face grow warm. He glanced at his sisters and figured it wouldn’t matter anyway since he’d be stuck watching them. He grumbled more.
“I’m ready,” he told the girls. “But we’re not in that big of a hurry. The guys from Hamilton have a long way to go.
“Bye Mom, bye Dad. I’ll watch out for them,” he said with a silent If I have to.
“I know you will, Honey. Have a good time.”
“Uh-huh,” he said, and slung his rifle on his shoulder. He picked up his side of the chicken crate, Aunt Heather the other.
“You guys go ahead,” he told the girls. Mat was already walking, nearly at the pine grove. Behind them, Perro-Feo whined at being left behind. Buck bleated and tossed his head, running along the fence.
“You remember we spread out when we walk, don’t you?” Chad asked the twins.
Alison stopped, turned, and faced him with her hands on her hips. “Of course we remember! Geez! We’re not babies!” With clenched teeth, she jutted her head forward in a physical exclamation point. Not waiting for a response, she turned and followed Brooke.
He muttered, “Man, this is going to be a long trip.”
His free hand brushed across his pants pocket and he smiled. But maybe, it wouldn’t be too bad.
While he and Aunt Heather allowed the distance between them and the girls to grow, he glanced at the sky. It was overcast, reminding him of the previous year. The clouds weren’t threatening rain as yet, but they were growing darker. It’d be a long trip indeed if they were wet. His hand absently brushed across his pocket.
They walked into the open area of the hillside and Chad looked down the two-track from the road to their house. It was turning into a trail without vehicles using it. Native vegetation encroached, reducing it to a single track in places. Yet, it was wide enough he and Aunt Heather could walk side by side with the crate between them. Still, he had to tromp through weeds numerous times.
Mat was visible for a few moments before he disappeared into the brush near the road. A minute later, the twins vanished, snaking easily through the screen hiding the trail to their home. The branches’ tight spacing would make it tougher for him and Aunt Heather and he grumbled silently at the ease the girls passed through.
“When we get to the road, let’s trade sides,” Aunt Heather said. “My right arm is getting stretched out longer than the left.”
“Try it filled with chickens for thirty miles,” Chad said. “I could tie my shoes without bending over by the time we got home. I’ll be ready to switch too.
“I hope the girls hold up and don’t have to take too many breaks or it’ll take forever to get there,” he added.
“Didn’t you just tell them we aren’t in a hurry? Or are you anxious to see your pal Rory?” Aunt Heather asked, grinning.
“He’s not supposed to be there. But if he is, I can give a real demonstration with no holds barred.” He hoped the turd didn’t show up, although, it’d be satisfying if he did.
“Okay, if not him, is there someone else you’re rushing to meet?” she asked, watching for his reaction. His blush confirmed she’d guessed right.
“No, I just don’t want the girls to have too rough a time of it.”
“Uh-huh, I see.”
Chad and Heather pushed into the brush, snagging the crate in a couple of places and eliciting frustrated grousing from Heather. They stopped in surprise after getting clear.
“Looks like you won’t have to worry about the girls getting tired, “Aunt Heather said.
A hay wagon was in the road with a team of horses at the front. Charley and Al Robbins stood behind the hay rack at the front, talking with Mat. Charley was talking anyway. The girls were also on the wagon.
“Mornin Chad, good ta see ya upright and mobile,” Charley said. “I reckon that must be Missus Gomez with ya. Me an Al thought ya might preciate a ride this mornin, specially if them clouds decide to let loose. I swear that one what went through a coupla days ago was like a cow peein on a flat rock.”
“Hi Charley, hi Al. A ride sounds good. And yeah, this is Mrs. Gomez, but I call her Aunt Heather.”
Mat sprang down and put the crate on the wagon and then Heather’s pack. He helped her up and climbed up beside her.
Chad put his pack and rifle on the wagon, then climbed on.
“Now if ya wanna have a sit on them fancy seats we put on here, we’ll get started,” Charley said.
Chad grinned and sat on a hay bale beside the twins. Charley clucked, shook the reins, and the wagon started moving. It wasn’t a fast ride but the girls were excited. Raindrops began to fall and they huddled together. Chad leaned tight to Brooke, welcoming their shared body heat.
Charley was focused forward, his constant talk easy for Chad to ignore, but he turned around and spoke for the benefit of those behind him. “We’ll be pullin inta my place ta get a coupla more a the boys. Reckon we’ll need another chair too.”
Charley stopped the wagon in front of the barn. Al hopped down and disappeared inside, reemerging a minute later with a bale of hay. He tossed it on the wagon bed and climbed back up.
Two people emerged from the house, walked to the wagon, and climbed on. One was a teen a year or two older than Chad, the other a man in his twenties. The teen went to Chad and the girls and looked down at them. Chad stood to shake hands and the boy grasped the offered hand and glared at him.
“You hafta be Chad,” he snarled. “And let me tell you I’m royally ticked at you.” He continued to glare and held Chad’s hand in a tight grip.
“Uh,” was all Chad could say. He was clueless why the kid was mad at him.
“I heard you saved that slug, Rory. It would’ve been better if you’d let those guys take him.” The glare turned into a smile. “I’m Nick by the way. And my pants look pretty good on you but you’ve got some growing to do before you fill them out.”
Chad was speechless. The horses started, the sudden motion upsetting him. He fell, rather than sat on the hay bale. If not for Nick grasping his hand, he might’ve kept going.
“Don’t mind if I do sit down,” Nick said and released Chad’s hand, sitting beside him.
Unlike her nephew, Aunt Heather wasn’t stunned into silence, introducing herself and the girls to Nick.
When she’d finished, he turned to Chad and said. “Gramps told me about you and the slug. It’s too bad you only hit him once.”
“It sounds like you know him,” Chad said.
“Oh yeah. We’ve been in the same class since third grade. He was held back, the idiot. In a small school like ours, we’ve shared every classroom since.”
“Wow, that’s too bad. For you I mean.”
“Yeah, he must’ve thought so too. He got me kicked out of school a couple of weeks before the pandemic shut it down,” Nick said.
“Oh?”
“Yep. The cows were calving so I kept my rifle in the truck in case I saw coyotes looking for a baby away from its momma. I kept it on the gun rack until I got to school, then put it behind the seat. One day the slug saw me and turned me in to the principal. Crap, half the guys at school had guns in their rigs and he knew it. But mine had been pointed out to him so he had to do something or get canned. All because of that zero-tolerance BS.”
Chad remained quiet, nodding his head.
“Besides zero tolerance, it meant zero application of intelligent thought. Before that, I knew teachers who checked out guys’ rifles in the parking lot. It was a load of crap. But the slug got me out of his hair and I got to stay home an extra two weeks,” Nick said.
“It so happened, it took a long time to clean out my locker, and lo and behold, I was in the parking lot when school let out. Total coincidence I assure you,” he said with a wink. “And I happened to see your pal. I knocked the snot out of him,” Nick said with a grin. “It wasn’t like they could kick me out of school for fighting.”
“I think I like you,” Chad said. “But it’s too bad you were kicked out because of that idiot. My school didn’t do zero-tolerance. In fact, we had guns right in school.”
“Really? Were you at military school or something?” Nick asked.
“Naw, I was homeschooled,” Chad said with a grin.
Nick laughed and said, “Okay, I might like you too but I still think you should’ve let those guys have the slug.”
“That makes two of us. But I bet he’d of given them indigestion.”
“Big-time,” Nick agreed.
Nick easily pulled Chad into conversation and the two continued to talk as they rode into Indian Valley. At the town, people saw the wagon approach and walked to the road and greeted the people on it, looking pointedly at Chad.
“It looks like you’re a real celebrity,” Nick said.
“I’d rather be anonymous,” Chad answered.
“I hear you but that horse already left the barn,” Nick said.
Chad decided he meant it was too late to change the past, but chuckled at Nick’s way of saying it.
Charley stopped the team in front of the fire hall. Two fire trucks were parked beside the building, heavy tarps draped across them and tied securely.
“What’s with the trucks?” Chad asked.
“It would’ve been too much work to keep the building warm in the winter without electricity and natural gas. They drained the water to make sure they didn’t freeze and damage the pumps. There was talk of refilling them when the weather got warmer but it never happened. So now, they’re trying to preserve them in case we ever get fuel and power again.”
They jumped off the wagon bed and walked towards the trucks. Nick stopped at a clump of mushrooms growing beside the first truck. “Have you guys found any morels up there?” he asked.
“Morels, what’s that?” Chad asked.
“You don’t know what morels are? Dude, those’re the best mushrooms going and they come out this time of year.”
“Oh? What do they look like and how do I tell them from toadstools?” Chad asked.
More people had drifted over and Chad wondered if everyone in town had shown up. “Hey,” Nick said. “Does anyone have a mushroom book at home? Chad here doesn’t know what morels look like.”
“We’ve got one,” a man said. He looked familiar and Chad was sure he’d been introduced but couldn’t come up with his name. “David, run home and get that book so he can look at it. We don’t want him getting the wrong ones.”
A boy a couple of years younger than Chad had been staring at him like he was a rock star, well, maybe a country star like Blake Shelton since they were in cow country. He turned and ran up the road.
Chad was relieved when most of the people drifted away almost as fast as they’d drifted in. It seemed they all wanted to see him and Mat but only a few would stick around. He hoped that nonsense wouldn’t last long.
The boy was back in a few minutes and showed Chad the picture. “These are good, huh?” Chad asked.
“Y, yeah, they’re really good.”
“Well, thank you, David. I’ll keep an eye out for them. Should we look for anything else growing wild?”
“My favorite is huckleberries but they come in the middle of summer, and further up the mountains than you live.”
“Then I’ll look for them, too. Thanks.”
The boy continued to stare at him like he was something special. Chad grew more uncomfortable by the second.
“Chad, get in here,” Mat said from the door into the fire hall. He shook his head and murmured, “He can handle himself against a group of killers but needs help to escape a star-struck kid.”
“Okay,” Chad said, relieved.
Nick walked with him, whispering. “Ooh, Mr. Smoke, you’re so cool. Can I have your autograph? Please?”
“Butthead,” Chad said and shoulder-bumped him.
“Hero,” Nick answered and bumped him back.
“Rory toady,” Chad said.
“Hey, now you’re being rude,” Nick said. They grinned at each other and went into the building.
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Sept 11, 2022 7:09:49 GMT -6
Chapter 19
Chad assisted as Mat started lessons, working the participants hard. Tactics would come later when everyone was present. The workout was vigorous and Chad was ready for a break when the people from Hamilton arrived. Grabbing his water bottle, he hurried outside, anxious to see who’d come.
Four mules pulled a wagon that was a lot fancier than Charley’s. Instead of a hayrack, a bench seat spanned the front and the bed was enclosed with bright green sidewalls. It looked like wagons Chad had seen in parades. Russ sat on the seat beside the man handling the reins.
Chad scanned the wagon’s seven occupants hopefully, as well as the six people on horseback. The wagon stopped and the men in the back stood stiffly. It was only men he noted dejectedly.
He recognized Glen and the veterinarian, Doc Stevens. Brushing his hand against his harmonica, he checked again to be certain but didn’t see the one he’d hoped for. Despite assuming she wouldn’t come, he was still disappointed.
Nick stood sweating beside him. Glen saw them, jumped down, and joined them.
“Hey, guys, how you doing?” Glen asked.
Nick greeted him and said, “You look stiff. Doesn’t that thing ride very smooth?”
“What happened to those two guys?” Chad blurted. Their fate had been on his mind so much the question came unbidden. He wanted and he didn’t want to know. “Sorry, that’s not much of a greeting and you didn’t have a chance to answer this knucklehead’s question.”
“That’s all right,” Glen said. “I’d want to know too if I was in your shoes. They were put on trial right after you guys left. There was a jury and the high school Government teacher was the judge.
“The trial was short. The one guy pretty much confessed after Dad read you and Mat’s statements. They were sentenced to hang. The Baptist minister asked if they wanted to pray while some men got everything ready. The one guy said, yeah, he prayed that the little son of a you know what met someone that jammed sticks in his eyes and castrated him. Then they were hanged,” Glen said.
Chad was quiet and Nick put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. To Glen, he said, “I told him he should’ve let those guys have the slug.”
Glen laughed and said, “Oh, by the way, Chad, Carol said to tell you ‘Hi’.”
“Carol? Carol Burns? Way to go, Dude,” Nick said and gave Chad a light punch on the arm.
Chad perked up. But he didn’t get the chance to find out if she’d said more.
Doc walked over to them and extended his hand. “Hello Chad, it’s good to see you again. How’d your dad’s leg heal?”
Chad shook his hand and said, “I guess as good as could be expected. He made a nice splint for it and gets around without a cane. But he’s slow and can’t walk far.”
Doc nodded and asked, “Is he here?”
“No, it’s too far for him to walk and we didn’t know Charley Robbins was going to give us a ride. He stays pretty close to the house,” Chad said.
“I figured as much. What about your aunt, did she come along? Rumor has it she’s pregnant,” Doc said.
“Yeah, Aunt Heather’s in the fire hall,” Chad said.
“Good, I’d like to see her,” Doc said and went inside carrying his bag.
Chad turned back to Glen but he’d walked to the wagon, helping spread a tarp across the wagon box. The rain had stopped but the sky looked like it could start again at any moment. Chad watched, wondering if Carol had said anything else.
#
Doc located the red hair and crossed the room to Heather. “Hello, young lady. I hear you’re pregnant,” he said.
She looked at him blankly.
Mat shook hands with him and said, “Heather, this is Doc Stevens. He sewed up that gash on your head.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said and offered her hand. “I don’t remember the first week or so we were at Mat’s house.”
“That’s understandable, my dear. I trust you got over the concussion and are doing well?”
“Yeah, my head’s fine. The only headaches I get now are from Mat,” she said with a wink.
“Yes, husbands have that effect, or so my wife tells me. And I have to take her word for gospel or there’ll be hell to pay. But relationships aside, I came along today because I heard you were with child. I can’t run tests or anything but I’d like to give you as much of an examination as I know how to do for a person.”
Mat looked at Heather, his eyes imploring her to agree.
“All right, I guess,” she said.
“Good, let’s go into the other room and leave the men to their activities.”
Mat accompanied them. The men could wait.
The exam was limited and briefer than if she’d seen an obstetrician., but reassuring.
“When are you thinking this baby is due?” Doc asked.
“My best guess is early October.”
Doc nodded. “All right, you can button your shirt,” he said and put the stethoscope in his bag. “How’s your diet?” He looked pointedly at both. “You know you’re eating for two now.”
“I get enough. It’s mostly long-term storage food and home-canned vegetables, fruits, soups, and stews, and as many fresh vegetables as we can manage. And since Mat’s trip to town, we’ve added milk and eggs.”
Doc said, “I guess it’s as good as can be done under the circumstances. I wish we had prenatal vitamins but we might as well wish for society to be magically restored.” He looked blankly into his bag, his forehead creased with thought.
Turning back to Heather, he said, “I want to see you again in September if we can arrange it, and if possible, between then and now.”
Mat raised his eyebrows and waited.
Doc took his eyeglasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose, then brushed his hair back. “As far as I can tell, everything appears fine.” A scowl crossed his face.
Mat squeezed Heather’s hand. “What aren’t you telling us?”
“However,” Doc said, “the last live baby we’ve had was born two weeks after the sky clouded up following the nukes.”
Heather stopped breathing and gripped Mat’s hand tightly.
“There’ve been few pregnancies, less than I expected considering everyone must be out of birth control, but ...” he left the rest unsaid.
Heather looked at him, her eyes pleading silently for him to offer reassurance.
“But we’ve had a lot more livestock to observe than human babies.” His voice was grim. “Cattle that were out in pasture with limited cover, those that bred, haven’t carried a calf full term, not one. The cows that were kept in good barns have done better, but still, we lose more than we’d like. Goats that were in good barns like Ed and Ida’s have done better, but still ... it’s not good. This spring, Ed has gotten two in five born alive. I’m sorry to bear such news.”
He brushed his hair back again, rubbed the bridge of his nose, and put his glasses back on. The muted light through the window made his glasses look like deep, hollow voids as he looked at Heather and Mat. The look was unsettling.
“I just don’t know that we’re out of the woods yet from those damned nukes!”
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Sept 11, 2022 7:12:01 GMT -6
Chapter 20
With the activities completed for the day, Chad stood at the back of the fire hall with Nick. Half of what his new friend said made him laugh. It was a relief; everything had been too serious for so long. If only he’d drop the “hero” nonsense.
Everyone who’d traveled more than a couple of miles would sleep in the building, including Nick. He said he couldn’t miss the chance to spend more time in the presence of the celebrity. Also, he didn’t want to walk home since his gramps had taken the wagon and wasn’t returning until the next afternoon.
Mat had pushed the group hard, physically and mentally. To a person, they were ready to relax and eat. More than one lamented the fact they couldn’t enjoy a cold beer or two after the arduous day.
The entry door to the big room opened, Alison and Brooke stepping into the dim interior. They looked around, locating Chad. They turned to the woman behind them and in their tag-team delivery, said,
“It’s okay Mrs. Sparks,”
“Our brother is over there.”
“He’s the one with Nick.”
“Thank you”
“For letting us go over to your house”
“And play. It was fun.”
Mrs. Sparks looked from one to the other in amazement. It was as if they shared the same mind. She didn’t know they practiced doing it to mess with people. Just like they tried not to let anyone know which was which.
“You’re welcome, girls. It was a pleasure to have you.”
Alison: “Can we come back tomorrow”
Brooke: “And play until it’s time”
Alison: “For us to go home?”
“Of course you can girls. I’ll look forward to it and I know Brian and Emily will too. You have a good evening.”
“Bye,” the twins chorused.
As Lisa had hoped, children near the girls’ age lived in Indian Valley. Emily Sparks was a year younger and Brian was two years older. They welcomed the chance to meet and play with someone new as readily as the twins had.
Mrs. Sparks had been in the group who wanted to meet Chad and Mat but hadn’t stayed. When she invited the girls to her house, Heather accompanied them. She wanted to see what they were getting into before leaving them with strangers.
Following her check-up with the doctor, Heather returned to visit with Mrs. Sparks. She needed to get away for a while and female companionship would be nice. Mrs. Sparks was a good distraction, sharing freshly brewed pine needle tea and conversation. It was time well spent. Though still concerned after the talk with Doc, Heather was in better spirits when she returned.
“Chad, we’re back,” the girls said, running to him.
“Emily has dolls and Brian has a whole bunch of games,” Alison said.
“One game called ‘Moose in the House’ was really fun. Isn’t that funny, a moose in the house,” Brooke said.
“Yeah, that would be funny, like having this goof in the house,” Chad said and gave Nick a push on the shoulder.
But it’s not funny. We had that game at our old house. After more than a year away, the girls had forgotten it. How much more have they forgotten? The way their lives had changed, it had to be easier on them because they didn’t remember as much of what was lost and dwell on it the way adults did. They couldn’t miss what they couldn’t remember.
What about me? How much have I forgotten?
So much effort went into getting by it was easy to forget the past. He was quiet in consideration. Unfortunately, he didn’t think he’d ever forget a memory from the new life; squeezing the trigger twice.
He came out of his brooding to hear the tail end of Nick and the girls’ conversation.
“— and then they had us work with short sticks, like small clubs,” Nick said.
Alison and Brooke looked at each other in a way that made Chad want to inspect their heads for devil’s horns.
“Chad brought our practice sticks. If we get them, would you show us how good you are?” Brooke asked innocently. She sounded sweet but her intent certainly wasn’t.
Chad considered warning Nick but dismissed the notion. It’d made a huge impression on him when they ambushed him so he kept quiet. Plus, it’d be good for the girls.
The girls and Nick retrieved their practice sticks and walked to the center of the room.
Chad whispered to the men to watch what was going to happen and opened the back door to the building. “Hey,” he hissed and gestured the rest of the people back inside.
Chad turned in time to see Alison dart behind Nick, distracting him while Brooke jabbed him in the stomach with her stick. He let out an “Oof” and received a whack on the back of his left knee. Brooke aimed a swat for the front of the same knee; he blocked it at the last instant and was rewarded by another whack on his back. He had no time to fight back, putting all his efforts into trying to block the ferocious onslaught, only partially successful. By working together, the girls were formidable.
The watchers laughed and hooted at Nick’s predicament.
He gasped, “I ... give ... up,” and lowered his stick in defeat but with a wide smile. Once the girls lowered their sticks, he put his hands out to knuckle-bump them. “That was … great,” he panted. “You two ... are like a couple of coyotes ... after a first-calf heifer ...Jumping in and nipping, then getting away before getting stomped ...Great job!”
Mat hadn’t planned for the demonstration but nodded his head and smiled. He quieted the laughter. “What you just saw, though comical as could be, is also a serious matter. That’s what happens when you underestimate an opponent. I’m sure Nick didn’t consider the girls a serious threat, him being so much bigger and stronger than they are.”
Nick confirmed he was right with a head nod.
Mat looked at Chad, the question obvious.
Though he didn’t want to talk about it, Chad felt he needed to and there’d never be a better time. “That’s what happened with me. Those men who killed Mr. Bates didn’t see me as a threat. I’m only a kid, after all, no one to be concerned with. Rory is older and so much bigger, they figured if either of us needed watching, it was him.”
Everyone knew how that’d turned out.
“So, think of that and what you just saw with Nick and those sweet girls. Never, EVER, take anything for granted in a dangerous situation. It might turn out to be the last decision you make,” Mat stated.
The room fell silent.
Alison broke the somber mood. “Chad, can we eat? It’s hungry work, beating up big boys.”
The group laughed. Nick stepped forward, smiled, and took a bow.
Heather said, “Yes, it’s ready. Let’s eat.”
Several people who hadn’t been in the training had returned for the meal, not wanting to miss the chance to be around people from outside their neighborhood. The meal was limited, as all meals had been for a long time, although it had more variety than anyone present was used to. Beef was provided by the folks from Hamilton and Indian Valley. The Smoke and Gomez gardens provided salad, radishes, and peas. They also had zucchini rounds Heather had grilled while the meat cooked. Everyone was pleased to have something out of the ordinary.
Chad, the twins, Nick, and Glen, filled their plates and sat together. Glen was having a good laugh at Nick’s expense and teased him for getting whipped by the girls. Nick laughed with him and challenged him to do better.
The girls eyed Glen up and down like he was being weighed and measured.
“I’m not about to face those wildcats,” he stated.
Three men had finished their meal and went to their pile of gear. They picked out two guitars and a fiddle, returned to their chairs, and tuned their instruments. One of the guitar tuners saw Chad watching and asked, “Are you going to join us?”
“Join you?” Chad asked.
“Sure, you’ve got your harmonica, don’t you?”
Chad wondered how he knew about it. “Well ... yeah, I have it.”
“Good. Carol expects me to report back to her. Have you been practicing?”
Chad’s face turned red. Nick chuckled and gave his shoulder a light push, making it grow redder.
“Carol?” Chad squeaked. He looked at the man who’d been introduced as John and considered slipping outside.
“That’s right, Carol Burns, my daughter. She told me she gave you a harmonica and wanted to know if you’ve been practicing,” John said.
“Some,” Chad said in a tiny voice.
“Good, what’ve you been working on?”
“On Top of Old Smokey.”
“That’s a good one we all know. Come join us,” John said.
Chad again considered escape but his so-called friend Nick stood and pulled him to his feet. Softly in Chad’s ear, he whispered, “Ooh, Smoke and Burns. That’s a fiery combination if I’ve ever seen one.”
Chad wanted to punch him.
Nick grabbed his chair, placing it beside John’s. “Here ya go, buddy,” he said with a broad smile.
Still hesitating, Chad moved his right foot in the opposite direction of John, ready to bolt. He was too slow as his traitorous sisters took him by each hand and pulled him across the room. Taking the harmonica out of his pocket, he sat and looked at the expectant faces. He felt like a caged animal. Glaring at Nick, he mouthed, “You’ll pay, Rory toady.”
“We’ll lead off and you join in,” John said.
It wasn’t as disastrous as Chad had feared, but he wouldn’t consider it good. Yet he survived. When the song was finished, John asked if he’d been working on anything else. At Chad’s soft answer, the men slowly played Shenandoah.
When they were finished, John asked if he had any more songs and Chad shook his head. “No.”
“Alright, you’re coming along fine. I’ll play a couple more you have to learn,” John said and took a harmonica out of his shirt pocket. “They’re old Irish ballads which happen to be some of my daughter’s favorites,” he said with a wink. “This first one is a Civil War song called ‘Lorena’.”
Chad listened intently, amazed at the amount of music John could make with the tiny instrument. They finished the song and then played another John said was called ‘The Fields of Athenry’. The man playing the guitar sang along with each song. Chad could see why Carol liked them.
When they were finished, John said, “Let’s make time tomorrow and I’ll give you some pointers. But now it’s time to kick this party up a gear.” He pocketed his harmonica and picked up his guitar, joining in a lively country song.
Chad took his chair and moved back to where his sisters and so-called friends waited. Nick gave him another friendly shove. Aunt Heather crossed to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “That was nice, Buddy,” she said. Her eyes twinkled and she added, “Speaking from a girl’s perspective.”
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Sept 11, 2022 7:12:39 GMT -6
Chapter 21
Chad couldn’t remember the last time he’d stayed up so late. He guessed it’d been dark at least two hours but it’d been a very enjoyable two hours. The music had reminded him of another thing they’d lost and it was nice to hear it again. It’d been real music, as opposed to what he did on the harmonica. Plus, hearing John play, he had a better idea of what was possible.
The twins’ heads bobbed, barely staying awake beside him. He stood and stretched, nudged them, and said, “Come on girls. We better get ready and go to bed.”
They followed and stood yawning while he dug in his pack. He handed each their worn toothbrushes and got his own, along with a bag of charcoal. Their toothpaste had run out long ago and Mat had made charcoal which they’d used since. It’d cracked the girls up that making their teeth black would clean them. Chad got his water bottle and they went out the back door. The clouds were gone, leaving the sky full of stars and the bright moon. It was lighter than inside the building where two tallow candles sputtered.
Chad had just put his toothbrush in his mouth when he sensed something coming at them. He released it and fumbled for his pistol, his heart hammering. It was on them before he got the gun out and it turned into a ball of squirming fur. Perro-Feo whined as she licked her girls’ faces. Four dogs trailed her and she turned, nipping at the closest. Chad fought to get his breathing and pounding heartbeat under control.
Mat and Heather had stepped outside as well. Mat knew why the other dogs trailed her. “She’s in heat,” he said softly to Heather.
Her wide eyes shone in the moonlight and she looked from Mat to the dog. “Can we keep them away from her?” she asked. “I mean after what Doc said, can we let her get pregnant?”
“I think it’s probably too late for that.”
When the girls had brushed their teeth and used the outhouse, they went inside and crawled into their shared sleeping bag, the dog lying at their feet.
|
|
|
Post by feralferret on Sept 11, 2022 15:22:14 GMT -6
Thanks!
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Sept 15, 2022 8:32:59 GMT -6
Chapter 22
As everyone was gathering and packing their gear, Chad approached John Burns. “Thanks for everything you showed me,” Chad said. “Maybe next time, I can keep up better.”
“It was my pleasure. I love music and I’m happy to do whatever I can to get more of it playing again. Now you’ve got a month before you show my girl if the lessons took,” John said.
Chad blushed and John gritted his teeth. He didn’t like the idea of his little girl all gaga over a boy. He’d known it would happen someday, but still. Getting that way for a boy thirty miles from home might be the best he could hope for.
“And thank you for everything you and your brother showed us,” John added.
“You’re welcome, and uh, yeah, a month, I guess.”
Mat and Russ had arranged to meet again in four weeks. The participants had a good base to work from and practice on their own before Mat saw them again.
The next session would be in Hamilton. As Russ had said was possible, he’d been able to procure a bicycle and trailer for the brothers. Riding would greatly reduce their commute time.
Chad wouldn’t have to start riding it right away, however. Charley had returned with his wagon and would take them back to where he’d picked them up. Chad helped his sisters onto the wagon and Perro-Feo jumped up with them. He climbed on and sat on a hay bale beside Nick. Everyone said goodbye and started towards their homes.
The trip was slow, but unlike the previous day, the late afternoon sun was out, making the ride enjoyable.
Charley stopped the team at the bottom of the hill leading to their house. Chad’s family climbed down and unloaded their gear. Chad attached the trailer to the bike and was going to set his pack in when Charley stopped him.
“Ya might wanna set this in first,” he said.
He gestured for Nick to move the cooler beside him to the side of the wagon.
“What’s this?” Mat asked.
“Ya member I told ya I might have some beef fer trainin the boys. Wal, here it is,” Charley said.
Chad loaded the cooler and packs into the little trailer. It was a full load, but after securing it with a rope, he was sure everything should stay in. The girls looked disappointed they wouldn’t get to ride.
“Thanks, Charley. Keep that knucklehead out of trouble. See ya knucklehead,” he said to Nick.
“Later, hero,” Nick answered.
The girls ran ahead with Perro-Feo. Chad, Mat, and Heather were much slower, getting the bike and trailer through the brush shield and pushing them up the steep grade.
They stepped into the open area and gazed at the garden and the house beyond, glad to be on flatter ground.
“What’s he doing to the truck?” Heather asked.
Dan was on the ground under their wrecked pickup, working a ratchet. Two tires, the muffler, and tailpipe were beside the trail. The back of the pickup sat on rounds of firewood.
Dan crawled out to greet them. “Hey guys, I’m glad you’re back. I need help getting this axle out once I get the bolts out of the spring hangers.”
“Besides making redneck yard art, why do you want the axle?” Chad asked.
“You left me alone to think. You know that’s dangerous,” Dan said smiling. “The chickens and goats will do fine during the summer, but we have to store food for them for the winter, and more for us.”
Drawing the word out, Chad said, “Yeah?”
“We planted the wheat and we can plant a lot more corn. Hopefully, you guys can get some sugar beet seeds, but I don’t think all that’ll be enough to get through winter. And of course, we’ll have to put up fencing to protect it all.”
“Okay, but what’s that got to do with the pickup axle?”
Dan smiled and gestured at the lush green grass growing on the hillside. “We need hay, and to cut hay, we need a scythe. The axle is just in the way. It’s the springs I want so I can make scythes after we build the forge.”
Mat, Heather, and Chad looked at each other.
“Oh yeah, we should’ve known that,” Chad said facetiously.
#
Sitting at the table for supper, Dan held his fork up with a bite of meat. “You know what? This might be the toughest piece of meat I’ve ever eaten. And probably the best.”
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Sept 15, 2022 8:33:34 GMT -6
Chapter 23
At Dan’s request, the family gathered near the corner of the garden. “I think we’ve got to enlarge the garden and include every bit of tillable land we have,” he said, gesturing. “But we’ll have to keep the animals out. Do you think you can find fencing for it?”
“I agree, and as for fencing, I’m not sure. I wasn’t looking for any when we were down there. But it seems like farms always have rolls of woven wire sitting around. Did you notice any, Chad?” Mat asked.
“No, I didn’t. I guess we’ll have to go back and ask around.”
Dan nodded his head, disappointed not to have a definitive answer. “Okay, Mat, Lisa, why don’t you two take the bikes and trailer down and check it out. Take whatever you think you might need to make a trade.”
“You want Mom to go?” Chad asked, his face full of disappointment.
“Yes, I could use your help. Let’s assume they’ll find what we need so we better start spading while they’re gone. Besides, you just came back yesterday so we know it’s safe. Mat will be fine without you,” Dan said. Unsaid was his desire for Lisa to see different people. Seeing other people and talking with them had made a noticeable impact on the others. Chad had his emotional scars, but aside from that, he exhibited positive changes when he returned. Lisa needed to share that feeling. She’d been isolated for too long.
“Dan, I ––” Lisa began.
“You need to go,” Dan said. “With luck, you can find someone who knows how to make cheese. It’d be nice to preserve some of the milk. C’mon Chad, girls, let’s get to work.” He turned and hobbled in the direction of the shed.
Chad looked at his dad’s back, then back at his mom.
“We’ll be fine Honey,” she said. “And you’re a lot stronger than me and will be more help with Dad.”
“Okay,” he said, disappointed. Stomping up the trail, he caught up with his dad and went to pass him.
“Chad, slow down and walk with me. You look ticked off.”
Chad didn’t respond, just kicked at a bush.
Dan sighed. Chad had been such a blessing for the way he’d stepped up when smallpox struck. It’d be unfortunate if he became mouthy and belligerent like so many youngsters as they transformed from children to adults.
“You enjoyed yourself going to Indian Valley, didn’t you?” Dan asked.
Indignantly, Chad snapped, “Yes.”
Uh-huh, Dan thought. Out loud he said, “I figured so. It must be nice to get out and see more than our spot on this hillside; talk to other people. Especially after being essentially imprisoned here for so long.”
Chad grumbled under his breath.
“We’ve been here, what, more than a year now. More than a year since the Camps and Doc Stevens drove away. With most of that year stuck inside. Doing so much extra work taking care of me and my bum leg. Yep, I see why you’d want to go to the valley.”
They’d made it to the shed while Dan talked. He handed shovels to the twins, picked up the pitchfork and rake, turned, and started back down the path to the garden. “Can you bring the wheelbarrow?” he asked.
Chad stared into space. “You’re talking about Mom,” he said. “She hasn’t seen anyone but us for more than a year and I’m acting like that idiot Rory.” He got the wheelbarrow and walked towards the garden, not wanting to overtake his dad.
As the adults and Chad turned the rich soil, the twins knocked the dirt off roots, threw the plants into the wheelbarrow, and raked the ground somewhat smooth. Chad emptied the wheelbarrow onto the compost pile when it was as full as they could get it.
“What if they can’t find fence material?” Heather asked.
Dan leaned on his shovel, taking the opportunity to rest. He had nowhere near the strength and stamina he used to have. “I don’t want to consider it. We have to produce more food this summer. We don’t have any other option.”
#
Dan was the first to see Lisa slowly pushing her bicycle up the path. It couldn’t be good; she looked ready to drop. Filled with regret, he wished he had the morning back so he could send Chad. He must’ve made a noise or verbalized his thoughts because everyone stopped working and looked in the same direction.
“My God Lisa! What happened? Where’s Mat?” Heather called. She dropped her shovel and rushed for her sister. Chad and the twins were right behind her. Dan shambled along as fast as he was able.
“Nothing’s ... wrong,” she panted. “The ride ... kicked my tail ... is all. Then ... trying to help ... push Mat’s bike and the trailer ... up the hill ... was more than I could ... handle. He sent me ... to get Chad ... to help”
“So, everything’s all right? With both of you?” Heather asked.
“You’re really all right?” Dan asked.
“I’m fine, just drained,” she said, her breathing steadier. “Mat’s fine. I just don’t have strength for a five-mile uphill bike ride ...I was fine getting to Indian Valley but the ride back was a different story ...Conditions haven’t exactly been right ... to build stamina.”
Dan knew what she meant. The rest of the family couldn’t relate, nor did they realize how she rationed their food. “So, I messed up having you go,” he said.
“No,” she stated, her eyes dancing. “It was so good to go even if it did me in getting home. It’s one thing to hear what’s going on and that people are down there just like us. But to go and see them, to talk to them, oh Dan!” She leaned the bike onto its kickstand and gave him a crushing hug. “Now we’ve got to get you out of here.”
“I’ll go help with the trailer,” Heather said, hurrying off.
“We’ll see,” Dan said when Lisa released him. “Let me take the bike.”
“No, I’ve got it. You’ve been working hard too.” Her eyes danced and she said, “I learned something that’ll help us; how to make cottage cheese. Do you know where any stinging nettle or thistles are growing?”
“If I saw any, I’d have chopped them off,” Dan said.
“Don’t do that. They contain rennet and besides, they can be eaten.”
“You’re kidding, right? How do you eat them without getting stuck? And, uh, remind me what rennet is?” Dan said.
“It makes milk curdle to turn it into cheese. So don’t kill them,” she said.
“Okay, if you say so. Did you find fencing?”
“Yeah, it’s on the trailer. That’s why Mat’s having a tough time getting up the hill. Speaking of Mat, he could use some help.” She looked pointedly at Chad.
He turned red and said, “Come on girls. You can help too.” The three started down the path at a quick walk, Perro-Feo and Buck following.
As Dan and Lisa watched them, Dan asked, “So it went well? You got enough wire to do all we need?”
“Yeah, we got a big roll of woven wire. Mat thinks it’ll be enough.”
“What did you have to give for it?” He wanted to know, but then again, he didn’t. He didn’t want further commitments that might put his sons in danger.
“Mat traded one of the rifles he got from those men who shot you. The rancher asked if he had a spare handgun but Mat said he didn’t. When we were coming home, he told me he has the pistol he took to Hamilton. But he wants to keep it for Ali or Brooke when they get bigger. He figures the other one gets your pistol. He didn’t want to trade it before and now he won’t give it up unless we’re desperate. The girls are too important.” Her eyes got red and she said, “My sister did almost as well as I did at finding a husband.”
The goat went running and jumping past them. They turned to look. The other bicycle appeared, with Mat and Chad on each side pushing. Heather and the twins were hunched over the back of the trailer, pushing with all their strength. The trailer looked small under the large roll of wire.
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Sept 15, 2022 8:34:30 GMT -6
Chapter 24
Mat was correct; he’d acquired enough wire to enclose the area they could effectively garden. While they were putting the fence up, Dan studied the hillside.
“You know,” he said, “I’ve seen photos of incredible terraced gardens in Japan. I wonder if we could recreate that here?”
Chad groaned.
Lisa said, “Let’s take care of one expansion at a time. This’ll keep us busy.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Dan sighed, but still gazed at the hillside at every opportunity. At one point, he secured the wire to a T-post while Chad held it tight and asked, “Do you think we could get irrigation water on that hill? And if not, I wonder how long the soil will stay damp if we made the terraces slope back so they collected rainwater instead of it running off.”
Chad looked at the hill and said, “Geez Dad, I have no idea, but it’d take forever.”
“You know, Rome wasn’t built in a day. It would be a heck of an undertaking for sure, but it’s something to keep in mind.”
“I guess,” Chad sighed. Knowing his dad, he expected that soon after the new garden was finished, he’d be tasked with digging an experimental terrace. His dad wouldn’t drop the idea until it was proven right or wrong. He sighed again.
Once the fence was up, the ground had to be prepared. It was more back-breaking work, turning the dirt with hand tools. The days dragged and Chad wondered if they’d ever finish.
When half the space was prepared, Dan decided to start the growing season early. He sent Mat, Chad, and the twins to the creek for willow branches. They were cut to a standard length and bent into hoops. After they’d planted two rows of beans, they shoved the hoops into the dirt across the rows. Once the row of hoops was solidly in place, they were covered with Visqueen, creating a long, low tunnel. A second, wider tunnel was made over three rows of corn. With the covered area planted, it was back to spading.
Chad did get time for relaxation in the evenings. During those times, he pored over the book on plants he and Mat had gotten in town. When it was light anyway. Once it was too dark to read, he practiced on his harmonica. The tips John had given him helped a lot and the family complimented him on his progress. He loved playing but he spent as much of his downtime as possible studying the book. It was more important.
After the indoor garden started producing the previous summer, he’d quit paying attention to what his parents ate, assuming they were eating well. Then one day he noticed they still ate very little and never sent anyone else to the storage room. It’d been months since he’d gone in. When he checked it out, he was shocked. The shelves which had been loaded the last time he looked were mostly bare except for empty jars. Some storage food remained but it was a pitiful amount. He decided it was time to get his head out of the clouds and do more to help. Since they were growing as much as possible while waiting for warmer weather, native plants were the only answer he came up with.
With the book in hand, he made evening walks, looking for any plants listed in the book. He saw chokecherry and elderberry bushes, not that they’d do any good so early in the season.
He had to laugh when he read about plants he recognized. Back home, he would’ve worked to annihilate them, especially burdock and thistles. What a change, to be looking for them to eat. Others, like pigweed, plantain, and lamb’s quarter had been constant pests in their garden. And cottonwood; who could’ve figured out those sticky pods that fell everywhere in spring contained something edible. A lot of cottonwoods grew along Wilson Creek and he made it a point to get down and collect all the pods he could. It was yet another big change in his life; looking for weeds to eat and the sticky pods his mom used to complain about being tracked into the house.
#
Chad was up with the sun turning the soil. As he had for days, with each shovelful he wished they had gas for the rototiller. It was taking forever to prepare the ground. Mat and Aunt Heather joined him and the three worked along, one shovelful after another.
They were startled out of their reverie by Perro-Feo. She emitted a menacing growl, the hair on her back standing up. She started down the path in a quick walk. They dropped the shovels, hurried to the fence, and grabbed their rifles.
“Hey, call this beast off, would ya! I didn’t come to cause trouble. I’m only looking for a hero,” a voice yelled from beyond the concealing trees and brush.
“Nick,” Chad stated.
Mat whistled and Perro-Feo returned. Soon, a horse and rider with another horse trailing behind emerged.
“Hey there Mat, Heather, Hero,” he said, reining his horse to a stop near the garden fence.
“Hey, Zero,” Chad said, dryly. He was glad to see Nick but wished he’d drop the hero nonsense.
“Hero and Zero, the Dynamic Duo. Man, that’s a real knee slapper,” Nick said with a wide smile and proceeded to slap his knee in mock hilarity. “It’s a lot catchier than the Lone Ranger and Tonto.”
“Hi Nick, it’s nice to see you,” Heather said.
“Hey, Nick, what brings you here? Besides the horse, I mean,” Mat said.
“Gramps gave me the day off, so I thought maybe the ...” Nick caught himself and then said, “maybe Chad could go for a ride. I’m sure you haven’t gotten out a lot, and on horseback, we can cover a lot more country in a day,” he said.
“Thanks, but I ––” Chad started.
“That’s a great idea,” Heather said.
“I agree,” Mat chimed in.
“But we need to finish this,” Chad said.
“Yes, it needs to be finished, but we have time before your we plant. Besides, you’ve been working hard and need a break,” Aunt Heather said. “So tell Nick you’ll go before your mom and I embarrass you by physically putting you on that horse.”
Chad looked from Mat to Aunt Heather. Mat nodded and Aunt Heather looked as if she was indeed going to throw him on the horse. “Thanks, Nick. I’d love to go with you.”
The group headed towards the house. The lush indoor garden could be seen through the glass. “So this is your glass-covered man cave,” Nick said. “Gramps told me about it. No wonder you have fresh vegetables. You live in a greenhouse.”
“Pretty much,” Chad said.
Dan and Lisa, along with the twins stepped outside. “Who do we have here?” Dan asked.
“Dad, Mom, this knucklehead is Nick Robbins. Nick, my mom and dad, Dan and Lisa Smoke,” Chad said.
Nick paused before getting off his horse. Chad hadn’t mentioned that his folks had contracted smallpox. Glen was the only person he’d seen with scarring from the disease. It threw him off for a few moments seeing both of Chad’s parents had gotten it and survived. Chad clearing his throat brought his manners back.
Stepping smoothly out of the saddle, he held his hand out to Lisa, “Mrs. Smoke it’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said.
“It’s nice to meet you Nick, but call me Lisa.”
“And Dan will do for me,” Dan said, shaking hands.
“Nick and Chad are going for a ride,” Heather said.
Lisa and Dan looked at Nick with questioning gazes.
“Yeah, I’ve ridden all over this country and thought I’d show Chad around if he could get away for the day,” Nick said.
“That’s very thoughtful,” Lisa said. “Go grab your gear, Chad.”
“Okay,” he said and went inside to get his pack. Lisa followed to get a packet of food together. Chad grimaced when she held it out for him as he stepped from his room. He didn’t want it, not as long as his folks were going hungry. He made a mental vow to slip it back into the house when he returned.
Chad walked to the spare horse and looked at it skeptically. While he tried to figure out how to get on, Nick swung into his saddle. He moved way too fast and easy, and Chad wished he’d watched.
While Chad puzzled, Nick started laughing. “Haven’t you ever ridden a horse? That’s the wrong side. You mount on the horse’s left side.”
“Really? Why?” Chad asked.
Nick studied him and his eyes twinkled. “Well, we’re American.”
“What’s that got to do with anything?” Chad asked.
“Oh, man. Haven’t you ever noticed we drive on the right side of the road? So the driver sits on the left and gets in on the left side. It’s the same with riding a horse. Left side. If we were in England, we’d mount from the right side.” Nick’s lips curled and he turned away to conceal it.
Chad puzzled over the explanation and grinned. He thought Nick was pulling his leg but he’d let it go. After all, he always milked sitting on the right side, be it cow or goat. He didn’t know why, it was just the way it was done.
“Okay, point made. Now if I can get on this thing.”
Nick watched, grimacing at Chad’s awkwardness, and said, “Hold the reins and saddle horn together in your left hand and grab the cantle - that’s the raised part at the back - with your right hand. Put your left foot in the stirrup and pull yourself up on it, and swing your right leg over and settle on the seat.” He watched Chad get gracelessly aboard. It was a good thing he’d picked a gentle horse.
“You haven’t ridden before, have you?” Nick asked.
Chad didn’t answer right away, making sure he was seated firmly with both feet in the stirrups. When he was settled, he said, “Sure, I have but it’s been a long time.”
“It must’ve been a really long time. What was it, the pony rides at the fair?” Nick asked.
Straight-faced, Chad said, “Oh no, it was more distinctive than that. It was at Kmart ... and cost a quarter per ride.”
It was fortunate Nick was on a calm horse for the way he laughed at Chad’s answer. “Dude, that was funny,” he said, still snickering.
“Yeah, but it’s the truth,” Chad said.
“Oh my, Chad Smoke the guy everyone’s talking about like he’s Superman’s little brother, riding the horses at Kmart. I can’t wait to tell your buddy Rory,” Nick said.
Chad glared and Nick said, “Just kidding. But man, that was funny.
“So, I’m thinking we get on one of these ridges and go up to the divide between Wilson Creek and the Middle Fork,” Nick said and heeled his horse into action.
Nick sat his horse easily, adjusting to the motion as if he was sitting in a rocking chair. It was obvious he’d spent a lot of time in a saddle. Chad, on the other hand, was stiff, tense, and in danger of coming unseated at every step. Nick glanced back often. Chad’s mount knew what to do and would follow unless Chad did something wrong. All he had to do was stay on.
When Chad relaxed enough, he started paying attention to the surroundings. The view was getting better the higher they climbed and he looked for plants he’d seen in the book he’d been studying. A few looked right and he noted his location to check them later.
Nick could’ve been reading his mind when he stopped his horse at an expanse of short shrubby bushes. “Do you know what these bushes are?” he asked.
Chad looked but didn’t recognize them. “No, what are they?”
“You need to remember them. They’re huckleberries. In a month and a half to two months, they’ll be ready to pick. Remember what they look like and how to get here.”
Nick stared at him, his usual demeanor replaced by solemnity. “You’ll remember these, right? I might goof around a lot and make jokes about most everything but I’m serious now. Huckleberries are very important in this area. Before everything went to heck in a handbasket, people hit the hills in droves when they ripened. And I read a report about how bears depend on them. If the berries do well in a year, so do the bears. They can be a great resource for people that are barely scraping by, you know what I mean? I haven’t seen a single bear this spring, but it looks like it’s going to be a good huckleberry year. You should be able to get a lot. You understand what I’m saying?”
Chad was surprised. Although he liked Nick, he thought his friend was a goof. The serious side seemed out of character. And he was obviously attentive, seeing right off that Chad’s folks could use more to eat. “Yeah, I get it,” he said.
Nick stared back for a while before he grinned and said, “Good. Make sure you remember. Now, let’s get to the ridgeline. I think you’ll like the view from there.” He heeled his horse and it headed up the hill. Chad’s horse followed.
Chad was surprised again a few minutes later when they topped out on the ridge. It was mostly open with only a few trees blocking the broad views of the surrounding country. He could see miles in the distance. Nick swung from his saddle as easily as if he was stepping down a stair-step.
Chad wasn’t nearly as graceful. Besides being nervous, his legs weren’t accustomed to sitting spread over a saddle. He managed to get off the horse and promptly fell on his backside when he let go of the saddle.
“You know, that’s my grandma’s horse. I picked her because I guessed maybe you weren’t much of a rider. But I never in my wildest dreams expected this,” Nick said, trying not to laugh although a few chuckles escaped.
“Yeah, I know, I’m not a rider. But look on the bright side. Once I’m good, you can tell everyone you taught me everything I know,” Chad said.
Nick shook his head. “You, becoming a good rider? Are you kidding? I don’t have a magic wand, you know.” He reached his hand out and said, “Now get up from there cowboy.” Nick pulled Chad to his feet and they tied their horses to a tree.
Nick pointed out a lot of the features they could see; the valleys where the towns of Hamilton and Gemtown lay, Copper Mountain looming large in the background, Gemtown mountain with its fire lookout. He indicated the other river valley and pointed out one of the creeks running into it. “Someday, we need to go up there. I think you’ll like it,” he said.
“Oh, why?”
“There’s a hot spring a couple of miles up from the road. It’s nice to soak in.”
“Too bad Mat didn’t build his house there,” Chad said.
“I hear you, but that’s the only good thing that spot has going for it. It’s too steep for a garden and the hills face wrong for your greenhouse set up. Not only that, but you wouldn’t have me for a neighbor if you lived there. It’s just a nice place to go to once in a while.”
“It smells like it’d do you good to visit it right away,” Chad said.
“You don’t smell like roses yourself,” Nick said. He walked to a fallen log and sat on it. Chad joined him. “Okay Chad, I’ve got to ask you a serious question.”
Chad felt a flush, afraid of what was coming.
“So, if everything hadn’t happened, on a nice warm, sunny day like this, which would you do, fishing or golf?”
“What? Are you kidding?”
“No, I told you I had a serious question,” Nick said. “Did you miss that part?”
Chad shook his head. “It’s no contest. Fishing any day, not that I’ve ever golfed, nor wanted to. Besides, I don’t know how you’re supposed to filet those golf balls after you’ve beaten them into submission and I don’t know if Mom would know how to cook them.”
“Whew, you’ve at least got some brains. You know, we better go fishing before long.”
“Do you think the fish survived? And if they did, are they safe to eat?”
“I don’t know the answer to either of those questions, but it’s up to us to find out. I’m guessing the creek would be cleaner than the lake, so maybe we try it first. It used to be fair for trout. And the lake could be good some days, other days it was fishing, not catching. But if we do catch any, I don’t think I’d eat too many, at least not for another year. But I really don’t know,” Nick said.
“You mean that little lake between your place and Indian Valley?”
“Oh yeah, you’re not from around here. Yeah, that one. That’s Robertson Reservoir. It was named for an old governor. There are, at least were, bass, crappie, bluegill, trout, and catfish in it. We’ve got to go try it out one of these days.”
“Sounds good,” Chad said.
“Too bad the phones don’t work. You could call the Burns’ place and see if Carol could meet us there,” Nick said. He watched Chad turn red.
“What’s going on with you and her anyway,” Nick asked.
“Nothing, I just met her and hardly know her.”
Nick raised his eyebrows while staring at him.
“Okay, so she saw me and Mat and came to talk to me. You know, Ted Bates being her grandpa. She’s pretty, but I was messed up from the day before. Then that idiot Rory came in, acting like she was his personal property. It ticked me off, so I kind of flirted with her. I wanted him to hit me so I could smash his loud mouth. It didn’t work and I didn’t think much more about her. She caught us when we were leaving town, and well, she gave me a harmonica,” Chad said with a shrug. He didn’t admit he’d relived the moment countless times since it’d happened. Or that he’d never forgotten her since he’d seen her when they’d arrived in town looking for Mat.
“Uh-huh. Well, you know what they say about musicians don’t you?” Nick asked.
“No, what?”
“The chicks dig ‘em. So, keep practicing,” Nick said with a sly grin.
“Whatever,” Chad said. His thoughts made his face burn.
Nick gazed out at the country ahead of them and said, “You know what, Chad? This is like a pile of dog crap.”
“Huh?” Chad asked.
“It really stinks. You guys are living on plants. We’re living on cow flesh. It’s not good for you and it’s not good for us. I tell you what. I’m gonna bring some of that cow flesh up to your place once a week and take back some of those plants you guys are growing. What do you say to that?” He didn’t say it was obvious they weren’t living too well on those plants. Chad’s parents resembled photos of prison camp survivors.
Chad said, “Well, we discussed doing it with your grandpa.”
“Yeah, but I haven’t seen any of it so I’m going to get the ball rolling.”
“Thanks,” Chad said quietly.
“It’s no big deal, Dude. The weather’s getting warm and it’ll be harder to keep the meat fresh. Without drying it out into shoe leather, anyway.”
“Right,” Chad said softly.
It was quiet for several minutes. Eventually, Nick said, “I don’t know about you, but I’m gonna go get a bunch of those morels.”
“What’re you talking about?” Chad asked.
Nick pointed. “Right there. They’ve been under our nose the whole time; the best mushrooms around and you’re sitting here jaw-flapping while we could be picking them.” Nick got up and went to his horse and removed a cloth bag from his saddlebags.
Chad didn’t follow right away. He watched Nick and brushed at his eyes with the back of his hand. “Thanks, Nick,” he said softly before going to his pack to find something to put mushrooms in.
|
|
|
Post by feralferret on Sept 15, 2022 21:03:50 GMT -6
Very enjoyable story. Thanks.
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Sept 20, 2022 12:40:06 GMT -6
Chapter 25
Rory Young balled a fist and slammed it into his other palm. “I’m getting damn sick and tired of hearing about Chad Smoke and Mat Gomez,” he snarled.
“I hear ya man. They seem to be about all anyone wants to talk about. Speaking of, you told us you have a thing going with Carol Burns. She seems pretty enthralled by Smoke,” Scott Smith said, needling his friend. “She goes on and on about how studly he is. What gives?”
Rory shot him a glare. “You’re asking to get your ass kicked, mentioning Carol and that son of a bitch in the same sentence.”
In truth, Carol wouldn’t give Rory the time of day, but he didn’t see it that way. He knew any day she’d come to her senses and recognize him for what a catch he was. But hearing her talk up the lucky fool was the worst.
Rory was with Scott and Scott’s cousin Phillip in the loft of Scott’s barn. He loved to sit in the barn, as he often did, and watch the windows in the nearest house, the Burns’ house. The lofty perch gave him a direct view of Carol’s bedroom. If only he could slip inside and open the curtains further. The steady rainfall made it harder to see than usual but he continued to stare, hoping. Movement behind a window drew his attention. He watched and muttered under his breath. It turned out to be John Burns
Rory cussed out loud and turned back to his cohorts. “Everyone is saying that bastard and his half-breed abomination of a brother are going to be in town tonight. So this is what we’re going to do.”
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Sept 20, 2022 12:40:47 GMT -6
Chapter 26
Mat and Chad stood beside their bicycles. ready to leave for Hamilton for the next training session. Riding, the trip would be much faster than the previous trip. The trailer, holding their gear, was hitched to Mat’s bike.
It was late afternoon, a dark dreary afternoon. It’d rained all day and showed no sign of letting up. The brothers planned to get to town and spend the night to allow an early morning start. Mat squinted through the rain and studied the endless clouds.
“You know, I wouldn’t mind having a working phone so I could call and postpone. I don’t mind the ride but I’d just as soon not do thirty miles in the rain,” he said. “But we said we’d be there so I guess we don’t have much of a choice.”
“We better hit it,” Chad said. They mounted the bikes and pedaled into the gloom.
Chad was filled with nervous excitement. He’d gotten edgier each day, wondering if Carol liked him, or what. He’d never know until he got to Hamilton.
He wore a raincoat but was envious of Mat with his breathable gear. Chad’s was old-school and he was sweating from effort, as wet under the slicker as if he wasn’t wearing it. He considered taking it off and letting the rain soak him but decided against it. The rain might feel warm, but he’d certainly become chilled with prolonged exposure.
He caught a whiff from under the coat and questioned the decision not to remove it. He was rank. But no, they had a long way to go and he’d rather stink than be cold. Hopefully, he could clean up and change clothes before he had to be around people. It wouldn’t negate all the smell but anything would be an improvement. With his legs weakening and his nostrils affronted, he peddled on, keeping close behind Mat.
Chad was numb when they stopped at the Camps’ house and got off their bikes. The change from peddling to walking was a shock to his legs. He had to steady himself against his bike for a couple of minutes before he could help move their gear onto the covered front porch. When he did move, he wobbled as if he’d spent too much time in a bar.
Glen stepped out and greeted them. “Hey guys, glad you made it. With this lousy weather, I was wondering if you might wait until morning.”
“Hi, Glen. I considered it but what’s a little rain hurt?” Mat said.
Easy for him to say, Chad thought. “Hey Glen,” he said out loud. Chad and Mat followed Glen into the house and greeted Russ and Linda. Chad excused himself as soon as was proper so he could clean up. He couldn’t wait to wash and change out of his stinky clothes.
Mat and Chad were taking care of their gear when there was a knock on the front door. Glen opened it to a teen boy shuffling from foot to foot beyond the screen door. He was one of the people who’d moved in from the cities when the pandemic hit. “Hey Phillip, what’s up?”
The boy handed a folded piece of paper to Glen and said, “Carol Burns asked if I could bring this note over.”
Glen took the paper and held it so he could see “Chad Smoke” written on it in a flowing hand. “Carol, huh,” he said with a smile. “Okay, I’ll give it to him.”
Phillip rushed away.
Chad took the paper with a puzzled look. He unfolded it and read, his face burning. Unsure he’d read correctly, he read it again. His face continued to burn. He refolded the paper and put it in a pocket in his pack.
“Hey Mat, I’m going out for a walk. I need to work the kinks out of my legs from all that pedaling,” he said.
“Yeah, don’t want your legs to cramp up,” Mat said with a knowing grin. “Don’t get lost.”
Chad went out to the front porch and put his hat and slicker on. The pungent scent of body odor affronted him and he paused. Maybe he shouldn’t go, stinky coat and all, but he was drawn. Would it be better to see Carol all stinky, soaked from the rain if he left the slicker, or blow her off and not show? Maybe the slicker would contain the stench, he hoped, and kept it on. He hurried off the porch.
He rushed into the gloom, unmindful of everything around him while he considered what it’d be like to see and talk to Carol again. He was a bundle of nerves and had a hard time concentrating. The lines he’d rehearsed in private vanished from his mind.
Turning a corner, he went past a garage built next to the street. Head down to keep the rain off his face, he didn’t see the shadows closing in.
“Hit me with a stick, will ya? Nobody gets away with that!” a voice stated from the shadows and his back exploded with pain. The blow knocked him forward into another shadow that supported him. A second shadow joined the one holding him before he could collect his wits.
The next blow slammed against his head rendering thought impossible. His hands and legs wouldn’t work. The only thing his brain registered was pain from different spots, as blow after blow rained down on him. When asked later, he wouldn’t be able to say how long he’d been beaten or how many people were involved. But he would remember the voice. “Hit me with a stick, will ya?”
His entire body burned with pain when the blows stopped and he collapsed.
The rain hurts.
His face lay partially in a mud puddle which grew larger as the rain continued.
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Sept 25, 2022 6:31:02 GMT -6
Chapter 27
At the knocking on the door, Glen hurried to open it, glad Chad was back. His mom had a meal ready and he was dying to dig in. Like the previous visit by Mat and Chad, she’d gone outside their normal menu. She’d procured a chicken, that while cooking, made his mouth water. The aroma had drifted into the house and he had trouble concentrating on anything else. His mom had to keep an eye on him so he didn’t sneak a bite. It was another change; a simple chicken, so prevalent and low priced before, was rare. People who had chickens guarded them closely for their precious egg production.
Linda also had cheese and sliced boiled eggs ready to serve. Glen’s mouth watered as he looked at the spread.
“It’s about time,” he said, yanking the door open. He stood in shock. It wasn’t Chad. Nick Robbins stood grinning at him.
“What do you mean, about time? I came as quick as I could. I was hoping maybe we could whip up a game of cards or a board game or something,” Nick said.
“Oh, uh, hey Nick. I thought it was Chad coming back. What’d you do, smell my mom’s cooking?”
“What’re you talking about, coming back? He’s not here?”
“Naw,” Glen said with a grin. “He got a note from Carol and took off like his pants were on fire.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Nick said.
“Why, haven’t you figured out they’re crushing on each other?” Glen asked.
“Yeah, I knew that, though Chad won’t admit it. What doesn’t make sense is him going to meet her. I saw her just before I came over. She’s at my cousin’s house and they were going on like a couple of cackling hens. Carol’s trying to decide what she should wear for a harmonica concert,” Nick said.
Glen and Nick stared at each other. Nick said, “So he got a note, supposedly from Carol. How’d he get it, where’d it come from?” His face held no trace of his ever-present grin.
“Phillip Adams brought it by,” Glen said. “You know he lives right beside her with his cousins.”
“Are you kidding me?” Nick asked. “Phillip, that weaselly kid that moved here when the pox hit? Scatmouth, er Scott Smith’s cousin? That guy?”
“Yeah, that’s the one. They moved in with the Smiths. The moms are sisters,” Glen said.
“Glen, buddy, yeah, they’re cousins. And you can’t trust Scatmouth as far as you can throw him. Carol avoids him like the plague, or I guess I should say smallpox. And you know she’s nice to everyone. Scatmouth is the creepiest piece of crap I ever went to school with. Even worse than his best friend ... Rory Young,” Nick said.
Understanding came to Glen. “Crap, we’ve got to find him.” He hurried to the kitchen where his parents were talking with Mat. “I think Chad’s in trouble; Rory set him up.”
Glen was on the porch pulling his jacket on when Mat and Russ stepped out. “Which way did you come, Nick? We’ll split up and take different roads,” he said. “It’s a good thing Hamilton isn’t much of a town.”
Nick told him.
Glen directed them on which roads to take and where he was going. They hurried into the wet gloom.
It was nearly black out. Little enough light was cast from the houses on a good night and it was worse with rain added in. The heavy clouds blocked the stars and moon and Nick was a step above blind. He was cursing the absence of a good flashlight when he tripped over something at the side of the road. He caught himself before he fell on the black shape beside the discarded lumber. Feeling around, he found the shape was a person.
“GLEN, MAT, RUSS. I THINK I FOUND HIM!”
He was loud as possible and a nearby door opened before any of the other searchers appeared. A man stepped out with a candle lantern in his hand, looking around. He couldn’t see beyond the meager circle of light his candle cast.
“Who’s out there?”
Nick taxed his brain for the man’s name. Carl Wells, that’s it. “Mr. Wells, it’s Nick Robbins from Indian Valley. We need your light. Someone’s hurt,” he yelled.
Wells hesitated, not thrilled with venturing into the dark with a youth he hardly knew yelling at him. Glen Camp materialized at Nick’s side, a flashlight in his hand. He flipped a crank and spun it several times while he aimed the beam at the crumpled shape. The light intensified and Nick saw Chad’s face in the puddle. He scooted over, planted his knee in the water, and raised Chad’s head, resting his dripping face on his leg.
Seeing the light around the people, Mr. Wells approached them. His lantern extended in his left hand, his right tightly gripped his revolver. When he recognized Glen, he holstered the gun, but tried to pull it out moments later when Mat arrived. He stopped trying when Mat kneeled beside his brother.
Glen shown the light beam up and down Chad’s still form, and flashed across the discarded 2x4. “It looks like Rory blindsided him and pounded him with that board. Let’s get him back to the house.”
“Who is that Glen?” Mr. Wells asked.
“It’s Chad Smoke, from up Wilson Creek. Rory Young jumped him,” Glen said.
Carl considered it. Everyone knew what Chad had done. “So that’s how the SOB pays off the guy that saved his miserable life, huh.” He held his meager light closer and said, “Let me hold your light so you can use your hands, Glen.”
Russ emerged from the blackness, panting, and watched wordlessly.
Glen gave the flashlight handle a few spins and handed it to Mr. Wells. He, Nick, and Mat raised Chad. Glen and Nick hesitated on how to proceed but Mat took the decision from them. Scooping one arm under Chad’s knees, the other under his back, he cradled his brother.
“Light my way, I don’t want to trip on something,” he snapped.
“We’ve got it now, Mr. Wells, thanks,” Glen said and took the light. They hurried into the black night.
Russ didn’t go with them. He went in the other direction, to Doc’s house. Chad’s stillness frightened him.
Carl Wells watched them until their light was swallowed by the night, unmindful of the rain soaking his clothes. “That rotten SOB,” he said.
He turned and walked past his house to the next one on the street. He knocked on the door and stated loudly, “It’s Carl. I’ve got to tell you something.” It was the first of many such conversations he’d have before he returned home.
Nick helped steady Mat as he went up the steps onto the Camps’ front porch.
Glen opened the door and yelled, “Mom, we found him. He’s been beaten.”
He needn’t have yelled. Linda waited in the living room. Anticipating something bad from the way Glen and Nick reacted, she’d pushed the coffee table away from the couch and had a blanket spread over it. Their reaction and the mention of Rory Young. She’d never seen anything positive in that boy. Extra tallow candles were on the end tables, ready to be lit.
“Lay him on the couch, Mat,” she directed. “Glen, light those candles.”
Mat sat him down gently and said, “Let’s get his slicker off.”
Not stopping with his slicker, they unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off. His arms, back, and chest were a mass of red blotches where the blows had landed. His hair was dark from blood which still oozed from a gash in his head. The cool rain had helped but the gash was ugly and jagged. Mat cussed at the sight. Although she didn’t approve of colorful language, Linda let it pass. At the moment she shared his sentiment.
Nick watched while Mat and Mrs. Camp began cleaning Chad. His friend was in good hands and he couldn’t do anything to help. But he could do something. He slipped out the door while Mrs. Camp and Mat wiped blood and mud away.
Chad was mostly cleaned up when Russ entered with Doc. As he examined the unconscious youth, Doc said, “You know, it was easier when I was just a vet, although my patients couldn’t tell me what ailed them. I only wanted to doctor cows, not kids. I hate to see kids in pain.
“Glen, can you get water heating?” he asked. He dug into his bag and took out a packet of pink strips. “I don’t have pharmaceuticals for pain so we need to get willow bark tea brewed for when he wakes up. I’m sure he’ll need it. Now though, it’s good he isn’t awake. I’m going to put a few stitches in that gash in his head.”
“Hold on Doc,” Mat said and went to his pack. Removing his first aid kit, he laid it open where Doc could see what it held.
Doc looked carefully at the contents and said, “Thanks Mat. I’d forgotten what a good job you did on your dad’s and future bride’s wounds when you met them. This’ll be helpful; I’m all out of disinfectants. Linda, I need a small bowl please.”
Doc cleaned Chad’s cut and his instruments, and stitched the wound. He grumbled the entire time at the lack of proper medicine. After tying off the final stitch and snipping the suture, he said, “Linda, please get that jar of honey out of my bag and spoon out enough to slather on this.” When she had it ready, he scooped it from the spoon with his index finger and thoroughly coated the wound.
Seeing the puzzled expressions, he said, “Besides using nature’s pain reliever, I’m using nature’s antibiotics. I hate to because I’d rather eat it but it’s what I have and little enough of it. Hopefully, Jeff will be able to get a bunch of new colonies of bees out of the one he managed to save. Anyway, hold onto your antibiotic Mat. After using this, I’ve determined it works better.
“Now, Glen, if you could get me wash water. These gloves need to be cleaned since there’s no such thing as disposables anymore. I’ve got to make every pair last as long as possible.
“Mat, make yourself useful and bandage that wound.” Doc followed Glen, grumbling under his breath, cussing smallpox, nuclear bombs, and rotten people’s rotten kids.
Noise from the front porch drew everyone’s attention. The door swung open and Phillip Adams entered with short jerky steps as he was forced inside. His lips and nose were puffy and an occasional drop of blood fell. He favored his right side. Nick was right behind him, along with a scowling man. The man oriented himself in the strange room and located Chad. He walked over and looked down, his face red with rage.
“You must feel real proud of yourself for this!” he snarled to Phillip. “Now quit dripping blood on Mrs. Camp’s floor.”
Turning back to Mat, he said, “Mr. Gomez, I’m very sorry for this. My son,” his voice hard and he glared back at Phillip, “has something he wants to say to you.”
The boy looked like a cornered animal, his eyes wide, swollen nose flaring. “We ... uh ... well, Rory, he uh, is ... I don’t know, like super jealous of Chad ... and like came up with this idea. So Scott and I ... like held him for Rory. He said he was only going to like scare him and hit him a few times ...He never said anything about a board.”
“And you went along with it,” his dad said.
“Like he said if I told anyone ... and if I didn’t help ... he’d like do the same to me,” Phillip said, crying. Bloody snot ran from his nose.
Mr. Adams shook his head in disgust. “Mr. Gomez, as I said, I’m sorry this happened. I leave it to you since it’s your brother they beat. What do you want to do with him?”
Speaking in a low hiss, Mat said, “Truthfully, I want to take him outside and put my pistol to his head and end his miserable existence.”
The words came across more powerfully than if he’d shouted. The color drained from Phillip’s face making the blood stand out in stark contrast. More tears fell.
“I see why you feel the way you do. Although he’s really pissed me off at times and this time more than ever, I don’t necessarily want him killed over it,” Mr. Adams said. He glared at his son more before he continued. “Maybe it’ll sink into his thick head to think before following fools. But short of shooting him, I’ll leave it to you and support whatever punishment you think he deserves.”
Before Mat could respond, Mr. Adams snapped at his son, “Get your butt over here and look at this boy up close. See what you helped cause.”
Phillip looked at Mat, afraid to move. Mat’s words echoed in the room.
I want to take him outside and put my pistol to his head and end his miserable existence.
He was frozen in place. Nick shoved him and he stumbled across the room. Nick was right behind him in case he needed another push. Mat’s intense gaze made him look away and he stared at his feet as he shuffled closer.
Nick’s next nudge was softer, not wanting the fool to fall across Chad. “Just think, if your dad hadn’t come to the door, you’d look like that now,” he said in Phillip’s ear.
Phillip closed his eyes tight and swallowed hard before looking at the limp figure. He spun and ran outside, vomiting off the side of the porch.
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Sept 25, 2022 6:31:42 GMT -6
Chapter 28
The dream started like it always did. Chad acted scared; well, he was scared but controlled his fear. He waited to drop the packs until the man was close enough. At the perfect moment, he acted, jamming his stiff fingers at the man’s eyes. Unlike the usual dream, he missed. The man leaned back laughing.
Something else was different. Rory wasn’t in the clearing. “Hit me with a stick, will ya?” he said directly behind Chad.
Chad turned to see him smirk as he swung a club. Everything went black.
#
Chad mumbled and groaned in his sleep. Linda wiped his face with the damp washcloth.
#
The dream was on repeat. The man was getting closer. It played out until Chad’s world went black.
#
Mat took the cloth from Linda. “I can handle it. Why don’t you go to bed?” He carefully mopped Chad’s sweaty brow. She nodded and went to her room.
#
It started again. And changed.
The men burst out of the brush, Rory Young one of them. His shotgun was aimed at Chad’s chest. The lead man approached Chad demanding he drop the packs. At the perfect moment Chad did, then jammed his fingers in the man’s eyes and followed it with a crushing knee to the crotch. He pulled his pistol and sighted, looking into the sneering face of the next assailant.
“Center of mass, fire, re-sight, fire again; a quick double-tap.” He disobeyed the command and centered the sights on the pompous face and pulled the trigger.
Chad walked to the body and looked at it, indifferent. He didn’t vomit. He didn’t feel remorse or happiness. He felt like he did when he scraped manure off his boot. It was no big deal, it just needed to be done.
#
It was hard to tell for certain but Mat thought Chad’s facial expression changed. It wasn’t a grimace from pain. When he didn’t see more movement, he settled back in the recliner.
#
“I told you to release that pack,” the man snarled and the dream replayed.
#
Chad’s mutters brought Mat out of his light sleep. Nick rose from his bed on the floor. “Thirsty,” Chad croaked.
“Man, I’m glad you’re awake,” Mat said. “Here, drink this tea.” He cradled Chad’s head, raising it. The single candle burning on the end table provided enough light for him to avoid the gash.
“Hurt ... a lot,” Chad got out.
“Yeah, so drink this tea. It’ll help, though it might not taste good. I’d give you codeine, but the label says not to use it for a head wound. Maybe I’ll give you one in the morning.” Mat said. He placed the mug gently against Chad’s lips and tipped it.
“Tastes ... like ... crap,” Chad croaked.
“And why do you have a point of reference for that flavor?” Mat asked. “I’m not familiar with it.”
“Funny ...Should say ... tastes like ... your cooking ...More.”
Mat raised the mug and poured a little more into Chad’s mouth.
He swallowed and said, “Messed ... up ... bad. Rory.”
Mat wasn’t sure if it was a statement or question. “Yes, Rory,” he said.
With slow movements, Chad tapped the mug so Mat raised it and gave him another sip. When he’d swallowed, he croaked, “Tired ... sleep ... now.”
#
“I told you to release that pack,” the man snarled and walked towards Chad. The goon was dealt with, and Chad pulled his pistol and sighted on Rory’s face. At the last moment, he pulled to the right before squeezing the trigger. Rory jerked and squealed, dropping the shotgun and grasping his tattered ear. Pulling his hand away, he looked at the blood on it and then looked at Chad incredulously.
“Oops, I missed,” Chad said and trained the gunsights on the center of Rory’s face. The ever-present sneer was gone, replaced by something else. Fear? Chad saw the darkening crotch of Rory’s pants. “You should see Doc Stevens about your bladder. It appears to be pretty weak.” He shifted his aim and Rory jerked and squealed again when the bullet tore through his other ear, giving him a matched pair.
“Man, I missed again. Can you believe that? Something must’ve happened to my pistol, I never miss what I’m aiming at,” Chad said and holstered the gun. “I guess I’ll have to use my hands.”
Behind Chad and on each side, laughter erupted. He looked around at all the people from Hamilton and Indian Valley he hadn’t known were watching. Turning back to Rory, he saw the dark patch in his jeans had grown larger. He walked closer to the bigger boy who cowered smaller and smaller with each step he took.
Chad felt immense satisfaction when his hand made contact with Rory’s cheek. More satisfaction than he’d want to admit. Most satisfying, it was a simple slap, yet it made Rory cry like a baby. That was rewarding, and he couldn’t stop himself from doing it again and again until Rory was a shuddering mass. The spectators roared with laughter.
#
Chad’s swollen lips curled in a smile and he slept peacefully.
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Sept 25, 2022 6:32:19 GMT -6
Chapter 29
“Chad, what’re you doing up? You should be lying down.” Linda said when she entered the living room. Nick and Mat were on either side of him while he shuffled slowly towards the back door. She shot them a stern look.
“Nature call,” he said.
“Oh. Well, you be careful. Are you hungry? You missed supper.”
“I might eat a little.”
She eyed him critically and scrutinized his escorts. “Okay, I’ll see what I can come up with. Now you take care of your business and get back to that couch.”
“Yes Ma’am,” he said and continued towards the back door and the outhouse beyond. Every movement, small and controlled though they were, hurt. Yet he needed to hurry. If he didn’t, his pants might end up like Rory’s.
“What’s funny?” Nick asked at his snicker.
“Nothing, just thinking about moving faster.”
Linda had the washbasin ready when he returned. The hot water was soothing and he thought how good it’d feel to take a bath; to immerse his entire body and be enveloped by hot water. It’d feel incredible but he couldn’t ask the Camps to go to so much trouble. He dried and shuffled to the couch. A mug of warm willow bark tea sat on the end table and he gagged it down.
When it was finished, Linda handed him a plate holding a mug filled with chicken broth and pieces of shredded meat. A sliced boiled egg was beside it. Chad sipped the broth and then took a small bite of egg.
Nick sat across from him and watched him chew. “You know, you seem like a somewhat intelligent guy. Well, as long as a certain girl isn’t involved at least. So maybe you can explain something to me,” he said.
Chad sighed and waited for Nick to ask how he could’ve been such a sucker. He didn’t want to hear it even though it was deserved.
“I’ve always wondered something.” Nick pointed at the egg. “Do you think some guys were sitting around one day in their mammoth skin coats eating fermented fruit and watching dodo birds, and one said, “Hey Grog, check it out. See that big lump that popped out of that bird’s butt. Let’s eat it. I mean, really, how did they figure that stuff out?” Nick asked, accompanied by arm gestures.
Chad chuckled despite his efforts not to. It hurt, but he couldn’t help it. It was a good thing he’d swallowed or Nick might be wearing bits of egg. “Knock it off man. It hurts to laugh.”
“Well think about it. And not only eggs. What about that expensive coffee that comes out of monkey poop? From poop, I tell you. How do people figure that crap, er ... stuff out?” Nick asked, unable to contain his grin.
“I really don’t know,” Chad said. He held a bit of egg up and chuckled. He put it in his mouth and chewed. When he’d swallowed, he said, “Shoot, next thing you know, someone will spread cow manure on your garden and eat carrots pulled out of it.”
“Exactly!” Nick stated. His laugh was infectious though Chad tried not to join in.
Chad was relieved Nick hadn’t asked how he could’ve been such a sucker. He finished his breakfast and leaned back on the couch with his eyes closed. He still hurt all over but the tea helped. Linda had shooed everyone else to the kitchen, feeding them before they’d go off to the high school. Chad jerked and opened his eyes at knocking on the front door.
Glen hurried and opened it.
Chad’s heart seemed to flutter when he heard a girl ask, “Glen, is he going to be okay? I heard he was beaten really bad.”
“Good morning Carol. Come in and see for yourself,” Glen said and moved aside for her.
Carol Burns stepped inside and Glen closed the door. Chad sat up straighter.
On the other side of the street, Rory Young crouched behind a pickup truck. He’d followed her from a distance since she left her house. He cussed at the closed door, irritated she’d gone there of all places. “At least she’ll see what a loser that asshole is,” he muttered.
Chad’s heart fluttered more as Carol approached, her face a mask of worry. Her hand shot to her mouth and she gasped when she saw him up close. “Oh Chad, I ... oh my,” she said. Her eyes flooded with moisture.
“I look that good huh? They didn’t show me a mirror.”
“No, you don’t look bad, just not as good as normal,” she said, and blushed. “Does it hurt much?”
“Not too bad,” he said stretching the truth. “I don’t think I can play a song though.” He lightly touched his lips.
“That’s all right. I’m just glad you aren’t hurt worse than you are.”
He didn’t respond, just turned red under her piercing gaze. They were both quiet until Nick stepped into the living room. “Heya, Carol. Are you going to keep this guy company while Mat and I go take care of some business?”
“Hi Nick,” she said.
“What business?” Chad asked.
“We’re going visiting,” Nick said.
Chad assumed he meant Rory and his pals. Mat had filled him in on the conversation with Phillip. “I’ve been thinking,” Chad said. “Don’t do anything, not yet anyway. We can talk about it on the way to the school.”
“Humph, you’re not going to the school,” Nick said. Mat had stepped up beside him and gave Chad a questioning look.
Chad got slowly to his feet. “Carol, thank you for coming over. We need to be leaving, but ... maybe ... you can come back ... later?” he asked hopefully. He was in obvious discomfort as he stood.
“Nick’s right. You need to stay here,” she said.
“Come back this afternoon and I’ll play a song,” he said.
She looked at him, pleading with her eyes for him to stay and rest, but saw he wouldn’t. “Fine,” she said. To Nick, she said, “Keep him out of it,” and turned and stalked out the door. She closed it harder than was necessary.
“Okay, let’s hear it,” Mat said. “I agree with the girl so it better be good.”
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Sept 25, 2022 6:33:02 GMT -6
Chapter 30
Chad looked from Nick to Mat, settling his gaze on his brother. “One of those books you had me read had a couple of chapters on psychological warfare. Relate it to Rory. He gave me his best shot and is feeling pretty big right now. So, I’m going out where everyone can see me and walk as if nothing happened. I’ll give the illusion I took it and shrugged it off. I won’t be part of anything at the school. I’ll just watch and make suggestions from a chair.”
Mat stared at him, considering, and then said, “Okay. I see your point. But what do you want to do about him and his cohorts?”
“It wouldn’t do a bit of good for you two to whip them; it has to be me, especially Rory. And no sneak attack. I want to do it where a lot of people see. I want to humiliate him publicly.”
Mat and Nick looked at each other. Nick said, “But that means they get to skate free until Chad’s up to it. That’s wrong in too many ways. I want to go knock the dog crap out of all of them, although Phillip, well.” He held up his scuffed knuckles.
Mat said, “Yeah, I agree, but I also see his point. Let’s think about it on our way to the school.”
Nick had no idea Mat had been bullied as a kid, and how he’d ended it.
“I’d rather go practice what you’ve been showing us for real,” Nick grumbled.
“Me too,” Mat said. “Me too.”
Mat got his gear and Nick picked up Chad’s, sparing him the effort. With Russ and Glen, they went out into the overcast morning and started towards the school. Chad was stiff and sore, but grimacing past the pain, walked as normal as he could.
His appearance wiped the smug smile off Rory Young’s face. It’d been present since Carol left in a huff after a very short time in the Camps’ house. He shook his head, whispering, “How’s that bastard able to move?” Glancing in the other direction as Carol turned the corner, he cursed under his breath.
Russ led the way to the next street corner and was ready to turn left when shouting drew their attention towards the town’s main core. “I better go see what that’s about,” he said with a sigh. “Come on, Glen.”
The yelling was coming from Frank Young’s store. A man stepped out with his arms laden with homespun woolen clothing. At an indecipherable shout from inside, he looked back and loudly stated, “This is my family’s stuff that my wife made, and by God, I’ll do whatever I want with it. And I’m not leaving it with you a minute more. Your son is a thug and I’m not having a thing to do with either of you.” He turned and stormed away.
A woman with a full cloth bag clutched in each arm followed him.
Frank Young stepped onto the walkway, his face red, and shouted, “It’s all lies. My son was home with me all evening. Smoke made it up just like the other lies he’s spread about my son.”
Both people ignored him. He was shoved aside by a man and woman leaving the store carrying bundles.
Chad turned toward the school and started walking slowly. Nick and Mat were like bookends on each side of him. Soon the Camps caught them.
The group grew larger as they continued. The people who joined them studied Chad and whispered amongst themselves.
The group of participants Mat worked through stretching and warm-up exercises had grown. Several more men were present as well as six young women. Chad had mixed feelings that Carol wasn’t one of them.
Soon after Mat started the activities, Russ excused himself and two other men. More than an hour passed before they returned, accompanied by three men Chad didn’t recognize.
“Mat, can you take a break for a discussion?” he asked.
He looked at the group he’d been pushing hard. “If it’s okay with everyone else.”
He received hearty agreement.
Russ addressed the group. “You all know Chad was ambushed and beaten last night. Phillip Adams admits he was part of it, along with his cousin Scott Smith, and Rory Young. It was dark and raining, and no one else saw anything. Carl Wells lives the closest and he didn’t hear a thing.
“We’ve been talking to everyone, and I’m sure you’ll all be shocked, but Frank and Rory Young say the story is a lie. According to them, they were in their house all evening. Mrs. Young wouldn’t come to the door to talk. Scott’s telling the same story.”
Nick jumped up and stated, “That’s a bunch of bull —” and was cut off by Russ.
“Nick, calm down! Yes, we’re pretty sure of what happened, but it’s three peoples’ word against one. Without tight questioning and getting them to trip themselves on their lies, I don’t know how to proceed.” Russ mopped at his hair and said, “It’s not like we have a court system or a detention center, and even if we did, it takes up resources and someone taking care of them.”
“Let’s beat them with a board like they did to Chad,” a man stated.
Several in the group spoke in agreement.
“Any other suggestions, short of beating them? We don’t want to set a precedent and allow them to get away with this,” Russ said.
Mat looked at Chad and considered what he’d said earlier. Standing, he said, “Russ, if I may. Chad has expressed his desire that when he feels up to it, he confronts them and dole out their punishment in public. I want to go crack their heads right now, but I also see how his suggestion might resolve this.
“If Phillip is remorseful, assign him to one of your worst jobs. But the Youngs, from what I know of them, I doubt they’ll do anything they don’t want to. So if you assign punishment and they refuse, then what? Do you build a set of stocks and lock them up for everyone to see? Do you exile them? And if they refuse, how far do you go?
“Maybe Chad’s idea will be more effective than anything else unless I just go shoot both of them. And that would cause its own problems.” Mat sat down and the room erupted in conversation.
“Thank you Mat,” Russ said over the din. “Does anyone else want to offer an opinion?” When no one offered a realistic option, he motioned to the other men with him, and they left the room.
A half-hour later, the men returned to the gymnasium. All activity stopped while the assemblage looked at Russ and waited to hear what’d been decided.
“After discussion, we’ve decided we’ll do mostly as Mat suggested with one addition. Just as we don’t have the mechanism in place to pursue charges against Rory and Scott, they have no mechanism to charge us with libel, as I’m certain Frank would love to do after this.
“We have the draft of a notice we’re going to post at the community bulletin board and make sure everyone in town knows the truth. And the truth is, we have one witness that states he was involved in the beating, and we will name names. I guess until Chad is up to it, they’ll just have to face the court of public opinion.” Russ shook his head at the paper and left the room.
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Sept 25, 2022 6:33:35 GMT -6
Chapter 31
Carol sat beside Chad on the Camps’ front porch. Her proximity turned his thoughts to mush. With his mind in its current state, their conversation was mostly one-sided. Maybe he’d do better with the harmonica. His hands shook as he raised the instrument and blew lightly into the “C” hole. The note was shaky as his hands. After a deep breath, he tried again, focusing on the song he’d practiced over and over.
After a few notes, Carol began singing along. “I long to see you, away, you rolling river.”
He stopped playing, entranced by her beautiful voice.
“That was nice, but why’d you stop?” Carol asked.
“I, uh, forgot to play when I heard you sing.”
Carol giggled and his mind returned to mush. “Okay, no more singing. I’ll listen while you play.”
“N, no, that’s fine, you can sing.” Maybe if she was singing, she wouldn’t hear all his mistakes, because he knew he’d make plenty. The first note came out as shaky as his test note had, but he continued, trying not to be distracted. It didn’t work; he was very distracted. Somehow, he managed to finish the song.
“That was nice Chad, thank you. But I need to leave. Dad told me I couldn’t stay long because you need to rest, so ...” she leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, jumped up, and ran off the porch.
Chad was in a daze, as incapable of thought as he’d been when Rory hit him in the head.
|
|
|
Post by imahic on Sept 25, 2022 16:50:34 GMT -6
Thanks for the updates. Great story.
|
|
|
Post by feralferret on Sept 25, 2022 17:10:44 GMT -6
Thank you for the new chapters.
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Sept 29, 2022 4:43:45 GMT -6
Imahic, Feral, THANKS!
Chapter 32
Mat and Chad stood beside their bicycles in front of the Camps’ house. The trailer was loaded with all their gear and hooked to Mat’s bike.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Mat asked.
“Yeah, I’m sure. It’s not that far to the bridge,” Chad said.
Nick asked, “Did anyone ever tell you you’re stubborn?” He held the reins of his horse. “Let’s trade and you ride the horse. Then you won’t have to pedal.”
“But you and Mat would have to pick me up to get me on,” Chad said. “The bike’s easier to mount.” To prove his point, he leaned it over, put his leg across the bar, and straightened it back up.
“Bye, and thanks for taking care of me. See you in a couple of weeks,” Chad said to the Camp family. It was, in fact, three weeks when he’d return. Russ said a group was arranging a town-wide July Fourth event. The next training session would happen then.
“I wish I didn’t need to take care of you, so I won’t say I was glad to do it. Now you go heal up,” Linda said.
They started pedaling slowly, Nick’s horse trotting to stay with them. Each bump shot shock waves through Chad. Several people saw them and waved and called as they passed.
“I’m surprised,” Nick said. “I was sure Carol would see you off.”
Chad’s face burned. Carol had already told him goodbye. He couldn’t forget the feeling when her hands wrapped around his. Or the more incredible feeling of her lips on his cheek and lightly brushing across his. It’d only lasted an instant but was seared into his brain. “Yeah,” he said.
The bridge across Wilson Creek was right ahead of them. Chad couldn’t remember it looking so good when he’d crossed it before. He was ready to get off the bike and they’d hardly started.
The wagon hitched to the four horses waited on the road like Russ had said it would. He knew it’d be impossible for Chad to ride home, and Doc had forbidden him riding the bike that far until his body had time to heal. Russ had arranged for a ride but Chad insisted he give the impression he was going by his own volition. It was more show for Rory.
It hurt to get off his bike and hurt more to get onto the wagon. He let out a long breath after he was settled onto the seat. The seat was on springs, but it wouldn’t be anything like sitting on a car seat, though it’d beat pedaling. He’d never be able to make it home on his own.
He shifted and gently touched his cheek and lips where Carol’s lips had brushed him. He sighed and wished the next three weeks were already past.
#
“I can’t believe you were so stupid,” Frank Young fumed at his son. “Don’t you ever take time to think?”
“But Dad, I, he ...” Rory whined.
Frank glared at him “But what?”
“He, he deserved it. He thinks he’s so high and mighty and made me look bad on purpose,” Rory whined. “He was just asking for it.”
“Yeah, he was, but still, what the hell were you thinking? Haven’t you got enough sense to know when you pull something like that, you get people to help that won’t blab? If you know anything, you should know that!”
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Sept 29, 2022 4:46:01 GMT -6
Chapter 33
“They’re back,” Dan said when Perro-Feo rushed down the trail.
The sounds arrived first; metallic clinks of trace chains, rings, and buckles on the harnesses, a horse blowing loudly as the team labored to pull the wagon up the hill.
Dan, Lisa, and Heather all looked at each other.
Lisa said, “That’s not just Nick and his horse. Something’s wrong.” Throwing her hoe to the ground, she rushed for the trail, Heather behind her.
Nick rode into view first. Chad had warned him how his parents were likely to react and asked him to ride ahead and try to soften the shock of his entrance “It’s alright, he’ll be fine. He just couldn’t ride his bike all the way,” he called. The words didn’t soothe his listeners.
Her voice shaky, Heather called back, “Which he? What happened?”
A fist-sized lump materialized in Dan’s stomach. One of his sons had been hurt. DAMN this new world we live in! DAMN IT, and everything that brought it on! He couldn’t follow the women; he grasped a fence post to steady himself.
Nick heeled his horse to close the distance separating him from the women, reining in when he reached them. “Chad got a little beat up is all,” he said with a shrug. “He’s doing fine, but he’s kind of sore. Give him a few days and he should be as good as new.”
“Beat up? How? What happened?” Lisa asked, her eyes wide and her hand flying to her mouth. “Where is he?” She stared down the trail, looking for her son.
Heather raised her eyebrows. She and Chad had sparred enough that she knew something was wrong if he’d been beaten up. The kid was very good. Nick had obviously omitted a lot.
“He’s right ... there,” Nick said, pointing down the trail.
Two horses emerged from the brush obscuring the lower trail with two more right behind them. The wagon, looking like it belonged in a parade, appeared from the brush curtain. Chad sat tall beside the driver. He’d removed the bandage from his head and his boonie hat covered the wound. His bruises were covered by his clothing, so to those watching, it appeared Nick’s story was accurate. Chad smiled and waved, adding to the charade.
The wagon driver pulled the team to a stop near the women. From his vantage point, Dan watched Mat spring down from the back as agile as ever. Chad, however, didn’t display his normally fluid movements. He appeared to be stiff and sore everywhere although he tried to hide it.
Mat came to his rescue, drawing his mother and aunt’s attention to the near side of the wagon. “Everyone, this is Tim Scott. Heather, you remember him. Tim was coming to Indian Valley, so we decided to catch a ride with him. Pedaling all that way is tough if you’ve been working hard.”
I see we’re going to have a long talk, later, Dan thought. He was the only one with the angle to see how hard it was for Chad to move. The wagon blocked him from the women’s view.
Tim Scott looked surprised when he looked at the family. Dan understood too well. It was the reaction they usually received, two pox survivors together.
Heather smiled at him, “Yes, of course, I remember. Hi Tim, how are you? But I thought you had a team of mules, not horses,” she said.
“I’m good Heather, thank you. It’s a pleasure to see you again,” he said. “I have mules and horses. The mules are busy doing farm work, so I’m using these guys for this trip.”
Dan, still at the fence post, talked quietly to himself. “Yeah, what aren’t they telling us for Tim to drive his team and wagon an extra five miles or so out of the way with a steep climb up the side of the hill at the end of it?” He started his shambling walk to the wagon.
“Tim, this is Chad’s mom, Lisa, and over there, coming towards us is our dad, Dan Smoke. And of course, you know these two,” Mat said with a hand on each of the twins’ shoulders. They’d suddenly appeared and wormed their way between Mat and the wagon.
“How could I ever forget those two and the show they gave us with Nick,” Tim said and laughed.
Dan reached the side of the wagon and extended his hand to shake. “It’s nice to meet you, Tim. Thanks for bringing the boys home and coming so far out of your way. I know it must’ve been an inconvenience.”
No one offered a comment. Chad looked uncomfortable from the statement.
Dan thought his son needed to work on his poker face. When no one said anything, he continued. “Hamilton’s a long way to travel by horsepower. Would you join us for supper and spend the night? It’s the least we can do for your troubles.”
“Thanks, but Nick’s granddad has a spot for me and a big barn and hay for the horses. But I appreciate the offer. Speaking of that, although I’d love to stay and talk, I better get this rig turned around and get going. It’ll be dark before I get down to the road.”
“Could we at least send you with something from the garden for your trouble?” Lisa asked.
Tim gazed across the garden. “I must say, that is a very fine garden, bigger, and further along than any I’ve seen. I’d be happy to relieve you of some fruit of your labor. I sure enjoyed what you folks provided for our get-together in Indian Valley.”
Lisa and Heather hurried to fill a basket.
Tim looked around and said, “So that’s the glass man-cave Charley told me about. It has to be nice for heating and cooling.”
Mat said, “It is now that the weather’s back to normal. It’s also our greenhouse, so we’ve been growing inside all winter.”
“Well, you’ve got a nice set up here. Now, I better quit jawing and get this rig turned around. It doesn’t turn on a dime.” Tim gave the reins a flip. The horses leaned into their collars, creating a jingle of buckles and chains and groans of wood. They pulled the wagon towards the house and the widest patch not under cultivation. Tim stopped them and they pivoted one direction, backed up, and pivoted again, repeating the maneuver until they had the wagon facing the valley.
Mat and Nick unloaded the brothers’ gear from the wagon as Lisa and Heather returned from the garden. Heather carried a crude basket filled with vegetables.
Tim looked at it and said, “That’s quite the container you’ve got.”
Lisa chuckled. “Yes it’s not very pretty, and hopefully it won’t fall apart before you get home. We didn’t have enough containers so we’ve been trying to weave baskets. I remember back in school, the joke that athletes skated by taking basket weaving instead of real classes. Were we ever wrong about that. It’s hard to make something passable that stays together. And as rough as this one looks, it’s one of the better ones.”
“I’m sure you’ll get better with more practice,” Tim said. “Thanks for this. The wife and I’ll enjoy it. It was nice meeting you, Lisa, Dan, but I better get going. You folks take care of yourselves,” he said and flipped the reins.
“Nick, would you like to stay for supper? I made a special treat,” Lisa said.
He was on his way to his horse and froze in place. “Sure, I could eat. Hey Tim, let Dad and Gramps know I’m going to hang around for a while longer. It’ll be late when I get back,” he called.
Tim raised a hand in acknowledgment.
As the wagon disappeared in the brush, Lisa stepped over to her son. “I’m so glad you’re all right,” she said and hugged him.
Chad stiffened.
Lisa stepped back and looked him up and down with a critical eye. Dan joined her and matched her gaze. “Okay, let’s hear it. All of it,” he said.
“Well, I ...” Chad began.
Heather put a hand up. “Let’s discuss it over supper. I have a feeling we might be here a while and Nick still has a decent ride to get home,” she said.
“Yeah, so maybe I should just head for home,” Nick said.
Lisa looked sternly at Chad, then leveled the same look on Mat and Nick in turn. “You’re staying right here Nick. Although maybe you should catch Tim and tell him you’ll stay the night. Especially, if you guys don’t want to come clean and tell me everything,” she said sharply. “Because I assure you, I WILL hear the whole story, even if it takes all night to drag it out of you.”
Mat gave his brother a crooked smile, and raised his eyebrows and shrugged. Resistance would be futile.
“Sure, I’ll stay,” Nick said and grinned at Chad. “I haven’t seen fireworks in a long time. But I better tell Tim.” He hurried to his horse, mounted, and rode away.
“Will he come back?” Heather asked.
“Sure, he doesn’t want to miss this,” Mat said. He picked up his pack and rifle and handed them to Heather, then grabbed Chad’s gear.
“Hmm, he can’t carry his stuff?” Heather asked.
“He would if he needed to,” Mat said and carried the gear to Chad’s bedroom.
Nick made it back, took care of his horse, and washed for supper in record time.
The meal looked special. A slab of beef from the Robbins’ ranch had been seared on both sides, then steamed until it was tender and juicy. A dish held cottage cheese made earlier in the day. Fresh salad and cucumbers filled plates, as well as a dish of sautéed morels. Most conspicuous was the Dutch oven in the center of the table, the lid still on.
Chad looked at the spread. “Mom, it looks like you made quite an effort. Let’s enjoy the meal and when we’re done, we’ll tell you all that happened. Is that all right?” he asked.
She looked at everyone in turn and asked, “You’ll come clean? And not hold anything back?”
Chad thought about how he’d been drawn out. And thought about Carol. He looked at his parents and considered. Sighing, he said, “Yes Mom, everything.” His face felt like it was on fire, thinking of Carol and the fake note.
“Okay. Dan, the blessing please,” his mom said.
When Dan finished, she took a potholder and removed the lid from the Dutch oven. Nick’s eyes opened wide. “Is that scalloped potatoes?” he asked in awe.
Lisa couldn’t help but smile. Nick was like Chad when he was little and opened a special Christmas present. “Yes, it is. Dan got the potatoes and onions out of the garden today. I’ve never cooked them in coals from a fire before so I hope they turned out. But since I won’t have to drag everything out of the three of you, maybe you’d like to go home.”
Nick got a stricken look on his face.
“I’m kidding, help yourself.”
“They look fabulous. I haven’t had any of these in years,” he said. He didn’t hesitate a moment before putting a scoop onto his plate.
Chad was happy to see both his parents dish up healthy servings. As the garden produced more, the Robbins family contributed meat, and they had a good supply of fresh milk and soft cheese, they were finally eating better. The wild plants he harvested helped as well. Consuming more didn’t show on their bodies as yet, but they displayed more energy, seemingly daily.
The talk was light during the meal, avoiding the Hamilton trip. The plates and dishes were emptied of food, with one scoop of potatoes remaining. Nick shot glances at it but didn’t say anything.
“I guess we better clean up. Do you suppose the dog will eat the last bit of potatoes?” Lisa asked. She’d already boiled zucchini chunks in the meat juice with a few small bites of meat for the dog. They’d long ago run out of dog food so Perro-Feo usually had a menu similar to her family’s. Nick’s eyes shot wide open at the prospect of feeding something so delicious to the dog. “Unless you’d like to finish them, Nick,” she said.
“You’re messing with me, aren’t you?” he asked.
“You think? Now take those potatoes so we can clean up.”
#
Chad prefaced the story with the fact that he didn’t think before going out and hadn’t considered anything Mat had taught him. But he learned his lesson and it’d never happen again. Then he told as much of the story as he could.
Lisa was aghast and Dan felt like a giant fist clenched his guts.
“Something happens every time you go to THAT town. I don’t want you going back,” Lisa stated.
“But Mom, I have to go back. Mat and I made a deal. Plus, I’ve got to confront Rory. He can’t get away with this,” Chad said. “They can’t arrest him and lock him up, so it needs to be me. Things have changed.”
The look she shot him contained a mixture of emotions rolled together; fear, pain, anger. “Don’t lecture me that things have changed! I know good and well how things have changed! I’m reminded every day.” Her eyes swelled with moisture.
“Every meal I cook in a Dutch oven or on a wood stove, a small meal with little variety, improper nutrition, and barely enough to call it a meal, I’m reminded. Each time I see my sons walking around with guns on their hips, I’m reminded.” A tear hung at the edge of her eye.
“Each time I look at my younger son and his haunted eyes, I’m reminded. When I see my husband limp in pain I’m reminded. Every time I run my fingers through my daughters’ dirty hair, see them in clothes that should’ve been made into rags, I’m reminded.” Tears flowed down her cheeks.
“Each time my sons leave home and I worry one of them might not come back, I’m reminded.” The tears ran in a steady stream. “So don’t lecture me that things have changed. I have too many reminders to ever forget!”
Chad waited while she blew her nose and wiped her face. “I’m sorry Mom,” he said. “I didn’t mean it like that. Of course, you know things have changed. But don’t you see? I have to confront him. It’s the only way.”
“And what if he hurts you again?” she asked in a whisper, the fire gone.
“He won’t Mom. He taught me a valuable lesson. Mat told me before I’d have to be on my guard but I forgot. I guess I was getting used to the way everyone looked at me and thought I was pretty hot stuff. I’ll never do that again, ever. I have to give credit to Rory, he ingrained me with a life lesson I needed. I swear it won’t happen again.”
Tears continued to flow down Lisa’s face. “Each time you two leave, I’m terrified something bad will happen. I don’t want to see you hurt; either of you.” She lowered her head and sobbed, her whole body shaking.
|
|
|
Post by feralferret on Sept 29, 2022 13:40:15 GMT -6
Excellent! Thanks.
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Oct 2, 2022 5:17:23 GMT -6
Chapter 34
Even though he ached everywhere, Chad was up before the sun. He nudged Nick. “Wake up sleepy head. You can’t get enough beauty sleep to help. So get up.”
“Huh, what, it’s still dark,” Nick mumbled.
“The sun’ll be up in a half-hour or so,” Chad said.
“How do you know? You don’t have a watch,” Nick mumbled.
“Don’t need one. If you paid attention, you’d have heard the rooster crowing. It’s time to rise and shine.” He didn’t think Nick knew the wretched creature tended to crow at all hours. “Now come on.”
“What’s the rush?” Nick asked in a whiney tone and sat up. “You’re worse than Gramps.”
“I’m, rather we’re going to do a bunch of stretching and as much of a workout as I can,” Chad said.
“Dude, are you nuts?” Nick asked. “It’s dark out and you could hardly move yesterday.”
“I must be; you’re my best friend after all. But aside from that, I did some stretching yesterday and it helped. I need to do more. And I want to be at my best when we go back.”
“And sleep deprivation helps how?”
“Come on, get up.”
“I can’t believe you. Once you get in one good hit he’ll start crying like a little girl,” Nick said.
“You mean like my sisters,” Chad asked, smiling for the first time since telling Carol goodbye.
“Oh no,” Nick said, laughing. “Not like those two ferrets. They’re ferocious. I mean like girls that don’t have you and Mat for brothers.” Nick stood and stretched. “Okay, I’ll go with you, but in a few minutes. I’ve been using an outhouse so long, there’s no way I’m going to miss out on a toilet with running water.”
#
Chad threw himself into “Rory prep” as he considered it. Each morning he rose early, stretched, and went for a run. Their home was in a great place for building stamina. No matter which way he went, he’d have to do up-hill work.
Once back home, it was on to the heavy bag. The sounds of his fists and feet pounding away were a constant while his dad milked the goat. When he could involve him, Chad sparred with Mat. The girls would watch and one or both would jump in at random times making him more aware. It was dangerous to be so focused on the person in front, another attacker could slip in unnoticed. He remained humble when Mat complimented him. Though Mat’s praise meant a lot, he avoided the trap he’d fallen into before. The scar on his head reminded him of what happened when he got big-headed.
While doing all that, he made sure he did his share of work. The garden was completely planted and the hoops and tunnels were disassembled. The only attention required for the time being was weeding and irrigating, and he did as much as he could.
With less to do in the garden, Dan and his helpers worked on his other project, the forge. Chad placed the stones at his dad’s direction, getting more of a workout. It wasn’t the same as pumping iron in a gym, but it was beneficial exercise for their home at the same time. When he told his dad and Mat why he wanted to handle the rocks, his dad laughed.
“Why’s that funny?” Chad asked.
“Oh, it reminded me of something from the past. I worked with a couple of guys who paid good money for gym memberships and also paid someone to mow their lawns. I always figured they could’ve saved the money and got free exercise by doing it themselves. But they couldn’t see and be seen if they did that.” Dan got a faraway, serious look. “I wonder what happened to those guys.”
Those guys and millions of others.
“What’re you doing?” Chad asked Mat at one point. Mat had a handful of the clay mud they were using and was forming it into a block.
“Experimenting,” he said. He cut a line deep into it, all the way around. That done, he made a cone-shaped hole in the top. When he was satisfied, he set the clay block in the direct sunlight.
“Did you put something in there?” Chad asked.
“Yeah, an air rifle bullet. I saw the wheel weights on the pickup tires and got to wondering about something. Suppose you were away from here with that rifle, ran out of bullets, and didn’t have the molds. Could you improvise and make your own? I think it’ll work with a little fine adjustment on the slugs when they come out. But we won’t know until we try,” Mat said.
Shocked, Chad asked, “What, are you planning on leaving?”
“No, it’s just a ‘what if’ thought. I didn’t plan on surviving a nuclear war when I had this place built, and you know how that turned out. It’s one more thing to consider; could we make bullets for that rifle if we had to without the regular molds? I don’t know, but I’d bet in parts of the country, bullets are pretty scarce now,” Mat said.
“I think it’ll work,” Dan said. “Good thinking.”
“Well, I don’t plan on ever finding out,” Chad stated. He had no way to know he’d be grateful for the idea in the future.
Dan indicated the dog. “Nick must be coming.” Perro-Feo was trotting down the trail with a definite purpose but not in alarm. She’d gotten used to Nick riding up and no longer challenged him but still went to greet him.
They watched the trail and Nick emerged on horseback. A saddled horse trailed behind. “It looks like he wants to take you somewhere,” Dan said.
“He mentioned we should go fishing one of these days but we’ve got too much to do,” Chad said.
“We can spare you as long as you aren’t going anywhere near Rory Young,” his dad said.
“Naw, I won’t do like he did to me. I want as many people as possible to see when I meet up with him,” Chad said.
“I wish you didn’t think you need to go through with that,” Dan said.
“Yeah, I know, but I have to,” Chad said. “I can’t let him get away with it.”
Nick stopped the horses and studied their work. “That’s quite a pedestal you guys’re building. It’s like one of those sacrificial alters I read about in ancient history class. Don’t tell me, you’re planning on strapping your buddy Rory on it and digging his heart out with a spoon,” he said.
“Dig his heart out with a spoon?” Chad asked.
“Yeah, I heard it in a movie and thought it was funny. Or maybe I heard something like it and changed it in my head. Heck, I don’t remember.” Nick swung out of the saddle.
“Not an altar, we’re building a forge,” Mat said when Nick walked over to them.
“A forge? Why do you want that? You’re kind of out of the way to open a blacksmith shop and start shoeing horses,” Nick said.
“For tools,” Dan said. “I want to try making a scythe first. And it would be handy to have for whatever metal work comes up.”
“Cool. The grim reaper, huh? So you wanta have one ready in time for Chad to take to Hamilton and make Rory pee his pants again,” Nick said.
“Intimidation isn’t why I want one,” Dan said. “We have to cut hay for the goats for winter.”
“Ahh. Well, I’d still like to see the slug’s face if Chad went into town packing a scythe.” Nick laughed. “Man, I bet he’d create a vacuum, running away so fast. What’re you building it out of?”
“I’m going to use the leaf springs out of our pickup,” Dan said.
“Really? So why do you need a forge for that?” Nick asked.
“I’ve got to get the steel hot so I can take the curve out and put an edge on it. Then I’ve got to heat it again to temper it, followed by another heating for annealing,” Dan said. A lot more was involved in the process but that was the basics.
“Huh. You’re building this alter, for that? To hold your fire to heat steel?” Nick asked.
“That’s the basic idea,” Dan said.
“Don’t you still cook on that big wood stove? What would happen if you had a nice fire going in it and jammed one of those springs right in the middle of the fire? Would that work?” Nick asked.
Dan was taken aback and stared into space. After he’d puzzled it over, he chuckled, and said, “You may be right but I don’t know.”
Nick grinned and said, “So, if that works, we can tie Rory to this alter?” It got a good laugh. “Or ...” he said, letting it hang.
“Or what?” Mat asked.
“Or I could bring you a couple of Gramp’s scythes to use. He calls them ‘idiot sticks’ by the way. Don’t make me explain why or I’ll be asking myself why I hang around with you guys.”
Dan said, “I get it Nick and we’d appreciate it very much if we could borrow them.”
“Alright, I’ll bring them up to you. So, with that out of the way, does anyone want to go fishing? I’ve been planning on checking out the creek. Before everything happened, there were decent trout in it and I’ve got time today.” He looked around and added, “The horse isn’t for Chad. It’s for one of you two,” he indicated Dan and Mat. “This beast will want to run,” he said and rested a hand on Chad’s shoulder.
“I’ll stay, but if you guys ever figure out the lake is good fishing, I’d like to go along. I think I’d do better there than along the creek,” Dan said.
“You two go ahead, I’ll stick around and help Dad,” Mat said. “If I know him, he still wants a forge and to experiment with those springs.”
Dan’s smile confirmed he was right.
“Okay, your choice, but I don’t get it, working on a day you have a chance to go fishing. Nuts I tell ya. Get your stuff, Chad,” Nick said.
Chad gathered his gear and Nick helped him tie it to the saddle. They mounted, Chad getting settled much easier than he had the first time he’d gone with Nick. He’d gotten on and off the horse on other Nick visits. He wasn’t as awkward but didn’t approach the grace Nick displayed.
The two rode down the trail, Dan and Mat watching them go. “So, will it work to use the stove?” Mat asked.
“We can find out in the morning after breakfast,” Dan said.
They didn’t have to wait that long. Later in the day with all the wall vents open to keep the house from overheating, Lisa fired up the stove. She needed it to fry the four trout Chad returned with.
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Oct 2, 2022 5:18:03 GMT -6
Chapter 35
Nick delivered the scythes as promised and they were put to use immediately, Still, Dan couldn’t help himself. He yearned to try to make one of his own. The seed of the idea had grown and he couldn’t let it go. Besides, the day was sure to come when the scythes would be in use by their owners at the same time he needed one. He’d try to make one but it’d have to wait. The native grasses were at the perfect stage to harvest.
After the cut-down feed was dry, they raked it into piles and moved it to storage. The back of the pickup with the camper shell became the first storage area. When it was full, they put more in the shed.
#
Nick returned a week later with one of his numerous relatives. “This is my uncle Jack,” he said and made introductions. “He’ll come up and keep an eye on things, so you,” he said to Lisa, “and Dan can go with us to Hamilton. He’ll do the chores each day, milk, gather eggs, let the goats out to eat. That way you’ll get to see what a turd Rory is first hand and see everyone in town.
“Gramps will be here with the wagon the morning of the third. You all get to ride in style. So, what do you think?” he asked.
Chad had mixed feelings. While he wanted his parents to go, he didn’t want his mom trying to stop him. He had to confront Rory and make him pay. If his mom told him not to, he’d defy her. He didn’t want to, but under the circumstances, he would, and deal with the consequences. Rory would not get away with beating him.
“Thanks, Jack, but you don’t need to do that,” Dan said. “I can stay.”
“No, you won’t,” Lisa stated. “You’re going. It’s been too long since you’ve seen other people. Besides, Chad has something to do, and despite what we feel about it, I’d rather be there than wondering for days if he’s safe or hurt. We’re both going. Thank you, Nick. Thank you, Jack.”
Chad couldn’t believe his ears. He looked from his mom to his dad in wonder.
“It sounds like a plan. Thanks, Jack, Nick,” Dan said.
Dan showed Jack around and went over all the chores they did daily. Besides taking care of the animals, the indoor garden would need to be watered before they returned. They’d give the outside garden a deep watering and it should be fine, barring unforeseen problems.
As the day of their departure neared, Chad continued to spar, run, and exercise in anticipation of the moment it was Rory he was hitting. Each time his fist connected with the heavy bag he visualized Rory’s sneer turning into agony. With every grunt he made as he delivered a powerful kick, it was Rory he heard.
Despite his obsession over the inevitable clash, he made time each evening for his harmonica. When he finished practicing, his hand absently drifted to his cheek.
#
Chad piled the final load of hay in the shed. He was hot, sweaty, and itchy from the work. “Dad, it looks like we have everything done for now. Would it be all right if I go down to the creek?” he asked.
“Are you going fishing?”
“I might take my pole, but I want to take a bath.”
“Why don’t you use the shower?” Dan asked.
“Since we don’t have any soap, I thought I’d use sand to scrub with,” Chad said. He held his hands up. All the creases were brown with accumulated dirt and grime that didn’t come off with normal washing. “This is so worked in, it needs to be scoured if I’m going to get clean.”
“I’m not thrilled with you going alone, but if you’re bathing you need your privacy. And I suppose you want to make yourself presentable to go to town,” Dan said.
“That’s the idea.”
Dan thought for a while and said, “All right, go ahead, but take Perro-Feo with you.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Chad said, and hurried to the house for more clothes and a towel. He knew there was a good chance he’d get Rory’s blood on him the next day, but there was also a chance he’d see Carol first and it’d be nice if he looked his best. Beyond doubt, he’d look better than the last time he’d seen her. He left the house and called Perro-Feo. She reluctantly left the girls and followed.
It was a hot summer day and Chad was ready to cool down. He stripped and jumped into the pool, instantly shocked. The air might be hot but the water felt like it came straight off a snowbank. Despite the cold, he stayed in and scooped handfuls of sand, scouring the built-up grime away. His skin turned red from the cold and scrubbing.
As he rubbed sand over his skin, he decided they’d have to try to get more soap when they went to town. It’d be better to get clean in the shower. With the heat, he’d be soaked again by the time he made it back to the house, albeit with sweat.
He lay back in the water, trying to remember what he’d read and heard about soap making. His mind drifted, from the homemade soap at Hamilton to a booth he’d seen in the past at a farmers’ market. He jerked up as it came to him. Goat milk! That lady at the market made soap from goat milk. Now they’d have to find someone who knew how it was done.
Perro-Feo lay under a clump of willow brush watching all around. When they’d arrived, she’d plunged into the pool, gotten a drink, and clambered onto the bank, shaking vigorously. Water droplets filled the air. Cooled off, she found a shady spot to watch from.
Her frame showed she was in late pregnancy. Before lying down, she dug and scraped a bowl in the dirt and plopped into it. Her rounded abdomen filled the depression. The water on her fur mixed with the freshly exposed dirt so she’d come out of the trip dirtier than when they’d left. Chad laughed at the irony of it. He was trying to clean up, while she got dirty.
Once he was clean, he worked on his clothes. When he’d done what he could with them, he lay back in the pool for a few more minutes and daydreamed about the coming day. He couldn’t stop running his hand over the fresh scar on his head. Mat had removed the stitches, but the reminder was present.
“One more day, Rory, and you get yours,” he told the gurgling stream.
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Oct 2, 2022 5:18:40 GMT -6
Chapter 36
It was a glorious morning, the deep sapphire sky cloudless when Charley pulled the team and wagon to a stop in front of the house. Glorious early, with the promise of sweltering heat later.
Jack and Nick sat astride horses. Jack dismounted and pulled a bundle off his saddle, and then the saddle and blanket off the horse.
“You’re sure you’re okay with this?” Dan asked. “I can stay.”
“No, you go. I’m not too good around groups of people. I like solitude and it’ll be like a vacation,” Jack said.
“All right, and thanks, I really appreciate this,” Dan said. He went to the wagon and climbed up with the rest of his family.
Mat and Chad had loaded their gear, the dog, and helped the girls and women up. Charley turned the wagon and they started for the road.
Charley being Charley, he talked the entire ride to his ranch. More people waited there to climb onto the wagon, including Nancy Robbins. Al and another Robbins were on horseback. “Hey Chad, the wagon’s getting crowded. Do you want me to get Grandma’s horse for you?” Nick asked.
Chad thought of the extra freedom he and Nick would have and said, “Sounds good. But I might take some time on the wagon if my legs start to stiffen up.”
“Yeah, it wouldn’t do for you to show up to a butt-kicking not able to kick,” Nick said with a wide grin.
Chad got off the wagon and Charley started the team moving. The boys could catch up easily enough. They did, and as they arrived in Indian Valley, they saw more people on the road.
“Looks like a lot of people are starved for entertainment. All we need now is Michael Buffer,” Nick said.
“Michael Buffer?” Chad asked.
Nick lowered his voice in a poor imitation. “Are you ready to rumble,” drawing the last word out.
“Oh, that guy,” Chad said.
He looked at the wagon and saw his sisters looking bored with the adult conversation. With a nod in their direction to Nick, he directed his horse to the side of the wagon. “Hey Ali, do you want to ride with me for a while?” he asked.
Her eyes opened wide and her face lit up. “Can I, really?” she asked.
“Sure, come on,” he said.
Mat stood, and balancing himself with the movements of the wagon, lifted her and passed her over to the saddle. Her fighting sticks, a fixture on her pants leg, caused a bit of a problem but she and Chad got them arranged and he reined the horse away from the wagon.
Brooke stuck her lower lip out in a pout but it changed into a big smile when Nick moved his horse next to the wagon and asked, “Well, are you coming?”
#
The trip to Hamilton was uneventful. The twins spent time with Chad and Nick and on the wagon, never sticking with either for long. For a time, Chad turned the horse over to them. He got off, stretched, and jogged for a while, staying limber.
At last, they crossed the Wilson Creek bridge and turned onto the main street. Not seeing Rory or Scott and the excitement such a sighting would’ve created, the group dispersed.
The Camps greeted everyone when Charley stopped the wagon at their house. Chad and Nick dismounted, and Glen joined them. “Hey guys, how was the ride?” he asked.
“Good,” Nick said.
Chad didn’t respond, looking around on the chance Rory would be dumb enough to show himself.
“Chad, aren’t you going to say anything?” Glen asked. “I thought your mom taught you better manners than that.”
“Sorry, Glen. Hi. I was making sure Rory wasn’t going to try a sneak attack again,” Chad said.
“Yeah, about that,” Glen said. “You know, Dad told everyone not to say a word; that you’d take care of Rory. Well, we might as well have posted it out on the dearly departed internet. Someone leaked and it was all everyone talked about. You might not know it but if we held a popularity contest between you and Rory, you’d win hands down. A lot of people don’t even know you but they know him. Everyone was anticipating seeing him get his comeuppance.
“But you’ll have to deal with disappointment. Four days ago, a group of people left for Oregon. Rory and Scott went along. They’re gone.”
|
|