|
Post by bretf on Oct 2, 2022 5:19:54 GMT -6
Chapter 37
“Gone? What’re you talking about? Where in Oregon? Why? Who’d the jerks sneak off with?” Chad asked rapid-fire.
“Wow,” Glen said laughing. “Slow down and let me answer one question at a time. First of all, yes. Rory and Scott are gone. They knew you had a vendetta against them and it wouldn’t go well once you got here. So they jumped on the chance to get away.”
“Stinking chicken sh ...” Chad said, caught himself, and looked to see if his mom had heard. Rory got to him even when he wasn’t around. He hadn’t even had the soap-taste memory, he was so charged. “Oops. What chance to get away?” he asked, more mindful of his parents.
“Dang,” Nick stated. “I’ve been looking forward to seeing Chad knock the slime out of that slug for weeks. Where’d they go? Maybe Chad and I can go after them.” He grinned and said, “But we’d have to ride hard, Chad, and I’m not sure you’re up to it.”
“A guy from La Grande was passing through. He had family in Montana and wanted to see if they’d survived,” Glen said.
“La Grande is quite a ways from here. Was he driving? Where’d he get the gas?” Nick asked.
“You two ask questions in groups. So in answer, no and not applicable,” Glen said grinning.
Nick sighed, and slowly he said, “All right, tell the story. Your way.”
Glen smiled and started, “Okay. So this guy from La Grande came through. He was riding a mountain bike, without a gas motor,” he grinned at Nick. “Quite a few people have been passing through. Now that everything is mostly settled down, people are concerned about relatives. So those that can are checking on them. They’re also informal post-men. Most will carry letters for other people as far as they’re going.”
“So, it’s safe to travel?” Chad asked.
“I’d be nervous if I was out on the roads. Most of the people we’ve talked to try to move at night. Anyway, the guy from La Grande spent some time holed up near Lime. You know, where the big cement plant was.”
Neither Nick nor Chad knew about it but they chose not to point it out and interrupt Glen’s story.
“He saw a bunch of guys working so he approached them. It turns out they produce crude cement and trade it for food from areas where farming is done.”
“Okay, but what’s that got to do with Rory and Scott?” Nick asked.
“Be patient. I’m getting to it.”
Chad and Nick looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
Chad said, “I didn’t know we were coming to a theatrical presentation.”
Glen laughed and said, “Good one. You know we’ve got a crew rebuilding the old grist mill. They need cement. When they heard we might be able to get some, they got wagons and security riders together to go check it out. Hopefully, they’ll come back with all they need.”
He stopped talking, looking from Chad to Nick. Neither appeared ready to interrupt again. Yet. “Rory and Scott volunteered to go. It was the perfect out for them. They could get away and look good helping everyone while doing it.”
Shaking his head, Nick said, “Sorry Chad, but I’ve gotta give the slug credit.”
“What?” Chad asked, outraged.
“Think about it. He figured out you could be suckered in by a note from Carol and pulled it off. Sorry Dude, I didn’t mean to say you’re a sucker but —”
“Yeah, he suckered me out in the dark and beat me with a board. I was there; I remember. Part of it, anyway. Make your point,” Chad snapped.
“Okay, so besides that, he knew that if he stuck around town you were going to clean his clock. You, some scrawny little city kid —”
“I wasn’t a city kid,” Chad snapped.
“Yeah, I know, but you were from down-country, and I hate to tell you buddy, but everyone from there is considered city. Anyway, you were going to hurt and humiliate him. He knew it. Everyone knew it. So instead of waiting for you to come and kick his butt, he became a good guy. He volunteered to do something beneficial for everyone. He wasn’t running away. He was helping with something important. With that one move, if he doesn’t mess up, he went from pariah to good guy. I didn’t know he could think that well. So, my point is, in future dealings with him, let’s consider that he might be capable of thought, twisted though he is. We, and especially you, better not underestimate him anymore,” Nick said.
“Have you been talking to Mat?” Chad asked.
“Whenever I can, but not about this. Why?” Nick asked.
“Because you sound like him. He’s always saying to never take an opponent for granted, that overconfidence is what’ll get you killed,” Chad said.
“See, that’s why I like to talk to him. And he was right, wasn’t he? I never question his intelligence or abilities. He’s plain scary,” Nick said.
“I’d steer clear of him,” Glen added. “He’s always nice and all but he looks like if you crossed him, he’d strike in an instant. You should’ve seen him when we got you here after Rory clubbed you. If he hadn’t been so worried and insisted on watching over you, I’ll bet Rory would’ve been dead that night.”
“What’re you doing? Trying to make me feel guilty for being hurt so he didn’t go take care of the goon?” Chad asked.
“No, but I’m sure he would’ve taken care of Rory the next morning if you hadn’t stopped him,” Glen said.
“Yeah, he would’ve. That’s what he planned,” Nick said.
“How long did they think the trip would take?” Chad asked.
“Well, there’s a kicker. They figured on two days to get to Lime and three or four days back if the wagons are loaded heavy. Throw in a day or two if more cement needed to be made,” Glen said. “Of course, that’s if they don’t run into any problems.”
“So, they could come back any day?” Chad asked.
“The wagons maybe, but not Rory and Scott,” Glen said. “They came up with this great story, that if it was safe to get to Lime, they wouldn’t be missed if they didn’t come back with the wagons. Since they were that far, they were going to go on to Burns and see if the Smiths’ family there survived everything.”
“That rotten s ...” Chad said and looked at his parents. “... dog,” he finished.
“Okay, that confirms what I was saying. If and when he does come back, you’ll need to watch for deeper levels of treachery. He might come up with something else that blindsides you,” Nick said. We gotta quit thinking of him as an idiot.”
“That’s right,” Glen said. “We’re decent people. Rory’s not. We try to do what’s right and help when we can but he’s all for himself. So watch out and pay close attention.”
“I guess, but, man, it’s hard to imagine he has a functioning brain in that fat head,” Chad said.
Lisa made a happy squeal and hurried to where the boys were huddled. “Chad, Russ told us fantastic news. Did Glen tell you? Rory Young is gone so you won’t see him while we’re here.”
“Yeah, he told us,” Chad said with nowhere near the enthusiasm his mom displayed.
“Isn’t that great, honey? Now that wretched boy can’t ruin your birthday.”
“Birthday?” Glen and Nick asked at the same time.
Lisa looked from one to the other. “Didn’t he tell you? Today’s his birthday. And I didn’t want it messed up by that Rory kid,” Lisa said.
“You should’ve told me,” Nick said.
“Why, would you’ve made me a cake?”
“Naw, no cake, but I’d of thought of something.” He stared past Chad for a bit, thinking. “Well, I better be going. Happy birthday. I’ll see you two, tomorrow. Bye, Lisa.” Nick swung into his saddle, took the lead from the horse Chad had ridden, and waved to everyone as he rode away. The rest of his family had already gone. They were staying with Nancy Robbins’s sister.
“We should get our gear taken care of,” Chad said.
“I’ll give you a hand,” Glen said. “But the house is going to be crowded with all of you here.”
“Yeah, so I thought I’d sleep on the front porch. I’m guessing it’ll be cooler than inside,” Chad said.
“You got that right. Even with all the windows and doors open, it’s been stuffy in there,” Glen said.
They stowed the gear, putting the sleeping bags in the areas where they’d be used. Alison’s and Brooke’s were beside Chad’s. They also wanted to sleep outside.
Sitting on the porch, the group talked the afternoon away. The sun began to dip below the low ridge to the west of town casting long shadows. A light breeze blew, bringing welcome relief after the heat of the day. The horses may have done all the work but everyone was drained from the sun beating down on them. It was nice to relax in relative comfort after sweating in the heat for so long. The soft rustling leaves in the trees added their voices to the conversation.
Dan was telling Russ about his techniques for early gardening when Linda looked up and said, “Hi, Carol, what brings you by this late?”
“Hi, Linda. I heard Chad and his family were here, so I thought I’d come over,” Carol said.
“Is this the friend you told us about, Chad? The one who gave you the harmonica?” Lisa asked.
Chad was glad he was in deep shadows and no one could see his burning face. “Yeah, that’s her,” he said.
“Oh Chad, I didn’t see you. Happy Birthday!” she exclaimed.
“Uh, thanks, but how uh, did Nick tell you?”
“Chad, I think introductions are in order,” Lisa said.
Chad rolled his eyes and tried to shrink into the darkness. He wanted to see Carol but not with his parents watching.
“Chad?” Lisa said.
“Mo-om,” Chad said, in a near pleading voice.
“Chad,” Lisa started, using the mother voice that was expected to be obeyed. “If you’re willing to run out at night because you got a note from this girl, I think your father and I deserve to meet her.”
Chad wished he could crawl into a crack in the wall.
“You got beat up because of me? I didn’t know that,” Carol said, her eyes wide.
Chad felt all eyes on him. He got slowly to his feet and moved to the edge of the porch like he was walking in wet cement. Carol ascended the steps, her step light as she joined him.
Taking a deep breath, Chad said, “Uh, this is Carol Burns. Carol, this is my family. My mom, Lisa, my dad, Dan, Aunt Heather, and Mat. You’ve seen him before. My sisters, Alison and Brooke.”
Lisa stood and walked closer. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She turned to her son and said, “You never told me she’s so lovely.”
Chad didn’t respond; he couldn’t. He’d gone mute; turning redder while Carol flushed with embarrassment.
After Carol greeted everyone, she turned back to Chad. “Can you come over to our house? Well, everyone’s invited. My dad has everyone over who’ll be playing for the dance tomorrow. They’re jamming and practicing, and he said you should come and join them.”
“Can we go, Mom? Please?” Alison and Brooke chorused.
Chad groaned.
“Of course, you can girls. Thank you, Carol, that’s so sweet of you. We’d love to hear some real music,” Lisa said. “But how long a walk is it to your house? Chad’s father doesn’t walk very far.”
“We live a couple of streets over and back toward the mountains. Nowhere is very far in Hamilton.”
Lisa looked at Dan and asked, “Do you think you’re up to it?”
“I think I can do it,” he said and reached for his cane. Though he tried to get around without it as much as possible, he’d brought it just in case, not knowing how much he’d be on his feet.
Soon, the whole group was walking slowly down the road. To Chad’s disappointment, Carol walked beside his mom. It sounded like his mom was trying to learn all about her and her family. It wasn’t anywhere close to how he’d imagined seeing her. Like everything so far on the trip, nothing had happened as he’d planned.
A campfire burned at the side of the road in front of the Burns family home, its light dancing on the gathering. It was a lot more than a group of people jamming. Several of the town’s residents were taking the opportunity to enjoy the music. Word had spread like wildfire.
John Burns saw the group arrive. After the song they were playing finished, he spoke quietly to the other musicians. To the crowd, he said, “This one’s for Chad Smoke.” The group played and sang ‘Happy Birthday’. The spectators joined in, adding their voices to the song.
Lisa smiled at Chad, a smile he didn’t return. He wondered what else would embarrass him before the night was through.
A hand clasped him on the shoulder and he turned to look into Nick’s grinning face. “Hey Dude, pretty cool birthday party, huh?” he said.
“You are so going to pay for this,” Chad said.
The song finished and John Burns addressed the gathering again. “Chad’s been working hard on learning the harmonica, so let’s get him up here to join us,” he said and patted the empty seat beside him.
Chad didn’t move so Nick gave him a nudge. He still didn’t move, even when Carol grabbed his hand and tugged. His feet felt rooted into the ground as he stared down at his hand with Carol’s soft, warm hand wrapped around it. Everything went quiet around him; it was like he was in a bubble.
“Chad, are you all right?” Carol asked.
He shook his head, able to think again. “Oh, uh, sorry.” Yep, he’d been right, another embarrassment; undoubtedly, with more to come. He wondered if his lapse had been noticed by other people. He hoped he’d be able to sit and fake it with his harmonica. He needn’t have worried; John would make sure of it.
“Have you been practicing?” John asked when Chad took the seat beside him.
“When I can,” he answered.
“Good. What song do you feel most comfortable with?”
“Shenandoah or the Fields of Athenry,” Chad said.
“Sounds good. Let’s start with Athenry. A few of these folks will sing along, so you’ll be the only one who knows if you hit a sour note. I’ll start and give you a nod when to join.”
John did as he said and the rest of the musicians jumped in after Chad went through the melody. As John predicted, several people sang. Their voices brought out the heartbreak of the song, with the man of the family shipped away to the penal colony because he stole food to save his family from starvation. The harsh reality of the song struck a strong chord with many of the listeners. It’d been just a sad song, before, but one hundred and seventy years after the Irish famine, it was a vivid reminder of the hunger they’d endured. Chad looked at his emaciated parents across the fire and missed a note. They’d sacrificed, just like Michael in the song.
John kicked off another song, one Chad didn’t know. Not having to concentrate on playing, he looked across the fire. Carol sat beside his mom, mouthing the words to the song. He was lost in the music and the incredible view as the group went from song to song. Carol sang along with a few songs, and when not singing, she talked to Chad’s mother. He was afraid of what they were talking about and reddened from more than the firelight.
The crowd of spectators shrank and dwindled as it got later, but the jammers stayed at it. Chad didn’t recognize several of them, musicians who’d traveled a fair distance on foot, bicycle, or horseback to get there. They didn’t want to end anytime soon. People were starved for such an opportunity; the chance to come together and celebrate life and forget the previous year for a while. After so much death and destruction, few wanted to miss a minute. Not only that, the music was good.
During the jam session, John took breaks from the guitar, giving Chad pointers on how to accompany the group despite not knowing the songs. During one break, he stood and said, “You’ll have to excuse me. Nature calls.”
When he returned, he was carrying a guitar case. He opened it and Chad saw the instrument was smaller than the one he played. After tuning it he held it out to Chad. “You want to give this a try?” he asked.
“I don’t know the first thing about a guitar,” Chad said.
“Yeah, but do you want to give it a try?”
“Uh, I guess so.”
Chad looked across the fire. Carol was laughing at something. That was music to him, better than any he’d heard all night, at least if she wasn’t laughing at him. He was lost in that laugh and missed what John said. Red-faced, he said, “I’m sorry, I was distracted. Can you say that again?”
“Yeah, I saw,” John said dryly. “I was saying, the song they’re playing is in the key of G.” He had his guitar in his hands. “Put your fingers like this, and strum, and that’s the basic G chord.” John demonstrated and strummed to the song.
Lisa got up and skirted the fire to him. “We’re heading back honey,” she said. “I’m loving this but your dad’s having a hard time keeping his eyes open. In fact, he’s been dozing for a while. Don’t stay out too late; you’ve got obligations in the morning.” She leaned over and brushed her lips against his cheek. “Happy birthday, Honey. Your friend seems like a nice girl.” She straightened and her eyes glistened in the firelight’s glow. “Try not to wake your sisters when you get back.” She looked back at Dan and he stood, his weariness obvious.
“Good night, Mom. Thank you, it was a nice birthday. I don’t think I’ll be here much longer.”
“Good night, John, and thank you,” she said and went to gather her family.
Chad watched his family and the Camps leave, wondering if he shouldn’t go with them. Maybe his mom would tell him what she and Carol had discussed all evening. Or maybe he didn’t want to know. He was startled by John talking.
“I’m sorry, my mind was drifting again,” he said.
“You seem to have that a lot tonight,” John said. “I wanted to show you the chords for the song they’re playing.”
John was happy with the boy’s progress when he paid attention. He appeared to have a good feel for the music, and given the chance, might become a decent player.
The group played Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run”, the man singing doing a passable job.
When it was finished, Chad said, “Sorry, but that song is my reminder. I’d better run. Since I’m supposed to be at the gym in a few hours, I need to get to bed. Otherwise, I’ll be as worthless as I was last time. I appreciate you showing me how to play this,” he said and held the guitar out.
“It’s a start. Now put it in the case and close it up. And you’re welcome. As I told you before, I love music and like to help folks with it. You appear to have an aptitude for it. But I know what you mean about rest. I’ve got to be at the gym myself.”
He cased his guitar and walked to his daughter, nudging her. She was curled up on the ground, sleeping. Her mother had gone to the house earlier but she’d insisted on staying. “Come on darling, you’ll sleep better in your bed.”
She sat up and stretched, her hair tousled. Chad watched, entranced, and thought she’d never looked prettier. “Uh, okay, Dad. I’ll be there in a minute.”
John gave her a penetrating stare. “All right, a minute,” he said. With a guitar case in each hand, he went to his house. When he was at the door, he paused and looked back. At his daughter and the boy. With a heavy sigh, he shook his head and went inside.
“I hope your birthday was nice,” Carol said. She moved across the area separating them, took his hand, and led him out of the light cast by the coals in the fire pit. When she stopped, she stood uncomfortably close to him.
The heat on his face was more intense than it’d been from the glowing embers. She took his hand and he stiffened.
“I’m glad Rory wasn’t around to wreck tonight.”
He stiffened further at the name.
“A birthday should be special,” she said and pulled his hand while she wrapped her other hand around his neck. She pulled lightly and leaned in to him.
Chad was numb on the way back to the Camps’ house, not much different than the last time he’d arrived late at night, except Mat wasn’t carrying him. Despite his resolve, he’d have been easy prey if Rory had been around. His mind was putty.
His sleeping bag was laid out beside his sleeping sisters. After unzipping it, he pulled his boots off and lay between the bag’s layers staring into the star-filled sky.
“You’re smiling too loud,” Mat said from the other side of the porch, surprising him.
He didn’t know Mat was sleeping outside, too. Nor did he figure out how silly Mat’s statement was. He closed his eyes, unable to take the smile off his face or shake the vision of Carol from his mind.
|
|
|
Post by gipsy on Oct 2, 2022 7:47:10 GMT -6
Drat
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Oct 5, 2022 17:15:44 GMT -6
Chapter 38
Nick waited at the school’s entrance as Chad arrived. He took one look and gave him a sly grin. “Hmmm, your pal Rory wasn’t around to hit you in the head. You weren’t riding a horse so you didn’t fall on your head. I can only think of one other thing that’d make you look so goofy. It must’ve been a memorable birthday.” His grin grew as big as Chad had ever seen it.
Mat and Russ continued into the school while Chad, Glen, and Nick stayed outside. Other people filed in, including John Burns. Chad glanced at him but couldn’t make eye contact. His greeting was short and he hoped John didn’t pick up on how awkward he felt. The memory of Carol’s scorching kisses made him stare at his feet as John ambled past.
When the door closed, Chad said, “Yeah, my birthday was okay.”
Nick laughed and said, “It looks like it was more than okay.”
“Yeah, you’re right. It’s not every day you get the chance to learn to play the guitar.”
Nick laughed louder, joined by Glen.
“Right, the guitar. You must’ve hit all the right notes.”
Chad turned red, a condition not missed by his friends.
The door opened and Mat stuck his head out. “Get in here. We’re ready to start.”
When the three of them entered, Mat stopped Chad. “In an hour or so, I’d like to get away if you can hold things down here,” he said.
“What’s up? Is something wrong?”
“Heather and your mom are going over to Doc’s place. I’d like to go and hear what he has to say,” Mat said.
“Oh. Sure, I can watch over things. You know, the original guys don’t need much,” Chad said.
“Yeah, I know. That’s why I hoped you could handle it despite being distracted,” Mat said dryly.
#
When Mat returned, he didn’t look worried, agitated, or happy; he looked normal.
Chad took it as a good sign. “What’d Doc say?” he asked.
Mat said, “Everything’s progressing fine as far as he can tell. Of course, without any of the used-to-be modern medical equipment, a lot of it’s only a guess. He said if she was a heifer, he wouldn’t have any concerns. How’re things going here?”
Russ had joined them as Mat talked. Chad looked at him and said, “I think they just need more practice. They’ve got everything we showed them down well enough. Now they need a lot of repetition.”
Russ nodded and said, “I agree. And the first group has been helping the newcomers. I’d say you two have met your commitment but I hope you’ll make yourselves available if we need follow-up work.”
“Of course, we will. And I guess everyone can leave when they’re ready,” Mat said.
As the participants left, they thanked Mat and Chad for the help and instruction.
After John thanked Mat, he said, “So, Chad, do you want to come over and work with the guitar for a while? Get in a bit more practice before the get together this evening?”
“I’d like to but my fingers hurt from those strings,” Chad said.
“They will until you build up callouses. But you wouldn’t need to play long, only a quick brush up on what I showed you last night.”
Chad shrugged and said, “Sure. I’ll go with you.”
Nick followed while he picked up his gear. “You might be getting into trouble, you know,” he said.
“How’s that? Chad asked.
Nick grinned. “Going to your girlfriend’s house to hang out with her dad, not her.”
“Butthead,” Chad said. His fist flashed out and popped Nick’s upper arm.
“Man, I was just messing with you,” Nick said stepping back and rubbing the spot.
“So was I,” Chad said with a grin.
“I won’t be long so how do I find your cousin’s house. You can show me around when I finish.”
Nick gave directions and they went their separate ways. Chad jogged to catch up with John. Carol’s dad had treated him the same as usual so he guessed nothing awkward would come up.
As John promised, he didn’t keep Chad long. Chad was glad of it. Each time he pressed on a string, his fingers protested. Watching musicians, he’d never dreamed pain was involved.
Carol lurked nearby while they played. She hurried over when he put the guitar away. “What’re you going to do now, Chad?” she asked.
“After I drop my gear at the Camps’ house, Nick and I were planning on walking around and seeing what’s going on.”
Her face fell and he knew he’d made a mistake. “Would you ... like to come along with us?” he asked.
Her face lit up. Chad watched, amazed. Man, she’s pretty when she smiles.
“I’d love to,” she gushed. “Dad, I'm going —”
“Yeah, I heard,” John said, looking up from cleaning his guitar. He breathed deep, sighed, and said, “Have fun.” It didn’t sound as if he meant it.
Chad had a hard time holding up his end of the conversation on the way to snag Nick. Walking beside Carol, her presence threatened to overwhelm him. She affected a number of his senses with her melodic voice and soft laughter, the smell of lilac from her wavy hair, the curve of her nose, the soft, red lips. Those lips ...His mind wasn’t quite putty as it’d been the previous evening but wasn’t far from it.
Nick was waiting at the front of the house and wiggled his eyebrows at Chad when he saw them together. Chad wanted to give his shoulder another reminder to watch himself but held off with Carol beside him.
As they walked through town, Chad was amazed at the number of people. “Do all these people live here? There’re a lot more than I’ve seen before,” he said.
“No, they came from all over for the celebration. Some traveled even farther than you did; they didn’t want to miss out. Other people were passing through and decided to stay,” Carol said. She pointed at a group and added, “They live towards Gemtown.”
One of the group turned and spotted them. “Lori!” Nick stated, “I didn’t know you were going to be here.”
“Nick!” she said, hurrying over.
Chad and Carol stood back and looked from one to the other as they greeted each other. The enthusiasm and the scorching lip-lock made it apparent they were more than casual acquaintances.
“Lori’s family lives in the Middle Fork Valley,” Carol said. “Do you know where that is?”
“Yeah, Nick pointed it out. He said we needed to go there someday so we could go to a hot spring. Apparently, he left something out,” Chad said.
Carol giggled.
Chad sighed; he could listen to that forever.
When the enthusiastic greeting was over, Lori said, “Hi Carol, it’s nice to see you. Who’s your friend? I haven’t seen him before.”
“Hi Lori, it’s nice to see you too. This is Chad Smoke. Chad, Lori Wood,” Carol said.
Lori’s eyes opened wider and she looked him up and down, surprised.
Nick laughed and said, “You remind me of something Gramps says.”
Lori shook her head and asked, “What’s that?”
“He said it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the fight in the dog that counts. This dog’s tougher than he looks,” Nick said.
“Well, I ...” Lori sputtered.
Chad considered showing how tough but decided against it. “Knucklehead,” he said instead. Facing the girl, he said, “It’s nice to meet you, Lori.”
“I’m surprised to see you,” Carol said. “It’s quite a ways to go without a car.”
“Yeah, it is, but we wouldn’t miss this for anything. We’re going to Gemtown in a few weeks too. Are any of you guys going?” Lori asked.
“Why? I haven’t heard anything; what’s going on there?” Carol asked.
“They’re having the rodeo. It won’t be like the county fair and rodeo used to be, it’ll be more of a ranch rodeo. It’s not like they can get a stock contractor for it,” Lori said. “What about you Nick? I’d love to watch you ride. Have you been on any bucking horses lately?”
“Not really. Gramps has a couple that don’t like to be ridden much, but they’re pretty easy. After five or six jumps, they give up.” His face lit up in a bigger grin. “But Chad’s the one you need to see ride. He’s something else. I’ve ever seen anyone with his unique riding skills.”
“Really?” Carol asked.
Chad reddened. Carol was looking at him so expectantly he knew he had to say something. “Really, but you need to think about what he said. He didn’t say I’m a good rider. I think to quote he said I have ‘unique riding skills’. And that’s the truth. I’m something else when it comes to horses, and it’s far from good. I can barely stay on his grandma’s horse.”
The girls exchanged looks and then gave the same looks to the boys. “But he’s getting better all the time,” Nick said. “I’m teaching him after all, but when you start at rock bottom, you’ve got a long way to go. He’s not ready for a bronc yet, though.” He couldn’t help himself and flashed his smile at the girls. “Ask him about his only riding experience before I let him ride Grandma’s horse.”
They did and Chad hesitated. It was one thing to tell Nick, but that was Carol looking at him, waiting for him to speak. Well, Nick thought it was funny as could be. Maybe ...So, he told them about the mechanical horses in front of Kmart. Carol’s squeal of glee and laughter, followed by the hug showed him he’d made the right decision. Lori also laughed but he wasn’t paying attention to her. All he could concentrate on was Carol and her arms wrapped around him.
Nick’s exaggerated throat clearing brought him back to the present. He unwrapped himself from Carol’s arms, missing them the moment he lost contact, and looked around, more embarrassed than ever. At least he wasn’t the only one. Carol had her head down, not looking at Nick or Lori.
“You know, I think it’s time to eat,” he said, indicating people walking past. Before the music and dancing began, a pot luck meal would take place; a feast to celebrate the country’s birthday. Chad had questioned celebrating July Fourth with Mat and Aunt Heather before they left home. After all, the country had been pretty much destroyed That Day.
Mat had been adamant about acknowledging and celebrating the Fourth. “I lost blood and spilled blood for our country because I believed in what it stood for. Of course, a lot of things were wrong with it, a lot more than I care to admit, but I still think it was and can be again, the best country that ever existed. When Abuelo was willing to talk, he told me about where he came from. It wasn’t pretty. Things I learned from his stories and witnessed in places I’ve been, well, let me tell you, we had it pretty nice, despite the bad parts. It was a great country and can be again. And as long as I breathe, I’ll celebrate its birthday.”
Mat had more to say, and Aunt Heather did as well. After hearing their views, Chad decided it was fine to celebrate. No one had any idea of what was happening elsewhere, but in their tiny town in an out of the way corner of the country, the United States was alive and would be celebrated.
Nick pointed at the people going towards the fairgrounds. “You’re right. Let’s go eat.”
The four of them started for the fairgrounds and the meal awaiting them, falling in between other people on their way. Most groups carried their plates and silverware. Disposable paper plates and plastic utensils were non-existent, a relic of a bygone age. If anyone wanted to eat, they had to provide their own.
A few people carried containers, none large. There wasn’t much available to contribute, not yet. It would change in a few more weeks when gardens started producing, and even more after the wheat was harvested and the mill was operational. But until then, menus would remain limited. And in Hamilton, the menu was dominated by beef.
As they approached the covered building with set-up tables, Chad was again amazed by the number of people. His parents and Glen stood out amongst the faces; their scars stark reminders of what had started the collapse of the country.
Carol waved and he saw his mom waving him over. Or was she waving Carol over? It didn’t matter and they both walked over to her. His Dad and Aunt Heather were seated near his mom. The twins were playing with other kids, and Perro-Feo was lying out of the way in the shade where she could keep an eye on them.
“Linda packed this box with plates and utensils for all of us,” she said, pointing. “There’re extras too, Carol, if you’d like to join us.”
“Thank you, I’d love to,” she said. “My parents still had a bit more to do before they come down.”
Chad stood by, nervous, while his mom and Carol talked like old friends. He was afraid his mom would tell Carol something he’d done when he was little; something she found cute but would embarrass him to no end.
A bell rang at the food table and the buzz of conversation cut off as everyone looked in that direction. “That’s our minister,” Carol whispered in Chad’s ear.
The man started talking, and Chad missed every word of it. All he could hear were Carol’s whispered words, and feel the soft touch of her breath on his ear. Apparently, the minister had asked a blessing on the meal and the gathering, as people started moving to fill plates once he stopped talking.
The tables were missing all the regulars from such a get-together in the past. There was no sliced ham, Jell-O variations, casseroles, or out-of-season, trucked in fruits. In their place were dishes of local edible wild plants; a lot of lamb’s quarter, amaranth, dandelion, plantain, and mallow greens. Also present but never seen in previous pot-lucks were dishes of mallow seed pods, roasted maple seeds, and cattails.
Along with the wild foods, garden-raised vegetables were present; spinach, beet greens, Swiss chard. A couple of platters had thinly sliced kohlrabi. Most gardens were at the point where the early producers had finished and the main staples needed more time to mature.
Because of the indoor beds, the Smoke – Gomez garden was farther along than those in the valley. Lisa and Heather had brought as much zucchini and cucumbers as they could. Each was a big hit with the locals who hadn’t tasted either in over a year and a half.
Other platters contained cottage cheese and one held bite-size pieces of fish. Altogether, with the large platters of roast beef, it was a fine meal. Little food would be left once everyone passed through the line, but no one should leave hungry.
It wasn’t until he sat down with his plate that Chad realized Mat wasn’t with them. He located his brother on one of the wagons that’d been set up nearby, wearing his U.S. Army uniform. Russ Camp sat beside him, also in uniform, along with two older men. The first man began telling what the country and the Fourth of July meant to him and about serving in the war in Vietnam.
“This is so good,” Carol said quietly, holding a bite of the fried zucchini up with her fork. Chad watched her put it in her mouth and chew, not hearing any of the words.
John and his wife Cindy joined them. Chad looked away from Carol long enough to appreciate what he was chewing before he became lost again. He was shaken out of his reverie when the assemblage clapped and the men got off the wagon to join their families. The rest of the meal was a blur.
“Come on Chad. I’ve got your guitar over there. Let’s get set up,” John said. He stood and started for two wagons which were parked end to end on the outside of the building. Chad watched him a moment and then looked at Carol. She flashed him that smile and waved him to follow.
Chad caught up just in time to watch John pull the two cases from the shade of the wagon. Straightening, he held the smaller case out to Chad but didn’t release it when he reached for it.
“You’ve got a real aptitude for this, Chad,” John said with a distant look, a wistful look in his eyes. “A lot of years ago, this guitar fed me. I was young, footloose, and fancy-free. I wanted to see our country, so I hit the road. I went from town to town, finding restaurants that’d let me play for a meal and tips, and sleeping in the back of the pickup. It was an eye-opening experience.” He shifted his focus from the guitar to Chad. “I want you to have this. Happy birthday. Now, let’s get ready; these folks are expecting music.”
Chad swallowed down the lump in his throat. “Thank you. This is an amazing gift.”
“Take care of it and use it. Bring its music to life.”
Chad was able to get past the pain in his fingertips and play basic chords in several songs. John continued to give him pointers as they played. On a few songs, he played the harmonica.
At a break in the music, John pointed at Carol. “Why don’t you put your harmonica away?” His voice catching, he said, “I think ... my daughter wants you to join her.”
“Thanks,” Chad said. He wanted to say something more, something meaningful, but his mind was at a loss. He stuck with the single word.
The bonfire burning nearby cast its dancing light on the musicians, as well as the dancers and many of the spectators. Chad joined Carol, Nick, and Lori, and enjoyed being on the other side of the music. He especially enjoyed the welcome from Carol.
It was the most amazing evening Chad could remember. And it had the bonus of not having to look over his shoulder and watch for Rory. He enjoyed himself without a care. Yet he had a nagging thought. No matter how lost in the evening and Carol he was, he couldn’t shake it.
Nick was right. They had to assume Rory was up to something, and whatever it was, wouldn’t be good. So where was the fool? No, he had to quit thinking that way. He couldn’t consider him a fool any longer. That kind of thinking would only get him hurt again, or worse. No, he should’ve asked himself, where is that conniving, devious, waste of flesh, and what has he got planned in that twisted head of his.
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Oct 5, 2022 17:18:17 GMT -6
Chapter 39
Chad groaned, draping an arm over his eyes when Mat nudged him awake. He wanted to bury his head inside his sleeping bag. But it wasn’t possible without a lot of effort. The night air, though cooler than daytime, hadn’t cooled enough for him to want to cover up. He’d collapsed on top of the bag when he dragged in. He did NOT want to get up. It couldn’t be time already, it felt like he’d just laid down.
Without a watch, he had no way of knowing how long the celebration lasted. He’d been too involved in the music, in Carol, in everything. He wouldn’t venture to guess how late he’d been out but didn’t think dawn was far off when the musicians called it quits.
His mom had allowed him to stay when the family headed for bed. Her face showed sadness when she looked from him to Carol. She hugged him and whispered in his ear, and then said a short goodbye to Carol. It was weird.
Mat nudged him again. “Get up.”
“Mmm, give me another hour,” he mumbled.
“I guess you can sleep longer. But only if you want to walk home by yourself. Charley wants to get an early start to beat as much of the heat as he can.”
“Nick and I can catch up,” Chad said and rolled over, away from Mat.
“That won’t work either. Charley already rolled Nick out of bed. He’s up and ready to go. He came by and left his grandma’s horse for you. He said you might need it if you’re going to have time to tell Carol goodbye before his grandpa gets here. So it’s up to you. You can lay around until Charley shows up or you can hurry over to the Burns’ house,” Mat said.
“I’d rather sleep longer,” Chad said.
“Alright, if that’s the impression you want to leave. But it won’t look good to either of them,” Mat said. “The kind of guy who parties all night and goes off without saying goodbye. I don’t know how well that’ll go over. It’s your decision. Although, it reminds me of a guy who lives around here, thinking of himself first.”
Chad groaned. Comparing him to the slug was hitting below the belt. “They were out late too. Are you saying they want to be woken up?” he said in a whiney tone.
“I’m sure John will understand,” Mat said and nudged Chad again with his boot.
Chad groaned and repressed the urge to lash out at the offending foot. It wouldn’t go well if he did.
He’d love to see Carol but it was impossible a morning goodbye could top the one she’d given him when he’d walked her home. As if he hadn’t been nervous enough walking beside her, she wrapped her fingers around his. His hand trembled. Her hand was so soft, tender, and delicate. He marveled at the feel. They’d stopped in front of her house. He still felt her lips as if it’d just happened, although his head had quit spinning. Man, his head had been spinning.
But he supposed Mat was right. Hopefully, Carol wouldn’t mind being disturbed so early. And he should thank her dad one more time. If he could, anyway; it’d be tough to look John in the eye after ... that. Man, but sometimes it was lousy when Mat was right.
Standing, he rubbed his eyes and stretched, glared at Mat, and groaned. It hadn’t been a lie; he needed more sleep. Maybe he could ride on the wagon and catch a nap on the way home. The girls would love to ride the horse without him or Nick holding them. Whichever way he did it, it was going to be a long day.
He rolled his sleeping bag and set it at the edge of the porch, then went to the well and filled the water bucket. Linda surely had warm wash water prepared, but he wanted cold water. Scooping up double handfuls, he sloshed it over his face and hair. It helped wake him but didn’t wash away his weariness. If anything, it made him more attuned to it.
He straightened, water dripping onto his shirt. He considered changing into a clean one but didn’t feel like it. What would be the point? It wasn’t like Carol hadn’t been around him in his sweat-stained shirt. She’d helped get it that way. Smiling at the thought, he walked to the horse.
He paused after he untied the lead rope from the fence and wrapped it on the saddle horn. He’d never ridden alone before. His mount always went with Nick’s, not requiring input from him. Would he be able to make the horse do what he wanted?
He stood in place, reins in hand. Maybe he should jog over to Carol’s house. That would be as fast as riding the horse.
“Do you need a boost up?” Mat asked.
“I’ve got it smart guy,” Chad said. I think.
Maybe he should’ve done something about Mat’s offending foot after all. It couldn’t be any worse than a horse, could it?
Shaking his head, he mounted and settled in the saddle. The horse did as he directed, surprising him. Maybe it wasn’t so hard; other people did it all the time.
Horse and rider went up the street in a jarring trot. Each step raised and slammed Chad into the saddle. Now I’m awake. He wished he’d jogged. The Burns’ house came into view and he couldn’t have been happier.
John was sitting in front of the house holding a steaming mug in his hand. His guitar was on the ground beside the chair. Chad didn’t think the mug could contain coffee; it had to have been used up long ago. It must’ve been tea from a native plant.
He got off the horse, glad to be on his feet after the torturous ride, short though it was. Holding the reins, he approached John. “Good morning sir, er, uh, John. I didn’t expect to see you out this early.” His gaze shifted, from John to his feet, and then to the house behind John. He found it impossible to look Carol’s dad in the eye. Not so soon after ...
“By the time I got home, it was close to time to milk the cow. I didn’t want to sleep past that and mess up her schedule. Her milk is too important. I stayed up so I could take care of her,” John said and stifled a yawn. “I’ll get some sleep in a little bit.” He sipped from his mug and studied Chad over the rim, adding, “I wasn’t sure if I’d see you this morning. Charley told me he wanted to take off at first light.” The sky was light enough to see easily.
Chad considered what John said and Mat’s nudging him to say goodbye. His brother had been right. At least as far as John was concerned. “Yeah, we’ll be leaving soon. I wanted to say goodbye first and thank you again for the guitar.” He tried to hold his gaze on John’s face, but it was hard, considering what’d happened the last time he’d stood in the same spot. He felt heat creeping up his neck and face.
“You’re welcome. I hope you’ll put a lot of effort into that instrument. I think music is very important and we lost so much of it. So many people had switched over to that cloud stuff, even if they had solar chargers and could power their devices up, the music is gone; dissipated into those ... nuclear clouds.” It was obvious he wanted to say more but held back. “We need to do our best to maintain the musical tradition. I don’t want to see what’s left go by the wayside as so much has after that damned war.”
Chad nodded his head, not saying anything. It was the first time he’d heard John cuss.
“While I was trying to stay awake, I found these,” John said. “Why don’t you take them and work on the stuff in them?” He set the mug down and picked up two books, holding them out.
Chad took them and looked at the covers. One was a guitar instruction book, the other a songbook. “Thank you. I’ll work on it every chance I get.”
“That’s what I wanted to hear,” John said. “Do you think you’ll be going to Gemtown? If you do, bring your instruments so I can see how you’ve improved.”
“You’re going?” Chad asked, his face lighting up. He hadn’t considered going, but if Carol, well, and John, were going, he wanted to.
“Yep, I think so. Tim Scott said he’d take the wagon up and I could ride with him. There’s sure to be jamming wrapped around the rodeo. My daughter might go along as well.”
Chad smiled. “I’ll have to check with my family. It’ll depend on how much stuff we have going on at home. After being away, I might have to stay and work. We’ve got to get a lot of food put up. But I’d like to go.”
“Well, we hope to see you if you can manage it. But if not, I understand.”
“Yeah,” Chad said. “I guess I should get going. But, uh, could I tell Carol goodbye first?”
John studied him and said, “No, we should let her sleep. She’s been up pretty late two nights in a row. And you might not know it, but she can get pretty cranky if she hasn’t gotten enough rest. I’ll be sure to tell her you came over and asked for her before you left. And I’ll tell her you’ll look into going to Gemtown. Maybe we can all meet up there.”
“Okay, well, Charley’s probably ready to go. Thanks again,” Chad said and offered his hand. They shook hands and Chad got on the horse. After a look at Carol’s house, he turned the horse and heeled it to a walk in the direction of the Camps’ house. A slow gentle walk, no trotting.
John picked up his guitar while watching him ride away. Music was such a part of his life and songwriters expressed feelings so much better than he ever could. Absently, he strummed the instrument. Carol was so young but she seemed to have it pretty hard for the boy. He strummed more and sang softly. His voice was no match for Nanci Griffith’s but he poured his emotions into the song, ‘Turn Around’.
His voice cracked and he couldn’t continue. Not to the part where she’s a wife and has children. He couldn’t speak those words, no way. His hands were frozen. Watching the boy, it felt like he’d turn around and she’d be gone. His little girl, gone. Chad and the horse turned the corner out of view but John didn’t see him. His burning eyes couldn’t focus.
#
“It’s about time,” Nick said when Chad rounded the corner. He sat lazily on his horse at the side of the road. “Although I figured you’d take longer. What’s the matter, were there witnesses so you couldn’t have a special goodbye?”
Chad sighed. “Forget about me. What about you? Did you get a special goodbye with Lori this morning? You two sure were friendly last night.”
“I’d tell you but you’d think I’m bragging. Either that or you’d feel inadequate. I can’t do that to a friend.” Nick’s grin was wide as ever.
“Yeah, right. So is your Grandpa on his way to the Camps’?”
“He already picked your family up. You’d no more than left when we got there. I wonder where your head was that you didn’t see us. You know, that’s one of the things Mat warns about. Anyway, they threw everything on the wagon and took off. But only after I assured your mom I’d wait for you and make sure you don’t get lost.”
“I know the way.”
“Yeah maybe, but you know how moms can be,” Nick said. “And when Mat said you need watching over any time you’re around Carol, she insisted I wait.”
“He didn’t,” Chad said.
“Maybe, maybe not,” Nick said with a sly grin. “You decide, and decide if it’s true or not no matter which of us said it.”
Chad looked at him and then in the direction of the Burns’ home. He turned back to Nick, sighed, and shrugged. “Knucklehead.”
Nick laughed and asked, “You or me?”
“You decide. So, shall we go, or do you want to do something else before we leave?”
“We might as well go, Nick said.
“Okay, but no trotting. That was the roughest thing I’ve ever felt, getting over here,” Chad said.
Nick shook his head. “You’ve got to learn to go with it, relax, and let your legs absorb the shock. You ride too stiff. I’m starting to wonder if I’ll ever be able to teach you to be a real rider.”
“Are you going to go to that rodeo in Gemtown?” Chad asked.
“Hope so, but I have to clear it with the family. You want to go along if I do?” Nick asked.
Chad felt the heat in his face at the possibility of seeing Carol again. “I’d love to. But like you, I’ll have to clear it first. Maybe we should hurry and catch up, and ask.”
“Let’s take it easy through town and we’ll catch up after we get past everything,” Nick said. He looked off towards a group of tents that’d been set up by people attending the celebration.
Chad grinned at the back of Nick’s head as his friend searched for movement. Lori must be staying in one of those tents. It was no wonder he wasn’t in a hurry to get out of town. Chad stayed quiet until Nick quit craning his neck to the side.
“So, you ride bucking horses, huh?” It didn’t come as a surprise as easy as he rode.
“Yeah, whenever I can. I rope too and did pretty good in the local rodeos in calf roping and saddle bronc. I’d considered that as soon as I could talk my folks into it, I might hit the rodeo circuit and see if I could make a living. Of course, the pandemic and nukes ended all that.”
“That’s a bummer. Well, maybe we can both go and I’ll get to see you in action,” Chad said. With a big smile, he added, “And I’ll give you some pointers after you get bucked off.”
Nick looked at him. “Thanks, but I’m not so sure it’d help. I want to get better, not worse.” He returned the smile and kicked his horse into a trot.
The conversations with the boys’ families went pretty much as they’d expected. Nick’s family was fine with him going as long as someone went along. They also insisted he follow the family rodeo rules. The condition was delivered with stern looks.
Chad’s parents discussed the request and decided he could go under certain conditions. First, the garden had to be weeded and irrigated. Next, any mature produce had to be taken care of. None could be allowed to get past its prime eating stage.
The majority of their produce not eaten fresh was preserved by dehydration. The pickup cab had remained intact and had become a solar dehydrator. The seats were covered with racks and screens as everything possible was dried for the lean months ahead.
The third condition was to check the huckleberry patches he’d found with Nick. If they were ripe, she wanted him and the girls to pick as many as they could.
And the twins were the final condition. It was the one condition he hadn’t anticipated. If it turned out he and Nick could go, they had to take the girls. Chad wasn’t thrilled with the stipulation. While he loved his sisters and thought it’d be fun to take them up the mountains to look for berries, what his mom proposed was a whole different matter. He didn’t want to keep an eye on them in Gemtown, at least not if Carol was there. But his mom wouldn’t budge on the requirement. She was usually so reasonable. It just didn’t make sense.
It never occurred to him his mom figured if he was watching out for the girls, it lessened the chance of him making unwise decisions. Or spending too much time alone with Carol if she was there.
He really wanted to go. He wanted to see Nick ride and rope. He wanted to play the guitar with a group of people. It surprised him how much he’d enjoyed that. And most of all, he wanted to see Carol again.
He agreed to his mom’s conditions.
|
|
|
Post by feralferret on Oct 5, 2022 23:55:44 GMT -6
Thanks for another enjoyable update!
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Oct 8, 2022 5:54:56 GMT -6
Chapter 40
The entire family spent two days weeding the garden. Early the following morning, Chad and the girls climbed the hillside to search for ripe huckleberries. Mat watched them before going to the garden. He filled a basket with enough beets for a canner load.
Lisa was going to try canning utilizing used lids. She’d read of it being done with great success, sometimes the lids being used three or four times before the seals broke down. She’d never tried it, always buying and using new lids. Of course, that was all in the past and they had precious few new lids on hand. It was time to determine if it was feasible.
Heather joined Mat at the prep table where they cleaned off the dirt and removed the leaves. The greens were set aside to eat. They wouldn’t be at their best but still, they’d be eaten. Very little would go to the compost pile. The family didn’t waste anything edible, not even when it was past its prime.
As Chad, Alison, and Brooke approached the first huckleberry patch Nick had pointed out, Chad remembered his friend telling him about bears and berries. In his wandering, he’d yet to see a bear, but he had run across a pile of bear scat one day. At least one was still around, and hopefully more. They’d have to be cautious when approaching berry patches.
“The huckleberry patch is right ahead. Keep your eyes and ears open for bears. Nick says they like the berries,” Chad said.
“Couldn’t you shoot it if we see one?” Alison asked.
“I could, but I don’t want to. I think only a few are left alive. I don’t want to kill one unless we don’t have a choice. It’ll be better to avoid them. They need to repopulate like the deer and elk.”
Brooke considered his answer, and said, “Okay, we’ll watch out.”
Chad didn’t see anything out of place so they proceeded.
“Is this what we’re looking for?” Brooke asked, plucking a not-quite-ripe berry.
“Yeah, it is. But see how some of them are darker purple and others are light pink. We’ll most likely come back again so just pick the ripe purple ones,” Chad said. He took his pack off and got water bottles out, handing them to the twins.
Brooke took a bottle and held it, watching Chad. When his attention was on his pack, she popped the berry in her mouth. She opened her eyes wide and pursed her lips. “Good idea. Let’s just pick the purple berries.”
Chad drank and recapped his bottle, then handed each girl a container to put berries in. He took one and commenced picking, moving often to a new bush. Enough berries were ripe to make it worthwhile but it looked like most needed another week or two.
His face fell and his breath caught. No ... they couldn’t ... they couldn’t ripen when he wanted to go to Gemtown. With a grimace, he continued picking. And willed the berries to ripen fast.
#
Lisa was pleased. Before putting the used lids on jars, she’d inspected each thoroughly, cleaned and heated them the same as always. The sealing material swelled and looked fine, so she placed them on jars, wrenched the rings on tight, and ran the canner of beets.
The ping of sealing lids had always made her smile in the past, but when the used lids pinged, she nearly cried with joy. Dan winced as she hugged him and squealed when the last lid sealed.
They encountered a major drawback, however. Burning the woodstove hot enough and long enough for canning made the house unbearable. “Dan, remember those rocket stoves you told me about?” Lisa asked. “I think we need to use the material that was going to be a forge and make one of those so we can do this outside,” Lisa said.
Dan grudgingly agreed. He wanted a forge but it made more sense to keep the heat outside. Plus, a rocket stove would use far less fuel. The forge would remain unfinished for the foreseeable future.
That evening, the family celebrated a successful day with bowls of fresh berries and cream.
The following morning, they jumped into the newest building project. With most of the materials already gathered, the outdoor stove was finished in two days. Lisa considered asking if they could make a stone oven as well but kept the idea to herself. It could wait. She’d manage with the Dutch ovens.
Completing the outdoor stove was followed by canning any time they had enough mature vegetables to fill the canner.
The indoor beds had sustained them, helping stretch their food. But with the large garden at full production, Lisa was determined to fill every jar and container on hand. Along with canning, the drying racks in the pickup were kept loaded, and jars were filled with dehydrated produce.
Chad and the girls made daily trips to pick berries. The results were mixed, unripe and ripe berries contrasting in their containers. The not yet ripe berries were tart but could be eaten. Mat joined them every other day. Excess berries were dehydrated. Lisa would’ve loved to make jam or a pot of dumplings with them, but without sugar or flour, neither was possible. It might be possible the next year, Mat told her, if everything the people in Hamilton were attempting worked out. But for the time being, they dehydrated the berries.
And if things in Hamilton didn’t work out, how long would it take to reestablish things that used to be basic and readily available. The previous year and a half had taught them to not take anything for granted. It could all change in a heartbeat. With concentrated focus, they preserved food and more food. The racks in the storage room began to fill, a few jars at a time.
Blocks of cheese were also going into storage. Once comfortable with making soft cheese, Lisa tried hard cheese. Taking time in town to visit with the family the goats had come from had been valuable for her. Ed and Ida knew several uses for goat’s milk and had shared all they could in their short time together. After that trip, each time enough milk was in the spring box, Lisa made a block of cheese.
Each block and jar in storage was one more step in making sure her kids never knew real hunger. Lisa yearned for the shelves to fill faster, but at least they were filling.
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Oct 8, 2022 5:55:36 GMT -6
Chapter 41
Work was finished for the day, the family sitting in front of the house unwinding. The sun was low in the sky and a light breeze blew. Chad had his guitar, like every night since they’d returned from Hamilton. He was making fast progress through the instruction book. Each evening while enough light remained, he worked on techniques from the book. Once it was too dark to read, he practiced what he’d covered. He’d repeat the chords, the switches, the strumming rhythms over and over until his mom told him it was time for bed. It’d become their way to relax after a busy day.
As he practiced, Perro-Feo raised her head and looked down the trail, growling. It wasn’t a warning, more of a ‘get everyone’s attention’ growl. She didn’t jump up and run as she’d done in the past, staying where she was, watching, growling, and testing the air. Her time to whelp was very near.
Chad quit playing and everyone watched the trail. Nick appeared sitting easily in his saddle. Another horse trailed him. He waved and the family waved in return; all but Mat. The moment he saw Nick, he went to the woodshed to get a round of firewood. They didn’t have another chair so the block of wood would have to do.
Nick stopped the horse and stepped down. When Mat had the block positioned, he sat. “Thanks Mat.” His horse stood where he’d dropped the reins.
“Hey everybody. The day after tomorrow is the day to go to Gemtown,” Nick said. He looked around, stopping with his gaze on Lisa. “Are we still on?”
Chad shot an imploring look at her.
“We can go, Mom, can’t we? We’ve been working hard and picking bunches of chuckle-berries,” the girls said in their tag team manner.
“Chuckle-berries?” Nick asked.
“We like it better than huckleberries. It’s funner,” the twins answered. They turned to their mother. “Can we go?”
Chad and the twins didn’t know it, but the adults had discussed the trip while the kids were picking berries. Lisa wondered if she’d been too hasty, agreeing they could go to a strange town; to a rodeo and who knew what else. They’d been home long enough doubt had crept into her mind. Doubt that her kids could go anywhere safely. She’d spent a large part of the discussion trying to convince Mat to go along.
But Mat wouldn’t budge. He insisted on staying close to Heather and helping with food preservation. Heather had a little over two months to go by their figuring but it didn’t matter. He wasn’t going to leave for more than day trips until the baby was born. A three-day trip was out of the question.
Plus, he felt Chad and Nick together, along with their chaperones, would be fine. When they were in Hamilton, he’d spoken with people from the Gemtown area. None reported problems and they said people moved around freely.
Lisa looked from Nick to each of her kids, all so hopeful. They’d lost much but those three had adapted so well. It seemed they were better equipped to face the new world than she and Dan were. They didn’t feel the losses to the same degree.
“All right, you can go.” It was one of the hardest decisions she’d ever made and she couldn’t help but second guess herself.
“Yes!” from Nick, accompanied by a fist pump.
“Thank you, Mom!” from Alison and Brooke, a hard-to-decipher, excited squeal.
Chad closed his eyes and took a deep, relieved breath. “Thanks, Mom,” he said, as quiet as she’d spoken. “We’ll be careful, all of us.”
“Okay then, I was thinking, we’ll take a packhorse to carry everything, and a saddlehorse for the girls, like when they were riding on the Hamilton trip,” Nick said. “You know, they ride better than old Hopalong,” he said, pointing at Chad.
Chad had given up his mount several times on the ride home, letting the twins have the horse to themselves. Their mom hadn’t been too sure of it at first, but she realized they were more comfortable riding than he was. He was always tense on a horse.
“Oh yeah, Uncle Al is going too,” Nick added flashing a big grin at Lisa.
She gave him a flat stare. “It would’ve been an easier decision if you’d told me right off.”
“Yeah, but that was my hole card,” he said, still grinning.
She shot him a cross look and shook her head, muttering under her breath.
“Great. I’ll leave the pack saddle and bags here so you can get everything together. The most important thing is to balance the load. A heavier bag will pull the saddle down on that side. We’ll load Uncle Al’s and my stuff when we get to our place. And we’ve got a tent that’ll work for all of us,” Nick said.
“What do we do with my guitar?” Chad asked.
Nick looked at the case and puzzled over it. “I’m not sure. You better carry it on your back to our place. Uncle Al can tie it on so it’ll ride. He’s done a lot of horse packing.”
Chad played the guitar quietly while Nick caught them up on the gossip from the valley. It wasn’t much but any news from outside was welcome.
The sky was dark other than starlight. Lisa asked, “Do I need to make you up a bed Nick?”
“Naw, but thank you; I should be heading home. I’ve got quite a bit to do tomorrow.”
“But it’s dark. Do you have a good flashlight?”
“Nope, don’t need one. Once I point my horse towards home, he’ll go without any direction from me. He prefers to spend the night at home. I might even catch a nap on the way.”
“Is it safe to sleep on a moving horse?”
“I’ve done it quite a few times, but it wouldn’t be for Chad,” he said with a grin.
“All right, you know more about it than I do. We have a lot to do tomorrow, too, so we should call it a night.”
“Okay, I’ll be here before the sun’s up so we can get part way before it’s baking hot,” Nick said. He pulled the bags, pack saddle, and blanket off the second horse, and set them on the block of wood he’d been sitting on.
“I’ll see you all,” he said and got on his horse and rode into the darkness. The second horse followed without a lead rope. It wanted to go home as well.
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Oct 8, 2022 5:56:41 GMT -6
Chapter 42
The ride to Gemtown was uneventful. It felt to Chad like it took forever as he was filled with anticipation to see Carol and get off the horse. In contrast, the twins were energized, having a horse to themselves. Al was a pleasant companion with quite a bit to say without Charley along. The horses plodded on, taking their riders through the small town.
Chad looked around, trying to remember what Gemtown had been like before. His family had driven through a few times but he couldn’t recall much. It was just the next little town after Hamilton in a string of little towns. The only thing that’d stood out for him was an antique tractor in the park. The area where he thought it’d been was empty. He voiced his thoughts.
“Actually, there were two of them,” Al said. “They have steam engines and I’ve heard some guys are trying to get them running so they can use them for farming.” He chuckled, a rare sound from Chad’s experience. “I’d always heard the saying ‘everything old is new again,’ but I never expected it with hundred-year-old tractors. Although, we’ll be using horses next year if we don’t get fuel.” He patted his mount for emphasis.
“What about those wood-gas burners we heard of?” Chad asked. If done correctly, gasses produced by burning wood could fuel engines.
“That’d beat using horses if we could get some going. We can always get firewood even if we have to cut it by hand. I hear the science teacher has been working with the fellas at the blacksmith shop trying to get one set up. But it’s tough getting everything they need rounded up. Not to mention cutting and welding steel,” Al said.
Chad looked at the area the tractors had sat for decades and wondered what the chances were they’d work again. He thought it’d be easier and more practical to make a wood-gas burner but didn’t have a clue how they’d get either going.
They reached the entrance to the rodeo – fair grounds. Al spoke to a man who told them where to camp and to put the horses in an adjoining pasture. An irrigation ditch ran through the field so they wouldn’t have to get water for them.
“All right, you’ve got a musician in your group. Some folks are already jamming in the shade of the exhibit building. They can always use another picker. After you get your camp in order, you need to go over there,” the man said.
“Thanks,” most of the group chorused.
“Chad,” Nick said. “Music means dancing. You better play a lot of slow songs. Those are the best to dance with Lori. How about you, think you’ll have a dance partner?”
Chad shrugged and looked towards the source of the music. Silently he said, I sure hope so. Better yet, maybe she’s already here.
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Oct 8, 2022 5:57:17 GMT -6
Chapter 43
“We’re almost there, Dad. Gemtown’s right ahead. Do you think he’ll be there?” Carol asked. She gripped the wagon’s side and leaned out to see past Tim Scott where he sat on the high seat driving the four-mule team.
John shook his head and gave his daughter a wry smile. As if he didn’t know where they were on the road he’d traveled hundreds of times. Other passengers in the wagon grinned at him. Carol’s anticipation and enthusiasm had been fine entertainment on the long ride.
“I told you, what, ten or twenty times already? He said he’d ask his family, and if he could get away, he’d come. I’d imagine we might see him but it’s not certain. You have to be patient for a little longer.”
“But what’s so important that he wouldn’t be able to come?” Carol asked in a pouty tone.
John wondered if it was worth wasting his breath. But he’d try. Maybe she’d listen but he wasn’t sure she would. She was rather preoccupied. “Has he explained to you how they live?” He waited for a response that didn’t come. He didn’t know if it was because she wasn’t paying attention or because she’d never discussed it with him.
No matter, he continued, “They don’t have an entire community to help out and work with them. They’re totally on their own, although they swap their produce for meat with the Robbins family. Aside from that, they have to forage for and grow everything they eat. Everything,” he said again for emphasis. “That includes all they’ll need to get through the winter. They’ve got to work to preserve as much as they can. They don’t have cattle. They can’t go shoot some deer and elk because few remain. They have to grow or gather everything and preserve it in a way that it’ll keep for months. It’s hard work that we can’t fathom despite what we’ve gone through, and it’s a full-time job for every one of them. And now, it’s the beginning of the peak production time for foraging and their garden. Their survival hinges on the next few weeks. So that my darling is what might be more important than going to a rodeo and music gathering.”
“I wish things were like they used to be and we could drive the pickup to town and buy groceries. And it would only take twenty minutes to get to Gemtown, not most of a day,” Carol said, still in her pouty tone.
“I do too, darling. But I wonder, how many kids did you know from around the Middleton area before?”
Again, Carol didn’t respond. Chad had lived near Middleton. She’d have never met him if not for everything that’d happened.
The wagon passed the school with the miner logo still clear three years after it was last painted. Next was the ancient courthouse sitting atop the small hill. John looked up at the old building with the murals of influential citizens from more than a hundred years ago. He wished he knew even half what they did. They knew how to survive in the type of world he found himself in. The lines on those somber faces weren’t only from the aged brick wall. Life had shaped and sculpted them.
He turned back to his daughter and gazed at her face; the soft complexion and smooth, flushed skin. How long before this new life caused her face to change, to alter like those pioneers, he wondered. They were old before their time, every one of them, and it was happening all over again. His wife Cindy, Carol’s mother, looked to have aged ten years in the past two. History was repeating itself. With luck, the next generation would learn from it.
“But things are getting better,” Carol said, breaking John out of his reverie. “I mean, we don’t have that horrible nuclear winter cloud stuff, so all the gardens and crops are growing again.”
“Yes, you’re right, they are. But did you look at his parents; I mean look closely at them?”
“Well, yeah, I looked at them. Those scars are terrible. But they aren’t so bad once you get used to them.”
John shook his head and the wagon made the turn, passing the city park. It looked odd, not to see the old tractors. Aside from the absence, the whole area was barren. The dried-up yellow grass only showed a few splotches of green, weeds which grew in the arid environment. Without city water, the lawn had dried up soon after the spring rains. Lawns were a thing of the past. Any which could be irrigated had been converted into gardens.
“Looking past the smallpox scars, did you notice how thin they are?” He watched her face for a response. Her look showed she hadn’t. He sighed. She only had eyes for the boy. “They look like they haven’t had much to eat for some time, those two. The kids look fine, and so do Mat and Heather. But Chad’s folks, well, they’ve sacrificed a lot to keep the rest of the family healthy. I believe this summer is crucial for them and they have to take full advantage of it.”
“Really? Chad never mentioned anything like that,” Carol said.
“And I doubt he will. But if he’s not here, there’s a very good reason for it. I know you’ll be disappointed if you don’t see him again. But if you don’t, it’s because they couldn’t spare him at such an important time.”
Carol was quiet, contemplating what her dad had told her until the wagon went around a turn and they were headed north. She stood and held her hand over her eyes and strained to see up the road, looking between Tim and the other man on the seat.
After a minute, she said, “I see where the fair and rodeo grounds turn off is. I hope they were able to come.”
“You know,” John said, “I still think you’re too young to date.”
“Oh Dad,” Carol said, continuing to stare up the road.
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Oct 8, 2022 5:57:51 GMT -6
Chapter 44
Chad was happy to be on solid ground after hours in the saddle. He still wasn’t convinced riding a horse beat walking. The packhorse, though, was certainly worthwhile.
They’d pulled the saddles and blankets from the horses, rubbed them down, and put them in the pasture. The sweat-soaked animals went to the ditch and drank and drank. Then to the twins’ delight, Al’s horse walked to a bare patch, laid down, and rolled in the dirt. So much for rubbing him down. He stood, shook, and dust flew while more dirt clung to the sweat-soaked hair. His dust bath complete, he joined the others cropping grass.
Camp was set up in short order and Nick said, “Grab your guitar. Let’s get over there.”
Chad picked it up and the group walked towards the exhibit hall. Music could be heard and he tried to figure out the key of the song and picture the chording. A smile crossed his face as he figured it out.
“Chad, look,” Brooke said.
He turned to see what she was pointing at. His smile broadened. Tim Scott’s wagon, with Carol aboard, was approaching the fairgrounds. His excitement mixed with regret. They could’ve met up on the highway and ridden together.
He waved and wished the wagon was close enough to make out faces, at least one incredible face. He stood and waited, no longer in a hurry to get to the jamming.
The song finished and in the quiet, he heard a voice. THAT VOICE; that whiney, condescending voice that made his blood boil.
A second voice joined it, one he didn’t recognize.
“It is Smoke! Get him!”
Chad spun. A boy he’d never seen before was bearing down on him. They were a long way from Burns, Oregon, but one step behind and to the side of the charging teen was Rory Young.
|
|
|
Post by gipsy on Oct 8, 2022 7:58:27 GMT -6
Well that is quite a cliff. Thanks for the updates.
|
|
|
Post by iamnobody on Oct 8, 2022 13:17:36 GMT -6
I personally have tried this. I had been as careful as I could in removing the old lids. 7 quart jars with 1X used lids and processed as normal.
They all sealed and I had them setting a shelf where I could keep an eye on them. 3 years later I opened them. Just as good as with a new lid. Good seal, good looking, and tasted fine. So all my used lids now go in a box, carefully stacked in columns, saved for a "rainy day"
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Oct 13, 2022 6:38:28 GMT -6
I personally have tried this. I had been as careful as I could in removing the old lids. 7 quart jars with 1X used lids and processed as normal.
They all sealed and I had them setting a shelf where I could keep an eye on them. 3 years later I opened them. Just as good as with a new lid. Good seal, good looking, and tasted fine. So all my used lids now go in a box, carefully stacked in columns, saved for a "rainy day"
Good to hear of your success. I also save all my used lids for the rainy day.
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Oct 13, 2022 6:39:34 GMT -6
Chapter 45
The wagon’s passengers had gotten enough entertainment from Carol that most of them silently hoped Chad made the trip. Ah, to be young again and be in love for the first time. More than one was recalling their own experiences.
Tim turned the mules off the highway onto the entrance road to the rodeo – fair grounds. It was small-town typical. A cluster of five or six buildings, a wide parking area, and the arena set in the back. People were walking from the stand of trees in the adjoining property toward the buildings.
Carol strained to see, studying the group. She let out a happy squeal. “Dad, look! It’s them. One is carrying a guitar case. It’s Chad! And Nick, and Chad’s sisters.” She looked ready to jump over the side of the wagon.
John stood and put a restraining hand on her shoulder. He looked at the people she indicated. And at movement beyond them. “Hang on darling! Something’s off!” Two people were charging the group.
“Tim, stop the wagon! We need to get down, NOW!” John snapped.
There was no way he’d jump down with the wagon moving. If he did, he’d end up writhing in pain. The wagon stopped. Carol and John hurried to get out. John climbed down the wooden spokes of one of the tall wheels, much slower than Carol, and then ran as fast as he could after his daughter. Other people from the wagon followed; they also wanted to watch. The people running towards Chad were Rory Young and Scott Smith.
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Oct 13, 2022 6:40:00 GMT -6
Chapter 46
Dan, Lisa, Heather, and Mat, took their plates and sat in the shade, glad the day’s work was finished. Dan asked the blessing; thankful for the meal, thankful for all they’d accomplished, and thankful for the respite, brief though it’d be. The work would commence the next morning, but for one day, they were finished; almost.
Busy since sunrise, a fresh block of cheese sat in the press. A line of full, processed Mason jars sat on the plank table ready to be moved to the storage room. Seven had been taken from the canner just before the group sat down to eat. They needed to cool before going to the shelves, the shelves that still had too much open space. But they’d wait until after supper to be moved.
In addition to the regular fare, each plate held an ear of corn and two fish. After Chad and Nick had gone fishing the first time, Mat found diagrams of fish traps in one of his books. When they got the chance, he and Chad made a half dozen traps from willow branches and secured them in the creek. They were checked daily, and depending on the results, the fish were canned, dried, or eaten fresh. When Mat checked earlier, they held enough for a meal.
The corn was the first of the season. Heather asked if it was a coincidence it was ready the day the kids were gone. Dan smiled and shrugged.
“Do you think they’ve made it there? Lisa asked. She held her fork still while everyone else was enjoying the meal.
“I’d imagine they have,” Mat said. “It’s the same distance from here to Gemtown as it is to Hamilton.”
“Well, I’m going to miss his music this evening,” Dan said, between bites. The others murmured agreement. “He’s sure picking it up fast.”
“Yeah, he is. Mmm, this corn is delicious,” Heather said.
Lisa was having a hard time eating. “Do you think they’ve eaten? They won’t get distracted and forget, will they?” She considered giving her plate to Heather; she was so tied up in knots with worry. The bites she did take were mechanical.
“I’m sure they’re fine, although they won’t be eating as well as we are, Dan said, smiling. “By the way, thank you, ladies, this meal is fabulous. But Honey, what could happen to them? There’s got to be a lot of people there, so nothing should go wrong. Well, except for Nick if he gets on a bronc that’s too rank. Anyway, I’ll bet they’re all fine and having a great time. And after what we saw in Hamilton, I’d imagine the music is going strong and there’s some pretty serious dancing happening.”
“I hope you’re right,” Lisa said. She tried to picture Chad dancing, but couldn’t stop worrying something bad was going to happen.
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Oct 13, 2022 6:41:25 GMT -6
Chapter 47
The song finished, and in the quiet, he heard a voice. THAT VOICE; that whiney, condescending voice that made his blood boil.
A second voice joined it, one he didn’t recognize.
“It is Smoke! Get him!”
Chad spun and saw a boy he’d never seen before bearing down on him. One step behind and to the side of the charging teen was Rory Young.
Rory Young! He hadn’t expected to see the slug in Gemtown, he’d gone hoping to see Carol. But this was better. He’d yearned for this moment, seeing that rotten piece of work again, more than anything in his life. Even more than he’d anticipated seeing Carol and that was saying a lot. Not only seeing him; seeing him and pounding the sneer off his ugly face. He’d relived the other night endless times; being held while the coward pounded away with the board. He’d felt the blows over and over again. Payback was finally at hand and he’d gladly deliver it.
Chad’s lip curled in a silent, feral snarl. Given time to think, seeing that hated face and hearing the whiney voice would’ve had him remembering the taste of soap. But he had no time for extraneous thought. The only thought was to fight; to defend himself and crush his assailants. He had to act instantly and he had to make the scum wish their moms had never smiled at their dads.
“Nick, catch!” Chad snapped and tossed the guitar to him.
Nick was caught by surprise. The moment he recognized Rory and Scott, he’d balled his fists to help Chad. He fumbled with the case but didn’t drop it.
Chad commanded, “Girls, give me room.”
They obeyed, one going left and the other right, drawing their fighting sticks at the same time. Neither of the boys looked familiar but it was simple to figure out who they were. Chad wasn’t the only one who’d looked forward to seeing them. The girls assumed the ready stance.
Scott was nearly on top of him. Chad moved in the direction opposite Rory. He stepped forward at the same time, closing the distance between them. Putting all his weight into it, his left arm darted out.
His movement was enough to throw off Scott’s aim, but not totally. Scott’s fist contacted the side of his head. It hurt, the kid had force behind it. It was a good thing he’d stepped out of the direct path. However, he’d been hurt worse in sparring sessions. Mat had beaten it into his head to shake off a hit and charge in.
Unlike Scott’s hit, Chad’s palm heel strike was more than a glancing blow. It connected perfectly with Scott’s nose, combining the force of Chad’s thrust with the larger boy’s forward momentum. The sound of breaking cartilage was drowned out by Scott’s scream. He stumbled into Rory’s path and they toppled in a heap. Chad stepped back and shook his arm. The force of the strike had jarred to his shoulder. Later, he told himself, acknowledge it later.
He took a moment to draw deep breaths and square up, getting his arm into the ready position. The side of his head stung, more than he’d ever admit, and his arm ached but he ignored them.
“Well, well. If it isn’t Rory and his boyfriend.” Spittle flew with each word. “Are you sissies getting up? Or are you too scared to face someone in the daylight without a board? You’re not getting that chance this time. Get on your feet you stinking cowards or go home and play with your Barbie dolls if you’re too chicken.” Fury raged in Chad and it took every bit of reserve he had to keep from attacking them where they lay. To hit, kick, stomp; he quivered from rage and adrenaline rush.
“You busted my nose,” Scott shrieked and pulled his bloody hand away from his face. Fire flashed in his eyes when he got to his feet and lunged at Chad.
He was bigger than Chad but he wasn’t a fighter. Chad couldn’t help but compare him to his sisters. They were more formidable than the clown.
“You’re gonna pay, you son of oomph ––” Scott yelled.
The sentence was cut off, punctuated by the loud release of breath. After a glance to make sure Rory wasn’t attacking as well, Chad spun in a round kick, connecting solidly with Scott’s gut.
“I don’t put up with foul language in front of my sisters, I won’t allow it,” Chad spat out. “Mind your manners and language when you’re around kids.” He kept his hands poised, ready to lash out and deliver punishment. It was time to take it to the fools. Scott anyway since he was on his feet.
Scott was attempting to restore his breathing; Chad stepped forward, targeting the broken nose. The red was like a matador’s cape to an enraged bull. Chad pounded at the nose with three fast punches. With the final punch, he turned and stepped in with all his weight. Scott dropped to his knees as his blood ran onto the ground, the fight gone from him.
“Hey, what’s going on? You boys stop that fighting,” A man said as he rushed toward them. More people followed him.
Chad didn’t turn, but kept watching Scott and Rory; he watched and waited, taking deep breaths. Adrenaline surged. It was all he could do to remain still, to not lash out, to punish.
“Hold on,” Al said. He and Nick stepped in the path of the men. Nick held the guitar case out wide to enlarge his blocking area. “Those two on the ground are getting what they deserve and it’s long overdue. Along with a third kid, they caught the other boy, Chad Smoke one night, and two of them held him while the big weasel beat him with a two by four.”
The men stopped, the man in the lead with a confused look on his face. “Do you mean that stuff that happened down in Hamilton a few weeks back?” he asked.
“Yep, that’s how they paid Chad back for saving that piece of crap’s life a few weeks before that. Now it’s his turn to return the favor only he’s not using a board.”
Chad glared at Rory. He wanted to kick the slug right in that sneering face where he cowered on the ground.
Nick added to the story, giving more details of the youths’ stormy relationship.
“Are you pulling our leg?” one man asked. “That kid is the Chad Smoke we’ve heard of?” With little news to pass on, the story of Ted Bates’s murder and what had followed had spread throughout the nearby communities. Most everyone knew Chad’s name but had no idea he was so young.
“That’s him in the flesh,” Nick said. “He’s more impressive than he looks.”
One of the men encouraged Chad, “Awright, Chad. Knock the tar out of ...”
Chad didn’t hear a word. He glanced at Scott, bent over, blood running from his damaged nose, the dry dirt soaking it up. The boy didn’t give any indication he wanted to return to the fray. He focused on Rory. Rory didn’t either, not that he’d ever joined it.
The onlookers encouraged Chad, one urging him to kick a part of Rory’s anatomy far from his sneering face.
“Come on you little momma’s boy! Don’t make me hit you when you’re down! That’s what you’d do, but I’ll give you a fighting chance!”
Rory looked up at him but made no move to accept the challenge.
“You’re such a pathetic waste! You outweigh me by at least sixty pounds yet you’re flat out scared! Go back and play with your dolls, you miserable wimp!” He turned purposefully and took a step away, watching Brooke with raised eyebrows.
Remembering something he’d seen in Rory’s face the first time he’d met Carol, he stopped and turned back. “Have it your way baby. I’m going to go wash your boyfriend’s blood off my hands. I want to look nice for Carol Burns. You know she’s meeting me here, don’t you?”
Watching Brooke again, he took slow steps away. His senses were on edge and his sister’s nod confirmed the noise he’d caught. Now!
“I know what you’re trying to do. Stay away from Carol, you bastard! She’s mine!” Rory shrieked.
“Chad!” Nick yelled.
Chad turned in a spinning kick. He saw Rory’s lunging hand and aimed for it. The kick was slower than it should’ve been, but effective nonetheless. It missed the back of the outstretched hand, the hand holding a long-bladed knife, and hit the wrist behind. The knife went flying, while gasps and colorful descriptions of Rory erupted from the onlookers. It was all gray noise to Chad.
Rory grasped his right wrist.
In the remoteness of his mind, Chad hoped he’d broken it. He stepped closer to Rory and hit him, again and again. A fist to the midsection made him gasp, and with a vicious punch to the face, Rory staggered backward. His attempts to block were futile. Chad was too fast with pinpoint accuracy; his darting fist easily flashed past Rory’s flailing arms.
As everyone watched Chad pound away at Rory, Scott took advantage of the distraction. He crawled away unnoticed, but for Alison. She swung her right-hand stick, making perfect contact with the side of his head, and slammed her left-hand stick against the fingers he involuntarily pressed to the spot. His cries of pain drew attention away from Chad and Rory. Those who watched saw the small girl deliver four more devastating hits before Scott got to his feet and ran with a distinct limp. Brooke watched most of the scene, ready to help Ali or Chad if either needed a hand; or a stick.
Chad’s dream came back to him, and he continued to pummel Rory, but with open-handed slaps, taunting as he did.
“Carol doesn’t act like she’s yours.” Slap!
“She doesn’t wear anything to show she’s taken.” Slap!
“Or did you pee on her?” Slap!
“Like a dog marking his territory.” Slap!
“You’re good at peeing, aren’t you!” Slap!
“At least in your pants.” Chad switched to a palm thrust, putting everything he had into it, and catching Rory under the point of the chin.
Rory’s lower jaw snapped up and his teeth slammed together with a loud pop. His eyes rolled back in his head and he dropped to his knees, blubbering. Tears streamed down his face and mixed with his blood.
The watchers were silent. Chad’s voice filled the void, carrying easily. “You know Rory, part of me wants to do to you what you did to me. To keep pounding you on the ground; to knock you unconscious and still keep pounding. But I’m not going to. I’m not like you, and I’m not going to sink to your level. Even if I was, you flat out aren’t worth the effort. And everybody knows it. You’re a pathetic little person.” He spat on the dirt in front of Rory.
He turned, went to where the knife had fallen, and picked it up examining it. It was nice, with a locking blade. He folded it and put it in his pocket, then went to Nick and took his guitar from him.
“Thanks for keeping this safe, Bro,” he said.
“Where can I get wash water?” he asked the men near Nick. It was hard to talk calmly. He was still furious and had begun to tremble. After the initial shock and nervousness at facing both goons, he’d relaxed at doing something familiar and directed the energy surging through him, releasing it with his fury in every hit. But it was done and he needed to move, to get away. It felt like he was going to throw up and turn into a quivering mass at any moment, just like Rory.
“Here, I’ll show you, Chad,” a man said and led him away.
When Chad and his escort were twenty feet away, the silence that had enveloped the group evaporated. “Man, that was something else,” one said.
“Two against one and they never had a prayer.”
“And that big piece of crap had a knife.”
There was more, much more. accompanied by laughter, lots of laughter. Rory looked at the mocking faces like a caged animal. He got unsteadily to his feet and looked for an escape path. One of the little girls, Smoke’s sister, stood in front of him blocking his way. His face set, he stalked towards her, his intentions clear.
Alison stood her ground glaring at him. “That was my brother you beat with a board you slimy coward!” she hissed. “I see why Nick calls you the slug!” Her sticks were poised. Brooke slipped into position behind him.
Rory yelled a guttural obscenity and lunged at her. He received a smashing blow from a solid piece of thorn wood across the side of his face for his efforts. A second slammed into his knee. He shrieked as Brooke and Alison darted in and struck. No part of his body was off limits. When he blocked one blow, he was struck with the stick held in the other hand or by the girl behind him. He had no defense for the blows raining on him. They flashed out from everywhere at once.
A cut opened above his left eye from a wicked hit. Blood dripped into the eye, down his face, and onto his shirt front. His arms were covered with angry red blotches where he managed to block a few of the strikes. He shrieked when a perfectly timed hit slammed against his right ear. When he blocked a swinging blow, another hit him with a straight jabbing action in the kidney region. He blocked a hit aimed at his face and was rewarded with a solid crack on his knee cap that came close to buckling him.
The laughter increased in volume. It was the best show most of the group had seen in years; two cute little girls knocking the stuffing out of the would-be backstabber. He was battered and bloody, taking more punishment by the second. They were merciless.
Rory wiped the blood away from his face and lurched away. Alison’s arm was whipped to the side as he muscled past her. It was the only effective thing he’d done from the moment he’d charged.
Alison rubbed her shoulder and spun to watch him, ready to dole out more punishment if he changed direction. But he didn’t. He gave no indication he planned to turn back, stumbling away, watching the girls for pursuit.
He turned to look ahead and stopped a step before running into a group of people; before running into Carol Burns. Carol, her dad, and the group from Hamilton stood in a line where they’d watched first Chad and then his sisters beat him. Rory froze, realization flashing in his eyes. He dropped his head as if he could hide, spun, and ran in the opposite direction.
Carol watched him, wide-eyed for a few moments before she turned to her dad and quietly said, “I’m going to go see if I can do anything for Chad.”
John nodded and squeezed her shoulder without a word. He glanced from his daughter to where Rory had disappeared and considered what he’d witnessed. He hadn’t seen Chad’s confrontation with the men who’d killed his father-in-law and Chad never discussed it. But according to all the stories not originating from the Young family, the boy had handily taken care of those men.
And though he’d seen the boy instructing and helping with self-defense, he’d assumed his brother was the dangerous one. Apparently, it ran in the family. What he’d witnessed was impressive as could be. The boy had whipped the two bigger boys with little effort and shown maturity beyond his years by not taking advantage when they were vulnerable. And the sisters, now that was something else. He allowed himself a smile.
Carol had chosen well it seemed, in this new, screwed-up world. If something happened to him, God forbid, the boy would be able to take care of her. He prayed it never came to that. And he prayed it was over between Chad and Rory but had a feeling it wasn’t. And Carol was apparently the tipping point.
John watched his daughter disappear into a grove of trees. While mercy was admirable, he hoped the boy hadn’t made a mistake. That Rory Young; something was wrong with the kid.
John studied the trees where Chad and Carol had disappeared and let out a heavy sigh. They were young, too dang young! Why had it happened, for his world to vanish the way it had so kids like that had to be put in such situations? He watched the spot the kids had gone, unable to join the happy conversations around him.
|
|
|
Post by gipsy on Oct 13, 2022 8:08:04 GMT -6
Thanks
|
|
|
Post by feralferret on Oct 15, 2022 17:42:58 GMT -6
Mighty fine chapter. Thank you!
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Oct 16, 2022 7:21:16 GMT -6
Chapter 48
Chad sat beside John Burns, doing his best to follow the song the musicians were playing. Carol sat on his other side, resting a hand on his leg. He was doubly distracted; by the tantalizing feel of her hand and by his own hands. They were stiff and sore.
But it’d been well worth it and he’d do it again in a heartbeat. He’d relished every hit, especially the ones that made visible damage. The smashed and split lips, the cut over the cheekbone, the blood coming from Rory’s nose. He couldn’t help but feel pleasure from his aching hands.
Yet, his hands were the lesser distraction. Carol’s hand on his leg, the scent of the herbs that’d been mixed into the soap she used, her very presence; he was nearly overwhelmed as his senses were bombarded. Feelings he’d never experienced were triggered by the contact between her hand and his leg. She was the biggest distraction, hands down. He stifled a chuckle at the thought.
“What’s funny?” she whispered in his ear.
He missed the chord change on the song. After exhaling a deep breath, he opened his eyes to see John looking at him with raised eyebrows. He gulped, and whispered back, “Nothing.”
The song ended and John suggested he switch instruments. He wasn’t going to disagree as long as the magic hand wasn’t mentioned. He set the guitar in its case and fumbled in his pocket for his harmonica. When he was ready, John started the opening to the ‘Fields of Athenry’. Chad joined in, carrying the melody.
The hand on his leg squeezed gently and he hit two consecutive sour notes. Focus boy, focus, he admonished himself silently as he played the familiar tune.
Beyond the glow of the oil lanterns and dancers, conversation buzzed among the spectators. Rory and Scott hadn’t been seen since they ran away but they hadn’t been forgotten. They were the talk of the get-together, them, and the two little girls who’d knocked the stuffing out of them. While Chad’s name was brought up often enough, Alison and Brooke were the stars of the day.
A group of people stood in a semi-circle around the girls, watching as the twins went through the fighting forms. The poor light cast eerie shadows as they swung their sticks. The shadow images stretched out, looking like the girls wielded full-length staffs in each hand.
“These moves are mostly for defense,” Brooke said.
“We learned them so we could take care of ourselves,” Alison said.
“If we were ever in trouble.”
“But those guys”
“Were different. Nobody”
“Messes with our brother,”
“And gets away with it!” They stated emphatically, in their tag-team manner.
The spectators erupted in laughter. Those two were something else. The laughter carried over the music and conversations.
Chad smiled. Although he wasn’t sure why the people were laughing, he had a pretty good idea. Nick had told him all about his warrior sisters. The story had been added to by everyone he’d talked to since. At times those two got on his nerves, but really, they were pretty cool.
Carol saw his smile and misinterpreted it. She leaned in and whispered in his ear, making him lose his place in the song. It was a good thing the rest of the musicians covered it, although John glanced at him with a frown.
At the song’s end, Chad told John, “If it’s alright, I’d like to dance for a while.”
John raised his eyebrows again, shook his head in resignation, and said, “Go ahead. I guess you earned it after the dance you performed earlier.” Low and mostly to himself he muttered, “Too dang young,” as Chad and his daughter disappeared into the darkness. “They’re just too dang young.”
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Oct 16, 2022 7:22:09 GMT -6
Chapter 49
Chad yawned and stretched. He hadn’t gotten near enough sleep after playing and dancing long into the night. Nick, who’d stayed out as late, woke him too early, saying he was getting his horse and going to the arena.
The one-sided exchange had taken place quite some time ago, time he could’ve been sleeping instead of sitting on an unyielding plank seat. Carol and Lori had found him and the twins, and together, they’d gone to the arena. Since sitting, he’d been mostly ignored. Carol was beside him with Lori on her other side. They prattled on and on, giving him little opportunity to join the conversation. Alison and Brooke, the twin celebrities, were on his other side, drawing a huge amount of attention.
The announcer was using an old-fashioned megaphone, doing his best for everyone to hear. He said everything twice, covering both sides of the arena. Though he tried hard, he couldn’t always be heard. Chad strained to hear, and when he thought he heard the man say, “Nick Robbins”, he nudged Carol.
“Hey, I think Nick’s up next.”
Carol and Lori stopped talking and watched for him. Nick rode into the arena and backed his horse in next to the calf chute.
Without Carol and Lori talking, the announcer could be heard to say, “Next up is Nick Robbins from over in Indian Valley. Most of you should be familiar with the Robbins family. They always compete well here.”
Nick nodded his head and a calf bolted from the chute. The moment the barrier rope dropped, Nick’s horse was stretched out in a full run.
Chad was amazed. He was glad he wasn’t on that horse. If he had been, the horse would be chasing the calf alone while he lay on his backside in the dirt and horse droppings.
Nick’s lasso shot from his hand as easily as Chad could cast a fishing lure, encircling the calf’s head. Nick was on the ground running, tying the calf’s legs and raising his hands in seconds.
Chad had assumed his friend was a fair hand at calf roping, but that was impressive. “Man, he’s good,” he said to the girls.
“He sure is,” Lori said dreamily. “And a pretty fair calf roper, too.”
She and Carol had a good laugh. Chad’s face reddened.
When the final calf was roped, Nick’s time wasn’t the fastest of the event, but it wasn’t the slowest. The competition moved on to the next event, and mid-way through, he rode into the arena with another man.
“Is he going to try steer wrestling?” Chad asked. “He never mentioned it to me.”
“No, he’s the hazer. He’s going to keep the steer going straight for the other guy,” Lori said.
Chad watched Nick ride out near the steer, glad he stayed on his horse. Those beasts were big and powerful. He’d hate for something to go wrong if Nick was trying to knock one off their feet. It made him think of something else.
“Hey Lori, does he ride bulls too?”
A sad look crossed her face. “No. No one in his family does. It’s the family’s rodeo rule. They can do anything but ride bulls. Charley has forbidden it. The other adults in the family agreed after what happened to one of his cousins,” she said.
“Why, what happened?” Chad asked.
“Five or six years ago, his cousin Monte was doing really well in bull riding. He was going all around, hitting rodeos from Washington to New Mexico and all points in between. He was the best bull rider to ever come from this area. Everybody thought he was going to get to the PBR; The Professional Bull Riders, the cream of the crop. He was that good. Then, something went wrong and he was killed by a bull.
“Charley got everyone in the family to go along and demand that none of them ever ride bulls. They were too dangerous and he didn’t want to bury another grandson. They’ll ride the roughest horses they can find, the rougher the better, but they’ve stayed away from bulls ever since,” Lori said.
Chad was silent. As far as he was concerned, it was a good idea to avoid bulls. He’d only been around one once each year when his dad had taken their milk cow to a neighbor’s place to be bred. But those exposures had left a lasting impression on him. The huge animal throwing his head to the side with slobber flying, pawing the dirt when he smelled the cow, his upper lip curled. When his duty was finished and the cow separated from him, he bellowed his rage. He looked ready to bust down the heavy planks making up the corral. Chad’s dad always made sure he stayed far away despite the solid timbers.
Chad would rather be in an arena with a dozen Rory type people than one of those brutes. Considering it made him shudder. Charley, thanks for keeping the knucklehead away from bulls.
His attention was drawn back to the bucking chutes when Nick was announced as the next saddle bronc rider. He was more nervous for Nick than he’d been during his fight. He needn’t have been. Nick made riding the bucking horse look easy, easier than Chad on the mechanical horses at Kmart. Still, Chad was relieved when he was on the ground walking back to the chutes with his hat raised. And even though he’d made the ride look easy, Chad was glad he wouldn’t have to watch his friend on a bull.
#
The group found Nick behind the chutes with his horse. The greeting he and Lori exchanged was enthusiastic. Chad reddened to think of greeting Carol that manner in public.
“Man, I’m hungry. Let’s eat after I put my horse in the pasture and clean up a bit,” Nick said.
“Sounds good,” Carol answered and they all went to the camp with Nick as the center of attention.
The twins walked slightly apart. Unlike the teens, chattering away like a bunch of magpies, they were wary as they approached their camp. Earlier, they’d whispered together how Rory always seemed to show up where their brother least expected him. And he didn’t expect the goon to be waiting at their camp. So they watched and listened carefully, searching the camp for anything out of place. The older, so-called more mature kids relived Nick’s day.
#
As they ate their simple meal, they discussed the day’s events and how Nick had done in each. They were nearly done eating when Carol turned her head to the side and listened. “Hear that? The music started. We better finish and get over there.”
Hearty agreements were voiced around mouthfuls of food and they ate faster.
They had everything put away when Al walked into the campsite carrying a bag in each hand. “I figured you’d all be over at the music and dancing,” he said. “By the way, nice job today Nick. You did almost as good as one of your uncles could do.”
“Thanks, I guess. I won’t ask which uncle. Anyway, we were getting ready to go over. What’s in the bags?”
Al hefted them. “It’s better than gold. A group passing through from Utah has a load of salt they’re trading. Well, they started with a full load. Now they have a lot of food and hand tools they’ve traded for along the way. I managed to get a couple of pounds for us and a couple more for Chad’s family.”
“Hey, that’s great,” Nick said. “Now we won’t have to chip off the cows’ mineral blocks. Something in them tastes weird.”
“Yeah, that’s great, thanks,” Chad added.
“Where are they? I should talk to them too,” Lori said. Carol looked as if she was ready to leave with Lori.
“It’s alright. Both your dads’ have arranged for some,” Al said. “Now you guys better get a move on. They could use another guitar player. And a lot of folks want to see the Amazon Princesses do a demonstration before it gets dark.”
“Amazon Princesses?” Chad asked.
Al said, “Hey, I’m only repeating what I heard, but you know, it’s a fitting title. Although I’d been thinking ‘wildcats’.”
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Oct 16, 2022 7:22:47 GMT -6
Chapter 50
Morning came too early for Chad. It always did when he was in town and had been out late. But he got right up at Al’s call. Nick had forewarned him he’d get wet if he lingered in bed after being roused.
Camps were being taken down and packed away. A few people were hitting the road with loaded packs on their backs. Chad watched a heavily laden group, glad Al and Nick had brought the packhorse. He looked in the direction of the Hamilton group’s camp but it was blocked from view by trees and other camps.
“Are you going to stand around like you’ve been hit in the head or are you going to help?” Nick asked.
“Oh, yeah, sorry.” He got busy with his gear and when he was finished, helped Nick get the tent ready to load. Al returned from the pasture with the packhorse and his saddlehorse. In a short time, they had everything packed.
“Come on girls, I’ll help you with your horse,” Al said.
The group went to the pasture and Chad looked for Tim Scott’s mules. They’d been taken from the field. Hoping they hadn’t started for home already, he hurried to saddle his horse.
When he was finished, Nick inspected it. “Not that I don’t have faith in you, but I know you and horses. Besides, as much as you’re looking around for Carol, I half expected you to put the saddle on facing the tail.”
Chad didn’t catch all of what Nick said. He was gazing off again.
Everyone mounted and they rode out of the trees. Chad smiled. Tim’s loaded wagon was pulling away. If Al would allow it, they’d be able to ride together, at least to the Indian Valley Road turnoff. Lori’s family also rode out of the camp area. It looked like it would be a large group traveling together.
The town was behind them when John took his guitar out of his case. “Chad, why don’t you give your horse to whichever sister is on the back of their horse and join me. Seeing as how you’re riding next to the wagon, we might as well make use of the time and I can give you lessons. I have some things I’d like to show you and we have a long ride for you to practice.”
Chad was fine with the idea but the execution was something else.
Nick held the horse while Chad got out of the saddle and onto the wagon. He laughed and said, “Man, I don’t get it. How can someone as smooth as you in a fight be so dang awkward when a horse is involved? I thought you were going to fall between your horse and the wagon.”
Chad gave a relieved sigh when he was sure of his footing in the wagon box. “It’s simple. Unless I did something dumb, Rory and Scott weren’t going to hurt me. That horse, however, is just waiting for the chance to kick me, bite me, or throw me off.”
“Oh, you’re silly,” Brooke said. “It’s simple.” She slid effortlessly from one saddle to the other.
Chad was tempted to stick his tongue out at her.
John pushed Chad hard, and despite all the practice he’d been doing at home, his fingers were sore by the time the Middle Fork Road was beside them. Chad blushed at Nick and Lori’s affectionate goodbye. He sure wouldn’t tell Carol goodbye like that, at least not with everyone watching. Even considering it made him nervous. It was hard to concentrate on what John showed him after that.
“I think it’s time to change instruments,” John said. “Get your harmonica out.” The rest of the way to their turnoff was harmonica lessons and songs.
Tim pulled the mules and wagon to a stop at the road to Indian Valley and said, “Well here we are.”
Chad stood, thanked John, and shook his hand. Nervously, he turned to Carol. He reddened, feeling every eye in the wagon on him. Carol gave him a hug which he returned, and a fast, chaste kiss on the cheek. It was nothing like the kisses they’d shared under the cover of darkness the night before. She whispered “Goodbye,” her mouth close to his ear.
He murmured his goodbye and got out of the wagon and back on the horse.
After more goodbyes, the groups separated. Chad looked back numerous times until he couldn’t see Carol or the wagon any longer. He wondered when he’d get the chance to see her again. His overall cheer was dampened at the thought it could be a long time.
Still, his mood wasn’t taken down much. It’d been a fabulous trip. He’d got the chance to spend a lot of time with Carol and learned a lot of new music. Nick had done great in the rodeo events. And the topper was meeting up with Rory and Scott. It’d been a fine trip indeed.
They unloaded Al and Nick’s gear and left Al at the Robbins’ ranch. Chad, Nick, and the girls continued on their way, reliving parts of the trip.
When their home came into view, Chad stood in his stirrups, not that it helped much. He saw his Dad with the milk bucket, headed for the goat pen. His mom was standing near the outdoor stove with the pressure canner on it.
They looked up at the girls’ squeals of “Mom, Dad, we’re back!”
They waved and Chad returned it. He continued to look around but didn’t see Mat or Aunt Heather. When he stopped the horse near his parents, he grew concerned. Something was wrong. They weren’t acting like they usually did when he returned from a trip to town.
Both parents greeted their children with strong hugs and Chad asked, “What’s wrong Mom. You’re upset.”
“It’s, well, we’re worried about Heather and the baby. Yesterday, Perro-Feo had three puppies. Only one is still alive,” his mom said softly as tears ran down her face.
|
|
|
Post by rep1270 on Oct 17, 2022 7:46:55 GMT -6
Thank you for the story it is great. Ralph
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Oct 20, 2022 6:42:58 GMT -6
Chapter 51
As soon as the packhorse was unloaded, Nick headed for home.
Chad picked up the pail his dad had set on the table. “I’ll milk, Dad. You look tired. Girls, set my stuff in the bedroom and help Mom.”
It wasn’t only their dad, their mom looked frazzled. He and the girls had been off playing for three days while they were at home working. The stark truth shamed him.
Filled with turmoil, he went to the goat barn. Seeing his parents in such a state was sobering. It dampened his exuberance from the incredible trip to Gemtown. For the first time in quite a while, he yearned for things from the past, especially good, fast transportation and communication. Milking did little to ease his troubled mind.
Aunt Heather and Mat were in the kitchen when Chad carried the pail of milk in. After each greeted him, Mat looked pointedly at his hands and raised his eyebrows in a silent question. His knuckles were red, scuffed, and puffy, with fresh scabs. Chad shrugged and started to pour the milk through the straining cloth, staying silent.
Mat sighed and said, “It looks like the rodeo was intense, or you were break dancing with someone’s face. What happened?”
Chad looked to make sure they were alone and managed to spill milk on the counter. After redirecting the flow, he said, “Rory and Scott were in Gemtown.” He continued pouring, his eyes on the milk, not looking up at his brother.
“You must have done all right. I don’t see any damage other than on your hands,” Mat said.
Chad glanced outside. His parents and the twins were getting supper ready. At that moment, his mom gasped and put her hand to her face. His dad was the opposite, breaking into a smile as his daughters talked. They punctuated what they’d said with swings of imaginary sticks. Their dad stepped over to them and patted each on a shoulder.
Chad decided the cat was out of the bag and he didn’t need to talk quietly. “Yeah, Scott tagged me once. I messed up; they surprised me; again. Just like you keep telling me, watch where I least expect it. I never expected them in Gemtown, so of course, they were. They were on me before I had a chance to get ready and he tagged me. I busted his nose in return. After that, I was in total control.”
“And Rory?” Aunt Heather asked. She’d perked up when Chad told about Scott’s nose.
Chad looked from one to the other, smiling. He couldn’t help it, remembering how good it’d felt hitting the slug. “He never laid a finger on me, but left bloody, hurt, and with everyone laughing at him.”
Aunt Heather smiled.
“That’s not all. Ali caught Scott trying to sneak away. Nick thinks she might have busted one or two of his fingers. And they were worse on Rory. Both of them got him, and according to Nick, they gave him a royal beating.” He put the straining cloth in the milk pail, ran water into it, and worked the cloth in and out rinsing the milk from it.
It didn’t seem possible, but Aunt Heather’s smile got bigger and she gave a fist pump. “That’s my girls. I wish I could’ve seen it.”
“Me too,” Chad answered. “I was kind of upset and missed it. I really wanted to stomp him, to hurt him bad, like he did to me. I had to get away and calm down.”
Mat nodded his head in understanding.
“But from what I heard afterward, they knocked the snot, er, I mean slug slime out of him. Now they’re the celebrities in the family.”
Chad dumped his bucket, put more fresh water into it, and rinsed the cloth more.
“Come on you guys, get out here. Supper’s ready,” Brooke shouted to them.
Chad took the straining cloth out of the water and squeezed out as much water as would come easily, hung it to dry, and gave the pail a final rinse. Together, they went outside.
When Dan asked the blessing on the meal, he added, “And thank You, Lord, for bringing our family back together, despite the pitfalls and obstacles You placed in their paths to test them. Amen.”
Chad saw his mom’s mouth was tight, while she filled her plate. After eating quietly for a bit, she said, “The girls tell me Nick did well.”
Chad was surprised. He’d been certain she’d grill him right off about Rory and wouldn’t change the subject until she had him sitting in a puddle of sweat. It was a pleasant surprise.
“Yeah, he did. You should see him on a bucking horse; he makes it look easy. He rode that one as easily as we ride a rocking chair. His calf roping was great too. But his steer got one foot free in the team roping.”
“And you got to see your friends from Hamilton ... and your girlfriend?” his mom asked.
In answer, Chad coughed, over and over. The question, complete with the “g” word, caught him off-guard and caused him to suck in a sudden breath, his mouth still full.
“You should see them together Mom. Carol is his girlfriend for sure,” Alison stated.
Chad’s face was red; from the coughing, from his mom’s question, and his sister’s statement.
“Well I think it’s sweet,” Aunt Heather said. “She’s a smart girl, getting the best guy available before someone else does.”
Chad would rather discuss anything with his family than him and Carol. “I got in a fight. Rory and Scott weren’t in Oregon after all; they were in Gemtown,” he stated, and raised his ear of corn and took a bite. He made sure to chew thoroughly and swallow. Glancing around the table, he saw his mom was the only one not smiling. She looked concerned.
“Yes, we heard,” she said when he made eye contact with her. “So he beat you and you beat him. Does that mean it’s over?”
Chad considered what he knew of Rory and his feelings for the slug. After an extended silence he said, “That’s a good question and I don’t know the answer to it. It could be over for me if he’ll let it. I mean, we can never be friends or anything, but I think I can tolerate him if he doesn’t provoke me. I’m not sure if he can let it be, though.” Silently he added it wouldn’t take much at all for the jerk to provoke him. The feeling of the beating was still too vivid.
They ate in silence for a while, before Brooke said, “Chad, did you see the puppy? She’s sooo cute.”
Chad noticed Aunt Heather. It was like a shadow crossed over her face. Two puppies hadn’t survived. “No, I haven’t seen her yet,” he said quietly.
“What are we going to name it?” Alison asked.
“We haven’t discussed it,” Mat said. “What do you think we should call her?”
Chad glanced again at Aunt Heather and wondered if focusing on the live pup would help her mindset.
The girls looked at each other and whispered together. “Perro-Feo means ugly dog in Spanish, right. How do you say cute puppy?” Alison asked.
“Come on, I haven’t been wasting my time teaching you, have I? Think about it and see if you can come up with it.”
The twins got serious looks on their faces and started mouthing words silently. “It’s like a girl’s name,” one said.
“L ... Linda ... Lindo?”
Their eyes lit up. “Cachoro muy lindo.”
“Si, the puppy is very cute,” Mat said.
The twins turned back to each other and ran through variations on the word, nodded to each other, and faced the rest of the family. “Lindy!” they stated in unison. “Let’s call her Lindy.”
“What do you think?” Mat asked Heather.
“Lindy, yeah, that’s a good name.”
#
The meal had been cleaned up, the dishes done, and everything put away. Chad begged off playing music; his fingers were sore after all the playing in the past few days. Besides, he kept nodding off. Two consecutive nights without enough sleep was catching up with him. Lisa sent him and the girls to bed. She and Dan followed suit, going to their room. They all could do with real rest. Chad and the girls weren’t the only ones who’d missed sleep. Lisa hadn’t gotten any decent sleep the past two nights. Her worried thoughts wouldn’t leave her.
Mat and Heather went to their bedroom. Once alone, Mat said, “You know, we still have to come up with a name for our son.” Heather had perked up during the Lindy discussion and even more when Alison and Brooke regaled them with the stories of their encounters with Scott and Rory. He wanted to keep that going, to keep the hope alive.
“I keep telling you, this baby is active; she moves way too much to be a boy.”
It was another take on earlier discussions. Mat insisted his unborn child was a boy and Heather said it was a girl. “But if you insist, we can come up with a boy’s name to make you happy. But get ready to be disappointed. Do you have any names in mind?”
“Well, if he turns out like his mother, maybe we should name him Henry, but pronounce it the French way.”
“Onery, huh? You can’t blame that all on me,” she answered with a chuckle. Her face shifted in an instant. “Mat ... I’m so afraid. I ... I can’t stop thinking ... ever since Perro-Feo ...What if I got too much exposure ...Chad and I got sick from the radiation ...What if it ...What if ... something’s wrong with ... Henry or Henrietta ... or whatever her name is?”
He reached to her, wrapped his arms around her, and squeezed her tight.
“Mat, I ... I ...”
“Hey, it’s all going to work out. This ornery little kid reminds you of its presence all the time. It’s, I mean he, is going to be fine. You can’t despair, he’ll know. We will see our son, we’ll watch him grow, and we’ll hope for his future, that his generation doesn’t make as many colossal mistakes as ours did.
“Now, seriously, what would you think of naming him ...”
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Oct 20, 2022 6:44:05 GMT -6
Chapter 52
Chad woke and looked over the edge of his bed at the lower bunk. Having a room to himself hadn’t lasted long after Aunt Heather had vacated the bedroom. His parents decided he and the twins would share the room. He wasn’t thrilled with the idea; far from it. It might be better to go back to the couch. But he hadn’t; he’d sucked it up and shared. Besides, he spent little time there except to sleep.
While he’d been irritated when his dad and brother made the bunk beds - the girls sharing the bottom bed, and him in the top – for the one morning at least he was glad the girls were out of their parents’ room. He could get them up without disturbing anyone else. His mom and dad had looked exhausted the previous evening and he wanted to let them sleep longer. And he wanted to start early so he and the girls could do work their parents normally did.
After he had his jeans on, he kneeled over the girls’ bed, shook them, and spoke quietly. “Hey Ali, Brooke; get up, and let’s get to work. We need to let Mom and Dad sleep in.”
Brooke made a fist and rubbed her eyes, yawned, and stretched. “Do we gotta?” she mumbled.
“Yeah, we do. We were off playing while they worked. Didn’t you see how tired they were? We need to make it up to them or we might not be able to go next time something comes up.”
“All right. What do we gotta do?” she asked resignedly.
“I’m not sure since I haven’t looked at the garden. Let’s take a bunch of jars out and get water heating. You guys can wash them while I milk. After that, we’ll check the garden and figure out what to do next.”
“Okay,” the girls said, though not in their usual unison. Their timing was off and one was a definite whine.
Chad was straining the milk at the outside table and the girls were elbow-deep in hot water when their dad and Mat came from the house together. “You three are hitting it early. Thanks,” their dad said.
“Just doing what we can to help,” Chad said.
“We’re going to check the garden next,” Ali said.
“Now you can tell us what needs done,” Brooke added.
“We were thinking we’d make mixed vegetable soup. We planned to pick pretty much anything that’s mature and put in it,” their dad said.
Brooke handed a jar from the wash water to Alison to rinse and looked at her dad. She wrinkled her face and said, “Everything? Even cucumbers? I never heard of them in vegetable soup.”
Their dad chuckled. “If I didn’t say ‘most everything’, I meant to because you’re right. Cucumbers don’t seem like a good soup ingredient.”
Chad finished the milk, put it in the spring box, and took care of the pail and cloth. When he was finished, he joined his dad and brother. The twins were close behind. They went from row to row; pulling carrots, onions, and garlic, picking beans, corn, zucchinis. Baskets of fresh produce were at the table, ready for the next stage when Lisa and Heather told them it was time to eat.
The sun was well past the halfway point in the sky before everything was ready for the canner and the monitoring process it required. It was part of the job that didn’t require everyone. After checking with his dad that nothing else needed to be done, Chad rolled his bicycle out of the shed, went back for the trailer, and hooked it onto the bike. When he carried the step ladder out and laid it across the trailer, it drew his dad and Mat to see what he was planning.
“I’ve never seen huckleberries that need a ladder to pick. What’s up?” Mat asked.
“I saw tons of ripe elderberries along the road. I figured if I took the ladder down, I could fill a couple of buckets pretty fast.”
“Good idea but you’re not doing it alone. I’ll go with you,” Mat said.
Dan got two five-gallon buckets while they strapped the ladder to the trailer. When he returned, he was looking across the garden, mumbling. “Dad, we can take the buckets now,” Chad said.
“Oh yeah, sorry. It looks like we need to cut the wheat tomorrow. It’s ripe and will start dropping if we don’t. After it’s dry, we’ll have to thresh it on a tarp. The fun never stops around here.”
Chad felt a twinge of guilt although he knew the comment wasn’t directed at him. The girls and he had been having fun while everyone else worked. There was no going back but he could work as long and hard as possible going forward.
“Let’s do this. Are you ready?” he asked Mat.
“Let me get the fish bag. We might as well check the traps on our way back.”
While Mat was getting the bag, Chad reminded the twins to do all they could to help their parents and Aunt Heather. The fun never stops, echoed in his head.
Once Mat put the gunny sack in the trailer, the brothers mounted their bikes and rode away. They passed a few elderberry bushes before stopping at a large one. It was loaded, its branches drooping low from the heavy clumps of lavender berries. A few branches had broken from the weight.
Mat plucked a few berries free and popped them into his mouth. “There’s not a lot to these things and I think they’re all seeds. They’re nothing like huckleberries. Other than the huge abundance, why do we want them if we could get something better?”
“I don’t know the name of the compound, but they have something in them that's good if you get a cold or the flu. Dad always tried to pick a bunch each year and dehydrate them. If any of us got sick we’d drink tea made from them. It always helped.”
“Okay, I guess that’s a good reason,” Mat said. “And it won’t take long to fill these buckets as thick as they are. But it looks like it’ll be tedious getting them off the stems.”
“It’s not bad if you know the trick,” Chad said. “We’ll use Mom’s comb to pull the berries off. The one with the teeth wide apart.”
“Hum, that’ll beat plucking them off,” Mat said.
“Yeah, it does.”
While they were picking, Mat said, “So, your encounter in town; do we need to work on anything to get you better prepared for next time?”
Chad didn’t answer right away, considering the question. After dropping more berries in his bucket, he said, “I’d rather there not be a next time. But wishes aside, I don’t think so; I just need to work on the same stuff. The only thing I think I’m lacking is my awareness at times. I have to get better at watching out for trouble, anywhere, anytime.” To himself, he added, especially when Carol is around.
Mat said, “I know what you mean. Been there, done that. It’s something you have to continually work on.”
The buckets were filled and loaded in the trailer. Chad folded the ladder and started towards the trailer with it.
Mat said, “Hold on. Should we leave that here and come back tomorrow for more? It’s not like a lot of people are traveling the road who’d take it.”
“Dad wants to cut the wheat tomorrow, remember? But why don’t we take these to the house and come right back? We have time for another trip today.”
“Let’s get to it, then,” Mat said. Despite the lack of travelers, Chad put the ladder behind the brush before getting on his bike.
|
|
|
Post by bretf on Oct 20, 2022 6:44:44 GMT -6
Chapter 53
The work didn’t let up. Something in the garden, as well as wild berries, was always ripe for harvest as summer progressed. The amount of daylight lessened each day, and hillsides that’d been lush and green turned brown and dry.
The huckleberries closest to home were long gone. Chad and the girls ranged farther, climbing to higher elevations and crossing to the north slopes in their searching. Sitting on a mountainside one afternoon, the farthest they’d gone yet, he decided it was futile to search for more. Their time could be better spent at home. As he considered it, he was shocked to realize he’d miss spending time in the hills with his sisters. They were pretty good company.
Early one morning, Chad left his bedroom and noticed the milk pail still on the counter. Deciding his dad must not be up yet, he put wash water in the pail and went to take care of the goat. He was surprised to find his dad outside studying his bike.
“What’re you doing with the bike?”
Dan was so preoccupied he hadn’t heard Chad’s approach. He gave a start and said, “Oh, good morning. I’m just pondering something.”
Chad saw his rifle leaning against the shed wall behind his dad. Puzzled, he asked, “So what are you pondering?”
Rather than answer, his dad asked another question. “How long would it take you to ride to town if you pushed yourself?”
“Which town? Indian Valley, Hamilton, Gemtown?”
“Hamilton.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I’m in better shape than the last time I went and it’s mostly downhill. I guess maybe a couple of hours. Coming back would be a different story though. Why, what’s this about?”
Dan looked back from the bike, his face pained. “We’ve all been on edge since the puppies. You know, your mom and I don’t want you going to town alone but we’re concerned about how things will go when Heather goes into labor. We’ve discussed sending you for the doctor.”
“Well, I don’t know how fast I could get back, or how Doc gets around,” Chad said. “If I have to hunt for him, it might take most of a day, round trip.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of. If you were to go, you could get to Doc as fast as you can. After you’ve told him we need him, maybe you could rest up for a while at the Camps’ or Burns’ home, then ride back.”
Of course he’d love to rest at Carol’s house, but not for too long. If Aunt Heather needed the doctor, he wanted to get back as fast as possible. Not that he could help with delivering a baby but there was no telling what might need to be done. His mom and Mat would certainly be tied up with Aunt Heather. It would leave his dad and sisters to do everything else.
On the other hand, it’d be tough to leave after seeing Carol for just a few minutes. Plus, the girls were quite capable, after all. Maybe he could hang out with her longer.
“Okay, so what’re you doing with my bike?”
“I think I can build a mount on it to hold the rifle. It wouldn’t be perfect by any means, but if you run into trouble while you’re riding, you’d be able to shoot on the fly.” His face showed pain and turmoil at the idea. “I told you, I don’t like the idea of you going all that way alone. So if you do, I want you to be as prepared as I can make you.”
“Okay, so what do I need to do to help?”
“I’d like to tell you to get the welder set up for me, but of course that’s not possible. You go milk, and when you’re finished, you can help your mom. I’ll call you if I need a hand.”
#
Mornings held a distinct chill. The leaves on the poison ivy in the creek valley were vibrant shades of red. The cottonwood leaves were yellow, and when the wind blew, fell like snow. Thorn brush on the hillsides added their reds, contrasting with the brown and yellow landscape. The family wore their jackets regularly and longer each day. Chad’s evening guitar sessions had moved into the house. The warmth from the stove was welcome as it was used for the early meal, though the canning sessions were still done outside.
The harvest continued daily, and more and more jars filled the storage room until few empties remained. The room also held blocks of cheese and buckets of wheat.
Shocks of corn stalks stood in the garden near the goat pen. As the ears were harvested, the stalks were cut off and stood where they’d be handy for goat food.
The garlic had been harvested, the dirt washed off, and clumps hung and dried in the shed. As the weather cooled, two long rows were planted for the next summer’s harvest.
Every time a variety of vegetables was eliminated, the spot was replanted with other, cold-hardy vegetables. They should mature for fall and winter harvest. Other bare areas were planted with cover crops of green manure varieties. Growth slowed considerably as the temperature dropped and daylight hours shortened. Each day, they had less to care for in the garden.
The potatoes were dug and filled wooden bins in the storage room, as well as a bag that was taken to the Robbins’ ranch. Chad’s family was raised to near-hero status from the delivery. The Robbins family was a meat and potatoes group who had gone too long missing such a vital ingredient to their menu. The bag Chad and Mat delivered wouldn’t last long, but they would get several meals from them.
Chad asked if he could take a few to the Camp and Burns families too. He especially wanted to see Carol, but figured throwing the Camps into it would help his cause.
“You know, I don’t like the idea of you going that far alone, right? And Mat isn’t going anywhere. Your mom can’t ride that far, so as much as you want to go, I don’t think you should,” his dad said.
Chad didn’t want to give up on the idea, on the chance to see Carol again. “What if I talked Nick into riding Mat’s bike? Although he might have his own, but I don’t know. I could use the trip like a test run to see how long it’ll take when Aunt Heather needs the doctor,” he said.
Dan didn’t look ready to agree, so Chad searched his brain for another reason, something that might sway him. “I could take a few potatoes to Doc, too. And tell him we’ll need him in a few weeks, that Aunt Heather’s time to have the baby is close,” he said.
Dan stared at his son and considered the proposal before he said, “You’ll go slower with the trailer and I don’t know if Nick is up to riding that far in one day. Do you? And I mean one day if you do it. If he’s up for it, I think we could strap Mat’s bike on the trailer for you to get it down to his house and save him going the extra distance. Maybe they could find you a place to sleep in their barn so you two could start first thing in the morning. That should give you enough time to rest up, visit Carol, and make it back by dark. And I mean back here.”
“Really Dad?” Chad said. “But you know, it gets dark a lot earlier than it did a few weeks ago.”
“Yes, really. And I’m fully aware of when the sun sets. If you go, I want you home by dark. That’s why I’m giving you the option of spending the night at Nick’s to get an early start. Why don’t you go down and check with him and his family? Plan on going soon if he’s up to it. It’d be nice for you to know what it’ll take and for the doctor to know we’re going to need him.”
“Thanks,” Chad said and hurried to get his bike. He’d prefer to have more time with Carol but he’d take what he could get.
During the ride to Nick’s house, Chad’s mind was focused on Carol and the chance he might get to see her. Her lovely face that took his breath away; her soft voice that was sweeter than any song he’d ever heard; her tender touch that turned his muscles into putty; the feeling of her incredibly soft brown hair when it brushed against his face. Her hands, her lips. He could go on and on. So much for his resolve to always watch for danger; he was oblivious to everything.
Nick, of course, wanted to go with him; he was always up for an adventure. And it seemed adventure frequently accompanied Chad. However, he didn’t want to ride a bike; he’d feel better sitting in a saddle on a good horse. But he relented. There was a strong possibility of fireworks, at least if they saw the slug.
Chad was more oblivious on the ride back home.
|
|