Dark days of Texas- Tammy's understanding.

Hard to see the truth, sometimes?

 Chapter six. Learning the truth. We must. 

                      Dark days of Texas-Tammy’s understanding.

Tammy held silence for one hour and she went to Shirley. She asked her. Do you believe Dirty Deed Eric killed my lover and hung her. Shirley look serious and she thought for a few minute. She answered. No. Not his style. He killed hateful and racism men in a New York second.  He loved the woman. His mother Little Wolf taught him the bow and arrow and to respect women. Did you see him kill her?  Tammy looked sad and she answered no. I knew something wasn’t right. My lover was below the hanging rope and she had some herbal medicine and some water. Someone tried to help her. Last person seen by the house was Dirty Deed Eric and Moonshine Eddie. I was told. They murdered three cowboys in the city for unknown reasons. The Gleason brothers. They hated us. The said we were sinner and the devils. Tammy begin to cry and Shirley wrapped her arms around her. Shirley cries with her.

Old man John could never sleep. Always too much on his mind. He knew in the early morning. His final trip as a Texas Ranger would start. He had tracked Dirty Deed Eric once and he found him. He couldn’t kill him with a knife or a gun. He believe Eric didn’t want to kill him. If he did. He would be dirt and sand now. He marked his face and cut his chest open knowing. He would bleed only. He had another bad dream. Damn civil war haunting him nightly.  He looked to the wall and pray for his friend Colonel Will. He was killed early in the war. Will was his mentor in the Texas rangers. Will asked him in 1862. Texas Rangers releasing the good men to fight for the North. The Union Army made him a captain and he was in the hit and run division for four years. He tried to drink a lot of whiskey to erase the memory of killing kids. The whiskey rarely worked. He was thankful he had the opportunity to find Jalan and Dominic. His unit saved 100 black soldiers. Eighty went north. He told them. Go to Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin.  Free territory for strong men. Stand tall and only accept respect.  Jalan and Dominic went back to Texas with him.  The Texas Rangers took Jalan because of his demands or he would quit. Dominic was wounded three times  and killed more men than we could count. His face was ugly with hate when Old Josh(The commander) asked him at the Texas Ranger interview. You know you must be fair. Southern men or not. We don’t murder. The war is over. John didn’t see Dominic till the final meeting in Western Texas hills two years back. He knew he joined Dirty Deed Eric after he killed three ex-southern soldiers in a tavern in Austin. They wanted to hang him and he made the Austin press front page. This was a mistake. Two days after the fast trial. Eric and Eddie killed the sheriff and three deputies. Dominic joined them and he been quiet lately but he was filled with hate and wasn’t seeking forgiveness. He remembered their last real words. Dominic told him. I like you Northern people. You fought and died for me and my race. I owe you my life Major Handsome Johnnie. Please don’t come for me. I was born poor, mean and in hell. I will go there without a struggle one day my old friend into hell’s gate. I don’t want to kill you.

John remembered his home in Michigan. His father a Irish man who escaped New York city hate and lived a good life in deep Michigan. He missed Michigan and he told Sherry. If I live. Me and you. We will go deep into Michigan and begin our life. Sherry agreed and she prayed they would survive the dark days a coming. He remembered his father anger when he left for Texas. His father words were true. You won’t learn nothing in Texas except blood and regret.

He remembered when he met William “Big Foot'” Hamilton in 1828, he was nineteen years old. William was recruiting for the Texas Rangers and he applied.  He remembered how honored he was to meet the hero and the great man. He asked him 10 questions about his life and work. The last question was the important one. Can you fight and can you defend yourself? He answered. I can fight and I can shoot a rifle with great skill, hit a gold piece with a pistol at 50 yards and I learn the long blade at seven in Michigan. William laughed at the words and he told him. You ain’t Texas born but you are Texas rebirth. Remember my new Texas Ranger. We kill, when we must. We protect the innocence people and we don’t choose sides. We are law-men. Not killers.

He was awoke from his thoughts and the daydream by Sherry. She asked him. Having the bad dreams again my love. He turned to her. He kissed her and he whispered to her. Just thinking about who I’m and who I will be. Sherry brought her nude body closer and she wrapped her long legs tightly around him and she whispered. We will survive the bad coming days and you and I. We will go to Michigan. Buy some land away from the city and near the lakes. We will hunt and fish till we are tire of living. Remember Johnnie. Only the good die young. Me and you are old and cold. We need some place to forget the past and learn to be civil again.

Author's Note

Thank you for reading.