Chapter 10

Chapter 10

“Alright, boys put your back into it. What do you mean he'll be here at 8? And I'm given a speech?” Wayne said looking over at Doc Hatfield and Whitmore. “We have a problem,” Wayne said pulling out his paper he got two days ago had slipped his mind from all that has been going on. “You got to be joking… today of all days,”

“Nope,” doc replied.

“Man when it rains, it pours.” Doc Hatfield puffs air out of his mustache as he twisted the corners of it. “Well if he wants a dance let’s give him one,” Doc said staring at the foundation of one of the barracks, “we’ll just have it right here find some lights, hang a canvas. Make a little shindig send him on his way,” as they pat Wayne on his back. Heck, why tell him,” as they smile looked around, “right boys?”

“Yes Doc, we’ll just say Farmer's code that's all,” they said.

“Will stick him Doc, ”the nurse said holding needles as they hold the scrub brushes and as the boys laughed.

“Me wife has a new pair overalls fer him, right boys?” Grinning ear too ear.

“Yes, sir.”

“Swing your partner around and around fer Judge Parker is comen into town. “Ye-haw.” The Sheriff and the boys meet him at the gate,” Hello Judge,” nice evenen wouldn't ya say?” The boys looked side to side.

“Grab him, boys,” as Aunty M whistled.

Brad yelled. “What's the meaning of this? Ouch, that smarts, hey. OH MY!” As he turned bright, bright red.

“Alright dear, you can go inside now. Dinner will be ready in two hours don't be late.” His wife said.

“Yes dear,” he as grumbled rubbing his hip after feeling like a pincushion.

“Please sign in here,” Granny said as Brad watched a shotgun pass him by and as the gate close's and locked behind him with a sign swing underneath says quarantine. "QUARANTINE!" Judge Parker yelled at the top of his lungs. "Sheriff Downing!” But only got was the wind instead, while he watched the buildings being built going on in the distance and the farm up the road half mile a sign on a pole said. “Welcome to Cracken Villa” than other “Clean zone Downing Farm.”  Gate closed where the Sheriff and his boys are headed with shotguns paced up and down the road.

Judge Parker looked back towards Downing Villa.  Ned and the boy's smile. “Nope don't think ya wona do it, Judge.” Held up another scrub brush and second needle, “by orders it’s not safe there.” Whispered. “Too many unknowns down there,” rubbing chills down his arms giving him the wiles.

“In fact, Granny gone to Joe won't touch the moonshine, no sir. Nope.” Watch him shake his head pointed at her on the porch sitting on the farm peeling potatoes for sup. Judge swallowed hard as if he heard someone scream down the road down at Downing Villa.

“Na, just shadows,” watching the Judge headed quickly to the farm. Judge Parker looked side to side jumping at his own shadow as it passed him by. “Boo.”

Wayne and the boys holding meeting gathered around the table in the house, going down the list of supplies needed to build for New Downing Villa. “Boys we're short,” Wayne said looking at the wood outside running the figures. “I don't have enough to build with, don't have enough mattress or way to make them,” Wayne said pulling himself off the stool pouring himself cup Joe.

“Doc this not half bad once ya get used to it, kinda got an extra kick to it.” He said as he swallowed his third cup.

Aunty M stretched looked at Doc for a minute, gets up from the stool. “Wayne I have been meanen to tell ya something.” She said looked down at the ground, pulled something out of her purse hands him piece paper. Wayne unfolds it reads.

(You now own 15% of a lumber mill and 15% sheep ranch and cattle steer ranch 15% cotton farm.) Part of an inheritance.

Wayne nearly collapsed onto the floor as Doc and the boys catch him. “I want you to have it. It was a baby shower gift and congratulation pre-adoption present from me and the boys,” she said. Placing the stool underneath him then slapping him hard on the back knocking the wind right out of him then sitting back down in her seat grinning ear to ear sipping her Joe.

After a few coughs and sputters. He looks up out the window slaps his knee goes over picked her up off the stool, swings her around laughing like a schoolboy. “Well, I'll be a monkey with ya any day of the week.” Drags her down the hall to Martha unlocks the door shows her and the boys what Aunty M has done. Martha gave her the biggest kiss thanks her. Wayne quickly locked her in the room with the boys too keep her safe except for one.

Aunty M had a pretty good idea about that one too, but she smiles whispered in his ear, “just sleep and rest my boy. It is almost time dear,” wiped the sweat off his face. Then seeing the worry in boys and Martha faces, tells them who's he waiting for watching their faces go white. Then she laughed. “No dears. Not his time, it’s not time yet he still has work to do.” Then sits on the bed next to him and waits and asked. “Are you boys any good at shaving sheep?” as she smiled. “Humming Bah, bah black sheep have ya ye any wool,” looking towards the window.”

Wayne dancing back to the kitchen knowing he's found half solution to the problem the other is how to get here and soon as the phone rings “Hello yes this is the Downing Farm... You have how many of what? 500 Head... And you are outside Goshen be here tomorrow morning and how many bushels of cotton, what? 10000!... And 600 of what? Sheep! And cattle!”

Wayne dropped the phone screamed. “AUNTY M?” He ran down the hall, opened the door looked straight at her as steam came out of his ears.

“Problem, Wayne dear?”  Martha asked looking at him and smiles and wiped the sweat off EJ's face and gets up tucked the boys in their beds then walked over to him. “I believe you said something about you got work to do.” Pushing him out into the hall and closed the door.

Wayne stares at the door, walked back, shrugged his shoulders, heads back to the table then smiles and laughed. “Ya, what problem? Boys let’s get cracken.” Takes out his charts and maps and little speech and rubbed his hands together says to the boys. “Judge wants to dance, let’s dance.”

The ladies made a list of things and load the supplies and the vittles to the New Downing Villa for the dance. What a sight to see watching things move up and down the old road to and from the farm. The Judge on the swing watching the men went on relaxing in the shade. “Ahhh this is more like it, no paperwork, no phone.” Wiggling his toes, wearing new comfy pair of overalls, watched the kids play on the farm. “Ahh, this is the life for me and my wife.”  Looking over at her sewing a new pillowcase for some bed he knows not what for, dozes off, “zzzzzzzzzz.”

“Aren't you coming Judge?” A man giving him nudge.

“Going?  Where too?” He asked.

“The dance, we eat at 8 you said,” a man pointed to the Sheriff.

“Oh yes,” he replied as he yawned.

“Yes 8 he's giving the speech you know; I hear it's going be a humdinger. Shame his boys can't be there Tsk, Tsk all sick. All except the little one, strange very strange. I understand they are feeling better except for one. And not taking any chance thou. No sir.” The man said looking towards Downing Villa and the stories he heard rubbing his arms, goose pimples go up and down his arms. “Too many things go bump in the night down there to my liking; I'd stay out of there?” The man said as he slapped the Judge hard on the back leaving him there.

Everything quiet on the farm, he's only one left and fell back to sleep. The nurses decided to set up a barracks for all the boys and Martha. In that way, they could keep eye on them since they were all doing better except for one. He wasn't any worse so what was the harm?

They bundle him uptight, put a mask on him just to make sure. Cleared the way and went out the back door, the safest way. They set up a small picnic table up in the room in the barracks for the boys. So they could have their own private party just for them, with Ma and Aunty M and the family later. Then sent the washerwomen to re-scrub the boy's room just to make sure, with a new pair of shorts for each of them when they got back to their room. Since they burned every pair they had already including their new shoes and school clothes and they didn't want to tell the boys. That's why Pa wanted to give them one more day or two until he could get them some more.

Music started, Sheriff standing at the podium looking for the Judge laughed. “Boys?” He said looking at the empty chair next to the Judges wife. “I believe we forgot the Judge the man of honor himself,” as everyone laughed pointing at the empty chair.

Then Doc slapped Ned on the back, “go get him, boy,” he replied.

“Yes, sir.”  Ned hopped on his horse as the horse raised his legs high in the air Ned waved his hat, “ye haw Judge, here I come.” Doc rubbed his sides; Richard looked out his barracks windows and boys laughed inside. Richard looked at EJ sound asleep. “I wish you could see this. What a sight.”

Ned raced down the road leaping across the field. Zigzagging left and then right across the creek bed until he ended back at the farm. Ned picked up the Judge by the back of his overalls swung him over the back of his horse, trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey. With a smile on Ned's face and yelled. “YE haw.” Ned flies back down the field. Clots of dirt flew through the air, over the ditch bank with Judge on the horses back “HUUU”

“Ye haawww.” As Ned swung his hat over his head as the horse leaped the ditch bank towards the New Downing.

With the Judge speeding down the road across the stream bed splashing water in the Judges face leaped again. “HUUU.” Riding rounding another corner Judge bouncing on the horse across his back. Ned held the Judge tight by the seat of his overalls as he leaped across trench ‘HU, hU. Ned rolled the Judge on top of the podium.  “Here ya go Sheriff,” tipping his hat. “Ma’am, boys.” Ned rides off back to the stables and returned to his seat next to Granny grinning ear to ear.

The sheriff and the boys helped him to his seat next to his wife whispered. “Don't sweat the small stuff dear. “Taking a handkerchief wiped his face.

Sheriff stands at the podium and cleared his throat, “As Sheriff of these here parts,” and paused. “I hereby and declare this land named New Downing and have elected so ordered by Judge Parker a simpler Farmer and the new Mayor of New Downing.” Watching him cough and sputter when he said it as his wife whispered again with a smile on her face. “Don't sweat the small stuff dear!”

“Kollie Whitmore second Sheriff of New Downing,” waiting for him to cough and sputter; Doc grinned and laughed and slapping them all on their backs. The names went on and on.  Wayne smiles and paused looking around the room and pulled his remaining rabbit trick out of his hat.

“Now then we have work to do boys,” he laughed. “There are 500 steers and 600 head of sheep headed this way tomorrow morning with 10000 bushels of cotton and lumber mill just waiting for me just to give the word timber. So let’s get cracken and 'git' this here party started,” as he shouts “Ye haw,” throws his hat into the air. As Sheriff Downing rings the dinner bell yelled “COMEN AND 'GIT' IT!” And walked away, and takes his two girls, his two little boys and went into the barracks to join the rest of his family.

They may not have anything to wear. They don't care, but they were all together which matters most to them. Ma, next to EJ’s bed wiped his head. All the boys on one side, girls on the other with Aunty M and Pa on the end, happy; all having dinner together.

Aunty M looked out the window seeing everyone dancing as a figure in the corner nods to her she nods back.  Aunty M watched him get up walks over to Mary and bows and takes her hand. Aunty M gasped with shock in her face as he winked back. Around and around the dance floor they dance. Mary kicking up her heels with laughter then lets her down gently with a kiss on the cheek, “thanks for the dance.” He said as she giggled softly back. Aunty M watched as he approaches Lizzy with the same care, he bows, but she turned her head. He tries again she walked away, refuses to take his hand and leaves him standing there. With a slight whisper to Aunty M. “You didn't tell her a word, you promised.”

Aunty M shook her head. “Not a word, no not even a hint.” As he probed her mind, he could tell she was telling the truth and nods yet he still wonders. “To prove that you didn't... Dance with me one dance is all I ask.

Aunty M looks at EJ lying in the bed. “What about him? If you can I'll dance with you then.”

“I can't, sorry he belongs to another, and he’s not ready yet. All I can do is give more time. A little that's it nothing more, but he must use it sparingly and purposely for another. Think carefully, wisely before you answer, the night is young and so is he.”

Aunty M watched the figure walk away into a dark corner in despair where he came from. Thinking about her life with Mike and life EJ would have or not have. Depending on where he lived here or by some horrible chance, she could not bear it looking at this. A family that loves him so much if things change… “Oh. Alright,” whispering muttering. “Alright I’ll dance with you, just do it.” She wiped a tear from her eye, leaving the barracks, closing the door.

“Are you sure?” As the figure steps out holding his hand she grabs it without a pause.

“If you are going to dance sonny let’s dance.” Picking up her skirts swings her legs high. “Because I can't afford to look back now can I?” She said looking into his deep blue crystal eyes.