Chapter 9 - Brief Freedom

Caleb's duties change as the family finds a brief relief from the prison their home has become.

About a month after Caleb’s run in with the men in town, Mr. Meyers came to him with a new set of arrangements.  Caleb was permanently relieved from tending to the animals and the estate.  Mr. Meyers had decided to put him solely in charge of watching over and safeguarding the family.  He realized he would not be able to carry out his business from home and he would need to start making more frequent visits to town.  Caleb was expected to stay at the house from this point on to make sure the family was safe and to protect his interests if necessary.  He was given full access to the property and was instructed to always keep a weapon on him.  With these new arrangements, Caleb’s suspicions began to grow further as to what Mr. Meyers was up to.  He, however, never spoke a word of it to anyone.  He knew whatever trouble Mr. Meyers was in, his first concern was his family and he respected this. 

With Caleb’s duties being switched over from maintaining and caring for the property to protecting the family, Kit was left to do everything on his own.  His jealousy toward Caleb grew.  Caleb was a part of the Meyer’s family.  He ate with them and slept in their house.  He was allowed to participate in all of their family celebrations and Mr. Meyers treated him like a son in many ways.  Now, in addition to all these things, he was relieved from all of his previous duties and they were all placed on Kit.  Kit was still expected to sleep in the tiny room in the barn loft and receive his meals in the kitchen with the other hired help.  He felt his treatment was unfair and did not believe it would get any better, despite what Caleb had told him about being rewarded later for working hard.  

One day after Mr. Meyers had left for a day trip to town, Kit approached Caleb behind the house.  “If only the ol’ man knew what kind a man ya are.  It’s quiet a show ya put on for him ever’day,” Kit told him hatefully.  “He’s a stupid fella ain’t he.  He’d have to be to not see through ya.”

Caleb could not understand why this boy he hardly knew had approached him with so much hatred and was accusing him of being deceiving.  A look of surprise and bewilderment crossed his face.

“Ya know who I am and ya know what I’m talkin’ ‘bout,” Kit accused. 

Caleb’s response remained the same puzzled look. 

“Ya ungrateful, stupid little weasel.  In two years ya have already forgotten ‘bout your own family.  But it don’t su’prise me none.  I know ya know it’s me.”  He paused.  “I seen it in your eyes when I first came here.  Ya known all along and ya just too proud ta admit ya come from folks like us.  Ya got ya’self all fixed up now.  Got someone believin’ your someone somebody could trust.  Won ya’self I nice family with a big house and money and weaseled ya way to the top with ‘em.  Now ya gone and fergot you’re a nobody.  Born to a whole load a nobodies.”

“Christopher?”  Caleb asked unsure.

“Damn right!”  Kit replied with a devilish chuckle.  “Didn’t think ya’d see me again did ya?  Bet ya just loved the thought a that.  Ya got rid a Pa an’ then I’m gone, ya could do whatever ya wanted.  I ain’t gone yet.  I’m right here and I ain’t goin’ nowhere ‘til I ruin your life like ya ruined mine.” 

Before Caleb had an opportunity to address his brother’s allegations, Kit rose his fist and punched him hard in the face.  He stumbled and fell back hard against the ground.  Blood run from his nose, off his chin, and down the front of his shirt.

“Ya gonna cry now.  Like ya done when Pa hit ya.  Ya never were anything of a man and I never expect ya will be.  Look like Pa got himself a girl after all.”  He smiled cruelly.

Without a second thought Caleb yanked up his pant leg and pulled a single shot Derringer pistol from the top of his boot.  He sprang to his feet and pointed it at Kit.  Kit, being the unarmed man, backed up a few steps.  Being unarmed he was not willing to take too much of a chance with Caleb, even up against a one-shot weapon.  “I’ll get ya.  Just wait.”  Kit turned and walked slowly back to the barn.

Caleb placed the pistol back in his boot and went into the house.  He realized now he would not even be able to leave the house without a rifle or revolver in hand. 

That evening when Mr. Meyers came home Caleb kept quiet about the incident.  Mr. Meyers’ had enough trouble without Caleb bringing he and his brother’s newly reestablished rivalry into it too.

 

          Several more months passed.  Caleb’s fifteenth birthday passed and Christmas came and went.  Things remained relatively quiet on and near the Meyers property.  Even Kit had not done much to disrupt the peace, keeping his revenge between himself and Caleb and not letting it touch the family.  The winter storms kept everyone inside most of the time.  Even Mr. Meyers, being the only to go to town, had to put an end to his frequent trips. 

Upon Elizabeth’s eleventh birthday, Mrs. Meyers had decided to start her daughter on etquitte lessons.  Now, Elizabeth decided, it was time to put an end to so much “child’s play”.  She viewed herself as a young “lady” now and had every intent on acting the part.  She spent much of her day curled up on the window seat in the sitting room reading.  

Caleb, soon, grew very interested in her choice of activities.

          “Do you like books?”  Elizabeth asked upon seeing Caleb peering at the books on a bookcase one afternoon.

          He stood there looking slightly embarrassed, then answered her softly, “I don’t know…I can’t read.”

          A couple of days later he was approached by Elizabeth and Mrs. Meyers with a stack of books.  “We are going to teach you how to read,” Elizabeth explained.  “I taught Dianna how to read and write,” she added proudly.  Caleb’s mother had begun teaching him but she died before he could learn more than his letters and he had forgotten even that much with no practice. 

          For the next year or so, a lesson in reading and writing would be fit into every afternoon.

 

          By summer it looked as though Mr. Meyers’ trouble was over.  There had been no run in with Butler or any of his men.  Mr. Meyers decided it was finally safe to lift the restrictions on his wife and children, and he finally allowed them to go to town.  Caleb, however, was still sent as their escort, and, well armed, rode along side them during their trip. 

Caleb followed Mrs. Meyers and the children from shop to shop.  As they walked he noticed Butler watching from across the street.  He reached  inside his coat and put his hand on his Colt, ready to use it if he got any trouble.  Butler started crossing the street toward them and Caleb watched carefully slowly pulling the gun out.  He was about to aim, ready to fire, when Elizabeth noticed Butler and yelled out happily, “Uncle Thomas!” 

Caleb was shocked at the revelation.  Butler was the children’s uncle?  Why would he want to hurt them, or even Mr. Meyers? 

The family turned and Mrs. Meyers’ face lit up.  “Thomas!  I haven’t seen you in so long.”

He hugged Elizabeth and then Mrs. Meyers.  “Not since mother died,” he said remorsefully.

His face lit back up and he went about hugging his nieces and nephews.

“They have all grown so much,” he told Mrs. Meyers with a smile.

“Why don’t we go somewhere and talk?”

“How about the café down the street?” he asked.

“Sounds wonderful!  Come on children.”  Then looking back at Caleb asked, “Would you like to join us?” 

Butler glared back at him. 

“Forgive me,” Mrs. Meyers told Butler after a moment, “This is Caleb Campbell.  William hired him a couple of summers ago to help with the animals and such.  He has become more of a member of the family since,” she told him with a smile.

“Campbell, ah?” Butler asked, examining him closely.  “You one of Douglas Campbell’s boys?”

Caleb was surprised to hear Butler name his father.  “Yes sir,” he replied.

Butler nodded and then turned back to the family.  Caleb followed the family to the café and sat with them, remaining out of their conversations, but keeping a close eye on Butler throughout the entire meal.

 

When they returned from their trip to town, Mr. Meyers was sitting on the porch waiting somewhat impatiently.  Samuel jumped from the wagon and ran to his father with the other children trailing close behind.  Mrs. Meyers stepped down from the wagon while Elizabeth remained seated watching Caleb thoughtfully as he dismounted.  Catching her gaze he stepped over and helped her down.  He found it funny that just a year ago she would have been leaping from the wagon and running to the porch with her siblings.  Now in her effort to be a “lady” she had waited on the seat to be helped down.

Samuel bellowed as he ran up onto the porch, “Papa, we saw Uncle Thomas!  We saw Uncle Thomas!”

Mr. Meyers’ smile faded and his expression became serious.  He stood and met his wife at the steps.  She smiled up at him.  “We saw Thomas in town.  He wants the children and I to visit he and Emily for a couple of weeks.”

Mr. Meyers glared past Mrs. Meyers at Caleb who was walking slowly up to the house with Elizabeth.

“Children go inside,” he ordered, then turned back to his wife.  “I won’t allow it.”

“Why not?” She asked stunned.

“I don’t feel safe allowing you and the children to go away for so long.”

“Well, we’ll be with Thomas.”  She said, a small smile creeping back onto her face.  “We are as safe with Thomas as we are here with you.”

“I know you believe that is true, but…” he trailed off without finishing his thought.

The children hurried into the house.  None of them wanted to be in the way when their father was angry.  Elizabeth went into the house, with Caleb close behind.  Caleb entered the house, but something kept him close to the door. 

“Why do you not trust my brother?”  Mrs. Meyers demanded.  “He is the only family I have left and you are forbidding me from seeing him.” 

Mr. Meyers stood silent a moment.  “No one will go to town until I say.”  He stepped off the porch and crossed the yard toward the wagon.

Mrs. Meyers made her way into the house, almost running Caleb over, but still never noticing his presence.  She flew up the stairs and down the long hallway.