The Jewels of Nebraska -Episode 10
Ben wasn't sure if he had enough money
to even get himself home. He was camped a stone's throw from the
highway. He hadn't had much to eat for a couple days. He thought
about his garden back home, with tomatoes rotting on the vine.
There had been no sign of either the
Injun'-talkin' Swede who had stolen his neighbor's truck, or the two
runaways and the couple he had sent them off with. What the heck had
made him run off like that in the first place, he wondered.
He thought about Ruby. “I ain't so
skinny.” she'd said to him after kissing him on the cheek. She'd
held on to his face with both hands and smiled with her eyes. He
hadn't given her much thought till then, now he couldn't get her out
of his fool brain.
He let the campfire burn to embers. His
eyes closed.
Fool, fool, fool.
He would turn back in the morning.
The back of the truck under the tarp
and amongst ragged old furniture was not a fun place to ride, Ruby
already knew. It was even less fun when she was bound hand and foot
and gagged with a rag between her teeth. Her backside raw as red meat
from Caleb's beatings.
She passed the time remember old songs
and humming them through her gag. Then it occurred to her; was it the
twenty-first? She counted the days back to the time she and Billy had
jumped the train. It was, it was the twenty-first! She switched to a
different tune. It sounded so much sadder then the last time she'd
heard it.
Happy Birthday.
Caleb had taken the precaution of
securing the unruly girl after the incident on the narrow cliff road.
They were driving through Grand Junction that day and he didn't need
any attention drawn to them. She'd tried to convince that young
couple she was being kidnapped.
'Kidnapped', the insolence. This
ungrateful girl was being delivered into grace. He'd teach her to
appreciate her blessings; one way er another.
It was a great blessing all around. It
was clearly God's will that he arrive at Brother Tobias's compound
with one wife wed and, one ready to be his second bride, wed by
Brother Tobias hisself, Caleb imagined. Brand new to the Church as he
would be, Brother Tobias would probably make him a deacon, or some
such person of prominence in the community for bringing two females
into the fold, one still of childbearing age.
Brother Tobias had six wives already
according to his books and his letters and encouraged his followers
to do the same.
While buying gasoline in Grand
Junction, Caleb explained to the attendant that the furious noises
and bumping coming from under the tarp of the truck was the family
pig, even though the fellow hadn't asked him nothin'.
Ben jumped up from his sleep. The big
Swede was sitting opposite him poking the ashes of the fire with a
stick.
Unarmed, he grabbed a sturdy branch and
held it like a baseball bat. The man in the black hat didn't stir,
didn't look up.
“Where are the kids?” Ben said. His
voice jumped in pitch un-expectedly.
The brim of the hat tilted to the
right. Ben looked over and saw William sitting on a rock, holding a
camera. He looked down into the viewfinder, pointed at Ben and the
branch and clicked the shutter. He looked up with a smile.
“Hi Ben,” said the boy.
“Billy!” shouted Ben. “You
alright?”
“Yeah fine. Mr. Huette hit Ruby in
the face. They took Ruby, left me by the road. I saw a bear, didn't
take a picture of the bear though, darn it.”
“I'm sorry.” Ben sat back down.
“I'm sorry I left you with such bad people. They seemed so nice.”
“We're lookin' for Ruby.”
“So this fellow hasn't hurt you
none?” Ben nodded at the black hat.
“Nah, he's okay I guess. Never says
too much.”
“We go, ja,” said Kohn.
“See, stuff like that. Then he won't
say another word until lunch,” said William.
Kohn walked back up to the road, Ben
grabbed his bedroll and jacket and followed with William.
“Hey, what's the idea?” Ben said
when he saw Kohn ripping a fuel line out of the engine of his truck.
Kohn walked back to the gasoline tank
and fished the hose inside. He began sucking from the hose like a
straw.
“He doesn't drink that, does he?”
It might explain a thing or two.
“That's what I thought first time
too,” said William, “watch”.
“Yeah, I can't wait to see what else
he's going to do to my truck!”
Kohn took the hose from his mouth and
placed it in a gas can. They heard gasoline dribbling into the empty
can.
“See? Neato, huh?”
“Yeah,'neato,' he's stealin' my
fuel!”
“Just movin' it to the other truck.
You're comin' with us, to help get Ruby.”
“His idea?” said Ben.
“Mine,” said William.
I didn't know where to begin. How does
one find a baby amongst a hundred thousand people if the baby was
even still in-town. She might be at a farm out past Lincoln, or who
knows. Back in them days, folks didn't go to a doctor unless their
baby was sick.
It figured that someone in service to
the rich was either the recipient of the child or the broker of the
dirty deal.
“Yeah, just breaks her heart,” my
lie would start out typically, “My sister and her husband can't
make any babies.”
Mostly I'd get “shame, that,” or
the suggestion of prayer. But I kept on about to anyone I'd meet at
the country club or waiterin' private parties. Just hoping for a
break.
Dearest Charlotte,
Every night I pray to the good Lord
that he will guide me to your baby girl and that he will watch
over her and keep her safe till we find her. Keep faith and prayer
yourself. I have told not a soul of this so we must make the most
of just our faith alone.
I fear I have nothing of substance
to report again this week, but I am tirelessly searching by any
means I know. I hope that you are well and healthy.
Affectionately,
|
Dear Mr. Newman,
I am well enough, or so I feign to
those around me so they may see fit to grant me some freedom from
this cage. I smile and speak not of my child nor of my desire to
leave this house. I even decline offers to walk on the grounds or
even to sit on the terrace in the improving weather. This that
they may be suspicious of my reclusiveness and unwittingly
encourage what I secretly desire, to run from this place never to
look back.
It truth, I am in despair with each
breath my baby takes that I am not with her. My pantomime of
gaiety is wearying. To smile when I wish to scream takes my every
strength and there is little sleep at night to reclaim it.
I apologize good sir for burdening
you with my troubles when you, my lone ally, need good spirits to
see you through this task. Again I thank you to my deepest for
your kind endeavors on my behalf. I will be forever in your debt.
I wish you good health and good
fortune.
Yours,
Charlotte A. Millard
|
Olaf stayed while I read the letter.
“Did I forget your nickel?” I asked
the young boy.
“No.”
“What is it then.”
“I might just be nothin'. But...”
“Yes?”
“There's this gentleman, this feller.
I seen him once or twice when delivering milk with papa. That Millard
place, the place where your lady lives, where I take these letters.
It's a queer thing, I'll tell ya.”
“Yes, yes.”
“He don't knock on the door. He
reaches down under this bush and gets him an envelope, sorta fat
like. Then he just walks off. Don't you think that's queer?”
“Why are you telling me this?”
Olaf looked sheepish.
“Only cause, well my papa says maybe
it's important to... you know, what you're lookin' for.”
“Lookin' for?”
“The lady's baby.”
“Why you dirty little. Did you read
our letters? Those was meant to be secret.”
“Of course I did.”
I grabbed the boy by the shoulder.
“Please mister, you woulda read 'em
too if you was me. Wouldn't ya?”
I had to laugh. “Yes, I spect I would
sooner or later. You musta been scared to tell me this.”
“Yeah I was, but papa said I had to
tell ya.”
“So you told you father about this.”
“I had ta, I had to tell someone and
if you can't trust your old pa...”
“Anyone else?” I said.
“No sir, Honest, no one.”
“Okay Olaf, you're forgiven. This
fella you saw. What'd he look like?”
“Don't know, he was covered up good.
It was still pretty dark too. I'll tell you this though: Everytime I
seen him, it was the first of the month. And you know what tomorrow
is?”
“April Fool's Day.”
To be continued...
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