Chapter 14-4

Chapter 14-4

Doctor Hatfield said. “Heck I'll even write you a note for school tommra Robert,” Doc Hatfield said and Whitmore nods. “Let you boys sleep in if go wake the rest of your friends and brothers.”

“Yes, sir,” Robert replied and Pa nods his head. Robert takes the wagon back to New Downing galloping as fast as he can thinking about how surprised EJ will be about missing school just one more day.

Robert quickly opens the door shouts, “Howdy Boys! Let’s go, we have work to do.” As he laughed watching them sprawl out of bed onto the floor. While he waited he went out and feeds Mr. Rooster with some sweet honey on his feed for a treat, and went back inside the cottage waiting, explaining to the boys all that has happened, watching their faces light up as they get to miss school with him. They all jump in the wagon and just for fun Robert lets EJ drive as they all hang on tight and I mean very tight. 

Will, Robert laughed as EJ flicks his wrist, the wheels coming off the ground when he turns left and right. Frank, Mark, and Peter face turned white looking over the sides with fright as they fly over the gullies down the creek "Splash" falling back on their butts into the soft hay. EJ pulls back a little gets more control of the wagon to nice raged clipty clop, clipty clop back to Cracken as the three boys in the back wiped the sweat off their faces.

The six boys arrived back to Cracken Villa helping them all move the wagon train to New Downing. The Doc's working away in the tents with the needles with the nurses as patents go “Ouch!” and “Oh MY!” The Sheriff and the boys loaded them on a wagon, packing them full making a trail yelling "YAH! YAH!” Galloped towards New Downing signing in; then making full circle tell every last one is gone out of Cracken, leaving the cots for the ones down in Downing Villa. They worked through the night till almost dawn following the last wagon home.

As Pa re-tucked the boys back into bed making sure he had the note signed by both Docs for the boys. The Docs made up some excuse, stomach flu they called it as they laughed signed with a prescription needed for rest. Pa climbs into bed with Martha giving her kiss on the head falling fast asleep tell morning which seemed short because it was four hours till dawn.

The rooster crowed that morning; except wasn't at New Downing. They drugged Mr. Rooster that morning, he too was sleeping in. By order of the Mayor as he assigned temporary Deputies for Sheriff Whitmore that morning for this special task. There was a whopping a holleren coming down from the farm and the back of New Downing, racing through the field. Swing their hats with bundles of flyers under their arms as they raced down to Downing Villa, posting it on all the tents and polls everywhere, made enough noise to wake the dead, handing out flyers to anyone and everyone.

Scattering them here and there covering the place as fast as possible before leaving, making sure they did not miss a single place. These people cared so little, looking at the place, it was a swoller and a disgrace. Not very many people were willing too work or came to help from Downing Villa as they passed their flyers around giving them one more chance before throwing them out. Sheriff Downing rides to the Downing Villa Square with the Mayor of New Downing and his poesy. Rings the bell and waited, felt it, it is the lest he could do before they close this town for good; very few people and maybe few shadows that's it as he frowned at the state of this place.

Mayor stands at the podium looks around and waited for a few more minutes then pulled his notes from his pocket there had to be at least 200 people or so left as he counted heads.  “As Mayor of New Downing and Cracken we welcome you and for those that wish to stay, that is and or willing to make a go of it there. Be plenty of room for ya. Right now we like ya to move down to Cracken, where the commendations are better than this until we can build you a cottage for the winter with your help if you are planning on staying that is,” he paused. 

“If not then we thank ya for ya hospitality and see ya next year at the annual farmer's picnic. We hate to see ya go, but this here town is closed, pass the word. If ya need help we will be glad to help ya move. The wagons are just outside just gives us a holler will take ya, there is plenty of room and food and warm beds and clothing inside. Other than that, these here tents are coming down within the week I am afraid.” Mayor doting his eye as he says goodbye then leaves with Sheriff Downing and his posy for New Downing as quickly as he came not looking back. But instead looking straight head for home, where a nice warm bed and his wife is, leaving this town behind too die.

Sheriff Whitmore giving orders to the boys with a wave of his hand to bring the wagons into the villa; “Go tent to tent making sure there is no one inside before they take the tents down.”

“Yes, Sheriff Whitmore.”  Warning them to be gentle to every last one and see them all in a few hours. Why himself catches some sleep, rides off to his cottage thinking about his wife and his boys and smiles and sighs. “Wayne's right it will be good for her to get away for a while, we will be just fine just us men and the boys,” he says as he climbs in next to his wife.

* * *

 

With a click of her heels and putting on her 5-gallon hat she was off. Aunty M was off to call her son Reggie to meet them down at the Provo airfield. “Oh, Mike dear I wish you could be there too meet your new grandson,” as she dots her eye looking towards the sky. With a soft gentle breeze blowing through her hair a tiny sent of his hair she knew he would be there in spirit as she dots the other eye.

“Pardon me Madam Margaret,” as she turned down the street loading her suitcases in the car. “You are just the person we two ladies would like to see before you go if you don't mind that is. Not to worry darlen, not to fret or worry your pretty little head. We're not after you, it’s not your time yet; you have a lot to do,” they replied.

“We have been watching you from afar and helped you a time or two, we just like to ask a favor that's all,” as they both giggle. You see we are looken for a husband me and Miss Lady luck and not just the ordinary kind ya see. We were told by Mr. Jaydan Faith,” as they whisper in her ear, “that you are the person to ask, that you might be able to help in our time of need. In fact to sweeten the pot you might say we already have done a few things for ya by our counts,” handing her list.

“Oh my, I see,” Margaret replied.

“Just asking this is a pretty tall order and we do understand,” they said.

Aunty M being no dummy thinks and pause. “Alright on one condition,” as she looks towards EJ’s cottage telling them the problem to them, watching the light go out of their faces, shaking their heads.

“Margaret dear we can't do that,” looking towards the house with sad eyes, tears flowing down their cheeks. “He is watched by another we too are watching and grooming another. The best we can do is this by helping him from time to time until the time is near. We will all be there on the evenen tide.” Giving her each an IOU before turning leaving her standing there.

With sadness in her heart for one little boy as she looked towards the cottage, then down the road. “Oh, why can't you just leave him alone?” And sighs, “there’s got to be something I can do?” Closing the trunk of the car, “And who is this one chasing him and why and what does he want?”

Aunty M pulls up to the cottage of Martha and the girls and knocks on the door; waiting for the girls too come out one at a time, carefully not to wake Wayne and Richard and three boys. Then going back inside giving them one last kiss goodbye then closes the door.  Sneaks over to the boy's cottage with Aunty M and with their sisters to give them all one more kiss before living, including Aunty M that day. With one more pause as she looked down at EJ as he says. “Oh, I do hope he’ll be ok… Alright ladies,” Aunty M said putting the suitcase in the back of the car, “Let’s say we have some fun,” as they hoped in the car head down the road towards Provo airfield watching the planes land.

Aunty M pulled into parking lot checks in the car and finds a baggage carrier for their luggage as Martha and the girls watch the small planes land. “I thought you said we're going to the cotton fields Aunty M?” Martha asked.

“We are dear, we are,” watching the plane land on the Field. Aunty M looked at the clock “we're just a little bit early that's all dear,” she said watching the sky.

Aunty M pointing to the left field, “over there ladies, over there, you see him there? Here he comes, my son Reggie,” she said.

The girls seeing the plane land on the field; “You got to be kidding Aunty M?” Julie replied.

“How else are you going to see the cotton fields ladies? There clear down in Phoenix Arizona.”

“ARIZONA! On that?”  Quaking in their knees looking at the plane as a man comes out opening a door.

Aunty M waving to him, “over here Reggie,”  Reggie seeing his mother near the fence calling to him and then starts running over putting his arms around her and swing her in the air. Reggie was a tall man standing at almost 7 feet tall with broad shoulders, dark brown hair and brown eyes, and serious face when he was deep in thought and warm welcoming smile, he looked a lot like Aunty M.

“Sorry mother I couldn't make it to Dad's funeral,” he said.

“Pish posh, you were busy giving me another grandson dear and he knew it that old cuss. How is he anyway? I can't wait to hold him,” she said.

“Oh you know laughing and holleren just like Dad, in fact, mother we named him Mike Jr. hope you don't mind? As she wiped a tear from her eye.

“No son that just fine, he would like that. Well is everything ready down there? Sorry for the short notice and all change of plans. Wayne decided to send the girls instead just as well really. If you think about it, theirs storm a comen son and its gonna be whopper on both sides,” she replied.

“So I've been told, need all help we can get.” He said with a quick glance at the girls. “Yes mother you know us Cotwellar's, be prepared for anything including storms,” he said.

“Then let’s this get this bird of yours in the air and head to the cotton field and get cracken.” Aunty M waved to the ladies over to introduce her son Reggie then loads their things into the plane, they were off to Arizona to the cotton fields.