Roaming

Admin Posts : 8858 Join date : 2013-08-24

The prompt for August is one that really suits the boys' lifestyles, so should spark inspiration.

Your prompt is

Roaming

Anyone, or anything, could be doing the roaming. it could be helpful, tedious, aimless, or irritating. That's all up to you.

What are we waiting for?

Get writing.

Subject: Re: Roaming Tue Aug 29, 2023 7:51 pm

August 2023 challenge “Roaming”

Part of Winter’s Refuge Chapter 89

Dr. Arden’s Temporary office

JED ‘KID’ CURRY

It was a messy week weather wise when Aiden literally hung out his shingle over the entrance to the saloon. I thought he was teasin’ when he told me.

“Jed, I’ve been roaming all over Three Birds and was just about to give up setting up a temporary office until today.”

I’d taken cover from the freezin’ rain in the livery near the school when Aiden returned from visiting the Dunkirk family to the east. Their young son’s leg had been caught under a cow and was broken. His hat drippin’ with water, despite the cover on his buggy, he still was excited about findin’ an office. We talked in the dry livery while waitin’ for the bell that would signal the end of classes. “You found somethin’? Where?”

He looked nervous; no, he was embarrassed. “I rented that back office at the saloon. It's perfect for my needs - it has a small waiting room and an office for examinations. Not a lot of light but it will do.”

I thought for a moment. “Aiden, ain’t the only entrance to that room through the saloon?”

“Well, yes. But it has the advantage that a husband can wait at the bar if he wants.”

Smilin’, I moved closer, so my voice didn’t carry. “Think the husbands might like that fine, but the ladies will have to walk through the saloon to get to your office.”

He sighed. “I know but it’s all I can find.”

ASJ*****ASJ

Three days later on, a day when the rain was worse and had turned the main street into a river of mud, I rode into Three Birds to send a package to Matt in prison on the twice a month stage. First, I dropped the twins off at school.

Martha kissed me goodbye as I helped her down from the wagon. She looked up into the rain and smiled. “Good thing our schoolhouse has the best roof in town!”

Frank caught me takin’ dry refuge in the mercantile. “Jed, you got to see this,” he told me with a grin. “Come have a drink with me.”

I don’t drink much anymore and Frank knows that. I’m afraid alcohol will make me lose control like it used to. I need to stay in control to protect my family…and keep dark memories at bay. “Maybe one beer.”

There was a crowd of ladies huddled on the covered sidewalk outside the door of the saloon.

“One of those groups that are protestin’ against drinkin’?”

“No, come on, let's get a seat and watch. This should be fun.” Frank pushed open the batwing doors. Out of habit, I stepped to the left with my hand on my belt just above my Colt. I stood there until my eyes could see in the darker room. There were no men drinkin’ in the saloon this early. The dark rain clouds outside made the room seem even darker. I saw no threats in the saloon, so I joined Frank who already had our beers and had settled in a seat in the shadows.

Joinin’ him, I asked, “Just what are we watchin’?”

“That.”

The batwing doors opened tentatively and Mrs. Fred Birde, rainwater dripping from her fancy silk hat, head held high, looked around then headed to the doctor’s office, slowly takin’ in every detail of the saloon. Four other wives of City Council members followed her, all starin’ at the brightly clad, scantily dressed saloon girls, not sure whether to be insulted or smile. In the darkened room, all the working girls watched the ladies with equal curiosity.

My eyes adjusted to the dim lights. Frank chuckled and I couldn’t help but smile. “Unusual grouping of women, ain’t it, Jed?”

“A lot of curiosity in this room.”

A groan from the roof demanded my attention. A loud creak followed. “Frank, just how old is the roof on this buildin’?”

My words made him stop and think. “One of the original buildings of Three Birds…probably the only one that hasn’t been rebuilt. The office the doctor’s using is newish though, maybe ten years. It’s only one story and sticks out in the alley.”

“Without a back door,” I added.

“Well, there was a back door to the saloon. It’s now the entrance to the office.”

“And no windows?”

“Oh, there are windows. They were covered over by the paneling because there were worries about robberies. The safe is in the floor back there,” Frank explained, lookin’ concerned as the overhead sounds became louder.

The roof grumbled again…and the noise kept getting’ louder. A loud growl of thunder demanded everyone’s attention. As I stood up, a loud rumble brought a wall of water, wood, and mud down, blockin’ the batwing doors and the front of the saloon and sealin’ the only door.

“What was that?” Aiden rushed from the back room, hands up in the air holding his listenin’ tube. There was panic in his eyes. Miss Denise and Sally, a brown-haired beauty whose skirt swished as she moved her hips when she walked and a top covered in feathers, followed him out.

And then the second floor let out a rumble and started to crumble over us.

I jumped on a table to be heard. “Everyone, listen, no time to lose. Get to the back office. Everyone!”

As some of the lights blew out and the second floor ceilin’ began fallin’, I yelled louder. “Right this way. Aiden get in there and hold a light in the doorway so we can see it. Frank guided his sister-in-law toward the office. As I headed that way, I pushed stragglers, ladies or saloon girls, ahead of me quickly. I called over to the bartender to get in there, too. He didn’t hesitate but pressed through the ones in front of him to reach the room first.

As I closed the outer door, we heard and felt the tremor as the water soaked second floor collapsed. The room we were trapped in was small and the women, whether workin’ girls or society wives, were screamin’. The room was tight. The bartender had claimed the only chair, leavin’ the ladies to stand touchin’ each other.

“Ladies!!” I yelled. Quiet ensued immediately. “You’re safe here. Please calm down. We’re in this together,” I said.

“We’re trapped!” screamed Mrs. Birde.
“I can’t catch my breath!” Sally gasped.
“I need to get out of here!”
“I think I’m going to faint.”
“The light went out. I’m scared of the dark.”

Society ladies and saloon girls were all panickin’. The room was close with no light.. There was little room to move as I felt Aiden tryin’ to get to the woman who had actually fainted.

Frank sounded just as anxious as the others. But I touched him on the shoulder and then tried to work my way to the panelin’ coverin’ the hidden windows.

In an authoritative tone, Frank commanded, “Everyone take the hand of the person next to you. Introduce yourself. Don’t let go. Tell them if you are feeling sick or faint. Go ahead, do it!”

I found the panelin’ and started knockin’ on it, movin’ people out of the way as I examined the wall. I had nothin’ to use to break through the panelin’ except… “Pass me the chair!” I ordered. I heard scrapin’ and a protest from the barkeep.

“It’s comin’, Mr. Curry.”
“Keep talkin’ so we can get it to you.”
“You hurtin’ and need to sit down so badly, you’d take a chair from a lady?”

“Right here. Lift it high if you can,” I said, wavin’ my hands in the now dark room.

“Ohhhh! Miss Jenny, are you alright? She fainted but I still have her hand so you can find her, Dr. Arden,” a polished society voice said in the darkness. And I smiled to myself imaginin’ the prim owner of the voice holdin’ tight to the scantily dressed workin’ girl.

And I had the chair. I pulled the two front legs off of the chair and used them to pound on the wall where it had sounded hollow. On my third swing, the panelin’ broke as did the glass behind it. Cold damp but fresh air rushed in. And just enough light to see shapes. I pushed jagged pieces of glass outward as I said, “This side of the buildin’ is sheltered from the worst part of the rain. Frank, telegraph office is next door, right? Does it have a backdoor into the alley? Doubt anything is left of that covered sidewalk out front.”

There was quiet and I tried to make out Frank’s face in the crowd of females. “No, no back door to the telegraph office but the church hall on the other side has a rear door.”

“How far down?” I asked and everyone answered me.

“Ain’t more than a few steps, Mr. Curry, honey.”
“It’s a good forty feet you must traverse to reach that door.”
“That door’s always locked.”
“That’s right, don't want the wrong kind of people stealing anything from there.”
“And I guess you’re sayin’ we’re the wrong kind of people.”

That last voice was indigent, but Mrs. Birde’s answer was calm, and I could tell it was said with a smile. “No dear, not at all. Why, holding hands with you is keeping me calm in this dark place.”

As I climbed out the window, my boots crushed on the broken glass, and I made my way to the back door of the church hall. It was locked but I hit the lock with the chair leg, and it opened. I was goin’ lead the ladies one by one to the dry, well-lit room but they insisted on keepin’ a strong grip on the partner they found in the dark, so I helped them out the window and watched as they walked two-by-two to their safe haven to wait out the storm.

As the last of the women went through the window, I helped Aiden and Miss Denise out. Frank was standin’ by the window when I looked back. He started to push the barkeeps’ limp body out the window before proceedin’ to climb out himself.

“He faint?” I asked.

“Nope. Needed to be taught that ladies of all kinds always go first.”

» Roaming