Dr. King Schultz has never been a drinking man but he does appreciate the occasional shot of bourbon or glass of beer. However after his wife Paula died about six months ago he left Germany and ended up in Georgia, drinking away his grief. Nursing a sweating bottle of whisky, the good doctor frowns his bushy eyebrows as he stares at the neck of the bottle and has been doing so for the last hour.
"You tryin' to drown a broken heart?" the bartender asks as he cleans a short glass while staring at Schultz. "I can tell when someone's tryin' to drink away a sore heart. Seen them one too many times."
"Do not take this the wrong way as I understand if you would," Schultz quietly replies as he never looks up, "but I'd prefer not to converse with anyone at this point."
"Suit yourself. I just know you ain't goin' to find your answers at the end of that bottle," the bartender says as he turns away to continue cleaning stained drinking glasses.
Conversation quickly dries up as Schultz keeps to himself and sinks deep in a pool of his thoughts as the way his wife died continues to trouble him. Paula Schultz died from a heart attack and she went screaming to her end, waking up in the middle of the night feeling a sharp pain in her left arm. King tended to his wife the best he could but he's a dentist and there was little he could do but watch her exhale her last breath. She was so young as she was barely into her 40's while the good doctor himself turned 53 last month. His grey bowler hat tipping forward as Schultz coughs while standing up and pushing the stool backwards with one hand. He's light on his feet but you wouldn't notice it as he keeps his cool and pays the bartender.
"My good man, if there was ever an establishment fit to serve nobility. This would be surely be it," Schultz compliments the barkeep on his place of business before leaving.
The bartender doesn't reply but smiles as he watches the doctor exit the bar and grabs the couple of dollars that Schultz left behind as payment. The pitch black night holds little beauty for an emotionally wounded man like King Schultz as he walks toward his horse and wagon. The sun will be up again in a few hours or so. It isn't difficult to guess what profession he practices as his wagon has a big tooth on a metal spring bobbing back and forth while he rides. The horse he's currently using has gone far beyond it's prime and is reaching an age where the animal can't make long distances quite so easily anymore. The horse's name is Klaus and has been with Schultz for many years now while he practiced dentistry in Germany. Wearing a long heavy grey coat that matches his hat, the doctor rides aimlessly as he has no greater purpose or goals set out for himself. He doesn't really want to continue practicing dentistry because it reminds him too much of home and the life he once had. Making his way toward Ashburn which is the nearest town, Schultz looks at the bobbing head of his horse who braverly pulls the wagon like it has done so many times before.
"Klaus my boy, we're getting old if not ancient," Schultz sighs and tries to swallow his words. "Regretfully so I'm afraid our time together is -"
Feeling a lump in his throat that keeps him from finishing his sentence and the emotion that clings to his words isn't making the lump go away any sooner. He knows he'll have to part with Klaus soon because the horse isn't strong enough to pull through all these long rides anymore. It wouldn't be fair to make his friend walk his final miles before finally giving up. Schultz is planning on giving Klaus to a farmer he knows in Ashburn but that means he'll have to find himself a new horse or travel on foot with that wagon of his dragging behind him. He arrives in Ashburn about three hours after he left the bar and the glory of dawn is preaching the sky but the sight that meets his eyes is all but precious as he sees slaves hard at work, they probably started before dawn. Tending to cattle and cleaning up poop they are heavily pressured by their masters, and it is a sight that Schultz immediately tries to ban from memory. He loathes the slaving of people and feels a great deal of sympathy for the slaves themselves. His appearance and wagon catch the eye of anyone out on the street and anyone that he makes eye contact with gets greeted by a slight tipping of his hat. The farm of his friend is located on the outskirts of town and it takes about 30 minutes before he reaches the trail that leads to the farm.
In the early morning sun riding over a muddy path toward a somewhat small farm with a few cows walking about on the field. The friend that owns this farm is someone Schultz once professionally helped as he pulled his friend's rotting tooth. Wilfred Humble is the name of Schultz's friend and they met once in Texas many years ago while Schultz was attending a lecture by a friend in the field of dentistry. As luck would have it, Wilfred had a bad tooth and saw Schultz's peculiar wagon and took it upon himself to ask the doctor for help. Stopping the wagon and padding Klaus on the back, Schultz strolls toward the main house and is greeted by a cheerful Wilfred who steps out as he saw the doctor and his wagon approach from a distance.
"Dr. Schultz!" Wilfred warm heartedly says as he claps his hands together. "Pleasure seein' you again my friend."
"Wilfred Humble. Fortunate as always to see a kind face and yours is one I most welcome," Schultz replies with a grand smile as the two men walk up to each other and firmly shake hands.
"Still keepin' that trademark beard of yours I see," Wilfred smilingly says as Schultz chuckles and strokes his beard.
"I'd feel sad to part with it, you could say the beard and I are inseparable," Schultz remarks as he gives his full beard one last stroke. A deep sigh parts his lips as the old doctor turns his head and looks at Klaus. "I'm here to do something that pulls at the very strings of my already aching heart," the old doctor says.
"You sufferin' from a wound on the old ticker?" Wilfred asks with care to his voice as he can tell that his friend is troubled by something.
"Indeed so. Paula, my Paula has been taken. Her beautiful vibrant heart gave out and with it she departed from my arms and the world," a grief struck Schultz replies as he grabs his hat and holds it against his chest. "But I'm here to part with another loved one. Klaus is near the end of his road and he deserves like all noble animals to live that life to a peaceful end. Your farm, your home, I could not imagine a better place for that life to draw the last breath."
"Say no more, my friend. Come inside and I'll fix us up a drink and somethin' to eat," Wilfred comfortly says as he pads the doctor on his shoulder and Schultz agrees with a slight nod and brief smile.
The two men head inside Wilfred's house after Klaus has been given some water and food and Schultz hangs his hat and coat and takes a seat in the kitchen at a small table. Wilfred is setting up coffee and puts down a wooden plate with cheese and bread on it and Schultz's stomach growls and he coughs to cover it up. As Wilfred prepares a pot of steaming hot coffee, Schultz looks around as he turns his head to all sides while placing his hands on his lap.
"The craftsmanship is extraordinary, Wilfred. You have a talent for creating life out of wood and I for one appreciate the beauty of it. You have a most invigorating home," Schultz's complimenting words are nothing but truth as the old doctor admires the way Wilfred crafted his own home.
"You're too kind doc. I'm sorry to hear about your wife's passing and of course you can stay here for as long as you want," Wilfred says in gratitude and comfort as he sits down at the table with two cups of coffee in his hands. "Hope the coffee's good, I just bought a few bags of coffee beans yesterday so my pantry is stocked."
Putting the steaming cup of coffee to his lips and blowing at it a few times to ease the heat. "Couldn't have made it better myself," the doctor says after taking a small sip from his cup.
They converse with one another while enjoying a perfectly fine breakfast and after about an hour or two they step outside again. Schultz wearing his hat and coat as he walks toward his wagon unattached from Klaus as the horse is tied to the feeding stable. They walk toward the wagon and the doctor opens the back as he pulls out a belt with a pistol hanging from it and he straps it around his waist. Making sure he has his billfold with him and the pistol neatly hidden behind the shelter of his coat.
"I'll be heading back into town. The shooting iron is only for personal safety as I have no intention to fire even a single bullet," Schultz explains as he turns to give Klaus one last look and whispering silently. "Auf wiedersehen, my dear friend."
"Good luck with buyin' yourself that new horse. I'll keep an eye on that funny lookin' cart of yours," Wilfred remarks as he watches the old doctor travel down the path where he came from. Schultz is heading back to town to purchase a new horse but he's smart enough to carry some form of personal protection.