HEYES AND CURRY: AND THEN … by phoenixbv
(Part Two)
XX Chapter Four – Curry Farms Estates – First Week's End XX
Jed had never been one for cemeteries, but this cool, quiet, corner of the Curry Farms Estates felt different. For one thing, his family had created this cemetery on the large plot of ground that formerly had been where Grandpa Curry built his house, barn and outbuildings. Way back, when Grandpa and his brothers had come to this land, he had picked this as the sight of his home for many reasons; especially the rolling grass and tree lined hilled area's beauty.
Looking around today, he was grateful that the family members that survived the war had decided to keep this land aside from the rest of the rebuilding that had taken place. Jed was also grateful that the fires back in 1863, when raiders invaded their property, had spared many of the large shade trees. Today was going to be another scorcher but, being Sunday, they wouldn't have to be out working in the heat of the day. Instead, he'd been up with his nephews at the crack of dawn to take care of the animals. Then, after breakfast, while Peter's family got ready for church, he had headed out to ride around the Curry Farms Estates by himself.
His mind was swimming from the events of the past few days and Jed was grateful for some quiet time. Despite Peter's nearly instantaneous insistence that he was staying on the farm and they'd figure a place for Jed's house to be built, he knew his cousin, Hannibal Heyes, was correct. Jed couldn't go back to being a farmer; in truth, having left when he was an eight-year-old boy, Jed had never been a farmer. No, he'd been a farmer's youngest son who had idolized his more than ten years older brother, Peter.
Perplexed with the weary sensation, once again, overtaking him, Jed tied his horse in a nice shady spot with tons of grass. He walked through the cemetery and reread the headstones that his heart and mind had already memorized. His grandparents were together, as were his family, Hannibal's family and so many others. Babies had been born and lost too young, along with other children, adults and elders in the seventeen years Jed had been gone. Some he'd known, some he hadn't, but they all carried familiar family surnames, especially the names Curry and Heyes.
He stopped a long time at Hannibal's oldest brother's grave. It was John who came home from the war first, in late 1864, only to find the destroyed remnants of the Curry Farms Estates. Barely recovered from a leg wound that ended the war for him, John was immediately plunged into another war; a war to save their family's estate from being overtaken by the local land barren, a banker named Kregg.
Luckily, the family members that didn't live on the farms, including Heyes' older sister Sarah and Jed's older sister Victoria, had worked nonstop to keep up the tax payments on the large non-producing estate. But, time was quickly running out because the war had devastated the economy in the area, plus the other family members had all suffered death, destruction and loss of farm profitability on their own places. Kregg's non-stop pressure to sell, combined with his refusal of financial assistance, had begun to look inevitable when John finally arrived home from the war.
Noting that the only solid money to be made was to sell goods to the US Army which, at that time, had an enormous presence in the area, John planted hay and oats. He understood that the army depended on its horses, thus they paid top dollar for quality horse tack and supply. Even today, the Curry Farms Estates had a large contract with the US Army that brought financial security with it.
Yes, John Heyes had saved this land and they all owed him. Sadly, he and three of his children had succumbed to a fever last winter, along with a great many people all around the area. Jed closed his eyes and sent a prayer of gratitude his cousin, John's, direction; he knew Hannibal would be proud to hear what his eldest brother had done for the family and sad to hear he was gone from this world.
Again, the nearly overpowering sensation of weariness that had plagued him since he arrived, assaulted Jed. Earlier in the week, he had even slept in one morning, despite the array of noise made by a typical farmhouse coming to life early in the day. His sister-in-law, Anne, teased she thought Jed was dead when she checked on him a few times only to find him in a sound sleep. When he did finally rouse, it was to the scent of Pepparkakor (ginger cookies), like his mother used to make, being baked in his honor in the back porch's summer ovens.
Too make up for his late start on the day, Jed had mucked out the barn stalls, chopped wood and cleaned the chicken coop before his nephews came in from helping their father in the fields. He'd been one popular uncle that evening since the kids were free from doing their normal chores. It had been a wonderful evening, Peter's three boys racing around the barnyard catching fireflies while the grown-ups chatted on the porch. Best of all, Peter and Anne's youngest, Marta who was six, sat in her Uncle Jed's lap, taught him songs and fell into a quiet slumber before he had the honor of settling her in bed. Yet, even that evening, he was one of the first adults in bed and slept sounder than he had in many a year.
'Safety?'
Jed let the word fall quietly from his lips with only the shade tree he was leaning on to hear. Perhaps, being here with Peter and his family was the first time in years he'd felt safe enough to truly sleep. If that was correct, then what explained the fact he spent most of the day fighting off this incessant weariness? He was no doctor, but the way his body was aching for slumber couldn't be normal. On the other hand, the way he and Heyes had lived for seventeen long years always half awake, always expecting the unexpected, surely wasn't normal. Maybe, this weariness was simply those seventeen years away from home showing on him? Jed wondered if Heyes was feeling the same way wherever it was he found himself these days?
"Jed!"
He stopped playing chase with his five-year-old sister, Nellie, and headed back to the side yard in answer to his mother's call. Normally, Jed would have been happy since his ma's call meant release from having to 'babysit' his little sister while their mother was busy. Today, her voice didn't sound right so he quickly grabbed Nellie's hand and ran back toward the house.
"Here … Come over here, quickly!"
Jed ran to where his mother was leaning into the side of the house. She had the old revolver Pa kept hidden in the kitchen by her side as she edged out to look into the front yard.
"What is it, Ma?"
She turned quickly and shushed them with her hand. Nellie kept hold of Jed's hand, but moved in-between the two of them so her other hand could cling to their ma's skirts.
"Strangers just rode in. They're talking to your Pa and Elmer out by the well."
Jenny's whisper conveyed all her youngest children needed to hear. Jed leaned back into the house and tried to quiet his breathing. For a year or more, Jenny and Mark Curry had schooled all of their children on what to do if raiders rode onto their property. With the war raging from Kansas City down to Pittsburg Landing, outlaw gangs had been reported all over this area. Now that he was leaning back and paying more attention to his surroundings, Jed realized there was thick smoke coming from the direction of his grandfather's part of the estate. He became frightened and moved closer to his mother's skirts himself.
Suddenly, someone out front fired a gun and Jed heard a scream he was certain came from his brother, Elmer's, mouth. Swiftly, Jenny turned to her youngest children and the look in her eyes meant they should stay quiet and listen.
"You can't hide in the house like we planned so run!"
"Run?"
Jed couldn't believe what his mother wanted him to do. His family was in trouble, someone had been shot and his grandfather's place was on fire, but she wanted him to run away.
"Jed," she quickly rustled his hair, whispering, "I need you to take care of Nellie. No matter what happens, you stay with your sister. Take her into the fields and hide; do it NOW!"
He nodded his understanding, then grabbed Nellie and started across the backyard. Nellie couldn't keep up, so he scooped her into his chest and ran with her feet dangling just off the ground. Soon, they were in their father's nice high late summer corn field; well hidden from the view of anyone in their parent's yard.
From their vantage point, they could clearly see what was happening back at their house. They lay down out of sight and he tried to calm Nellie who had begun to sob uncontrollably. Finally, after a threat to tell their father she wouldn't listen to him, Nellie's sobs turned into quiet crying.
While Nellie lay with her face buried in his side, Jed watched and listened as events unfolded back at their house. There were more shots fired, men and horses screaming, but most of whatever was happening was taking place in the front yard and barn, which the house blocked from his direct view. Occasionally, he noticed a stranger cross in front of one of the windows, they were everywhere in the place, but they passed quickly and seemed to be looking for something. In truth, the sounds of whatever was happening was enough for Jed, he had no doubt people were dying back at their house. He could only hope it wasn't his family.
Suddenly, the entire area became nearly silent. After a pause, a number of riders headed out with overflowing sacks loaded onto his father's best horses. On their way out, they drove the rest of the animals out of the barn and into the open road. Jed held his breath, praying the men were gone so he could sneak back to the house, even if his parent's would get mad that he didn't stay in the field with his sister until they came for them.
Slowly, as the noise from the raider's riding away faded, Jed's ears focused in on a new sound; a weak, pitiful, begging with an occasional bone-numbing shriek thrown in. This new sound, although his mind refused to accept what it knew, frightened him more than anything he had seen or heard that day. He lay his head down in his hands and prayed for God to tell him what to do?
"Help!"
His mother ran out of the back kitchen door with three men right behind her. Jed's ma's always tied up hair was hanging in her battered face and her clothes were bloodied and torn nearly off. She didn't get far before they caught her and dragged her back in the house while she screamed for mercy.
"Nellie, stay here." Jed took hold of his sister's shoulders and held tight, growling through his clinched teeth, "Do you hear me? You stay put."
She nodded and seemed willing to listen. Jed ran back toward the house being careful to stay hidden behind trees and shrubs as much as he was able. Finally, he reached the side of the house and stopped to reassess what was happening. He could see his father and brother out by the barn and they appeared to be dead. Jed could also hear his mother's whimpers and moans from inside the house and guessed she must be somewhere in the front of the house. Forcing himself to stay calm and think, his eyes suddenly came to rest on the revolver his mother had let drop from her hands near the well.
If only it still had bullets, Jed might have a chance to help his mother. He took a few steps forward, toward the front yard, then quickly retreated as two men came out of the front door laughing and buttoning up the front of their pants.
"It's your turn to finish the job, Jake. Don't be long."
The men continued to laugh as they mounted their horses and started out of the yard. Jed lay flat and kept his face down in the side yard until he heard their horses start to gallop down the road. Feeling oddly calm, he eased his way out into the yard to retrieve his mother's gun. Once he had the gun, he checked to make sure it was loaded.
Working hard to go unnoticed by the man left inside their house, he climbed the front stairs, crossed the porch and eased his way inside.
"Well, now …"
The man interrupted what he was doing to Jed's ma on the dining room floor and took hold of the rifle by his side while standing up with his pants twisted around his knees. He smiled devilishly at the little girl who had wandering in from the back of the house.
"What do we have here?"
"Don't touch her!" Jed held the revolver with both hands just as his father had taught him and cocked it, then added, "Come here, Nellie. Stand behind me."
Through her tears and confusion, Nellie managed to listen to her brother. For the first time in their young lives, she didn't argue with Jed; instead, she began to walk across the space between them.
"Now, Son …"
"Don't call me son."
The next few minutes of Jed Curry's life would forever remain perplexing. As he waited for his sister to move out of the line of fire, the raider swung his rifle butt up and hit Nellie's head hard enough to send her flying through the air.
In response, his resolve unquestionable, his nerves oddly steady, Jed pull the revolver's trigger and sent a lethal bullet into their assailant's neck and jaw. In another instant, he was covered in blood and the raider was swinging his body directly at him. Jed fired, again, straight into the raider's torso, but had no time to move out of the way. The raider's dead weight came down on top of Jed which sent the back of his head smacking into the dining room's hard wood floor.
Stars floated around him and Jed could hear someone moaning. Suddenly, he recovered enough of his senses to realize it was his own moans filling the air. Despite the splitting headache and nausea now plaguing his every move, the boy used all of his strength to work his way out from under the dead raider's body. Finally free, he scurried to Nellie, but she was dead and he turned to find his mother was gone, too. He hadn't saved either of them; in fact, his coming out of the corn field, against his parent's instructions, cost his younger sister her life.
"It's all my fault. Oh, Nellie," Jed pulled the little girl in his arms, whispering, "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have left you in the corn field all by yourself."
"Jed." Anne leaned over and carefully touched his shoulder, repeating, "Jed it really is time for you to wake up. You wouldn't want me to eat this entire picnic lunch all by myself."
Jed silenced and seemed to stir when his sister-in-law touched his shoulder, but he didn't waken. Anne moved back across the afghan she'd spread on the grass next to him and waited. In truth, she hated to disturb the young man she'd found asleep under the shade tree more than an hour before. Her brother-in-law had seemed exhausted from the moment he arrived on their farm and a nap on a hot, hazy, Sunday midday might be just what he needed. On the other hand, the nightmare he had been suffering through appeared to be truly disturbing and she thought it best to put an end to his misery.
"Jed."
She poured some water from one of the canteens on a napkin and sat forward to lay it on his forehead.
"What the …"
Jed jumped to his feet and a few paces away from Anne with the speed of a cat. She'd never seen anything like the way he moved.
"It's just me, Jed." She smiled and held the cool cloth his way, adding, "You were having a bad dream. I was trying to wake you, that's all."
"Thanks."
Jed took the cloth and wiped his face while gulping in some deep breaths to further calm himself. He took a good look around and got his bearings before sitting back down to lean against the shade tree.
"Here," Anne handed him a cup for of water, gently urging, "Drink this, you'll feel better."
"Thanks, again."
He sipped on the water while his heart and mind continued to settle. Anne waited patiently, drank a cup of water, then fixed herself a plate of food. She began to eat a biscuit with just a drop of honey on top hoping Jed was starting to feel like joining her.
"You know," her voice was low and earnest, "that's why Peter never stopped trying to find you."
"Pardon?"
"Oh, I know you two men have talked about the family being told you and Hannibal were dead. It was a year after the raid before Hannibal's brother, John, even returned home. Peter didn't get discharged from the army for another year after that. They were both perplexed that your bodies were missing, but those raids … A lot of unexplainable things happened during the war.
"By the time they saved the farm from the bank's takeover attempts, then salvaged what they could and rebuilt what they had to, the years had started to fly by. John's family had started to grow and we had little Mark keeping our lives jumping."
Anne put her plate aside and turned to face Jed directly, then offered a sincere smile. He nodded and smiled back; Jed knew from multiple conversations with his brother that they really had tried to find he and Hannibal. They had tried to bring them home.
"Just missing you two at the orphan's home nearly killed your brother. We had repeatedly written to every possible orphanage when the letter came saying you and Hannibal were alive. John and Peter dropped everything and rode … It was too late, you and Hannibal had run away a week before they arrived. Why the Director didn't tell you two boys about your family and the letters we'll never know?
"From what John and Peter saw there … Neither of your brothers faulted you two for running away. The timing was just so terribly heartbreaking."
"Ironic; unbelievable really." Jed poured himself another cup of water, admitting, "We'd held out hope for such a long time. Finally, when we simply couldn't take the abuse any more, we snuck out and jumped on the first train that came by. It was headed west but, at that point, we didn't think there was any reason to wait for an eastbound train."
"How could you have known? Then, with no word from you two in more than a year, some nasty railroad lawmen arrived on the estate. They wanted to know what we knew of your whereabouts. Nobody on the farm knew exactly what type of trouble you and Hannibal were in, but we knew the railroad would know if we tried to contact you. So, as much as it broke Peter's heart, we stopped trying to find you."
They sat in silence for a moment, each taking in the words the other had shared.
"Even before that, even before, you need to know Peter never stopped believing you were alive somewhere out there."
"It don't matter now, Anne, I …"
"Yes, it does so matter, Jed. It does."
"Why?"
"Because it … Because you have been a part of our lives, always. Peter insisted you had covered your mother with the afghan from the master bedroom and buried her in the garden. He would never, ever, let anyone convince him that you were too young, too small, to have moved Jenny across the barnyard. He just knew it was you and I think … No, I know he needed to find you; it was a need that came from somewhere deep in Peter's soul.
"Heck, I knew many of these things from the moment I met Peter, but I didn't truly understand. Not for a long time."
"What changed?"
"Our Mark turned eight and I learned what a magical time that can be in a young boy's life. Not grown, no longer a child while remaining terribly naïve and vulnerable, but not dumb. I could finally understand why Peter thought you were capable of such extraordinary strength in the middle of an absolute disaster."
Jed shook his head and turned away when Anne's eyes met his own.
"What?"
"We should move on." Jed managed a smile, then let his eyes drop, "Some things …"
"Like what?"
Anne moved closer and took Jed's hand, then held on tight.
"Like the fact we haven't even started on this wonderful lunch .."
"No," Anne's voice had its best motherly tone, insisting, "we need to settle this. What are we moving on from?"
"From any talk that I was strong that day; I was anything but."
"What makes you say that? Wasn't it you who buried Jenny?"
"It was me," Jed held tight to Anne's hand, "but you don't understand … No one understands."
She wasn't moving; instead, Anne settled closer and wouldn't let Jed break eye contact.
He let out an exasperated sigh, then admitted something he'd never revealed to another living being, "I couldn't save Ma. Plus, my not listening to what my ma and pa had taught us to do killed my sister."
He broke eye contact and pulled away from Anne's grip, then stood up and moved away. Anne sat stunned, but quickly regrouped her thoughts regarding Jed's words.
"You were a little boy. How were you supposed to save your mother from those horrid raiders?"
"There was only one the last time I saw my mother alive. Even an eight year old should be able to drop a single raider intent on … Well, not paying much attention."
"You think so?"
"Yes," Jed turned and found Anne's eyes, "I think so."
"So," Anne stood up and walked closer to him, "why didn't you?"
"Why didn't I what?"
"Save her; save them, your sister and your mother."
He shook his head, then sank down in the grass feeling unbelievably weary, once again.
"Since you seem to believe whatever it is that you've let eat at you all these years, tell me. Tell me what happened and make me a believer, too."
"When the other raiders left, leaving one man behind with Ma, I told Nellie to stay in the field behind the house where we had been hiding. We were both taught to stay put until our folks came for us, but I thought I could help my ma. In the end, I had killed the raider, but not before he had killed Ma and Nellie."
"Nellie?"
"She must have followed me out of the field. She ended up inside the house with us when all the shooting took place. Needless to say, Nellie didn't make it. There was just me and I knew it was my fault."
"Hogwash!"
"Pardon?"
Jed was stunned back from the visions that were crossing his mind as he spoke. Suddenly, the world felt very small and Anne seemed to be staring past his eyes into his very soul.
"You were an eight-year-old boy stuck in a situation most adult men wouldn't have survived. You did the best you could which in no means makes you responsible for the fact a five-year-old didn't stay where she was told. No one, and I mean no one, who heard what happened on this farm that day would ever doubt you did your best to help your mother and keep your sister safe.
"Jed," she took his arms and held tight, "you have to let this go or you'll never heal. I'm so glad you were able to share this with me. I promise, unless you say it is alright, what we've shared here will stay between us."
"Thank you."
"But," she smiled and moved around to make him accept eye contact, "you have to promise to stop punishing yourself. Please."
"I'll try."
"Good, that's all anyone can ask is that you will try."
They settled back down by the picnic they would end up not eating. Their conversation moved on to filling in some historical blanks for each of them. Finally, the two fast friends began to discuss the future; their hopes, dreams and the many possibilities out there for themselves and their family.
By mid-afternoon, it was time for Anne to get home and start preparing that evening's supper. Jed stayed behind and took another walk through the cemetery. When he was ready, he headed back to his brother's house feeling as if the events of 1863 had finally ended for him. Jed was now free to move on; Peter wasn't going to agree, but that meant it was getting to be time for him to buy a ticket on a westbound train. It was all too clear to him that his world wasn't here in Kansas; it was out west working hard next to Hannibal building their new lives together.
XX Chapter Four – The Lawrence Train Depot – One Week Later XX
Before they were ready, the train was loaded and it was time for Peter and Jed Curry to say good-bye. Each man had enjoyed their multi-faceted conversation on the long ride into town but, now, they seemed at a loss for words.
Finally, Peter broke the silence, asking, "You have Hannibal's things?"
"Yes." Jed chuckled since it wasn't the first time his brother had asked the same question, admitting, "The pictures and small items are in my checked bag, but I've got the letters safely tucked right here in my coat pocket."
"Good, that's good."
"Knowing Hannibal, as I do, I'm sure he'll find everyone's good wishes of great comfort. For spending so much of our lives together, we're very different men in so many ways. Just like I had to come home, he had to stay away and move forward … Always forward."
"That isn't surprising; in fact, Hannibal sounds the mirror image of his father. Now, there was a man of quick wit and unlimited intellectual talent if I ever knew one."
"Sounds, just like Hannibal. I suppose everyone is right, he does take after his pa in looks and personality."
"And you?"
"Well, the aunties have overwhelmingly decreed I look just like Ma."
"Agreed, but your personality is a wonderful mix of the two of them."
"Thanks. I do wish Hannibal had decided to come to Kansas with me. For more than seventeen years, we've rarely spent much time apart. In fact, now that I've settled pieces of the past in my mind, I'm more amazed than ever that he took me under his wing when we were young."
"Family is family and Hannibal already knew how to be a good brother and cousin."
"We both did. I suppose that's why we've always made a great team."
"Now, you two are off on another great life adventure way out in California. Seems to me, one of you boys should start writing your stories down; they'd be a big seller which might help finance that horse ranch you've been talking about this week."
"Imagine that! People paying money to read about the adventures of two former outlaws renamed 'Smith and Jones' by a sheriff with a strong sense of the ironic."
They laughed and Peter threw a big brotherly arm around Jed's shoulders as they watched the other passengers board, asking, "You still think you should leave so soon?"
"Yes, Peter, I need to leave. Aunt Sarah and the others are correct; we have no idea who might still be out there gunning for me and I don't want to bring any trouble to Curry Farms Estates."
"Maybe someday, when your amnesty situation isn't so new?"
"Maybe someday, Peter."
The last of the passengers started up the stairs and the conductor raised an eyebrow in Jed's direction. He turned and found himself wrapped in a bear-hug; not wanting to complain, but struggling for each breath. Slowly, Peter released him, but kept a tight grasp on each of his shoulders.
"Jed, God alone knows when we might see each other, again."
"Then, we'll leave it in His hands, Peter."
Fighting back his emotions, Peter Curry took his younger brother in his arms for one last embrace, then practically pushed him up the train steps.
"ALL ABOARD!"
The conductor waved to the engineer and the train lurched into motion. Jed moved aside while the conductor boarded and eased past him into the first car.
"Thank you, Peter. Be well."
"Good-bye, Jed. God be with you."
The train slowly gained speed and Jed stood motionless while watching his brother became no more than a spec in the distance. Finally, he took a seat on the stairs and enjoyed the cool air provided by the train making speed as they headed west from Lawrence, Kansas.
The long days ahead would provide Jed with plenty of time to review, rethink and condense the events of the past two weeks. By the time he caught up with Heyes, in either Modesto or Stockton, he'd know just what to share regarding his trip home to Kansas.
In the meantime, Jed stared out at the seemingly endless farms passing by and sent a prayer of gratitude up toward the sky. Somehow, despite events that shook his entire family to the core, the Curry Farms Estates remained a reality in this world. More importantly, a few of Jenny and Mark Curry's children had survived and were going on with their lives. For this, Jed was truly thankful and realized his parents would be, too.
Suddenly, a marvelous long forgotten memory of his parents flashed across Jed's mind. They were smiling and laughing as his father teasingly danced his mother across the kitchen floor. For the first time in too many years, Jed was able to see his parents as they had been the majority of their lives; happy, healthy and glad to be together raising their family on their farm. It was such a delightful vision, he closed his eyes to make it last.
"And then?"
Jed repeated his cousin's question out loud and finally knew the answer.
"And then … My dear cousin, we move on with our lives; grateful for the opportunity to live free from the $10,000 price on their heads."
Jed headed inside to try and find a comfortable seat. His trip back home to Kansas had been a great success, but it was time to return to his 'real' life. The future seemed far less overwhelming now that he better understood and accepted his past. It was going to be hard to wait so long before he saw Heyes; Jed had so many thoughts and ideas for their future to share.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX The End XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Thank you for reading my story. Please forgive typos, grammatical errors and/or 'Alias Smith and Jones' mistakes. Comments are always appreciated. phoenixbv