Part 10: Matthew Eats

Brian and me got back from town round about time for supper. With Dr. Mike looking everywhere for her xyster we stayed away. The day that she found it missing of course she looked everywhere among all her other medical instrements but it wasn't there. Then she got us looking here and there.

We all sat down around the table, and Dr. Mike had me say the blessing. After that, we all dug into the good food Colleen had made.

"Matthew what did you and Brian do in town?" Dr. Mike said.

I chewed a few times trying to get the corn swallowed. "I visited Ingrid and helped Jon out with some work. Then I went out to Widow Townsend's to do some repair work on her barn for her."

"How is Ingrid?" Sully asked.

"Alright." I smiled.

"And you, Young Man?" Dr. Mike turned to Brian on her left.

"I went to Mr. Bray's store to buy candy for breakfast, only I found the last thing I need for my project so I got that instead."

"Candy for breakfast?" Dr. Mike raised her eyebrows. "That's not healthy Brian."

"Then I went fishing with Zac and his brothers. Helped them catch a bunch of little fishes, his brother Paul said they were Johnny Darters."

"Those the fish that Grace had at dinner today?" Colleen looked up from cutting her pork.

Brian started to bounce in his seat. "Yea. Zac and his brothers, they're trying to get enough money to buy their pa a real nice birthday present."

I added in. "I saw you down by the church too when I came back to town."

"Oh yea. I was talking to the Reverend." He took a sip of his water. "He found me down in the creek looking for a pebble for my project and asked me to show everyone my project at the picnic tomorrow."

"So we'll finally get to see that thing?" Colleen asked. "You've been hiding it and driving us crazy for days!" At that both Sully and I broke out laughing. Colleen then chatted for a while about the problems and successes she and Becky were facing as they worked on their play about Lewis and Clark. A lot of technical stuff I don't remember.

I'd just finished buttering my second cob of corn when I paused to ask Dr. Mike. "What about you and Sully? You two sure slept in late."

You know the color of Indian Paintbrush? The little red flowers that grow all over Colorado? I swear Dr. Mike's face was as red as that. She started coughing, as she held her water in her hand. Colleen jumped up to pat her back, and I turned to see Sully biting his lip.

"You all right?" He asked.

"Fine, fine." Dr. Mike said as she straightened. "Becky suggested we looked underneath the homestead for the Xyster so we looked there."

"You find it?" Brian's eyes mirrored all our hope.

"Course not silly." Colleen sighed as she sat down in her seat. "We'd have known about it the minute we got in if she had."

"Sully?" Brian turned to face Sully. "You're going to come see me present tomorrow aren't you."

"I don't know." Sully sat down his fork. "I haven't checked my traps in a while."

"Please." He made those eyes that all little children are such experts at.

Sully bit his lip again. "Only if there's no more talk about the Xyster or looking for it." He stared at Dr. Mike.

She nodded, as Brian jumped up. "Yea!" He said.

"Sit down little bro'" I told him. "We can't have dessert until you finish eating. Ms. Olive's cattle eat faster then you!"

He sat down and brought his corn up to his mouth but paused. "What's for dessert?"

"Cookies." Colleen said. "What'd you expect?"

"Cake." He finally took a bite.

"You know we only got that for special days, Brian." I shook my head at him.

"Ain't today?" Brian looked at us all, as his nose started to crinkle up.

"Nope." Sully softly laughed.

"I thought we'd at least have cake." Brian looked down at his food. "Since you two eloped last night?"

Dr. Mike had risen to bring her and Sully's dishes to the dish pan. The room was filled with the clatter of them dropped to the floor. "Eloped?" She whispered.

I started laughing then joining Sully's now hearty roar. "Where'd you get that idea Brian?"

"Only married men and women sleep together. They were both asleep in Ma's bed this morning. That way they didn't have to dress fancy or anything, and have such a fuss made over them..."

Colleen stared at our brother. "You're saying after we all went to bed they went and eloped and came back before I woke up?"

"Yea. Went to the reservation. They didn't want to tell us incase we told someone, then they'd have to dress up."

Sully glanced over at Dr. Mike, busy avoiding us as she picked up the mess she'd dropped. "We didn't get married Brian." He rose to help Dr. Mike. "Your Ma and I we just fell asleep reading a book last night."

As he took the dishes from Dr. Mike she turned to Brian. "Did you tell anyone you thought we eloped Brian?"

"Nah." He shook his head. "You could still elope tonight!"

"Brian. She knelt down beside him. "We just fell asleep reading. That doesn't mean we're getting married. And marriage is a serious commitment that you don't enter on a whim."

"I'll get the cookies." Colleen rose from the table.

"I'll help." I offered, and took my own plate to the dish pan.

Colleen whispered to me. "You think Brian told anyone that Dr. Mike & Sully were asleep on Dr. Mike's bed"
I shrugged. "No one mentioned it, but who knows."