Chapter 7: Euphoria
That one night to experience the Silver Coin quickly turned into more frequent outings for Albert, Willie and Andy. Instead of going out at night frogging or fishing like they told their parents, the boys would sneak into town and spend about an hour or two in the saloon, gambling, drinking and making conversation with drifters. It was not long until they got comfortable with the saloon's amenities. Maybe a bit too comfortable. Even Pierce began to welcome them as loyal paying customers and was happy to keep the secret from their parents.
The stories they had heard about the Silver Coin were nothing compared to the real thing. Every night Albert, Willie and Andy went out, it was a new adventure. After a few short months of never getting found out about, thanks to the rest of the townsfolk avoiding the saloon like the plague, it was getting hard for them to keep their mouths shut about all the fun they were having.
"You guys are pulling my leg." Jason Allen, one of the other older boys in school, could not believe what he was hearing.
"Well, it's the truth." Willie had blurted out the fact that Albert was a skilled gambler and the whole thing started to unfold from there. "He once won three bucks off a guy with a single high card."
"Is that the truth, Albert?" Jason asked.
Sitting under a tree that was far enough away from the schoolhouse so no one else could hear them, Albert answered. "Yeah. It felt real good too. Especially after that smug smirk fell off his face when I slid the cash away from him."
Jason shook his head, still in disbelief, but wanting the outrageous tale to be true. "I'm not really surprised Willie would sneak out to go to the saloon, but not you, Albert. And especially not Andy of all people."
"Why not?" Andy asked.
"Well, knowing how much of a teacher's pet you were when your ma was teaching, just never expected you to break the rules like that. And you guys have never gotten caught by your folks before?"
"Nope." Willie bragged, loving the idea that he could be sitting next to gamblers and drinkers, while his parents were right down the street believing their son was in bed. "Got pretty damn close to it a few times though. But we seem to be in the clear for now."
"I thought we were gonna get found out when Andy got really drunk that one night." Albert began to chuckle.
Andy turned his head in confusion. "What're you talking about?"
Just then, Willie chimed in again. "You mean after a bunch of us bet he could do more shots than that boxer who was passing through town on a way to a fighting match? Even I won money off of that bet."
"Oh God." Andy threw his face in his hands, now remembering that night although not very clearly.
Jason popped up with curiosity. "How much did he have? What happened?"
"Let's just say Andy couldn't even stand by the end of the night. Me and Willie had to practically carry him home." Albert explained with a smirk still on his face. "We almost got caught when he threw up right as we were walking up to his house."
Andy glared over to his friends. "Well, consider us even from when I had to walk the both of you home after you guys got drunk and tried to stumble back by yourselves."
"I was not that bad." Willie protested.
"You almost fell into one of the front windows of the mercantile."
Just then, the schoolhouse bell started to ring and Miss Wilder called her students back inside from lunch. The boys ran up, but Albert managed to give Jason a small threat if he ever spoke to anyone about what he was told.
Later on that afternoon, the Ingalls kids were getting home from school just as Charles was packing up his rig. "Hi, Pa!"
"Hi, Carrie. Laura. Albert." Charles jumped down from the back of the wagon to greet his children. "How was school today?"
"It was too long. My brain isn't working anymore today." Carrie said, earning a laugh from her father.
"Well, even a scarecrow can help set the table for supper."
"Yes, sir." Carrie said, then proceeded to stomp inside the little house.
"Albert, can you clean out the stalls? I didn't get a chance to do it this afternoon and I have to leave for Sleepy Eye in a few minutes." Charles asked his son.
"Sure thing, pa. I'll get right on it. How long are you going to be away?" Albert asked.
"Overnight." Charles answered. "Just need to drop off this rush delivery. I plan to be back early tomorrow morning."
"Okay. I'll get right to work." Albert went over to the barn, leaving Charles and Laura behind.
Charles was about to finish closing up the wagon when he noticed a defeated look on his daughter's face. "Was school long for you today too, Half-pint?"
"I guess." Laura answered, although not in a very positive tone. "Pa, can I talk to you about something important before you go?"
"Of course. What is it?"
Laura shrugged her shoulders, not really sure how she should approach the situation. "Well, it's about Albert."
"What's wrong with Albert?"
"It just seems to me that he's been a bit distracted at school recently." Laura, the assistant school teacher, began to explain. "He hasn't been paying much attention in class and some of his homework is incomplete. I didn't figure it'd be a big issue at first, until I saw his grades were dropping."
"Is he doing that bad?"
"No, sir. He's still one of the best in the class, but I'm just worried if it starts getting worse. Miss Wilder is planning to talk to Albert about taking the scholarship exam at the end of the school year. It's a hard test and I'm worried if he really starts slacking, then he might not do well on it."
Charles sighed, hoping this was only a phase. "I'll have to talk to him about it once I get back. Probably been letting him go out frogging with Andy too often."
"I suppose." Laura said, still thinking about her brother.
"Well, I better start out. Have a good night, Half-pint." Charles started climbing back onto the rig to begin his ride.
"I will, pa." Laura smiled. "Have a safe trip."
Later that night, Albert had the urge to gamble. He had four dollars stashed away and was itching to double it with a winning hand. Lucky for him, Charles was out on his delivery and it was a beautiful night for a stroll into town.
Albert slipped out of the house after the women went to sleep and first made his way over to the Garvey's. Unfortunately, Andy could not go to the saloon that night. Something about his folks. But thankfully after getting to town and stopping by the mercantile, Willie was all in for a night away from his parents.
Albert was waiting outside the back of the shop as Willie bluffed to his parents.
"Albert!"
The boy jolted as he was unexpectedly greeted from behind. "Damn it, Willie. You scared me."
"Sorry. I ended up telling my ma and pa that I needed to go by Bobby Todd's place to pick up my history notes that I let him borrow." Willie explained his lie.
"And you really needed to sneak up behind me like that."
"I wasn't sure where you were waiting."
Albert cocked his head. "You better start being careful with the stuff you tell them. Why couldn't you just of said you were going to my place because I had your history notes."
"I already used you as an excuse the other night and I didn't want to repeat myself." Willie explained.
"Where did you go the other night?" Albert asked, but then saw the embarrassed look on Willie's face and he was able to put it together for himself. "Rachel Brown?"
Willie rolled his eyes. "Let's just go already."
As the two boys made it over to the saloon, they bypassed the bar and immediately went for the card table. Sitting there were two young men from out of town, shuffling a deck of cards and sipping on beers.
Albert assessed the look of the two newbies in the saloon and decided with their worn clothes and cheap drinks, they might be easy wins if he could establish dominance in a game of poker. "You guys looking to play a game."
One of them immediately scoffed at Albert. "With you two kids? I don't think so."
"You aren't from around here, are ya'?" Albert asked, already knowing the answer. "You see, my friend and I have played here before. Once a good game starts, sometimes more players will join in and the pot triples."
The two strangers glance at each other, probably figuring they could make off easily by beating a couple of kids, even though they were likely only a few years older than Albert and Willie.
"Alright. We'll play. Take your seats."
Willie and Albert sat down at the table and the deck was dealt out. Then, as if having read Albert's mind, the now familiar saloon girl walked up to the table. "Hi there, Albert. Willie. Just you two tonight?"
"Afraid so, Sarah. You mind getting us something to drink? Nothing too strong tonight." Albert asked.
"Sure thing. I'll have Pierce put it on your tab." As Sarah walked off to fill the order, the poker game was immediately under way.
Willie glanced down at his hand, already recognizing it as a losing one. Albert had taught him the basic rules of poker and the Oleson boy felt proficient enough to sit down at a table. However, neither he nor Andy could best Albert in a card game. He had this undeniable skill set of calling out bluffs, toying with his opponents and knowing precisely how to win to bet it all for a guaranteed win.
The two other players, who gave their names as Bret and Thomas Morgan from Mankato, quickly learned how good Albert was. Not even half a dozen rounds in and their money already had a decent chunk taken from it.
"You country boys really come 'round here often?" Bret asked while taking a drink.
"Every once and awhile." Willie responded for him and Albert. "Whenever we find the time."
"You're lucky. This place sure is a whole lot nicer than the saloons back in Mankato." Thomas added.
Albert nodded his head after taking another sip of his drink, having learned to like a few of the beers on tap. "A real diamond in the rough. I'd like to know how much the owner has made off of this place since opening it."
"Lookin' to get into the business?"
"Just curious."
After losing over half the money they brought, Bret and Thomas decided to call it quits and left the saloon. Albert figured it had been a successful night. Not overly entertaining, but he got what he wanted out of it. Willie had reminded him how late it was and the two decided to head home as well. However, after walking out of the Silver Coin, the boys were stopped by the same guys they had just beaten.
"Hey! Albert. Willie." They saw Bret waving for them to follow him around the back of the saloon. "Come on."
Willie and Albert cautiously walked over with their guards up, stopping just shy of where Bret and Thomas were standing together. "You want your money back or something?"
"What? No. We were gonna take a hit of morphine before heading back to the hotel. Want some?" Bret asked, earning a look of confusion from the younger boys.
Willie glanced over to Albert. "Morphine?"
"It's a drug that Doc Baker sometimes gives to his patients when they're really hurting." Albert explained, thinking back to the couple of times when he would shadow the town doc on house visits after expressing his desire to become a doctor.
"But we're not hurting." Willie said, not understanding what was trying to be explained to them.
"You don't have to be hurtin' for this stuff to make you feel good." Thomas stated.
Albert took a half step back. Something about this felt wrong. "I'm not sure."
Bert snorted and crossed his arms. "Everybody in the city does it to have a good time. You two scared or something?"
"No." Albert responded defensively. "I just don't think it'd be a good idea is all."
"Yeah. That's what all the kids say before they try it. Then, they can't get enough of it. Tell ya' what. Normally two hits would cost ya' half the winnings you took from us. But I'm feelin' generous tonight. Have some for no charge."
Thomas waved his hand at Bret for them to leave. "Don't waste what we've got left on those two, Bret. Dumb kids probably can't even handle it."
"Hey!" Willie was quick to snap back. It was like that city boy knew being called stupid or dumb was a big insult to Willie. "We're not dumb and we're not some little kids either."
"Alright!" The smirk on Bret's face was the final warning. "Impress me."
Albert immediately grabbed Willie's arm and pulled him back. "Willie, I've got a bad feeling about this."
"Well, they said it's supposed to make us feel good, right? What's so bad about that?" Willie asked.
"I've seen Doc Baker work with drugs like that and some of them have pretty bad side effects." Albert tried to explain to his friend.
"So does drinking 'til you vomit and gambling all your money away." Willie made a valid point.
Albert impulsively took that statement as an insult and suddenly the idea of taking morphine was not so bad after all. "Fine."
"Here ya' go boys." Bret stepped up after listening in on their conversation. "Splittin' this should be enough for the both of ya'."
Bret handled Albert a small, brown paper packet. The boy carefully unfolded the sides to reveal a white powder that looked more like flour than a dangerous drug. "How are we supposed to take it?"
"Just swallow it." Thomas told them.
Albert then slowly and methodically refolded the paper so that the powder funneled down into one corner and lifted it up to his mouth. Carefully, he shook the morphine down and into his mouth, not enjoying the taste when it fell on his tongue. Albert quickly closed his mouth and tried not to cough it up.
"You okay?" Willie asked.
"Here." Bret held out a canteen for the boy to take. "It's just water."
Albert grabbed the container and chugged gulps, but that disgusting taste still loomed in his mouth. "Ah! Damn it."
"You done with the water?" Willie held out his hands to take both the morphine and water from Albert, who shook his head and passed the goods away. Willie prepared himself to put the powder in his mouth, then immediately started chugging the water to get it all down. "Alright."
In a quick motion, Willie tossed the powder back and drank from the canteen whatever water Albert had left for him.
"Well, I'm impressed." Bret smirked. He knew exactly what he had done. "It'll kick in pretty soon."
"What will?" Albert asked as he watched Willie finish swallowing.
"The euphoria." Thomas simply answered. "We best be heading back. You boys enjoy the night."
"Wait." Albert tried to stop them, but Bret and Thomas were quick to walk away back to the hotel.
"Albert, what are we supposed to do now?" Willie asked, not sure what to expect now that they had each taken the drug.
"Let's get away from this place." Albert glanced around town, trying to think of somewhere that they could go besides going home. "Let's go to the club house."
"The clubhouse? You mean that old shack you and Laura would go to after school. I thought that thing fell over."
"Well, would you rather go home to your folks?"
"No."
"Then let's go."
Albert and Willie walked out of town, down the path leading to the old fishing creek. The moonlight was Albert and Willie's only guide as they made their way through the woods. Off a side road was the clubhouse Laura and Andy built years ago. It had been some time since any of them had been inside, with the wooden walls and roof now having started to weather away. After getting inside the two boys sat down next to each other on the dirt floor.
"Do you feel anything?" Willie asked, trying to figure out if his racing heart was due to the drug or his own nervousness.
"Not really." Albert said. "Maybe they were bluffing about this stuff."
They sat together in the clubhouse for some time, listening to the sounds of the forest outside. Tree branches and leaves rustled in the wind, the occasional crackle from a small animal making its way through the night and the far off crow of a flock of birds.
It had gotten a bit cold.
Until it started getting warm, but not in an uncomfortable way. It felt like the warmth the sun gives you on a winter's day after it finally stops snowing and you are still laying in bed with the covers wrapped around you, protecting and soothing you. The world seemed so calm and peaceful. A calm so serene that it lifts you up on a cloud and your body's aches melt away into a fuzzy sensation. Everything looks beautiful. Every sound you hear is cheerful music. Every touch on your skin is a sign of compassion. Happiness. True euphoria. I love you. I think I love you, too. A feeling newly discovered, yet it somehow takes you back to when the world was simple and kind. Pain and fear do not exist. It is only you and the light of nature that makes you smile. And it feels like this happiness can go on forever and ever. All of the sadness and hurt disappears into lost memories and the future looks brighter than it ever had been before. Everything is perfect and nothing can go wrong.
Then it started to get a bit cold.
After coming down from the high, Albert and Willie were able to make it home without causing any suspicion.
The next morning was a school day and Albert had to literally push himself out of bed. He was lightheaded and tired, but could function fine. Walking into town with his sisters, Albert stayed a few strides back, unable to talk about anything else except the previous night. Then, Andy met up with the Ingalls kids on the trek to school.
"Andy, wait up!"
"Hey, Albert."
The two friends walked slow together, so that they could fall behind Laura and Carrie and not have the girl overhear their conversation.
"So, Willie and me went out last night and met these two guys from Mankato." Albert talked fast.
"They didn't win all your money, did they?" Andy joked, knowing full well Albert would never allow that to happen.
"No. I won them like how I always best city boys. But right when me and Willie were about to leave, they gave us this morphine."
"Morphine? What's that?" Andy asked.
"It's a drug. I've seen Doc Baker work with it before. Apparently people in the city take it even when they aren't hurt and I figured out why last night." The euphoric memories rushed around in Albert's mind, although some started to slip out of reach.
"Why? What happened last night with you and Willie?"
"It was incredible." Albert smiled, feeling sorry that his best friend had missed out on an experience of a lifetime. "Hard to really describe, but after we took the drug, it was like the only thing I could feel was happiness. I have never experienced anything like that before in my life. I was planning to go find Bret and Thomas after school, if they're still in town, and ask about getting some more. You gotta come with us next time."
Andy shook his head. Alcohol was one thing, but morphine sounded like something else entirely. "I don't think I can, Albert. I'm on thin ice with my parents as it is. I think my ma is starting to suspect something."
Albert's heart dropped into his stomach. Just when things were starting to get really good. "You're not going to the Silver Coin anymore?"
"Just for a little while, so their suspicions can die down." Andy huffed. "That saloon is the only decent place to get a drink around here."
"There's nothing decent about the Silver Coin. Suppose that's why we keep going back."
