Past And Present
Johnny walked up to his brother by the corral, Scott stood looking at the horses, lost in
another time. He put a hand out and placed it on his brothers' shoulder, who turned and
smiled at his dark-haired brother.
"Hey Boston, wont to take a ride, I was thinking of a little fishing, with my favorite
brother."
" I guess I could find the time little brother, take time from all this hard work I am
doing right now." Scott put his hand out and gently patted his brothers'cheek. The two walked
into the barn to saddle their horses.
"I'll get you for that, you little devil. You will need your diaper changed after this."
Her cousin out of breath, spoke."Oh, think so you tom-boy?" Valena punched him in the
nose, and he grabbed it, and her hair. She promptly bite him.
"Ow dang it!" He hit her in the chest, and she bent slightly and then straightened and came
up with a uppercut right to his chin, he feel back into the dirt beside the house. His teeth had
popped, and he bit his tongue. He jumped up and tackled her. The two were rolling around in
the dirt, until a gruff voice spoke up.
"That's enough from both of you!" Both looked up to see their grandfather looking very
stern and angry. Both let go of the other and stood. "Now, what is this all about?"
"He called me a tom-boy, and called me Vince."
"Well she is, and she even likes guns. What lady does that?"
"Why you, little..." She hit him again in the eye. "My mom was a lady gunfighter. Take
that back or I'll..." Murdock grabbed his feisty granddaughter around the waist.
"That's enough, you can't fight your cousin, or your brothers."
"Why not? I can lick em, any day." Murdock picked her up and shook her.
"Would you like your father to tan your britches?"
" Don't tell him, okay granddad."She looked up at him with those eyes, and felt himself
losing the battle. "I don't wont him to get mad at me, disappoint him."
"I know you don't dear." He hugged her then, and turned to his grandson."As for you
young man, you don't hit girls, what did your dad say about that?"
"He said don't hit the girls at school, she's my cousin, and a tom-boy."
"That's enough of that too, your father will have a word with you later about this. Now
until dinner, you will go and cut wood for the woodbox."
"Okay granddad." Martin spoke in a soft voice and turned away. He dared not turn and
stick his tongue out at that little cousin of his.
Murdock turned to Valena. He put his arm around her and led her to the house. She was
so much like her mother, and yet her father was in her strongly too. Never a dull moment,
what he had almost missed all those years ago. Not that Johnny had really ever tamed that
wild side completely. He still could keep up with the kids, Scott taught the kids a lot about the
world and manners, and books. But Johnny had taught them to survive, guns,and
tracking.While the kids had taught him how to love, and show affection, and have fun.
Down at the fishing hole the two brothers had caught a string of fish. It had been a good
afternoon, just the two of them, as it rarely was now days. They had been the glue that held the
other together each time would lost their beloved wife. The bond had strengthened over the
years.
Jesse was home practicing with his forty five, by the barn. He was getting faster, and he
thought to himself, soon he would be the fastest gun around. People would speak of him as
they once did his father. He turned his back to the cans he used as targets and stood, when he
saw his sister coming. Oh great, she would wont to practice too, or challenge him. He loved
his sister, but wonted to be the best, not second to her, or his father.
Valena walked over and saw all the shot up cans on the ground. She was wearing her gun,
just like her moms. "Jesse, mind if I join you?"
"I guess you can, for a few minutes." He turned on his heel and rapidly drew and fired,
he hoped to impress his sister. When he turned she smiled.
"Not bad brother. Mind if I try?" She began to walk away then turned and fired. He had to
admit to jealousy and admiration of his sister. "How's that?"
"I guess it's not bad, for a girl." He looked at her a moment. " I heard what happened to
you in town. What was it like? Were you afraid?"
"I was afraid, but I couldn't walk away, they wouldn't let me. I was scared and excited
at the same time when I began the shootout and I wondered later if this is what our parents
felt when they did it."
"I wouldn't be afraid. I wish I had been there with you instead of Jimmy. He is so bad,
he can't even hit the sky, while aiming up."
"Well he's lucky he has us to protect him." She began to reload her forty five, and so did
he. They were beginning a contest when their father and uncle rode up. Scott and Johnny sat
and watched. Scott smiled and it brought back memories of a younger Johnny Madrid.
Johnny watched with pride and something akin to fear. He knew they could take care of
themselves, and had his ability with a gun. But he also saw the pitfalls for his kids. He wonted
to protect them from themselves. That and one day repeating that terrible day five years ago,
when he had come home and found the battle over, and his wife lay on the ground, her blood
pouring out along with the vitality that was Sarah.He was there in that place and time. He had
held her, his heart wonting to stop with hers. She opened her eyes and smiled, and her voice
soft and light as the wind. "I tried Johnny. I stopped them, our family is safe. I love you, and I
don't wont to leave you. Heaven has nothing I won't. She had kissed his lips one last time.
Her husbands tears falling like rain onto her face. She looked up at Scott, and with her dying
breath, ask him to take care of his brother for her. Then she took a deep breath and was gone.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts, he didn't wont that to happen to them.
Both kids looked up as they fired the last round, and saw their audience. "Hi dad. What
are you doing? Who did you bet on?"
" Jesse, I wasn't betting on either. Come on boy, it's time for dinner. Help me with the
horses." Jesse moved over to them, and Valena stood watching. "Oh yeah, you can take the
fish to be cleaned." Valena curled up her lips.
"No thanks, dad, I hate their smell, and I ain't eating them either."
"You aren't eating them, young lady." Spoke Scott.
" See Uncle Scott says I don't have to eat them either." She smiled and ran off towards
the house, as both men laughed. Jesse smiled as he watched his sister.
The next morning Jesse and valena had disappeared, and so had Jimmy no one
knew where they had disappeared. What they didn't know was that Jimmy had run into a lot
of trouble. He had been grabbed by some men who wonted a ransom. His siblings had
intercepted the note, and decided to rescue him themselves. Leaving the note with one of the
hands, to give to the family in two hours.They had armed themselves and rode off.
Contin....