THE BEGUILEMENT OF KID CURRY - Chapter Five
Heyes watched as Kid neatly folded the blankets he used as a bed and laid them over the back of the chair, before taking a seat as he reached for his boots. Heyes pulled his nightshirt over his head and pushed it under a pillow. With the recent rains, the humidity had become almost unbearable during the day. He felt for his partner working in the heat and wished there was some way his injured leg would heal faster. Heyes cleared his throat to get Kid's attention.
"Kid, we need to finish this job for Big Mac...or rather you need to finish it"
Kid raised his head as he pulled his last boot on. He sighed before saying, "I don't feel comfortable leaving you hurt and all Heyes." His eyes met Heyes'. Heyes could see genuine concern.
"You have to admit I'm doing better." Heyes said trying muster up more strength than he felt.
"Well...yeah but…" Kid said as he started shaking his head.
"What's going to happen to me in a house full of girls? I'm more worried about you riding alone without me covering your back."
"You?" Kid snorted, "Covering my back...I think it's the other way around…" Kid stopped and looked at Heyes' bandaged leg, "Sorry."
"Kid, you know you got nothing to be sorry about. But as I said before, I'd feel better about getting shot if we collected all the money and kept Big Mac happy. If we don't deliver this package, you know Big Mac ain't going to be happy. Might be so mad he'll start telling folks you ain't his nephew and who we really are."
"I don't know Heyes..." Heyes saw worry in Kid's eyes.
"It's a day's ride there and one back. Not like you haven't left me before."
"Riding in to get supplies for the school ain't a two day job. But…" Kid rubbed his chin as he thought about what his partner had said, "Yeah...you are probably right about Mac. Forgiveness ain't in his nature. Even being a Catholic. But I ain't leaving until you are up and can get around without help."
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"Ouch!" Heyes gave Kid a dirty look.
Kid stopped, "If you are going to try and walk, I'm going to need to put a splint on your leg for added support." He continued trying to adjust the splint.
"Dammit Kid!" Heyes said as his voice rose, "It hurts worse with the dang splint. Bullet probably just nicked the bone. I don't need it."
Kid stared at Heyes searching his face to see if he was lying.
"Kid, I don't need it. Trust me." Heyes said softly.
"Alright.. Fine…" Kid said, as he removed the splint. "But if you hurt it worse...I ain't waiting for you to heal again. I'm throwing your ass up over your saddle and you're riding like that."
Heyes caught a hint of seriousness and frustration in Kid's voice.
"Kid," Heyes waited for Kid to give him eye contact. "What's got you so spooked?"
Kid shook his head and continued shaking it, "I don't know."
"Is it the...past?"
"No...it's something more. Not just Miss Martha either...Heyes it's just a feeling. Like something...bad."
"Well I did get shot…"
"It's not that."
"That's not bad enough for you?"
Kid gave Heyes an exasperated look.
"Sorry," Heyes apologized.
"Closest I can come to explaining it is when we're riding across sacred Indian land…"
"Ghosts?"
"You know I don't believe in ghosts….But yeah that feeling."
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"Take it slow", Kid said. "Rest your hands on my shoulders and I'll help you up."
When he felt Heyes get a good grip he slowly started to straighten up, lifting Heyes off the edge of the bed. Heyes stood upright, bearing his weight on his good leg and Kid.
Heyes slowly opened his closed eyes. Kid looked concerned.
"You alright?"
Heyes nodded. Kid slowly reached for the one crutch resting against the bed. He slipped it under Heyes' arm. Heyes shifted his weight to the crutch allowing Kid to retrieve the second crutch.
Heyes leaned heavily against the crutches as he tried to find his balance and allow the pain to hopefully subsided. He felt a rhythmic throbbing of pain in his leg, that was increasing the longer he was on his feet. Kid saw perspiration start to dot Heyes' forehead.
"I think that's enough for now," Kid said.
"Don't hurt laying in bed like it does when I'm upright." Heyes said, giving Kid an apologetic smile. Kid steadied the crutches so Heyes could ease himself down on the edge of the bed. Kid gathered the crutches up and rested them against a chair. There was a sharp knock on the door as Miss Martha entered without waiting for a response.
"I thought…" She stopped mid sentence as her attention was drawn to the crutches. Her face paled as if she had seen a ghost. Kid quickly said, "I should have asked you if I could use them, but judging by the dirt and cobwebs they had been sitting behind those boards for years."
She continued to stare at the crutches as she slowly and quietly said, "Yes...years."
"I had to cut them down a bit. Person who was using them was tall…"
"Well over six feet." Miss Martha said not taking her eyes off the crutches as the memories of Colonel John McBurney flashed through her mind. She closed her eyes briefly and managed a tight strained smile. "I was going to ask if you were joining us for breakfast?"
"Looks like another hot day. I thought I would get started early mending that corral fence." Kid said quickly. "Feels like more rain coming."
Heyes stared at Kid. Since when did he pass up a meal?
"As you wish." She said as she set Heyes' food down and left the bedroom.
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"What the hell was that about?"
Kid gave Heyes a questioning look.
"You missing a meal." Heyes said as Kid helped position him so he could eat
"I told you...there is something not right here."
"I'll try again with those crutches." Heyes reassured his partner, "But I'll be needing a new pair of pants. I'll have to cut my other pants to get them over this bandage. Can't be parading around these ladies in my long johns and night shirt."
"I'm not trying to prod you Heyes."
"Sometimes a kick in the butt is what I need. But I'll deny ever saying that." Heyes said with a smile.
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Kid could hear the rustle of the leaves as the wind began to pick up. He looked towards the sky and saw the dark clouds start to gather, bunching into an ominous threat. He heard the rumble of thunder and the flash of lightning as the once distant storm rapidly approached. He saw the girls quickly finish their final morning chores and hurry to the house before the rain started. Kid collected the tools he was using to mend the fence and took them back to the barn, running through the door before torrents of rain began to fall. He stood in the doorway waiting for the rain to let up before venturing out.
Kid waited...and waited.
Kid could hear the nervous nickers of the horses as the rain pounded on the roof over their stalls. He went over and spoke quietly to the spooked animals, hoping to soothe them but they continued to move nervously around their stalls.
Although mid-day, the sky was dark as dusk. Lightning flashed overhead, illuminating the once grand mansion in an eerie light. Rivers of water ran through the spacious grounds pooling beneath some of the larger trees.
Damn.
Kid silently cursed as he quickly touched his head. He had forgotten his hat on the limb of the black gum tree. He peered out the door through the rain and saw it floating in a puddle under the tree snagged on a root.
Damn he cursed again but there was nothing he could do until the rain let up. He reached for a rake and began cleaning the barn floor as he waited.
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After an hour, the rain had finally slowed enough for Kid to leave the shelter of the barn and go retrieve his soggy misshapen hat. As he reached for his hat he felt something hard touch his hand. He worked the object free from the mud. It was an old turtle shell. He turned it in his hand looking at it before putting it back under the tree, only to see something else that caught his attention. It looked weathered and white. He wasn't sure what it was. His hand reached out to examine the object when he heard Miss Martha shout out his name. There was something in her voice that made him quickly grab his drenched hat and hurry to the house.
Heyes?
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Kid had hurried to check on Heyes, relieved to find him stretched out on the bed.
Heyes couldn't help but laugh when he saw Kid's hat hanging from his hand.
Kid looked from his hat to Heyes, "What are you laughing at?" Kid said as irritation crept into his voice. "It still looks better than your hat."
"Now that's a matter of opinion," Heyes said, mustering up some indignation.
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The next day Kid wondered why Miss Martha had sent him into town and so early. He had only gone a couple days ago, but Miss Martha was insistent about the few items on her list and said she needed them immediately. He didn't question her and quickly saddled his horse leaving Heyes still asleep in bed.
The proprietor of the general store was surprised to see Kid back so soon.
Kid reached in his pocket and withdrew the money for the items for Miss Martha and a new pair of pants for Heyes and laid it on the counter.
"You have that talk with Miss Martha like I asked you too? She know I can't keep extending her credit? Me and my family got to eat too in these hard times."
Kid shook his head. "What's she owe you?" He asked, disguising his voice with a southern accent.
The proprietor reached for a clipboard hanging on the wall behind the counter and thumbed through a number of pages.
"Just shy of $400."
"Guess I shouldn't have started this charity in the first place, but her late husband was our town doctor. A good man that let folks pay when they could or trade for services. It was a sad day when he was killed by those Yankee bastards."
Kid dug in his pocket again and withdrew some more money.
"Here. You put it on her bill."
"I been meaning to ask...You kin to her?" the man asked as he wrote out a receipt.
"No, just repaying a favor."
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When Kid returned he noticed the girls were busy filling in around the black gum tree with fresh dirt and rocks.
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