Chapter Four - In Love and Bar Fights
"El Paso, the land where dreams are made!" Tommy shouted as they opened the door to one of the more rowdy establishments, the Hungry Horse Saloon. It was dark by the time they reached El Paso. Jack was hoping for a big dinner, but Tommy dragged him to saloon for drinks. His stomach grumbled, but alas, no immortal had ever starved to death. Jack looked around. He'd gotten around and this place wasn't anything new to him. They must make their own ale, Jack thought, the place stunk like fermenting wheat. It was an interesting combination with the horde of unwashed patrons and the fog they created with their cheap cigars. It was like a trip back to the Old West-a time and place that was fading fast and only existed in border towns.
"So where's this girl of yours, old timer?" Jack asked with curiosity.
"No time for that now," Tommy slapped him on the back. There were some things about Tom Ryan Jack thought he would never understand. When he first met him, Tommy was just another guy, another floater, fun loving, carefree. For the past month he had been the wise old man, sometimes solemn. He seemed to flip between these two men as if he were tossing a coin. Maybe the old guy just knew how to have fun. But in 500 odd years, he knew Tommy had lost some things he couldn't get back.
"A pint for myself and the lad!" Tommy slapped couple coins down on the bar. The last nickel spun around like a top until the barmaid smacked her hand over it.
Jack rubbed the back of his neck. He hoped he would be able to work out all of his women problems if he lived to be five hundred. He could tell by the look in his eyes she meant everything to him. Jack's last girlfriend was dead or missing or worse. He knew Rose wouldn't be the last woman he buried. Tommy couldn't handle losing Rita, so he kept leaving her. He said something about Jack made him decide to go back. Jack didn't know what he meant, but considering the fate of the last person he inspired he wished he had less influence.
"Rita ain't workin' tonight," said the barmaid. Her words took Jack from his thoughts. She was a large woman who looked like she was perpetually sweating.
"Well, you just let me know she was still in town," Tommy grinned, "didn't you?"
The woman frowned. She looked over at Jack curiously. She didn't trust newcomers anymore than she trusted Tommy Ryan, but it was hard to dislike this one's innocent face.
"But we'll be havin' those drinks, Sadie," Tommy patted her on the arm; she didn't look pleased. Jack looked uncharacteristically nervous.
***
With a few more pints Jack's uncharacteristic nervousness vanished. Tommy's more characteristic flamboyancy became more characteristically flamboyant in his current state.
"Twenty years ago today, I held my mother's hand. She kissed and blessed her only son going to a foreign land. She clasped me to her loving breast, she knew I had to go, and still hear my mother's voice, the words were sweet and low," Tommy Ryan from Tullow sang.
"Goodbye Johnny Dear and when you're far away don't forget your dear old mother far across the sea," his young apprentice and others sang along, "write a letter now and then and tell of all you can. And don't forget where e'er you go, that you're an Irishman! Oh-!"
Recognizing the tune and the voice that sang it loud and clear, a small, beautiful woman came downstairs. The flutter in her heart was overcome by the flames rising from her ears.
"Bastardo! Hijp de punta!" She kicked out Tommy's stool out from under him. The sing stopped and Tommy struggled to his knees, looking up and the short woman in red. Jack took her in. She was small, voluptuous with black curls tapering over a gorgeous head. And she was really, really pissed off.
"Rita, my love!" he stretched out his arms wide open, and swayed from side to side.
"Get out," she said vehemently.
"Wait," Tommy held up a finger, "I can explain-"
Jack very much wanted to close his eyes, run away, and crawl into with only his new metal buddy to accompany him. He felt a sudden irrational fear for Tommy's life, though he knew Rita couldn't kill him-or-he looked around in a panic making sure there were no axes on the premises. Did she even know? Tommy didn't tell him much in the way of Rita.
"I told you, Tommy Ryan, if you left again you would not come back!"
"Baby-"
Miss Alvarez, Jack presumed, was silent now, but her cold stare was more frightening than her rage.
"I don't have time for this," she said through her teeth.
Unfortunately, Rita's outburst had triggered more rising tempers and a fight broke out between two drunks at the end of the bar.
"Rita!" Tommy stumbled to his feet.
"Hey, stop it!" she went over to break up the fight. One of the men pushed her. At that moment, all the sober men and Tommy rose to her defense. The first good Samaritan was taken out by the red-bearded drunk.
Then the Samaritan's friend punched the fat one in the face. Rita caught Fatty on the way down, but lost her own balance in the process.
"That's it, everybody out!" she shouted as she got to her feet, unhurt. No one heard her. By now the whole saloon was in chaos.
Rita ran behind the bar with some sort of intention with Tommy chasing after her. Tommy ducked behind dodging glass and fists, crawling towards the woman he loved. She was reaching down for something under the bar when Tommy reached up and pulled her down by neckline of her blouse just in time to avoid a smashing bottle. They covered their heads with their hands, heads inches apart.
"There's no question you're in town now!" Rita shouted.
"I'm sorry! I was wondering-" Tommy began in the mist of the brawling.
"Not now!" she shouted, "where's your little friend?"
"Jack!" Tommy realized. He peeked above the bar. "Jackie boy!" he called to him. The younger man moved through the crowd trying not to get hit, but more so trying to hit anyone else. The boy was definitely realizing his power. Upon seeing his mentor he made a dodge for the bar and flipped himself over to the other side.
He landed with a crash. He winced in pain. He was going to have a mark for minutes.
"God dammit, you two!" he accused them.
"Me?" Tommy thought of Rita's yelling, growing angry.
"Me?" Rita thought of Tommy, growing more angry then previous.
Both were absolutely stunned.
"You know, there's an exit through the back! We can ditch!"
"What happened to responsibility, young lady?" Tommy tried to tease while taking a stab at his rejecter.
"Lost it on you. And I only work here! Come on!" She crawled to the door around the corner and the men followed, the old one trailing hopefully and the younger one-just trailing.
"El Paso, the land where dreams are made!" Tommy shouted as they opened the door to one of the more rowdy establishments, the Hungry Horse Saloon. It was dark by the time they reached El Paso. Jack was hoping for a big dinner, but Tommy dragged him to saloon for drinks. His stomach grumbled, but alas, no immortal had ever starved to death. Jack looked around. He'd gotten around and this place wasn't anything new to him. They must make their own ale, Jack thought, the place stunk like fermenting wheat. It was an interesting combination with the horde of unwashed patrons and the fog they created with their cheap cigars. It was like a trip back to the Old West-a time and place that was fading fast and only existed in border towns.
"So where's this girl of yours, old timer?" Jack asked with curiosity.
"No time for that now," Tommy slapped him on the back. There were some things about Tom Ryan Jack thought he would never understand. When he first met him, Tommy was just another guy, another floater, fun loving, carefree. For the past month he had been the wise old man, sometimes solemn. He seemed to flip between these two men as if he were tossing a coin. Maybe the old guy just knew how to have fun. But in 500 odd years, he knew Tommy had lost some things he couldn't get back.
"A pint for myself and the lad!" Tommy slapped couple coins down on the bar. The last nickel spun around like a top until the barmaid smacked her hand over it.
Jack rubbed the back of his neck. He hoped he would be able to work out all of his women problems if he lived to be five hundred. He could tell by the look in his eyes she meant everything to him. Jack's last girlfriend was dead or missing or worse. He knew Rose wouldn't be the last woman he buried. Tommy couldn't handle losing Rita, so he kept leaving her. He said something about Jack made him decide to go back. Jack didn't know what he meant, but considering the fate of the last person he inspired he wished he had less influence.
"Rita ain't workin' tonight," said the barmaid. Her words took Jack from his thoughts. She was a large woman who looked like she was perpetually sweating.
"Well, you just let me know she was still in town," Tommy grinned, "didn't you?"
The woman frowned. She looked over at Jack curiously. She didn't trust newcomers anymore than she trusted Tommy Ryan, but it was hard to dislike this one's innocent face.
"But we'll be havin' those drinks, Sadie," Tommy patted her on the arm; she didn't look pleased. Jack looked uncharacteristically nervous.
***
With a few more pints Jack's uncharacteristic nervousness vanished. Tommy's more characteristic flamboyancy became more characteristically flamboyant in his current state.
"Twenty years ago today, I held my mother's hand. She kissed and blessed her only son going to a foreign land. She clasped me to her loving breast, she knew I had to go, and still hear my mother's voice, the words were sweet and low," Tommy Ryan from Tullow sang.
"Goodbye Johnny Dear and when you're far away don't forget your dear old mother far across the sea," his young apprentice and others sang along, "write a letter now and then and tell of all you can. And don't forget where e'er you go, that you're an Irishman! Oh-!"
Recognizing the tune and the voice that sang it loud and clear, a small, beautiful woman came downstairs. The flutter in her heart was overcome by the flames rising from her ears.
"Bastardo! Hijp de punta!" She kicked out Tommy's stool out from under him. The sing stopped and Tommy struggled to his knees, looking up and the short woman in red. Jack took her in. She was small, voluptuous with black curls tapering over a gorgeous head. And she was really, really pissed off.
"Rita, my love!" he stretched out his arms wide open, and swayed from side to side.
"Get out," she said vehemently.
"Wait," Tommy held up a finger, "I can explain-"
Jack very much wanted to close his eyes, run away, and crawl into with only his new metal buddy to accompany him. He felt a sudden irrational fear for Tommy's life, though he knew Rita couldn't kill him-or-he looked around in a panic making sure there were no axes on the premises. Did she even know? Tommy didn't tell him much in the way of Rita.
"I told you, Tommy Ryan, if you left again you would not come back!"
"Baby-"
Miss Alvarez, Jack presumed, was silent now, but her cold stare was more frightening than her rage.
"I don't have time for this," she said through her teeth.
Unfortunately, Rita's outburst had triggered more rising tempers and a fight broke out between two drunks at the end of the bar.
"Rita!" Tommy stumbled to his feet.
"Hey, stop it!" she went over to break up the fight. One of the men pushed her. At that moment, all the sober men and Tommy rose to her defense. The first good Samaritan was taken out by the red-bearded drunk.
Then the Samaritan's friend punched the fat one in the face. Rita caught Fatty on the way down, but lost her own balance in the process.
"That's it, everybody out!" she shouted as she got to her feet, unhurt. No one heard her. By now the whole saloon was in chaos.
Rita ran behind the bar with some sort of intention with Tommy chasing after her. Tommy ducked behind dodging glass and fists, crawling towards the woman he loved. She was reaching down for something under the bar when Tommy reached up and pulled her down by neckline of her blouse just in time to avoid a smashing bottle. They covered their heads with their hands, heads inches apart.
"There's no question you're in town now!" Rita shouted.
"I'm sorry! I was wondering-" Tommy began in the mist of the brawling.
"Not now!" she shouted, "where's your little friend?"
"Jack!" Tommy realized. He peeked above the bar. "Jackie boy!" he called to him. The younger man moved through the crowd trying not to get hit, but more so trying to hit anyone else. The boy was definitely realizing his power. Upon seeing his mentor he made a dodge for the bar and flipped himself over to the other side.
He landed with a crash. He winced in pain. He was going to have a mark for minutes.
"God dammit, you two!" he accused them.
"Me?" Tommy thought of Rita's yelling, growing angry.
"Me?" Rita thought of Tommy, growing more angry then previous.
Both were absolutely stunned.
"You know, there's an exit through the back! We can ditch!"
"What happened to responsibility, young lady?" Tommy tried to tease while taking a stab at his rejecter.
"Lost it on you. And I only work here! Come on!" She crawled to the door around the corner and the men followed, the old one trailing hopefully and the younger one-just trailing.