Chapter 67
Did I die?
It's so dark...
He soon saw a white, blinding light, and coming from that light he heard laughter, as if coming from a small child. His eyes adjust, and was thrust in a world very much different than his own. The sky above was a clear blue, not a cloud in sight. A lone tree stood, along a gently blowing field of grass. Jesse smiled, admiring something so beautiful, as his thick hair billowed with the gentle breeze. He pulls on his collar, when suddenly, two little children run past, laughing in a boisterous manner, as they were chasing each other. The young brother/sister duo ran past Jesse without ever acknowledging his presence. Jesse brushed his hair again, then looked at his possible future children.
Both the children had dark hair, with the boy's much straighter than his younger sister, similar to his father's. His younger sister had locks of both dark and blonde hair, while her big brother's hair was a tousled mess. The children stopped, then ran to their father, before hiding behind his legs. The little girl looked up, as Jesse looked at his daughter. She had taken her features from his grandmother, while her hair and eyes came from his mother. Despite her petite face she had her father's strong jawline, and when she smiled, she had Jesse's small smile, including his dimples, though her's was more pronounced than her father's. She held out her arms, clearly wanting to be held, with hands clasping in and out. Jesse gently picked her up, and almost immediately, she placed her head on her daddy's strong shoulder, and started to suck on her thumb. He looked closer, and realized she had his long lashes. Soon, Marion came, wrapping her arms around Jesse's waist, his heart beating faster, as she brought his head down for a kiss...
Jesse slowly opened his eyes, while he slowly lifted his head from the concrete floor. He slowly and carefully shakes his head, then notices pieces of the gun Cal had in his hand earlier. He blinked a few times to get his eyes to come to focus, then swung around, as Thomas was engaged in a fist fight, of sorts, with Cal. Cal was holding his eye, and Jesse knew Thomas delivered him a good one.
Walter tries to come to the aid of his master, when out of nowhere Matthew jumped atop the large man. In the darkened part of the building Jack was trembling at that point, as he watched his friend before him nearly getting killed. But where did that shot come from? He was trembling very badly and he accidentally fired a shot, the bullet hitting Walter in his right knee. The large man came tumbling down, with Matthew on top of him still. Jack threw away the gun, and the gun fired the last bullet, which had ricocheted from the concrete wall. Jack ran to Jesse, and they both cried right there on the concrete floor as they embraced once more.
Milton emerged from the darkness, gun still trained at Cal, then drops, only to see the craziness unfold before him. His older brother was trying to wrestle his former boss and colleague, and the large man was trying to nurse his knee, with Matthew tying a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. He sees Jack and his new brother-in-law Jesse were still embraced, as they were still rolling on the floor, laughing and crying.
...
Finally, Henry, Eric and Jon were the last ones to arrive. Milton carefully lifted his knee from Cal's back, then Matthew and Thomas finally brought Caledon Hockley back on his feet, and Jack and Jesse were finally able to gather their composure, as they patted down their clothes from rolling in the concrete floor.
"You'll never hear the last of Caledon Hockley!" Cal shouted, as he struggled to free his arms while Matthew and Thomas dragged him outside to a waiting police wagon. They all followed, as police had surrounded the Hockley steel business. Cal tried to struggle out of the clutches of the police, but they managed to put him in the wagon, before shutting the door. He grabs onto the bars as Jack appeared.
"Why you little gutter rat! I'll have my way with you…" Cal tries to wriggle his arm between the bars, but a police officer bangs on the door.
"Back in there with you!" the officer says, banging against the wagon doors with his stick, to contain Cal like a ferocious lion in a zoo. Cal puts his hands back on the bars, and soon he's led away to the Philadelphia police station. Fabrizio had his arms crossed as he was waiting outside, with snow piling on his shoulders and head. He finally saw Jesse, sitting in one of the police wagons, covered in a blanket, while a couple of police officers gave him a once over, and the other wiped blood off from his lips.
"You better get that black spot checked out." the officer says, then ruffled his hair, like he was his son, then disappeared among the hubbub. Fabrizio ran over, then gave him a firm embrace. They cried when they saw each other for the first time, as Jack looked on, smiling and he had tears in his eyes. Henry was finally glad he had his son back, as Eric turned in his resignation to the Hockley plant.
…
They went to the tavern where Jack and Jesse were earlier when they were on their quest of searching for Rose, as the hotel they had stayed in months prior was not too far away, and everyone decided they will board the train early in the morning back to Pittsburgh. Jesse taught Jack, Eric and Fabrizio how to play the pool table, as everyone began to get drunk on their asses, and being rambunctious at the same time.
Soon it was getting dark, and more people began to fill the already full small tavern. Fabrizio was engaged in his pool game as the tavern became loud. Jack was once again in his poker, and had even gotten Jesse in as well. There was a large prize on the table, as it contained $3,500 in cash, jewelry, and various other prizes, and a free round of drinks for the winning patrons, courtesy of the bartender again. Jack was smoking, as Jesse tried to concentrate on his hand. He slipped a card onto the deck before getting a new one, and putting it with his hand. Jack looks up, across to his friend. Another man pulls out a card and adds it to his hand.
"Alright, moment of truth. Someone's life is about to change. Eugene?" Jack look to the man on his right. Jesse chews on his toothpick, and had his thick, beautiful hair over his eye to hide the injury as best he could.
"Does that hurt there, son?" a man asked, wanting to move the boy's hair to get a closer look at the bruise.
"Hey. Hey! Leave 'im alone 'der', will ya? Let him play his hand. You'll break his concentration." Another man says, before he puts out a cigarette in a homemade-looking ash tray. Another man looks at his deck, then puts it down.
"Nothing?" Jack asks. The man shakes his head, as he scratches his head, then readjusting his hat, as he couldn't help but notice Jesse.
"Herman?" Jack looks to the man on his left. Herman puts his cards down, then folds his arms as he sits back.
"Whoo. Three of a kind." Jack exhales, then scratches his head, his blue eyes looks over at his friend again. Jack lays down his hand, then he bangs his fist on the table.
"Four of a kind, boys! Whoo!" Jack laughs, then puts out a smoke, until he sees Jesse giving a small smirk, which told him that wasn't a good sign.
"I'm so happy for you, but no matter what, were still friends and brothers. As brothers, we'll split the winnings even." Jesse places his hand on the table, then spread out his cards. Jack's jaw dropped, his cigarette falls out of his mouth. Jesse had won a royal flush, while the crowd erupts in cheers, as Jesse collects his winnings, then splits the winnings with Jack. A random man comes up to Jesse, wrapping his arms around his neck, with a bottle of hard liquor just inches in front of his face. He rubbed the young man's hair, as Jesse laughed and joined the ruckus of the small crowded tavern.
"Hey, check out the pool action goin' on over here!" someone yelled over the ruckus. Jack and Jesse joined the crowd, as Fabrizio and another man are engaged in their game of pool. Fabrizio rubs chalk on his cue, before positioning himself to hit the cue ball. Jesse remembered the time back when he was at the spotlight, as crowds gathered to watch him play his round of pool. Now it was Fabrizio's game. Both men had a single ball each, as Fabrizio got a scratch. The man aims, only to lose both balls in the basket. The man groans, as it was Fabrizio's turn now. Fabrizio carefully aims his cue, before striking the ball. The ball sinks into the pocket, and he had the eight ball. He carefully aims, then hits the ball. The cue ball teeters as crowds hold their breath, before it rolls back slightly. Everyone cheers for Fabrizio, as he challenges Jesse for a round.
Jesse took the cue from the man, then he sets the triangular rack on the table, before Fabrizio breaks, as the balls scatter before two sinks in the pocket. Two solids. Fabrizio kept playing, until he made a scratch, then it was Jesse's turn.
Among the crowds, a man that had taught Jesse to play watches as the two men play. Jesse rubs chalk on his cue before he positioned himself over the table. He lightly taps the ball, as the solid colored ball slowly falls in the pocket. He moves closer to the cue ball, then lightly taps. He nearly got a scratch, as the ball teeters, then rolls back, keeping Jesse in play. Jesse positions himself again, then hits the ball. The balls strike, while the cue ball goes in another direction, and the solid ball falls in the pocket.
Henry watches his son engage in the game of pool, even when the pub had become stuffy, and everyone was hot from the crowded room. Suddenly the whole room exploded in cheers and laughter as Jesse won the round of pool, but he politely turned down the next game, as he had too much excitement for one night. Jesse, Jack, Henry and everyone headed back to the hotel, where the little room felt even smaller, as everyone was crowded into one another.
Mr. Williams called the couch, like he did when Jack and Jesse first arrived in the town. Matthew decided to call the bed, leaving everyone to sleep on the floor instead, and Jack wanted to feel what it's like to sleep on the floor, just like Jesse. Jesse carefully limped out of the bathroom, as he was trying to put on his shirt. Jack and Fabrizio helped him, while Thomas watched, his mouth hung open in disbelief.
He's...beautiful...so perfect... Thomas thought, then his mouth went dry, his heart pounded in his chest. He couldn't believe who his baby sister had gotten married to. Is...is he even human...?
"He does look good, doesn't he?" Matthew says, leaning next to Thomas, while Thomas flinched. He turned even redder.
"Can you lie down?" Milton asked, with concern, as Jack placed Jesse's coat down on the floor.
"It's my leg. It-it's not broken or anything-" Jesse winced, as the three men helped him sit on the floor, while Fabrizio carefully laid him down on the floor.
"I thought he was fine back at the tavern." Mr. Williams says, from his couch.
"I knew we should've took him to the doctor's. Look at how much pain he is in." Milton looked worried, while Jack ran from the room, to get some water.
"Are you sure, you're alright?" Milton asked again, gently rubbing his back, then patting him.
"Yeah, I'll be alright." Jesse says, rubbing his hands in his face, before he tried to sit back up. Fabrizio helped him up. Jack came in with a small cup of cold water, then helped Jesse drink, all the while Thomas watched. Despite the bruises and cuts on his face and lips, he saw just how beautiful his younger brother-in-law was. He could easily be mistaken for a female. He became even more nervous at that thought alone, and made his heart beat even faster. Milton took the honors of massaging his younger brother-in-law's firm shoulders.
"You're even more muscular than I thought. No wonder Father wanted someone strong to help at the farm back home." Milton says, trying his best at squeezing Jesse's rock-hard shoulders, though Jesse could tell, he too, was nervous. "I thought you were, you know...Not like our sister's husband back at the farm there-"
"Alright! That's enough!" Thomas says, his voice was high pitched, from the nervousness and his face turned slightly red. Everyone looked at him, even Jesse, who was making him even more nervous now. Mr. Williams simply smiled, before shifting in the couch. Thomas stormed out of the room, though Milton knew how nervous his brother was.
Soon, everyone had called in the night, and everyone began to go to sleep, except for Milton, who was still kneeled, while he watched as his younger brother-in-law was fast asleep, his small mouth was open a little, but no sound came, just a quiet breath of his sleeping.
The full moon breaks out from the clouds as the men inside the hotel begin to go to sleep.