Disclaimer, you know.
about a week later dorothy found herself humming a children's tune to herself as she walked into town with zeb.
"What's that tune you're humming?" Zeb asked curiously.
"It's 'Oh dear, what could the matter be' I don't know why, but I have it stuck in my head." Dorothy said getting a bit irritated.
"isn't that a nursery rhyme?" Zeb asked.
"Indeed, but I haven't heard it recently, at least I don't think I have…unless one of you have been humming it and I just haven't noticed." Dorothy said.
"if we have then I haven't noticed either." Zeb said.
"Zeb!" came the voice of Charlie.
Immediately the two of them looked in the direction of his voice.
"Charlie? Oh, morning." He said
"Zeb you need to go to Ruth's shop, there's a man there with a peg leg, I mean an actual peg leg, and he's not in a costume either!" Charlie said.
"Whoa, Really?" Zeb asked.
"would I lie?" Charlie asked.
"Yes." Zeb said.
"Well I'm not." Charlie said grabbing both of their arms and dragging them along.
"You know chuck, I really should doubt you, you have a rather strong grip." Zeb said as he was pretty much dragged.
"Yea, could you please loosen the grip a bit, we're following, we were heading that way anyways." Dorothy said.
"oh, sorry, look!" he shouted releasing.
"You know bill, we really need to get you a proper fake leg, people always stare and point at your peg leg." A man said as they walked out
"Griffiths, let'em point, laugh, stare, it don' bother this old salt one bit, I've had this peg leg for thirty aught years, I ain't givin' her up now." The man named bill said.
"Well, this is a funny coincidence." Dorothy said.
"What is?" Zeb and Charlie asked.
"you two wait here." Dorothy said pushing passed them.
"Oh, look, someone's approachin' us." Bill said.
When dorothy got over to the two she cleared smiled.
"Excuse me, if you don't mind me asking, are you Cap'n bill?" Dorothy asked looking the man over.
The man was tall, with tanned skin. His face was bore strung rough features, as well as pale blue eyes. Looking into his eyes you could tell he was a gentle man. He was balding, and the hair he had formed a grizzled mane. , his left leg seemed to be replaced with a peg leg, a genuine peg leg, he was wearing a sea captains blue suit except the jacket was draped over his shoulder he had a plain white shirt on revealing a single tattoo of an anchor. His voice was rough, yet calm, one could tell just by listening to him speak that he was a man of the sea.
"Cap'n, the only people that still refer to me as Cap'n are this man here, his daughter, and his wife." Cap'n Bill said
"But you do go by that name correct?" Dorothy asked.
"And who would be wantin' to know?" He asked.
"Me, dorothy gale, and if I'm correct, you two are Cap'n bill and Mr. Griffiths, I'm a friend of Trot." Dorothy said.
At this, Mr. Griffiths walked up to dorothy and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"My daughter, she's not here is she?" he asked.
"No, she's home in Kansas." Dorothy said.
"Oh, thank goodness, I didn't want to spoil our surprise for her." Mr. Griffiths said.
Trot's father was a tall man, but not as tall as Cap'n bill. His hair was brown like his daughters. His eyes were both blue and green with one slightly red which dorothy thought a bit odd but didn't remark on.
"Is there a pay phone around here, I need to call home, I have the number written down." Mr. Griffiths said
"Back of the store, just ask." Zeb said walking over.
"This is my cousin zeb, I've been staying at his uncles ranch helping out." Dorothy said.
"That reminds me, dorothy, you've been here for nearly two months, and you haven't even gotten tan yet." Zeb said lifting her arm up and holding his next to hers.
dorothy had to admit, he was right, with the amount of time she spent in the sun she should have at least tanned a little. But instead her skin was as pale as ever. Though as Zeb walked away and into the shop followed by Mr. Griffiths dorothy suddenly found herself alone with Cap'n bill and Charlie. Cap'n Bill, However, Produced a pipe from which he packed with tobacco and lit with a match which he lit with his thumb.
"I'm impressed I've only ever seen my grandfather light a match like that." Charlie said.
"Well, lad, it's a difficult trick to learn" He replied.
"Um, if you don't mind me asking…" Charlie said trailing off.
"you'll, be wantin to know how I lost me leg?" He asked taking a draw from his pipe.
"if it's all convenient sir?" Charlie asked.
"Well, all I'll say it was a terrible accident, led me ta retirin' but I'll also go out to sea and travel with my former first mate." He replied.
"Cap'n Bill, I'm sure you have loads of stories." Dorothy said.
"Oh, wee lass, I have stories that you would scarcely believe." He replied.
Dorothy smiled and giggled, she had heard that before, but she had her own stories to tell now. Though she wasn't going to admit that just yet.
"So, is this just a pit stop or are you guys sticking around a few days?" Dorothy asked.
"We'll be here a week, Griff and I wanna take a bit of time to relax before we catch up with the family in Kansas, we're boarding at a local hotel." Bill said
At that moment Mr. Griffiths emerged from the shop followed by Zeb who now had all the groceries they needed.
"Trot wanted you two to know she says hi, she can't wait for us to get home, she said she has so much to tell us." Mr. Griffith said
Dorothy couldn't help but smile at this, though she knew Madeline would try her best to explain things to them.
"Well, dorothy, I got what we needed, we should head back to the ranch, aunt Melinda wanted us back as soon as we could." Zeb said
"I guess you're right, well, Mr. Griffiths, Cap'n Bill, it was a pleasure to finally meet you two, if I don't see you two before you leave for Kansas, I'll see you in about 4 months." Dorothy said.
"well, any friend of trot is a friend o' mine" Bill said taking another puff from his pipe and blowing out a smoke ring.
"And I should be getting back to the diner, mom will notice if I'm gone too long." Charlie said
They all shared a glance and nodded. As they all parted ways and dorothy and zeb got back to the ranch, zeb immediately ran to the kitchen to tell aunt Melinda about the encounter. Dorothy smiled and immediately ran upstairs and to the guest room. Switching on the radio she sat down at the table that it had been set up on and talked into the mic.
"Alex, You there?" Dorothy asked.
Immediately there was a clattering sound which made dorothy chuckle.
"yea, I'm here, I've, uh, been waiting." he replied.
"I see, well, you'll never guess who I just ran into at the market." Dorothy said.
"Try me." Alex said.
"Trot's father and Cap'n Bill." Dorothy said.
"Okay, I don't believe you, what would they be doing there?" Alex asked.
"they're taking a little break, they'll be in town within the next two weeks, they both seem like wonderful people." Dorothy said.
"what's Captain Bill like?" Alex asked.
"Well, he's obviously a man who's seen a lot, he's way more tan than I am, and, Alex, he's got a peg leg." Dorothy said.
"Oh? Really?" Alex asked
"Really." Dorothy said.
"Neat." Alex said.
"So, how's things going at home?" dorothy asked.
"It's been interesting, oh, I have an invitation from Hawkeye, he knows you're away but when you get back the mayor of the village would like to meet with us again." Alex said.
"Oh, send a response saying I'd be happy to." Dorothy said.
"Is that our royal decree?" alex asked chuckling.
"Alex…" Dorothy trailed off with an annoyed groan.
"Dorothy! Auntie Melinda wants to know, what do you like on Pizza?" Zeb called from outside the door.
"I'm not picky, but what was it we were sent to get, sausage, peppers, and pepperoni?" dorothy asked
"Yea, I'm having one with all three." Zeb said.
"Tell auntie Melinda I'll do the same." Dorothy said
"okay, I'll let her know." Zeb said walking off.
"alright, anyways, how's Annabella?" Dorothy asked.
"She's good, she's gotten some more stuffed animals, I think she's trying to make a giant collection." Alex said.
"Why not get here a giant Teddy bear?" Dorothy asked.
"I did, that's the problem" Alex said
"alex, you're an enabler." Dorothy said giggling.
"tell me about it." alex said.
"my aunt has a radio like ours, do you think she's listening in?" Dorothy asked.
"Oh definitely, I'm not dim, actually, sit there for a moment, we'll both be quiet." Alex said.
Dorothy nodded and they both fell silent. A few seconds later there was a chuckling sound.
"You two, what am I going to do with you?" came em's voice.
"Mrs. Gale, I appreciate you listening in, and I know you have the right too, seeing as you own a radio like ours, so I can't ask you not too, but why?" Alex asked.
"Because she's worried about me, and concerned I might let something slip that will cause her to lose faith in her brother entirely." Dorothy said.
"Sorry sweetheart, but that's only partially correct, I've never had much faith in my brother to begin with, that's why I prefer to identify as an only child, but I listen in because I'm interested, I mean it's not like I can wave a magic wand and have a permanent eye on you." Em said
"Wouldn't that be nice Emily?" Came Melinda's voice from the door.
"Auntie Melinda, I thought you were making pizzas?" Dorothy asked.
"I was, I just put them in the oven, they'll be done in about half an hour, then we'll have lunch." She replied.
"Mels, you're doing a great job taking care of my niece, thank you." Em said
"Thank you Emily, hey, maybe you guys could visit when the carnival rolls around in the first month of summer." Melinda suggested
"We'll see Mels, I do have my kids to take care of, as well as Dorothy's charge Aislynn." Em replied.
"Oh yes, dorothy keeps mentioning her." Melinda said.
"Has she been doing her school work?" Dorothy asked.
"Dorothy, that's a rather dumb question." Alex cut in.
"I know, but you never know." Dorothy said.
"Kitten, I think we're going to have to cut the chitchat short, since it doesn't seem we'll have a moment's peace." Alex said.
"I guess not, well, I can smell the pizzas cooking from here and it already smells delicious, alex, say hello to the others for me, Auntie Em, please don't sit at your radio all day and wait for me to start talking." Dorothy said.
"Roger that kitten." Alex said.
"Will do sweetheart." Em replied.
"Oh, and don't sit around with the radio on all day either." Dorothy added.
"We won't." Alex said.
Dorothy smiled and turned off the radio which whirred off.
"So, why does he call you kitten?" Melinda asked wiping her hands off on her apron.
"I-I it's a rather long story, one I'd rather not tell, it's rather embarrassing." Dorothy said trying to avoid eye contact.
"Say no more, your mother used to be like that, your father had a pet name for her…and now I can't remember for the life of me what it was." She said walking out of the room.
