Stagecoach Accident
. It was close to 10 pm in Seattle. Lottie's was closing for the night. Business had been slow tonight. The loggers had finished clearing a section and most of them went directly home after work due to being exhausted. The sawmill workers had extra work since the loggers finished a section and they were exhausted too. Lottie locked her doors and went upstairs to bed. Ben Perkins was still at the general store finishing his inventory. He was getting ready to leave when the telegraph machine started ticking. Ben walked over to the telegraph, picked up a pencil and paper. Ben began to take down the message. From Sheriff Terrance Brown, Olympia, Washington Territory. To Jason Bolt Seattle. Regret to inform you…Ben shook his head as he took down the message. After Ben took down the complete message, he folded the paper, put it in an envelope and wrote Jason Bolt on the front of the envelope. He put the envelope in his coat pocket. Ben turned down the lanterns.
He locked the door. Ben walked slowly toward the Bolt cabin. When Ben reached the cabin, he saw that it was dark. He knocked loudly on the door. He waited a minute and knocked again. Ben heard Jason say, "Just a minute. I'm coming.". In a few seconds, Jason opened the door. "Why, Ben! What brings you out so late?" Ben stepped inside the door. He reached in his pocket for the telegram and handed it to Jason. Jason looked puzzled for a moment. Then he opened the telegram and read it silently. At this point, Joshua came into the room. When Jason finished reading the telegram, he staggered backwards a few steps and sat down in a chair. Jason put his face in his hands and burst into tears. Josh immediately went to Jason's side. "Jason! What is it?" Josh asked frightened. Jason tried to speak, "Joshua, oh, dear God!"was all he could say as he continued to cry. Joshua put his arm around Jason and looked perplexed at Ben. Ben took the telegram from Jason's hand. Ben read it out loud. "From Terrance Brown, Sheriff, Olympia, Washington Territory To Jason Bolt Seattle, Washington Territory. Regret to inform you that your brother, Jeremy Bolt was killed this date in stagecoach accident ten miles outside Olympia. Stagecoach plummeted down deep ravine. No survivors. Brother identified by Bolt Brothers Bridal Veil Mountain Logging Co. Bank Deposit and by his admittance forms to Harmon Bidding Meeting set for tomorrow's date. Brother's body will be sent home in two days. Condolences on your loss. Signed Terrance Brown." By the time Ben finished reading the telegram, he was in tears. Joshua was on his knees saying, "I should have gone. It should have been me. Not Jeremy. Not Jeremy". Then Joshua broke down sobbing. Jason was also sobbing, but he managed to get control enough to help Joshua up into a chair Jason told Joshua, "It's not your fault Josh. It was an accident. Jeremy wanted to go. There was no way for anyone to know what would happen." Ben felt helpless. The Bolts had always been kind to him and Emily. "Jason, what can I do to help"? Ben asked. "Well, we have to let people know. Can you go tell Aaron, please Ben?" Jason asked. "Sure, Jason. What about Clancy?" Ben asked. "Get Aaron to help you tell Clancy. He is going to be crushed. He loves Jeremy." Jason replied his voice cracking. "Ok, Jason. And I want to say, Jeremy was a fine young man. He is going to be missed terribly. And, uh, well,oh, hell, I'm just gonna say it. I love you, Jason. I love you, Josh. And I loved Jeremy too. I wish I'd told him when I had the chance." Ben said choking back tears. Then Ben left to go tell the awful news to Aaron. "We love you too, Ben" Jason said as Ben went out the door. Jason and Joshua embraced and cried like wounded animals over the loss of their beloved baby brother. After several minutes, Jason and Josh got control of themselves. "Josh, we've got to tell Lottie. Then Biddie, Then Candy. "Jason said. "Let's go. It's not going to be easy. Josh answered. The brothers headed to Lottie's. Lottie became physically Sick when Jason told her Jeremy was gone. She hurried to the washroom and vomited in a basin. Her precious Jeremy was gone. She was stunned and heartbroken. Suddenly, Aaron burst through the saloon doors. "Jason. Joshua. I just can't believe it. I am so very sorry. What can I do? "he asked. "Did you tell Clancy?" Jason asked. "Yes, he took it very badly. He said he is old and his life is over so it should have been him." Aaron answered. "I will go see him tomorrow " Jason said. "Right now, we have to go tell Candy" Jason continued sadly. "Aaron, can you come with us, please? It's going to be a terrible shock for Candy. Joshua asked. "Certainly, I will Joshua" Aaron told him. Lottie, Aaron, and the Bolts went to the dormitory. They told Biddie first. She gasped and recoiled as if she had been slapped. "Oh, dear God. Candy is going to be devastated." Biddie said. She went upstairs and got Candy. "What is going on? Jason?" Candy asked. Jason spoke gently, "Candy, there's been an accident. ", Well, Jeremy must be injured very badly for all of you to come here this late to tell me". Candy replied. "Jeremy is not injured, Candy," Josh told her. "Well, if he isn't injured, why the late hour and why does everyone look so disheveled and upset?" She replied as she began to realize the answer to her question. No one said anything for a few moments. Then Candy said, "no, no, No, No, NO! JASON! NO! NO! NOOOOO! NOT JEREMY! NO! NOT JEREMY! OH! DEAR GOD!" Jason put his arms around Candy in a tight embrace as she continued to scream. As Candy's gut-wrenching screams pierced the night, about fifteen miles outside of Olympia, a young man woke up in the woods. He looked around. He wondered where he was. He wondered who hit him on the head causing the huge bump and the awful headache he had. But most of all, the young man wondered who he was. Back in Seattle, Joshua went and got DrWright to come help Candy. Dr. Wright and Jason helped Candy upstairs to her bed. Dr. Wright gave her a came promised to sit with Candy the rest of the night. told Biddie to send for her if Candy woke up before morning. Biddie and Joshua walked they got to her house, she broke down crying as she tried to give her condolences about Jeremy. As Jason hugged her close, she recalled that Jeremy was her first patient when she came to Seattle. Dr. Wright composed herself. She gave Jason and Joshua each a hug as she said goodbye to them. Jason and Josh had their arms on each others' shoulder as they walked slowly and quietly back home. When they got to the cabin, they went inside. They stood looking around for a few minutes. Jeremy had left his guitar on his bed that morning before he got on the had been practicing on his guitar last night and now…... The two brothers looked at each other sadly then they went to their rooms to go to bed. The next morning, Jason and Josh went to see about the funeral was 's body would be returned tomorrow on funeral was planned for the next day, Thursday at 10 am. The young man outside of Olympia had made his way out of the woods to the road. He was walking toward Seattle. As he walked, he was trying to remember something about who he was. He kept thinking about a ship, a large , so thing about circumnavigating the globe. He had talked to someone before about circumnavigating the globe. The only name he could remember was young man decided that his name must be Harmon and he must be a sailor. The young man kept walking toward Seattle. Everyone in town was sad. They shook their heads as they pondered the awful news and wondered how on earth Jeremy's brothers would live without him. His brothers wondered that too. They could not imagine life without Jeremy. The teasing, the friendship and love and most of all just having their baby brother in their lives. The next day, Wednesday, Jeremy's body was returned home. Sheriff Brown from Olympia drove the wagon transporting Jeremy's body himself. Sheriff Brown did not see the young man named Harmon along the road. Harmon left the road for a few hours that morning to take a nap in the woods. Sheriff Brown met with Jason and Joshua in Lottie's back room. He returned Jeremy's pack with the bank statement and Jeremy's admittance forms for the Harmon Bidding had sent a telegram to Mr. Harmon the previous day explaining what happened. Mr. Harmon replied immediately expressing his deep sorrow for the loss of Jeremy. Sheriff Brown told the Bolts that it would be best if the coffin remained closed even to them. He said that Jeremy sustained severe facial and head injuries. Jason and Joshua thanked Sheriff Brown for his help. Sheriff Brown expressed his sympathy and then left on his way home. On the way home, Sheriff Brown passed a buckboard with two occupants. An older man who owned the buckboard and a young man named Harmon who was getting a ride to Seattle. Harmon waved at the Sheriff as they passed. Harmon was happy that he had gotten a ride. The older gentleman was pleasant to talk to and had given Harmon something to eat. Also, he reassured Harmon that he could book passage on the Shamus O'Flynn in Seattle. He even suggested that Captain Clancy might know the name of the ship that Harmon worked on. Harmon would be in Seattle on Thursday morning. On Wednesday night, the brothers, Candy, Biddie, Aaron, Clancy, and Lottie met at Lottie's for supper. Lottie cooked Jeremy's favorites, fried chicken and chocolate cake. They tried to eat but did not have much success. Of course, they talked about Jeremy. Jason and Josh told how Jeremy would go in the privy when he was about four and scream snake! So, they would come soon as they went in the privy, Jeremy would run out, slam the door and latch it leaving them trapped. Jeremy would run away squealing with smiled and chuckled at that. Lottie recalled when Jeremy stopped stuttering when Merlin came to Seattle. She said she felt ashamed now that she had wanted Jeremy to shut up that night that he talked so much because he was so happy that he wasn't stuttering anymore. Lottie got choked up as she said, "What I wouldn't give to hear that sweet boy talking now. "Jason put his hand on Lottie's shoulder. "Jeremy knew you loved him, Lottie. It's alright." He told her. Candy talked about when she and Jeremy first met on Clancy's told them how Jeremy said to her, "I stutter ". And she said, "I bite my nails." Then he said, "You better quit that. You bite too hard you'll bleed to death. "Then she said, "You stutter too much you'll choke. "And they smiled and laughed. Then the ship rocked, and Jeremy caught her in his arms to keep her from falling. And then, they looked into each others' eyes, and she knew at that moment that she loved him and that she would love him forever. Everyone sighed and smiled. They sat quietly for awhile. Then everyone went home to get ready for tomorrow. They dreaded it 's funeral. Harmon and the older gentleman who had given him a ride, his name was Mr Gustoff Kolner, had made camp for the night. Tomorrow Mr. Kolner would drop Harmon off in Seattle. On Thursday morning, Jason and Joshua got up had some coffee. Neither of them had any appetite for food. They got dressed for the funeral. They arrived at the church at about 9:45. Other people started arriving soon had offered to escort Candy to the church. She declined explaining that she wanted to delay going as long as arrived at the church at 9:55 am. She sat with Jason and Joshua on the front pew. Lottie, Clancy, Biddie, Aaron, Ben, and Emily also sat on the front pew. read some scriptures, talked about forgiveness, eternal life, Jesus, sin, and talked about Jeremy being happy in Heaven now with God. When finished his message, Jason went to the front of the church to give the eulogy. He talked about how the three brothers loved each other and were always there for each other. About this time Harmon and arrived in Seattle. Harmon thanked Mr. Kolner and they said goodbye. Mr. Kolner went on his way to the next stood in the street for a few minutes looking around. He noticed several horses and wagons at the church. Harmon walked over to the church. He went inside quietly and sat down on the back pew. There was no one else seated on the back pew. No one noticed that Harmon had come in. Harmon looked around the sanctuary. There were lots of people there. There was a coffin with flowers on the top at the front of the church. How sad, Harmon thought. Someone's funeral. Harmon started listening to the big man standing at the front of the church talking. He was talking about his baby brother, the youngest of three brothers. The big man was saying his brother was tender hearted, loving, and forgiving. The big man got choked up and had to stop talking for a minute. Then he regained his composure and continued. He started telling a story about when Jeremy was a little 5-year-old boy. Josh, the middle brother gave Jeremy a sling shot and taught him how to use it. Josh warned Jeremy to be careful with it so he wouldn't hurt any people or any animals. Jeremy said he would be careful. One day, Jeremy was playing with the sling shot and accidentally killed a red bird. Jeremy was so upset that he cried. Jeremy decided that he would have a funeral for the red bird. This incident happened not long after the death of their mother the oldest brother explained. The brother also said that he was watching and listening to Jeremy as he had this funeral. Jeremy didn't know that anyone was watching or listening according to his brother. Harmon continued to listen to the brother's story. Jeremy dug a little hole in the ground and buried the red bird. Next, he recited some Bible verses that he had learned from his mother. After that, Jeremy said a prayer for the red bird telling God that he was sorry that he killed the red bird. Jeremy asked God to ask the red bird to forgive him. Jeremy said he knew that the red bird would be happy in heaven because Dad had told him that heaven was a happy place and Mom was happy there now. At the end of the prayer, Jeremy said goodbye, God. Jeremy hadn't been able to say Amen since Mom's funeral. The brother said the last thing Jeremy wanted to do for the red bird's funeral was sing a hymn. The brother said Jeremy bent down to the red bird's grave and told the red bird the only church song he knew about a bird was His Eye is on The Sparrow. Jeremy said he guessed that would be ok for a red bird because God loves all the birds. The brother said that His Eye is on The Sparrow was their mother's favorite hymn. He said Jeremy had heard her sing it almost every day before she died. Harmon was listening intently. Something was stirring in his mind, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. The brother continued talking. He said that Jeremy misunderstood one word in the hymn and as a result, he had a unique version of the song. Suddenly, Harmon knew. He looked around the sanctuary. He was sure. He was not a sailor. His name was not Harmon. He was a lumberjack. His name was Jeremy Bolt! Jeremy started singing loud and clear like he did at the red bird's funeral years ago. I sing because I'm happy. I sing because I'm five (Jeremy got up and started walking down the aisle toward Jason still singing) His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me. I sing because I'm happy. I sing because I'm five. His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me. Jeremy had reached the front of the church. Everyone had listened to him and watched him in stunned silence. Jason fell on his knees crying out, "THANK YOU, GOD for giving us back our baby brother!"Jason broke down sobbing. Jeremy dropped to his knees hugging Jason and sobbing with him. Joshua ran up to his brothers, fell to the floor crying and wrapped his arms around them. Candy ran up behind the brothers. She waited until they finished their hugging and crying. Then she burst into tears saying Jeremy Bolt come here to me! Jeremy hugged her tight and they cried together. After a few minutes, they got control of themselves. Josh handed Jeremy his guitar and asked him to sing the hymn again, Jeremy style. Jeremy smiled and took the guitar. He faced the congregation. He began playing and singing. I sing because I'm happy. I sing because I'm five. His eye is on the sparrow, so I know, (speaking) yes, I know, (singing) He watches (speaking) me! People clapped and shouted. Jeremy smiled from ear to ear. When the folks settled down. Jason explained that when Jeremy was a little boy, he thought the song went like this, I sing because I'm happy. I sing because I'm three. And since he was five, he sang I sing because I'm five. Everyone clapped and chuckled. Jeremy blushed a little. He was happy to be home.
After the service ended, everyone wanted to speak to Jeremy. Lottie pushed her way to the front of the line. "Oh, my precious boy! I was just destroyed when I heard the awful news. I love you, Jeremy." She gave him a huge hug. She cried her eyes out. "It's okay, Lottie. I'm alright. I'm sorry you and everyone else has had such a terrible scare." Lottie dried her tears. "It's okay, sweetheart. You couldn't help what happened.
Candy was holding on to Jeremy's arm. She was never going to let go of him again. "I love you with all of my heart, Jeremy. I lost my mind when I thought you were dead." "I love you, Candy with all of my being. I don't want us to ever be apart." Jeremy said tenderly.
"What happened, Jeremy? How did you survive the stagecoach accident?" Jason wanted to know. "I was thrown off the stage by robbers. One of them stole the bank deposit and my papers to get into Captain Harmon's meeting. The robbers got on the stage and left me behind. One of them knocked me out. When I woke up, I had amnesia. I didn't know who I was until I heard you talking about me as a kid at the church." He explained.
"I'm very sorry for the families of the people who were killed in the accident, but that robbery was a blessing in disguise for us." Joshua said. "It sure was Josh! And Jeremy, I'm gonna tell you something right here in front of half of Seattle, something I told your brothers that I wished I had said to you the other night when I took them that horrible telegram. And I thank The Good Lord that I have the chance to say it ro you, I love you, Jeremy!" Ben said choking back tears.
Jeremy looked down at his boots for a moment. Then he looked at Ben smiling, "I love you too, Ben."
They hugged briefly. "Come here, brother!" Jason's heart was so full, he could hardly speak. "You too, Josh!"
The three brothers clung to each other crying like babies. Everyone left except Candy and Lottie to give the Bolts some privacy. The two ladies sat several rows back from the front to give the men their space.
When the brothers were ready to leave, they escorted the ladies to Lottie's. They had a wonderful lunch. No one had hardly eaten for the past several days because they were heartbroken thinking that Jeremy was gone. Now they ate and drank and talked and laughed until late in the afternoon. Most of the people in Seattle were there and they joined in on the festivities.
When the celebration ended, Jeremy walked Candy home to the dormitory. "Jeremy, I hate that we have to be apart tonight. I can't wait until we get married and we say good night and fall asleep in each other's arms. I love you, Jeremy. I can't explain how devastated I was when I thought you were dead. I couldn't think, I couldn't move or breathe. All I could do was cry and scream. The doctor had to keep me medicated. But you're here now and you're fine. We are so very blessed, Jeremy. I love you."
"I love you, Candy." Jeremy gave her a hard passionate kiss on her mouth. I wish we didn't have to be apart at night either. Good night. Pleasant dreams." He squeezed her tightly.
"Pleasant dreams to you too. See you tomorrow." Candy said softly.
Jeremy and his brothers went to bed when he got home. All of them were exhausted. Before they fell asleep, they said good night and I love you.
Jason cried again and apologized. "I can't help it, we are so blessed to have your back, Jeremy. It is a miracle that Josh and I will thank The Good Lord for from now on. We got our baby brother back."
The Bolt brothers went to sleep, and they slept like logs.
The next morning, Jason and Joshua had the unusual task of filling in an empty grave. They left early to complete the task before going to took the day off. He had something impotent to do.
Jeremy and Candy went on a picnic at lunch. She prepared his favorites, fried chicken and chocolate cake. They went to a new spot. It was a lovely little stream high on the mountain with green grass and oak trees. After the meal. Jeremy was lying with his head in Candy's lap. She was running her fingers through his hair. He was twirling strands of her hair around his fingers. They didn't speak for awhile. They enjoyed just being together.
Jeremy broke the silence after a while. He sat up and said, "Candy, may I ask you a question?"
"Yes, certainly. Jeremy. What is it?" She asked as she started munching on a drumstick."You want another piece of chicken?"
Jeremy smiled. "No thanks. Maybe later. Will you put that down for a minute, please?"
"I'm almost finished with it. It won't take me a minute." Candy replied.
"Okay, I'll wait." He told her. Candy shrugged wondering why Jeremy couldn't talk while she ate.
When she finished her chicken, she asked him, "what do you want to ask me?"
Jeremy got on one knee. He took her hand in his and gazed deeply into her eyes. "Candy, I love you. I want you to be my wife. Will you marry me?"
"Oh, Jeremy! Yes! I love you. I am so happy." Candy's eyes sparkled with tears.
Jeremy's voice was husky. "I love you, Candy. I will make you happy for the rest of our lives.
The End
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