Never be Afraid to Fail

Challenge May 2024

Part of Winter's Refuge Universe

Note: The story of the triumvirate is found in chapter 37 of Winter's Refuge

Marina Ortiz, matriarch of the family at Winter's Refuge, turned the yellowed envelope over and studied it before she opened it carefully. Her once long black hair was thinning and frosted with silver now. She smiled as she read the words of an old friend long gone. She read it again before she called in her sons, Paul and Rudy. Paul and his wife now ran Winter's Refuge and were raising their two sons to know all about the horses. Rudy, her college graduate son, and his wife, Domenicia, lived in Cheyenne where he was a successful accountant and money manager for many members of the Wyoming Cattlemen's Association.

Rudy looked over Paul's shoulder as he read the letter that started:

Dearest Jose and Marina,

When you receive this letter, I will have passed ten years ago. Laz and Martha left this world too early, leaving us and their children to mourn them. By now the next generation knows who we were, The triumvirate, the establishing leaders of the Devil's Hole Gang. If they don't, please tell them about our lives and great successes…

When they finished their silent reading, the two men, her boys as she still thought of them, hugged her tightly. "Never knew that the triumvirate was so brave."

"He's right when he said, "It was the hardest leap we ever took in our life and we didn't know where we would end up." Read the letter again, if you want to, and then send it to Chrissy at Phoenix. Put a paper around it that says she must read it together with Beverly, then share it with Juan."

ASJ*****ASJ

Juan had picked up the mail in Three Birds and noticed the letter from Winter's Refuge in his brother Paul's writing address to Mrs. Christina Curry. He figured Paul was writing about the upcoming breeding calendar. They had discussed sending two of their mares to Winter's Refuge to get pregnant by their studs to keep the lines strong.

Chrissy sat at the kitchen table and read the paper wrapped around the inside envelope. She could tell the enclosed letter was old. Making a decision, she asked Auntie to watch all her kids and saddled Spring's Moirai.

"Going to ride and visit Beverly Birde," she told Heyes, when he came out of his office.

"Want company? The Kid and me need to see Frank," he asked.

"No, just a ladies visit," she answered, preoccupied with what might be in the letter.

ASJ*****ASJ

Sitting around a small table in the Birde's kitchen with their chairs pushed close together, the two women read the letter.

By now the next generation knows who we were, The triumvirate, the establishing leaders of the Devil's Hole Gang. If they don't, please tell them about our lives and great successes…and also the hardest leap we ever took in our life and we didn't know where we would end. Foolishly, we applied to the governor's office for amnesty, but never heard a word from the capital. So, when one job turned into a windfall, we decided to stop robbing banks and trains and go straight without waiting for amnesty.

I envisioned a better life, a life without fear for my daughter Beverly. I think I have been successful at that. Her stepmother was a warm, wonderful woman. I told her my past the night before we wed but she didn't care. She died too young. Beverly should have inherited the First Bank of Wish when I passed.

What I want Beverly, and Laz and Martha's children, and your children, Jose and Marina, to know is to don't not do something because you're afraid. We were afraid to become outlaws and that turned out to be pretty profitable. But the hardest decision was to go straight. There were so many obstacles in our way. Although the only name of the triumvirate that was known was a first name, Jose, many people saw us during our robberies…not to mention the other Devil's Hole gang members. Any of us could have been recognized and gone to prison at any time. It was hard to leave the safety and shelter of Devil's Hole.

So, here's my advice to our children and children's children, never be afraid to fail. If you're scared to fail, you'll never grow, never spread your wings, never reach your dreams. If we had let the fear of failing stop us, we would have died outlaws in Devil's Hole.

Laz, Martha, Jose, Marina, and me…we had a friendship for the ages. I wish that our children find that same friendship in each other.

I wish a life of happiness and friendship to each of you. And Beverly, you were the light of my life, never let fear change you. I love you.

Mel MacGarson

Beverly and Chrissy were sobbing and holding onto each other when they finished reading the letter. Chrissy folded it carefully and put it back into the envelope. "Juan needs to read it. Then, you put it away for Junior to read one day," Chrissy said through her tears.

Beverly answered quietly, "Yes, dear. At first, I was afraid to tell Frank the truth about my pa. And when I did, turns out he had suspicions of his own and didn't care. If I'd let my fear win and not told him, it would have always been something between us in our marriage."