Winter's Refuge
Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Nine
JED 'KID' CURRY
With Heyes next to me, I felt better able to ignore the negative things I was feelin' about myself.
"You're doing real good, Kid," he said. Can't remember when we weren't partners. Don't think I was ever punished when my cousin praised me and it don't cause me to feel bad now.
Today it gave me the strength to see the positive in what I'd done. "Can't stop now," I told him and stood up to speak.
"Got another proposal," I told the men in the room.
I heard Rod Williams say, "What now?" in a resigned voice.
I ignored his comment but knew it would bother me later. Now I said, "I propose that this money committee meetings are public, and the first one is held tomorrow." I know that if it's not held soon, I'll find a reason not to go.
Before I could call for a vote, Fred Birde had stood up and was talkin'.
"I propose that the monetary committee becomes the leadership committee of Three Birds Town Council with Jed Curry and Hannibal Heyes as the co-leaders."
The room broke out in cheers. Frank yelled over the noise, "I second the motion. All in favor say aye!" Loud clappin' and enthusiastic 'ayes' filled my head, and I was scared. I don't deserve a place on the Town Council, much less to be on the executive committee..
Alarmed, I looked at Heyes, but he didn't look too happy neither. I held up my hands for quiet and Frank yelled, "QUIET!" And I realized he was watchin' me closely to see if I could handle this. "Go ahead, Jed," he said when the noise had stopped.
Those few seconds had given me time to think a bit. Aiden would tell me to see this as a positive, although I sure don't feel like it now. But I had an idea. If me and Heyes was forced to do this, I wanted to make sure we had the support we needed. Frank must have guessed what I was gonna do. He pointed to himself and shook his head. I understood he didn't want to be included. Later he told me, "One Birde is enough, and you got Jeff, the best of all of us."
I said, "Thank you for your confidence but I have a codicil to add before me and Heyes accept this. We have Mr. Robinson on the committee to take care of our town money. I want to add two more people - Dr. Aiden Arden, who takes care of our health, and Father Patrick, who takes care of our souls."
"All in favor say aye," Frank yelled over the talkin' in the room. Again, everyone clapped as they said "aye." Even Mr. Brewster stood and clapped, although I noticed his friends had left.
Jeff held up his hands. "The 'ayes' have it. I declare this meeting closed. Everyone is invited to observe the first meeting of the new executive committee tomorrow."
And just like that it was over. Seemed like every man in the room wanted to slap me on the back and congratulate me. Their words were overwhelmin' me.
"Good job, Mr. Curry."
"Exactly the outcome I was hoping for!"
"Heyes and you are the saviors of this town!"
"Great additions you suggested to the board."
"Always knew you were our town hero since I saw you at Crenshaw's barn raising."
"Like the way you think, Jed."
"You know I'll come tomorrow to listen to what else you have to say."
Fear rose inside me. Then guilt that I hadn't earned the good things they were sayin'. And fear from somewhere. I've learned to recognize the fear. I started to deny everything they were sayin'.
"Wasn't nothin'."
"Ain't no savior."
"Didn't do anything special."
"Nothin' you wouldn't have suggested."
I needed them to understand that I was no hero, no savior. I was scared. And a new guilt came because I was supposed to respond positively but I'm not. I can't. My guilt was turnin' into depression. I wanted to run but didn't see an openin'. I have to get out of here. Can't see Heyes anywhere near. I looked for Aiden or Father Patrick, but they were in the midst of the men bein' congratulated themselves.
I thought I was rude when I pushed through the men to the door, but afterwards nobody mentioned it. Outside I took a deep breath to calm myself, but it made things worse. I could hear footsteps behind me…why were they chasin' me? I just want to be alone. Stoppin', I put my hands on my knees and as sadness took over my thoughts, my legs started shakin', my ankle hurt and my head was poundin'.
"Jed, I was lookin' for you. Proud of what you did in there," Aiden said, still several yards behind me.
"Nothin' to be proud of. Nothin' at all." I limped into the street, tryin' to run and headed to his office door and my room there where I could find solitude. Each step hurt my ankle more, but I didn't care. I embarrassed myself tonight.
"Jed, stop!" Aiden yelled from behind me, but I just kept goin'.
I pulled open the front door and went straight to my room. I didn't light the lamp. I sat in the chair by the window, put my pulsin' head in my hands, and started cryin'. Glad I got here before the tears really started to come.
In the dark, I heard Aiden's voice comin' from the doorway. "Jed, that you?" Heyes walked into the room behind him with a lit lamp.
"Heyes, Aiden, help me, please!" I begged.
Aiden took Heyes' lamp, set it down, and lit a second lamp so the small room was flooded with light. Heyes hadn't left the doorway. Now he came in and paced in a small circle.
"Heyes, sit on the bed," ordered Aiden. He did as told. I realized the meetin' had been hard for my partner, too.
"Heyes, you alright?" I asked. I need to help him…but I don't know how this time.
He looked at me with a confusion behind his eyes that I'd seen before. He had the urge to hide in his mind. I said the first thing that came to mind. "Heyes, please don't hide in your mind away from me. I need you, partner."
He turned toward me lookin' lost, but alert. "I…I didn't w…want the meeting to go that way. Worried about you."
I stood awkwardly from the chair, wishin' for the first time that my cane was near. I hopped a step before I put weight on my sore ankle. But it got me to where I wanted to be. I sat on the bed next to Heyes with my arm around his shoulder and tilted my head so it touched his. "Brought everything that happened in the meetin' on myself. My fault. Should have thought about what I was sayin'."
"That doesn't sound too positive to me, Jed," said Father Patrick from the doorway.
I hadn't heard him come in. I looked at Aiden. "Sounds like your blaming yourself for what others see as a very successful meeting. I'm excited to see what Three Birds will become with your changes."
I left my arm around Heyes but looked down thinkin'. "It was too much, them all sayin' that I did good at the same time. I wanted to hide. Wanted to ask for help but couldn't find any of you or Frank."
Aiden smiled. "Frank left as soon as the last vote was final. He's got to break the news to Miss Beverly that she's a member of the Town Council."
A thought struck me. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble for Frank and Miss Beverly." And I felt guilt over that added to what I was carryin'.
"Jed, let that guilt go, right now…and all the guilt you're feeling over what you said in the meeting. You did very good, Jed. Your proposals will shape Three Birds for years to come." He looked me right in the eyes. "And I want to hear your POSITIVE response to what I just said.
I gave him a defiant look and almost gave him a defiant answer, but Heyes elbowed me. That made me think. "A positive one don't come to mind, so I'm askin' you all to help me. I need help now. I know it.
HEYES
Me and the Kid sat up and talked to Aiden and Father Patrick until the sun was coming up. I knew Aiden was good at getting to the bottom of a problem, but Father Patrick is even better. He had a sneaky quiet way of getting you to talk about what's in your heart. No wonder Luke confided in him and became a priest himself. He even got me to admit…well, maybe confess is the better word since he's a priest, that I don't want to be a leader of Three Birds. I'm very happy being the Operations Manager of Phoenix, and oh do I have so many ideas and plans in my head that I want to talk over with the Kid. That's enough for me. But the idea that there are five of us on this committee feels right. And sometime while talking tonight, I recognized that I was still healing like the Kid, but I'm confident we're both going to be alright if we are honest with each other.
We talked about today's meeting of the new Town Council and how it was closed to all but town council members. The old members included Fritz, Frank, Fred and Jeff Birde but Fritz had turned down the invite for this meeting saying he wasn't in Three Birds enough to be on the committee. The other former member that said no was Mr. Bremerton, he was happy living with his daughter and had no desire to return to this town. The three rich ranchers. Brewster, Schenk and Williams were returnees to the committee as were Mr. Dwyer and Robinson. Aiden and Father Patrick had been included sometimes when their input might be vital. With the ranchers involved it was no wonder Jeff didn't get much support even with Shaw. Shaw had been no real threat to the ranchers. There were no farmers on that town council.
Our new group included me, the Kid and Ken, Chris Gabe, Brian and Scott Birde, y Kolmand and Mr. Crenshaw. And if she agrees Miss Beverly Birde.
That's a large group so we discussed why the smaller executive team had been formed. Me. the Kid, Robinson and Jeff are the ones that will receive the reward money. I want to make sure it does not go to something like a stockyard and bribes to railroad owners. It's to help all the people of Three Birds. And with Aiden and Father Patrick added to this small group, I think we can do a lot of good.
About two a.m., Ajay started crying and fussing and when Miss Denise got up to take care of him, she found us all in that little bedroom still talking. When her efforts to get us to retire for the night failed, she moved us to the kitchen table, made coffee, dropped a plate of sweet rolls and cheese in the center of the table, and went to bed, shaking her head at us.
In the bedroom, when the Kid stood up to move to the kitchen, Aiden saw him stumble on his sore ankle. "Sit back down. Where's your cane?" It sounded more like the doctor was scolding than asking.
"Lost it somewhere durin' the meetin'," the Kid answered with a smile. That let me know he sure wasn't feeling bad about not using that cane.
"Humph," Aiden said as he marched out of there and was right back with another cane. "Use this one but let me see that ankle first. It looks swollen. Hurt?"
A sparkle appeared in the Kid's eyes. "Yes," he answered. "That positive enough?"
We all laughed and at the kitchen table Aiden set a chair up, so the Kid's ankle was raised.
When we finished talking about how the meeting made us feel and why it wasn't a good experience, we were convinced that we had done a good thing, especially the Kid. But Father Patrick pointed out that it was a tentative hold on the positive and he wanted to talk about the next meeting.
So, the next three hours we talked about the first meeting of the executive leadership team of the town council. We decided we like the word team better than committee. Without Jeff or Robinson here, we didn't want to discuss too much without them. Me and the Kid didn't know much about the three ranchers, but Father Patrick said they were large contributors to his church, although they seldom set foot inside it. He'd never thought of them as friends of each other, more competitors. Worked out well for the church because each wanted to be the largest supporter.
"I must confess to you three because it wasn't being a good Christian, but I gloated and almost cheered out loud when Mr. Robinson announced that Phoenix was bigger than Rod Williams' Running Wild Ranch. I try to love all people, but I do not like that man," Father Patrick said.
Realizing that we were all too tired to stay up, Aiden suggested I stay in the upstairs bedroom, and he would help Jed and Father get settled for the night. I didn't realize it, but he was still giving them something for pain at night.
We went to sleep about the time the sun was just starting to make the sky a light orange with me and the Kid had learned ways to cope with what happened at the meeting, but then none of us had known what the Kid was going to propose. Not even the Kid.
ASJ*****ASJ
I slept well, very well in the upstairs bedroom and I didn't dream…not that I remember anyway. Miss Denise had breakfast hot on the stove waiting for us. I think Father Patrick and the Kid might have talked some after they went to bed in that little room but if they did, I never knew about what. I just know that my cousin had purged the demons from yesterday. That's what Father called them.
Aiden was gone making house calls, so I asked Miss Denise to tell the Kid when he woke up that I had ridden home to tell the others what was happening and bring back anyone that wanted to listen to the meeting this afternoon.
JED 'KID' CURRY
Talkin' with Aiden and Father Patrick and Heyes last night was the support I needed. I did tell them that I was thankful they were all willin' to help me. Thought that was a pretty positive thing to say.
Heyes surprised me, though. In public, he was always the more outspoken leader between us two. The gang thought of me as the enforcer. I'd always considered myself more the defender. Heyes thought up the ideas, but the final plan was a combination of the two of us. And we were happy that way. Now Heyes prefers to use his ideas for Phoenix and he's pushin' me to be the leader of this team. Can't do that without the support of everyone on the team. Father Patrick made me see tonight that it's not a bad thing to say 'no'. Somethin' I rarely say except when my kids are doin' somethin' where they might get hurt. My new goal is to say 'no' to someone at least once a day.
Heyes went home to Phoenix in the mornin'. He said it was to let everyone know what's goin' on, but I think Heyes has learned to draw strength and comfort from what we built. He brought back Chrissy, Angie, and Juan to come to the meetin'.
The meetin' was in the same new schoolroom as yesterday, but today when me and Jeff got there, someone had set up a big table for the six of us - me, Heyes, Jeff, Mr. Robinson, Aiden, and Father Patrick. We will be facin' the rest of the room where there were a lot of mismatched chairs set up in a haphazard manner, with large spaces in between like they had just been pushed into the room. Made me nervous just to look at that table and the number of chairs. I didn't think many people would be interested in listening to this small group.
Jeff must have been thinkin' the same thing because he said, "Just pretend it's just us and no one watching. Propose whatever you want; I've got your back."
Robinson clapped his hands and got everyone's attention. But then he looked to me to talk. Rememberin' what Father Patrick told me last night when we talked before sleepin', I looked at it like a gunfight. I refused to panic. I took a deep breath and calmed my heart. That focused me on what I wanted to say and not all the people lookin' to me to lead them. But I hadn't thought of how to start a meetin'.
Heyes had, though. With his wide, fake smile on his face, he stood up. "Welcome! Welcome! So glad to see you all. Please find a seat." He spoke to the crowd, but his eyes were on Angie. "If you have any questions or suggestions about how to spend the reward money or things to consider for the next full council meeting, we want to hear them, but please hold them for the end."
Most people waved or said, "Hi," as they came in. Seemed like all of Three Birds and the surroundin' area was here.
I felt a tap on the back of my shoulder when I turned around, Miss Beverly gave me a hug. "Dear boy, I always thought you were something special for the moment I met you. You're right where you're supposed to be. Thank you for including me on the Town Council. Means so much to me that you recognize women are a part of this town."
"Seems to me the quality of the towns me and Heyes been in always depended on the women havin' a say," I answered. Was that positive I asked myself? I didn't have time to think it through because the three ranchers from yesterday stomped in and sat in the closest seats. I felt like I was gettin' ready for a fight, and I was glad I had backup.
Mr. Kolmand and Miss Duhamel came in and pulled two chairs together and forced themselves between Horton Brewster and Daniel Schenk, who gave them annoyed looks. On the other side of Brewster, Mr. Crenshaw pulled his chair up between Brewster and Williams. "How are you two men doing today?"
I saw Father Patrick's amused look at the forced separation of the ranchers. "While everyone is finding a seat, I do have a question. Does anyone know where the Pokora family is? Anyone been in contact with them?" he asked.
"Father Patrick?" called a man from near the back.
"Who's that talking? Can't see you through the crowd." The priest tried to identify the man who had called him. I couldn't tell either.
"Father, it's Bert Zeigler. We have the farm on the other side of the Pokora land. Our kids are friends. My oldest daughter got a letter from their son. They're with their uncle and aunt 'bout a hundred miles north of here. Family's pretty torn up the way their grandmother was killed."
I only met the Pokoras a couple of times when the pa brought somethin' to my blacksmith shop to repair. I just remember that the two of their kids I met were real polite.
I took a deep breath. And stood to start the meetin', but Aiden was already talkin'. "Welcome. Like Mr. Heyes said, we'll ask that you hold your questions until the end…or if we ask for your input. What we're doing is today is preparing an agenda for our next Town Council Meeting on Saturday. We'll discuss uses for the reward money if time permits. Right now, I'd like to turn the meeting over to Mr. Curry.
And that was me. We had talked about a couple of things last night that I want to bring up so I'd be prepared, but before I opened my mouth, Brewster, Williams, and Schenk stood up. "We have no intention of sitting through a long boring meeting. We want the railroad spur and a stockyard in Three Birds on your agenda with funding from the reward money."
I was caught off-guard. I thought this was settled yesterday. I looked at Heyes, then Jeff, who winked at me and addressed the room. "This topic was broached last night. I'm asking the people in attendance, who is in favor of a stockyard in Three Birds?"
Three ayes came from the ranchers. They looked around, startin' to get uncomfortable.
"Those who do not want a stockyard here say nay," Jeff instructed.
A chorus of nays filled the room. That was followed by loud comments from the ranchers. Any reticence I felt about leadin' this meetin' disappeared. Angry, I walked around the table and took my gunfighter's stance. "Mr. Brewster, Mr. Williams, Mr. Schenk, I'm not even sure your ranches make you part of Three Birds," I started, and the room was quiet. I knew they were all lookin' at me. And I didn't care. I focused on what I needed to do. "We have been neighborly and tolerated you in our meetings but now I'm askin' you to leave."
"Curry, you have no right to…" started Schenk. I thought he was gonna take a step toward me, but the look on my face must have discouraged him.
"I have every right to. The words that you and your friends just yelled into this room were inappropriate, dirty. My wife and Heyes' wife, along with a lot of other good Christian women, are in this room. This is a proper civic meetin' of Three Birds and I will not tolerate that language."
Williams and Scheck walked from the room quickly. Brewster followed with a mumbled, "Sorry, ma'am," as he passed Miss Denise.
I knew I had to say somethin', anything to break the silence in the room, so I said the first thing that came to mind. In the same tone I'd been usin' for the ranchers, I said, "Everyone in favor of askin' the stage line to come here every week instead of twice a month say aye."
I heard the room take a collective breath before all yellin', "AYE!" I caught Chrissy's eyes, and they were smilin' so I know I'd done good.
"Alright let's get this meeting properly started," Robinson said and pointed to the chairs behind the table facin' the townspeople. Whoever set it up even left an opening without a chair for Jeff.
"Handled that well, Mr. Curry," Robinson told me.
As I walked to take my place, Aiden whispered, "Well done, Jed! What are you thinkin' right now?" The people were pulling their chairs closer to the main table and gettin' settled
I'm used to this question but not when there were so many people around. But I've come to realize that he asks at times I might feel overwhelmed, so I give it proper attention. I put my arm around his shoulder and whispered, "Feel good, Aiden. Doin' real good. Why are you smilin' like that?"
"You took praise without deflecting it. What you did was very much in character. You stood up for the town against the ranchers and then defended the women of this town. Now you have to accept that people are going to look at you as a leader…and protector. Can you accept that?"
"Workin' on it."
HEYES
The Kid did very good. And that allowed me to be quiet and watch the people listening to us. Father Patrick finished the meeting with a prayer for those leading our town. After the Kid and Father Patrick walked back to Aiden's, me, Jeff, and Robinson followed. We sat around that kitchen table, but no one talked.
Finally, Father said, "Thought that went quite well after a rocky start."
"Jed handled it very well!" Jeff added with a smile. "We need to make a list of the things we decided to take to the whole Town Council. All except one are Jed's suggestions."
I was going to volunteer to write them down, but the Kid would just make a comment about my unreadable scrawl. But the Kid was already busy writing. "Here's what I remember," he said.
"Stage comes every week instead of twice a month.
Extend the wooden sidewalk further east.
I'm addin' this one: Reward money should be put in the bank here and used as we decide.
The Town Council should hire Arnie as full telegrapher operator and postmaster. He'll make money with the telegrams, but we should pay him out of the reward money for the postmaster part.
Part time deputy to help Frank. Paid from reward money?
Finish school room and resume classes next week.
Career day at the school."
"It was a productive meeting, and I'm not sure this team needs to meet again until the reward money becomes a reality," said Aiden.
"Kid, you forgot to add your 'community fix-up day' to the list," I added.
"Wasn't sure just what we'd vote on for that. I just thought that we'd have a monthly Fix-Up Day where we get together and help fix up someone needy's place, like widow Mrs. Kirk's or the school. Kinda like a barn raisin'. It'd be a social event with food and dance later. Maybe the supplies come from the Town Council. Want to teach our kids to help their neighbors.
Father Patrick nodded. "I'm guessing the Pokora's house needs a refreshing to make it back into a home. Or maybe it needs to be razed and rebuilt to purge the memory of what happened there. If we get word they are coming back, it could be our first project."
ASJ*****ASJ
"Heyes, I told Aiden I think I'm ready to go home but he said no. Said he wants me to start practicin' my shootin' under his supervision before he releases me. I think he's right," the Kid told me the next day when we were putting the finishing touches on the new schoolroom. Unless you knew it, you wouldn't know it had been a saloon.
"Partner, we're all looking forward to having you home…lot of work waiting for you to do," I answered, and I got the laugh I wanted from him.
"How about we take all our kids and go to Solteria for a few weeks?' he asked. "And I got a suggestion just for our families. Was thinkin' about it when Mr. Tracye and his boy came to see me when I was…was…well, you know." He gave me a sheepish smile. "I appreciate what you all did for me, in case I haven't told you."
I was going to say 'forget it', but I've been working on the positive thing that Aiden taught the Kid. And it does help. Instead, I asked, "What were you thinking about for the Trayces?"
"This Christmas I'd like to do somethin' nice for them. Like have them to Phoenix for supper and, while they're here, leave a bag of presents from Santa in their barn so they don't know where they came from. Want to teach the kids about helpin' others without expectin' even a thank you in return. Am I crazy, Heyes?"
"No, I think that kind heart you had when you were young has returned. And I'm all for the Curry/Heyes family helping others. Lot of people helped us all our lives."