Winter's Refuge
Chapter One Hundred Eighty-Two
HEYES
The Kid and Juan boarded up the hall. We all gathered in the living room and kitchen…except Rocky was set up at the Josephs' place. Ken was a decorated US Marshal so Colin shouldn't have any objection. Still, the Kid and I decided we'd telegram Colin the next day and let him know.
Juan's house was untouched, and Vince moved to their spare bedroom. All the glass windows had blown in and many hands cleaned up the broken pieces and the openings were covered. We all talked it out. Me and Angie and our little ones will take the larger of the downstairs bedrooms until the upstairs is livable. Auntie will take the other while we work on rebuilding Phoenix and repair Auntie's home. The Currys will sleep in the living room tonight. That was easy to decide. How to rebuild was harder; everyone had their own ideas. Angie sat on the couch, her splinted leg outstretched in front of her. Martha had made some changes to the splint to immobilize her leg better and be more comfortable.
Chrissy's head wound worried me more. Auntie cleaned it well. Michael and Martha both have rebandaged it but it's still bleeding some. But it's become evident to all of us that it needs stitches. They both still visit Aiden's office after school most days and they've learned a lot.
"I've never stitched a wound before," lamented Auntie. "Always had a doctor nearby."
"I will wait for Good Doctor to come," Chrissy asserted.
"I'll do it," Michael spoke up.
The Kid was about to say 'no' when Chrissy said, "Yes, Michael, you do it and Martha shall help you."
This togetherness and comfort is what family is all about. And this is the family the Kid built.
JED 'KID' CURRY
Everyone had finally fallen asleep with blankets, quilts, and pillows in the livin' room. I wanted to make sure the upstairs wasn't damaged before anyone went up there except me and Heyes; we had to get bedding…and diapers. Tomorrow in the light we'll check it all over.
I was up first and untangled myself from my wife's arms before I got up. I checked the bandage on her head and was relieved there was no blood. Still I want the doctor to look at it. I put it the coffee left in the pot on to reheat as I looked at my family. "Thank you, Lord, for keepin' them all safe," I whispered.
But there was one more I needed to check on. The front door was unstable, hangin' from one hinge, so I went out the kitchen door…and looked up at Trinity Rose Hill. I saw nothin' but downed trees and broken pieces of furniture. Many of our chickens were runnin' loose in the backyard.
Slowly, I worked my way up the hill, movin' trees and sloshin' through mud and leaves. High up in a tree I found Daisy, Martha's old doll that had been passed down to her sisters and now Nettie insists on sleepin' with her. I stood on a fallen tree trunk to reach her. Except for bein' wet, she was remarkably unharmed. And then I held back tears thinkin' it might have been Nettie in that tree, if it hadn't been for Rocky. With all the fallen trees and wreckage, fragments of people's homes and lives, I couldn't see the gravesite or the rose bushes we had planted. They must be under all this stuff. I planned to dig it out and set it to right before I went back down. Chrissy will have to order more rose bushes.
As I made a wide circle around another fallen tree I saw it. The gravestone with the surrounding rose bushes and the low white fence we had built around them were standin' there untouched, except for a few more leaves on the ground. I've heard tornados do that. Destroy one buildin' and leave the next one untouched. This simple gravesite in the mornin' sun made me smile. I stood next to my daughter's grave, talkin' to her for a while, and realized that Heyes was standin' next to me.
"Figured you'd come up here and check on her," he said. "Thought maybe I could help you clean up, but I guess I ain't needed."
"Always need your support, partner. Thanks."
ASJ*ASJ
Heyes with Ken and Vince stayed at Phoenix to start the clean-up efforts. Me and Juan rode into Three Birds, stoppin' at the small farms and houses along the side roads.
Mrs. Kirk was our first stop. I know she lives alone. As we rode up, her house looked intact, but her barn and chicken coop were in tatters. Her cows were tied to the horse rail in front of the house. She was tryin' to catch her chickens and goats…and not succeedin'. After we made sure she was alright and persuaded her to go inside and sit down, as she was breathin' heavy and her cheeks were red, I sent Juan back to Phoenix to bring Michael or Martha back here to help her. While they were gone, I made a very sloppy lookin' enclosure for the goats out of whatever scraps of wood I could find. I was makin' a makeshift lean-to off her house for the chickens when he returned with Martha and Joy in front of him on Spring's Joy. And Martha was holdin' a roll of chicken wire.
"Heyes'll send someone for them in a couple of hours," Juan told me as he helped them down. He looked around. "Think it would be better if we used this wire and made a small coup right where the old one was."
I smiled and nodded and started to tear off the boards I just nailed up. "Good idea. Why don't you finish it up and meet me in town. Gonna stop by the Crenshaws and the Pokoras on the way."
HEYES
Our barn was standing, but the roof was gone, just like it had been a piece of paper and blown away. The stable and the remaining horses were fine but spooked. Keeping them in the small corral, me and Vince checked over the stable thoroughly. It was untouched except for the holes scared horses kicked in their stall, even the roof was clean of the leaves and debris we were finding everywhere.
Most of our chickens survived but all were all upset. Michael and Martha helped Joy and Ruth Ann catch them. I stopped working to watch my Nettie try to help them. She laughed with glee when she got near one and it ran, staying just out of her reach. Another of Preacher's blessings he said I have, Nettie's laugh today. I could have lost her so easily last night. Our chickens had been pretty well rounded up when Juan returned and asked for help at Mrs. Kirk's. Martha volunteered and Joy wanted to go, too. I know they were both thinking about the sweets and breads the lady makes. And she needs the eggs from those chickens to do it.
Ruth Ann pouted when Chrissy said she couldn't go help. I understand, she's headstrong. Here, Ruth Ann always has someone near watching her. There it would be harder..
Turns out Vince is very handy with a hammer and nails. He doesn't talk much but today I learned he was apprenticed to his uncle, a carpenter and builder, when he was twelve. He hated the work and ran away when he was eighteen to become an outlaw, but ended up drifting between cattle drives and ranch work until he found a home here. That's what he told me today. He's happy he's found a home at Phoenix.
JED 'KID' CURRY
"Knew the president of our Town Council would be around to check on us," Mr. Crenshaw said sadly as I rode up. "We're good, Jed. No damage at all, but nature sure put the fear of God in us last night. The Pokora family weren't as lucky."
"Pa, Ma says food will be ready for you in ten minutes," one of the Crenshaw boys yelled from the front door. And I took a good look at Mr. Crenshaw. He was tired and covered in soot.
"The Pokoras?" I asked.
"Tornado took all the outbuildings and the roof of the house and moved quickly. They would have been alright, but a lamp must have fallen over. You'd think the rain would have put any fire out, but it didn't. Without a roof, that twister took the fire and swirled it through the house. It engulfed the two kids sleeping in the back bedroom. We found their bodies in the river not far from the house." He stopped to take an apple from his son.
I felt sick to my stomach. The Pokora family seemed to attract tragedy. And to lose their two kids made me unimaginably sad.
"We're heading back over there soon as the missus makes us some food to eat on the way. Found Mr. Pokora in the yard between the house and the barn with pieces of wood through him like spears. He was dead when we found him. We ain't found his wife or his oldest girl, Eleanor, yet…"
"Oh no, Eleanor," I said. "Arnie's Eleanor. Their wedding is soon. The ladies of Phoenix have talked about little else lately. I'll go with you and help you search."
Mr. Crenshaw smiled sadly. "You go on to Three Birds. We got this covered. Ain't holding out much hope, but me and my boys will keep looking…and hoping. Maybe wait to talk to Arnie until we know something."'
ASJ*ASJ
Back on the main road, my heart fell even further when, in the distance, I could see the wreckage of the Kolmand's new house. It was swept off its foundation by almost three feet. As I got closer, I saw, like a lot of the buildings around here, all the windows were blown out. I urged Winter's Glory to go faster, afraid of what I was gonna find, but hopin' I could help. But when I got there, everything was quiet, calm. I jumped off my horse and ran to the house. I didn't find anyone, but I did see the neatly lettered note tacked to the front door. "House unsafe. Do not enter. Find Kolmands in Three Birds."
I let out the breath I didn't know I was holdin'. They were safe.
ASJ*ASJ
Three Birds was covered with debris and townsfolk were rushin' everywhere. A lot of the stores were missin' windows, and it looked like the undertaker's and the mercantile had collapsed roofs. At least here, the stores had been closed for the night and the buildings empty, so it was just a matter of repairin' or rebuildin', not rescuin'. I saw Frank walkin' slowly toward the new saloon, shakin' his head as he surveyed the town's buildings. I heard Miss Beverly's voice from the abandoned old saloon/temporary school buildin' as she waved the refugees from the nearby farms and ranches inside. "Got a doctor and food in here. Come on in."
"Jed, Frank and Mr. Robinson are looking for you. They are calling an emergency meeting of the Town Council," she called from the sidewalk. "Doc Arden is in here, but he'll come, and I'll be there. Jeff's around here somewhere…I think. Don't think I've seen him today. How's everyone at Phoenix?"
"Will need Aiden to come out when he has time. Angie's leg is broken, and Chrissy has a nasty cut on her head. We fixed them up the best we can."
As she hurried back inside the building, she answered, "I'll tell the doc and Denise. She's setting a schedule where he needs to go."
But what she said first worried me. Just where was Jeff? Leavin' Winter's Glory tied in front of the Assay Shop, I looked for him. "Gabe, do you know where Jeff is?" I asked Jeff's brother, while holdin' a board up so he could nail it over a broken window.
"Haven't seen him," Gabe answered, suddenly worried.
"When was the last time you saw him?" I asked.
"I left the mercantile early last night. He was going to close up. No one has seen him?"
Looking at the mercantile with the broken windows and caved in roof, I asked, "Think he might have worked late?"
Not waitin' for him to answer, I ran down the sidewalk and started pushin' through broken glass and front wooden door and window frames. I realized it was a tree that had brought down the roof. But there hadn't been a tree near the front of the mercantile. The tornado had dropped it in its travels.
"I'll go around back. His office is there," Gabe told me, as he headed down the alley.
I pulled what I could into the street. "Jeff? Jeff? It's Jed. If you can hear me, make noise."
Gabe ran in back of me. "Can't get to the back through the alley. It's blocked. Have to go around the other way," he yelled as he passed.
When I stopped to look after him, it was quiet for a brief second and I heard a tappin', faint but there. Or did I just want to hear it? I braced my legs, groaned with effort and tried to move the tree blockin' the front door and windows. It rocked but didn't move. Steppin' back, I took a deep breath to try again.
I heard Frank's voice, "On three now, men. One. Two. Three." WIth the helpin' hands the huge tree tumbled over and over and into the street.
"What do we move next, Mr. Curry?" Arnie asked. I looked in back of me and there were four men waitin' for instructions.
"We listen," I said, puttin' my finger to my lips. I concentrated. I blocked everythin' around me out like I do in a gunfight. But this wasn't a gunfight. This was a fight for my friend's life. "Jeff, if you can hear me, make some noise," I yelled as loud as I could. And into the silence of my concentrated focus, I heard the tappin', faint but there.
"Over here," I yelled to the others diggin' through the leaves, glass, and splinters of wood to my left.
"I didn't hear anything, Jed," Frank told me, even as he was helpin' me plow through the pieces of the roof that had collapsed. When this building was built after the fire, Jeff insisted there was not second floor. I'm thankful for that now.
And then I heard it again. Tap. Tap. Tap.
"I heard it!" exclaimed Frank.
"I can hear him!" yelled Arnie.
The collapsed roof stood between me and Jeff. Liftin' a corner with my shoulder, I saw that it had knocked display shelves on the ground. And under all that, I heard tap, tap, tap.
"We're comin', Jeff. We're comin'," I said.
"Tell us when you're ready to lift," Frank told me, and I saw the men all had their hands on the largest section of roof.
"Move it as far out into the street as we can. On three." I lifted it high and with help got it into the street. As we went back into the mercantile, I heard Gabe exclaim from somewhere in the back of the store, "Oh no, oh no."
"Gabe?" I asked.
"Found Jeff's wheelchair, or pieces of it. It was crushed." he said.
The tappin' became louder, more urgent.
"Think he's buried near here. Must have got out of the wheelchair and crawled toward the exit," I told him. We worked quickly, shovin' display shelves out of the way and liftin' the ones we couldn't shove. The merchandise, includin' jars of jams and jellies, had been crushed beneath the shelves.
"Jeff?" I called.
And we saw a hand rise from the debris pushin' up, followed by Jeff's shoulders and head. Then, he disappeared down into the debris, as if it had taken all his energy. I knelt down, sinkin' into the mess with my knees, and reached Jeff's shoulders and pulled him up, but somethin' was holdin' him. He was unconscious now.
"He's caught," I said. Arnie, Frank and Mr. Trayce were diggin' around Jeff's body.
"Try now," Frank said.
"Wait, I see where he's caught," said a female voice. Eleanor Pokora was diggin' next to Arnie.
"Eleanor?" I questioned, as Jeff groaned.
"Try pullin' him now," she said.
I pulled and lifted until Jeff was in my arms.
"Take him to the doctor. He's set up in the old saloon schoolhouse," Frank directed. The others followed me.
"Eleanor, how did you get to Three Birds," I asked as I quickly walked to the makeshift hospital.
She gave Arnie a quick look. "Walked in this morning to see Arnie," she answered while he looked guilty.
ASJ*ASJ
When Jeff was settled on one of the makeshift patient cots, I went outside where Arnie and Eleanor were whisperin' to each other. I didn't know how to do this. I knew Eleanor hadn't walked into town this mornin'. Not with her family dead. She and Arnie are almost married and who was I to judge them for sharin' their love before marriage. This time it had saved her life.
"Arnie, can I talk to you alone for a moment?" I asked. I wish Heyes was here. His tongue can still be silver at times. Mine feels tied into knots.
"Sure, Mr. Curry. What do you need?" Arnie walked over to me, and I led him further away from his betrothed.
"Where were you durin' the tornado? The telegraph is workin', right?" I started.
"Yeah, it is. We…er…I was in the back room of the telegraph office, Dr Ardenm had me send a telegram late last night to his brother in Cheyenne. Lines to Denver seem to be down." he said, not lookin' at me.
"Arnie, I ain't one to say nothin' about you and Eleanor spendin' the night together before the ceremony. You know me and Chrissy's story, don't you?"
"Juan told me and Glenn when we first came here. Don't blame him, sir. He did it to explain why Mr. Heyes and Miss Chrissy have their moments," Arnie said.
"Glad he did. But Arnie, the tornado, it hit the Pokora Farm," I said and saw the look of alarm on his face.
"Her family? They're okay, right?" Arnie asked.
I shook my head. "No, I know her pa and brothers are gone. When I left, the Crenshaws were searchin' for Eleanor and her ma," I said quickly.
"I'll tell her. You knew she was lying when she said she walked in this morning, didn't you? Don't want to hurt her reputation," Arnie said as he looked sadly over at Eleanor. "She's going to want to get out there…I'll get Gabe to watch the telegraph desk."
My heart achin', I watched Arnie tell her what happened. I saw her hold tightly to him and I saw the tears they both cried. I went to the livery and rented a buggy for them. I hugged Eleanor while Arnie went and found Gabe. He was hoverin' over his older brother, Jeff. I think Aiden was glad there was somethin' else to occupy Gabe's time.
As Arnie and Eleanor were ridin' out of town, Mr. Crenshaw and his son came racin' in on their wagon. They took the last turn so fast I thought they were gonna turn over. Mr. Crenshaw stopped in front of Dr. Arden's office. Racin' over there, I saw Arnie turn the buggy around and pull up next to the Crenshaw's wagon.
"Mama!" screamed Eleanor, jumpin' down from the buggy and climbin' into the back of the Crenshaw wagon.
"Doctor's set up in the old saloon," I yelled, pointin'.
HEYES
Today I had Vince concentrate on the horses and our animals while me and Ken worked on checking out that the second floor of our house was safe. We climbed up on the roof. The tree next to the Curry children's bedroom, the one they use to climb out their window, was partially uprooted. Thankfully, it's leaning away from the house. A few good pushes and it'll fall safely. A few windows were broken and, once we were sure everything else was safe, Auntie and Mary bustled around cleaning up the glass and taking down wet curtains to wash.
Ken declared it safe for those rooms to be used again. I don't understand how a tornado can roar into part of the house and destroy it and miss other parts. The most important thing is that we are all safe…all of us, even Trinity Rose still rests in peace, undisturbed.
What to do with Fall's Destiny was another thing. The buzzards had found his body soon after the tornado cleared. Me and Ken and Vince and Michael dug a hole almost five feet deep and more than wide and long enough for his body. Chrissy had followed us to the body and covered him with a sheet from the house. She sat next to him reciting Black Beauty while we prepared his grave. I was relieved that the bandage on her head showed no blood.
Took all of us pushing and pulling to get the horse into the grave. Then, we buried him, and Michael and the little Flores boys brought rocks to cover his grave so the scavengers of the air couldn't dig to get at him. Auntie and Ruth Ann came down in our wagon for a few minutes, and we had a little ceremony. Ken said some real nice words.
And suddenly I needed to know if the tornado had hit Winter's Refuge or Porterville or Sam and the Lovelands in Bridgeport. I should have asked the Kid to send telegrams and find out. Takin' a deep breath, I thought about it logically. Bridgeport is the closest but I think they're all too far away to be affected by the same tornado that hit here.