Memory Lane
The car came to a halt right outside the Northern Pacific depot after nearly a full day of travel along dirt roads and two tracks. The older gentleman put the truck in neutral while his wife got my bag out from behind her seat. Standing up and stretching my weary back, I took the bag in hand and put my campaign back on my head where it belonged.
"Well, young man, here you are." She said with a warm smile.
"Thank you both very much. You saved me a few days of walking."
"It was no trouble, son." The man said while his wife got back into the cab of the truck. Waving, I watched them drive off into town. It had been eight years since I last set foot in Butte and it felt odd to walk around like a tourist. With bag in hand, I noted the timetable on the depot and saw that I had plenty of time to come back and get a ticket. Recalling from memory, the cheapest route would be taking the UP down to Ogden and then riding across the mountains to Denver. Between cash and a travel voucher it would be easy to arrange. But, in the meantime there were things I wanted to check in on.
As I walked down toward the creek, memories came back to me of fishing and playing with my cousin and then later my brothers when they were still kids. What was odd is that I recognized the structures even though most seemed to have a new coat of paint on them. It was as if the whole neighborhood had a new layer of makeup on, and when I started running into people it suddenly made sense. This section of town was no longer the outskirts of the city! There were still plenty of idle men standing around without work, but the truly awful conditions I had known as a child had been shoved into the surrounding hills across the creek.
That's when I saw it. The little shack that had been my home was still standing but clearly under new ownership. I hadn't thought much about selling the house back then, but now I wish I had. Riley and I would have had a lot more money to start out with. Now it seemed that the local government had gained possession and resold the property to whoever could cough up the cash.
Walking up to the gate, a young boy came waddling out from the backyard. He and I spotted each other and he ran up to the gate, looking up at my hat.
"Charlie?" A woman's voice called. She followed the toddler's trail until she saw me. "Oh… can I help you?"
I looked at her and smiled. "No, but thank you. I'm just admiring what you've done with the place."
"Thank you? We just moved in last year, do you live nearby?"
"No, not anymore." I said. "I used to live here about eight years ago. It was a wreck then, so it's nice to see someone made something of the old shack."
"I see. Now that you mention it, you do look familiar." The woman said as she picked the boy up to hold him.
"Familiar?"
"Yes, you left something behind when your family moved. We saved it just in case anyone ever came back. Wait right here and give me one moment…"
The woman disappeared back into the house and then re-emerged a minute later with something in her hand. She gave the item to me and I looked it over, immediately recognizing the photo. It was a picture from when the whole family was still alive. Well, almost everyone. Riley had yet to be born then. I was twelve or thirteen, Liam and Sean were just starting elementary school, Michael and Fredrick were off to the side next to my father and me. And then there was my mother from back in the days when she enjoyed life from time to time. Even Dad was smiling in this one. We were all in front of the house after it had been repainted and fixed up.
"Yes, that must be you right there." The woman said, placing a single finger next to my face in the photo.
"Yeah, that's me alright. I'm surprised this got left behind."
"We found it behind an old ratty mattress in one of the bedrooms." She explained. "It must have slipped back there before you left."
I nodded in agreement; it was certainly something that would have happened. "Well, I thank you for keeping track of this. I don't have a lot of photos of the family."
"Now, when you go home you can give it to your parents to put on the wall where it belongs." She said. "And tell them that my husband and I are taking good care of the house."
"I'll… I'll let them know. Thank you, ma'am." I said before stuffing the photo back into my bag.
"Did you just get back to town?" She asked, spying on the clothes in my duffel.
"Yeah, found some work up in Glacier Park. I'm on my way home now."
"Well, you best not keep your parents waiting." She said with a smile. "And I need to tend to the garden."
"I'll leave you to your work then. Thank you again." I said then parted ways. The neighborhood really had changed for the better. Satisfied, I started walking up the hill toward the mine shafts. I searched in vain to recognize a face, but there were none familiar to me. It was as if the whole generation I was a part of had disappeared. Many, I'm sure, had better lives now. Those still working were the veteran miners who had enough seniority to stay on. Everyone else must have been given the boot when the economy crashed. It was funny though, the town still seemed busy despite the Depression.
Turning the corner and walking East, I stumbled upon a scene I did not expect. The charred, broken remains of the Union Hall had crumbled into a pile but they were still present in the middle of town. Walking around to where the front of the hall once stood, I was pained with the memories of that night. I had been lucky, Fredrick had not. A plaque had been erected at the foot of the steps to nowhere, but no mention of the names of those lost could be found anywhere in the text. It occurred to me right then that this plaque wasn't so much a memorial as it was a bit of history for the curious who passed by.
"I guess we really are history now." I said to myself, shaking my head in disappointment. I saw the alley where my Uncle met his fate across the street. Realizing that I could use it as a short cut, I dodged a couple of cars and went down the dark passage, coming to the exact spot where Michael died. The wall still had divots in the brick from the bullets exchanged. Looking up and through the rest of the alley, I saw the church up on the hill. It was a Sunday morning and everyone would still be inside for mass, meaning that my real destination would be devoid of distraction.
"Hi, mom. Dad… Sean… Liam." I said, overlooking their graves. Their headstones stood in silent testament to our family's presence here years ago. A couple rows over was Michael and Fredrick.
"Well, I'm glad to see someone is taking care of the place." I said while sitting down, pulling at a dandelion and examining it. "You wouldn't believe the journey I've been on. And Riley too. We've got a family again. I have a daughter… sort of. I do love her though. Wild child just like her mother. Riley is dating the neighbor kid. Casy is a good person." I explained, hoping that somehow, they could hear me. My heart told me that they already knew, though. I just didn't have much else to talk about.
"Well, I'm going to go home now. Probably tonight or tomorrow morning." I said, standing up. I touched each of the gravestones, inspecting them for damage. Just then the church bell rang and people poured out of the building. I spotted the priest as he bid his congregation a good and holy week. Before he re-entered the church, the priest turned around and saw me up on the hill. The man immediately climbed up to the cemetery to greet me.
"Oh my, is that you, Ethan Kelly?" He said.
"Father Marcus!" I replied, shaking his hand. "Please give my complements to the groundskeeper. I'm happy to see my family is being taken care of."
"Your family isn't there, Ethan. They are in the arms of the Lord now. I'm sure of it." He said before putting a hand on my shoulder. "I have not seen you at mass for some time."
"Yes… I moved to St. Louis a few years ago."
"St. Louis! You are still attending though, right?"
"As much as I am able." I said, knowing it wouldn't be enough to satisfy him. "I just got done working for the CCC. Not too many Catholic churches out in the wilderness."
"Well, if you would like, I could help you make up for absences."
"That's very kind, Father but unfortunately, I'm going to be on a train soon. I promise that as soon as I get back to St. Louis I'll be back to church on a weekly schedule. My wife will insist upon it, as would my cou- my friend's mother insists on it."
"Good. Very good!" He said. "In that case, I won't keep you. Just know that I am thinking of you and your sister and still praying for you both."
"God has taken care of us." I said, reasoning that it was one of the few ways I could explain how I was still alive. "I'll write a letter explaining in more detail as soon as I can.
"I look forward to reading it, Ethan." He said, holding the gate open for me to pass through. "And give Riley my regards."
"I will do so, thank you."
"Oh, and if there is anything I can do to help you, please let me know."
"I'll keep that in mind." I said before continuing onward. There was one more stop to make on my tour and this one was opposite a church.
Diamonds
"What do you think of this one, Alena?" Mitzi asked as she held up an agate from the latest pile to be brought in for the university.
"Ooh, he'll like that one." Alena replied. "When is Mr. Sable done with his class for the afternoon?"
Mitzi checked her pocket watch she carried in her purse. "Right about now, I think. We better get moving."
"Yeah, I still have a lecture to get to yet today." She said as the two ladies picked up their belongings and made their way toward the geology lecture hall. Alena walked close to Mitzi. Since arriving in St. Louis, Mitzi had come to see Alena like a niece and Alena saw her now like an aunt. Both of them could feel that Viktor would be satisfied with the way things turned out. When the speakeasy closed in '28, Mitzi at first thought it was the end for her as well, but since that time she found herself with a much bigger family than she could have ever dreamed of.
She was now everyone's favorite aunt. Full of wit and stories for the little ones. Having taken some time to reflect on her own past mistakes, she now also had a fair bit of maternal advice for her boys. Rocky was still as loyal to her as ever, but since Joseph came into the picture, he sought her out more for advice than a paycheck. Ivy and Freckle, the younger ones of their family, came to her for help with finances, customer service, and a million other little things. She and Nina still didn't like each other much… for obvious reasons, but they were at least cordial the few times they had to interact directly. Perhaps Nina was noticing she was trying to build a better life that didn't involve having her son murder people?
Then, lastly, there was Ethan. He never quite treated her like an aunt, but he did treat her a bit like an older sister. If nothing else they were both good friends with the common goal of taking care of their family. It honestly hurt to see how everyone was getting on without Ethan around for the past two years. The little bit of cash he brought in was desperately needed, but it came at the sacrifice of having to leave St. Louis. Mitzi herself felt a pang of guilt at not being able to find employment for him. If she had, then he likely would have been making more money and going back home every evening.
"Which office number?" Alena asked, breaking Mitzi away from her thoughts.
"Oh, it's 328, dear." She said. "Last one on the right."
The door was open as they approached. Mitzi stood in the doorway and knocked on the threshold, getting Wick's attention.
"Mitzi! Miss. Vasko! I thought you two were out running errands?" He said, standing up and taking Mitzi into his arms, kissing her on the lips in front of Alena who stood back, not quite knowing what to think of the public affection.
"Well, someone is feeling romantic today!" Mitzi said, patting him on the chest.
"When am I not?"
"Honestly, the obsession with rocks still dampens it for me just a little bit." Mitzi said, giggling at Wick's frown. She quickly made up for it though. "But I am happy to see my man has found his passion in life."
"Almost…" He said, gesturing to the map. The two ladies looked at it.
"What's all that about?" Alena asked.
"Oh, just dreams, Miss Vasko." Wick said. "The red circles are layers of high-quality limestone and the blue circles are potential commercial properties."
"Honey, do you really think you'll be able to start up your company again?" Mitzi said, internally calculating all the hurdles.
"No. At least not yet." He said. "But this damn depression has got to end sometime, right?"
"You'd first have to find investors." Mitzi said.
"Yeah, and I would need to have a more formal plan than this."
"If you ever do, I know who'd happily accept a job." Alena added.
"Who?" Wick asked, curious about who Alena knew about.
"Ethan, of course. He was a miner, right?"
"Yes, Alena, I'd happily make Ethan my chief foreman if I could ever get back into business."
"But I think it's best to stay the course. At least for now." Mitzi said. "And speaking of Ethan, we have some great news."
"He's coming home, Mr. Sable!"
"He is?! Why that is great news! Excellent even!"
Alena then looked at the clock on the wall. "Oh, I better get going to my lecture."
"Yes, you should ma'am." Wick said. "Your father would be ecstatic to see his daughter in graduate school."
"Thanks, sir!" She said before running down the hall. "Ivy and I will find you later. She has some sort of plan for Ethan's homecoming!"
"Plan?" Wick asked. Mitzi shook her head.
"Of course she has a plan. How does that girl find time with two kids and work as a doctor?"
Wick shrugged his shoulders before locking his office. "Well, I'm free for the rest of the day. What do you say we go and have lunch?"
"That would be a great idea, Wick. And before I forget, here…" She produced the agate she found, instantly lighting up Wick's eyes.
"My god, where did you find this?"
"Over in that gravel dump the students use for studying."
"It's a magnificent specimen! I'll have to polish it up in the garage."
"Not before we spend some time together, right?"
"Right, of course. I'll put this in the office in the meantime." Wick said, fumbling for his keys and awkwardly trying to get the ancient lock to turn over. "Besides, I think I know just the place to go eat, assuming my name still carries some weight."
The two walked hand-in-hand to their car. Wick still missed having a chauffer and Mitzi missed not having to take public transport whenever Wick had the car for work, but when they were together they both enjoyed driving around the city. What wasn't so enjoyable was seeing all the poor and desperate people milling about. In many ways they were still lucky. Wick could still dress like a proper gentleman, though he traded his silk suit for tweed. Mitzi was back to wearing the modest blouses of her youth, but she still wore the necklace Atlas gave her around her neck. She still had the speakeasy and even Horatio stuck around to keep an eye on the place, but the lights over the stage hadn't been lit in years. A bottle hadn't been opened since the end of Prohibition. The alcohol they could get now was infinitely better quality than the stuff they used to ship in. Even that last batch of corn liquor was made by Ethan and Rocky. Neither of which knew much about brewing. Day to day, that necklace was her last reminder of the previous life she once had.
Mitzi felt lucky in another way as well. Wick had proved himself to be nothing short of a proper man. He exceeded Atlas in many ways, as well. While Atlas was street smart, Wick was knowledgeable about a great many things. Atlas was cunning, but Wick was kind to all. The kids loved him in a way she knew Atlas could never have received even though he was still good to his goddaughter. Since losing his business, Wick had also slowed down. He was stronger now, more level-headed than before, and he had even cut back significantly on the drinking. He just didn't need it like before.
The two pulled into a nice restaurant that had seen better days in the twenties. Wick pulled his car up near the door and escorted Mitzi in. The host immediately recognized his old customer.
"Mr. Sable! Welcome back to Antonio's!"
"Antonio! It's good to see you, old friend!" Wick said, shaking the man's hand. "I apologize for not coming here more frequently. There's been some changes in my life of a financial nature."
"It's quite alright, Mr. Sable." Antonio said. "As you can see, we're still surviving."
"I'm glad for you and the family. Would you happen to have room for two?"
"Of course! How'd you like your old spot?" the host asked.
"That would be lovely." Wick said as he held Mitzi's hand and led her behind the man to a table overlooking the St. Louis skyline.
"Quite the view, isn't it Mitzi?"
"Yes, it is…" She said. "You never told me about this place before."
"Well, we were preoccupied with other things then, weren't we?" Wick said.
"I'll bring water around and the waiter will be here soon." Antonio said, seating the couple and handing them both a menu.
Settled, Mitzi recalled what Wick was saying earlier in the office. "So, you think we should do anything for Ethan's return?"
"Besides giving him a hearty welcome? I imagine he'd first want to see his wife and hold little Emily." Wick said, thinking clearly of what a man's priorities likely would be.
"I suppose you're right. Hopefully Ivy isn't going to turn it into some big whole thing."
"You know she will."
"Yeah, I'll have to talk to her this evening." Mitzi said.
Wick pulled something out of his pocket and fumbled with it for a minute while they waited. He was afraid to ask, but something told him he had to try. Ethan himself would likely be telling him to try.
"Mitzi… there's something I've been meaning to ask you."
"What is it?" Mitzi replied.
"You'll have to forgive me if the timing isn't right, and I'm pretty sure you don't need me down on one knee like a young lover so I'll just come out and ask…"
Wick placed the object on the table and opened it, revealing a simple gold ring in a small box. Mitzi instantly knew what Wick was on about.
"We've been living together for a few years now, and I think it's long past time I asked to make it official." He said. "Mitzi May, would you marry me?"
Mitzi's hands trembled. "I… Yes, Wick. I think that would be a very fine idea." She said, taking the ring out of the box and gently fitting it to her hand. "I should have been digging for a diamond in that pile of rocks earlier."
Wick smiled. "Mitzi, that ring has a diamond on it now that you've accepted it. And that diamond is worth more to me than life itself. I wouldn't be where I am today without you, Mitzi."
"Come here, you!" She said, kissing Wick passionately. "We'll need to get Riley to photograph us later."
"When should we tell everyone else?" Wick asked.
Mitzi shrugged her shoulders. "I'll have to tell the girls tonight. Maybe it will give Ivy something else to fawn over while Ethan settles in?"
"Sounds like a plan to me."
Wildflower
Strolling down Wyoming Street, I ducked into a back alley. What appeared to be a dead end in fact hid a secret not unlike the Lackadaisy. These days the bars were open again and most of these little joints were closed up. What kept this one going wasn't whiskey or rum, but women. Standing next to the door, I knocked on it and waited until someone on the other side opened up a small window.
"Password."
"You guys still use 'Tin Lizzie'?"
"Ha, I haven't heard that one in years. You a fed or something?"
"Hardly. I'm here to see an old friend. I just came back to town today."
"You have any way to prove it?" The cat said. I rolled my eyes and fished out the letter, holding it so that he could take it through the window.
"Her real name is Roselyn, but the business calls her the Chieftainess."
I could hear him chuckle, followed by the door unlatching and opening for me. Stepping inside, the large cat handed me the letter. "She's upstairs, but I don't think you'll want her services. Rose isn't feeling too great."
"She isn't?" I said. Not once did she mention being sick with anything. "Just a cold?"
"You'll see… Ask one of the ladies up there and they can take you to her."
Climbing the stairs, I ran into one of the women I recognized. "Ruth?"
"Ethan? When did you get back into town?"
"Today, a couple hours ago. Rose asked me to come." I said, giving her the letter.
"Oh… She'll be glad you came."
"The bouncer at the door mentioned she was sick?"
"Yes, and she's been getting worse in the last few weeks." She said. "Come on, I'll take you to her."
On a Sunday afternoon the brothel wasn't particularly busy. I came by often when I lived in town, but not for the reason one might expect. Roselyn and Derrick were both close friends and as we grew up, they became lovers. After Derrick died in France, I made it a point to visit Rose often to ensure she had everything she needed. No one sets out to become a mistress of the night, but some women aren't given much choice. A Blackfeet woman in Butte had even fewer options. Part of me regretted letting us become estranged, but I didn't know how Bella would react to me writing letters to a prostitute friend halfway across the country. Even now I felt a bit dirty being here, but if this was about an illness I just had to see Roselyn.
"She's right in here." Ruth said, gesturing to the door.
"How bad is she?"
"She can talk and hobble around a bit, but I'm afraid you'll be sitting next to her bed. It's quite sad."
"Well, thank you." I said while she got back to cleaning up the place. Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself for anything. I opened the door and peaked my head inside.
There she was, propped up in bed and reading a book. She looked up and a smile spread from ear to ear when she saw me. "Ethan! You came!"
"Of course I did." I said. "I would have come quicker if I knew you were ill."
"I didn't want to worry you." She said, putting the book down. "Come in!"
I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. Rose noted all of my features and how they had changed. "You look like you've been taking care of yourself." She said while gesturing to the chair next to the bed.
"Yes, well St. Louis has been kind to me." I said. "At least it's been kinder to me than Butte."
"And how's Riley?"
"She'll be done with school next spring." I said with pride. "Wants to be a photographer, too. I'm going to take her to see Imogen Cunningham when she comes through St. Louis in a couple of weeks.
"And how are you?" She asked.
"I'm well. Married with a little girl." I explained, hoping she would understand that our brief fling was going to stay firmly in the past. "The family has gotten bigger too. I… Well, it's hard to explain so I'll spare you the details, but I've sort of adopted two young men as brothers and they each have a little family of their own too." I said.
Rose's smile only grew wider. "I'm glad to hear it, Ethan. And I can't believe you found Derrick!"
"Yes. You'll be pleased to know that he has a place of honor among the fallen in Arlington." I said. "I only wish he was here with us for this little reunion. You know, he'd still be calling you his wildflower."
"Wildflower..." She said, remembering one of the few men who ever treated her like a human being. "God, it's been ages since anyone has called me that, I still miss him… but I'm still glad you took the time to come and visit. I have a surprise for you if you don't mind waiting a while!"
"Yes, you mentioned that in the letter. But I'm not eager to get to that yet."
"Good!" She said. "We'll have to wait until three o'clock or so, then I can show you. So how did you get here?"
"I got a ride down from Columbia Falls. But enough about me, what's happened to you?"
Roselyn shook her head in shame. "I was so careful, but one of those dirty rats was infected."
"Infected with what?" I asked.
"Syphilis." She confirmed. My gut twisted. "I'm so sorry. Are you healing?"
"My people often don't survive these sorts of diseases. We never had them here until you- well, until settlers showed up."
"So…"
"I'm dying, Ethan. I don't think I'll make it too much longer."
"Oh, Rose, I'm so sorry." I said, struggling to take in the news. "When did this happen?"
"About five years ago, so you're safe, thank god!" She said.
"Is there anything at all I can do to help?" I asked. "Admittedly, I don't have too much time in town, but if there's anything you want me to retrieve for you or any sort of debt you need to settle—"
"I'm fine, Ethan. Really. I knew this was coming for a while." She said. "Most doctors either won't do anything for someone like me or can't."
I understood what she was saying. Doctors were unlikely to help a lowly prostitute, and even less likely to help a native.
"Well, I can spare some time. You want me to sit here with you for a while?" I asked.
"I'd like that. The other ladies are lovely, but it's good to have a close friend here with me." She said, taking the book and opening it to the page she was reading. "Sorry that I'm a bit tired, I need to rest."
"No apologies, please. Rest, Rose."
"C-could you read where I left off? The story was just getting to the good part.
"Of course I will, here, let me see the book." I said.
After a short while, Rose fell asleep and I stopped reading. My eyes were red from seeing this woman I knew in her current state. Even from under the blankets I could tell she had become frail and thin. Her cheeks were sunken and her vibrant fur had dulled significantly. It was almost too much to bear. If not for the risk of injuring her, I would have cradled the woman so that she could have some semblance of familial comfort.
"I should have come back to check on you." I said, regretting not making a trip out to Montana earlier.
Someone knocked on the door and Ruth opened it up, noting that I had a book in hand. She laughed. "It's not every day I find a man in a room reading to one of us ladies."
"I wager you're right." I said, standing up. "I don't want to leave without saying goodbye, but Roselyn clearly needs her rest."
Just then, a ball of fur raced past me and jumped onto the bed. "Mom! I'm back from school!"
Roselyn jolted awake, from the impact. "Will! What did you learn today?" She asked.
"I learned about fractions!" He said, showing her his work. She looked at it, pleased to see his progress. "That's my boy. Will, we've got a guest." She said, gesturing to me. As Will and I made eye contact, I immediately recognized his face. I hadn't seen this particular child before, but that face was not unlike Sean or my own father for that matter. I swallowed hard, not knowing what to say. Not knowing what to think.
"Hi Mister!" He said with enthusiasm.
"Um… hi…" I said, remembering to breathe.
Rose noted the expression on my face and ruffled the boy's hair. "Why don't you go let Aunt Ruth find you something to eat, okay? Mr. Kelly and I have something important to talk about."
"Okay, mom! Bye, Mister Kelly!"
As he scampered off, I nearly fell back into the chair, trying to add up the math in my head.
"So, that surprise I mentioned… well…"
I nodded my head slowly. "Holy shit… you mean that's… he's… When was he born?"
"November 23rd, 1927." She confirmed. The date matched up perfectly from February of that year.
"I… He's…"
"That's your son, Ethan."