All is quiet on the farm, the three deputies sleeping in their tent by the barn. Mr. Rooster, climbing on the fence nearby, clears his throat for his morning song. "COCK A DODDLE DOO." Deputy boys sprawl out of their cots onto the ground, and the cows join behind them. "Moo, Moooooo, Robert, Will, I'm full. It's time to empty us and get out of that bed." As the rooster chimes in cock a doodle do, Moo cock a doodle do. Robert and Will jumped into their overalls, ran out to the barn, grabbed the buckets, and started milking their cows, Clementine, and Rose.
EJ and Richard come out to join them, keeping them happy with fresh hay and feed by swishing their tails. Ma yells to EJ. "Be careful, son."
"I will, Ma," he said as she watched Robert get kicked again for pulling too hard. EJ laughed back at Ma. "They're cows, Ma; they don't have horns." Ma and the girls helped prepare breakfast for them and the three deputies while Pa found chairs and helped set the table.
* * * *
Somewhere in the distance, you hear a loud splash and someone screaming, "OH, THAT'S COLD!" Then, some words that are not legible for man or beast come from Aunty M. as she drags herself out of the creek, sopping wet and madder than an old cougar on the warpath—heading for the Villa, finding a fire with a pot of hot fresh Joe on the fire waiting for her and some dry clothes next to a tent. She busts out laughing, slapping her knee, pouring her cup, swallowing it down, and then another. "Thanks, Doc, just what I needed." she changed her clothes and climbed onto her horse. "Looks like they're doing just fine. So let's get the ball rolling; I think we can start building that house," giving him a wink and heading on back towards the farm. She was happy as a mellow lark, knowing things were shaping up quite well; the boys were coming together.
She just needed a larger group of young bucks, and she found the leaders; now, she just needed to organize them. Yes, things were working well. "Mike, you would be so proud of them. It was like the good old days when we were young business and young farmers when we were helping each other." she wipes a tear from her eye. This time, she needs to make sure there is someone to carry on the work after she goes beyond. But how? Mike never did tell her what that silly old fool always said. "Don't sweat the small stuff," but now he's dead and gone beyond that old fool.
Margaret dots her eye again, following the old dirt road back to the farm. A shadow follows her; she looks back, and it's gone. Then it's back on the right, then on her left, and soon it stops in front of her. Brings her to a complete stop, feeling her with fear and dread. Whispering to her. "Margaret, please don't be afraid; you have nothing to fear from me; it's not your time yet, and I just want to talk. I need a favor from you, and I'm told you are the person to ask. According to a late departed husband of yours and a very close friend of mine named Mike," the voice of the shadow said. That got her attention, and she looked around the area from side to side, trying to find this being or the source.
"What kind of game is this?" She asked.
"No game, I assure you of that, Margaret, no game at all," the voice said as Margaret looked around with chills going up and down her spine. "Relax, have a cup of Joe by the fire with me," the voice said, calling out from the tree.
Margaret saw a man drawn in a brown hood by the fire out of nowhere with a pot of Joe and two cups, one for him and one for her. "I told you; you have nothing to fear," he said as he waved his hand. A small boy appeared drawing near, then, taking the horse's reins, walked them near him. The man pulled back his hood to show his face. He is a young man, fairly handsome. There is something about his eyes, which are cold and dark, and yet there is something more. He smiles, and his eyes change to light blue crystal. He sighs. "Is that better?" He laughs, hands her a cup of Joe, and offers her a seat on the ground in front of him by the fire. "As I said, dear Margaret, you have nothing to fear from me. I haven't come for you. It's not your time yet, so relax. You have a lot of work to do still before I can take you, but I'd lay off the moonshine or at least don't drink so much," as he laughed.
"Now, as I was saying," taking a couple more swallows of old Joe. "I have a favor to ask of you, more of a request really, or call it if you like an IOU; yes, Mike liked those," the man laughs. "IOU, that's what we will do. I want you to introduce me to Mary and Lizzy, and I'll choose between the two, and which one will be my wife?" He said. Aunty M. coughs and sputters, her eyes popping out of her head.
"You want me to do what?" She replied.
"Come, dear, and I promise whoever I choose will live a long and happy life with me by my side. It will be perfectly normal, right down to children and grandchildren and so on. They will have no memory of my true identity until it's time, or it becomes necessary for them to know; there are rules, you know; this happens all the time, dear Margaret. Heck, did ya think I was the only one? Silly girl, we, too, have to live and like to have a little fun.
"How's your Joe, dear? Not too strong, is it?" He asked as he poured another for her and him. "Let's get down to brass tacks," he said, patting her hand, waiting for her to take another swallow and pour another cup. "Margaret, I'm watching somebody right now, sort of grooming, you might say. I can't tell you who, but the rules of the job, and I a made promise, one of those IOUs, well anyway, is very special. I can tell you this before I go.
I am the beacon and the guide, the warning before the tide; you will not see me, you will not need me till it's time, and then when end cometh, I'll guide you safely to distant shore. Until then, you won't remember me or mourn my passing upon the evening tides." Then he fades into the background, leaving her sitting by the fire, her horse tied to a tree, the wind rustling, whispering. "Thanks, Margaret, save a dance for me." Chills go up and down her spine, watching the fire go out.
* * * *
Margaret quickly jumps onto her horse and rides towards the farm, trying not to look back. Her mind was racing; had she gone mad? Laughing to herself. "It must have been the moonshine." Seeing the farm, she hurries, ties the horse to the porch, and walks into the house. Chin held high. "Good morning, y'all," seeing everyone at the table and giving Martha and Wayne a wink. "Alright, boys, line up; sorry I'm late. I just needen' to fresh up down at the creek," she said, checking the boys' hands. "Today you look like you all pass," kisses them on the head. "Oh, look at these hands," turning over the three Deputies. Aunty M. shakes her head, gives them a swift kick, and sends them down the hall to wash their hands again.
Aunty M. looked at all the children, her eyes stopping at EJ, wondering in her mind, pausing just for a moment, then hearing faint whispering in the distance. Place a kiss on this child's head, slap another piece of meat, pour another glass of milk, then smile. Aunty M. walks over to Danny just in case and listens, not a sound or a small whisper. She tries to smile with a tear in her eye, pours him a glass of milk, places another piece of meat, helps him cut it up, and kisses his cheek. Whispers to him. "You are going to be just fine, son." She goes to the window and looks down the road, imagining their home where Jim and Linda are.
One thought, a very old thought, goes through her mind. She remembers something Mike said about Morgan. Could it be? Could he be the one? As she looks at EJ's reflection in the window, she mutters under her breath. "Haven't you done enough? Can't you leave them both alone?"
Wayne was watching Aunty M. by the window. "Is there something the matter?" He asked as he put an arm around her.
"No, Wayne, just thinking, that's all," Not to worry him. Besides, there's nothing he could do about it anyway. Then returns, shakes it off with one more glance, and pours a cup of Joe. Instead, she settled for a nice glass of milk this morning to settle her nerves; she was a little more on the rattled side today as she looked at shadows in the trees. It's not every day you have a nice conversation on the side of the trail as you sit by the fire with death, sharing a cup of Joe and shootin' the breeze. And now he wants to dance, take a wife, have a little fun with me, and join our little party. "Yee haw, I think," she sighed, drinking her glass of milk and looking out the window towards the Villa.
"Alright, kids," Aunty M. said, giving them each a look. "It's time to get ready for school, so go get cleaned up and wash your hands and faces; the wagon will be here in a few minutes."
"But, Aunty M, I can't go to school; I don't have any clothes I can wear," replied EJ. Ma laughed and kissed EJ's head.
"You'll be fine. Just go as you are, son. Just wash up," she said. All the kids head down the hall to wash their hands, and Ma sets the boy's sandals by the door, and the wagon pulls up to the farm. It was Richard's job today to pick up the kids, according to the roster. Plus, they had the most students attending the school, so it made logical sense. The problem was that left the Sheriff short-handed two people. One would be in school, and the other would deliver and pick up kids. The rule states he had to have five good men in an approximate area at all times. No matter how hard Wayne and the boys looked for a loophole, there was no way around this problem.
It took a lot of quick thinking on their part for the first few days. As the Sheriff, Pa and the boys would follow the kids to school, set up a parameter around the school area, doing paperwork and odd jobs there. If they had to go anywhere that required further need, they would load all the children in the wagons with a blackboard and teacher and call it a field trip so they could get the work done. After a couple of days, he soon realized this wouldn't work, looking at the pile of wood for the house, and fall would be here in a couple more months. Doc said. "Look around, use them, boy,"
Wayne looks at his boys and his five Deputies. "Alright, boys," he said, looking at the map. It's time we stop beating ourselves up. We have a job to do, so let's get crackin. We need all this done. We need men, so go find me some." Sheriff Downing hands them each a list, grabbing their horses. Boys, let's go get 'em."
"Yes, sir, Pa, sir." The Sheriff and the boys put on their hats, shined their badges, and ran down the aisle of the tents, yelling, too, all to meet them all in the Villa Square. The Sheriff was riding his horse, waiting for his boys. It was magnificent as the boys ran up and down the tents throughout the Villa, yelling, "All men wanted and lads by the order of Sheriff Downing meetin' in the Villa Square."
After a few minutes, there were three hundred men and boys in and under the canopy, the Sheriff at the podium with his five good deputies around him. Doc, Hatfield, and Aunty M. were smiling in the background with Judge Parker. Aunty M. was taking a tissue out of her purse, dotting her eye. "Yes, Mike, you old fool, you're missing this," she whispered.
Hearing a whisper in her ear. "He's not, dear, trust me." She could see a shadow in the corner of her eye, a figure of a man, as he nodded to her.
Wayne steps up at the podium. "Boys, it's time we get crackin;' see, my boys, put your name on the roster; there's work to be done." Yells. "YEE-HAW," and throws his hat in the air. Aunty M. approves and nods with a pat on the back. "Now we can start building that house, dear." The boys' fans out filled out the rosters and got all the names they needed as they handed them to the Sheriff. The Sheriff handed them to both Docs to look over.
Doc smiled and Wayne laughed. "I want you to look at everyone; we can start work first thing in the morning," he said.
"Yes, sir, Sheriff Downing," they smiled.