MOUSE SADDLESIdea concept written and passed down

By William Harry PoldenCompleted By his son

William F. Polden Sr.Jan 22, 2015 AD

Authors note:Any similarities of character names, dates, places or

events that are in this book are not taken from real life or real history, it’s just fiction.

This is a modern era fictional drama story beginning around 1940. It’s about a fathers never failing love for his only daughter, Jessie James.

From ourFather &

GrandfatherWilliam Harry PoldenIn loving memory to

all of hisCHILDREN

Carole, Jan, William, Laurie, Vincent, Tara

&Grandchildren,

CAROLE ISOM: Chance, Chad, CassieJAN ORCHARD: Bryan, Randy

WILLIAM POLDEN: Brenda, Jenni, Gayle, William, Jeromee, Calub, Breanna

LAURIE POLDEN: Vincent, AngelaVINCENT POLDEN: Charlene

TARA LEWIS: +1, Amanda

Her father would be a gruff, hard to get along with, but an honest working man. The cattle land he now owned, he could raise his family. It was procured by his fore fathers from times, when the western states had yet to become solid. The man people knew around these parts was known as Frank James. The fortune of his family was past down from generation in unkind steps and had landed at his feet shortly after his marriage.

To his knowledge, he was the last of the James family. Born in another state altogether, his grandfather had by-passed his own father for leaving the cattle land. His own father, so tired of the bad reputation of their own family, never spoke to his son about it. It was only after his father had died in a work related accident that he had be gotten in touch through a lawyer of his grandfather’s existence… Matthew James.

Frank James, and hearing of the massive windfall he was about to inherit, finally got up the gall to ask this woman he’d been seeing to marry him. And she said yes. Lilly had what most would call as ‘ill health’, she had breathing problems, and with this, he thought the change would do her well.

The whole thing came as a surprise to Frank when he realized that the only way the land and money would revert to him, was if he worked the farm and surrounding land. Frank realized this was going to be the largest task in his life. Months of learning the his families past, it left a surprise understanding his father had never spoke. Of their dark past and how history had painted their past in such harsh colors. Being a James was the same as an being an outlaw…

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But, this was a new age and soon he and his wife traveled to Tennessee. The year was 1936, the great depression was finally stabilizing as he looked over the plantation house and large acreage that accompanied it. His wife instantly fell in love with the house and moving in, they quickly learned that not everybody was happy with them. In fact, a lot of the older townspeople had been carrying grudges against the family for many decades as word spread of a ‘new’ James descendant had moved in. It was hard to comprehend that in almost any local store, his money was almost ‘no good’. Blood money was what they called it. It frustrated him to no end. The happiest note was that his wife was pregnant, and he had set it in his mind that his son would be raised continue this new lifestyle for the family, but life doesn’t always work out the way you plan it. He had inherited so much land, with such a large farm and held mostly horses, pigs, and a few dozen chickens, it was obvious he would need a son to help.

Though, his wife would only be able to bare one child, and though he loved his wife he was hoping for a son. This was not to be, she bore a girl. Still, he was mindset on the child’s name… Jessie. Jessie James. The one that started the whole James legacy. He would flaunt it in there faces. The wife suggested that he add a middle name, but there was no way. Her name was going to be Jessie James… Period. The birth year of Jessie James was 1939.

They had argued for months over the child’s name, and a rift between them began to grow. The wife quickly learned that she would have to fight tooth and

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nail just to get any smaller things changed. Like her learning to drive. That was almost a steady year of back and forth spattering, finally he gave in. Then came the fact of her needing her own car. And the bickering continued for years. She never won that one…

Jessie had been born into this. Often placed in her room when these hour long problems were argued out. Afterward, mom often moved angrily about her house choir’s, often times mumbling under her breath about his hard head. They never raised a hand nor there voices towards there little girl though, it was like she was off limits to the anger they held towards each other.

Four years old turned to six in 1945 and school was another argument that pursued for months. And a trade off somehow began, they were called ‘choirs’.

Before the bus arrived, she had a list of age appropriate choirs that would allow her to continue to go to school. The choirs got more demanding every year, at the age of ten, she was given an allowance for completing these with out a fuss. And as a preteenager of ten now, she’s of done about anything to get out of there arguing range.

But she soon learned, school had it’s own problems as well. Other ‘boys’ began teasing her once they figured out she was a girl. Making fun of her name, then one of the boy’s had heard a rumor from his parents about the ‘James’ family. They were once known as a bank robbing killers… and Jesse James had won the land in a shady poker game. It’s how they got all that ‘land’ they owned. Some said her fathers great grandfather had shot a man and just took his land. The land they owned

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now. These were just rumors though, so she thought.Jessie was horrified, as these rumors had spread,

at one point she had refused to go back to class and just wanted to go home. She was still bawling when her father came to pick her up. As they drove home, he’d asked her what had happened.

About mid way through her story, she had wondered why he was turning back around. She didn’t ever want to go back there! Then, turning to look over at her father, she saw the anger in his face. Uh-oh!

He had left her in the truck, as he went in, his fists were balled up as he walked. It was about five minutes later a police car pulled up and two policemen hurried into the school. It was only minutes as they led her father out of the school towards the truck. One of the officer’s must have said something to her dad, and in a very quick move he had punched the officer square in the nose.

She watched as they both of the officers began to punch, hit and kick her father as she quickly jumped out of the truck and ran to where they were now stomping him into the ground. The principle had come out of the school just in time to see Jessie throw herself onto her father, trying to protect him. As an angry hand had snatched her by the hair and like a rag doll, as she was tossed away landing on the concreate behind them. Then a loud voice boomed! It was the principle, “I saw that! You want to be fired? That was just a child..” They instantly stopped their attack and Jessie flew to her father side as they both meekly walked back to their squad car and left. They both seemed to be

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smiling as they drove past. Stiffly her father got up, his lip bleeding and holding his ribs. Jessie could only ask over and over if he was alright.

In a growl he told her to go back and wait for him in the truck, the growl told her he must have been okay. And she went and did as he had asked of her. The principle began to talk with him as they walked back into the school. He stayed in there for the longest time, and she wondered if she should go in after him. In deciding not to, her eyes steady watched the school’s entrance.

Soon he came out and she just sat there, almost as if to avoid him, blood stained his shirt. Later, during the ride home, she managed to stay quiet as a church mouse. Then, out of the blue, he spoke to her. “I found out who those boys were. The ones that were picking on you…” “You did?” Jessie asked confused. “Those policemen, it was their boy’s that said those things to you. But, I don’t think they’ll be bother you anymore..” “I know. Cause I’m not going back.” Jessie stated boldly. “Yeah, you’re going back ..tomorrow.” “They beat you up!” Jessie stated to him out of anger. “Yeah, but they knew they were wrong in doing that. And they had no right to even touch you. Your principle wants me to press charges against them and have them both fired. “You should!” She said angrily to him. “Not as easy as it sounds. I’ll have to talk to the family lawyer first,”

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“Our family and the police, they don’t like each other, do they?” Jessie wondered. “Jess, there is some truth to some of the things those boys told you. And starting tonight, I’m going to teach you the whole truth of the ‘James’ family. That way, at least you’ll know when people are lying to you. And no, the police do not like our family, in fact, most folk around here don’t like us.” “Are we bad people?” Jessie asked. “No, we’re not. But, in the past, there were some very bad people in our family tree.” He told her. “Is that why we go to church?” “It all about forgiveness.. Remember that.” He told her only glancing in her direction. “I have a hard time with that.” She said. “So much like your mother…” He seemed to smile.

In an effort to make it up to her, he had built a very big tree house out in the old oak tree in their back yard. The tree was almost a hundred yards from the small house off to the side of the barn. The tree toweredover almost everything on their land and he’d built it large enough that she could almost live in it.

At first, she loved that treehouse. It gave her an escape from their arguments and a place she could unwind and just be alone. She spent many years being called out of her tree fort to take care of something or other, and disappeared back to it once ‘whatever needed’ was done. A lot of the times, she’d actually sleep up there. He felt he’d done good for her. But slowly, the times had changed. Somehow, the fort was being used less and less frequently, she just wasn’t a kid anymore,

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as her responsibility to the ranch seemed to increase more and more. She honored her dad to try and to accept in helping around the place, as the tree house seemed to fade into the background.

Over the next few years, Jessie had learned much about the family she had been born into, and began to understand why her dad was always so hard to deal with. He carried a bad mark and it was often hard to accept, people judged him all the time, talked behind his back, misled him and even straight out lied to his face. A lot ofpeople often tried to make him fight just because of his name.

Jessie herself was dealing with the same at school and social engagements. Denied things like school play parts and joining civic groups. She, like her father, had learned to just brush it off. Besides, she like some things of their place. Riding the horses and even mending the fences. Oh, it was hard work, but she like her father, love a challenge.

The choir list had seem to grown each year. But, finally about her fourteenth year of age, she got her own horse. It was the spring of 1952 watching it born into the world. But with it, monthly, she had to clean out the whole barn. It was a weekend choir but it left a few hours of riding time each afternoon. She had gained a few friends and it became easier to spot those that didn’t like her. Like her dad, she was becoming a tough young lady.

Then, someone had poisoned her horse, at least that was what the vet had reported. The cops made a report but never followed up on it, and it broke her will

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to even want to live on this land. She wanted OUT! But she suddenly noticed one day, her mom had

been growing weaker by the month as Jessie sought her own way out of this ‘pit’. It seemed after the horses death, that her mom and dad barley ever argued anymore.

Jessie could tell that her mom was having a harder and harder time doing the basic things around the house without running out of energy and breath. Jessie had to cover for her mother, though, it was becoming so hard to keep up with school and her choirs and helping mom around the house.

Now, Jessie barely had time for her friends or even go to summer gatherings. It was 1956, her twelfth year of school when everything just seemed to be falling apart,

A boy she liked was going to ask her to the prom, but there was a jealousy among other girls at school. She’d heard rumor’s but paid no mind to them. Though,it wasn’t long before she’d wished she had.

It was a normal morning, her dad already out in the fields and mom was slowly finishing up the morning dishes. Jessie had already did all her choirs about the farm, dropping off the seven egg’s the chickens had laid onto the table so mom could place them in the fridge.

The school bus would be here soon and she quickly changed into her school clothes and almost jogged to the end of there long driveway to the road. The bus was right on time, as she climbed into her usual seat and stared out overlooking the many farmlands on the long trip to school. Talk was little until the bus picked up

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more kids.It was when one of the girl’s she knew didn’t like

her had suddenly picked a seat directly behind her to spread of some fantastic news to those back here. A boy had asked her to the dance! Jessie listened quietly as the girl described all the details of how it had come about. It was at the local swimming hole, a place were all the high school kid’s had gathered. Jessie had barely been there a dozen times last summer and hadn’t made it once this fall…

Then, as if on a mark, pulling into the school, after the drawn out story of touches and kisses in the waters. She had openly dropped the name of the boy…

It was the boy that Jessie ‘was sure’ was about to ask her to the dance! She had much earlier in the trip to school, bragged about a boy having dropped a girl he was going to ask, but decided ‘she was a much better choice’ She had just stolen him from her! How?

Jessie’s ears burned as the name was announced and suddenly everyone knew it was Jessie’s guy. The bus came to a stop, most around them scrambled to clearout of the bus before hair and nails began flying.

The girl, just smiled as she walked down the isle. Jessie was too overwhelmed too even move. The bus now cleared, the bus driver was calling for her to disembark. It wasn’t till the bus driver was almost upon her that she realized what she was saying.‘Could it be true? No way. Impossible. She’d have to ask him for herself’.

The bell to class had already rung and she realized she wouldn’t have enough time to track him

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down. So she hurried on to her first period class.It took a moment to realize, as she had entered

the classroom, that not a single person had even said ‘hi’ to her. Looking around the room people were avoiding her eye contact. And she felt a strange sensation as the tardy bell seem to ring twice as loud as normal.

During class her ears picked up voices of quiet talk, gossip. It was as if they were all talking about her, seeing eyes averted as she’d look in the direction of the voices. She felt as if she sat nude in the room and somewhere in the background the teachers voice prattled on. She didn’t like this place anymore. Not just the kids, all the people.

Her thoughts began to change as she began to list all the things that were becoming to much to handle. All the choirs at home, the fact that everything was so far away, ten miles to the nearest store, twenty miles from the mall and god help her should she dare ask to go into town to window shop.

Her father had at a young age had started giving her five bucks a week as an allowance for her choirs andas the years flew by, that had grown to twenty buck a week. Her last count was almost three thousand dollars, in which she was going to by a new car on her eighteenth birthday.

Her mind then turned back to ‘Jay’, the boy she had liked for almost five years now. Why would he suddenly like that girl? What had she done wrong? She had just knew he was about to ask her. What happened?

Her mind threw unanswerable questions at her faster than she could comprehend, as somewhere in the

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background the school bell rang. Was class over? Shenever even hear the teachers words. Was there homework? Jessie sought the blackboard for proof and sure enough, there it was. She scrambled to jot down the assignment, noticing everyone had left the room. She collected all her things and followed.

In the hallway, it seemed a nightmare as everyone seemed like a stranger to her, realizing she couldn’t even hold a fake smile on her face. This day so far had been a total atomic bomb. She sought the bathroom to splash water on her face and compose herself.

With a deep breath, she entered back out into the hallway. As if fate had stepped in there was Jay walking past her. She went to follow, but suddenly froze in her tracks. She realized that he was approaching the girl on the bus and they smiled almost secretly at each other.

Her ears burned, as her whole body seemed to catch on fire as the girl had wrapped her arms around Jay. Jessie’s stomach felt as if a horse had kicked her as in the hallway, students walking around her as if she was a block in the flow of things.

The hallway began to spin as she witnessed the most horrible sight, she was kissing him! By a sudden reflex, she aimed her body towards the bathroom she’d just exited, flinging off her book bag before entering. Through the swirling images in her head, she fought too get to the toilet in time. Mere steps away from the bowl and everything left loose.

Everything she’d eaten in the past three day began to spew out of her mouth as she tried to at least

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aim for the white porcelain bowl. A second spew emitted before she could even gasp a breath. As she almost slid up to the bowl and taking a gasp of breath she looked down seeing it was full of congealed blood from another girls period. A third spew burst forth, as she closed her eyes on the sight of it all.

Grabbing the stall’s wall’s and trying not to slip on the puke that had sprayed almost everywhere. She fought to make it back to the sink without killing herself. Everything was shaking so unruly, her arms barely held onto the sink as she swore her legs would buckle out from under her at any second. Then, she looked into the mirror…

There was ‘no way’ the reflection she was looking at now, was her. She looked like she’d been slopping the pig’s, and fell face first into it. But this wasn’t pig slop, it was her own vomit. And it was everywhere!

It was on her shoes, her socks, her dress, her face. Oh crap, it was even in her hair! Worse was the reflection of the floor and stall behind her. This wasn’t even possibly happening!

It was about that moment that three girls acting carefree and giggling had walked in. They literally froze in movement as she turned to watch there faces turn from happy to awe to shock to disgust in a matter of two seconds.

From somewhere very deep inside of Jessie, an almost demonic growl vibrated within the small white tiled room. The girls looks had flipped again this time it was pure fear as they grappled to be the first one out of

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the room. Faster than the door would allow, they all disappeared leaving Jessie in her own disgusting situation.

Jessie had snapped! In silence she began to clean herself as best she could as the tardy bell had sounded. She no longer cared. In fact, she no longer cared about anything. All the problems from the past, all the hardships… all the choirs, her mind now burned in a raging fire of defiance.

A smile, no longer available, she walked out of the bathroom, picking up her book bag which had been kicked off to the side of the hallway. Slowly, without any type of a concern of a hall monitor, she walked to her next class. She was so angry! Walking into the classroom, everyone noticed the way she now carried herself and concern rumbled through the classroom as the teacher realized she had enter the classroom.

She hadn’t even made it to her seat when the teacher call to her. She rolled her eyes as he spoke behind her back, “Miss James, your wanted down at the front office.” “Whatever,” Jessie stated, turning around and slowlywalking out of the classroom. Before the door had even shut she could hear all the gossip raised, so much the teacher had to gain control of the classroom.

Walking down the now empty hallway, passing rooms full of learning students, she wondered if it was the bathroom incident that had led up to this. But no, she of been sent to the guidance councilors office of even the nurses office if that were the case. What could they possibly want her for at the front office? Then as she got

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close, she saw her father standing there. Oh, this was just too much.. what now? She’d paused short of him trying to figure out what could possibly bring him to be standing there. He spotted her, and rushed to her, literally grabbing her arm. “Let’s go.” He stated, as she snatched her arm away from his grip, trying to get a emotional reading from him. “What? Why? Did I burn down the house or something?” Jessie needed an answer as to why she was in trouble. For just a second he looked confused at her utter defiance of him, then he said the words that made the same ringing sound in her ears as his shotgun did. “You mothers at the hospital, she’s dying… Let’s go.. NOW!” Frank told her. She realize he had again latched onto her and was whisking her towards the exit as a single word finally formed and fell out of her mouth, “..Mom?” “Hurry, get into the truck. We got to go!” Frank spouted.

There was now no time to lose as the information sank in and she darted for the passengers side of the Farm’s work truck. “What happened?” She asked climbing in. “I don’t know. They say she collapsed at the store in town… That’s all I know. Buckle up.” Frank said already having started the truck and jamming it into drive. She had no sooner clicked her seatbelt in then everything went dark.

Frank looked over as they exited the school’s parking lot and realized she has passed out. He hit the

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gas and almost recklessly jumped onto the main street. The jarring motion of the truck slowly brought

her back to reality as she realize the rate of speed they were now traveling at, “Dad! Slow down! You trying to get us killed?” Jessie almost yelled, as the fear and adrenalin had brought her fully awake as she began to grab at things. They flew down the road taking every shortcut to the hospital, almost loosing it on a curve.

It was unintentional, but the fear had caused her bladder to let loose as she realized by the warm wetness on her butt. Dad, driving like a madman, flying over hill and dale had caught a whiff of her accident. “Really Jessie...”

Jessie just hung on for dear life as they finally made it to the emergency room’s parking lot. Faster than anything she could have imagined, he had screeched to a stop in a parking space and literally disappeared out the door of the truck.

Her stomach and even caught up to the truck as she realized he was already half way to the building.In a bumbling mode, she had finally undid her seatbelt and opened the door. But that way only the beginning of the ordeal to get to the building to where her father had now, disappeared into. Then her eyes got really blurry as she looked for the parking lot pavement that must be down there.. somewhere.

Exiting on her side her leg’s no sooner hit the ground then she realized she had no feeling in either one of them. Shocked at the self awareness of it, grabbing onto the truck’s open door, it took a few seconds to get

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her feet back on solid ground. Finally standing under her own power she closed the truck door and aimed herself towards where her father had enter the building. Quickly as she could, she followed the path, realizing that almost nothing about her own body was working properly.

About ten steps away from the truck, a bone crushing pain entered into her left hip. The pain receptors in her head began flashing red across the back of her eyes as a very sharp pain, like a pencil was being crammed into her ear. It was an overload! “Oh crap..” Was all she could muster as she was still refusing to go down. But gravity had already altered she direction and a third searing pain shot into her skull as her knee connected with the unforgiving asphalt.

Literally swooned on her hands and knee’s she realized that she had to do this. Doubling her effort’s, tears of pain striding down her face and a grit of determination on her face, she got up in what seemed like a one legged hobble, again headed towards the entrance doors. It was as if her whole body was in it’s own way trying to stop her. This was all so impossible to believe it was happening to her.

Her mother was dying and it seemed like five minutes had passed since she had left the seat of the truck! She hadn’t even made it half way to the hospital’s entrance doors and was carrying herself like the hunchback of Notre Dame! What the hell was going on here?

Taking a deep breath, and willing her body to respond, she continued the hobble all the way to the entrance. Entering the electric doors that slid effortlessly

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out of her way, she entered the emergency room in keen search of her fathers stature. Looking over the seats, he wasn’t there. And she hobbled slightly farther giving visual access to too other avenues to search down. The one was empty, the other… there where interns that seemed to be milling around. She noticed a security guard talking with them, as a doctor slowly exited a room. It was almost a hundred feet down the hall but, suddenly she felt compelled to travel in their direction.. “Dad?” She called out, still not seeing him anywhere.

Jessie continued to walk towards them as if gravity itself was pulling her down the long hallway. It was only about three more steps towards them as she was about to call out for her dad again, when a man dressed like her dad entered into the hallway out of the room they were all standing in front of… He was sobbing, as both hands covered his face. The thought had barely crossed her mind ‘Is that my dad.. crying?’..

Everything went black as sackcloth, she thought her body had again gone defiant on her, and now making her go blind. No one seen her hit the floor as she suddenly awoke on a examination table as a doctor was giving her smelling salts.

She bolted up to a sitting position hollering “Dad!” Looking around, her eyes clearing, there he sat, misery contorted his face, as tears still streamed down his face. “Dad! ..Mom?” Jessie questioned, as her words only brought more sobs of grief. It was then the doctor spoke ‘the words’ to her, “Your mother. She has passed away. I’m so sorry for

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your loss.” “Past away?” Jessie questioned as her father seemed to sob even louder at her defiance of this. “No! You said she was dying, NOT dead!” “She passed away almost twenty-five minutes ago. We did everything we knew to do. She was just to weak.” The doctors informed the both of them. Jessie just sat there in shock as her father just kept sobbing.

It was weird, all she could smell was her own urine. But there wasn’t a single thought in her head. They’re were no emotions that would show up. Not grief, not anger, not tears.

She just sat there, she even felt the doctor place a blanket on her legs, and she heard mumbling as if someone was talking, but it was so far away. Somehow she had laid back as the covers rose up about her neck. “She has gone into shock,” The doctor announced to her father as he realized she was not acting right. “Oh crap! Not both of them.” Frank said. “No, she’ll be fine. Her mind just needs a while to comprehend everything.” The doctor told him. Frank held her hand though she never felt it. Frank again gotconcerned when her body began twitching almost as if going into convulsions. “What’s happening to her?” Frank asked now standing over her. “Her mind and body are fighting. It a normal emotional reaction to see when something as tragic as this happens..” The doctor informed him, as he lead him out of the room. Two nurses stood in the room with her. Jessie wasn’t really there.

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Outside the doctor began to explain to Frank what they had run into when his wife was first brought in. Her lungs had filled with fluid over a lengthy time. That, had she sought medical help a month a go, they could have prevented this. Frank realized that his wife was almost as stubborn as he was.

It was true. By Jessie’s account of things, she hadn’t been doing well for the past six months. Mom’s breathing seemed shallower each passing week, only last week the heavy rasp had began, and her mom claimed it was only the pollen making her breath funny.

Frank never realized how sick she was. He felt stupid not seeing the signs. The core of him felt responsible for her death. And now, what about Jessie? How would he raise her without a mother?

It wasn’t a week after her burial that he suddenly realized their bond was broken and she’d never again would trust or show love to him again. Oh, he did try, but her anger was forever, and after two or three years of trying, eventually, he gave up.

It was quiet at the farm and it stayed that way for many years. Jessie would never forgive her father in the loss of her mother, he didn’t care. Now, they were just two ships passing.

The town felt the loss and even the kids left Jessie alone. Getting a part time job, she saved only for the day she could leave this god forsaken farm. And at 21, with school well completed, not even tell her father good-bye, she headed for the big city of New York. Her dad would have had tried to talk her out of it, but it would have fell on deaf ears anyway. Jessie was DONE!

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On a bus out of the local township, she traveled to the big apple. It was a very busy city, and she felt free for the first time of her life! Didn’t take a day and she had already acquired an apartment and a job. Down below her apartment, she found small pub, and seeing it on a slow day, enjoyed the cold beer, celebrating her freedom. Month’s later, the new job, with it’s stresses had coaxed her into appreciating the small pub.

It wasn’t long in her new apartment, and working at a clothing store she’d met a dock worker in the pub. Mind you, he wasn’t the best looking guy in the city, but she had enjoyed his banter and he did shoot a snappy game of pool. Mark liked her company and they got along together well, so much so, they started dating.

After a year, the relationship growing stronger, she had told him that her father had allowed her mother do die, and then killed himself. She would NEVER talk about it again. So, he let it drop, never asking again.

Then, finding she was pregnant, she realized they would have to get married. This was agreeable, and they did. Apartments were getting harder an harder to find and they decided to keep her place, and he closed out his rental and moved in with her, besides, there was a fantastic park only a few blocks away.

It wasn’t a month afterwards, the speakeasy they met at downstairs, had closed it’s doors. But, it had brought them together, and they both let it go, keeping the fond memories.

Her job had also folded later that month, her huge belly was not a good sales woman’s look. Talking it over, he’d been promoted on the dock and they weren’t

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in need of the money, besides, she was enjoying this, and didn’t mind tending the apartment while he was at work.

The baby finally came, together, they had decided to call him ‘Clay’ and she enjoyed the time nurturing him. Mark came home every day carrying flowers as they talked over the day’s events. Seasons flew by and somewhere, Jessie had caught a cold.

At first, she hid it after Mark noticed it was ‘hanging on’. She blamed it on the winter snows, and past it off, that it would clear up soon. Then spring came… Now, Clay was almost five, noticing that mommy was coughing more and more, as daddy had been staying later and later at the docks. Clay was growing up quicker than a weed. He was about five when the ‘cowboy’ bug hit him. His Dad worked hard at the docks. He was supervising the loading and unloading of all the big boats. Mom stayed at home tending to the house and Clay.

Their boy was learning to read and he loved it. And movies glued his face to the screen. School however, was not so fun as he spent most of the time there, trying not to get involved with anyone. Some days it worked, as other days it was a train wreak from the moment his feet hit the floor.Now, well into his second grade, Clay had noticed mom cough, and as the months went by, it wasn’t getting any better…

He and mom rarely talked about family relatives, but one day Clay had brought in the mail and he had opened it as a few pictures of a younger ‘mom’ standing next to an older man with a ‘horse’ in the background hit

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the ground as she realized he’d actually opened it. The mail, was from her dad. Taking the picture from him in a snatch, she seemed way to mad to stick around and he ran for his bedroom noting she was stuffing it back in the envelope and walking to their bedroom, he almost hid under his bed. But he’d never forget that horse.

When she clamed down, by the sight of the horse, Clay asked his mother if that was her and her dad. It was really sad the way she explained why she would never be able to talk to her dad. She told him that her dad was dead. With the horse picture engrained in his head, he nagged her with questions about her past, the horse, her dad and the farm. And with even more of rejecting any idea of going back, looking back, or even ‘thinking’ about that place much less her dad, he was told to ‘just drop it’.

He may have ‘dropped it’, but his mind soared with wide open spaces and horses and a farm, this fueled his imagination to the point where he pictured himself on a farm, taming wild stallion’s.

Mom seemed to be content to stay in the apartment as the daily routine was to take Clay to school and afterwards bring him home. Clay, played mainly by himself there in the apartment as there were very fewother children his age to play with. And the ones that were there had a mean streak a mile wide. Dad often came home exhausted and most times to tired to play, often times having fell asleep in his recliner watching the news, well before dinner was ever finished. Dad had often times fell back to sleep during the news just after dinner.

22.

Now Clay, he’s always pictured himself a cowboy at heart. Mom and dad had bought him a cool cowboy hat and a pair of boots which were set in the corner of the living room awaiting each Saturday. More and more he just wished for Saturday to get here as he was beginning to hate the thought of going to school as each week pasted. Nobody at his school was nice or kind, even the teachers were rude and bossy.

Somehow he’d always managed to steer clear of the mean kids but as the school year wore on, more and more bullies would seem to pop up. As winter played out it’s last snow, it was finally warm enough to go to the park, Saturday had finally arrived! It had been a long tough week at school as his eyes brightened looking out the window and realizing the snow had finally gone.

Clay quickly got dressed, zipping out to the kitchen table where mom had already set out a bowl of cereal for him. During the forth hard winter, Clay had noticed his mom’s coughing every now and then had got worse. Mom said it was just a flu bug, and she’d be fine. It bothered Clay, cause she seemed to say that a lot.

In a happy tone and a huge smile he’d asked if they could go to the park today. Dad worked Saturday’s so it’d just be him and mom. But in a nodding agreement, they had set their day in motion. Cereal bowl in the sink, Clay dashed over to where his shiny cowboyboots and hat awaited all winter long. Dashing to his room he grabbed his trusty lasso off the foot post of his bed. He’d made the lasso out of a long piece of laundry hanging line he saw in a alleyway between school and home. He’d been learning, watching any of the westerns

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and practicing all winter long.The walk to the park was a bit tricky as it seemed

they always had to cross a very busy street, “Mom they should build us a bridge to cross this street.” Clay announced having to dash across. “I wish they would,” Mom said in the humor of always having to run across it.

The cough got much worse as he tried to lasso a jutting rock over and over as she sat on the bench. He couldn’t this day seem to get into playing. Her cough was now getting much worse, and Clay stopped playing and said he thought it was time to go home.

Jessie had been coughing a lot, she knew it was something she might not be able to shake, but it always got worse when she was outside? She agreed with Clay, but on the crossing of the street, her energy seemed to drain right out of her. She almost pasted out, breathing seemed not to bring any air to her lungs.

They entered the apartment, and she told him to watch T.V. cause she needed to lay down for a bit.. She just kept coughing. Clay watched T.V., hearing mom coughing a lot in the back bedroom. He prayed that dad would come home early today, but that wouldn’t be the case. It was dark when dad came in, mom never came out of the bedroom… Clay was now really scared. “Hey champ, Where’s mom?” “Dad. Mom hasn’t come out of the bedroom all day. I think mom’s bad sick.” “Have you eaten yet?” He asked his son. “Bowl of cereal and awhile ago a sandwich. It’s mom I’m worried about.” Clay said as his dad hung up his

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coat and went to check on his wife.It wasn’t ten minutes and his dad came rushing

out into the living room. He was completely shook up. “Dad? What’s wrong?” “It’s mom.. She’s really bad sick. Get your shoes on, I’m taking your mom to the hospital.” He stated, getting Clay his shoes.

Clay watched dad make a few phone calls and realized that he was about to be ‘babysat’.. “No! I want to go too.” Clay defiantly sat on the floor, just staring at his shoes. “Clay! This is not the time for this.. Look mom’s really-really sick. Your going to linsey’s apartment, then I’m taking your mom straight to the hospital… Get a few of your toy’s together, you might be awhile.” His dad said, stuffing his feet into his shoes.

Dad disappeared to the back room again as Clay realized his father had put his shoes on the wrong feet and quickly tried to change them over before he got back. He father came back out making yet more phone calls.

It wasn’t long after that a knock came at the door, it was Mrs. Linsey. She was a nice lady , but her son was almost eleven and kind of thought of Clay as a weird kid. Oh, they got along okay but they really didn’t have that much in common.

As dad explained a little of the situation to her in rather a quiet tone, Clay was gathering up as many action figures as he could cram into his lunchbox, trying to overhear what was being said about mom. Their talk ended as he approached them.

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“Ready Clay?” Mrs. Linsey asked showing a completely fake smile. “Can I give mommy a kiss before I go?” Clay asked. “Um, Champ.. That cough mom has.. it might be catchy and neither me or mommy want you to catch it..” “But won’t you catch it?” “CLAY, now, you need to go.” Dad stated, leading him out the door. “Get him out of here…”

The door buzzer went off. ‘Who was coming over now?’ Clay thought to himself, now being led down the hallway. “Come on. I’m about to make cookies. You’re going to help me.” Mrs. Linsey stated. The elevator was on the way down.

Clay recalled how weird it felt walking down that hallway. They had just entered her apartment, as Mrs. Linsey hung at the doorway, just watching for almost two minutes before closing it. Clay tried to determine by the look on her face, what was happening out there.

The woman watched out the crack of her door as a stretcher was rolled into the boy’s apartment and soon, quickly rolled out as Jessie laid covered up to her neck and was followed by Mark. The elevator sound came again and shortly after that, she closed the door. Sad times.

The rest of the evening he played quietly with his toys and slept on their couch that night. It seemed that Mrs. Linsey’s husband was never home, at least Clay had never seen him enter or exit the apartment. He had been told rumors from other kids in the building, but never had taken stock in any of them.

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Steven asked why ‘he’ was there, waking up for his normal breakfast and finding him there.

She quietly explained it to him using the word‘sick’. “Sick, as in dying..” Steven stated. “Steven! I said sick.” She scolded his rudeness. “Have you seen her lately? That’s way past sick.” “Steven! Go to your room, NOW!” Mrs. Linsey actually raised her voice to him. In that he left the table, angry. “Don’t listen to him Clay, he’s just being a butthead today.” Mrs. Linsey tried to console him. But the damage had been done. “face it.. she about to died.” Steven remarked leaving the table. Clay’s mind began spinning, and from somewhere, the words just fell out of his mouth, “Didn’t your dad die in prison?” “Clay!” Mrs. Linsey stated in another raised voice..

He hadn’t meant too actually say that. It was a school rumor he’d once heard. Steven just stared at him for a few seconds and turned and left the room. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that…” Clay tried to apologize. “Oh you poor boy. I know you didn’t mean too. But that wasn’t nice.” “Sorry,” Clay said, sliding off the kitchen chair and going straight to his toy’s. Alone now, he tried to let everything that had just happened, pass…

It was an hour or two as he played quietly with his toy’s as she was cleaning the living room. He half

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watched her, pretending not to notice her, as she was probably still mad at him. And playing with the toy horses, the words again popped out of his mouth, “Is my mommy going to die?” “No. Of course not honey, your mommy’s going to be just fine. I’m sure they’ll both be home soon..” She stated as her wall phone rang, and she went to answer it, “Hello?” Mrs. Linsey stated, listening intently to the caller’s words.. “I see. Yes, he’s fine… Okay... See you then.”

She hung up the phone as Clay had already determined the call to be his father. She was smiling as re-entered the living room. “Mom’s alright?” Clay asked, as if knowing their whole conversation. “Yes. She’s fine. Your dad says there going to keep her for a few days, but she’ll be fine.” “Is he coming to pick me up so I can see mom?” “Honey, I fear your mom must be really sick if they want to keep her for a few days. He’s coming home cause there’s nowhere for him to sleep in the hospital.” Mrs. Linsey stated. And with that, Clay went back to playing with his horses.

About an hour later, the doorbell rang. As she unlocked the deadbolt and opened the door after looking out the peephole, she smiled allowing Clay’s dad to enter. “Dad!” Clay actually rushed into his arms a his dad knelt down. “Hey buddy..” He said accepting the warm hug. “Is mom dying?” Clay asked, know his dad would be

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honest with him. “No! The doctor’s are saying that she’ll be fine. They’re running a few more tests and want her to get more rest.. Where’d you hear that she was dying?” He Looked at Mrs. Linsey weirdly. “I’m sorry.. It was my angry son Steven that planted that thought in his head. I grounded him to his room for it.” Mrs. Linsey tried to apologize. “I understand..” “Clay. You mom will be fine, trust me on that. In fact, you can go with me when they release her.. Okay?” “Okay.” Clay gleamed with an approving smile. “Good. Go play for a bit and then we’ll head home, okay sport?” His dad stated, smiling.

The pressure was off. Clay was again a normal happy child, running to go play with his horses again. “Hey. I got coffee made. Want a cup?” “Oh lord yes.. please.” He smiled at the thought.

Clay heard there quiet talk, but payed little mind to it. Mom would be home soon and everything would be alright. That, was all he needed to know. After a while, his dad told him to ‘wrap it up’ and they headed home. He didn’t recall any dreams sleeping that night, but today was a school day. And as normal, knowing this.. He dragged his feet, moping to the kitchen table and seeing only dad, he recalled everything. The house seemed ‘different’, and Clay didn’t like it. “You taking me to school today?” Clay asked. “Yes, but only after you have some of my delicious pancakes.” Dad stated with a bright smile. “oh.. okay.” Clay said, realizing the smile was so fake.

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“Hey. I know this is hard on you. But I promise, mom’s going to be fine.” “When are they going to let her come home?” Clay asked needing an honest answer. “I think tomorrow. After I drop you off, I’m going to the hospital and see what they tell me... But it should be tomorrow.” Dad said, smiling.

Clay tried to do his usual routine and avoid the mean kids but it wasn’t working out well, thank god a teacher had seen he was about to get pounded out on the playground and broke it up, as Clay quickly headed indoors. It was just safer in the building.

The last bell of the day rang as he headed out the main doors of the school. Hundreds of kids disembarked around him as he final saw his dad standing there, right where mom usually stood. He ran up to him with a smile. “Hey slugger. How was your day?” “Same as normal.. almost got beat up on the playground.” Clay said holding the same smile. “Does that always happen?” “Most day’s.. but I’ve gotten good at avoiding them... What about mom?” “Their letting her out tomorrow.” “I still get to go, right?” Clay asked. “Of course. I keep my word, you know that.” Dad smiled at him as kid’s swarmed around them heading off in all directions. “Sure dad. I know that.” Clay smiled up at him as they walked home. The dinner was weird as dad had never made dinner without burning it. During it, they talked a

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bit about movies coming on T.V. this week and maybe Clay would be allowed to stay up and watch them with him. then clay went to his room to play with his toy’s. Dad watched T.V. until it was bath time. After that dad allowed him to stay up to watch a movie and somewhere along the plot, Clay fell fast asleep on his dad’s lap.

“Hey sleepy head! Time to go get mom..” Dad said, as Clay’s eyes flew open. That was all he needed to hear, realizing he was in his own bed. It didn’t take long to fully wake up, and get dressed, heading to the breakfast table where a cereal bowl and milk awaited. “What kind champ?” dad asked pointing to the four boxes of cereal on the fridge. Wasn’t a hard choice, rice crisp. Clay actually like this brand of cereal cause it seemed to pop when the milk was added.

After the bowl placed in the sink, he got his shoes on as dad cleaned up the morning plates. It was way past the time he normally went to school. And for that he was glad, as one of the morning cartoons he never got to see was now on the T.V. “We’re almost ready..” “Can I watch the end of this... Please?” He begged, not taking his eyes off the screen. His dad reluctantly agreed, making a phone call and then sitting down with him and following the cartoon to it’s end.

Walking out of the apartment building, two people consoled dad as they waited for the taxi cab to show up. Soon they headed some twenty blocks, pulling up to a huge building that had all kinds of emergency vehicles parked around it. They walked into the building, as Clay was holding on tightly to his dad’s hand.

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They walked towards an elevator and got in. This elevator was much quieter than the on at their apartment. Two floors they rose. As the door opened the corridor seemed to go on forever, and they walked. Everything looked the same to Clay, as he wondered which room his mom was in. In a single tug of his hand, they were there. There his mom sat on the bed, she smiled the second she’d seen them. “Hey there!” Mom said. “Mom!” Clay boomed and broke out of dads hand and zipped right up to her, grappling into her legs hanging off the bed. “Hey, I’m alright.” Mom said. “I was worried you were dying..” “No.. I’m not dying. I’m nowhere near dead.” Mom reassured him as dad came up behind him and kissed her on the lips. “See, she’s fine.” Dad spoke to him. “The doctor will be in shortly..” “Oh?” “He says I have a breathing problem.” She told his dad. “Is it bad?” “He’s coming with the results. You may want to take Clay down to the nurses station while he explains it to us..” She seemed concerned.

The doctor arrived shortly after that and Clay realized he’d have to be taken out of the room. A nurse, smiled as Clay realized he’d have to go with her, but he had to ask, “Your letting my mom come home, right?”

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“Yes. Just as soon as I explain to her what she need to do to stay out of here.” The doctor said to him with a smile. “Okay.” Was all Clay said leaving with the nurse. “Come on. I got a lollypop with your name all over it.” The nurse said taking his hand. Candy? Yeah he was all for that, clinging onto the hand of the nurse as they went to find this candy.

He’d got a red one, and about the time he’d finished it, she took him back to his mom and dad. Mom was standing and ready to go as the three of them walked out into the hallway, down the elevator and out of the building. There was a cab waiting for them, at least that was the way Clay seen it as they headed back home. He listened as they talked to each other. “The doctor says I’ll need these breathing treatments once a week over the next month. Depending on how they go, it should all clear up.” Mom said. “Well that’s good.” Mark said upbeat about it. “So glad your home mom.” Clay stated, sticking close to her.

They were home again. And everything seemed to go back to normal. Clay was put to bed after dinner and the bath, but he listened as they talked in the living room, And he gathered that the city air was what caused mom to get sick, smog, whatever that was, is what was making her sick..

The weeks of her treatments seemed to crawl by and then came the bad news as she had again gone to the hospital and was told the treatments weren’t working as well as they’d hoped. Dad had suddenly showed up at

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the hospital and he realized mom had to stay. He almost got mad when they weren’t going to take her off the mask. Clay figured that it had medicine in it. With the mask staying in place, his mom talked funny through the clear mask. She seemed to be really sad and his dad was completely upset about all it.

Through the talks with the doctor, Clay kind of understood it was the bad city air that was making her sick. They left mom again at the hospital.. Nobody was happy.

When they got home, Clay had to ask, “Dad, what’s smog?” “It’s dirty air son.” “Is that why she has to wear that mask?” “Yes. They say she needs clean air to breath right..” “Clean air?” Clay asked.

His dad took him over to the window, and pointed out it saying, “See that fuzzy cloud, looks like a smoky film that is in the air?” “Yeah?” “Well, that’s smog. It comes from factories smoke stacks and automobiles and other things. They call it pollution.. That’s what causing your mom to have breathing problems.” He told him. “So she need air without the smog in it?” Clay asked. “Yes. But in the city, like where we have to live there is no smog free air.” Dad explained. “What does smog free air look like?” Clay asked. “Well, the skies are really bright blue and you don’t see any smoke as far as the eye can see.” Dad said,

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thinking about how the bill’s for her treatments and his taking off so many sick days were going to hurt them. “Oh, I know where there’s smog free air at..” Clay said, recalling the pictures mom dropped. He clearly recalled that the sky was a very bright blue as far as the eye could see and there wasn’t any smog at all in it. “You do?” Dad asked curiously. “Yeah. In mom’s pictures.” “Mom’s pictures?” What pictures?” “The one’s she keeps in the box up in the closet!” Clay said. “In the closet?” Dad was intrigued to hear she had hid away pictures from him. “Yeah, from her dad.” “Son, her dad died before we meet.” “Then why was she always getting letters from him?” Clay asked. “What?” “Yeah. There all in a box.” Clay said, taking dad by the hand to show him.

There, behind and old set of hats, there was a box. And as he pulled it down, he realized it must have had a lot of stuff in it. It was rather heavy. He took it out into the living room and set it on the floor. He had never knew she had a living dad, but as he opened the box, there must have been over a thousand letter in it, MOST of them unopened! And sure enough, the return address was from the place she’d said she had came from. “Why did mommy hide these?” Dad asked Clay. “I don’t know, she just always got a sour look on her face and then place it in that box.” Clay pointed out.

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“She never opened them?” “I did one. “You did one what?” He asked his son. “Opened the picture one. It’s in there… That how I know there’s fresh air there. Just like you explained, ‘clear skies… as far as the eye can see. There’s a picture in one of those. ..It’s got a horse and a barn in it too.” Clay pointed to the box, now on the living room floor. “Okay, time for your bath, I’ve got to check all this out.” Dad looked into the box. “Aw…” “Clay.” “Okay, but I get the picture with the horse in it.” “We’ll see. Now, bath.” Dad said, shooing Clay away from the box.

For an hour he just stared at all the letters in the box. Unsure as to ‘why’ his wife had done this. Many things went through his mind. He would never pry into his wife’s past, and he was sure she had a good reason for keeping all this buried from him. Was her father a sick pervert, a mental case? Did he beat on her as a child… Why… what would cause this box to be ‘so hidden’? Why hadn’t she ever even opened a letter? This was WAY PAST being mad at your parent. Why would she say he was dead. That was so many years ago. She had lied to him. There must be a reason..

His wife was literally ‘dying’ in the hospital, they said that if she wanted any chance of living more than a few years, they’d have to get out of this big city living. She knew that, and Tennessee air was almost pure oxygen! Why would she continue to want to live a death

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sentence? What could be so horrible.He just stared at the box with hundreds if not

thousands of letters teeming just inside it’s brim. His curiosity had finally gotten the better of him, as he spread all the letters onto the living room floor. There were hundreds of them. Still, not wanting to open any of them, he began to sort them out by there date stamps. This in it’s self took almost an hour, making coffee and going back at it.

He found the opened letter. Figuring it was already opened, he examined the date stamp. Clay would have been almost three years old at that time. Mark’s curiosity had finally gotten the better of him, as he peered into the envelope to see a sight he never expected to see. There was a photograph, black and white, though taken professionally. Was that her father? One thing for sure, the background was clear of smog. Looking farther in the envelope he saw money! Money?

As he pulled out the four bill’s they were all fifties! There was two hundred dollars here! And then a white letter was still tucked in there, he was now too curious to stop. It was a gut wrenching thing to do, but now, he had too read it.., Dear Jessie, I know you will never return here to me. But, here is some more money, as I know you’ll never even return a letter either. I hope as always with the money I send, you will use it well. Love always dad

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He must have read it ten times. Counted the fresh fifty dollar bills just as many times.. and realized that every letter on the floor contained money in them… “Holy shit!” He said, just staring at all the letters. What the hell was he suppose to do now?

Half his mind wanted to just tear into each of the letter’s as rent day was but a few days away, and clearly, being out of work for the period he had been, he was sure he’d soon be fired. And that wasn’t even all the bill’s that desperately need to be paid. In a week, the electric would be beyond repair, water was behind. The bank account only had thirty-six dollars left in it and he hadn’t even bought food yet! Did his wife know of all the money that was possible in here? She had too. This letter was opened.

It was then Clay came out seeing his dad on the floor just staring at all the letters. “Did you find the letter I opened, the one with the horse?” “You opened the letter?” “Yeah. Mom got really made at me, stuffed the picture back in and put it in the box.” Clay stated. “Clay, did mom read the letter?” “Um, no. I don’t think she did. Just stuffed the picture back in and put it away.” Clay remembered. “How do you remember that?” Dad asked. “Easy. She got so mad that I’d opened it, I thought she was going to whoop me raw, I ran!” Clay remembered it as if it were an hour ago. “She just stuffed the picture back in and headed towards me. But she just walked past me… I was scared, but she went into your guys closet.

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I watched where she put it. ..I wanted that horse picture. But after she came out, I got afraid if she’d of ever had caught me with it.” “So, she never looked at the letter?” He questioned his son. “Nope.” “You’re sure?” Dad asked again. “Oh, I’d remember..” Clay could stake his life on it. Point here was, that it was the ONLY opened letter. “Dad? Is this mommy in the picture?” “Yes. I’m pretty sure it is.” “Can’t we all go there?” “I don’t think your mom wants too.” “Why? If it will make her better..” “I don’t know, yet. But I’m going to find out. Okay, you head back to bed, while I figure this all out,” Dad said. Clay gave his dad a hug and headed for the bedroom.

It took the rest of the night. Each letter, starting from the first, he read. The first dozen were begging to just to open any type of communication, the next fifty where more lengthy as the mans words had placed himself as the blame her mother had died. Why he never saw how she was ailing, why he’d couldn’t see how bad her health was until she collapsed that day at the store.

He tried to explain that her mother was always so stubborn, that most times lied to him about being sick, but that he saw she was starting to slow down. In these letters, he explained that he never knew she had gotten so sick that her lungs had filled with fluid. It was that with what had killed her. He knew that Jessie blamed

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him for her death, that he ‘if he really cared’ would have seen it, got her to a hospital or something. He blamed himself, realizing this way too late. He stating that at that time, their world was getting harder and harder to keep the ranch under control and that town folk had a grudge against his by the sake of their family name. He could only keep working trying to bail out the sinking ship. He admitted he never took the time to look back at how the family was holding up. It was only after her mother’s death that the town had actually began to accept them. But the damage had already been done to Jessie and that he now realized why she hated him so much. He even went as far as calling himself a tyrant and again beg her to at least talk to him.

These letters never saw the light of day, yet in everyone, fresh bills laced every letter. He had only open a quarter of them and so far and had enough money in a pile to pay off every bill, including the hospital!

The letter’s after that got fewer and fewer in words, but the money was always there. Sometimes two hundred, sometimes more, but never less. Then came the last fifty letters. In it he begged her to please come home, he was dying, still saying he was sorry for everything. The last few letters were almost unreadable, but had changed in the wording. He forgave her. Wishing her the best in life. He knew from the grape vine she had gotten married, as a detective had actually tracked her down but was told not to interfere with her life. The letters got worse in writing which told of Clay being two years of age. In the next few, (where the open letter came in) it told that he got a picture of her baby

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‘Clay’ and had men start to rebuild her tree fort for him, should she ever decide to come home. The money was starting to pile up as he mentally lost track of how much was there, the letters again changed. He was explaining that he was selling most all the land to a land developer and had set aside twenty acers around the house as hers, when ever she wanted to accept it. Then, in few of the last letter’s which were barely legible at all, it just kept over and over asking for her forgiveness and that he’d always love her and that he was proud of her. Then, he stared at the last of the letters.

Almost fearing to open it, his hands actually trembled. But in a rip of the letter opener, he did. There was no money in this one. It was a land title. Twenty prime acres of homeland, which had included her house, the barn as well as her tree fort in the oak tree. All transferred to the three of them and the taxes were payed up clear to the end of the century! “Oh my god… Is this for real?” He exclaimed out loud as Clay had seemed to been woken up by the statement. “Daddy? You okay?” Clay said wiping his eyes. Seeing both the huge pile of money and the letters all staked on top of one another. “oh… Mommies going to be really mad at you.” “Well, I’m a bit mad at mommy right now too.” He said. “Is that all that money ours?” Clay asked, realizing it was a lot. “Clay. We’re moving to the picture with horses, you do like horses, right?” Dad simple asked him.

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That woke Clay straight awake. His eye got as big as silver dollars! Suddenly her turned and ran towards the back hallway, as he father wondered what had happened. He finally smiled noticing that Clay had headed directly to the bathroom.

Soon, the disaster averted, Clay returned, the smile on his face made the whole room glow, as his father showed him the picture, “We’re moving there… Weather mommy likes it or not.” “Really! No kidding? Yippy!” Clay said, bouncing around the room as if crazy. No more mean teachers! No more bullies! No more dodging cars to get to the park! And best of all, mommy gets the clean air she needs to get better. Then suddenly, he froze, looking at his dad, almost afraid to ask, “Do I get a horse?” “Do you know how to take care of a horse?” Dad countered. “Um, I can learn.” “Then, we’ll see.” Dad said as the bouncing continued for almost ten minutes after those words. Clay had finally landed on the couch, tuckered out and breathing very hard. His dad just smiled at him. “Mommy, can we tell mommy?” Clay asked, now just trying to catch his breath. “As soon as you go get dressed,” Dad stated, starting to pick up the letters and arranging them in back into their envelopes in order. He got a rubber band making sure they would be opened first to last. Placing it all back together and sure he’d done it right, he placed

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them back into their envelopes. Getting a small sandwich brown paper bag he carefully inserted all the money into it, then tucking it deep in his back pants pocket. The picture, he kept in his wallet back pocket as they got ready to leave.

The cab awaited them downstairs as Clay realized that it was still dark outside. “Am I going to school today?” Clay asked. “Do you want too?” His dad asked, knowing well what the answer would be. “No,” “Fine with me.” Dad smiled, knowing how he hated that school. “Yes!” Clay reveled almost hitting the cab’s interior roof. Even the cab driver smiled at the boy’s luck. “Where too?” “The hospital.” “Which one?” The cabbie asked confused. “The one my mommies at..” Clay said out loud, as the cabbie just stared in the mirror at the father.

The directions given, the cab zipped straight to the entrance of the hospital. “That’ll be three bucks.” The cabbie stated as he pulled out his wallet and realized it was completely empty. It was weird seeing the cabbie’s look as dad opened the brown bag and pull out a crisp fifty dollar bill and handed it to him. “Uh, I don’t have change for this..” The cabbie stated, realizing the bill was genuine. “Fine, keep the change.” He stated climbing out of the cab.

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“Uh, I’ll go make change and bring it back? Take about five minutes.” “Tell you what. Go do something good for yourself, have some breakfast and then come back here in, oh, I’d say… about three hours?” “Sure, no problem. Anything you want.” The cabbie smile as if he’d hit the jackpot. “Three hours, I’ll be right here.” The cab sped away and Clay held his father’s free hand, as in the other he held all the letters in a brown shopping bag. In an uncertain way they both walked into the hospital. The elevator took them up to her floor and checking with the nurses station found her room, though ‘visiting hours’ wouldn’t be for yet another four hours. He convinced the nurse to allow them see her stating that there was a very urgent reason to speak with her.

The nurse felt pressed to ask why, and Clay’s dad told her the her father had passed away. (which, in his mind wasn’t a lie) She checked to see if she would accept a visit and luckily his wife was awake. The nurse came back and smiling agreed to let them pass, giving him her room number.

There was nobody in the semi private room with her at this moment as they entered. “Hey little guy.” Jessie said to Clay. “Hi mommy.” “What bring you here so early in the morning?” Jessie said through the breathing mask. “I showed daddy the box with the picture in it..” Clay stated, almost ashamed about it.

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“What box with the picture in it?” She asked, eyeing Mark. “The one with all the letters from your father.” He stated.

The rooms atmosphere seemed to change as Clay placed his hands over his own ears, fearing that his mom was going to start yelling. But they just stared at each other for a few moments. Then Jessie stated in a controlled low voice, “I should have thrown them all away.” “Well, I’m kind of glad you didn’t. You never opened a single letter, did you?” Mark stated. “I hate that man so much..” Jessie said, as Clay realized they weren’t yelling at each other. “Hated.. past tense.” He stated. “What?” Jessie questioned. “Your father past away…about a year ago.” He told her, holding the brown grocery bag at his side. “Good riddance.” Jessie said, the anger of the way he’d let her mother die raised up in her voice. “The doctor says you’ll have to spend the rest of your life on that thing, if you don’t get to a place with clean air.”

There was a dark silence between them as she just stared at him, turning to see Clay’s face. He was frowning, having heard that piece of news. “...because of you being here, and or son needing to be taken care of, the bill’s are beginning to pile up. Rents almost due and we have thirty five dollars in the bank. Oh, plus… We’re almost out of food at the house.” He coldly stated to her.

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Suddenly she felt trapped. Because of this stupid illness, she was going to lose everything. Mark, her son, the apartment. She looked at him, the fear starting to show in her eyes. “There nothing I can do, what do you want from me?” She asked, knowing that there wasn’t a way out of any of this. “Oh yes you can.. There is something. Jessie, you kept a bad secret from me. Worse, you lied to me..” He told her directly. “Lied? Oh, about ‘him’,” She stated, adding “to me he was dead.” “You never opened a single letter!” He said, raising up the bag and placed it on her bed.

She knew what the bag contained now. She just stared at it with a weird look. He paced back and forth at the end of her bed. Jessie realized he was super mad with her. “What difference do those letters make now? That part of my life was over the day I stepped on that bus.” Jessie said through the mask. “You hated him that much?” He pointed at the bag. “Yes.” She acknowledged. “You need to read those, or I swear… I’ll take Clay and you can rot behind that mask in here.” Dad almost got loud.

The shock on her face was real. Jessie’s head swam trying to figure out why he was cramming the letters down her throat. She got so scared when he threatened to take her son away, she actually reached for the bag. She was treating the large brown paper bag as if

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it had a snake in it. “What difference is this going to make?” Jessie stated, trying to get out of this. She wasn’t sure which was worse, Mark threatening to never letting her see her son again, or the words in the letters that were in this bag. “You read every single one of these, in order… or we’re gone.It took me about two hours.. Me and Clay are going to get some breakfast, we’ll be back around then. The ball’s in your court.” He said, taking Clay by the hand and began walking out. “Bye mommy..” Clay waved as he led his son out of the room.

Jessi was in total shock now. How could life be so cruel? And somehow, her father held the trump card. Alone now, her ears ringing, her mind raged at the fact her own husband was on her fathers side… Her DEAD fathers side. Which made this bag all the more scary. It took five minutes to even open the bag, as she finally rested all the envelopes on her lap. The nurse came back in seeing that she was alright, and noting the woman needed personal time, quietly left the room.

Pulling off the rubber band, he placed on them to keep them in order, she realized that every one had been opened. He had read everyone.. What all had he read in them? Did she want too, could she bear to read the words? Her sons face waving good bye flashed and she opened the first one.

Her own anger had led the words that she read off the pages, quickly placing each of them down in a plant, after understanding that she’d read it.

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Then something was happening, as she realized quickly, by her fathers words, that her dad had sent money in at least a few of them. She figured it couldn’t amount to more than fifty to a hundred dollars between all of them, and past it off that Mark probably had enough to carry out his threat against her, which prompted her to read on..

He was fully blaming himself as to her mothers death, then she started reading about how the town had treated him (recalling a few run ins and recalling how someone had poisoned her horse, and the cops beating her dad up) they really didn’t like the family. And she started to realize how hard it must have been to keep thing going smoothly.

Letters later, she realized that he was pushing a boulder uphill everyday he awoke, and her whining about the chores couldn’t of helped either. She had seen her mother hide many a problem from her dad and knew her mother would throw herself off a cliff rather than show an ounce of weakness..

These letters were starting to bring it all back, but now she could see it in a new light, a more realistic adult kind of way. Her mother never did actually take good care of herself, she was the kind of person that would walk to town, rather than have her husband drive her, cause it would take away from what he needed to do to keep everything afloat… even if it was pouring rain. Why couldn’t she see that then? It was so clear now.

The letters kept changing as he realized she would probably never forgive him.. and then came the hard to believe things. He had actually had found her and

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had her tailed! She read of him knowing she’d gotten married, and he’d secretly given his blessing (looking over the date stamp, she realized it was almost a week ‘before’ they had gotten married)of her marriage.

The letters rolled on bringing in the baby. He knew about that too! She recalled this letter though, it was the one with the picture in it. As she read, she realized her father was not doing well and had fixed up her old tree house in case she had ever brought Clay to visit. He ‘knew’ Clay liked horses. Was this a try at a bribe? There were still more letters, and she realized by his writing style, he was going down hill quickly.

And then again the letters changed. He was dying and had begun to sell off all that land to a housing development. He never said anything about it really, just letting her know what he was doing. The rest of these letters showed that he’d hope she forgive him as he forgave her for never so much as picking up a line. He really thought now that maybe he did deserve what he’d got.. But always, the letters all ended ‘love dad’.

Jessie’s mind whirled as the last few letters were almost chicken scratch. But he’d made it clear that he’d set aside some land should she ever accept the offer. The last letter in her hand, as tears had been streaming down her face through the last fifteen.

Her hands shook with tremors as she looked at the envelope and feared what laid inside.. She had been so… stubborn, realizing she was just like her own mother. She hung on to all that anger, through out her whole adult life.. She could never come to do the one thing her own father had done with her, forgive! She had

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done all of this ‘so wrong’ and the pain was now almost unbearable.. Why couldn’t she just… forgive? Not wanting to, she opened the last letter. It was a land deed! It was in both hers and Mark’s name. The name of ‘James’ no longer on the title. The name was wiped out, history had been changed, now the future was being rewritten. But in her hand she held a land title to her house… The house she was born in. The place where her mother and father had died. Her home…

It wasn’t a good ten minutes that her husband and her son strolled through the door. Clay was smiling, but Mark seemed puzzled. “I’m so pig headed.. I’m so sorry…” She said, bawling through the mask. “You read them?” Mark asked “Yes… all of them. Even the one that he knew we had Clay.. The one about our marriage. A detective of some kind must have followed us around for months, maybe years.. Yes I read them all... Why was I being so stupid all those years.” She said, again crying uncontrollably. “Mommy, you not stupid..” Clay said, not understanding. “Yeah baby… I was. Oh I love you two so much.” Jessie pulled up Clay onto her lap, sending most of the letters cascading into the floor. “You ready to listen?” Mark asked openly. “Yes,” She said still hugging Clay tightly. “You need to get to ‘fresh air’ to get healthy. And there’s a place that can give you that. The one place you never wanted to go back too…” Mark told her. “I understand..” She said, lowering her head.

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“So, are we moving.. or are we all moving?” Mark asked, seeing that she understood now where he was coming from with all this. “We’re all moving..” Jessie stated. As for the first time since arriving here at the hospital, he broke a smile to her.

Jessie seeing that glimmer of a smile on his face, had felt the weight of the whole world seem to lift off her chest. And soon, the nurse came in, apparently upset that all three of them were on the bed hugging. They all just laughed as she went ranting off to get the doctor.

In less then five minutes the doctor came rushing in, having been told some weird goings on. He seemed highly upset as Mark began to explain the extraordinary events that would allow his patent to get the clean air she required to get healthy. After hearing the change of scenery they were going to make, he agreed whole heartedly, but, there was a slight problem. “Sir, I hate to inform you of this. But she can’t go anywhere until her bill is paid in full.” “Oh?” Mark stated. “I can not sign off on her, release her, unless the complete medical bill is paid in full. Law mandates it.” The doctor said, realizing that this was probably going to be paid by the state, and he the hospital was going to get reimbursed, he had to follow the proper procedure. “If she just walks out?” He asked the doctor. Jessie was wondering just where Mark was going with this. “Then sir, she will be what we ‘real’ doctors call AMA.” He stated openly. “AMA? What does that mean? ..She can just walk out,

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she does have legs, and I don’t see any bars or guards at the door… Not a prison.” He bolstered. “It means that no matter ‘where’ in the united states you move, if she leaves with out being released, for not paying her bill. She will be leaving ‘against medical advice’, which means that she will never be admitted into another hospital, even if she is dying, or for any other reason as well.” He smugly put. “Then… you have this bill ready?” He asked, still holding that smirk on his face. “I can have that here in five minutes, if you would like to see the bill.” “See it, I want to pay it.” He stated, eyeing the doctor. “Sir, I honestly don’t think you, dressed the way you are, could possibly pay the bill.” He said so smugly Jessie wanted to hit him. “Weirder thing have happened..” He said, adding “so go get your bill. Five minutes you said?” “Fine, I’ll be right back, sir.” “Fine… I’ll be right here.” He snipped back at the doctor as he turned to leave.

The doctor left as Jessie just looked at Mark. She was clueless as to what he was doing. This was starting to scare her, “Honey. That bill! It’ got to be over… god, six, seven hundred dollars already!” Jessie said recalling the amount in their bank. “I hope it’s higher than that.” Mark smiled at her. “Have you lost your mind?” Jessie asked as time seemed to slow down. “Dad has a lots of money.” Clay nodded to her.

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“He does?” Jessie asked him, looking between the two of them. “He sure does. I seen it.” Clay stated. “And where did daddy get that lots of money?” Jessie questioned him. Clay got real quiet, not sure weather or not he should say. “Go ahead sport, you can tell her.” Mark stated. “…he got it from the letters.” Clay said, wanting to get down from her lap in case they started arguing about it. He was pretty sure mom was going to get mad. “How much?” Jessie asked Mark, as the doctor must have broke his neck to cram the bill together came strolling in, “Wow doc.. you did that in under two minutes.” Mark smile at the doctor. As Clay had decided to pick up all the letter’s that had spilled on the floor. “Well sir, you asked for it.. Here it is.” He handed it over. “Okay?” Mark looked over the bill, flipping to a second page then flipping back to the first page. “So, the total is… Where?” “It’s right there on the second page.” The doctor stated adjusting his glasses, as if they’d slipped down a bit. “Second page, second page… Ah, here we go, is that right?” He said, making light of the whole thing. (Oh he had seen the total the first time he looked) “Yes... So, now. If you can, pay up.” The doctor said. “Where do I pay?” He stated, not about to give this doctor a single dime of his cash. “You can pay me…” He held out his hand. “Or?” Mark countered.

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“Or pay at the front desk.” The doctor added. “The front desk… Didn’t I past that on the way in?” He asked the doctor. “Normally you would, unless you snuck in the back door.” He said seriously, thinking that’s what happened. “I’ll be right back honey, get dressed.” Mark told her. “I’ll walk you down.” The doctor seemed to smell foul play here. “I can find the way on my own,” Mark said. “It’s no problem sir, I was heading that way anyways.” He smile at her husband. “Honey, you got this?” Jessie asked. “Sure. Go ahead, get dressed.” He winked at her. “This way sir,” The doctor stated offering Mark to follow his path. It was the best moment in his life, smiling at the doctor in the elevator. The doctor smiled back as if to have a smile off about weather or not these people could afford this bill. They had finally made the front desk, as he placed the papers on the desk. “Paying your bill sir?” The woman sitting down said. “Yes. Oh, can you make sure this statement is correct first?” He asked the woman receptionist. “Certainly sir..” She took the papers and walked into the back room. The doctor seemed to be hanging around for some reason, as he struck up a conversation about his wife condition. “You realize that your wife needs to be in a clean air environment for these treatments to actually have an effect.” “Yes. That why were moving to Tennessee.”

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“Yes. That’s clean air territory. I have a list that will conduct the treatments in that state. I’ll get it for you.” The doctor stated, seeing the woman coming back with the bill. “Here you are sir. We had to make an adjustment, for the past day and today. But here is your total bill.” The receptionist placed the paperwork on the counter. “Thank-you doctor. Just leave it here and I’ll pick it up on the way out…” He said looking over the bill again. “Certainly.” He stated, watching the mans next move.

In an mental agreement with the bill, he pulled out the small brown lunch bag that contained the money. He Pulled out of it the very large stack of fifty’s… “Is cash alright?” He looked at the woman who tried to hold back her surprised look at all the money this man had in his hand. “Uh, yes sir. Cash is fine.” She stated.

He counted out the currency on the counter as the woman actually stood up to watch the money placed, in one hundred dollar increments in two bill stacks across the counter. The doctor just seemed to smile and just before walking away he stated to her, “Make sure the patient has a portable breather to take home with her, being as how he’s paying the bill in cash, we’ll toss it in for free.” “Yes doctor.” The woman began to count off the money herself, smiling at the man who was now placing the still large amount of money back in the bag and tucking it down into his back pocket. “We done here?” He asked her. “Yes sir.. I’ll have a receipt marked paid in full for you

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to pick up as you leave.” “Thank-you.” Mark beamed proudly.

With the greatest feeling on the planet, he strode back to the elevator, taking it up to the floor his wife and child were waiting. Entering the room he noticed three or four orderlies almost breaking their necks trying to make sure that she was placed properly in a wheelchair as the portable breathing equipment was being explained to her and being placed on properly. “What just happened?” Jessie asked, never having been waited on like this before. Her eye’s were fearful of all the things going on about her. “This is what it’s like when everyone realizes you have money, get use to it, things are about to change in our lives.” Mark told her with a smirk she’d never forget. “You never answered me, how much money was in those letters?” Jessie asked, wondering how much money her father had place in those letters. There were an awful lot of letter here. “Honestly?” He smiled as they were still fitting her mask on her face. She almost attempted them to stop, wanting them to take it off so she could clearly talk this out with him. “Honestly.” She said, as the mask had kind of muffled her voice. “There was no less than two hundred in each letter, up to the last few.” He smiled about it.

Her mind was blown. She knew she’d read well over two hundred and fifty letters... If she times that by two hundred... that would mean he had,.. She would have been ‘so stupid’ to have done that.

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She had seriously, many times, thought about throwing them all down the apartment garbage chute. Just to be done with them all. “Oh my god!” Jessie said as this realization struck her. “Yeah, now aren’t you kind of glad you hadn’t thrown all those letters away?” He quipped. “Clay, ready to take mommy home?”

Their son, who had been watching all these people treat his mom like a queen burst out with, “We’re moving, to live with the horses still?” Clay asked openly now. “As soon as we clear up a few things and pack up our stuff.” His dad smiled. “Yea!” He said, now holding the large bag that held all the letters in it. “Let’s go!”

Being pushed to the front door with no less then four orderlies around them, she was surprised to see a very happy cabbie helping make sure Jessie got into the cab comfortable as Mark asked him, “Enjoy you breakfast?” “Enjoy? I actually paid for a week of lease.” “I though you.. you were suppose to get breakfast?” “Oh, I did. Yes sir. Ate at a real restaurant too.” He smiled almost bowing to Mark, as Jessie was ‘carefully’ being placed into the cab. Clay had already climbed in carrying the bag of letters. “You don’t mind if I sit up front with you, do you?” He asked the cabbie, who was making sure the door was closed properly for his important riders in the back, “Oh no sir. I don’t mind at all.” He said opening thedoor for Jessie’s husband.

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Everyone tucked in, the cabbie almost ran around to the drivers door and happily climbed in. With a turn of the key, the engine started, and they were heading home. Clay smiled at mom snuggling up to her and holding her arm as she caressed his head. Clay was happy about a lot of things. And soon he would be looking at real live horses!

They had a party. Inviting everyone they knew as it seemed the apartment wasn’t near big enough. Soon the whole floor had turned into one huge party. Mrs. Linsey watched all the children that happened to tag along, allowing the parents the freedom to enjoy themselves. The landlord had even attended the party, he was very happy for them. In fact, he had gotten them packing boxes and tape, as they paid the rent bill clean away. Everyone that stopped by would always recall the party of that night.

It took almost two days to recover from it, and almost three days to clean up all the mess. As they were hard at packing, boxes filling the living room and beds and mattresses tipped up on their sides, a moving truck with about six strong guy’s began to carry down all their belongings. Jessie held on to the jewelry box and a suitcase that held all their important things.

They had bought plain tickets, first class to Tennessee, landing in Knoxville, from there they would take a taxi… Clay loved the plane, his face almost plastered to the window the whole time. They were all surprised at how short the flight was, but got very nice meal during the flight. Clay actually got three bags of peanuts, and ate everyone of them.

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The taxi ride in had confused her. There were houses built all over the place. In fact, the street she use to ride the bus to school on, was now filled with houses side by side. She wondered if the swimming hole was still there. “You remember any of this?” Mark asked. “No… Nothing. It’s all changed. Then, she’d seen a land mark. Actually it was a tree she use to swing in over looking the road and pointed at it. “You remember a tree?” He almost laughed about it. “We’re close..” She said as Clay looked for his horses.

Then the cab turned into a wide brick driveway that had a huge mailbox with their last name on it. “Would you look at that. The mailbox has our last name on it.” Mark stated, as she realized the her family history was truly gone. The James family name had been wiped clean away. “Where’s our house?” Clay asked not seeing it at all. “We got a little ways to go, we’re almost there.” Jessie recalled how many times she had jogged down this driveway to catch the bus. “Is that our house?” Clay pointed to a house, still a quarter of a mile away. “Yes, that’s out house.” Jessie said, now recalling the structure of it.

Her dad had done some massive work on it. Freshly painted and it looked like he had added two maybe three more rooms to it. “Wow, this place is huge!” Mark said, as they finally pulled up to it. “Wasn’t this big when I lived here. Wow.” Jessie said

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as she too stared at the large house as she got out of the cab.

Paying off the driver, with a modest tip, they had less than five hundred dollars left out of all the money… And they still had to pay the movers, get the lights turned on and phone turned on, food… And he wondered if he had enough to buy a used car. “Hey buddy, how far is the nearest grocery store around here?” He asked the cabbie. “Well, I say, about six miles maybe eight from here.” He politely offered.They were definitely going to need a car! “Great!”

Jessie barely remembered the place, it had changed so much. It was like really weird to her as they walked up to the front door.

She remembered this front porch, but now it was all modern brick. It use creak all over the place, almost every step. And it use to be a dull blueish color.. Now, it had a almost a pale white color to it. All the cracked and chipped paint, gone. New windows all the way around.

Jessie remembered the cold winter drafts that use to sweep through the house, now everything was all sealed up and modern. It wasn’t even the same house. “Can we go in?” Clay asked. “Well it is our house… But, mom get’s to go in first. “Okay.. Mommy, you first.” Clay tried to open the door, but it was locked. He tried again. Nothing.

They just looked at each other, as Jessie recalled a memory. She looked around, walking back to the edge of the porch and spotted a very familiar rock by the

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steps. If her dad was the way she’d remembered…Jessie stepped off the porch and bent down

flipping over the flat rock, it was like a flash back to her childhood as ‘sure enough’, there laid a shiny silver key.

Just as she was picking it up, they noticed a almost modern Black car, pulling up their driveway.Standing back up, they waited until a man emerged from it with a bright happy smile on his face. “Good morning.” “Morning?” Mark said back, wondering who this man way. “I just got the call that you hit town. I figured you come out here straight away, so I flew over as fast as I could…” “And you are?” Mark asked, curious. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m Jack Hesmit… I’m the curator for this property.” “Curator?” Jessie asked. “Uh. I’m the maintenance man slash security guard for the home… At least until you arrived…” “Okay?” Mark stated, still not sure why the man was here. “Like I said, I rushed over as fast as I could. Didn’t want you thinking you had to bust out a window to get in.” “Why would we have to do that?” Jessie asked. “Well because, I have the only key to this place.” He smiled producing the said key. “No you don’t.” Jessie turned and stepped up the two steps and walked to the door. “Uh, yes mame. Here you go…” Jack said,

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approaching the porch and taking the two steps up. He, with a smile, walked towards the front door, past Jessie and inserted the key.

Jessie remembered how her dad was. He never trusted anyone. She almost smiled at the man as the key in her hand felt warmer than metal should feel as Jack went to turn the key. It wouldn’t turn. He jiggled the key, trying to turn it again, nothing. “That’s strange. I know I have the right key? And there was only one made.. What’s going on here?” Jack said stumped. “Here, let me try my key.” Jessie stated, holding up the key between her two fingers. Jack looked at her in shock.

Jack withdrew the key he had tried to use, stepping back and allowing Jessie to approach the door.

In a single move she slid the key in and turned, opening the door flawlessly. She smiled as she looked back at his face.. He was stunned to see it worked. “But I was told. This key worked last week, I swear.”Jack stated seeming to be lost as to what just happened. “My maiden name is Jessie James. This was and still is my families house. My father owned all the land as far as the eye can see. These houses you see around us.. When I grew up, there was only fields where I use to ride my horse everyday…” Jessie stated to him, suddenly feeling a pride she never experienced before.

She had never felt this way before, it welled up inside her, the closest she ever felt to this was just after she’d delivered Clay staring into his little eyes. “Uh, yes mame. Well, I’ll be going now.” Jack almost seemed to cower from her gaze as she looked over their

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land, remembering the past and understanding all the changes around her. She smiled at his bewildered retreat. “Wow. That was weird..” Mark stated, asking “How’d you know that key was there anyway?” “My dad…” she continued the smile. It blew his mind that she’d actually said that. “Mom! I want to see inside, would you please go in already?” Clay asked, dying to see what was behind the door. “Sure honey… You can go in first.” She smiled down at him.

The air here was fresh, not even needing the oxygen mask, Mark had been carrying on his arm since exiting the cab. As Clay busted through the door entering their new house, Jessie just stared out at the surrounding houses that had popped up since she’d last been here. Mark went and picked up the two suitcases at the beginning walkway, starting from the driveway.

He looked around, they were going to need a lot of things to maintain this place, as he realized the money left in his pocket would be gone well before he had a real chance to think of those things. He was definitely going to need a job. He thought about maybe there might be a plant managers job around here, but the sparseness of the factory buildings made him sigh as he returned to her side. He decided for now, not to bring those fears into this day. His wife seemed to be happy, he’d leave it at that. The air here was very clean, as a slight breeze pushed past them as they overlooked the yard. “After you darling..” He pointed to the open doorway. “This is so scary, you have no idea..” Jessie spoke her

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fear of what was inside awaiting her.They entered as Clay seemed to zip from out of

nowhere. “There’s a fire place.. And a big kitchen! The tub is so huge, I can swim in it! Come on, you got to see this!” Clay was literally running from room to room, bantering about all the neat things he was finding. “Hey… Clay!” Dad stated trying to get him to land for a second, “I heard there’s a tree fort out in the back yard somewhere. Why don’t you go out back and see.”

Clay, having already found the backdoor, quickly took his fathers advise and again disappeared, leaving them to look over the house. The whole house looked so different from what she’d remembered, there was hardly anything there to remind her of what she saw in her mind.

Her father had done a lot of work to the homestead, everything she saw as they slowly walked from room to room was modern and new. They even had their own washing machine, in it’s own room. In the kitchen, a toaster, refrigerator and oven. The wood was stocked nicely by the fireplace in the living room which actually had a stone chimney that rose through the ceiling. She loved the stone mantel above it, made out of pure granite, her mind recalled the small pot bellied stove with the ten inch pipe that seemed to be shoved at an angle through the corner of old living room wall. It was all so different, as Mark spoke. “Wow, this place is huge!” “Yeah. It’s not the same place I remember.” Jessieopenly pointed out, looking about the place.

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There were a few pictures on the wall, one she recalled the day it was taken well. She was instinctively drawn too. She stared at it and recalled the day it was taken. She never wanted to do it, to be in the picture, she recalled …but now, staring at it, it was the only picture she had of them as a whole family. Her tears welled as he realized it was hurting her to see it. “I’ll get rid of it right now..” He said, not liking her tears about it. “Touch it and I’ll kill you and bury you out back…” She stated, the tears freely running down her face. “Okay they… won’t touch it.” He said actually backing away from her. It was the first time she’d ever stated anything like that to him.

Getting some distance from her, leaving her be, he walked to the back door and stepped out. There was an awful lot of land to deal with here. They had a small garden, which weeds had over grown and then looking at the tree and seeing Clay high in the air, looking out over the forts window and surveying the grounds of his new home. H just smiled at this as his eyes shifted to the large barn. Interested what lay behind it closed doors he ambled over to it.

Opening the door and peering into the darkness he was shocked to see what it held. There wasn’t one, but two vehicles in it. A car (that wasn’t but a few years old) and a very old ford pick up truck behind it. The truck had dings and dents all over it and the tires… well, he wasn’t sure they even made them anymore. Behind that was a tractor that he’d probably used for the land, along with the parts that he’d need to hook to it.

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He wondered if it still worked, climbing up on it noticing the key still in the slot. That made him wonder, as he climbed down, ‘was there a key in the car too?’In a wary look he approached the car and opened the door. He sat down behind the steering wheel, realizing it still seemed to have that ‘fresh car’ scent to it. The key was in the ignition switch. Oh, he had to try this…

He pumped the gas two or three times ‘making sure the thing was in neutral actually it was an ‘automatic transmission’ So the little letters told him it was in ‘park’. He’d only seen these type of vehicles in the barbershop magazines and never had a car of his own.. Daring himself to start it, he stated out loud.. “If this thing starts, I’m going to have to learn how to drive…”

With that, he turned the key. As if by magic the engine began to crank over and hitting the gas pedal twice more, it roared to life. He was shocked as he let it idle, listening to the strong hum. It sounded strong.. “Oh wow…”

He shut it off realizing the smoke was starting to build up in the barn. And looked it over opening the glove compartment. Shock set in again, as he realized that there was a title. “Wonder how much it going to cost to change this over?” He mumbled, looking for the previous owners name. He stared at it, re-reading the name three maybe four times, unable to fathom what he was seeing. That was HIS name on this title. He looked at it and then he looked again into the glove compartment as a single small square paper laid there. Blinking he reached over

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and withdrew it from the open box, as yet another surprise was about to make it’s self present. “What the hell?” He stated, looking over the fine print of it… It was a drivers license! And it also held his full name on it… And somehow, the signature on it actually matched his! “This is impossible…” He stated, taking the title and the license and exiting the car, leaving both the glove compartment and the door of the car wide open.

In a rush, he almost bolted out of the barn, re-reading the name on both in the daylight. Both still stated his name ..and this was his signature on the license! Understanding this, he quickly bolted for the house. Jessie had to see this! He quickly entered the back door as Jessie stood there in the kitchen looking over the fridge and new stove that was actually much better and bigger than the one in their old apartment.. “Honey! Look at this!” “What?” Jessie asked, seemed to be lost in her own wonderment. “Look! I was out in the barn… There’s a car in there…” He said excitedly. “That’s good…” She stated, still lost in the size of this stove and all the settings of it. “No. You don’t understand. It had a title in the glove compartment…” “Okay,” She said, wondering how she was going to clean this huge thing. “Honey! The title… It has my name on it! MY name!” He said waving the piece of paper almost in her face. “What?” She said, the paper having brought her out of

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her own world. “Baby, this title, it’s in my name…” He stated again as she took it from him almost disillusioned by what he said. She looked it over as he seemed to pace back and forth trying to understand how this could be. “Wow,” Jessie stated, realizing it actually did contain his name. “Wow? Okay, then how do you explain this…?” He stated handing her the driver’s license.

She took the card from his hand and realized what it was, noting that it was also in his name.. “He knew…” She almost mumbled staring at it. “Knew?” He asked, not understanding the rare form of power the James family legacy had attained. “He knew I come back here…” She wiped her own hair back, just staring at it, starting to smile about it. “What’s that even suppose to mean? How’d he do this? And why are you smiling?”

She ‘knew’ how, but putting it all into words but it would take a history lesson and a long time to explain it all to him. Her father had stayed out of her new life altogether, never getting involved, letting the chips fall where they may. But, actually he been there the whole time, following her… no, their every move. “That’s my dad...” She smiled, as a knocking came at the front door. “Oh, what now?” Mark asked out loud, going to the front door.

To his surprise it was a pastor from one of the local churches that stood at the door.

“Yes, hello. I’m reverend pastor Jason.” He stated.68.

“Hello reverend, mark smiled caught off guard by his presents. “Is your wife about?” He asked, trying to see if she was behind him somewhere. “Honey… There’s a reverend at the door…” Mark stated, then smiled back to the man at their threshold. “Reverend.. Oh hello father.” She brightened up, seeing him dressed up in full garb. “Welcome,”

Mark made way for the man to freely enter as he begin to explained why he was there, “I’m told you were baptized at our church. And now have come back. I though it would only be proper for me to bless your new home.. And perhaps, offer you and your family to rejoin our church.” “Father…?” “Jason.” “Father Jason. We’d be proud if you’d bless the house for us. And we love to attend as soon as we’re settled in a bit…” Jessie said, seeming almost happy he’d stopped by to do this for them.

He proceeded to bless the house, using a Latin script he probably practiced for years, as Clay came walking into the room at that moment. With the last part of the chant he asked for each of their names, as they each gave it to him finishing it up using their names he made the sign of the cross and using a sliver rattle type instrument sprinkled holy water at them and the house.

That being done, he welcomed them to the community again and wish them all a joyous life. They all talked as Clay got bored with all the adult talk had decided to go back outside.

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Actually he’d come in to ask about where all the horses were, as he didn’t see any ‘anywhere’ from up in his new tree fort, but with this guy, he decided it wasn’t the right time.

His parents talked for almost an half an hour as Clay couldn’t stand it anymore. He was definitely hungry as his stomach growled at him. Man or not, he needed food.

He walked back in, and the man was just walking out the front door. Happy about that, he openly asked, “Please say we have something to eat around here?” Clay stated, feeling like he was going to die of starvation.

It was lucky the reverend had stopped by, as he had also brought all of the local businesses addresses and phone numbers of emergency services with him. He also brought a map of the county and pointed out where on the map they were. As Jessie looked over the map, she realized real quickly that there were many more roads in their new township. Actually, the town was still ten miles away, but there were a lot of schools and even a hospital that had been built closer to where they lived. “How about pizza?” Mark asked them both. “Yea!” Clay instantly agreed. “How are we going to do that?” Jessie asked. “I have my license…” “Do you even know how to drive?” Jessie asked him. “Well… I got to learn sometime.” Mark said. “Honey! You think that’s wise?” “Either that or starve. Besides, I’m a quick study. I’ve drove forklifts, and I’m not bad at it either..”

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“Really? Your going with forklifts?” Jessie couldn’t believe this man.

Mark was pumped up for this as soon as he heard the engine kick over. Inside he was aching to do this, as he looked over the map with her as she used the phone book to find the street the pizza place was at. Using both of their minds, on the large map they penciled out the route he’d have to take.

He took the map and headed out the back door as both her and Clay followed him to the open barn. They watched as he got in and started up the brand new car.

As it roared to life again, he allowed it to idle before placing his foot on the break and pulling the shift lever down into drive. He let off the break expecting the car to move forward. He felt it shift into gear but it hadn’t moved an inch forward. What was he doing wrong? He slowly pressed on the gas as the car seemed to want to go forward, but something was holding it back. He let it go back to an idle looking around to see what was going on. Then he noticed it, the parking brake! It was a small pedal that was depressed and he looked for the release to it.

In a triumphant gain of the situation, he pulled the lever in a loud clang. The car, even at an idle, lurched forward, as Jessie pulled Clay even more out of the way as the car rolled past them. He stopped the car, placing it back into park and shutting off the motor. Then he got out. “Something wrong?” Jessie asked. “No, just looking making sure everything’s in order. Oh, honey? The title and my license are on the stove,

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would you mind getting them for me?” Mark asked, looking for a tag in the back. Sure enough, their was a tag too. “Simply amazing.” He stated, looking at all the tires to make sure none were flat. It was perfect! As if it was just driven off the car lot yesterday. Getting back in, closing the door and rolling down the window, Clay had came over, “Can I go?” “Not this time sport, I’ve got to get to know this car and how it handles before anyone rides with me.” Mark told his son honestly.

Jessie came to the rolled down window and handed him the papers to the car. “You be careful, and stay on the right side of the road. And follow all the signs and rules…” Jessie pleaded with him. “Yes dear.” He said, starting up the car as her and Clay again moved back an extra few paces. “And use your turn signals.” She added, fearing for his safety. “Yes dear…” Mark said, ready too do this.

Pulling the car into drive, he rolled freely forward gaining speed and realizing that the end of the driveway was coming up quickly. He placed his foot on the brake pedal and slowly pushed down, as he realized it would take a bit more pressure to actually stop the car.

Pressing the brake, much harder now, he got the results he desired as the car stopped at the very end of the driveway. “Okay. That went good… now, to turn this tub.”

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He actually had to crank on the large steering wheel… Stopping for a second, he looked over to the map next to him, making sure he was going in the right direction, and he was.

Looking both ways he was glad there wasn’t a single car as far as the eye could see. “Okay, you can do this..” Mark said to himself and released his foot off the brake. He quickly figured out that if the car was actually rolling he could steer it much easier as he straightened it out onto the road.

Lightly he placed his foot on the gas, and pressed it slowly. The car instantly gained speed as he watched the road carefully, making sure to stay on his side. The speedometer read twenty five miles an hour, as he realized the speed limit was 35 mph. He could go a bit faster and pressed the gas pedal a bit more. He was driving! “Wow, what a weird feeling.” He said as his heartrate tried to control the adrenalin rush he was now feeling.

On this flat road, without any cars around, he experimented with it. He actually crammed his foot on the brake, causing the tires to lock up. It stopped quickly causing a squeal. As he braced himself for it by pressing his hands against the steering wheel. Having almost been hit by a car in the big city once or twice, now he realized what they had felt. “Wow. That was a rush!” Mark stated as he let off the brake and pressed the gas, adjusting the steering wheel to again get on the right side of the road. In doing this, he felt the sway as he slightly turned the wheel left and right noticing how it handled at different speeds.

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The faster he went the more careful he’d have to be with the wheel. And now getting the hang of this he pressed the gas pedal hard, as the engine roared to life, squealing the rear tires. 40, 50,60, 70… Wow, this car was flying! He dared not to jerk the wheel at this speed, barely moving it to stay on the road in a straight line. This was a as fast as he wanted to go and let his foot off the gas pedal. Slowly, the car’s speed slowed down and he felt much more comfortable at the speed of forty miles per hour.

Having gotten use to the car, a bit, he realized he was coming up on his first real turn. Slowing down and using his signal, he almost crawled through the turn as another car had turned into the same road from another direction right behind him… “Great, just what I need.” He said, speeding up to the posted speed limit. The car behind him seemed to be crawling up to his bumper, as he gave it a little more gas.

He knew that there was yet another turn he’d have to make just ahead, and kept his eyes peeled for it ahead. The car behind him began to beep it’s horn as Mark wondered what he was doing wrong. Finding that he’d let his foot off the gas, trying to spot the turn ahead, the car had slowed down to 27mph. And seeing this he hit the gas slightly, hoping he wouldn’t miss the turn.

There it was as he instantly placed on his turn signal.. The car behind him must have gotten upset with his driving skills and barreled around him, blasting it’s horn as it passed. The driver shaking his fist at him as he’d past. Mark only glanced at him, worrying only about this turn.. The turn made, he spotted the pizza sign.

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“Thank-you god!” Mark stated, rattled by the horn of the other car. Slowing down, in pulled in and crept to a stop in front of the pizzeria. He sat there for a minute to collect himself. Getting out of the car, he realized his legs had gone to rubber. He stood leaning against the car till he was sure they’d firmed back up. He’d never smoked cigarette’s before, but felt if someone had offered him one right now, he’d have probably accepted it.

The pizza and soda’s ordered, made and paid for, it was time for the trip back, placing the stuff in on the back seat, propping up the cups so they wouldn’t spill.

He’d have to drive carefully this trip back, and hoped that he could deal with any traffic issues. Starting the car, adjusting the rearview mirror, he placed the shiny black car in reverse, and letting his foot off the brake, backed in a turn to find his stop had literally come within inches of hitting another vehicle. “That’s all I would have needed.” He realized looking out of the side mirror.

The trip back was completely uneventful as he pulled into the driveway and coming to a stop at the front door walkway. Both Clay and Jessie came out quickly as he sighed the happy ending of this trip. “We were worried sick…” Jessie said, happy to see him unhurt. “Why?” Mark asked. “We heard brakes lock up down the way you’d left.” “Uh, yeah… I was trying to get use to how the car would act if I had to stomp on the brakes.” Mark said, admitting that was him.

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“No accident?” Jessie queried. “No. No accident. I’m all good.” He smiled, opening the back door, showing the food had made it just fine too. “See, didn’t even spill a single drink.”

They brought the food into the house, as he realized that the electricity would have to be turned on tomorrow, first thing.

Clay had taken his pieces of pizza up to his fort house as both of them talked about their money situation.They were running very low, as he realized that maybe he should have been more frugal with the large wad of cash. Jessie consoled him, saying he had done the right thing, and she loved him for doing it the way he had. Mark disagreed, citing all the many point were he’d literally ‘gave away’ the money. Jessie said it was fine, they be alright. He countered and stated ‘why’ he knew that by the facts.

He started by pulling out all the money he had left and placed it between them. Then placed out all the bill’s they would quickly have to pay out, just to get the basic’s covered… “The mover’s.. that’s 135 dollars.. To have the electric turned on, 40 dollars. Phone, 26 dollars. Food for the first month, what? 45 dollars? Gas for our new vehicle, what 12 dollars for the month?... Now, the house… You add up what your going to need to make this a proper home.” Mark coaxed her to place that into the list he’d just made. “Okay, new clothes for Clay to go to school in, 20 dollars.. A couch, if I get it second hand.. 30 dollars.Um, we’ll need more lamps, say 10 dollars…” Jessie

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was stopped right there, “We only have 245 dollars left… Total.” Mark pointed to the small pile of money they had left.

Jessie had already added up everything up in her head, and realized there was no way they would be able to cover even the basic’s. They we’re again in the same boat as when she was in the hospital… but here, she could breath. That was about the only difference. “Maybe we could get a loan. Re-mortgage the house,” Jessie stated, trying to think of an alternative. “seriously?” Mark said, knowing that it could take months to iron something like that out. They’d lose the house trying to live.

World war two had taken it toll on America. As half the women across the states seemed to have babies about the same age as their son. The new word was credit. Either you had it, or you didn’t. And starting out, it was based on how much money you had in the bank and you’d better have a iron clad alibi as to how you we’re going to pay it back… with interest. Mark realized they had just traded on hell for another. “It will work out… You’ll see.” Jessie smiled at him as Mark seemed to just want to just bury his head.

It was about that time Clay came through the house, the sun beginning to set to see if there was another slice of pizza. There was one slice left as he said to his mom. “What rides on mouse’s?” “There not called mouse’s… their either called mouse, as in a single mouse or their called mice, meaning more than one. And what do you mean what rides on a

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mouse?” Jessie asked him. “Well,” Clay stated picking up the last slice, “I dropped a piece of my pizza going up the steps, and a mouse wearing a saddle ran out and snatched it up and then ran back.” “Let me get this straight, a mouse was wearing a saddle?” Jessie asked him. “Yeah…” “..a little saddle?” “Yeah.” Clay acknowledged, knowing what he’s said. “You saw a mouse with an actual saddle on it’s back?” Jessie asked her son, as this had drew Mark’s attention. “Yeah, here it is.” He tossed the waded up piece of material onto the now empty open box of pizza, walking away, not caring anymore about the answer to that.

Both of them looked at the wadded up material.Mark instantly recognized what it was, as Jessie was quick to follow in mind. Mark reached for the paper and began to open up the material. Jessie’s mouth dropped wide open realizing she was right. Mark just stared in awe of what this was..

The material did in fact resemble a saddle the way it was wadded up, but in unfolding the material, it had totally change in it’s meaning. Between marks finger’s he held almost half of a fifty dollar bill!

Clay had just disappeared into the kitchen, heading for the back door, again heading out to the stairs that lead up to his new tree fort.

Both of them bolted for the front door. Both calling out his name in desperation. At first he’d thought he done something wrong and flew out the back door to

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hide in his tree fort. He quickly realized his parents were dead on his heel’s. He didn’t know what was going on here, but he’d never realized either one of them could move this fast! In a fear he’d never felt before from either one of them, as he realized he never make the fort, he dived onto the ground, balling up as tightly as he could. “Clay! Where’d you get this.” His dad asked, “Clay, we need to know where you got this from.” Mom asked, hovering over him. “Clay, you’re not in trouble… But you found this where?” Dad stated. “Clay where was that mouse that was wearing this saddle?” Mom asked, trying to use her soothing voice on him. They were acting so weird, like aliens… hovering over him like this.

He was scared, as they just kept asking him over and over again, where he’d gotten the saddle. It wasn’t until dad held out the paper and he realized it was money that he un-balled, sitting up. “Son… That mouse saddle is money balled up to look like a saddle!” Dad said. “That’s part of a fifty dollar bill son… Where did you see the mouse?” Mom said, inside wanting to start hyperventilating about this, but maintaining her composure towards him.

Just wanting them to both stop freaking him out he just pointed to the tree. It worked, as they both left him for the tree. Staring at the tree, dad looked back at him and asked,

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“Where exactly?” “He came out of the hole.” Clay said as his mom began looking for a hole in the tree itself. He father went the other way around the tree, Neither finding the hole. “No. The hole in the first step.” Clay pointed exactly to the spot as both of them used his finger point to the exact location. “It’s in the steps!” Mark said. “We need a hammer.” “Something to pry with,” Mark said, trying to remember where anything like that was. There was nothing in the house. Then, Mark recalled the barn, in the back of the tractor, a sledge hammer and a large screwdriver was tucked under the seat. “I got it, be right back,”

Clay had now gotten up, realizing what it was they were really after, and just watched his father run into the barn. Then he quickly came out. In one hand he had a big hammer in the other he held what looked to be the largest screwdriver Clay had ever seen, his eye were fixed on the first step as mom stood next to it, coaxing for him to hurry up. “How much do you think they’ve destroyed?” Mom stated. “Not much, I hope…We can use every dollar.” Dad said lowering himself in front of the first step, looking for the best way to attack this. “Better than mouse saddles, that’s for sure.” Mom said. “Mouse saddles… Ha, one day we’re going to look back on this and laugh.” Dad stated, placing the screwdriver in between two pieces of wood and giving it

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a couple of whacks. “Your tearing up my fort!” Clay realized, wanting them to stop this right now… money or no money. “We’ll fix it, promise.” Mom said, watching dad tearing into the step. “No.. Stop! Grampa built this for me.” Clay stated openly.

They were both floored. Mark actually stopped in mid swing and turned to his son. Jessie as well, had turned to him. “What did you say?” Jessie asked him. Both were frozen, waiting for an answer. “Grampa built the tree house for me. And I don’t want you to tear it up!” “Where did you get that from?” “Grampa wrote me a note… Said he’d built this fort for me ‘Clay’!” “Note? What note?” His mom asked, holding a serious face, holding her hand out to stop mark from continuing. “The note I found with all the comic books…” “Comic book’s?” “No wonder he was so quiet…” Mark recalled. “Where’s this note?” Jessie asked, shocked at this. “Up in my fort.” Clay stated. “Can you show me? You know, this use to be my fort, when I was a kid.” Mom stated, trying to get on his good side. “I know. There a box up there with your name on it too. But he said that you can open it, only after saying the secret passwords.” “My name? Really? Passwords?” Jessie questioned.

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“Yeah, but before I can let you in, you got to say what it’s all about…” Clay stated boldly to her. “ ‘Say what it’s all about’? I don’t get it.” Jessie said to him, not sure what her son meant. “It’s the secret passwords. I can’t ever let you or dad up here until I hear all the secret passwords…” Clay said, walking up to dad and snatching the screwdriver from him and running up the steps, about almost to the top, he’d turned around, screwdriver now being held as a weapon, making a stand to protect the fort. “Honey, I still don’t understand.” She stated, quickly realizing her own father’s work going on here… He had always got his way in most things. “He said you’d have to remember, to say what it’s all about…” Clay stated again. “I thought it was about the money.” Mark said, trying to figure out what was going on here, never have seen his son act this way.

It was a flash of a memory, as the thought of the reverend stopping by had recalled something her dad had said a long-long time ago. It took a good minute for her to figure out the special passwords her own son required, his stance pointed out that he’d really hurt either one of them should they try to storm his fort. She’d never seen her son act like this. But then, it all fit into place,

Her face softened as she smiled at her son seeming very desperate to keep this protected with his very life. She shook her head softly. “Has he lost his mind?” Mark asked her. “No. He’s my son. He has James blood. Like me and my father. He has the James blood flowing through his

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veins.. Without the passwords, he’d go about as far as to kill either or both of us…” “What?” Mark said, thinking the boy now needed an exorcism. “His grandfather must have promised him something he really wanted to get this type of response..” “Your father.. He remind me of Dracula. Even dead, he isn’t dead…” “You’ll never know how close you are about that… Son. Clay, the password is… It’s all about ‘forgiveness’.” Jessie said, now totally understanding everything for what it was… “You may enter..” Clay lower the screwdriver. As Mark brain had fried over all this. “Oh, now you can go in. I don’t think I trust him.” Mark said about his own son. The boy had been so ‘shy’ his whole life. This couldn’t be his son… “Mark, I think I found the money.” Jessie said. “Honey, what on god’s green earth could be bigger than money?” Mark pointed out, holding her from climbing higher. “what could your dead father possibly offer? “What do you think your son would be willing to turn into a murderer for?” Jessie asked him coldly, letting him hold her back as she looked into his eyes.

Mark thought about it.. The one thing he always wanted… The one thing that he literally kill for… Then he got it… “a horse.” “Bingo.” Jessie said as Mark released her arm, and again she began to climb the steps.

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“You James’s… are a weird breed.” Mark said, being open and truthful. “Yeah, that why I interested you from the get-go. And why you married me… remember?” Jessie smiled at him as she pasted. “The only saleswoman of a women’s clothing store that could actually get a ‘dock worker’ to buy a woman’s blouse without him even having a girlfriend.” Mark recalled how they met. “I’m good.” Jessie smile at him, entering the fort with her son’s blessing. Mark just looked up at the solid fort as she disappeared inside, “Un freaking believable!” Mark said, tossing the small heavy sledgehammer almost twenty feet across the yard.

Mark stood at the base of the tree fort, noting the amount of work that had been craft fully done. And almost got worried about a minute of waiting down here.He wrestled weather or not to go up there, recalling seeing his son wielding the screwdriver. About to go up, His wife appeared at the entrance, he looked carefully to make sure she was alright.

She held one end of something that hadn’t made itself apparent, as she talked to her son not yet seen yet either… She was pulling what looked like a large steamer trunk, as he was sure Clay was having a hard time at the other end, “You okay?” He called up. “Yeah, we’re fine.” Jessie seemed to smile having a hard time getting the trunk to fit properly through the frame of a smaller version of a door. “You want to come up here and help us?”

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He bounded up the twenty steps as his wife had almost toppled over the two foot high rope railing.. “Whoa! I got you.” He stabilized her stance as she carefully allowed him to take over her end and started walking down the steps. She recalled that ‘her fort’ didn’t have steps, just cut two by fours nailed into the tree for a ladder. And hers didn’t have a roof to it either.Clay was a lucky kid.

Dad and Clay slowly brought down the trunk, placing it squarely on the ground, Dad noticed that it had a rather old padlock on it. “I don’t suppose you have a key for this?” He asked her. “No.” “I do. Here mom.” Clay handed her the key.

Mark just shook his head at the situation, as his wife handed him the skeleton type key. “Any idea what’s in here?” Mark asked her. “No, but there’s a large mouse hole on one of the corners…” “Mouse saddles?” Mark stated. “I’m thinking..” Jessie almost agreed as he pulled off the lock for her. “Okay, there you go. It’s all yours,” Mark stated, backing away to give her full access to the entire trunk.

Quietly he realized, if the mouse had been living in here for a year or two, and if there ‘was’ money in here, it would all be shredded into confetti by now.

Raising the lid, he looked at her face, not wanting to see the carnage done by the mice. Mark read her expressions as her eyes opened wider and her face turned

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to awe… He tried to determine what she was looking at, and it was to much to bear as he finally made himself look into the trunk.

Inside were framed pictures of her mom and dad, pictures of older family members laid across the entire top it. One by one she pulled each one out studying each before moving to the next. The pictures now all laid out on the lawn surrounding her, it seemed old toy’s of hers and dairies filled the second layer, as a doll she must have once loved was pretty much destroyed, chewed on by the family of mice that had made this box there home. “Aw… I loved this doll.” She said, hugging it openly as it almost fell apart in her arms. Then, in a 12 by 12 box made of wood that she withdrew, hundreds of doddles and art pieces seem to bring back all the younger ages of the childhood. She went page after page, deeper into the box almost recalling each one but slowly, setting the whole box aside, realized that their was one more solid box at the bottom of the trunk. Pulling it out, they looked realizing that this was the box they had sought…

Pulling it up, she opened it, and to all their surprise, it was filled to the brim with money! Rows of twenties and fifties laid in stacks across the whole thing.

Mark realized it must have been every single dollar her father ever made! “Holy sweet Jesus!” Mark stated, shocked at all the money carefully packed in there. “How’d he know I’d return home?” Jessie just stared at the money. “Would you look at all that money. We could start out own bank…” Mark said in a somber voice.

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“First let’s see how much the mice haven’t destroyed.” Jessie seemed to want to determine, reaching in and trying to figure what was actually left here.

She was right. The mice had made a field day of the money. Separating the good from the bad had gotten hard towards the middle of the stacks. As they’d began only pulling out ‘partials’ of the bill’s. Had they gotten her a few years back, they’d have been millionaires, but with what they were able to salvage, they only had a tenth of all the money. “Damn. I mean we’re still very rich but.. that’s a lot of money those mice destroyed.” Mark said, starting to count the good bills as Jessie was making sure there were no other bills that could be salvaged from the wooden box. The rest she had determined, was mice nesting. “Well, that’s it. I got everything I could..” Jessie said, turning to Mark who was still counting…

Jessie was watching him, realizing he’d be here a while and went back to her other belongings. She pulled out the pictures and got up as Mark still counted. “I’m taking these into the house.” She said softly. “Okay..” Mark said between bill’s, then going back to counting. “Clay. Help me here.” Jessie called up to him, now back in his tree fort. “Coming mom.” Clay called back.

She realized he was probably back into that massive comic book collection her father must have left for him. But in under a half a minute he opened the door and came down the stairs.

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“Here. You take this pile, while I carry these family pictures.” Jessie asked of him. “Those are old pictures..” Clay noted. “These are all the ‘James’ family… The last of the James family.” She said. “So, their important?” “Oh yes.” “I’m not a James.. Am I?” “Your last name is your daddies, but my blood is in you too and I’m a James… So, in a way, you are a James.” Jessie smiled as they walked to the back door. “Mommy? Are you glad your not a James anymore?”Clay asked.

She had to think about that for a moment, stopping at the back door. Realizing the best way to make him understand. “Yes and no… Yes, because everyone hated the James family and history made us bad people. And no.. because having that name and being who we were made us a lot stronger than everyone around us… We had to be strong to have that name. “Is our last name strong?” Clay asked. “No. It’s a normal name. And normal is good in this world.. But never forget you will always have the James blood in you, in that name is forgiveness. “Forgiveness?” “Something you have to do for everybody that hates you.” Jessie said, entering the house. “Forgiveness…” Clay repeated it. “It’s a very strong word and not everyone can do it.” “But I can?” Clay asked with a smile.

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“Yes, because you have the James blood in you.”They had enough to start this new life and Clay

grew up riding horses and shooting guns. He turned out to have a natural talent for roping cattle and won many a trophy for it over his teen and adult years. Jessie and Mark had finally been able to live a life of peace without having to worry about the bills.

Jessie enjoyed the fact that there was no one that would ever again point and stare at her, or her family, over a bad history page. She was glad to lay to rest the family name.. Remembering, as her father had taught her, It’s all about forgiveness..

Mark had begun his own small store and grew it into a chain of them before selling out to a bigger conglomeration, which instantly changed the name of them… And at his age, it didn’t matter.

Their last name will never matter to the world as generations pass throughout the coming centuries. But there will always be a trait of the family name that will follow them all, no matter how many times their last names change.

Fin

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