Kitabı oku: «The Lone Texan»

One

On the Keeper ranch in northwest Texas, the problem with the senior Mrs. Keeper was that she could never really, actually abandon anybody. She simply could not quit, give up or let any of them go, for crying out loud.

That was why she spent so much time...enduring people. She was so earnest that the most recalcitrant person finally just gave up and relaxed and allowed her to—well, actually, she reprogrammed their brains.

It wasn’t easy.

However, no person who landed at the Keeper place in northwest Texas ever left there for good.

That immediately gives an observer the sound of a closing tomb like in an Egyptian pyramid. And one considers the dead pharaoh and the trapped, live wives and servants who were sealed inside the tomb with the corpse.

Well, with Mina Keeper, it wasn’t that way. Not at all. It was just that Mrs. John Keeper, Sr., couldn’t allow a misdirected human to be rejected. In her mind, everyone could be straightened out and made logical. Sure.

Mina Keeper was picky. Everybody has their own little quirks. First, Mina learned in which direction was their own stance. Everybody has one. Most of those she monitored were hostile or self-protective.

Off the big dining room was a small, private dining room. It was there that Mina had lunch with the individual ones, subtly directing their table manners. To her, table manners were prime.

Oddly enough, one of her current isolated lunch partners was her own son, Tom. He’d been turned down by women so many times, by then, that he’d decided to be a loner. He was silent and somewhat bitter.

Tom was the version of always a groomsman, never the groom. He’d just stood up with yet another pair who were married. The married couple included Andrew Parsons, a man who had been lost in time; and JoAnn Murray who had—almost—abandoned the time laggard.

Andrew, the time laggard, had a sister, Lu, who was living in one of the houses on the ranch with one of the ranch pilots, Rip. Mrs. Keeper was sure no young woman should live in sin. The fact that Lu was living on the Keeper land, with Rip, was another weight on Mina Keeper’s shoulders.

In their bedroom, John Keeper told his wife, Mina, “It’s their business.”

And Mina said rather woefully, “They’re so young.”

“They’re old enough to decide their own lives. They are deciding if they match.”

She turned her head and smiled at her husband on his back, sideways across their bed. “We did that.”

“Hush. The walls have ears!”

She laughed in her throat in the way a woman does when a man pleases her, and—

Well, that finished that mind-irritating subject—for a while.

It was several busy days later when an old friend from school, Jenny Little Drew, called Mina Keeper. They laughed and gossiped and exchanged memories, then Jenny mentioned, “Remember Maggie Williams Simpson? Her woebegone daughter, Ellen, needs a place to heal.”

“Physical?”

“Everything.”

“Uh-h-h...”

“Ellen is not dangerous. She’s just silent and wants to be alone.”

Mina Keeper gasped, “Out here?”

“I’ve always considered the Keeper Place as a haven.”

Mina mentioned with some stridence, “I’ve always thought you were a little strange.”

Jenny was very serious and said into the telephone, “Ellen needs a haven in which to heal.”

“What happened to her?”

“A man abandoned her some time ago when he found she was...with child. She lost the baby. Two losses. Him and then the baby. It was too much.”

“The bastard.”

Jenny was silent a blink. “Why...I’d never realized you knew that word.”

Mina replied with some lack of endurance, “I know them all. Send her to us. We’ll see if we can help.”

In a wavering voice, Jenny said softly, “Ahhh. Thank you. I—hoped—you—could—”

Stridently, Mina warned, “Don’t you dare bawl on me. I can’t survive something like that!”

Jenny’s laugh then was water logged.

The odd guest, Ellen Simpson, arrived three days later! She was like a mouse in a houseful of cats. Under a wide-brimmed hat, her hair was dark and rolled into a severe knot at the back of her head.

At least Ellen hadn’t shaved her head, but she was withdrawn and silent so that she wouldn’t be noticed.

Greeting Ellen, Mina sent a rather strong negative thought to her old school chum Jenny who had very recently become an ex-friend. Unfortunately, Jenny was the kind who never noticed she’d been rejected and abandoned.

Mina smiled gently and said to Ellen, “We are so pleased you could come visit. We have just the room for you.” Mrs. Keeper grinned and lifted her eyebrows as she added, “The crew was delighted to straighten the room. I do hope it’s something you like. If not, we have other choices.”

“It’ll be fine. Mother is especially pleased you invited me here.”

Ellen wasn’t? Mina smiled. To her the woman-child even looked like a reject. Mina said, “Let’s see if you like the room’s view. If you’d prefer another view, we’ll find you another room.”

That gave the guest a reason to see the room and to look outside. Mina always did that to reluctant guests. The choice gave them more liberty and control. She’d had reluctant guests who’d moved immediately, and eventually moved back into the original room.

Mina Keeper acted as if she had the whole day to visit and consider rooms. Ellen didn’t remove her hat for some time. She was hiding? Mina was glad that she knew the circumstances of Ellen. At least that allowed Mina to understand the withdrawn young woman.

Gradually, gradually, Mina began to understand this woman who’d been rejected by a man she most probably loved. A woman who had also lost her child. Here was a suffering woman who didn’t know how to cope with her losses. And Mina wondered how she was to help Ellen?

Mina looked at the sundered girl-woman and her emotions wanted to hold the raw, vulnerable girl and cry with her.

Perhaps at a later time.

Mina showed Ellen the house in a lazy, easy manner. They walked slowly so that the very thin Ellen wouldn’t be totally exhausted. They had morning tea, but she gave Ellen milk.

A clue was that Ellen drank some of the milk slowly and didn’t appear to even know what she did was guided by her upbringing of courtesy. Someone had given her a tea, she’d had milk handed to her and she did not reject it but had courteously sipped it so as not to embarrass the hostess.

Ellen was given a square cookie that was loaded with good foods and laced with raisins and nuts. She actually ate one. It took a while.

How strange it was to Mina that she watched and waited for a guest to actually eat something, when all her years she’d been overwhelmed with hungry people who talked as they ate.

This guest was mostly silent.

Ellen looked at the things Mina mentioned and indicated, but she had no comment.

It was obvious that Ellen’s mother had raised her to be courteous. She endured. How long could Mina keep Ellen by her side? When would Ellen ask to go to her room?

Ellen’s first indication was when she mentioned, “I need to lie down.”

But before that happened, she fainted!

Anyone who lives out as far from civilization as the Keepers, is schooled in basics. And it was a miracle that the Keepers had good M.D.’s not even three city blocks’ distance away.

Mina called. The female doctor came immediately. Dr. Jane Wilkins gave the guest a quick check.

The house helpers were muscular males who lifted Ellen. It was they who quite easily carried the girl to her room.

When Ellen woke, she was in a nightgown, in bed. An intravenous bottle was putting fluid into her system.

Dr. Jane smiled and said, “You’re okay.”

“I’m sorry I...” Ellen’s voice dribbled off.

Softly Dr. Jane said, “No problem.”

“I—don’t know why I did that.”

“Your body has apparently been through a tough time, and you’re not yet ready to do much. This is the perfect place to be—to recover. When you’re up and around, you could come to the clinic. It’s not far, a couple of blocks, and we’ll see what kind of vitamins you might need—or if you need any at all.”

“I’ll probably go home.”

Dr. Wilkins said, “Not right away.” And she smiled. “Mina Keeper said if your momma heard of that, she might be upset.”

The mouth on the white face on the bed smiled just a tad.

“You are all right as far as I can see now. Are there any reasons you might be fragile?”

“I...lost a baby.”

“That takes some getting over. Relax. Sleep. Contact us at the clinic if you need anything at all. Believe me when I tell you, you could not be in a better place, right now. Come to see us in two days, or I can come back then. We’ll be in touch.”

A big tear leaked out of the side of Ellen’s eye.

Dr. Jane blotted Ellen’s temple gently. “You’re okay. Call anytime. We’re here for you, too. Of course, we also take care of the horses and cattle and what the dickens else is around and ailing. Once it was a buzzard. I’ve never cottoned to buzzards. Fortunately, one of the male doctors was fascinated. Males are odd. But we do the dogs and cats. We’re stretched. We won’t actually put a human in one of the animal restraints.”

Ellen’s eyes were filled with unshed tears but she did smile.

Softly, Dr. Wilkins said, “You are okay.”

“Thank you.”

“Sleep for two hours. That’s the limit. Then you’ll sleep tonight—like a log—and tomorrow will be easier. We’ll keep the bottle here until it’s empty. The Keepers can handle intravenous tubes. No problem.” Dr. Wilkins smiled. “I’ll check you later. Rest.”

Ellen almost smiled. Another tear slid out of the side of her eye.

The doctor said, “Hah! The intravenous must be filling you up. You’re overflowing!”

She made Ellen smile but Ellen leaked another tear.

“No more tears,” the doctor ordered. “Tears upset us.”

That made Ellen grin widely, but another tear slid out.

Blotting that casually, the doctor said, “I’ll be back to release you from that gadget. Behave. No dancing. No arguing with these stubborn people around here. Be logical and quiet. I’ll be back.”

Now...how many times had the doctor said she’d be back? What a pushover she was. She washed her hands, snapped her case together and grinned at her patient as she left.

One of the male hands sat with Ellen. Drowsily, she wondered what she’d do if she needed to go to the bathroom. She watched the slow drip of the water down the tube and she slowly slid into sleep.

Ellen woke again some two hours later. A woman was standing above her bed. She had on plastic gloves and was removing the almost empty jar that had held the dripping fluid.

Somewhat wobbly, Ellen asked, “Are you a doctor, too?”

“Naw. But don’t get scared. We all get training in helping each other out here. The doctors over at the clinic give us lessons so we can help one another if we’re out and about and they can’t get to us right away.”

“Oh.”

The woman laughed softly but with a great deal of humor. She asked, “Having a clown treat you’s a shock, huh?”

That did make Ellen smile. “Yes.”

“Don’t fret a-tall. We know what we’re doing. We have directions. We are all very careful—because somebody just might have to do the same thing to us, and we want them to be careful! What goes around, comes around. So you might need to help me some time, and I wanna be damned sure I’ve done you just right!” She laughed.

Even that made Ellen smile.

How long had it been since she’d smiled? And in this strange day now, she’d smiled several times. Would she come to the time when she could be—normal again? And just thinking that she might, another big tear of emotion slid from the side of her eye.

“Now, honey, what the hell’s the matter? Did I do something wrong? I’ve—”

“No, no. I haven’t—laughed—in some time. You see—Well—Things have been—” And she stopped.

“Never you mind. Everybody has troubles. All we gotta do is look on beyond our own selves. It ain’t easy, but if you can, you can see who all needs help. Then you know no matter what all happens, if you can breathe and eat and eject, you ain’t bad off a-tall.”

How strange such words sunk into Ellen’s understanding. She had heard variations of such many times, but it was this woman, whom she did not know, who said what Ellen needed to hear and she’d assimilated the words.

It was only then that Ellen considered herself. She was not healed, as yet, but she was on a better track than that in which she’d been trapped.

How strange.

But she lay there wondering why she was still on earth, and her baby was not.

That caused the tears to leak out again.

The woman said, “No matter what all’s happened to you, you’re okay. Praise the Lord and accept your role in life.”

That set Ellen back a notch. She was not a believer at all, and she didn’t like being told that she should accept anything! Her bitterness returned, and she was again hostile to any assistance.

The woman sighed. “I’ve probably upset you. Everybody tells me to be quiet. I just go right on and talk every damned time, and I always mess it up. I am sorry if I’ve upset you—”

“You’ve been very kind. Don’t fret.”

The woman accepted that with a big smile. “You’ll be okay. Everything has its—My God, I’m talking again and I ought to just shut up.”

“Are you married?”

“Naw, but I’m susceptible, and I got three kids. Nice kids. They’re independent and sassy and we argue most of the time.”

“I’d bet they’re darling.”

“Mostly—strange. A couple of them, I don’t know for sure who’s their daddies.”

Plural? Daddies? That woman? She must be a very willing—partner.

Ellen considered the woman. She was so open and easy. But then Ellen considered herself, and her foolish acceptance of a man who really hadn’t wanted her—permanently. He’d only wanted to taste her. No. To use her.

There was no difference between herself and this woman who was so kindly helping her. As Kipling wrote, “For the Colonel’s Lady an’ Judy O’Grady are sisters under their skins.” Women are women. There is no difference.

With a token tap on the door frame, Mrs. Keeper came into the room. She helped the other woman remove the needle in Ellen’s arm. Mina Keeper smiled and said to Ellen, “You get ice cream. Which kind do you prefer?”

“I don’t believe I care for any right now.”

The brawn-armed woman put in, “You get a spoonful You can handle that.”

Ellen discarded doing anything as she said, “I’ll see.”

The woman whose name Ellen did not know put in cheerfully to Mrs. Keeper, “That sounds like she’s considering.”

Mina Keeper told that person, “Well, Ciggie, we’ll just fool her and make her beg for what’s left after we eat what all we want.”

Mrs. Keeper had called the woman—Ciggie.

Ciggie laughed with real delight. “We get all the ice cream?”

“We can’t throw it away.”

Ellen gave up. “I’ll take—”

But Mina sighed. “We’ll just have to...”

Ellen was a tad irritated and strident, “I said—”

But Mina finished her sentence, “—eat it all.”

Ellen became pushy and somewhat annoyed, “I said I’d eat those first two spoonfuls.”

“Oh.” Mrs. Keeper was astonished. “Would you like a taste?”

“You are speaking of ice cream?”

“Why...yes.” So innocent. Good grief.

Ciggie laughed.

Mina gave the invalid a skimpy two spoonfuls on a tiny plate, while their bowls were enormous!

However, Ellen never did get to see exactly how much they’d actually had, but the two greedy ones licked their lips and made sounds that were not at all necessary!

Then Mrs. Keeper said offhandedly to Ciggie, “I suppose if we’re not going to make her ill watching us be this greedy, we really ought to go out into the hall.”

Over Ellen’s courteous protest, the two just went on out of the room. And Ellen could hear the sound of the spoons in the bowls and the almost silent chitchat and laughter of the two women.

Very irritating. Really, very irritating.

It wasn’t until later that Ellen heard why Ciggie and not a doctor had disconnected Ellen from the intravenous bottle. It seemed some man on the Place had interfered with a bull for some reason, which had annoyed the bull, and the hand’s stomach had been ripped open.

The medical team had done the adjusting of the organs and the sewing of the skin. The medics had found the surgery very interesting. The victim was not that pleased.

In just a short time, Ellen began to see and hear all the different things that happened on the ranch. No day was dull. The senior Mr. Keeper sighed with irritation and mentioned to Ellen, “You’d think people would have a little care for themselves!”

He’d said that to a woman who’d been ignoring herself? Her fragile body? Someone who hadn’t given one damn for anything?

It fascinated Ellen to hear someone like a Keeper be furious and very vocal about carelessness. John Keeper was really irritated. And as he blew off temper, he was looking at her!

Was he chiding Ellen, or was he explaining stupidity, or was he just scared that somebody he liked had been hurt?

Ellen thought of her mother. She remembered looking at her mother and seeing her fury with her stupid daughter. And her daddy was there, and he’d hushed his wife. His hand on his wife had been gentle and he’d tried to calm her.

Then he’d turned his hurting eyes to his daughter—

Ellen couldn’t think about that right then. She might never think of it again.

With Ellen more fragile than they’d first thought, it was the next day the two—Mina and Ciggie—came and said to Ellen, “You’re to get up now and go out onto the porch to sit in a rocker and stare at the beauty of the Place.”

“I believe I’ll sleep a while.” That was kindly said and logical.

Mrs. Keeper told her, “The doctor said you are not to sleep during the day, you are to wait for the night. You must get up and move about.”

Ellen breathed several times in revolt as she was old enough to do that, but she said, “Yes.”

Mrs. Keeper simply looked at her as she would any guest who was difficult and she said, “Ciggie will assist you in rising. She will guide you out to the porch. She will give you a layout of the house and grounds where you will walk. You’ll do that until you get used to the place, then you can ride farther.”

That wasn’t suggestion, it was direction. It had the very strong sense of her mother and father. However, Ellen was not someone these persons could direct. She was a free soul. She could do as she chose.

“Since you have all that water sloshing around inside you, Ciggie will take you to the bathroom first.”

“I can take myself.”

Mrs. Keeper smiled in a very courteous manner and said, “This time, let us help you. You need to know where to go and the layout of the house and yard. Ciggie will help you today. Call me if you need me.”

She left.

Directions. That’s what Mina Keeper was doing to Ellen. She was being structured. Their way. Now. Damn.

Having been raised as she was, Ellen did manage to smile at the abandoned Ciggie as she said, “Well, that’s clear enough. I feel very like a prisoner.”

Not at all taking that as bitterness, Ciggie giggled. “She loves you. You ought to see how gentle she gets when she’s mad. Well, she don’t get mad but she can be—uh—let’s see if I can find the word. Yeah. Annoyed.” That was enunciated just right.

Ciggie made Ellen smile.