Joe's Escape

Chapter 5

Joe's escape

John say what?

"What is the meaning of this?" John asked as he pulled Polly's hand from Joe's just before they reentered the dance.

Joe said nothing. Just at that moment Natalie appeared just behind John.

"Where's my dance?" She asked.

"Coming up," Joe replied as he took her hand and headed out to the dance floor.

"Well?" John asked Polly as he lead her away from the dance and back to the refreshment area.

"Joe was avoiding Natalie," Polly explained. She had to laugh herself. It was too bad Natalie hadn't reacted to John like she was reacting to Joe.

"He's an Indian," John frowned at Polly, "No less...and you had a dance with him?"

"You have him working in your cornfields," Polly answered.

"That's just plain work," he answered.

"Oh, and you had him come pick me up for the planting of the garden too..." she frowned at him..."no less..."

"Did you not expect us to become..." she turned and almost walked away. Then stopped..."friends?"

"You've got nerve," John replied.

She could see his skin crawling with his dislike of the situation.

"This made her happy perhaps he'd change his mind and marry someone else.

"Me?" she questioned him deciding to take advantage of the situation.

"I've got nerve?"

John tossed his drink into the trash can and walked out to the dance floor where he grabbed Natalie's hands from Joe and started dancing.

Joe stepped back and walked away seeming to be relieved to be unattached from Natalie.

He walked over to Polly. "Are you alright?" he inquired. She laughed as she saw a smile curve on his face.

"You were hoping that'd happen weren't you?" She asked.

"It had to happen," Joe assured her.

"Indians," and he pointed to himself are not 'suppose' to dance with white women."

He moved away and sat down in a chair near the snack area.

I guess it's about time for me to be moving on," he told her as he sipped the pumpkin drink he just took from the table.

"It is?" she asked as she also took a pumpkin drink and sat down.

"I'm sure I'm jobless now," he laughed. It was as if he was delighted to have lost the job.

They both watched John and Natalie dancing.

"You know," Polly said holding back laughter, "neither of them can dance."

Joe said nothing because he was laughing

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The next day turned out as Joe had predicted.

"What do you mean you fired him?"

Polly pranced around the room like a bird with it's feathers cut off.

"What did he do to deserve that?"

"He dance with you," John replied.

"And you danced with Natalie!" Polly pointed out in a very loud and discussed voice.

"Why don't you marry her instead of me?" she found herself saying and then realized she'd said it at last.

John gazed at her with contempt in his eyes.

"Maybe I will..." he finally answered in an offensive voice. "At least she knows who the boss is in a male female relationship!"

He turned and huffed out of the room like an eight year old boy who'd just lost his favorite toy.

Polly huffed and puffed until she'd settled down enough to go after him.

Was she wrong? Or had he just suggested that he was intending to marry Natalie over her?"

She moved towards the door and then stopped. Wasn't that what she'd wanted in the first place? She stopped walking.

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"What do you mean you saw Natalie and John in town together?" Mary asked just as Polly finished telling her the story.

"Exactly," Polly replied. "I was over getting something stuff from the fabric store and saw them walking down the sidewalk holding hands."

"And you're not angry?" Mary asked.

"Why should I be angry?" she replied. "This is just what I wanted."

She nodded her head. "They are perfect for each other!"

"Have you seen Joe?" Mary asked. "You said John fired him."

"No," replied Polly, "I have not."

"I should be on my way home," Polly replied. "Now, I don't have a wedding dress to worry over," she smiled and stood up.

"It's a long walk," Mary stated. "Want my better half to take you home?"

"No," Polly replied. "I'll enjoy the walk."

She got up and stepped out the door into the bright sunshine. Not a care in the world. All seemed right in the world to her.

As she walked along the street she watched the people she'd known her entire life going around taking care of business.

Sam and his brother Jack were over by the bar talking and drinking. She laughed and that's what they always did.

She moved on just to her right was the church which turned into the school house the rest of the week simply because the city couldn't afford to build a school house at the moment. This was better than the tent they'd been using in years gone by.

And to her right was...

"Joe," she said as she stopped walking and smiled up at him shading her eyes from the sun. "I wondered if you'd gone yet?"

"I was just on my way out right now," he replied. He was pulling a second horse beside him as he went.

"Why don't you get on my other horse and ride it home?" He suggested. "I am going your way."

The horse was a beautiful white mare. She had big eyes and a friendly prance.

Before she though what she was doing she found herself climbing up on the horse and starting to ride beside Joe.

"Why did you buy another horse?" she asked just as her eyes spied John and Natalie walking towards them.

Joe noticed too; but, he said nothing.

Polly kicked the sides of the horse to get her moving. She had no desire to encounter John much less Natalie.

The horse started to walk and Joe joined in beside her as they moved down the street away from John.

"So, where will you be going next?" Polly found herself asking.

"Polly!"

She half stopped the horse. Did someone call out her name?

"Polly!"

The same voice yelled.

Polly stopped the horse and turned it around.

Coming up behind her was John with an angry look upon his face.

"What do you think you're doing riding around with an Indian no less?"

Natalie came up beside John with a nasty look upon her face.

"I'm riding," Polly answered.

"My soon to be wife is not gonna be seen with any Indian!" He stated. "Booked learned or not!"

Joe jumped down from his horse.

John walked up to him and got into his face.

"She's my woman!" John stated just before Joe's fist collided with Johns face and his ass met the ground.

Polly started to climb down from the horse but Joe stopped her. "Stay..." he commanded in a voice she wasn't familiar with.

John got up and Joe pulled him into his face with the front of his shirt in his hands.

"You are the most disrespectful man I've ever meant!"

"You appreciate nothing and you deserve nothing!" He let go of his shirt and pushed him backwards.

John stumbled, twisted and finally fell to the ground.

"Marry Natalie," he told him, "the pair of you are well suited for each other!" Joe rubbed his fist against his shirt before he climbed back on his horse. Then he grabbed the straps to Polly's horse and started them going...

Polly was in shock. What was happening?