A New Beginning

This part is shorter. It's a bridge into the next phase of the whole story. Not a lot of sex. But allows everybody to sort of put some things together. I did add a couple of anomalies into the second part, just to see who's paying attention. So far, nobodies called them out!...

I looked at him a while. I pointed to the chair opposite me.

"Have a seat."

"I just came for my wife and kids. I collect them and be on the way."

"I said take a seat. You can either put your ass in that chair or there's the door. You're not standing in my kitchen talking to me."

He sat down.

"Elsie, you want to go with him?"

"No. Absolutely not."

He got loud, "By god, you're my wife, and those are my kids! Y'all are coming with me. I got a job now. I can provide."

I spoke up again. "You raise your voice in this house again, mister, I'll stomp the lining out of your ass. You hear me?"

He looked at me a long moment before replying. "I hear you."

"Now, she said she didn't want to go with you. I reckon that means she ain't going. As far as you having a job goes, you ain't got one any more. You were fired the moment you stepped foot on my porch. I made damned sure JT informed y'all that this house was off limits. You chose to ignore my rule, so you go collect your pay and get off my place."

He stared at me with an ugly expression. "You just want her to yourself, is all."

"Nope, if I allow you to get away with this, everybody else will be up here next. You abandoned her and those children. Left them helpless and starving on the streets. If she wants to go with you, she's a grown woman able to make her own choices. I'll not try to stand in her way."

"So, Elsie, it's up to you. You sure you don't want to go with your husband?"

"I won't go with him. He's not my husband anymore. You are. Me and my children are staying here with you. He gave any rights up he had when he walked out and abandoned us. I couldn't trust him again."

"Ok, you heard her. Now the choice is yours. You can walk out or you can be carried out. I'm losing patience with you, so make it quick."

I had enough of this. I stood up and headed around. He reached in his pocket. I just smiled to myself and whatever he was going for got hung up. I reached him in two steps after rounding the table. He asked for this...

I hit him with a full power blow straight on at the joint of his jaw right below his ear. He went down like he'd been pole axed. I reached down and felt in his pocket. Brass knuckles. Ok, so he wants it that way. I pocketed them myself. Reached down and grabbed a handful of his hair and dragged him outside. Reached down, picking up, by the hair and the waistband and flung him off the porch out in the yard.

I slipped my fingers through the brass knuckles and walked down the steps and kicked him a little to get his attention. He came around and started getting up, digging in his pocket again.

"You looking for these?" I asked and let loose another powerful blow straight into his boiler room. The wind left him and he bent over, gasping for breath. I primed another one and let it go. A full tilt boogie upper cut that cracked like a whip when it connected. I figured I had better stop. I didn't want to kill him.

Looking around, I saw men gathered up watching from a distance. I took off towards them. They started to disperse when I got closer. I hollered at them.

"Y'all gather around."

Some just looked back but kept going.

"You can either hear what I got to say, or you can head out the gate."

That stopped them. They all gathered up, waiting.

"I'm not sure what's going on here, but whatever it is, it stops right here, right now."

I gestured over my shoulder, "He chose to ignore my orders. This is what that gets you. So, in the future, keep one thing in mind. I'm an equal partner in the outfit you work for. But this land, this house, belongs to me. You will respect my rules concerning your conduct while you are on my place, or you will find yourself unwelcome here. Now make up your mind right now. What's it gonna be?"

JT and Joe came running over.

JT spoke up first. "What the hell is going on here?"

I looked at him. "One of the crew walked into my home on private business. Had that business settled for him. Then refused to leave. He chose a path that required me to educate him on proper manners when standing in another man's kitchen."

I pulled the brass knuckles out of my pocket and tossed them to him.

"When you pay him off, make sure he gets those back, please."

He caught them deftly and looked them over. He saw the initials JF stamped into them.

"Ok, I'll take care of that. So why are you men standing around when there's work to be done?"

The one that seemed to be the ring leader stepped forward and spoke up."

"Well, sir, we understood that he's holding Jerry's wife and kids in there against their will. Jerry went over to the house to get them back. But he done beat the hell out of him. I say we go get them out of there!"

I stepped up to the speaker. "Well, you're more than welcome to have a go at that. So, all y'all come with me."

I started for the house, the whole gang in tow. We reached the back porch. I suddenly spun around, using the torque of that spin to power the blow I applied to the speaker's jaw. I felt the bone snap.

I never was one to tolerate a loud mouth bully that drew his strength from those around him. I was here to conduct business and make money. Not play around with men who nose in on another man's affairs when he should be working. I took him down quick to show the rest of them I wasn't going to be trifled with.

I may not have many social graces, but I did start out working around grown men early on and I had to learn how to defend my self. I was big, strong as a bull, and fast on my feet and with my hands. Years of back breaking work had forged the softness from my body. My papa had beat the mercy out of me whereas bullies were concerned. I had learned long ago that when a man won't listen to reason and sets about violating your right to peace, you don't talk anymore, you take his head off.

He dropped like he'd been hit with a fence post. Screaming in pain. I looked over his writhing form at the others.

"Well, boys, there it is. Just cut your dogs loose and see if they got what it takes to tree this coon."

I waited. They all just looked from their ring leader to me. He'd had them all bluffed into being scared of him. Yet, there he was, wiggling around on the ground.

"Don't look at him. He called me out. I answered him. He got what he asked for. Just like that son of a bitch right there." I pointed at Jerry." He run off and left his wife and young'uns on the streets up in Dallas to fend for themselves. I took them in and gave them a little hope."

I went up on the porch and stuck my head in and called for Elsie. She came out. The kids with her. When the young'uns saw everybody gathered up out there, they stepped to me and held on.

"Elsie, apparently Jerry has convinced this bunch that I'm keeping you here against your will. Do you agree with that?"

She stepped forward and spoke. " Absolutely not." She gestured at me, "When my husband took off in the middle of the night, not saying a word, not coming back, leaving us to make do as best we could, he took us in. Sheltered and fed us. Clothed us. Cared for us. Never asking for really much of anything in return. He gave me the money to leave and take care of us if I chose to. I stayed because I want to be his woman. As far as being Jerry's wife goes, I figured that stopped the moment he abandoned us. So, no, I ain't going anywhere with him."

I stepped back up then. "Well, there it is. Now, make your choice."

They scuffed around some, embarrassed. Finally one spoke up. "I suppose we were wrong, sir."

The others nodded in agreement, mumbling their apologies.

JT cut in. "Jacob, what do you want to do about this?"

I rubbed my jaw a little, thinking. "Well, where Jerry and whoever Mister Bully is there are concerned, I won't have them here. The rest of you? You went along with it. So, you forfeit todays wage. You ain't being paid to shove your nose in other folk's business."

"Jerry, I want you off this place right now. You come back here, what you've got for your troubles thus far won't amount to a pile of horse shit compared to what I'll give you next. I will read you from the Book and go purely Old Testament on your sorry ass. Now get."

I turned back to JT. "I'll stand good for his doctor bill. If you'll be kind enough to deliver him to Dr Jenkins in town. He'll fix him up. Just tell him to drop by out here and I'll get him paid."

"Will do. A couple of you men load him up."

"You really docking us a days pay?"

"Yep. You heard the man. Be lucky it was him decided. It was left up to me, I'd of fired the whole lot of you. You men listen up. That house and the women folks don't exist to you outside of orders to the contrary. It's Mr Flannery's home and what he does there is none of your business. You don't like that, you can draw your pay and move on. Now, get back to work."

A couple of them got the injured man to his feet and steadied him as they took him to JT's truck.

I turned back to Elsie and the kids. Little Sophie, the daughter, came up to me and held her arms out. I picked her up and put her on my hip. Tommy, the little boy, looked up at me, took me by the hand, and we went inside.

I looked at Elsie. "Well, I reckon that settles it then."

I looked around. "What's for supper?"

The next day dawned with me up before dawn as usual. I now realized my life had a whole new purpose. I had folks depending on me for a living. Elsie got up with me and cooked me eggs, grits, sausage, biscuits and gravy. That woman sure could cook. I looked at her in the lamp light as she went about her work. No wasted motion. She had a slight frown on her face when she worked. I had asked her about it once. She just shrugged it off. I doubt she even realized she was doing it.

She finished cleaning up and came and sat down, looking at me. The baby started crying. She got up to go see about him, but we heard the foot falls of one of the women upstairs headed over and he fell quiet. He must of woke up the other kids, because Sophie came trudging down in her little pajama's. She stood there in the doorway a moment, rubbing her eyes, then came over to me and held her arms out. I scooted back and picked her up. She curled up on my lap and nestled her head against my chest and lay still, sucking her thumb.

Elsie sat back down, looking at her daughter, lost in thought. Suddenly, she spoke quietly.

"I'm late for my period."

I just stared at her. I had no idea what she was talking about. Her period? What the hell is a period?

"You have nothing to say?"

I just looked at her. I had no idea what to say.

She got frustrated. "Do you even know what I'm talking about?"

I just shook my head, afraid to say anything at this point. I'm sure if I did, whatever it was would be the wrong thing. I heard trucks pulling in.

"It means I'm pregnant, you lunk head."

I could only sit there sucking air, staring at her like a treed coon looking down at a carbide light..

"Well, say something."

"Honey, I'm just as happy as I can get. I'm gonna be a papa!" I looked down at Sophie. "Hell, I already am a papa."

I looked back to her, she was smiling. Looking as beautiful as any woman that ever lived. Sophie stirred around,

"I gotta go."

Elsie got up and came over. She kissed me and took her from me. Headed to the outhouse. I'm not sure why, but when she took that precious little child from me, I felt kinda empty all the sudden. I shook it off, standing up. I heard Tommy plodding down the stairs. I looked over at him.

"Are you my pa now?"

"I reckon so, son."

He nodded.

"You think I can go with you today?

"How old are you, boy?"

"Five."

"I reckon that's old enough. Sure you can. Just go make sure your mama don't have chores for you around here first. A man has to keep the homeplace up. Whenever I'm out working, you're the man of the house, and have to see to the chores a man does."

He swelled up plumb full of pride at that. "Where's mama?"

"Out to the outhouse with your sister."

He took off. When he came back, his little face was full of smiles.

"Mama said it was Ok."

"Then go get your work clothes on. Daylights wasting."

He was off in a flash up to his room to change. I looked around. The boy needed food. I got a couple of biscuits out left from those Elsie cooked me. There was some sausage and gravy left, so I spread a couple of biscuits out. Put some sausage patties on them, and smothered it with gravy.

He came down in a rush.

"Sit down and eat, son. A man can't work on an empty stomach."

He sat and lit into that plate. I don't blame him. His mama sure could cook. Finishing, he stood up.

"Now put your dishes in the sink. No need on leaving more work on the womenfolks. They've got plenty enough to do as it is."

Elsie and Sophie had been sitting on the porch. When we walked out, Elsie stood up and told me

"I need you to take me to the barn and show me around."

"Ok, come on."

Sophie ran over and grabbed my hand. Tommy walked out ahead of us. Elsie took my other hand. We went in the barn. A couple of the hands JT had brought down for me were already cleaning stalls. Except for the one where my two Jersey's were at. The hand came over.

"I tried to get in there to clean up, but those fool cows tried to kill me."

I chuckled, "Yeah, nobody but me has ever fooled with them. Even my mama's scared of them."

They heard my voice and started lowing at me. I walked over to their stall and turned to him.

"Open the door and I'll turn them out."

He went over and opened both doors. They creaked on the big wrought iron strap hinges.

"Ok, everybody get over here behind me."

After everybody was situated, I opened the stall gate. They came out and nuzzled me. Seeing everybody else, they dropped their heads and started bellering in that growling, huffing sound cows make when they're hunting trouble.

The older of the two, I called her Nell, she tried to step around me. I reached over and smacked her between her ears. Not hard, just enough to get her attention. She stopped and jerked her head up, looking at me. The other one, Bell, on account of her having a moo sound that was as clear as a bell, she moved around and stood by Nell. That smack between the ears told them I wasn't putting up with any nonsense out of them.

I had the men come over and I shook their hands. Cows are social animals. Seeing me accept these people would tell them that they belonged here and weren't a threat to be stomped into mush. I told them to hold there hands out. The cows sniffed of them.

I picked up the children in turn and let them give them a good sniffing. Finally, it was Elsie's turn. She came and stood by me. The cows sniffed her over good. It seemed they would accept everybody. I had to make sure. A seven or eight hundred pound cow can hurt someone bad in short order.

Nell took an interest in Sophie, who was hanging onto my leg. She lowered her nose to her, sniffing. Then she licked her. Her big tongue covering her face. That tore it with Sophie. She wasn't having no part of that. She started crying and hopping up and down with her arms in the air. I picked her up and she held on for dear life. I tried to keep from laughing, but it wasn't any use. I busted out laughing. I'm sorry, but that was just funny.

I got myself under control. Then headed to the door.They trotted out into the barnyard. I told the hands to let the others out.

"Every day, let them out first thing after milking."

I showed them the chickens. Then I sat Sophie down.

"Ok, yall go to the house. Me and Tommy got work to do." Elsie kissed me and took Sophie by the hand and left.

Tommy and I headed over to the camp. It was bustling with early morning activity. Men were gathered in the mess tent eating, getting ready for the day.

We walked around until I found JT and Joe. They were checking the newly arrived trucks.

"Hey. How's it looking? Ready to start drilling?"

"Yep. We're checking in the rigs now. Let's you and me go mark off some areas for all six rigs."

"Let's go."

We got in his truck and spent the rest of the morning flagging promising sites. We headed back to the house. JT looked over at me.

"You said you would invest five thousand?"

"Yes sir, I did."

"That still good?"

I nodded."I'll get it when we get back."

I thought for a while. "JT, I want to buy me one of these Ford trucks. How do I go about that?"

He looked at me. "You said you can't drive one."

"Well, I can learn how, I reckon."

He chuckled at that one. "Yes sir, I suppose you can. You thought about what exactly you want."

"Yep. One of them 1930 Model A's."

"Ok. I'll have the hands go pick one up from the dealer and bring it back for you. I'm sending some up to Dallas tomorrow for some supplies we need. He's my main crew boss, so I trust him not to fuck it up. I'll have him pick you out a good'un."

"How much is it, you reckon."

"Oh, about five hundred I reckon. Give or take."

"Ok. Can we afford to take it out of my five thousand? Or do I need to make other arrangements?"

"Oh, no, don't worry about it. I'll cover it. We'll call it a gift. We're in business together here. You, me, and Joe, stand to make a lot of money together. You've been straight up with me. The least I can do to show my appreciation for this opportunity is to buy you a truck."

"Well, if you think that's fair. I've always paid my way."

"It's more than fair, Jake. I'm not trying to pull a fast one here.This is between friends. Let's leave it at that, Ok?"

"Ok, then."

He stuck his hand out. I shook it. Closing the deal.

We rolled up to the house. I looked at JT,

"You got a few minutes to come in? When we started this, Maggie showed an interest in investing some money. I figured you could hear her out."

He nodded, "Sure. I like her. She's a straight shooter. I mean, we've got our three way partnership sewed up. I couldn't take on another partner without you and Joe giving the nod, but let's go see what she has in mind."

We went in and sat at the table. Elsie got up and made fresh coffee and got out some ham and made us sandwiches. I was about to take my first bite when Tommy spoke up.

"Mama, papa is buying a truck. The man said he was having a guy deliver it that wouldn't fuck it up."

She turned around and looked at me, her eyes narrowed, burning holes into me.

"What?" I asked. "I want one of them trucks."

"I'm happy about the truck. I'm not happy about the language."

"I didn't say it."

"M'am, that's on me. I'll be more careful in the future."

"Please do."

"Yes m'am."

I asked, "Where's Maggie? JT wants a word with her."

"She went to town. She needed some things from the store. She should be back shortly."

"Where's Sophie?"

"She went with Maggie. So did your mother and Callie. Speaking of which. I'd like a word in private with you."

I put my sandwich down and headed outside. She followed me. I sat down and waited.

"This morning I went to the privy. When I was coming back, I overheard your mother and Callie talking. She was talking about y'all going to the barn and fucking this morning. Are you fucking your mother?"

"Yep, I reckon so."

She just looked at me a long moment. Not saying anything. I just kept quiet. Finally, she turned and went back inside.

I went in and sat back down. I pushed my sandwich away. I'd done lost my appetite. It seemed like I just couldn't get nothing right.

I'd had enough. I got up and went outside, headed to the barn. It was time for me to rethink some things. I had enough on my plate without having to worry about women getting pissed off at me.