Romance in a Ghost Town Page 9

  “Okay,” answered Bob taking the string.

  Bob purchased five, five-gallon gasoline cans and the two men topped them off at the gas station. They then headed to Kap’s Camp Grounds Bonanza and after Kap and Edward caught up on old times, purchased the outdoor items on the list.

  It was after six and Bob offered to buy them dinner but when Ed called Katey, her counter-offer was a home-cooked meat loaf. “She makes the best meat loaf, Bob,” said her husband and that swayed him into agreeing.

  It was over dinner that Edward asked, “So, what time do we leave tomorrow?”

  “Actually, Ed,” Bob answered putting down his fork, “I figured on going out there alone tomorrow morning.”

  “Alone? But, well, partner, don’t ya think that’s a bit of a trek for a new guy ta take.”

  Bob shrugged, “Got to do it sooner or later and the sooner the better. Besides I just follow the GPS and I’m home. Right?”

  “Well, yeah, but there are so many things that can go wrong.”

  “Tell you what,” said Bob in agreement, “if I’m not back by noon the following day, I hope you take the same route out and pick me up before dark.”

  Edward smiled as he nodded and said, “Boy, you sure got gumption, partner. And if I don’t see you dragging your butt into town by noon, I’ll find ya before dark. That’s a promise.” He reached over and passed the platter of meat loaf to his guest and went on, “Here, have some more. Heck, it might be the last bit of home cooked ya get in a long time, partner.”

  After dinner, as Katey put the dishes in the dishwasher, Edward tilted his head towards the basement and said, “Hey, partner. C’mon downstairs and I’ll show you what takes the place of a TV for me.”

  Bob followed and once downstairs Edward picked up the Ford model he was building and said as he passed it to him, “1950 Ford, two door, V-8 flathead engine putting out 100 horses back in the day.” He watched as Bob looked at the model and nodded at his craftsmanship.

  “This is neat! I used to make armor models, same scale; 1:35, right?”

  “Yep! The ’50 Ford was the car I kinda grew up in as my dad had one for years and took us all over in her.” He took the model back and tilted his head towards a locked closet and said in a low voice, “Real reason I wanted ya to follow me was this.” He took a key from his pocket and unlocked the lock. Opening the thick wooden door, he reached in and took out a .45 Caliber six-shooter and passed it to Bob saying, “It’s not loaded. Have ya ever fired one?”

  “Not a six-shooter, but an automatic that an old buddy of mine owned.”

  “So,” asked Edward with a questioningly look on his face, “would ya feel comfortable taking this along with ya? I mean, there are snakes out there and, well, I mean you sorta grow on a guy and me and Katey would like ta see you again.”

  Bob felt the weight of the pistol in his hand and said, “Thanks, partner, I will borrow it and bring it back, hopefully with all the bullets.”

  “Well, then, if you’re taking it, here’s the belt and holster to carry it in,” he went back into the closet and took out a well-used gun belt and holster and handed it to Bob who nodded and smile gratefully. “And,” added Ed, “you’ll be needing these too.” He handed him a handful of bullets and Bob put them in his pocket. “And here,” Edward added handing him a GPS unit. “Just press, ‘Last destination,’ and it’ll display the directions to Rattlesnake Haven. When you’re coming home just press ‘Home,’ and relax. After you get your own car you can load the coordinates into it’s GPS and I’ll take this one back.”

  Edward looked at Bob and not sure how best to say what was on his mind, he just blurted out, “Hey, partner, that big ol’ generator is a tad unwieldy. Why not just leave it in your SUV and when I go out there with you, we can get it set up together?”

  “Thanks, Edward. I promise not to do anything stupid. I really appreciate your advice.”

  “Well, just remember when you’re set for me an’ Katey ta come out and give ya a hand, we’ll take as much vacation time as ya need us for, partner.”

  Edward led him upstairs and both he and Katey watched as he drove off.

  “Real nice young man,” she said, adding, “Sure do hope we see him again.”

  Her husband nodded in agreement as he closed the door.

  It was six a.m. and after a hearty breakfast, Bob left the hotel and went to the SUV loaner in the parking lot. He wore his jeans, new western boots, a light shirt, sunglasses and western style hat. He had the six-gun, belt and holster wrapped in his lightweight jacket, and the bullets in his pocket. He topped the vehicle off at the gas station then stopped in Pearl’s Sandwich Shoppe and stocked up on her homemade sandwiches and soup as suggested by Katey. Next, Bob packed the cooler with drinks, sandwiches and as many bags of ice as he could. The New Yorker was pleasantly surprised at how much room he had with the seats down, as all he had purchased the day before fit, with room left over. Satisfied, he placed the GPS unit on the dashboard and activated it. Instantly it got a satellite reading giving Bob directions out of Bransville and to Rattlesnake Haven. With a determined grin, and the air-conditioning on, he set out to fulfill his dream.

  The sun beat down on the twenty-two miles of black macadam of Route 95 then, following the GPS’ instructions, he turned west and slowly drove on the hard-packed, yellow sand during the off-road section of his trip. Although the windshield’s top half was tinted, the stark glare peeked beneath it and onto the black dashboard, fighting the air-conditioning for dominance inside the vehicle. And, thought Bob with a grin, I think it’s winning the battle. Hope the new car’s air is more powerful.

  It was slow going and he tried to remember every trick Edward had taught him the first time out. He made sure to never hit the water whenever he flicked the windshield wiper to remove the sand buildup and whenever he did stop to clean it by hand, he made sure never to lean against the hot car. He had gone from doing sixty miles an hour on the highway to doing no more than five off-road and he thought as he looked at the car’s temperature gauge, sure hope she stays cool, this is no place to overheat.

  At one point he made a pit stop and as he stood facing a small cactus, thought as he looked around, Wow! It’s so quiet here and so desolate! The early Americans sure had guts coming here to make a home. As he reentered the car he realized that the SUV to him, was what the Conestoga wagon was to the early settlers: Survival! “But,” he said as he poured himself a mug of coffee, “they didn’t have hot coffee ready for them whenever they wanted.” He raised his mug and said, “Here’s to today’s technology,” and took a long sip as he checked the outside temperature: 92 degrees, he thought as he put the car in gear.

  After a while the going got tough with cracks that suddenly appeared in the ground beneath the weight of the car and shot off into the distance. The New Yorker drove even slower and felt the four-wheel drive kick in as it fed power to whatever wheel was losing traction at that moment and it was then that he realized that his sweating was not just from the temperature. His movements became habit-forming: look out the front to see the oncoming stretch of ground followed by checking out the side window to make sure he was on the flattest grade possible then peeking at the cars temperature gauge and then the outside temperature and finally back to the front windshield usually followed by a single flick of the wiper blade. At one point he turned the air-conditioning off to lessen the load on the engine but after less than one minute put it back on. No way! he thought, It’s air on, or start driving at night.

  Finally, after six hours of driving, he came to the slight rise in the flat desert and stopping on top, peered ahead with his binoculars to see the signpost sticking up at an angle.

  6

  The Real Rattlesnake Haven

  “Rattlesnake Haven!” he happily shouted as he put the car back in gear and slowly started down the slope towards the town. Bob laughed to himself as he realized that he had been talking to the GPS unit when he announced his sighting.

 
It took him another twenty-five minutes to go the short distance and as he drove down Main Street he decided to park the SUV in an alley between Thad’s Ice House and Dina’s Dressmaking. It was tight but the car was in shadow and somehow he felt better for the vehicle as he killed the air-conditioning and shut the engine off. Still need to drive her home, he explained to himself lest he feel silly about wanting to give it some rest. Bob listened as the ticking of the engine told him that it was cooling down. He patted the dashboard and said, “Good job.”

  Before he went any further, Bob opened the cooler and took out a tuna on rye that he had been thinking about for some time now. He took a bite, pulled the top off a diet coke and washed down the oversized bite he had taken. “Ahhh!” he said as he relaxed for the first time in half a day.

  Finished, he wiped his mouth and feeling like he might need everything he carried with him, gently refolded the napkin and put it in his pocket before opening the door.

  He stepped out and gently rested his favored leg on the SUV’s running board as he took his cane from the passenger seat. Leaning on it as he stretched as much as he could, two things hit him at once: the heat and the quietness. Boy, he thought, if not for the heat it was like leaving the house when I was a kid and finding the ground covered with a thick mantle of snow that seemed to absorb any sounds…but, he continued as he put his hat on, it is hot! He took one step away from the car, stopped and opened the passenger door and took out his jacket. Unfolding it he removed the gun belt and holster that held the gun. Bob looked around, feeling silly as he strapped the gun belt and holster on and rested his hand on the pistol grip. Oh well, when in Rome do as the Roman’s do, he thought as he shifted the unfamiliar weight around. He took the gun, opened the chamber and slid in five bullets making sure that the hammer rested on the empty chamber. He grinned as he thought, Guess watching all of those cowboy movies helped. Don’t need the gun’s hammer leaning on a live bullet ready to go off if I trip or something.

  Satisfied, he took a step towards Main Street only to stop in pain as the gun’s holster dug into the upper thigh of his right leg as it did its usual three-inch dip to the right when he walked. Bob almost collapsed and caught himself only by leaning heavily on his cane. After allowing a few minutes for the pain to subside, he balanced himself on his left leg and shifted the gun around to his left side. So, he thought looking at the right handed holster facing the wrong way, I’ve just become a cross-draw cowboy.

  Reaching the street, Bob looked to his right, which was the way he had entered the town and, staying in the center of the street, started walking in that direction. He walked past the Silver Dollar Exchange, Laird’s Coffee Bean Store, Major’s Men’s Clothing, Tom’s Barrel Making, and a large Community Hall. He stood there looking around, grinned and said to himself, “Quiet a nice little town you’ve got yourself into, Mister McKillop.”

  Facing the opposite side of the street, he started to walk back up the street and take inventory of that side of town.

  First came Jax Hardware followed by a Funeral Parlor then Calvin’s Carpentry and next was a men’s clothing store. Kenny’s Barber Shop followed a Washroom Supplies business. Bob stopped at the next store and smiled as he saw a wooden sign in the shape of a western style boot nailed to the front of an establishment. That immediately told him that it was a boot shop, and he thought, Clever! Someone knew enough to make a sign that even the person who couldn’t read knew what the place sold. He continued his inventory and next was Hiram’s Bakery followed by a store that had a wagon wheel nailed to the storefront. Once again, he thought, a tip of my hat at the creativeness of the owner. Another smart businessman telling the town that they could get their wagon wheels fixed there.

  Next came Hap’s Horse and Grain followed by the tilting red barn and then the Silver Inn Hotel followed by the Dust Off Tavern. Next came Giddon’s Home Supplies, a General Store and finally the jailhouse. He was at the end of town and turned and started back down as he checked out the opposite side of Main Street.

  First came another boot shop followed by a fish store. Wonder where the heck they got fish from? he thought as he walked on. Next was a butcher shop followed by another shop that had a sign stating that it was the, Wagon Wheel’s Fix Place. He smiled as he saw the next store, Jane’s Vegetable and Seed shop. Wonder what she grew out here? Cactus?” Suddenly, Bob saw a slight movement out of the corner of his eye and he jumped as tumbleweed rolled by and he felt the ever-so-slight hint of a breeze. Hot, he thought, but still a breeze. He grinned at finding his right hand on the gun butt, Well sheriff, he thought, looks like you’re set to clean up this town. He stepped on to the rest of the stores. There was Pik Axe Supply business, followed by Aaron’s Home and Business Wallpaper then a restaurant, Kay’s Diner and finally a Head Stone Maker. Must have been a thriving business out here, he thought glumly. He continued his journey and next came to O’Henry’s Law Office, then the Dentist followed by the Doctor’s office. He now stood across from where he had parked the SUV, between Dina’s Dressmaking and Thad’s Ice House.

  Turning around and facing the end of the town he saw a small, schoolhouse that he felt had been painted a deep red but was now looking peach and gray from the elements. Across from the school was a church complete with a bell tower and from the shape of the boarded up windows, perhaps stained glass windows. Just past the school was a typical, round water tank sporting the conical roof. Maybe there’s still water in the well? I’ll check that out later, he thought before turning to face down the long dusty street towards what he now considered the town’s entrance as that was the way he came in.

  The sun was at it hottest and he found that he was getting tired after the tedious drive followed by all the walking he had just done. Should I take the car to the town’s entrance or walk it? he wondered as he chewed on his lip and found it parched. He berated himself; Of course you should take the car, jerk! No sense in having heat stroke the first day. Wiping his brow, Bob walked to the car and after easing himself into it felt sort of, at home. He popped open another Coke, took a long swig and pressed the ignition. He found that he was mentally crossing his fingers and felt himself relax as the engine came alive with a growl. “No air needed,” he said as he put it in gear and exited the space between the two buildings.

  Bob made a right turn on Main Street and drove slowly back to the beginning of town. He saw a small space between Tom’s Barrels and the large Community hall and parked the vehicle between them, taking advantage of the shade. Next Bob opened the cooler, took out an egg salad on rye bread sandwich and ate it as he finished his cool drink. Finished, he did his best boy scout impression as he put the sandwich wrappings in a plastic bag and sealed it. Ready for his next excursion, he put his sweat-stained hat back on and left the car.

  He now saw a building that, in his excitement of entering the town, he had missed. Slightly offset to the side was a large two-story building close to the beginning of town. It had a picket fence surrounding it and while a few of the slats were lying on the ground, he knew that the building once looked grand. It’s got to be Town Hall, he thought walking towards it.

  The gate hung on one hinge and he stepped past it without disturbing it as he approached the first of three wooden steps. Got to start somewhere, he pondered as he tested the step with his cane. Looks can be deceiving, he thought as he stepped as gingerly as possible and was rewarded with a soft creak. Sounds good, he thought stepping on the second step. The same soft creak gave him the courage to go for the top step. Finally standing before the door, he thought, well, as the saying goes, ‘a long journey begins with the first step’. He wasn’t surprised to find that the lock was just like all the others he had seen and opened just as easy.

  As was usual, the only light he had to work by was the light that came in through the open door so he entered the dark room and walked towards the boarded up windows. Placing his cane against the wall, Bob unlocked the window and pushed it up with less trouble than he thought he’d have. H
e pushed gently against the bottom of one of the boards and it easily popped away from the old, rusted nails. Elated, Bob twisted and pulled down on the board and the top fell away just as easy as the bottom had allowing a shaft of sunlight to shoot in for the first time in over a century. He placed his hands on his hips and with a smile turned and attacked the rest of the boards. After twenty minutes the room was bathed in natural sunlight, which also showed the dirt and grime on the glass of the four windows.

  Okay, he thought looking around, this is my first project in bringing her back to life: Rip down the boards that kept her protected all these years. For the first time he really got to see the room. In the middle of the floor, facing the door was a desk that he took to be a receptionist desk. The desk and the chair behind it were covered by a large sheet and then again in dust and cobwebs. There were one dozen wooden chairs in four rows of three arranged along the side as though it was a waiting area. He grinned as he wondered, even back then there were waiting lines to see the person they probably voted in. He shook his head, some things just don’t change. Behind the desk was a mahogany staircase with a very ornate banister and uprights going up to the second floor.

  To the left of the desk were two doors and Bob knew right away that they were the washrooms as he headed towards them. On the first door was printed WOMEN and he opened it to find the same type of porcelain toilet that he had seen before in town. Once again there was a deep wash dish with a water pitcher sitting in it and on the wall was a sconce with a whole candle still in it. Boy, the town plumber had the whole concession. He opened the door stenciled MEN and it was the same except it had a more modern oil lamp mounted on the wall. Bet the top person was a guy, he thought grinning. Back in the main room once again, he took a close look at the staircase. It looks well preserved, he thought stepping on the first of twenty something steps and hearing not even a soft creak he continued his train of thought as he tested the second step, well, it has been indoors and out of the elements, so why shouldn’t it be safe? Going on that and his gut feeling, as well as holding on tight to the firm banister, Bob went up to the second floor.