Christmas Remembrances

By Penski

(Christmas Advent 2021, Heyes and the Kid made a Christmas Promise to give up on amnesty, decide on new alias names, and move somewhere far from Wyoming.  January 2022 challenge started the saga of Joe Barton (aka Jed Curry) and Sam Anderson (aka Hannibal Heyes) living a new life in Jackson, CA.  Joe is a livery owner and Sam is an accountant for some mines (and co-owner of the livery).  Their story continues…)

Two men rode towards a cabin, nestled among the oaks and pines.  They headed to the stable where they dismounted and took care of their horses before going into the cabin.

“Sure is chilly tonight.”  Sam threw some logs into the banked fire, then stood in front of it, briskly rubbing his hands together to warm them.

“Yeah, it always seems colder when it’s damp outside.”  Joe removed his gun and placed it on a hook by the door.  Then he went to a cupboard and pulled down two glasses, a bottle of whiskey, and two candles.  He lit the candles and placed one in each of the front windows.

“Whatcha doing?” Sam asked, watching his friend with a puzzled expression.

Joe shrugged.  “Seemed appropriate for Christmas Eve to have candles in the windows.”

Sam smiled.  “Like we did when we were little.”

“Not much I can recall, but I do remember ma lightin' candles and puttin' 'em in each of the windows.”  Joe brought the glasses and bottle over near the fireplace and sat down.  “Sure was a good dinner at Emma’s tonight.”  He poured the whiskey and handed one to his friend, who had left the warmth of the fire to join him.

“Nice that she makes a such a wonderful and delicious Christmas meal for the miners and other bachelors in town.”  Sam took the proffered glass and sat down in a rocking chair next to his partner.  I'm glad we had a place to go and be with others for awhile before we settle down for the night.”

Joe nodded and took an appreciative sniff.  “I like how you put pine on the mantle.  Smells like Christmas.”

“I didn’t know if we wanted a tree or not, so I compromised on just some pine branches.  Glad you like it.”

“Maybe next year a tree.”  Joe sipped his whiskey.  “For now, this is just right.”

“Besides the candles in the window, what else do you remember from our childhood Christmases?”

Joe pondered the question for a moment before speaking.  “Lots of family and food.  What about you?”

“Remember the Christmas day church service with us kids singing carols in front?” Sam asked.  “We always went to church before the big feast at your house.  And we had stockings hanging off the mantle and then, in the morning, they'd be filled with nuts, fruit, and a few hard candies.”

“Peppermint candies,” Joe grinned and nodded.  “Think that’s why I still love 'em today.”

Sam took a drink as he continued to reminisce.  “I usually got a new book for Christmas.  What was your favorite present?”

“A slingshot my pa made me,” Joe answered without hesitation.

“You were pretty good…”

Joe arched his brow. “Pretty good?”

“Okay, you were a sure shot back then with that sling shot.”  Sam took another sip and glanced sideways.  “What do you remember about the home?”

“Valparaiso?”  Joe frowned, then shrugged.  “Not much.  I just remember bein’ scared and lonely and missin’ my family.”

“Yeah, those were hard years.  The home was so full from the war that they could only provide so much and, unfortunately, there wasn't a lot of love.”

“Did we even celebrate Christmas there?” Joe asked, his brow furrowed in thought.

Sam nodded.  “We went to the church and sat in the back rows.  The town provided a meal to us and the home gave us each a pair of new socks and a butterscotch candy.”

“I remember the butterscotch now that you mention it.”  Joe sipped.  “And then we ran away because they were gonna separate us.”

“Yep, I was getting apprenticed out and you had to stay in school.  Those were even harder times; we were starving and had nothing but the clothes on our backs.”

“Until Soapy took us in.”

“Yep,” Sam answered, an ear-to-ear grin appearing on his face.  “I remember the help serving a big Christmas meal at his house.  I thought we'd died and gone to Heaven!”

“That’s where we met Diamond Jim, Jenny, and Silky, right?”

“Yep.”  Sam nodded.  “And Georgette and Clementine, too.”  With a dimpled grin, he continued with enthusiasm.  “Those sure were the days, weren't they?  That's where we learned all those cons that came in handy when we needed them.  Oh, and we can't forget Montana Red Dog and the five pat hands trick, either.  I can't even count the hours of help and the practicing I did to be able to play poker as good as I do.  Learning how to count cards and watching the other players' faces...”

Joe grinned.  “And how to make an egg stand up by itself.  That kinda school was one I didn't mind goin' to!  Sure thankful Soapy took us in under his protective wing.  We might not be here if he hadn’t.”  He paused to stare into his glass, his expression pensive as he added quietly, “And then, after all that learnin', we were on our own again.  We were together, but it wasn't the same.  Somethin' changed; we didn't agree on things anymore – we...” his voice trailed off and he shrugged.

“We were fighting all the time,” Sam finished.

Joe nodded.  “I felt the need to get away from you and get some independence.  But you know what?  Once I did and I was off all alone by myself, free to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, all I could think about was you – wondered where you were, what you were doin’ and if you were okay.”

“And you weren’t keen on joining a gang like I was.”

Joe nodded.  “That’s true.  Didn’t want to make my pa and ma ashamed of me.”

“That Christmas was awful.  I was in the Plummer gang and already at the Hole.  The gang was drinking and loud in the bunkhouse.  I sat outside in the cold, shivering, and wondered where you were.”

“Really?”  Joe glanced sideways.  “I was somewhere in Texas outside of a church hearin’ the folks sing and wonderin’ where you were.”

“We weren’t meant to be separated; glad we found each other again.”

“Me, too!”

The two men clinked glasses, then finished their drinks.  Joe poured more whiskey in each glass.

“However,” Sam added firmly, “I really didn’t want you to join the gang.”

“Sam, we’ve been through this too many times.  I’m my own person and made the decision.  You didn’t make me do somethin’ I didn’t want to do.”

“Okay, okay!”  Sam put his hands up in defeat and picked up his replenished drink.  “Christmas as an outlaw wasn’t too bad.”

“Nope.  We had plenty of money, food, and women – whatever we wanted, we could afford.”

“And we were together.”

“Yep.  And, if you think about it, the gang was kinda like a family.”

“Yeah, a family you didn’t turn your back on.”  Sam chuckled.  “But you’re right that we had anything we wanted.  What we couldn’t pay for, we took.”

“We did and now I’m kinda regrettin’ it.  We thought we were just hurtin’ the railroads and banks, who could afford it, but that wasn’t always the case.”

“No, but we got outta that business.”

“We did, but for the wrong reasons.  We were thinkin’ of ourselves and not the folks we were hurtin’.”

“Do you regret going for amnesty?  We sure were poor and hungry more than not.”

“I regret not gettin’ amnesty, but not tryin’.  Yeah, we were poor and hungry…”

“And being chased by posses and bounty hunters and accused of crimes we didn’t commit,” Sam added.  “And then there's good 'ol Harry Briscoe.”

Both men shook their heads.

“But we also met some nice folks along the way, like the Jordans.  They were a real nice family.”

“True, and there was also the Tapscotts.”  Sam took a sip and chuckled.  “Don’t forget your Uncle Mac.”

“Uncle Mac…” Joe echoed.  “I haven’t thought about him for a long time.”  He laughed.  “Remember surprisin’ Clem one year and goin’ to her house for Christmas?”

“Yeah.  She was so happy to see us and mad that we didn’t tell her we were coming.  Spent a Christmas with Lom, too, one year.”

“And now we’re here in Jackson with a new start on life.”  Joe held his glass out towards Sam.

“Yep.”

Again, the two men clinked their glasses together.

“You know, I thought you and Emma would get married by now,” Sam commented as he looked towards his friend.

“Me and Emma?  No.”

“Why not?  She's nice and cute.  She cooks real good and you like to eat.”

Joe shook his head and turned sideways to look into Sam's face.  “No.  I don’t think I’m gonna get married.  We’re still wanted and someday someone might recognize us.  Worse, someone might recognize me as Kid Curry and decide to shoot me for the title fastest gun.  Maybe even use my family to get to me.”  He drew in a deep breath, then released it slowly.  “I thought it over and decided I couldn’t do that to a woman.”

Both men sipped their whiskey in silence.

“Besides, I don’t need a family,” Joe continued, his blue eyes twinkling.  “I have you.”

Just then, the chime on the mantle clock rang, heralding the arrival of Christmas day.  The two men raised their glasses in a celebratory toast.

“Merry Christmas, Sam.”

“Merry Christmas, Joe.”