Do You Remember These?
Image Courtesy
of The Writers Ranch
Rock Creek, 1877
"Another day wasted," Tompkins said to himself as he finished preparing to close shop for the evening. Ever since the Pony Express closed down and the war started, the town hadn't been the same. "Never thought those hell raising trouble makers were what kept this town jumping." He chuckled as he shook his head.
Times were changing. Rock Creek was becoming a ghost town. The stage didn't even make scheduled stops anymore. Most of the shops had closed and there were only a handful of residents left. Many of those that were left were too old or too stubborn to leave. He was one of them. Most days he didn't even make enough to justify opening. He spent more time keeping the shelves clean then he did stocking them. But closing up the shop would mean giving up on the memories that kept him going in his advanced age.
Both Rachel and Teaspoon had stayed in town after the Express ended. Rachel finally became the town's schoolteacher and eventually married the president of the bank. She'd kept in touch with her boys throughout the years and would often give him bits of news in their lives when she came in for supplies.
Teaspoon had continued on as the town marshal and tried to keep the town going. Tompkins still couldn't believe that Teaspoon wouldn't ever come in again. Standing with Rachel, alone at his best friend's grave just a few days earlier, was the hardest thing to do. He had been surprised that none of the remaining boys had come to pay their last respects to a man who had been more of a father than their own had been.
Now, as he walked through the store with a broom, he thought of each section in the store that held special memories for him; many of those were the sections the riders often spent the most time in.
Tompkins had often felt it peculiar that Lou, the scrawniest of the boys often would browse through the women's clothing and perfumes. He had never heard of anyone talking about Lou courting one the town's fine, young ladies and he just didn't think Lou was the type to buy that kind of gift for some of the town's not so fine ladies. He thought maybe Lou had had a sister he was browsing for, but as much as he looked, he never purchased anything from that section.
It wasn't till later, after hearing some gossip from some of his *livelier* customers, that the pieces started to fall into place. The longing in her eyes as she glanced over the hats... her small frame that would never look good in some of the new styles... the way she always held her arms across her chest when she thought people were looking at her... It made sense and whenever she'd come in to the store alone, he'd casually mention some new item she might like. "For your lovely lady friend," he'd often tease her.
The day she married The Kid, was one of Tompkins better memories. All of the *boys* had grown, but Lou had in more ways than one. She had gone from a scrawny boy to one of the most beautiful Tompkins had ever seen. The happiness she showed made Tompkins know that all her struggles had been worth it for just that moment, the moment her life would be forever tied with The Kid. Rachel came in a few months back to let him know about the birth of their twins; their beautiful daughter Katy, and their handsome son Lou. He and Rachel had a good laugh over the names. At least they got the genders right, even if their own parents hadn't.
Now as he passed by the dry goods, he recalled how many times Jimmy wound up having to pay because he'd thrown a bag at flour at someone, or knocked into a display, breaking jars of whatever item was on special. More than once Tompkins had complained how every time the boys had come in to the store, trouble usually followed.
Jimmy had eventually become not only a fine, law-abiding citizen, but Teaspoon had appointed the once trigger-happy cowboy to sheriff. A move, that had surprised him as much as it had the rest if the town. Never in all his life did Tompkins expect that. He was even more surprised to see Jimmy gunned down and killed by the McCanle's Gang on the street out side of the store.
Now, as Tompkins passed the literature section, he wondered why he even bothered to allow new 10-cent novels to come in. No one had bought one since Cody was about to leave town with the army and stocked up. He could always count on that boy coming in for fuel for his wild imagination, and always managed to keep a few new ones in stock, just in case...
Rachel had told him that Cody had started his own acting troupe that toured around the west after he left the army. Rachel and Teaspoon would go and see a couple of his shows when ever he managed to be in St. Joe. Both had nothing but praise for the boy and said he'd finally found his calling. The audiences loved him and his wild tall tales of his misspent youth.
The only member of the team Tompkins had never heard from or about had been Buck. He always had regretted his treatment of the boy and often wondered what he had been up to. Rachel and Teaspoon had worried as well, but they knew that if anyone could survive, it was Buck.
Maybe tonight after the shop was cleaned and closed, he'd pull out his memory box and read through the letters over again. "Maybe I should just leave. Head on off to California. I've heard its real pretty there."
"Ain't that the truth! You goin' crazy Tompkins or is someone here I don't see?"
Tompkins had been so lost in thought he hadn't heard the bell over the door ring, alerting him that someone had entered. He was about to tell them he was closed and too leave when he looked a saw a familiar face. "Cody!" he said as he started to cross the floor to shake the boy's hand. "It's good to see you."
Cody met him half way. "Good to see you too. Tried to get back here sooner, so I could pay my respects all-proper and the like, but I had to make a few stops along the way. And let me tell you, traveling with a coupla babies ain't my idea of a good time."
"You're a family man, congratulations."
Cody beamed. "Well I've always been a family man, and I wanted to make sure that the family came to pay the respects Teaspoon deserved." Cody moved away from the door, nodding his head in the direction of the street.
Tompkins felt the tears start to slide down his cheek, as out on the porch stood the family Cody had been talking about. There stood The Kid and Lou, each holding a squirming bundle and Buck standing proud as ever with his exotic Kiowa wife and their young son.
As Tompkins went out to greet his long lost friends, he heard Cody walk over towards the books and exclaim, "Hey I remember these!" He came back out of the store holding several of the novels, beaming like a child at Christmas. But his question of, "Hey guys! Look! Do you remember these?" was lost in rounds of hugs and greetings.