A much belated sequel to my January 2021 challenge. "Absent Friends." Heyes goes to find his partner.
ASJ
Heyes finished cutting the last of the wood for Clem, straightened up with a groan and turned to see her coming over to him steaming cup in hand which she handed over to him. He took a long grateful gulp of the coffee, carrying the cup as he walked over to her small porch and sat down while she perched next to him. “I'm leaving tomorrow, should be in Yuma by Friday.”
She studied him for a minute, her expression serious, then her face broke into a smile as she clapped her hands and said firmly. “You'll write and tell me what happened.”
Heyes nodded, though it hadn't been a question and added with a confidence that he didn't quite feel. “We'll head back this way in a couple of months anyway.”
ASJ
As the train made its way to Yuma, a restless Heyes alternated between staring out at the shadowed countryside as it sped past him, and pacing the second class carriage. He had chosen this journey, knowing it would be a quiet one as he needed time to think about what he would do when he found the Kid. He was trying not to contemplate there being an 'If.' But his mind was refusing to cooperate and so many questions kept marching through his mind. “What if the Nuns refused to let him in or to even pass a message on?” "What if Kid had moved on?” The letter was over a month old after all. "What if Kid had only told Clem what he thought she would want to hear?" "What if the decision Kid regretted wasn't splitting up, but going for amnesty?"
But the most burning question of all was "Would the Kid even want to re-establish their partnership anyway?" Nothing had changed in the year they'd been apart: Amnesty still felt miles away, they would continue to be broke and desperate.
As he stepped down onto the dusty platform, appreciatively soaking up the comparative warmth after a few days spent in the chill of Denver, he knew that whatever happened here, his next trip would be to Porterville, then onto Cheyenne with Lom in tow to demand some answers from the current ass-hat in the Governor's Mansion. If the worst happened and the Kid wasn't with him, he'd find a way of getting word to his partner about the outcome of the meeting.
ASJ
Heyes walked up to the heavy door of the convent and knocked loudly. There was no response for several minutes, then a small hatch opened and he was faced by a grizzled old nun staring at him suspiciously. “What do you want?”
“Heyes proffered his hand through the small hole, but when it was pointedly ignored, dropped it back to his side and gave the woman his most innocent smile. “My name's Joshua Smith, I'm looking for a friend of mine. Thaddeus Jones, you treated him for a bad leg wound a few months ago. Took me while to track him down, but I'm hoping he might still be with you. Or if he's moved on perhaps you have an inkling of where he was going.”
Her face flickered for a minute as she studied him, then she said. “He's long gone! We don't encourage men to linger, so as soon as he could walk he left. We didn't ask where he was heading.” Then the hatch slammed shut again.
Heyes was left with a small grin on his face, a little surprised at a Nun telling such a bold faced lie. It was obvious from what Sister Magdalena had written that he had indeed lingered.
ASJ
Kid Curry carefully made his final shot, then holstered his weapon with a small flourish and breathed out. As he took in the peaceful atmosphere, with the restful sound of the river below, he sighed and sat down on the small log bench behind him. The thought that had been going round his head for the last week returned, as his mind freed itself from the focus of practising. It was time to move on.
This last year after his impulsive decision to split from Heyes, had proved lonelier and harder than he'd expected, and he was reluctant to return to it. But he knew he couldn't hide here his whole life, so finally he was resolved that come the middle of the month he'd leave, head South. His regret at leaving his partner had only deepened in the long months of being on his own, but at first pride had kept him from taking any steps to find his cousin, and now so much time had passed, he wasn't even sure how to start looking for him, so alone he would stay.
He was so deep in thought, he didn't hear Sister Valeria until she was almost next to him and started, but he managed not to draw his gun, and looked up into her weathered face, which had a small approving smile on it. “Well done, Thaddeus! It seems that we are having a positive influence on you!”
The Kid could see worry under her smile, and wasn't surprised when she said “There was a man looking for you. I told him you'd moved on, but he didn't believe me and I am sure he will be back. I didn't like the look of him at all.”
The Kid swallowed hard, it looked like his leaving was going to be taken out of his hands. Mother Superior had informed him not long after the start of his recovery that most of the nuns knew exactly who he was. Only the novices and the children did not. He remembered the conversation clearly.
“I sense you are in the need of sanctuary, and as women of peace, we are not in the business of refusing such a need. But the first time you cause trouble, or bring it upon our heads, I will expect you to leave with no argument. Is that clear Mr Curry?”
More than a little surprised at not being chucked out on his ear, the Kid had easily agreed to her condition, and now it had come due he saw no reason not to honour his agreement. It wouldn't take him long to pack up and leave. The nuns had insisted on paying him for his work around the place, so he had enough to buy a horse and some supplies. He would head to Porterville and demand some answers from Lom, before making any other decision. “Sister? Did he give his name?” The Kid wondered who had tracked him down, and hoped it was a bounty hunter with a conscience, rather than one of the more unsavoury characters. Sister Valeria sniffed and said with some ire. “Wasn't even an original alias! Called himself Joshua Smith, as if I'd be convinced by a Smith looking for a Jones!”
The Kid felt his chest tighten, as hope warred with shock, he opened his mouth, then shut it again, before clearing his throat. Whatever was in his expression was causing some alarm to cross Valeria's face and to relieve her worry, he laughed a little, while cursing the issues the dumb ass aliases Lom had landed on them brought. He asked. “This Joshua Smith? What did he look like?”
“Dark hair, dark eyes, same age as you, or there abouts, all wide eyed innocence and dimples. Didn't fool me for a minute!”
The Kid snorted in amusement at her description even as relief flooded him, it had to be Heyes. “Ma'am I'll be leaving after breakfast. I'd like to say goodbye to the children, but if you don't think that's a good idea, I'll understand.”
“Oh Thaddeus you must say goodbye to them, they would never forgive you or us if you left without a word.”
A wave of regret swept over him as he thought about leaving the children. Helen, Jimmy, young Billy who never stopped asking questions, and so reminded him of his cousin as a child. They and so many of the others had planted themselves in his heart. It would be easier to just slip away, but they deserved a proper leaving, and he found himself grateful that he would be allowed to give it.
ASJ
A strange mix of emotions assailed the Kid as he rode the few miles into Yuma. Regret, anticipation, pleasure, even some fear that their time apart would mean that they wouldn't be able to re-establish their partnership. They'd done it before of course, but they'd been younger then and a whole new exciting life had beckoned, now they had little to look forward to. But he was sure that it had been a mistake to leave, and because Heyes had made the first move, it was up to him to close the deal.
ASJ
Heyes paced his hotel room, as he thought of and discarded several plans to find his way into the convent and find his friend. A note would likely be burnt, telling him his real name would work as a last resort maybe. But then a thought came to him. He could break into the convent. Sneaking was something he was good at. Even if he was faced with the loaded gun of his partner, he knew his friend well enough that he wouldn't shoot unless given no choice, and Heyes had no intention of going for his gun.
A knock on his door drew him out of his planning, he sighed heavily and stomped to the door, sure he had told the slightly too nosy for comfort, desk clerk that he didn't want to be disturbed. He flung the door open and a gasp escaped him at just who was on the other side. He swallowed several times, his hands twitching as he attempted not to pull his partner into a tight hug, unsure of how welcome that would be as a breathy “Kid.” escaped him.
The Kid looked well, the weariness in him that had been almost painful to observe at times was gone, replaced with what Heyes could only describe as peace. His clothes were clean and his hair tidy. Heyes was suddenly conscious of how he himself must appear. He knew he'd lost weight, he felt like he could sleep for a month and still be tired, his hair was in dire need of cutting, and his clothes had most certainly seen better days.
The Kid must have seen all of that, but all he said with a small smile. “You gonna let me in or just stare at me with ya mouth open?”
The seeming calm was belied by both the shake in his voice, and the slight shine to his eyes. So Heyes knowing he was not the only one who'd been assailed by emotion, felt some of his usual confidence return. He stood aside to let his partner in with a small smile of his own. “Well you being here, has sure saved me from having to shimmy up a wall tonight.”
The Kid laughed and shook his head, but said nothing, merely made an aborted movement as if to touch him, before letting his arms rest by his sides again. They stared at each other in awkward silence for a few moments, before Heyes sighed, shook off his shock and grasped his friend tightly by the forearms and asked firmly. “This mean what I hope it means?”
Heyes felt the Kid relax under his hands, and looked up to see a broad smile cross his friend's face before he shrugged and laughed. “It sure does, Heyes!”
Heyes laughed then stood back, before pulling his friend into a tight hug which the Kid returned with enthusiasm lifting him slightly off his feet as he did, “God, Heyes, do you ever eat?”
ASJ
The Kid watched Heyes eat, and sighed. The last year had obviously been hard on his friend, and guilt swept over him, because his leaving would only have added to that difficulty.
Until his accident, and the kindness of the nuns who'd taken him in and allowed him to stay, he'd been in much the same state, which is what had led to his injury in the first place- too weary, too lonely and far too distracted by both emotions to be careful.
The Kid swallowed his food and cleared his throat bringing his partner's gaze up from his enthusiastic eating. “I'm sorry, Heyes...”
Heyes met his gaze. “Yeah, Kid, leaving weren't exactly one of your best ideas.”
The Kid felt his hackles go up, and snapped. “Well, Heyes, we were both lacking in that area then.”
He was surprised when instead of huffing, Heyes gave him a slightly rueful smile. “There ain't no formula to going straight Kid, takes a bit more working out than how to blow a safe.”
The Kid subsided at the admission, unused to his partner admitting he didn't always have the answers. It was hardly Heyes' fault that they'd been lied to and let down so many times, and he felt guilt rise again as he said softly. “I am sorry, Heyes, I just... everything just got so hard. But leaving wasn't the answer I know that now.”
Heyes smiled at him. “Well now we've got that outta the way, we got plans to make. I'm thinking Clem first, seeing as she's mostly the reason I found ya, then Porterville, maybe even Cheyenne. Then onward to wherever?”
The Kid noticed with some surprise that there was a question in Heyes' tone, an uncertainty that was new, and after taking another mouthful of pie, more to give himself time, than out of any great hunger, though it was exceedingly good pie said. “Now that's a plan Heyes.”
“Good, but first I need a bath and haircut, I ain't gonna convince anyone of anything smelling and looking like a grizzly.”
The Kid laughed. “You need a dime, Heyes?”
“Gimme ten dollars, and I'll get us enough to go to Porterville in style...After my bath and haircut of course.” The Kid snorted, handed him the requested amount, which Heyes took with a grin and quickly pocketed.
And it was as simple as that, following Heyes out into the street, the strange empty places inside him, that not even the children had managed to relieve, faded and everything felt right again.
Wed Nov 01, 2023 11:37 am
