Remembering August (Triple C Ranch Saga)

by Rodney V. Earle

  “It was self-defense.”

  “Oh, really? I’ve never heard that one before.”

  “Are you gonna give me shit, or are you gonna come get me?” Jim said as he lit a smoke and looked at his bloody, throbbing hand. “Do I need to remind you that you owe me?”

  Jim’s brother sighed again. “Jesus Christ.”

  “Yeah. Jesus Christ is right. I’m at the pay phone by Great Wall.”

  “I’m supposed to be in Moorpark in half an hour for Katie’s… whatever the hell it is.”

  “You’ll just have to drive fast, then, won’t you?”

  “Where do you need to…?” Jim’s brother trailed off but before Jim could say anything, he said, “You can’t come here.”

  “You said you need to be in Moorpark for your daughter’s whatever the hell it is, right, little brother? So that means nobody will be at your house. I just need to clean up some and I’ll clear out before you get back.”

  “First of all,” Jim’s brother said, “You are the little brother. And little brothers have a habit of getting in deep shit.”

  “Well, what can I say? Mom always liked you best.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  “Stop at an ATM and bring me some cash.”

  “I’ll pick you up first,” said Jim’s brother.

  “Negative.”

  “What’s the difference?”

  “Banks have cameras, dumbass. You said to keep a low profile, right?”

  “Yeah. You’re doing a good job of that, little brother. I’m on my way.”

  †

  “Augie?

  “Yeah?”

  “Whatcha doin’?”

  Augie chuckled at Colleen’s question. “Thinkin’.”

  “What about?” Colleen asked.

  “Buttercup.”

  “What about Buttercup?”

  “I was just thinking that the only reason you want me to come work for you is so you can keep an eye on her.”

  “Nope,” said Colleen. “She is all yours, and I wouldn’t have given her to you if I thought you wouldn’t take care of her.

  Augie hugged the stuffed horse to her chest and softly rubbed her chin back and forth against the felt saddle. “She smells like strawberries.”

  “Ah yes. There was a… an incident. The dog got hold of her. I wrestled that damn dog for like an hour, and when I finally got Buttercup away from him, she was covered in stinky dog slobber. Smelled awful. I put her in the dishwasher. Then she smelled like soap and dog slobber.”

  “Oh, that’s brilliant.”

  “That’s not the half of it,” said Colleen. I spread a whole tube of strawberry lip gloss all over her.”

  “Lip gloss… even more brilliant.”

  “Finally mom put her in the washer. I was so worried that I dragged a chair into the laundry room and waited for the washer to finish.”

  “Well, it must have worked, because I don’t smell dog slobber or soap. Just strawberries. I like it,” Augie said as she brought Buttercup to her nose and inhaled.”

  “Funny how things work out, isn’t it?”

  “I’ll bet you are used to having things work out for you, aren’t you?”

  “I wouldn’t exactly say that,” Colleen said as she turned and stared blankly out the picture window. “That was the day of the car accident.”

  “Oh shit,” Augie gasped. “That same day?”

  Colleen nodded and tears welled in her eyes. “Yes. I remember lying in the ambulance when they were checking me out because of all of the blood. My dad said that I was confused and kept pleading with everyone to find Buttercup. I thought I lost her forever and forgot about her when I found out my mom wouldn’t be coming back.”

  Augie didn’t know what to say. She opened her mouth, but no words would come out.

  “You know how all horses have forelocks, like bangs that come down over their forehead?”

  Augie looked down at Buttercup. She hadn’t noticed before, but her forelocks were missing. “Yes. I didn’t know what they were called, but I see Buttercup doesn’t have any.”

  “She used to. They kept me in the hospital overnight for observation, and the next morning the sheriff came to my room. He said he had a present that would help me feel better, but dad said I wouldn’t have anything to do with it. All I did was ball up in the fetal position and sob. The sheriff, Jeff is his name, gave the present to my dad, and Dad thanked him for stopping by. After he left, Dad sat on the edge of my bed. He stroked my hair and kept saying everything was going to be okay. He must have said it a hundred times, and the more he said it, the more I was sure that nothing was ever going to be okay again. I’ll never forget what I said to him.”

  Colleen stopped talking. Augie saw the flood of tears race down her cheeks. The silence in the room was deafening. Augie’s heart ached. She again opened her mouth, but words wouldn’t come. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. Colleen closed her eyes and slowly shook her head.

  “Colleen,” said Augie softly.

  Colleen opened her eyes. Augie was standing next to her bed with Buttercup held out in front of her.

  “I have a present for you,” said Augie.

  Colleen wiped her eyes and sniffled, but didn’t reach for Buttercup as Augie expected her to.

  “You wanna know what I said to my dad when he told me everything was going to be okay?”

  Augie placed Buttercup in the crook of Colleen’s arm sling and shook her head no.

  “I told him that I wished I was dead.”

  Augie grasped the bed rail and sobbed. “You said that? What did he… say… or do?”

  Colleen took a choppy breath and said, “He said that if I were dead, everyone he loved would be in Heaven and he would be here all alone. He hugged me so tight I could barely breathe. I felt… I knew… I never should have said that. He rocked me back and forth and I just cried and cried. I told him I was sorry for saying I wish I was dead. He pulled me onto his lap and tried to get me to open Jeff’s present.”

  “What… what was it?” Augie said with a hard swallow.

  “Dad said I still didn’t want to open the present, so he said we would open it together. He untied the bag and instantly I smelled strawberries.”

  “It was Buttercup!” Augie exclaimed.

  “That was the first and last time I ever saw my dad cry. We held each other, and poor Buttercup was crushed between us. I will never forget the smell of my dad’s cologne combined with strawberry lip gloss.”

  Augie leaned in and embraced Colleen carefully so as not to hurt her broken shoulder. Cheek-to-cheek, their tears mingled and fell to the blankets together.

  “I’m so sorry,” Augie whispered.

  “It’s okay,” Colleen said with a sniffle.

  Augie moved back, pressed her lips to Colleen’s forehead, and held them there.

  “It’s funny.”

  Augie straightened, met Colleen’s glassy eyes, and said, “What is?”

  “My dad kissed my forehead like you just did.”

  “Awww. I wish I had known him.”

  Colleen raised Buttercup to her face, wiped her tears away with her, and gave her back to Augie. She said, “You know, if you come live with me, you will come to know him. He really made the Triple C what it is, and every inch of that place breathes Harris Wilson.”

  “I can’t wait to see it.”

  “Does that mean you accept my offer? Is that a yes?”

  “That’s a yes,” Augie said.

  “Shake on it?” Colleen asked with a smile.

  “No… but I will hug on it,” Augie said, and then embraced Colleen again. “I won’t let you down, Colleen.”

  “I know you won’t, Augie. I know you won’t.”

  Augie suddenly stood up straight and said, “I almost forgot. What about Buttercup’s bangs?”

  “Oh. Right. Her forelocks. Well… I didn’t notice that they were gone until weeks later. I was combing her mane and tail and saw tha
t they were gone. I went into the den where my dad had spent most of his time in seclusion. He was reading something, and I always knew never to disturb him when he was reading, but he looked up and smiled at me. I must have had a weird look on my face, because he asked me if there was something wrong. I went to him and he pulled me to his lap and kissed me on the forehead. The forehead thing is funny, because he had never kissed me on the forehead before, but after the accident, it sort of became second nature. Anyway, I said that Buttercup’s forelocks were missing, and he made up something about how she must have gotten them caught on a barbed wire fence or something. I didn’t find out what happened to them until my father’s funeral, believe it or not.”

  “Ugh,” Augie sighed. “I don’t even know what to say, other than… what did you… how did you…”

  “I know. That’s a lot of death, isn’t it?”

  “I have never had someone close to me die, so I don’t know how to…”

  “One never knows how to get used to death,” said Colleen. “They say time heals all wounds, but they can kiss my ass.”

  Colleen smiled weakly and Augie smiled back.

  “Back to my story. So I’m at my dad’s funeral, standing next to the casket, and people were filing by and saying their condolences… you know how they do.”

  “Right.”

  “Well, it came time for the sheriff to come through the line.”

  “The same sheriff from…”

  “Yes. Jeff Lohr. Same sheriff. He’s been a family friend for years, and his wife is best friends with Joan. Anyway, he told me that my father wanted him to do something for him after he died. I was numb from trying to greet all of my dad’s zillions of friends, but Jeff caught my undivided attention. He handed me a little plastic baggie about the size of a postage stamp. I looked at it, totally confused. Couldn’t figure out what it was. It looked like hair with black stuff in it. He said that the night of the accident, he went to the impound yard where the wrecked van was and found my stuffed horse wedged between the seats. It was in one piece, but some of the hair was dirty and stuck together. Turns out it was my mother’s blood.”

  “Oh my God!”

  “He said he tried to get the blood out, but couldn’t, so he cut off Buttercup’s forelocks and kept them. He said my dad wanted him to hang on to them until his death, and that he wanted to be buried with them.”

  “Well I’ll be.”

  “What I find… weird about the situation is that when my mother died, I think my dad already knew he was dying, or that he would die before Jeff… the sheriff.”

  “Wow. So you buried the forelocks with your father?”

  “Yup.”

  “That’s… incredible.” Augie hugged the stuffed horse tighter and said, “When I die, I wanna be buried with Buttercup.”

  “Unless you pass her on to someone else who needs her more than you do, you mean?”

  “Oh right. I forgot about that. Maybe if I have a daughter someday,” Augie said as she returned to her bed.

  Colleen reclined her bed a bit and shifted her position. “I’m seepy,” she said.

  “I guess it’s about that time, isn’t it?” Augie said.

  “Yup. One more dose of the good stuff and I’ll be out until morning.”

  “You mean until they come in and take your vitals every hour? Can’t get any shut-eye around here, can we, pard?”

  “That’s right. We’ll get plenty of sleep when we’re dead… pilgrim.”

  “We have a lot to talk about tomorrow, don’t we?” asked Augie.

  “Shore ’nuff. Wake me up if you wanna talk about… stuff.”

  Augie settled in and pulled the covers under her chin. “Colleen?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thank you.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  “Seriously,” Augie said in a serious tone. “Thanks for giving me a chance… and a life for once.”

  “You’re welcome,” Colleen said with a yawn. “You’ll earn your keep on the Triple C, Augie. I can plum guarantee that, at least.”

  “Looking forward to it. Good night.”

  “Night night.”

  Room 258 settled quietly. The only noises left in the room were the low grind of the Morphine pump and the occasional rustle of sheets.

  CHAPTER 11

  Colleen shifted her weight from one hip to the other, and then back again. She tried to find a comfortable position for her bladder, but it was hopeless. She checked the time on her cell phone for the sixth time in as many minutes. “What time did Leah say she was coming in?” she whispered to herself. “I think she said seven. Or was it eight? Shit. I can’t wait until eight.”

  “What happens at eight?” Augie whispered.

  “Oh. You’re awake?”

  “Yeah. Been awake for a little bit. What time is it?”

  “A little before seven,” sighed Colleen. “What time did Leah say she was coming in?”

  “She usually pokes her head in about ten after seven.”

  “I can’t wait that long. I have to pee… bad!”

  “Hit the call bell thingy,” Augie offered.

  “I was going to, but I didn’t want to wake you.”

  “Oh. I thought you were just tossing and turning in your sleep until I heard you say something about not waiting until eight. I have been awake for a while.”

  “I have to pee so bad I can taste it,” Colleen said with a shiver.

  “Even if you hit the call bell, you might not get anyone for a while. You want me to help you?”

  Colleen weighed her options. Her bladder ached, and her thighs had cramps from holding her legs together. “Okay. I can go in the bedpan if you just get it under me. I can do the rest.”

  Augie slid out of bed and all but bounded the whole way to Colleen’s bedside.

  “Shit. You must be feeling better this morning,” Colleen said as she adjusted the head of her bed.

  “I’m a quick healer. Mainly my face hurts.”

  Augie made more small talk as she grabbed the bedpan and helped Colleen. She knew that the best way to avoid an uncomfortable situation this personal was to keep her “patient’s” mind off of the process itself.

  “You’re good at this!” Colleen said as she wriggled into position on the bedpan.

  “That’s something to add to my resume, huh?”

  “Nope. You’re already hired, remember?”

  Augie smiled and pretended to check Colleen’s IV tubes while she did her business. “The interview was tough, but I must have made an impression on the boss.”

  “I’ll bet the boss thinks you’re worth your weight in gold. Just sayin’.”

  “I think I would make a good nurse.”

  “Oh absolutely. I’m done now,” Colleen said in a girly tone.

  Augie played along and carefully slid the bedpan from beneath her patient. “You did good, young lady!”

  “Gee, thanks, Aunt Augie! I’m a big girl!”

  Augie smiled as she washed her hands. Colleen settled back in and pushed the pain button for more Morphine. “You know,” she said. “When I break out of this joint in a few days, I expect I will need all of the help I can get.”

  “Actually, I was gonna ask about the how’s and when’s and all of that as far as coming to the ranch and all.”

  “No better time than the present,” said Colleen.

  “I agree. I have spent the last couple of hours thinking about everything, and I’m actually kind of anxious to get started.”

  “Fantastic! Let’s get down to brass tacks, shall we? And before we begin, I just want to say a little something before we start the hagglin’. Is that cool?”

  “It’s cool. Say what’s on your mind.”

  “Good. Receptivity is good right off the bat. What I wanted to say is this: We are about to talk about business, and the logistics of it. Pride has no business in business, if you know what I mean.”

  “I do.”

  “Good! Also, if we are to
work through all of our messes together, we can’t have any secrets getting in the way. No dancin’ around the bushes, as my dad used to say.”

  “Funny you should say that,” said Augie. That’s one of the things I have been thinking about this morning. I have to believe you when you say you won’t judge me, so I am just gonna let it all hang out. All ten inches of it, as my husband says. Of course, he exaggerates like most men.”

  “Good one!” Colleen blurted. “I think we understand each other, then. The way I see it, you will need a few things right away. You will need money and transportation, am I right?”

  “You are.”

  Over the course of the hour that followed, Colleen and Augie mapped out a plan of action. Colleen’s flair for logistical details made Augie’s head spin. Augie would go to her apartment to gather what she needed for a week’s stay at the Triple C. This would give Colleen time to get out of the hospital and then they would figure out what to do with her apartment and furniture and anything else at that time. The spare room at the house would be hers, and she would have free run, just as if she were one of the family.

  Leah went in and out of the room while Colleen and Augie hashed out their plan. She made sure Colleen was comfortable and that her meds were flowing as they should. She asked them if they would rather she return in a while so they could have privacy, and they apologized profusely for being rude. They remarked that if she didn’t mind the chatter, she could do what she needed to do. Leah’s affection for her two patients glowed brighter than the California sunshine.

  Amidst their business meeting, breakfast of bacon, eggs, toast, and the obligatory Jell-O was served; complete with an extra side of bacon (which Colleen arranged because she knew Augie loved her bacon). Colleen was prepared for everything, including Augie’s need for money. She had three hundred dollars cash hidden in her purse for emergencies. They agreed that Augie would get a prepaid cell phone with text messaging so they could keep in constant contact.

  “You are good at this,” Augie said.

  “That, my friend, is what I am best at. Now… let me call my mother, and we’ll get you on your way.”

  Augie stopped gathering her things for a moment and looked at Colleen.