by Linda Bridey
“Well, it’s like this. Right now, I’m out of hibernation, which is what I call it whenever I can’t get out of bed and have no desire to do anything. I’m not pleasant to be around during hibernation. Right now, I’m very energetic and happy, which I call my rejuvenation period. Other people prefer the term ‘crazy’. Either works just fine,” Switch said.
“Oh. I see,” Hope said.
Switch smiled. “I see that you don’t. Not really, but if you’re around long enough, you will.”
“You seem very accepting of all of this,” Hope said as the song ended and they went back to her table.
“I have to be. There’s nothing else to do about it. May I have another dance again later on?” he asked.
Hope thought he was cute and seemed very nice. “Yes, you may.”
He bent gracefully over her hand and briefly kissed the back of it. “Thank you, Miss Hope.”
Then he turned and walked away. Hope smiled as Mike came back to their table. “Do you know him?”
Mike smiled. “Yeah. Switch is a little eccentric, but he’s a good guy.”
“He says his brain doesn’t work right and they don’t know what’s wrong with it,” Hope said.
“He told you that? Wow. Well, he’s right. He goes through periods of what’s commonly referred to as ‘melancholy’ or depression. Then other times he has periods of mania. He doesn’t sleep, he’s hyper, doesn’t concentrate well, and changes subjects on a dime. That’s why he’s called ‘Switch’. If you think Abby’s hard to follow, well, he’s worse. Especially when he starts combining two different subjects into the same sentence,” Mike said.
“That’s a shame. He seems so nice,” Hope said.
“He is nice. His parents are awful, though. He spent a lot of years at boarding school because they were embarrassed by him,” Mike told her as he took a drink.
“That’s terrible.”
“I know. I feel bad for him. I know he’d like to get married, but that’s gonna be hard for him to do because of his illness. It’s the only reason he doesn’t want to have kids. He’s afraid they’ll turn out like him. I’ve tried to talk to him about it, but he’s adamant,” Mike said. “The thing is, he might be right. I guess he’s got some family members on either side that have mental issues.”
Hope felt sympathy for Switch as she looked over to where he sat with Will and Rachel. She decided that she would definitely dance with him again.
*****
Will nudged Switch’s arm and said, “I think your dance partner is waiting to dance with you again.”
Switch casually glanced around and saw that Hope was indeed looking at him. He turned back to Will and Rachel and said, “Who can blame her? I’m handsome, fun, and rich. A lethal combination.”
Rachel laughed. “You sure are full of yourself.”
Will said, “He’s full of something all right.”
Switch grinned. “Do I hear a note of jealousy in your voice?”
“No,” Will said.
“Not even because I’m rich?” Switch asked.
“You’re not rich, your parents are rich,” Will corrected him.
“Touché, Willie.”
“Stop calling me that,” Will said.
The band took a break and Joe came over to their table.
“How are y’all?” he asked.
“Good, Joe. You guys sound great tonight, but that’s no surprise,” Will said.
“Why, thank you. We aim to please,” Joe said. He put a hand on Switch’s shoulder. “How would you like to do one of your soliloquies?”
Switch asked, “What? Here? Now?”
“Yes, sir. Here and now.”
“Uh, well, it’s kind of short notice. I haven’t been on a stage in a long time, Joe, and I haven’t rehearsed,” Switch said.
“Rehearse? You’ve been rehearsing every day this week at the shop and in front of people, too.”
Switch said, “There’s a lot more people here, Joe.”
“C’mon, Switch. Just one. I want Lacey to hear you,” Joe coaxed.
“These people won’t like Shakespeare, Joe,” Switch protested.
“How do you know? They like it when Rebecca plays her music. Just give it a try. Just one soliloquy,” Joe said.
Will said, “C’mon, Switch. You know that stuff backward and forward. We’ll come sit right down front so you can see us.”
“Ok. What the hell. I’ll do it,” Switch said.
“Hot damn! I’ll go introduce you, son,” Joe said and hurried away before Switch could change his mind.
Will and Rachel moved down front as Joe took the stage.
“Hey! Quiet, everyone!” he yelled and pounded on the upright piano. Once people stopped talking, Joe said, “Folks, we have a treat for you tonight. We’re gonna add a little culture to the evening. We have in our midst, a gentleman who is quite the thespian. I’d like you to welcome Justin Keller, better known as Switch, to the stage to entertain us.” Joe started clapping and the audience followed him as Switch came up on the stage with him.
Joe could see that Switch was scared. “Son, just pretend you’re in Will’s workshop, up on that table of yours, performing for Will. He’s counting on you to help him with his work, ok? You just put that in your mind and you’ll be fine.”
Switch smiled and nodded. Joe gave him a pat on the shoulder and went to sit with Lacey. Switch thought about what he wanted to perform and as he saw Hope, he settled on Romeo’s Monologue from Romeo and Juliet. He did what Joe said. Closing his eyes, he envisioned the workshop and Will and Hawk working. He took a couple of deep breaths and opened his eyes.
“But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun!
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief,” he began.
After he’d spoken the opening lines, Switch settled down and lost himself to the performance. He was right about most of the people present not knowing Shakespeare, but they were interested in what was happening because it had never been done at the Watering Hole before. And almost anything Switch did was worth watching, if only for the sheer enjoyment of watching him do outrageous things.
But this was different. There was nothing funny about Switch at the moment. He needed no props, no stage scenery, nor any costume to make them feel what was happening in the monologue. The romance the lines contained was conveyed to them by his rich voice that carried well. They might not completely understand the wording, but they felt Romeo’s yearning and admiration for Juliet.
When he reached the end of the soliloquy, Joe expected him to quit, but he surprised Joe by going on to do another. When he was through with that one, he stopped and the audience clapped and whistled. He held up an index finger to the crowd, indicating that he wasn’t done. He ran off the stage, plucked Joe’s hat right off his head, and ran back up on stage. Joe’s suit jacket hung on the chair Seth sat on to play fiddle. Switch put it on and walked toward the edge of the stage.
“What the hell’s he doin’ now?” Joe asked.
Lacey laughed. “You may regret getting him up there.”
Joe smiled. “Naw. Whatever he’s gonna do is worth hearing him do Shakespeare.”
Switch walked back and forth a couple of times and then said, “Hey, Ferret Boy!” in an exact imitation of Joe. “Where are you with that rat? I hate that thing.”
The audience began laughing.
Switch “switched”. “I’m right here, Joseph.” More laughter broke out because they recognized Rick Westlake’s calm, slightly sarcastic way of speaking.
Switch. “Is that rat in your pocket?”
Switch. “Yeah, but I keep telling you I won’t let him out, you big chicken.”
Switch. “I am not a chicken. Just because I don’t like that … thing, doesn’t make me a chicken. Right, Randy?”
Switch turned so it appeared that he faced Joe. “Well, sir,” he said in Randall’s cultured British tone, �
�you do seem to be extraordinarily afraid of a small animal that even young children play with on a regular basis.”
Joe sat forward and put his head in his hands as he laughed. Laughter swelled inside the barroom.
Switch. “Whose side are you on, Randy? You’ve been around him too long.” Switch jabbed a thumb to his right as though indicating where “Rick” stood.
Switch. “You shouldn’t insult me, Tex. You might irritate me and you know what happens when I’m feeling irritated.”
Switch. “You better not get that thing out here or I’ll shoot it. If I’m not afraid to shoot one of my previous bouncers, I’m sure as hell not afraid to shoot that rat!”
Switch. “Sir, perhaps it would be a good idea not to anger the Indian agent,” said “Randall”.
Switch. “I’m not afraid of him, Randy. It’s only the thing in his pocket that scares me. I’m not afraid of anyone who dances as bad as he does. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s a wonder he’s able to walk if his balance and coordination is that bad.”
Switch. “Hey, Tex,” ‘Rick’ said.
Switch. “What?”
The performer put two fingers in his mouth and let out a loud whistle that was so convincing that Curtis jumped out of Rick’s coat before Rick could catch him. The ferret streaked across the floor to the stage and Switch took off running for the bar area, with Curtis in hot pursuit.
Whistling and stomping erupted along with loud laughter, much of it at Joe’s expense. Switch jogged back into the barroom, returned Curtis to Rick, and then came over to Joe to give him his hat and jacket. Joe took them, but he was still laughing too hard to speak. He motioned for Switch to sit down.
Switch did, and crossed his legs elegantly, the way Randall did. “Sir?”
“Stop! I can’t breathe, Switch,” Joe protested.
Lacey was red in the face and tears stood out in her eyes. “Switch, you sound just like him,” she said as she patted Joe’s shoulder.
Joe straightened up and was able to finally talk. “How do you do that? I could see the whole thing in my mind. You came up with that as you went along, didn’t you?”
“Yes, sir. I believe it’s called improvisation,” Switch said, as he pretended to brush something from the leg of his pants.
Joe laughed and said, “Honey, he’s got to come do that for Randy. I wanna see what he says.”
“Yes!” Lacey agreed. “You have to, Switch.”
“Gladly. We shall make the arrangements at a later date, sir. There is a fair maiden with whom I wish to speak at the moment,” Switch said.
“All right. Thanks for doing that. It was great,” Joe said.
Switch broke character then and grinned. “It was a lot of fun. I’m glad you’re not mad because I was picking on you.”
“Are you kiddin’ me? I laughed as hard as anyone else. I don’t take myself all that seriously,” Joe said.
“Well, Tex, neither do the rest of us,” Switch said with a grin before he left their table.
Lacey burst out laughing while Joe scowled at Switch as he walked away.
Chapter Nineteen
A sudden blizzard hit Dawson a few days before Christmas. This was something that most of the people were prepared for, but the deputies and a few others, including the town doctors checked on the sick and elderly to make sure they had food and adequate heating. Despite the horrible weather, Hawk came into work that day. Will told him that he didn’t have to stay if he didn’t want to, since it might be dangerous going to the camp later in the day.
Hawk said, “I would rather be here than stuck in our tipi with my mother.”
Will asked, “Why don’t you two get along?”
With a sigh, Hawk said, “I love her, but she keeps trying to tell me what to do, and I’m a grown man now. If things were like they were before we had to go to the reservation, I would be going on hunting trips and doing all of the things braves do. But now…” he trailed off and shrugged. “None of that matters.”
Will replied, “It must be hard to see your whole way of life change so suddenly. I’m sorry, Hawk.”
“It is. I know you don’t understand, but I will never have the chance to do the things my father, grandfather, and all of my ancestors did. The things that made them men. There are certain rites of passage for men, and I don’t know how to accomplish them now. I do not even know how I’ll become eligible for marriage.”
Will was puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“Before a man can marry, he must count enough coup to prove his worthiness, his ability to provide for and protect a wife and children.”
“Oh, yeah. That’s right,” Will said. “I remember now. You steal ponies and collect scalps and such.”
“Yes. There is no way for us to do this now,” Hawk said.
This was the longest conversation Will had ever had with Hawk.
“I’m sure Black Fox will figure out something. He’s a very wise man.”
Hawk smiled. “Yes, he is. If anyone can, it’s him.”
Will smiled back and Hawk began working. Both of them were startled when the workshop door opened and Switch entered, accompanied by a powerful gust of snow-laden wind.
“What are you doing here?” Will asked.
Switch began removing his heavy wool coat and hat. “Good morning to you, too. Why wouldn’t I be here?”
“In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in the middle of a blizzard,” Will said.
“Oh, that? A little snow doesn’t bother me. Hey, speaking of bothering me, my mother has issued me an ultimatum. They’re annoying, aren’t they? Both mothers and ultimatums? Except yours, Will. I love your ma. She’s great. You know what else is great? How warm it is in here. Speaking of warm, this new coat I got for winter is very warm. That’s how come I didn’t mind the walk here—“
“Switch! Stop! I can’t keep up with you,” Will complained. “Back up a minute. What’s this ultimatum your ma gave you?”
“Oh. I have to decide on a profession. Can you believe that? First of all, who’s gonna hire someone like me? What if it’s profession that requires college, like a doctor or something like that? Besides, even if I did make it through medical school, which would be impossible, who would want me treating them? I mean, would you? Be honest,” Switch said.
“If you made it through medical school, sure, I’d let you treat me. You’re not stupid, Switch, you just have … problems. Of course, you couldn’t treat people when you’re in hibernation, so being a doctor wouldn’t be a good career choice for you. And your short attention span might interfere, too. Yeah, being a doctor is not the right career for you,” Will replied.
Switch hung up his coat and hat and said, “That’s the problem. I think she thinks I’m just trying to avoid working by acting the way I do. However, you and I both know that I’m not. She pulls this every once in a while. So, I have two weeks to decide or she’s gonna cut me off and kick me out. Can you believe that? If I could have worked before now, I would have. I would have liked to have gone to college for something. What am I going to do?”
Will watched Switch sit down in his chair and begin rocking in an agitated manner. “What does your father say?”
Switch snorted. “He’s not going to stand up to her. The problem is that it’s really her who holds the purse strings, and I think she really means business this time. So, in two weeks, I’ll be looking for a place to live. I’ve been squirreling away money for a while now, so I’ll have money to live on for some time, but it’ll run out eventually.”
“Not to be personal, Switch, but how much money are we talking here?” Will asked.
Switch reached into a pants pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. “When I checked this morning, I now have $45,134 and some odd change.”
Will was so shocked that he almost cut himself with the handsaw he’d been about to use. “How do you have that much money?”
“Well, I don’t have to pay for food, lodging, clothes, or anything really. W
herever I go, they just put it on my family’s account and Pa pays the bill. So, I’ve hardly used my monthly allowance in several years. It’s not in the bank, though. I didn’t want an account because I was afraid that if she ever did really cut me off, she’d try to take that from me,” Switch said.
“She can’t do that, can she?” Will asked.
“Well, seeing’s as how Pa sits on the bank board of trustees, I’m sure she’d figure out a way to do it,” Switch said.
“Where is all this money? At your place? Is it all in cash?” Will said. This made him very uneasy.
“It was, but I moved it. It’s in very safe and capable hands now,” Switch said. “I’m going to start investing some of it so it’ll earn me even more money. That’s the only way I’m going to survive the rest of my life, so I figure that’s the best thing to do with it. Speaking of investing, I’d like to invest in the shop.”
Will laughed. “Ok, Switch. How much do you want to invest?”
“You think I’m kidding, don’t you? I’m not. I’ll bet five thousand would buy you some fancy equipment and whatever,” Switch said as he flipped upside down.
Hawk’s eyes got big as he looked at Will to see what his boss’ reaction would be. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that Switch had over forty-five thousand dollars at his disposal.
Will stopped sawing. “You want to invest five thousand dollars in my business? Why?”
“Because, look how well things are going for you already! It’s only gonna get better, Will. You’ve got too much work now and that’s even with Hawk and Rachel’s help. I’d help you, but I’m not good with sharp objects. Or guns. Or weapons of any kind really. Wait, I could probably use a club. Hmm. Maybe not. Speaking of knots—“
“Switch! Hold up. Back to this money. Are you really serious?”
Switch returned to a normal sitting position. “Yeah. Whoa. Dizzy.” He shook his head.
Hawk laughed. “I don’t know how you sit upside down for so long.”
“It’s one of my many talents,” Switch said with a grin. “Speaking of talents—”
Will yelled, “No! Back to the money!”