The Collector - 7 parts with 7 thoughts

Vin:

Vin sat quietly up on Potter’s store, the roof giving him a good view of both ends of town as well as the surrounding area. He saw in the distance the hint of the waking sun’s light as a glow began. Shaking his head as the images once again appeared in his mind from the dreams that had kept him up for most the night. He stared up at the sta’s that still could slightly be seen. One of the dreams in particular confused him as much as it touched his heart.

He had taken Nettie’s chair to her at the hotel. When he knocked on her door and it opened, it was his ma who stood there instead, smiling at him. It had been so long since he had seen her face so clearly or felt her smile all the way to his soul. Rubbing his hand on his chest over his heart, Vin looked out seeing the light’s glow reaching the sky.

Watching the sunrise after a night of remembered dreams,

Emotions all twisted up filling the heart it seems.

Two so alike yet as different as night and day,

One old, one young, one here, one gone for so long away.

Both with Spirit never giving up or in to the fight,

Always standing strong for right, for justice in sight.

One loving completely, unconditionally as a mother’s heart giving,

One offering compassion from a life time of living.

So alike that never to let down or disgrace,

The older version standing now before you face to face.

But it’s forever her last words in his fate it was done,

‘Always remember you’re a Tanner, son’

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Ezra:

Riding back to town, Ezra glanced over at Vin. He couldn’t help the small grin that grew across his lips. Ezra would have never guessed that Vin would have thought up something as devious as getting the money back from Guy Royal by using his own words of a ‘gift’ for the ranchers. What really surprised him was how fast he thought it up. 'From the time Mary showed up till he got my money to give to Miss Wells.' Shaking his head, he looked ahead, but wasn’t really seeing anything as he thought. “They would all probably fall off their horses if they knew I never expected to see the interest of my lent money. It was fun saying it to Vin to see his response, but I never would make a real issue of it. He knows me best of all of them I think, and probably knew I wanted to help. But appearances are everything I have that ingrained in my mind. He just found a way to make it look good for me. And what amazes me is he was able to come up with a plan and hide what I wanted to do so quickly. And now I have an excuse to always offer my help to Vin for his endeavors or to protect him. I can always just claim I’m protecting my investment on the interest.”

I watch him as his mind works fascinated as it produces a way,

In which the goal can be archived in the most unique way to say.

Better than I ever thought, could I work with someone as we can,

Minds thinking alike when together you and I we stand.

He is my friend I can say it in my mind,

But never aloud for I’m not the kind.

So in the ruse I know he sees for what it is yet lets alone,

I watch over him with the illusion of investment I condone.

None the wiser except him knowing the offer in a hat’s tip,

Is the same that he holds out to me - trusted friendship.

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Nathan:

Leaning on the railing of his balcony, Nathan had a good view of the street in front of the hotel. He watched as Josiah continued pacing out in the street, occasionally looking up to the performer’s window. Nathan toke a sip of his coffee as he kept his eyes on his friend. He watched as Josiah stopped again, but this time staring suddenly with a smile appearing on his face. Nathan figured Emma must have just looked out the window. Frowning while he watched, Josiah finally left the street, Nathan’s thoughts flashed over all he had seen so far of Emma Dubonnet since she had showed up. And from what he had seen of her, he was worried. He had seen ladies like her before back when he was an army stretcher bearer, helping the wounded in the war. They would come to the camp to entertain when ever they were close to a large town. And after the shows some of them would go off with the highest ranking officers. Shaking his head he hoped and said a prayer that Josiah’s Emma wasn’t like that. But Nathan didn’t lie to himself, he had a feeling this was going to end badly for his friend.

I watch my friend and my heart a little bleeds as it goes out to him,

Hoping for his happiness worried the light in his eyes will go dim.

I see the blindness that covers his sight of refound love,

Carrying him away who they once were on wings of a dove.

I fear unseeing them in the here and now who they are,

Will break what’s left of his heart by far.

All I can do is wait and watch praying all will be right,

But be prepared to stand by him if the worst comes to sight.

He’s my friend, close as a brother I’ve ever had I care for,

What touches and hurts him touches and hurt me to the core.

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Buck:

Watching her, watching him as his eyes grew big at the sight of her in the dress. “I just couldn’t stop the grin I now feel on my face as I escort Casey down the boardwalk toward the goal, ‘JD’.” Buck thought about the first time a girl both infuriated and intrigued him. Seeing the look on JD’s face now reminded him of himself when he had seen Allison Collins come into his mother’s saloon for the first time. She wasn’t a working girl like his mom, but instead did the cleaning early in the morning while the saloon was closed. Like Casey, he had tried everything to get her attention, and like JD, he got aggravated by the way she talked and acted. Thinking to himself as he let Casey go, to walk the rest of the way without him to JD. “Ahh young love, what a ride they’re in for.” Just then Buck watched as Casey stumbled on her skirt, ripping it off leaving her in her bloomers. Though he felt the laughter inside, he kept it there as he saw both their faces and then Casey smacking him as she ran by. “Yep, what a ride they’re in for.”

Young love so shiny, confusing and new,

A step taken growing up by more than a few.

One minute giddy the next arguing then back to happy once again,

Its path a bumpy course never straight always going around a bend.

A warm welcoming smile so bright burning like a flame,

Returned fully by the heart that feels the same.

Eyes a light with desire of wanting to be with the one,

For without them your world would surly be so dim.

A ride like no other taken by more than a few,

Young love so shiny, confusing and new.

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JD:

JD walked down the street toward where Chris and Buck were sitting outside the saloon. He tried to get his thoughts in order. He couldn’t understand with everything going on with Guy Royal and Top Hat Bob, why his thoughts kept drifting back to that girl who was more of a tomboy. Just as he thought that last bit, his mind’s eye flashed on how she had looked coming down the boardwalk in that dress. How pretty she had looked and when she smiled at him just before climbing the steps, his heart jumped again as it had done at that same moment. Then she had tripped over her skirt and once again she was the tomboy but yet wasn’t the same. JD shook his head once again trying to clear it. He heard Buck making those moo sounds like he had done with Josiah. Wishing he would stop doing it, it wasn’t like he was in love. Again the picture of her in the dress smiling at him appeared in his mind, stopping him in his tracks….

I stand before two sides of a coin shown,

Both equal in size and shape but difference is known.

One side always challenging, always arguing always wanting to race,

The other side sweet and beautiful whose smile lights up her entire face.

Mesmerizing both each in their own way,

One stopping the heart, aggravating the blood in a second of a day.

Unsure which though truly intrigues me,

When both reaches out as I see.

I stand before two sides of a coin shown,

Enjoying all the differences as they go on and are known.

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Chris:

Chris sitting at the table picked up his whiskey and took a drink, while he poked through his old memories and tried to place where he might know the man from. He said the clue was rail splitting. Chris thought, staring out at the street, he wasn’t seeing anything there as his sight was turned inward to a time that was so long ago that it almost seemed foreign to him. In his mind’s eye he could see the young full of life and spirit signing up for the contest as he laughed with friends. He could see the same young man swing the sledge hammer onto the spike, splitting the wooden rail more and more until he had won. He could see the fight happening all over again finally and how it had turned into a brawl. And then one hard punch had sent Bob falling backwards, hitting the standing spike with the side of his face, causing him to lose his eye. Chris shook his head, now remembering where they knew each other from and at the man for what he lost was his own fault by his own ego.

Older now that years gone by sitting and pondering on a youth,

Remembering how full of piss and vinegar with a happy laughing sigh.

Joining in with friends on any fun and games promised for the day,

Not thinking of what could happen only pushing all the way.

Without reason, without warning, one’s temper flares,

And laughter changes to blood turning hot as a dare.

With in a blink of an eye a joyous time to bad,

The price of one’s anger its cost high, also sad.

For now he reaches out for revenge to take,

From a lost memory of a boy that’s now a man in his wake.

Acknowledgement is there of whom he was and where they met,

Now it’s time to call an end his viral threat.

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Josiah:

I can see in Nathan’s eyes that he really doesn’t understand what I mean. When I said that she wasn’t Emma Dubonnet, this was Emma Dubonnet, in the picture I showed him. The Emma I knew that I loved with all my heart and asked to marry me is the innocent girl in the picture I hold. The worldly woman here now, in this town, that last night stood there is a stranger I’ve never met before. The young lady I knew her soul was kind, sweet and will always live in my heart and memories as such. I know he is worried that I’m hiding my pain, but really I’m not. I don’t feel anything for she wasn’t my Emma. She is nothing but a performer that goes to the highest bidder. And her I feel sorry for her, for she’ll never know how true love feels.

So long ago like a fairy tale told,

When young, I approached my heart’s princess so bold.

She was sweet an innocent the delight of my night and day,

For her she had my heart anything I would do or say.

But destiny has its own plan and lost we became to each other,

As the paths we traveled lead us away further.

Time slipped by turning to years and a decade or two,

Never though did I forget her picture; I’d look and remember, I’d do.

She appeared suddenly our paths crossing or so I thought,

But an impostor I found when their true colors were caught.

And now here I stand my eyes look forward staying cast,

While my mind flashes on the scenes of the past.

Remembering that, that will always truly be,

The love of my life, lost with my heart’s key.

The End