Family Ties Part 19
Family Ties
Part 19:
The trip back to town was interesting for Ezra, after the terrorizing experience with his mortality it seemed the peacekeepers took great pleasure in making their prisoners as uncomfortable as possible. He was placing bets silently in his head over how long it would take one of the men to foul themselves. In the end he considered the tidy profit he could have had when two of the three prisoners had wet themselves, if only he had someone to have placed those bets with. He was still nervous around the man called Red; he just had something wrong with him. Chris was a great buffer though. Whenever the malicious man looked towards him with that evil glint, his brother would get this deep guttural sound and death glare that would put him back in line. Ezra tried to keep the other men between him and the prisoners, a feat that was easily done with the others making sure they were buffering the men from getting anywhere near him.
As they rode along Ezra threw glances towards his brother’s back. His head lowered as he remembered the long talk they had last night. He knew he was a disappointment to his brother, but he couldn’t help feeling that he had been treated unfairly. Maude was his mother and a son had the right to avenge his mother’s murder. Of course he reluctantly agreed that perhaps he shouldn’t have gone it alone, but since he was banned from going along he had no choice but to set on his course. Chris sure wasn’t pleased with that response. It was surprising though that he still wasn’t beaten. He wasn’t sure though if he didn’t prefer the physical punishment over this new feeling of remorse and guilt. When he was beaten it was over and he was being ignored again. However with Chris he seemed to be reflecting on his behavior for long periods of time. He wondered if Chris was just waiting until they returned to town to inflict a beating on him or worse he was going to be sent away for being so much trouble. With that depressing though he hung his head low and his shoulders drooped with his growing depression.
“Why the long face Pard?”
Ezra sucked in a breath as the voice startled him from his inner thoughts. He hadn’t even noticed Buck ride up beside him, and he had to wonder how long the tall cowboy had ridden beside him. He sure wasn’t going to voice his worries over being sent away. “Just wondering how much longer we will be ridding in this dreadful locale.”
Buck had to smile as the boy tried to side step what was bothering him. “Uh huh Ezra, something’s got your knickers in a twist boy, so out with it.”
“Mr. Buck, you’ve known my brother for a long time right?”
“Known your brother since I was ‘bout your age. We grew up together, watched him get married and was an uncle to that little boy of his. So yeah suppose you could say I known him a long time. Why?”
“What about relatives? Do you know of any aunts or uncles or even cousins?”
“Got himself a few uncles, though I don’t recall where their living.”
“Oh. Did you ever meet any of them?”
“Sure met his Uncle David once, man was built like a bear, acted like one too. Last I remember he was running some farm land. Hard work farming is.”
Farming, okay I can do that. I worked on Uncle Matt’s farm for a summer. The first weeks were rough working on Uncle Matt’s farm when he couldn’t do anything right, but soon he learned by self preservation how to do farm work. Mother of course was livid with him for the damage he had done to his hands and told him he was useless to her in his current state. He found himself shipped off to another distant family member. Ezra glanced down at his hands noting that he again had started to put calluses upon them, Mother would not be pleased. Thinking about Maude had him feeling even more depressed, he would never be able to join her on any more cons. He didn’t really even care about the con; he just wanted to spend time with his mother.
“Ezra? You alright boy?”
“Sorry Mr. Buck, I’m afraid I was wool-gathering. “
“So you going to tell ol Buck what’s really bugging you?”
“Do you think Uncle David will like me?”
“I’m sure he would, but it’s been near on ten years since we last heard from him, so you may be full grown by the time you meet the man.”
“Oh.” So maybe he wouldn’t be going to that uncle, but there was at least one more. “What about the other uncle?”
“That would be Tomas, he was a likeable fella, but sure was strict. I guess being the oldest of three brothers gave him too much responsibility in his youth. Chris was usually pretty quiet when he came back from visiting that man. Saw him a few years ago, if anything the man is even craggier than I remembered him.”
Ezra sighed, he sounded like the many uncles he had stayed with before. He was sure that was where Chris would be sending him once they got back to town. He didn’t even bother to ask if this uncle would like him, just hearing the description left him with the knowledge that he would not be received well.
“Buck?”
Buck had to smile when Ezra dropped the mister from his name. Finally, he thought, now the boy will tell me what’s got him so bothered.
“Yes Ezra.”
“When do you think Chris will be sending me to live with my uncle?”
Chris had been listening to the quiet conversation behind him. He knew Buck would be able to get the boy to open up more about what was bothering him. He found himself reminiscing about the times he spent with his uncles. He shared a knowing smile with the tracker when they heard mister dropped from Buck’s name. Slowly they were getting through that wall Ezra had erected around himself. However his good feelings stopped when he heard the next sentence out of the boy’s mouth. He pulled his horse to a stop and turned towards his little brother.
“Where did you get the notion I was sending you to your uncle?”
Ezra dropped his head; maybe he was going to an orphanage. It wouldn’t be the first time he found himself dropped off at a group home. “Sorry Mr. Chris.”
Oh for the..we’re back to the misters. Damn it! “Don’t start back up with that mistering kid, tell me what you’re thinking.”
“You said I was a disappointment to you.”
“No Ezra, I said I was disappointed in you.”
“That’s what I said.”
“There’s a big difference between the two Ezra. You could never be a disappointment to me; but you did some things that made me very disappointed in you. You’re behavior and actions are what have me so upset. I would never send you to live with someone else.”
With a smile growing on his face his eyes brightened as he addressed his brother. “So I get to stay with you? You’re not sending me to an orphanage?”
“No Ezra I’m afraid you’re stuck with me for the long haul.”
Chris was answered by the biggest grin he had ever seen on his little brother. He turned his horse back around as they continued on their way to Four Corners.
“Oh, and Ezra.” Chris started with a smirk.
“Yes Chris.”
“This doesn’t mean you’re getting out of any extra chores.”
Laughter grew from the fellow men upon hearing that and only increased in volume as the little boy stuck his tongue out at his brother’s back.