Story Grace, Mercy and Blessings

Griz3752

Griz3752

Retired, practising Curmudgeon
juco said:
Ooo, I can’t wait to see how this plays out. lol
Thank you, dear lady!
Click to expand...
There will be gunfire
OR
A sudden realisation by both parties.

Either way, I'd expect some sort of conflagration which will a) weld them together or b) destroy them both so Mark will have some sort of ritual to perform, grave side or nuptial.

Only time & Pac will tell so I'm going to sit over here and await enlightenment. Either way, I think it'll be interesting .....:popcorn1:

G.
 
P

PacNorWest

Veteran Member
#231

"Grandpa, that lady says she's gonna shoot that guy." This time it was Luke that was designated information bearer. Mark jerked his head up from the stew he was stirring, and sputtered. "the ones at the end of the train?"

Three heads nodded up and down, and Luke pointed towards Dory's wagon where shouting voices were leaving nothing to the imagination, of who was involved.

"Thank you boys for telling us," Clora intervened, "I want you boys to stay here," she sternly issued her warning. Three little boys stayed, but turned so they could see what was happening.

"Thanks Ma," Tess went hurrying past, she was patting her pocket to make sure her gun was safely there, and hot on the heels of Mark.

"I'm telling you, if you step a foot closer, I'm going to shoot that foot. Get it through that thick, Neanderthal skull of yours that I'm not going to allow you to come intimidate me. I've asked you nicely to stop, now I'm telling you." Dory was flat out menacing, but she held her gun steady and her eyes never left Gary's face.

Gary, for one, was furiously mad. Number two, he wasn't listening. Number three, he wasn't above using his size to bully that outrageously inept woman that thought she was going to scare him with that little pea shooter she was aiming at him.

The first thing that registered in his blood red rage, was the stinging feeling in his foot. "You shot me," he stammered, finally stopping his forward movement.

"I will shoot you again if you don't stop when I tell you to." Dory carefully enunciated. "I don't know what your problem is, you come into my camp bellowing your head off like some mentally unbalanced jerk. I don't permit that. Now, you leave and tell Mark what your problem is. Don't come back into my space unless you can act like a gentleman."

Gary was standing there with an astonished look on his face, his mouth gaping open and then closed. He looked at his boot with several small holes in the top of the instep.

"Snake load," Dory said succinctly, "but the next one isn't, it's a hollow point, so if you want to test my accuracy, take another step toward me."

The whole camp was silent, waiting for Gary's decision. A decision none of them could accurately predict for the unusual man who didn't follow any sort of rules.

Honey was close to her wagon door, listening to the back and forth. To her mind, Gary was getting everything he deserved, and she hoped Dory was the woman to straighten that hulking jerk out.
Honey hadn't forgotten Gary's treatment of Janie, and she smiled to think he was getting a bit of his own medicine.

Mark was talking to Gary, telling him to back away and come let Clora look at his foot. It tool several times, repeating his order to Gary before the large man complied.

The whole camp gave a sigh of relief.

"Damm that woman," Gary heartfully expressed his feelings, as Clora eased his sock off his foot. The leather top of the boot had muted the force of the scattered shot, and the BB's had barely broke the skin.

"I thought you had already had one run in with Dory," Tess poked her opinion at the dumb brother.

"You're not very nice," Gary flung at her. "I don't recall asking for your opinion on the matter."

"You didn't ask," Tess grinned a half smile, "but it's about time somebody got your attention, and I'm assuming your attention has been got?"
 
Griz3752

Griz3752

Retired, practising Curmudgeon
sssarawolf said:
Big thank you, I wasn't going to read it tonight but save it for morning. You see how well that worked lol.
Click to expand...
Yeah it's like that last fudge brownie in the fridge @ 0darkthirty; you know it's going to be great and ..... gone!
I've had those good intentions too; same outcome but, we can always rely on Mrs Pac :flngl: to put more treats out.
G.
 
Last edited:
R

ReneeT

Veteran Member
Those boys - men if you insist (and I'm including Mark) - need to examine their chauvinism. The way Dory stepped up when they were under attack should have given at least one or two of them a clue that the lady has some skills. Where did she get 'em, I wonder...
 
P

PacNorWest

Veteran Member
#232

Dory ambled over to have a look at Gary's foot. "Huh." was all she said and walked away.

"Dory," Mark called out. "May I have a moment of your time please?"

Tess snickered, hoping her dad didn't hear her enjoyment. Maybe it had to do with the fact that Dory still had her gun in hand, but for the first time, Mark actually asked, rather than issuing a command.

Dory agreed by stopping and Mark walked up to her. "I believe we will move your position in the lineup tomorrow."

Dory looked him seriously, "thank you, I would appreciate the move. I feel that man is mentally unbalanced, so I will say, that rather than have him intimidate someone else, I would be willing to stay where I am. I believe he understands now that I mean what I say, and I have the ability to back up my boundaries."

Mark had a sour look. "I hate to say you might be accurate in your estimation. Now I'm not making excuses for him, but Gary has always been our son that was out of step."

"Out of step or not, he has no manners and a short memory. We've already had one set too, and Gary obviously doesn't remember that I told him to stay away from me; if he bothered to think, and I don't think he does, he's a bad manager of his mind."

Dory had no compulsion to lower her voice, and Gary clearly heard every word. Gary stared at his foot in fascination, watching Clora clean and use her knife to pry the BB's out from under his skin.

When Dory and Mark moved down the line up to where Toby and Milo were standing; Clora looked at Gary and said calmly, "she's right you know."

"Yeah, I suppose. It's just that she make me so mad I can't see straight."

"Why do you think that might be?" Clora asked and had to shoo Luke out from under her nose, he was interested to understand what was happening with the foot in Grandma's lap.

"Hanged if I know, she hates the air I breathe, and I sure feel the same about her."

"Such strong emotions usually have a reason," Clora finished prying out the last piece of shot and rubbed her finger over the man's foot, feeling for any bumps she might have missed.
 
Texican

Texican

Live Free & Die Free.... God Freedom Country....
"Hanged if I know, she hates the air I breathe, and I sure feel the same about her."

"Such strong emotions usually have a reason," Clora finished prying out the last piece of shot and rubbed her finger over the man's foot, feeling for any bumps she might have missed.

Yep,

Clora has it nailed down. Now the challenge is to get the two of them to realize it.

Thanks Pac for the story.

Texican....
 
P

PacNorWest

Veteran Member
#233

"You missed sweeping back behind the couch." Pricilla lectured Reva. "This place needs to be kept clean for our guests."

"All right," Reva said with deceptive calm, 'do you want me to do that before I hang out the next load of sheets, or wait until I have started peeling the vegetables for supper?"

"There's no cause to be so snippy, Dory wouldn't have acted that way." Pricilla defended herself.

"No, perhaps she might not have said that, but I can guarantee that she was thinking about it. Listen Priss, you're going to have to get down off your high horse and help with the work. This enterprise needs both of us working at a flat out run. I had no idea that Dory did so much work, I mean, the two of us can barely manage to do what she did. Come to think of it, that's probably why she took off with the wagon train." Reva thrust the broom at her older sister. "I've got wash to hang out, so get busy."

"Somebody has to be the Inn manager and keep track of the guests and meals and is there to make sure the guests pay," Pricilla was grumbling to herself as she went to move the couch.

"That's not a 24/7 job," Reva sang out as she moved from the laundry porch toward the outside clothes lines. "Put your back into it sweetie, your sweeping like an old woman."

Priss made a rude noise, just in time for Seamus to step on the porch to hear the loud raspberry.

"Knock, knock," he called out, "it's me Seamus, come to fix the windoos."

Flustered by her behavior, Priss coughed and invited him in. "There are five windows here on the main floor and two upstairs. Reva tells me there are some windows in the barn, but I don't know if they are the right size."

"I'll be checkin them oot," the Scot smiled, "thanks fer telling me. You ladies are putting things to right?" he inquired in a friendly way. "Phoebe sure is missing ya, she has a helper girl froom the village, but she says it's just not the same."

"I miss Phoebe too, this place is work intensive and it doesn't seem like we will have time off to go visiting. I miss the kids." Pricilla sounded plaintive and sad, resting instead of sweeping. For sure there was less of a tight and restrictive schedule working for Seamus and Phoebe, than tending to the Inn.

Seamus went to do his work, and just as she had finished sweeping, several wagons rolled past on the road, sending clouds of dust to sugar coat all the downstairs floor with dust. Priss felt like swearing, all that hard work for nothing but a frantic repeat of the broom.
 
Sammy55

Sammy55

Veteran Member
Cool!! The "others" heard from! And it sounds like some of the "others" are missing those that left. Well, you don't really appreciate what you have until you have lost it, and that includes when you lose people.

Thanks, Pac!! ~~~~~~~~happy dancing!~~~~~~~~
 
P

PacNorWest

Veteran Member
#234

Corbin and his crew; as soon as they had George's inventory established in the grocery, set out for Missouri. Clara had left with Corbin, and Judy was moping around without her mother. Andy was working daylight to dark, getting the horses acquainted with their new pasture, building fence, and trying to find a barn he could use.

The only suitable barn was at the edge of town, the house was old and disrepair, and Judy didn't seem agreeable to give the place a second look. In the evenings, when Andy finished shoveling in the large quantities of what ever Judy had cooked, he tried to persuade her of the charming uniqueness of the 'pig stye' as Judy called it. Judy had her heart set on the big two story house they were camping in as temporary quarters.

"Mom and I want to run a sewing business out of here," Judy waved her hand around the cavernous house. "We need sewing rooms, a changing room, a front room to use as a reception area, the location here in the center of town is perfect." Judy didn't budge an inch.

"Good points," Andy conceded, "but look, your mom and Corbin really like that house just three houses up from the 'pig stye', and it had a real spacious front room area to show your sewing business."

"Andy, I really like this house," Judy said quietly, "it's everything I've ever dreamed a house should be. Our other house was way too small."

"There are other problems we need to think about," Andy cradled his hands around his coffee cup. "We cant build a barn on this place, no room. So that means I will have to walk at all times of day and night down to the other barn when the mares are foaling. Judy, if I am going to make a business of the work horses, I simply have to be closer than two blocks away. There's no other way around that fact. If we tender for two places, I will have to spend my energy improving the barn place and you will have to improve this one, and that may not leave you with a lot of time to sew."

Andy sighed hard. He simply didn't understand Judy's refusal to work with logic. To him, there was no contest to the reasonableness of the other place. It seemed like what ever position he took, Judy had to be obstinate and take an opposing view.

Andy took a drink of coffee, saying nothing; there wasn't anything else he could add to the debate. If Judy couldn't compromise, there wasn't much reason for them to be together.

"I have looked at all the available ways to make a living around here, and Judy, unless we bring our own job with us, such as the horses, there is nothing aside from becoming the city policeman open."

"Oh Andy, surely not," Judy gasped in fright. "You don't have any training in law enforcement."

Andy shrugged and got up to pour more coffee. "I've got to have some kind of way to make money. I don't like the idea of policing the community, but we like to eat; you know, the pesky nagging details like that."

"There isn't really a choice is there. I don't want you in law enforcement." Judy was searching her mind for any way out of the problem. She felt like her wishes weren't ever considered, Andy had to always be so logical and practical, and there was never room for precious dreams.

"You know, once we get established, we could always build a porch on the other place. It's a house with good bones, three bedrooms and all the other rooms a family needs." Andy tried to sweeten the situtation. "It's awful dirty, and I wonder if we could get Sally and her brothers and sisters to help you clean it.?"

Judy nodded. She was defeated by practicality, logic and the harsh conditions of a non existent economy. She gave in without firing a shot, but feeling the incredible sadness of harsh realitity.

"Thank you Judy," Andy walked around to enfold her in a hug and finished with a pretty good kiss. "I know you really like this house, and maybe we can add the features you like to the other house."

Judy nodded, the big lump in her throat too difficult to talk around. Andy was sweet to offer a olive branch, but Judy also understood that the sweet uniqueness of this house would never be duplicated. It simply wasn't practical, or affordable.
 
M

moldy

Veteran Member
Giving up dreams is so very very difficult. I am blessed to be an old lady - where my husband is, there I will be and I will be happy and blessed (for happy is a choice and God always blesses). But it has taken me a long time to both learn and practice this. Judy may be surprised if she can choose happiness, and see her blessings, how many of her dreams will come true.
 
Griz3752

Griz3752

Retired, practising Curmudgeon
moldy said:
Giving up dreams is so very very difficult. I am blessed to be an old lady - where my husband is, there I will be and I will be happy and blessed (for happy is a choice and God always blesses). But it has taken me a long time to both learn and practice this. Judy may be surprised if she can choose happiness, and see her blessings, how many of her dreams will come true.
Click to expand...
I had an uncle who always joked about getting smart too late and old, too soon.
 
P

PacNorWest

Veteran Member
Folks, I have a computer question.

I have an important document I need to revise for the church. I have windows 11, and when I write in office, is there a way to change the color of the type for some of the words.? Such as adding a paragraph or deleting words.
 
C

Chapulin

Veteran Member
There is a concept of turning on track changes and then making the edits. It will choose different colors for different authors.
I have used my own system of putting [Name] at the front of every edit paragraph and stating what I want changed, added or deleted.
 
P

PacNorWest

Veteran Member
#235

The woman sat primly on the seat to her wagon. She was holding a child's Donald Duck umbrella much like a lady of yesteryear would hold a parasol as a sunshade. Reva was just coming around the corner of the Inn, curious to see who had stopped in the driveway.

"Hello." Reva called out. "how may I help you?"

"I should like to talk to whomever is in charge here." came the reply.

"I'm half of the persons in charge, my sister is inside. Please do come in, would you care for glasses of cold water?" Reva thought she was being friendly and welcoming, but it didn't seem to cut much ice with the woman. Up to this point, the man sitting beside her had not said a word.

"I'm Caroline, this is my husband Raymond." The woman made her introductions acting like Reva should know who she was.

"I'm Reva, and my sister inside is Pricilla." Reva held open the Inn door allowing her guests to enter.

"What happened to the furniture that was in here?" the woman questioned sharply, looking around for the missing couch.

"There was a fight here, a man was killed and bled all over the couch. We tried cleaning the couch, but it wasn't successful." Pricilla came from the kitchen. "Have you been here before, to know about the couch?"

"Yes, we have, my name is Caroline and this is Raymond." the woman was still acting like her name should be of some importance, and she watched coldly as Pricilla shrugged.

"Well, Caroline and Raymond, welcome to the Inn. I'm Pricilla and I believe you have met Reva. Are the rest of your people coming along? We are ready for you."

The woman looked shocked. "The rest of us, what do you ever mean. There are not any others coming"

"Well, I'm confused, I thought you were with the tour that is expected today. A group of fifteen people coming from the North. You're not associated with them?" Pricilla asked puzzled.

"Certainly not, I've already told you I'm Caroline."

"So," Reva asked. "Should we know you Caroline, your name means nothing to us."

"I'm Caroline, Carole was my mother."

"Ok, so who was Carol? Neither name means anything to us." Pricilla gave the woman a equally haughty stare and straightened her spine. Nobody pushed Pricilla around, especially a woman that had just walked in the door.

"Ladies, Carole and Al owned this Inn, we heard they were killed in an attack. They were my Mother and Father in Law, and we only heard about this crime very recently. How long have you ladies been here?"

Reva laughed, "three days. A friend of ours, Abby, worked here for the owners until they were killed, and then she ran the Inn until she wore out and moved on. We checked the books, and there are people due in here today. Some sort of arrangement with a company to house and feed travelers."

"Really," Caroline almost had a superior tone. "Then I assume if you do the work, you expect the money."

"Naturally," by now, Pricilla had her dander up and there wasn't any two-bit hoity toity woman going to out perform Pricilla in the superior attitude department.
 
Griz3752

Griz3752

Retired, practising Curmudgeon
.... or some how tied into the mass-assassination schema??
I think a 'standby to repel boarders' alert might be appropriate as Carole & Al were apparently a tad sketchy, ethics and morals wise so caution & preparedness are in order methinks.
 
P

PacNorWest

Veteran Member
#236

Just at the point where Pricilla was ready to let fly with some choice words concerning Caroline and her snotty attitude, Seamus walked in from the kitchen carrying a window.

"Gud afternonn, please be mooovin outa me way, the glass is loose in the frame and I dinna want it to be fallin away."

Out of habit, everyone moved back so Seamus could walk on through. If Caroline had looked shocked before, she was nearly terrorized at the sight of 6'11'' Seamus in his kilt and rubber hose sandals.

"Who? Who?" she sputtered, waving her hand toward the burley Scot.

"Hello the Inn," a loud voice interrupted the frozen moment in time. "We are here and ready for cold drinks." Outside a large wagon had pulled up behind the wagon of Caroline and Raymond.

Three families unloaded and more than twelve children got out to run around, shouting and working off penned up energy. Opening the front door, the children ran straight through the living room and out the back kitchen door. Shouting and yelling, they shook the floor with thundering feet.

"Make up your mind in one damn short hurry," Pricilla snapped. "Either we get the money for this visit, or you do the work." and she stared hard at the horrified reaction Caroline was having to the undisciplined mob of kids.

"Why I, ...I don't know," Caroline stammered.

"That's good enough for me," Pricilla all but shouted. " we're outta here Reva. Lets get our things, Seamus," she called loudly. "we've been fired, you too." and 'Cilla went for the stairs.

"Where do you want the luggage" the driver dropped several suitcases on the floor and that made the baby cry that was coming in, and the mob of kiddos made another run through the house.

In a very short time, Reva and Priscilla were back downstairs toting large hobo sacks made out of a sheet with their pitiful amount of personal belongings.

"You there," Caroline demanded, "how do I know you aren't stealing?"

"You don't," Reva snapped back, "go suck eggs." and out the front Inn door and down the wide steps the two sisters sailed with their belongings.

"I'm going to Phoebe's and I suppose you'll go to the doctors?" Pricilla questioned with a big smile. "Boy that felt good, I've needed to do something along those lines for quite a while. Did you see her face when we walked out the door," she chortled. "My was that ever worth it."

"Yeah, that was pretty satisfying, we did a lot of work that we won't get paid for, but that's ok." Reva smiled. "I didn't realize how much work was involved in running the Inn. Without Dory, we were swamped."

"Dory, Pah!" Pricilla made a rude noise with her mouth. "She never was dependable in the long run. and her running off after that two bit monster of a man, only confirms what I've said all along. Mother and Father spoiled her something rotten." The two women stopped in front of the clinic, and Reva waved goodbye. Opening the door, Reva was greeted with shouts of joy and welcome.

The same sounded when Pricilla knocked on Phoebe's door and Calvin answered.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top