Hard Times

Small talk and chirping birds cover a campsite set up around a large house, tents vary in size across the grounds leaving a stone path to the porch of the home unblocked. People walk the area at a relaxed pace, giving a sense of home to the site. A pale well built young man steps with a restrained urgency, his movement out of place with his surroundings. His light blue shirt is tucked in his belted jeans, every button is secured up to his neatly folded collar. Even his sleeves are buttoned and creased back, leaving only the very ends of his wrist visible. As an extra precaution, his jeans are supported by two leather suspenders. His brown hair cut tight and kept in check by a lather, well kept facial hair being the only tell of laze in his routine. As he walks he grips the corner of a sealed envelope in his right hand tightly, bouncing it off his left hand.

A lightly tanned, slim man in a lax fitting velvet red shirt and black dress pants puffs a cigar while talking to two beautiful and much younger women sitting inside a tent. A strategically placed bowler hat sits atop his head, attempting to hide a bald spot from his long slicked-back black hair. He pulls the cigar from his grin, the bristles of his graying mustache rake against the cigar. The man in red continues his conversation with the skimpily dressed women, his mannerisms showing no worry at all.

"And that is what I like to call the jumping copperhead." The women giggle, the sturdy voiced man in velvet's joke had landed perfectly and a large smile stretched across his face.

"I can show you if you’re interested." The man’s grin turns suggestive as he looks both women up and down. The women look at one another and back to the man, reciprocating his notions.

"Well we might just have to take you up on that offer."

"Yeah, I’ve always been more of a visual learner." Both women talk in a provocative whisper as they lean forward showing the man their chests. The man’s lips pucker through his grin, being very pleased with what he had heard and what he had seen. He raises his cigar back to his mouth, but before puffing he glances behind himself and sees the rushed man in blue walking. He follows him with his eyes for a second before looking back to the women.

"To be continued." He places the cigar in his mouth, turns toward the man in blue and begins walking. "Hey Billy!" A small puff of smoke rolls out of his mouth when he speaks. Billy stops and looks at the man in red, who waves for him to come. Billy’s eyes dart in disappointment before he walks towards the man in red. The two meet at a small campfire on the grass and the man in red removes the cigar from his mouth. Billy looks slightly up to meet the man in red's eyes.

"You need something, Able?" Billy's words come out softly.

"Well yeah but I’ve got that handled." Able gestures towards the women behind him with his cigar. Billy looks over Ables’s shoulder at the women. Then back to Able, Billy’s mouth slightly ajar with disgust.

"Funny."

"I thought it was." Billy turns his head away from Able and shakes his head disapprovingly while Able puffs his cigar smugly.

"So what’s the rush this morning?"

"I...uh...I’m trying to get this letter to Archie so he can mail it from Ole Bell." Billy points the envelope at a semi-heavy set white man dressed in a much more relaxed version of Billy’s clothes. The man wears a straw hat and fosters a long white beard down to his chest. Able looks at Archie untying a horse's lead from a wooden post then back to Billy.

"Must be a pretty important letter." Billy looks nervously at Able. "Who’s it for?" Billy’s eyes dart away from Able and don’t make their way back to him.

"It’s for my mother." Able smiles, showing some teeth.

"Your mother? How is your old lady?" Billy squints at Able.

"You’re older than she is Able."

"Then why don’t you start calling me Daddy?"

"**** off."

"Oh relax, I’m just joking."

"Yeah...I know." The two stand silently for a moment.

"Well if you want to catch Archie now's your chance. 

"Yeah…"

"I’ll talk to you later Billy." Able begins turning back toward the tent with the women.

"Hey." Able stops and looks back at Billy. "Where’d you find those two?"

"Why? Mary not giving you enough?" Billy hangs his head having walked right into that one.

"Okay bye Able." Able chuckles at that.

"Bye Billy." Able walks back to the tent, his cigar held in his lips while Billy makes his way to Archie packing his horses saddlebags.

"Morning Archie."

"Morning." archie responds. Billy looks around anxiously.

"Hey, um, can you mail this while you’re in town?" Archie stops packing the saddlebags and turns around to face Billy. Unlike with Able, Billy has to look downward to meet Archie's eyes.

"You use the Alias?"

"Yeah, yeah. My name isn’t on this at all."

"Good. I’ll take it in before I hit the list." Archie sticks his hand out and Billy hands him the letter, Archie places the letter in the saddlebag.

"Thanks Archie, I, uh, really appreciate it."

"No thanks necessary." Archie faces Billy.

"It’s good you’re keeping in touch with your mother." Billy looks at Archie confused.

"How did you-"

"Not all of us are blessed to be as unperceptive as Able." Billy smiles.

"Billy!" A woman's aggravated cry breaks Billy’s good mood, his expression souring to a look of defeat.

"I guess I better get back".

"Sounds like it."

"Thanks again." Billy said ending the conversation. Archie nods in response. Billy turns around solemnly and makes his way back through the camp. He stops in front of a closed tent, closes his eyes, and takes a deep breath. An elderly man and woman sit bobbing forward and back in separate rocking chairs on the large houses' second-story balcony. Both of them watch Billy prepare to enter the tent. Billy opens his eyes and calmly pulls the tent drapes back and steps inside, a woman in a large nightgown that covers her slender figure sits hunched over on a slept-in cot, her face buried in her hands.

"Where were you?" Her words choked out angrily. Billy looks around and settles his game on the ground, his head still facing the woman.

"I went out to give Archie a letter to mail when he got into town." Hearing Billy's answer the woman lifts her head from her palms, her face wearing a look of rage. Billy nervously looks up at the woman, his head having drifted downward unknowingly.

"You left. Without telling me?!

"I had to get the letter to Archie before he left and you were asleep so I-

"You what? You thought it would be okay to leave me...again?" Billy turns away from the woman and rolls his tongue over his bottom lip, his jaw shaking from his nerves. He swallows hard while the woman burns a hole through the side of his head with her eyes.

"It’s not like that Mary. Billy talks in a low tone.

"Oh...it’s not like that? Billy the last time you left while I was asleep you didn’t come back for a year." Billy locks eyes with Mary.

"Mary-"

"No." Mary looks down at her interlocked hands. "You can’t do this to me, William."  Billy steps back and looks into a mirror mounted on a dresser inside the tent. Silence coats the tent for a while, leaving them both to their thoughts. "Who was the letter for?" Billy stared into the mirror, contemplating whether or not he should answer.

"My mother."

"Your mother?" Mary’s bitter reaction caused Billy’s face to tighten, showing a small hint of anger through his normally nervous exterior. "And it couldn’t have waited one more day?" 

"No it couldn’t have. She hasn’t heard from me since before I got locked up."

"Archie makes a trip into Ole Bell every month, you couldn’t have just waited till then? I mean christ almighty Billy you’ve only been back for four days!" Billy closes his eyes, keeping his composure as best as possible. "You could have just waited till he got back from town and had him hold onto it till next month. But it had to be today right? It had to be today." Mary looks over at Billy who hasn’t flinched since closing his eyes. She continues to stare at him, her eyes unwavering with contempt. Billy slowly opens his eyes and bursts out of the tent.

"Billy!" Mary stands up and leans out of the vestibule of the tent. She spots Billy a few feet away, making his way down the stone path toward the exit of the camp. "Billy where are you going?!"

"For a walk." The campsite is quiet, the others watch Billy and Mary in silence. Mary pulls herself inside the tent, pulling the drape closed like she was trying to rip the tent down. Able takes note of Mary’s reaction. Billy continues walking while hushed chatter starts up around the campsite, he continues on, getting closer to the camp’s exit. A slim, black man stands guard at the exit, his attire composed of all gray except the tan hat on his head. He carried a lever-action rifle over his shoulder and a holstered revolver on his hip. As Billy approaches the exit the man in gray steps in front of him, blocking his path.

"Billy, I can’t let you out their man, it’s too hot right now." Billy looks at the man remorsefully.

"Barry, please." Barry sighs.

"I can’t."

"It’s alright Barry!" Able yells as he lightly jogs up behind Billy, stopping just shy of Billy’s heels. "I’ll go with you...if that’s alright?" Able looks over Billy’s shoulder and Billy looks back solemnly.

"Sure." Billy slips out. Barry looks around frustrated.

"It’s the same for you Able, neither of you can leave till heat dies down.

"It’ll be fine Barry, we’re just gonna go to that river about a mile from here." Barry looks off to the sky, trying to mentally distance himself from what’s happening. "Come on, it’s not near any town or settlement, we’ll be fine." Barry looks at Able and shakes his head.

"I tell you what. If you let us go-" Able leans in and wraps his hand around Barry’s shoulder, looks back and points with his cigar at the tent with the two women inside, Barry following the cigar with his eyes. "I’ll let you take one of those lovely ladies to your tent tonight." Able smirks and turns back to Barry. "And a little birdie told me, that the brunette one is just dying to try herself some of that mandingo magic." Ables words flow like a buttery whisper. Barry stands still for a moment, weighing his options and then shrugs defeatedly.

"Fine." Able claps his hands, a big smile on his face. "Not because of the woman, but because I’d do anything to get you to stop talking right now." Able puts his cigar in his mouth and adjusts his pants.

"Works for me, I’ll just keep ‘em both."

"Now I didn’t say that." Able laughs.

"Atta boy." Able wraps his arm around Billy’s shoulder and the two start walking.

"Hey." Able and Billy stop. Able looks back at Barry

"If Archie comes back, and kills all three of us, don’t say I didn’t warn you." Able winks at Barry, Able starts to turn back around. "Oh, one more thing, if you’re going out there, you need to be armed."

"My guns in the house." Able said

"I’m not taking a gun." Able looks around at Billy hanging his head. Concern washes over Able’s face.

"Here Able, take this." Able turns back around to see Barry holding out his holster with the revolver still inside. Able grabs the holster.

"Thanks." Able accepts. Barry nods and Able turns around and walks with Billy.

"Be safe."

"Always." Able waves his hand up with the holster still in his grip. Barry shakes his head, a slight smile on his face.

End of Episode 1. Hard Times.

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