Chapter IX
By Cheryl
Chancy looked at herself in the mirror. She wore the pretty, green dress that she had found when Dmitriv had asked her to find the appropriate clothing. It fit her nicely, showing off her slim figure. The green matched her eyes and made them brilliantly shine.
"You look mighty nice," Rachel said behind Chancy as she watched the young women admiring herself in the dress. The three women had gone to the main house to get Chancy ready for church.
"It just isn't my style at all," Chancy commented. "The sleeves are too long, in fact the dress itself is too long."
"It still looks real nice on you," Lou said. "The boys are goin' be mighty impressed." She looked at her friend in the mirror and wished that it was her standing in that dress in front of the mirror.
"I didn't say it didn't look nice," Chancy said. "How am I ever going to get those boys to respect me if I came out there wearing this?"
"I doubt this will change their opinion of you," Rachel said.
"They see me like this and they're going to want to be protecting me," Chancy said. "I have to ride out with one of them tomorrow and whoever it is is going to have to taking orders from me."
"You're riding out with Kid. He'll still respect you," Rachel said.
"Don't you like wearing dresses?" Lou asked.
"Back home whenever I can, I love to go out on the town, and I'm always wearing a dress, something short and revealing," Chancy answered. "I doubt wearing something like that would help. Then they'd all want to sleep with me and protect me."
"Lou you probably got it a lot easier off being able to wear pants," Chancy said.
"It still feels nice to wear a dress sometimes," Lou said her face kind of sad.
"I'm sure that it does. If I could trade places with you today I would," Chancy commented. "Besides someday you're going to stop working for the Pony Express and you'll probably long for being able to wear pants again."
Lou smiled, "I probably will," she said. "You know Chancy you can call me Louise."
"Is that your real name?" Chancy asked.
Lou nodded her head.
"The only other Lou I've ever known was Louisa Vasquez-Martinez, this spicy little Mexican. The best gunner I've even met. The way I look at it Lou is a women's name."
"Well are you about ready to go show the boys," Rachel said.
"No, but I don't think I have much of a choice in the matter," Chancy answered.
Outside the riders were all dressed in their Sunday best waiting for the women to get ready.
"What is it that takes women so long to get ready?" Buck asked.
"Takes women time to make themselves look pretty," Teaspoon said.
"Riders coming!" Noah said.
"That looks like Jimmy and Dmitriv," Teaspoon said.
"It is," Kid said as they got closer.
Jimmy and Dmitriv stopped their horses and dismounted.
"How did the ride go?" Buck asked.
Jimmy rolled his eyes. Dmitriv gave him a harsh look and said, "It surveying work, you shouldn't have expected it to be exciting,"
Dmitriv then caught a look at all the riders, "What the hell are you dressed up for?" he asked.
Teaspoon stood up straight and ran his hands down the lapel of his jacket, "We're goin' to church."
"Church!?" Dmitriv said, his voice surprised.
Teaspoon looked at him and said, "Could do you some good boy."
Dmitriv shook his head, "No, thanks I've been to church before and it never did me any good."
Rachel and Lou stepped out of the main house followed by Chancy. The boys got one look at her and they were all amazed that the girl they had known for the last couple of days was so beautiful. The three women walked toward where the men stood waiting by the bunkhouse.
Chancy seemed a little taken aback from the looks on the riders' faces. The boys all looked at her with eyes wide in amazement and their mouths partly open. Teaspoon gave her a look a loving approval. Dmitriv though had a confused look on his face.
"What the hell is that?" Dmitriv asked. Everyone else looked at him with shock.
Chancy glared at him, stepped a little closer to him, and then kicked him in the gut with a karate-style kick.
Dmitriv doubled halfway over from the unexpected kick. While still bent over he put his hands on his knees and caught his breath. He then stood back up and glared back at Chancy.
Teaspoon gave Dmitriv a disapproving look then said to him, "That's not any way to treat a lady, boy." Teaspoon walked up to Chancy, smiled broadly, tipped his hand and with his hand outstretched asked, "May I have the pleasure of escorting you ma'am?"
Chancy smiled at the older man's charm and concern. "Certainly," she answered taking his arm.
Teaspoon led her past all of the riders, a big grin on his face. The shock had worn off and the riders now looked at Chancy with attraction and approval. When she passed Jimmy, he quickly sized her up then smiled and winked at her. Chancy smiled back at him.
"By the way Jimmy, Dmitriv, you're both going to church too," Teaspoon said with his back turned, "So get cleaned up."
"Aw, Teaspoon," Jimmy said.
Dmitriv made a move to talk. Rachel who was standing beside him stopped him. "It was part of the deal about Chancy goin' in the first place," she said. "It's not worth fightin' over."
Dmitriv followed Jimmy into the bunkhouse to quickly get cleaned up. To everyone's amazement he didn't say a word.
Chancy sat quietly through the church sermon, listening to the long sermon of the preacher. Throughout the sermon, one or another of the boys would take a while to look at her. She would catch them looking and smile at them. They would then blush and go back to paying attention to the sermon.
To everyone's amazement, Dmitriv listened intently to the sermon with the same concentration that he gave his work. He looked like he was thoughtfully taking in every word. Several times during the sermon he elbowed Jimmy, who kept dozing off beside him.
"So did you enjoy the sermon?" Rachel asked as they left the church.
"It was okay," Dmitriv said shrugging his shoulders, "Preacher's a bit of a wind bag."
"Ain't nothing wrong with bein' a little full of wind," Teaspoon commented as he helped Rachel and Chancy into the wagon.
"Of course you'd say that Teaspoon," Noah said.
Dmitriv noticed the hurt in Lou's eyes as she watched the other ladies in the wagon with Teaspoon.
Lou felt a hand on her shoulder and was surprised to turn around and find Dmitriv standing there. He leaned close to her ear and said, "You know it's not worth losing your freedom just to get helped up in a wagon," so softly that no one but Lou heard. She turned and gave him a small smile.
On the ride back to the station Chancy asked to no one in particular, "Why is it that I felt like everyone in town was looking at me?"
"Probably because they were," Buck said.
"Isn't everyday they see a gorgeous lady," Dmitriv said to everyone's surprise.
Chancy turned to look at Dmitriv who was riding his horse beside the wagon. Dmitriv though looked straight ahead. He finally turned to face her. Their eyes met. "If the shoe fits," he said. She gave a small smile.
Then the smile faded from Chancy's face and she said, "About kicking you…,"
"Don't worry, I deserved it," Dmitriv answered for her.
"So does this mean that we're at peace again?" Chancy asked him.
"For now," Dmitriv answered.
"Are you this batty with every woman?" Chancy asked with a smile.
Dmitriv gave her a long look then said, "No, just you." He gave her a crooked little smile and lifted his eyebrows. He then quickened the pace of his horse to ride ahead of the wagon.
Chancy looked after him as he rode ahead and gave a thoughtful smile, as the idea of what that statement meant sank in. Rachel caught the smile on Chancy's face and smiled herself, having a good idea of the emotions between the two strangers under her present keep. Chancy saw Rachel smile at her and slightly blushed.
When they got back to the way station they shared a proper Sunday dinner before doing chores. Everybody was still dressed in their Sunday best.
"Now Hunter, you're not planning on trying to convert us are you?" Dmitriv asked.
"Funny," Teaspoon said, "That's the same thing Chancy asked me."
"Maybe we just already know what we believe," Chancy commented taking Dmitriv's side.
"I could go to church every Sunday for the rest of my life and still not believe in God," Dmitriv said.
"Now that's saying a little much," Chancy said now taking Teaspoon's side.
"It's the damn truth," Dmitriv stated plainly.
"So you're an agnostic like Chancy?" Kid asked.
"No," Chancy answered for Dmitriv shaking her head, "He's an atheist." Seeing the confused looks she explained, "He doesn't think God exists."
"How can he do that?" Jimmy asked Chancy. Dmitriv got a little angry that they were having a conversation about him in front of his face.
"Life hasn't given me anything to think that God exists," Dmitriv answered.
"What if you're wrong?" Lou asked.
"You mean what if I die and end up in heaven, at the pearly gates," Dmitriv said. "St. Peter starts reading off the list of a thousand things I've done wrong, and banishes me to hell for eternity. I'm raising a fit and asking to see the big guy."
"The what?" Cody asked interrupting.
"The boss, the head honcho, God." Dmitriv answered. "Then I'm going to tell the big guy that he has no right to send me to hell. I shouldn't be expected to believe in God if all he's given me in life is crap. That's a damn crock."
"So you're just going to go and tell off God and expect him to not send you to hell," Rachel said.
"Well it doesn't really matter because there isn't a heaven or hell anyway," Dmitriv commented. "And if there was I'd defiantly be going to hell. So I might as well let the big guy know my opinion on the subject before I go. Personally tell the guy he can go screw himself."
"You're just going to go up to God and say 'Screw you?'" Chancy asked.
"Why not?" Dmitriv said.
"You either have some guts or you're crazy. And since I know the first one isn't true. You've got to be one crazy, razing lunatic." Chancy said in response.
"Everyone's a little crazy," Dmitriv stated.
"So if there isn't a heaven and hell, what happens to people when they die?" Kid asked.
"Nothing. Death is the existence of nothing. You close your eyes and there's darkness and then it's all over." Dmitriv answered.
"That's not a very nice way to look at death," Rachel said.
"Yeah, but it beats being banished to hell," Dmitriv stated with a smile on his face.
The riders agreed to that one.
Later that night the riders, Chancy and Dmitriv were sitting around the bunkhouse before going to bed. Dmitriv had spent the last half-hour messing around with various machine things that he'd gotten from the supply of stuff that Dmitriv and Chancy had placed in the barn.
"Just what exactly are you doing, shorty?" Cody asked him.
"Fixing up some music," Dmitriv replied. "I feel in the mood to party tonight."
"How's that goin' to make music?" Jimmy asked eyeing the mess of wires and odd machinery on the table.
"Modern technology," Dmitriv answered, "it's amazing." He turned to Chancy. "So Chance, you have any requests?"
"Don't you like that late 20th century crap?" Chancy said.
Dmitriv nodded his head and said, "So does that mean I get my pick? Let's see," Dmitriv added as he rubbed his chin with his hand and got a thoughtful look on his face. "Hum, how about… Wild Wild West." He pushed a bottom on the machine and loud music can blaring out of it.
"Forty seven dead beats living in the back street. North, east, west, south all in the same house, sitting in the back room waiting for the big boom. I'm in the bedroom waiting for my baby" Dmitriv sang along with the lyrics as he danced.
"And I thought he was bad without music," Jimmy said.
Chancy rolled her eyes at Dmitriv.
"What you don't like this?" Dmitriv asked.
"1980's music, you got to be kidding! I detest this stuff," Chancy answered.
"Aw, come on this is good stuff," Dmitriv replied then stated singing again. "She's so mean, but I don't care. I love her eyes and her wild, wild hair. Dance to the beat that we like best, heading for the 90's, living in the wild, wild west. The wild, wild west."
"Doesn't sound like the Wild West at all if you ask me," Jimmy commented.
"It isn't really the Wild West," Dmitriv answered as he continued to dance. "I think it's about Los Angles, California in the future. But I'm not really sure."
"So why are they callin' it the Wild West?" Lou asked.
"Sounds good in a song," Dmitriv answered then sang more, "Heading for the 90's. Living in the 80's. Screaming in the back room. Waiting for the big boom. Give me, give me wild west. Give me, give me safe sex. Give me love. Give me love. Give me time to live it up."
"You actually do this when you're sober?" Chancy asked as she watched Dmitriv dance around the room, singing and making a fool of himself. The riders had to laugh too. Dmitriv did look ridiculous.
"Yeah, why?" Dmitriv said still dancing.
"Well I've heard tales of you making a fool of yourself. I just always figured that you were tanked when you did that sort of thing," Chancy said.
"Like you said, Chance, I am a little crazy," Dmitriv replied.
"Just a little?" Chancy said eyeing Dmitriv strangely.
Dmitriv ignored her last comment and kept on dancing.
As the song finished, Dmitriv pushed another button on the music machine. Another loud song started. "Welcome to the Jungle. We've got fun and games. We've got everything you want…"
"Don't you have any good songs on that thing?" Chancy asked Dmitriv as she started messing around with the machine.
Dmitriv reached over and turned the music up even louder. The music machine started to shake along with the table. The windows and walls of the bunkhouse started to creak. The riders got worried looks on their faces. The felt like they couldn't even think and were worried that the roof would fall down on top of their heads.
"At least it's loud. Loud's good," Chancy yelled over the music to be heard.
All of a sudden Teaspoon stormed into the bunkhouse with Rachel close behind. "What in the dab nabit is that commotion!?" he furiously yelled. "That music's loud 'nough to wake the dead!!"
Chancy reached over to the music machine and causally turned down the volume. "What'd you say?" she asked the older man.
"Said that," Teaspoon yelled then realizing that the music was now much quieter stopped and started again, "Said that music was loud 'nough to wake the dead."
"More the better," Dmitriv calmly commented.
"Music's not right if you can't feel it," Chancy added.
"I like your style of partying," Dmitriv turned to Chancy and said.
"Except for your choice in music, yours isn't all that bad either," Chancy replied back.
Teaspoon ignored Dmitriv and Chancy and looked curiously at the weird machine sitting on the table. He realized that it was the thing creating the music. He raised one eyebrow and said, "That's a curious thing."
Dmitriv seeing a way of getting back on Teaspoon's good side quickly said, "Called a radio."
"Now just what exactly does it do?" Teaspoon asked still eyeing it curiously.
"Plays music," Dmitriv answered.
"How's it do that?" Teaspoon responded.
"Well, a band plays music," Dmitriv started, "and then a machine records…. puts it into computer… puts it in machine language. That little box there has all these machine language songs, hook it up to speakers, do a little wiring and you get music."
"Machine language, huh," Teaspoon said from the look on his face he obviously had no idea what Dmitriv had just said. But he pretended that he did.
"What's machine language?" Buck asked.
Dmitriv thought for a second on that one. Then answered, "It's the language that the machine uses to store the original music and then later play it whenever you tell it to."
"So there's not a little band in there?" Teaspoon said, he'd pulled out his spectacles to get a better look at the machine.
Dmitriv gave him a funny look, "No," he said. "That band's dead."
"Or hasn't been born yet," Chancy replied as she messed around with the machine.
Dmitriv gave her a stern look, "Where we're from that song's about 80 years old. They're all dead."
"How many songs are stored in there?" Noah asked pointing to the machine.
Chancy clicked a couple of keys, got a bit of a surprised look on her face, and then replied, "1,367." Chancy shook her head, "Your selection is horrible, kid."
"Beggars can't be choosers," Dmitriv said. "Feel free to pick the next song, with 1,367 to chose from you should be able to find something that appeals to you tastes."
Chancy gave Dmitriv a slightly angry look, thought for a second, then punched one of the keys on the music machine. The old song instantly stopped and a new song came on. It was slower and quieter.
"Now that sounds more like a song," Teaspoon commented. "Not just noise."
The lyrics began and Chancy sang along, "Desperado, why don't you came to you're senses? You've been out riding fences, for so long, now. Oh, you're a hard one. I know that you've got your reasons. These pains that are pleasing you, will hurt you somehow."
Dmitriv gave Chancy a funny look, a little surprised by her selection in music.
Chancy continued to sing with the song, "Don't you draw the queen of diamonds, boy. She'll beat you if she's able. But the queen of hearts is always your best bet."
"What?" Chancy quickly asked Dmitriv in a short break in the music. A little upset that she had to interrupt a favorite song. When the singer came back she joined back up, not loosing a beat, "Now, it seems to me some fine things have been laid upon your table. But you only want the one that you can't get. Desperado, oh you ain't getting no younger. Your pain and your hunger, they're driving you home. Freedom, oh freedom, well that's just something they're talking. Your prison is walking though this world all alone."
Dmitriv politely waited until another short break, "just don't see you as a big Eagle's fan."
Chancy keep singing, "Don't your feet get cold in the wintertime? The sky won't snow and the sun won't shine. It's hard to tell the nighttime from the day. Losing all your highs and lows, ain't it funny how the feeling goes away. Yeah. Desperado, why don't you come to your senses? Come down from your fences? Open the gate? It may be raining, but there's a rainbow above you. You better let somebody love you. 'Let somebody love you.' You better let somebody love you, before it's too late."
The song ended and Dmitriv still looked funnily at Chancy.
"I'm not really a big Eagle fan," Chancy answered his earlier question, "Ever just had a song that for some odd reason had meaning in your life?"
"Yeah, but," Dmitriv said, "I still can't see you liking the song."
Chancy gave him an aspirated look, "You know you should listen to the lyrics more closely next time."
"Really?" Dmitriv replied.
"They might actually make you think twice about living your life alone," Chancy said in response.
Dmitriv got a thoughtful look on his face, "Probably not."
To Be Continued...Chapter X
Copyright 1998-This work is not to be reproduced without the permission of the author
The Way Station
Ca,mpfire Tales