by\u00a0Jonathan Ferrini<\/p>\n
\u201cMomma, please wake up.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me sleep, girl!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve been sleeping for five days.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to drive you to the urgent care.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe live in remote Death Valley with no phone service and no paramedics.<\/p>\n
\u201cRemember?<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t carry you to the truck, Momma.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease try and walk with me.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s getting dark soon and the rain will wash out the dirt road into town.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me die in peace.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe your bastard papa will come to save me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour delirious, Momma.<\/p>\n
\u201cPapa\u2019s been dead twenty years.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m leaving now to see the urgent care about some medicine for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re still a tumbling tumbleweed in search of somethin\u2019 but findin\u2019 nothin\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour daddy beat me black and blue when I took you back after running away as a teenager.<\/p>\n
\u201cPut the radio on for me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI prefer it\u2019s company to your nagging!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u201c\u2026A flash flood warning has been issued for Death Valley\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \n The rain is heavy as I leave our tin can of a trailer home on the edge of Death Valley surrounded by canyons.<\/p>\n Death Valley is like living in a blast furnace in summer but when it rains, the fragrance from the wet chaparral is heavenly.<\/p>\n The pot holes dotting the dirt road leading into town one hour away are filling with water quickly. Dad dragged us all over the world while force feeding me \u201ctough love\u201d during his career in the Air Force. Dad taught me resilience and unknowingly, no love is better than \u201ctough love\u201d. The emotional dam named \u201cresilience\u201d is cracking up. I might not make it back in time with the medicine.<\/p>\n Dad loved this old International Harvester pickup truck and talking to the long-distance truckers on the vintage CB radio. Let\u2019s see if I get anybody\u2019s attention with this old mic,<\/p>\n \u201cBreaker, breaker.<\/p>\n \u201c911.<\/p>\n \u201cMayday, mayday.\u201d<\/p>\n The CB is as dead as my dad.<\/p>\n The windshield wipers are making a muddy mess and it\u2019s difficult to see the road reminding me about my difficulty of seeing a life at home inside a dysfunctional family.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on, truck!<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re almost halfway there.\u201d<\/p>\n Dad called me \u201cairhead\u201d but the whizzing inside my head ain\u2019t air rushing about but the unmistakable sound of wheels spinning signaling I\u2019m stuck in the mud.<\/p>\n \u201cBreaker, breaker.<\/p>\n \u201cEmergency.<\/p>\n \u201cMy rig is stuck on Coyote Road about a mile south from Mine Shaft Canyon.<\/p>\n \u201cAnybody got their \u2018ears on\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n No response. Not even static. Dad told me never to cry and I haven\u2019t spilled a tear until now. My lifelong reservoir of pent-up tears is flowing like the rain pelting dad\u2019s truck. I\u2019ll sit on the horn and maybe the jackrabbits will pull me out of the mud.\u00a0 Hear this horn, dad? This horn says,<\/p>\n \u201cScrew You!\u201d<\/p>\n My entire life has been a dumpster fire my tears won\u2019t extinguish. I\u2019ll walk back and when mom dies, I\u2019ll swallow the end of dad\u2019s shotgun and checkout.<\/p>\n A bright flash appeared in my rear-view mirror. I don\u2019t hear the accompanying thunder from lightening. It can\u2019t be a shooting star because it left the ground towards the sky like a pyrotechnic.<\/p>\n I see a truck driving towards me flashing the headlamps. I\u2019m an emotional mess and maybe mistook the headlamps as a flash. I need to flag this guy down.<\/p>\n \u201cStop, please!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDamn you, girl.<\/p>\n \u201cSome nut fired off a flare gun into the tranquil dusk and you\u2019re sittin\u2019 on the horn disturbing the peace.<\/p>\n \u201cI had to drive out here and see what the hell is goin\u2019 on.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho would fire a flare gun out here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been getting\u2019 our share of drunken off-road enthusiasts acting crazy with fireworks as night closes in on the big desert sky.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy rig is stuck in the mud and I\u2019m in a hurry to get to urgent care and see about medicine for mom.<\/p>\n \u201cI think she\u2019s dying.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour front end is buried up to the bumper.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll pull you out.<\/p>\n \u201cPut the transmission in neutral.\u201d<\/p>\n That old man reminds me of somebody my dad knew but I can\u2019t place him. He sure knows what he\u2019s doing because it got me out of the mud in a jiffy.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, mister.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAin\u2019t you Rita and Sam\u2019s kid?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Sir.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m Annie.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m an old friend of your folks.<\/p>\n \u201cMy name is Lou.<\/p>\n \u201cI live on the other side of the canyon.<\/p>\n \u201cI attended your father\u2019s funeral.<\/p>\n \u201cRita was one hell of a firebrand.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s been tone deaf my entire life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow isn\u2019t the time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe really bad off?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think she\u2019s dying.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI left the satellite phone at home.<\/p>\n \u201cYou want me to drive you to urgent care?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d rather you sit with my mom.<\/p>\n \u201cThe front door key is under the mat.<\/p>\n \u201cIf she wakes, tell her I sent you over.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe you can become reacquainted and it will keep her alive?\u201d<\/p>\n \n Desert Tortoise Urgent Care and Pharmacy<\/em><\/p>\n \n \u201cYour mother is dying from a urinary tract infection common in elderly people.<\/p>\n \u201cShe needs to be admitted to the hospital in Vegas, ASAP.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t the Sheriff or firefighters have a helicopter for emergencies?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou picked a bad night.<\/p>\n \u201cAll aircraft are grounded due to the inclement weather.<\/p>\n \u201cAll I can offer you are antibiotics and suggest you keep her drinking this electrolyte infused sports drink.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll get the helicopter out to your place when the weather clears.<\/p>\n \u201cGood luck.\u201d<\/p>\n \n \u201cEnd of the Trail\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \n Dad planted a wagon wheel in the front of the driveway. Wagon wheels carry a lot of symbolism inside the west but for dad, planting the wheel meant he traveled life\u2019s long trail and reached the end. I pray today isn\u2019t the end of the trail for mom.<\/p>\n \u00a0Lou\u2019s truck is parked outside and all the lights are on inside the trailer.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy are IV bags hooked up to mom?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne bag is named \u2018Lactated Ringer\u2019s and the other is called \u2018Ciprofloxacin\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cWe had a nice walk down \u2018memory lane\u2019 before she fell asleep and passed away.<\/p>\n \u201cShe was happy and told me to tell you,<\/p>\n \u2018See you on the other side, Annie\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho gave her the medicine?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRita muttered something about an \u2018old friend\u2019 coming by to give her a \u2018going away\u2019 party.<\/p>\n \u201cI used my SAT phone to call the Urgent Care who said you had left, already.<\/p>\n \u201cThe nurse said somebody with expert medical training gave her dehydration and antibiotic treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMomma loved shots of Tequila and I see a half-finished bottle within arm\u2019s reach.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a half-eaten cherry cobbler which was her favorite.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I came into the room she was sitting up with a smile, smelling like somebody gave her a sweet-smelling sponge bath, combed her hair and applied makeup.<\/p>\n \u201cShe resembled that happy young wife I met decades ago.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI left her in pajamas.<\/p>\n \u201cMomma hasn\u2019t worn this favorite cotton Hawaiian dress since I was a kid livin\u2019 on base in Pearl Harbor.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m surprised she kept it all these years.<\/p>\n \u201cMom was always happy wearing this dress.<\/p>\n \u201cShe hasn\u2019t worn makeup in decades but appears to have had a makeover.<\/p>\n \u201cShe was a loner and had no friends.<\/p>\n \u201cWho the hell came here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe rain washed away any tire tracks or footprints and the nurse confirmed she didn\u2019t send anybody out here.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s nothing between my spread and here.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m very sorry for you mom\u2019s passing but she wasn\u2019t alone and appeared to have a sendoff party, of sorts.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you want to be alone?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo!<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m freaked out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are your plans for your mom?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe wants to be cremated.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you need help with the arrangements?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe cremation is already paid for.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll bury her ashes at the entrance to the mine shaft\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy there?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe believed there were spirits living inside the mine which would keep her company in the afterlife.<\/p>\n \u201cMom also believed there was gold inside the mind.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf there was gold, miners would have found it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m tired, Lou.<\/p>\n \u201cI need to process all of this.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease stay the night.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll bring you a pillow, blankets, and you can sleep on the couch.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s food in the frig and the bottle of Tequila.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry for your loss but the sun always rises and things look differently in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n \n Rita Knox<\/em><\/p>\n 1941-2025<\/em><\/p>\n \n \u201cPlace the grave marker close to the entrance to the mine, please.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you hear that sound coming from inside the mine?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just mine shaft wind.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s mystical, surreal, and speaking something about the mine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI thought you kicked the drug habit?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sober.<\/p>\n \u201cI think its mom signaling me to search for the gold.<\/p>\n \u201cWill you help me, Lou?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI worked inside that mine for over ten years.<\/p>\n \u201cWe called it \u2018The Garbage Disposal\u2019\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe mine had a vicious heart and chewed up anybody mining for gold.<\/p>\n \u201cThe only thing inside is quartz and large animal bones the coroner said were those of equines mixed with human bones of native people.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s too dangerous, Annie.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s that siren whaling?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s my truck alarm going off!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAn animal likely nudged your rig.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI need to check it out.<\/p>\n \u201cPay your final respects to your mom and meet me at the truck.\u201d<\/p>\n I once sprinted up and down this trail working inside the mine. It sure seems a lot steeper than what I recall.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat the hell!<\/p>\n \u201cAnnie, get your ass down here and take a look at my truck.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho messed with your engine?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhoever opened the hood, removed the distributor cap but left it for me to find.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s a message somebody doesn\u2019t want us around the mine.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s get back to my place.\u201d<\/p>\n \n \n \u201cHome is where the heart is.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \n \u201cIt\u2019s nice having you keep me company, Annie.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a good cook and I appreciate havin\u2019 a woman\u2019s touch around the place to keep it tidy.<\/p>\n \u201cYou resemble the daughter I always wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s nice takin\u2019 care of a man who appreciates a woman.<\/p>\n \u201cMy daddy wasn\u2019t a compassionate or grateful, man.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a rebel sort of girl, Annie.<\/p>\n \u201cSo was your momma.<\/p>\n \u201cShe was a dutiful wife travelin\u2019 the world from air base to air base and never wanted for anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think she \u2018wanted\u2019 for love and married dad to escape a hellish life with her mother and father.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you find a wife and settle down?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was a heavy equipment operator most of my career moving earth around which got me into mining.<\/p>\n \u201cThe day the mine was shuttered by the owner, I came home to find a note from my wife tellin\u2019 me she took up with my boss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you marry?\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cI didn\u2019t make friends movin\u2019 around the world.<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t ambitious and dropped out of high school.<\/p>\n \u201cI hit the road working odd jobs up and down California including stripping to pay for my drug addiction.<\/p>\n \u201cI came home to get sober and live with mom.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat brought your family out to the desert?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDad\u2019s final duty station was at China Lake where they tested aircraft and missiles.<\/p>\n \u201cHe loved the quiet open space of the desert.<\/p>\n \u201cHe purchased our trailer on ten acres of scrub land in the middle of nowhere.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was paradise to a career service man who preferred the sweet sound of a desert breeze to roaring engines.<\/p>\n \u201cWe squeaked by on his military pension.<\/p>\n \u201cThe pension was terminated when mom died.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m broke.<\/p>\n \u201cThe real estate agent tells me she can\u2019t sell mom\u2019s place because the debt exceeds the fair market value.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have to give the property back to the bank in lieu of foreclosure.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s your plan?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI still have a girlie figure and can fill out a tight cocktail waitress outfit workin\u2019 dive bars in Vegas for tips.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe do a trick or two.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNonsense.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll figure somethin\u2019 out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI want to know if there\u2019s gold inside the mine like momma talked about.<\/p>\n \u201cEven a few ounces of gold would change my life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s too dangerous to go inside.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s the handsome young Air Force Lieutenant sportin\u2019 aviator wings inside the picture frame?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy only child and son, Robbie.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll bet you have a slew of grandkids?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRobbie\u2019s was shot down and classified \u2018MIA\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t have his body to visit but I keep the folded flag presented to me by the Air Force inside my nightstand.<\/p>\n \u201cIt helps me dream about him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy is the picture frame placed alongside a collection of stones and artifacts resembling jewelry?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRobbie was a \u2018rock hound\u2019 and fancied himself as an amateur archaeologist.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter completing his tour of duty, he was going off to become a professor of archaeology or somethin\u2019 like that.<\/p>\n \u201cWe spent many a day huntin\u2019 precious stones and I\u2019d gift him whatever artifact I\u2019d find inside the mine.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter Robbie died, a pawn shop told me the artifacts belonged to native people and have no value.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe artifacts had \u2018value\u2019 to those buried inside the mine.<\/p>\n \u201cRobbie would want those artifacts returned to the owners buried inside the mine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you really think so?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRobbie\u2019s eyes tell me he resented droppin\u2019 bombs on an ancient civilization and would have preferred studying the culture of Vietnam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn that case, we\u2019ll return \u2018em to the mine.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll take you far enough inside to convince you there\u2019s no gold.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re burnin\u2019 sunlight so let\u2019s get goin\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll bring mom a few flowers from your garden if you don\u2019t mind?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDamn it!<\/p>\n \u201cMy portable generator was stolen from the back of my rig!<\/p>\n \u201cThe distributor cap and this theft aren\u2019t coincidence.<\/p>\n \u201cThere ain\u2019t no law out here and we might not come back alive.\u201d<\/p>\n \n DANGER<\/p>\n DO NOT ENTER<\/p>\n \n \u201cEntering this shuttered mine is a bad idea.<\/p>\n \u201cFollow my rules at all times!<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m strapping this miner\u2019s helmet on your head.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has an LED light.<\/p>\n \u201cKeep your hand on my shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want you to fall behind.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the clearance suddenly drops and we\u2019re crawling on our bellies, we turn around.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s that gadget in your hand?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s called a \u2018Anemometer\u2019 which alerts us to low oxygen level and toxic gas.<\/p>\n \u201cIf this device goes off, we turn around.\u201d<\/p>\n \n DANGER<\/p>\n LOW CLEARANCE<\/p>\n \n \u201cI see my light reflecting off pretty quartz crystals but what\u2019s that smell?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s Agate and Jasper quartz known for their beautiful color and patterns.<\/p>\n \u201cThe smell is Sulfur.<\/p>\n \u201cWatch your head!<\/p>\n \u201cThe head clearance is becoming too shallow.<\/p>\n \u201cWe ain\u2019t crawling about this mine so we\u2019re turnin\u2019back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s that creaking sound?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRotting timber which is holding up the mountain from burying us alive.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m getting claustrophobic!<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t freak out and scream \u2018cause it may cause a cave-in.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy is the dirt falling up ahead?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause you\u2019re talking too much.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, no!<\/p>\n \u201cMy leg fell into a muddy hole.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCarefully pull your leg out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy ankle is stuck.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to reach for your foot and pull upwards.<\/p>\n \u201cI want you to lift with your hip.<\/p>\n \u201cOn three.<\/p>\n \u201cOne, two, three, lift!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s still stuck.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to use my spade and dig around your foot to loosen up the debris.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOuch!<\/p>\n \u201cYou scraped my ankle with the spade!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m removing some rocky sediment which has you pinned.<\/p>\n \u201cPull up, now!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t, Lou.<\/p>\n \u201cAre we going to die inside this awful mine?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShine your helmet to the left and ask those bones neatly stacked up.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a good place for you to leave behind the artifacts because we may need a good omen from the dead to save your ass.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre those bones of the native people and their animals?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYep.<\/p>\n \u201cPull!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m stuck.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got my SAT phone inside the truck to call for help.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t leave me, please!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStop yelling.<\/p>\n \u201cThose rotting timbers will bury us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re scaring me!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou better be frightened \u2018cause there\u2019s somethin\u2019 resembling a varmint coming up quick behind you.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s scrawny but looks human.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYa\u2019 all come back now, y\u2019hear?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \n \u201cWho the hell are you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe cavalry has arrived to save you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf a raggedy ass small frame girl is the cavalry, we lost the war.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy name is \u2018Skinny\u2019 and I\u2019m pullin\u2019 her out of here.<\/p>\n \u201cI may leave you behind old man.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s outside the mine?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour only way out, that\u2019s who!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI want you to grab my belt with both hands and don\u2019t let go, girl.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m gonna\u2019 make a quick dash from the gate like a racehorse at the track.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd their off and runnin\u2019!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy foot is free, Lou.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRun towards the light at the end of the tunnel and hold on to Skinny.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m right behind you!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust a few more feet and we\u2019ll find daylight, girl.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe made it, Skinny!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPut these shades on until your eyes adjust to the sunlight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s Lou?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m right behind you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood job skinny.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll in a day\u2019s work, Princess.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAin\u2019t you the \u2018Mustangs?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho are the Mustangs?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBack in the hippie days, a band of girls went \u2018off grid\u2019 and set up a commune in the desert.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019d sneak into people\u2019s property and scavenge for food and valuables they could sell.<\/p>\n \u201cWe thought they all just faded away out in the desert.<\/p>\n \u201cThese thieves removed my distributor cap and stole my generator.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re the Mustangs and saved your asses.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s only a dozen of you crazies left?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s many more of us back at our camp.<\/p>\n \u201cGet on your knees and place your hands above your heads.<\/p>\n \u201cFrisk \u2018em, Skinny.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re both clean except for this pocket knife on the old man.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll use it to scalp them both.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow wait one minute!<\/p>\n \u201cThe law will come for you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShut up old man or I\u2019ll take your tongue out with this dime store knife.<\/p>\n \u201cWe could\u2019ve entombed you both but we need the cave open to allow fresh inside to circulate for the remains of the native inhabitants and their steeds we revere.<\/p>\n \u201cNobody, especially a capitalist pig miner, will disturb this final resting place!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou chicks are crazy!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cChicks?<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a rapist!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI ain\u2019t no rapist!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou raped the precious land with a bulldozer creating ugly highways and penetrated the mine with a jackhammer exploring for gold while disturbing the remains of native people and their animals.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can convene a quick trial and convict you now, old man!<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll strip you naked, stake you to the ground, season you with sugar, and watch you get eaten alive by ants, tarantulas, and scorpions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, please!<\/p>\n \u201cLou\u2019s a kind man who came to return the plundered artifacts.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe rescued you because we knew Rita, Annie.<\/p>\n \u201cRita spoke about joining us after you ran away from home as a teenager.<\/p>\n \u201cWe offered her an escape from the abuse of your daddy.<\/p>\n \u201cShe trusted us and knew we\u2019re a collection of abused daughters, beaten wives, and neglected girlfriends escaping the male hierarchy.<\/p>\n \u201cRita was generous and kind to us over the decades.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll see she rests in peace but you can\u2019t come back here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow did the Mustangs grow so big?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWord got passed down over the decades from woman to woman seeking a refuge.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt sounds like a cult!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWomen are free to come and go, old man.<\/p>\n \u201cAll who leave maintain the bond of secrecy about the Mustangs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s your name?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy name is \u2018Princess Cactus Bloom\u2019\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s pretty but prickly so treat her with respect.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re sweet, Skinny, but I have this old man under control.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t want any problems with the Mustangs and your secrets are safe with us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRita is dancing with the spirits of all the lost souls inside the mine as we speak.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s asked that we bury her remains inside the mine alongside a secret gold vein.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI knew there was gold inside, Lou!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll be gentle with Rita\u2019s remains but you won\u2019t know the location to keep the likes of this rapist from returning for the gold.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cDoc Martha sitting atop the white stallion treated your momma\u2019 who kept repeating how much she loved you and resented your father\u2019s \u201ctough love\u201d parenting.<\/p>\n \u201cMany of us were raised inside hellish homes.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019re ready to join us, come by yourself back here.<\/p>\n \u201cTake this flare gun and fire it into the air.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll come for you.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Mustangs abide by one rule,<\/p>\n \u2018Live a life of kindness for each other and the land.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMount up Mustangs and back to camp!<\/p>\n \u201cRiders, Ho!\u201d<\/p>\n \n Nature\u2019s first green is gold,<\/em><\/p>\n Her hardest hue to hold.<\/em><\/p>\n Her early leaf\u2019s a flower;<\/em><\/p>\n But only so an hour.<\/em><\/p>\n Then leaf subsides to leaf.<\/em><\/p>\n So Eden sank to grief,<\/em><\/p>\n So dawn goes down to day.<\/em><\/p>\n Nothing gold can stay.<\/em><\/p>\n \n \n \u201cYou\u2019ve been reading a lot of poetry these few months.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a favorite of mine by Robert Frost about the passage of time.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve overstayed my welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m fond of you Annie and would like you to stay on here.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re the daughter I always wanted but you seem weary of bonding.<\/p>\n \u201cYou said your momma was \u2018tone deaf\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGrowing up and travelling from air base to air base, many of my father\u2019s service pals made inappropriate advances towards me.<\/p>\n \u201cDad was a \u2018by the book\u2019 career airman and wouldn\u2019t believe any of his friends would attempt to take advantage of his daughter.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I brought it to momma\u2019s attention, she warned me never to speak about it.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve always remained cautious around men and couldn\u2019t form relationships.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m grateful to you and formed an emotional bond with you but I don\u2019t have love to give to any man, yet.<\/p>\n \u201cI need to heal lifelong emotional wounds.<\/p>\n \u201cI crave the understanding and emotional support only women can provide.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou thinkin\u2019 about tryin\u2019 life with those Mustangs?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy momma found emotional support from the Mustangs and I may find the same.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll always have a home with me if it doesn\u2019t work out.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease allow me to stay with you until they come for you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey won\u2019t come for me with you by my side.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a journey I must take alone.\u201d<\/p>\n It was early morning when I heard Annie quietly exit my trailer. I gave her a lead and followed behind out to the mine. I hid behind chaparral and watched through binoculars at the trail of dust left by sprinting horses coming for Annie after the flare lit up the morning sky. One horse was riderless and in tow. I knew it was meant for Annie. It was a beautiful Mustang.<\/p>\n The herd of horses were once wild but a ragged group of ladies tamed them with love and kindness. Annie tamed this ol\u2019 miner and I\u2019m a better man for knowing her. I think Robbie would agree. Annie will be in good hands with the Mustangs.<\/p>\n \n The wind picked up and the fragrance of the desert was revealed like a goodbye card from Annie to me.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll plant a wagon wheel in front of my spread. It will remind me the mine gifted me something more precious than gold.<\/p>\n Love.<\/p>\n \u201cRiders, Ho!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by\u00a0Jonathan Ferrini \u201cMomma, please wake up.\u201d \u201cLet me sleep, girl!\u201d \u201cYou\u2019ve been sleeping for five days. \u201cI need to drive you to the urgent care.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1800,77],"tags":[1801,1123,1758],"class_list":["post-15846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-egophobia-86","category-english","tag-egophobia-86","tag-english","tag-jonathan-ferrini"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6DakB-47A","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15846","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15846"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15846\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15847,"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15846\/revisions\/15847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15846"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}