Winter Lady, Stay Awhile...
Morning arrived all too soon, Emmeline thought.She leaned forward in bed, clearing her brain. So. A whole day off, and...everything to do.
She headed downstairs and got the fire going for tea, after feeding her furry friends first.She rather missed having the paper delivered, but then again, it was all just sour news lately...
She took her tea to the table and sat, thumping her pencil upon paper she had gathered for a 'To Do' list.
l. Find a job and some money. 2. Find a place to live.
OK...
Sighing, Em leaned back and sipped her tea. As kind as her Lost Boys were, she shied away from the idea of going to Crowley House to 'do' for them. That would be quite an adjustment for them all...to say the least. And Jack's...declaration of last night. Lord and Lady....What to make of that?! Em decided to shelve it for now. She had more immediate concerns...
Well, get to gettin', girl, she told herself. She thought she would first talk things over with Ernestine and Marta, that would be a good place to start.
She headed out on Lil Blue, although the ground was still wet, it had cleared off by morning and was only rather misty now. The Guevaras lived en route to town and it didn't take her long to arrive. A good thing Pankhurst wasn't a very hilly town, being riverside and lowland, it was good for bicycling, Em discovered.
Ernestine would probably be at the hospital, but Em thought she'd see who else might be at home, knocking on the door hopefully. 'Em!' She heard a voice call from around the side of the house.
'Marta!Buenos dias!' She waved and joined Marta in the back yard where she had been planting, Em saw.'Looks like tomatoes!'
'Ah, si! At last we finally have rain!' Marta hugged Em hello. 'It's good to see you! Marco told us that you were at Woody's the other night!'
That seemed so long ago now, so much had happened...
'Yes. He plays so beautifully! It was fun, singing with him and the band.'Em sighed.
'Hm.' Marta took in Em's slumped form and resigned air with a look. She handed Emmeline a hoe. 'Dig the next hole for this little plant--there!' She pointed her toe at the spot indicated.Em smiled and began digging. 'That's good.' Marta gently placed the little plant inside, adding water. 'Now this little one will give us sweet and lovely fruit, yes?'She stood and pointed to the next spot. 'Now, tell me what is on your mind. Your spirit is heavy, nina...'
Em dug her hoe into the rich black soil.'Ahhh...Marta...
so much has happened recently. Alice's house will be
sold soon. And, I am out of a job as well.' She stood leaning against the hoe.
Marta touched her arm gently. 'Is that so? Oh, my!'She shook her head, 'Many changes to happen all at once!'She bent down to deposit the next plant in the hole.'Have you any ideas?'
'Well...I'd considered South America...'Em gazed across the yard and to the hills beyond. 'But, I guess that would be more of a dream than a plan.'
Marta looked surprised. 'To follow Lev, I suppose?'She tsked.'No, nina. I don't think that would be best now.But,'she paused,'You like to travel?'
'Well,' Em dug the next hole, 'Yes! I've always loved it Marta! Just never have the time for it...gosh, I've been in harness at work so long, I don't know how to act! Nearly 10 years, you know...well, eight, actually.'
'Ocho, there you go again! It's a cycle, see?'Marta patted dirt around the tomato plant. 'There now! Soon we'll cage them up and let them grow tall. Grow tall and sweet my beauties!'She told her new plants, smiling.
'That's enough for now, Em,'She told her, taking the hoe.'Come, let's sit together awhile...'
They sat on benches at a wooden table and Marta poured from a pitcher of water with lemon for them. Em felt something brush against her leg. 'Oh!' Marta's big Maine Coon Cat, Carmen, was snaking her way around their legs.
'Carmen, hola!'Em bent to stroke her big blue-grey head,tall as a young German Shepherd..
'Oh, that Carmen! She is a brazen one...' Marta patted her.'And she fears nothing and no one! She eats dogs for breakfast!'
'I bet she does!'Em smiled watching the big cat curl up into a massive furball on the bench next to her. 'I wish I could be more like her...'
'I don't think so. Dogs just don't taste good at all, Em, muy malo!' Marta laughed and winked at Em, who smiled. 'There, you see...as long as you can still find humor in things, you'll be alright.'She regarded her young friend seriously then. 'We'll put our heads together, Em. There's always a way to be found. Have you any ideas?' She sipped her lemon water.
'Hmmm, well, I was going to ask you and Tina, if perhaps you knew of any live-in situations here in town ...cook, governess...seamstress...'Em trailed off.
'Yes, I can tell that idea thrills you.'Marta looked at her. 'No, offhand, I don't know of any openings.' She gazed out over her garden area. 'There may be something you can help me with, however.
If...you're interested, and don't mind travel,'
Emmeline was intrigued. 'Oh, Marta? Do tell me!'
'Well, Em...you do know something about medicine plants and herbs! And you know I gather them and travel around to find the right ones. I have rather a good business, gathering and drying these little plants! And, when they are ready, I sell at the farmers markets, all over.People are clamoring for herbal medicines! It's become so successful, I'm having a time just trying to keep what I need in stock!' She looked at Em.
Emmeline knew about Marta's herbal medicines and her local business. 'I didn't know you had expanded operations, Marta! That's wonderful!'
'So far, so good.' Marta nodded. 'I could use help with all that! The gathering, the drying, the packaging, the travel, market sales...Tina is of course too busy with work, as is Leon, but he helps me when he can. I had been thinking about hiring a helper. What do you think, Em?'
'Oh, Marta, truly?'Em was excited. 'It sounds like something I would love to do!'
'Now it isn't easy work, Em!'She looked at her and touched her arm again. 'The digging, the travel. It can be hot, or cold and wet, backbreaking toil especially seeking mountain plants up steep trails, and desert plants in the hot sun!'
'I'm young and strong, so far!'Emmeline was...still, she thought that a change in the type of work done would be a good idea ...she felt like a factory girl sometimes when they had a big backlog to check in...just go, go, go...!
'And I'm very willing!Also...'Em considered,'I won't have Alice's place to keep up. I'm free as a bird! No family ties, either.'... Well, nothing to keep her from travelling...she adored her sister but, she was far away and she had her own family. After...the accident, Amelie being so much younger, had gone to live with aunts, since passed on, so it had been, in effect, just Em and the professor then.,,
Marta smiled. 'You are family, here with us, la familia, Em!Well! Yes, I believe it would suit you! But, let us discuss details later, and meanwhile, you think about it before giving a final answer! I won't look for another helper until I hear from you!'
Em felt her load much lightened. 'Marta. I can't thank you enough, for thinking of me! I'm sure I'll decide it's just what I need. But, yes, I'll consider it...'Em sighed. 'Now...I just have to find somewhere I can stay when I'm not on the road...somewhere I could easily come and go...' She considered Crowley Place then...mayyyybe, just maybe, if she wasn't there all the time, it could be doable.'Possibly...'she said aloud.
'You have a place in mind?' Marta enquired.
'Well...' Em decided to discuss the whole option before her.'I have friends who have offered rooms,in exchange for doing some household chores...'
'That sounds just the thing, Emmeline!'
'Well...yes...possibly...'
Marta intuited there was a 'but' somewhere.
....possibly?'
Em sighed. 'Oh, Marta...it's just that...my friends
...mean well, but--they're men.'
'So? Do they bite?' Marta grinned.
'Not usually.'
'Men who don't bite. That's good, for men.' Marta laughed. 'Ah, Em. You haven't lived with men since
your papa, no?'
Em shook her head. 'Just Alice. And MacGregor...and he
never bites!'
'I'm sure these men are housebroken, as well! Who are
they, these Men Who Don't Bite?'
'You have met, and danced with! One of them, at the hoe-down on your birthday--Jack Van Horn?'
'Ah! Mr. Blue Suede Shoes!'Marta smiled and nodded.'I remember.'She winked. 'Even a small nip from him would not be so bad, no?'
'Marta, no! I mean, yes! It would be!'Em got flustered when she thought of Jack nipping...at things...'You see,
we are still friends but...well, I just wonder, you know, how wise it would be to be living under the same roof. Although he has sworn he and Aleister and Mr. Yeats would all act as brothers and amigos while I'm there...'
'Then they shall.'Marta decided that quickly. 'Emmeline, men are not all headblind bulls! They do have a brain and the brain can control the body. I'll keep you busy enough, you won't even be there but 1/2 the time anyway.
I don't see a problem with these men.'
'What about, you know, what people in town would think?'
Em asked.
'What do you care?'Marta frowned at her. 'Do you think I care about what these people think of me? Those who know me, love me! Those who don't know me, who cares! It's simple, Em. Besides, what would they think of you in partnership with me, an old Mexican bruja, eh? Traipsing all about the country, digging in the dirt and getting your pretty fingernails all dirty!'Marta tilted her nose in the air, wiggling her fingers in a flighty manner.
Em laughed. She knew she didn't have any fingernails and working at the library was somehow such dirty work her hands looked like a miner's by days' end sometimes.'I know you're right, Marta. Working downtown with 'society folk' I have allowed their mad notions to affect me more than I should.'She sighed. 'How good it would be, to simply forget about them all and their fabricated ideas of propriety!'
'That, Em,'Marta nodded, 'Is the BEST medicine!'
. . . . .
Yeats and Jack also had business in town. At Mr. Moore's law firm, they had a couple of issues to discuss with the attorney. As well as the sale of Alice's house, which was given the green light, Jack had made it clear that the endowment he had given the library was not being used according to their agreement wherein it was clearly stipulated the monies awarded were to be used to keep the archives building going and in fact, improved upon.
'Breach of contract, at the very least,'Jack said. He had spoken more strongly when discussing it with Yeats at the house earlier, but his sensei had cautioned against going head-to-head with the city, hired guns a-blazing. They didn't want to make enemies, and preferred their presence to remain fairly invisible to the community at large. Em had impressed upon Jack just how questionable the local politicians motives could be, Be a shame if he couldn't cause some heads to roll who really deserved it...
Moore had listened intently, and agreed. 'I think it could be easily decided in our favor...soon as I call one in, I believe!' Moore leaned back then. 'These people here...don't really care about right or wrong, or even the letter of the law, so called.' He rocked slightly in his chair, hands clasped over his ample girth. 'What WILL impress them however, is a name, and what it portends...'
'You know someone.'Yeats stated it as a given.
Moore smiled slowly.'Oh yes. San Francisco attorney...he owes me one, and I think he'd enjoy this case. All we have to do, is serve papers bearing HIS name upon them as your legal representative, and they would fall over themselves agreeing to anything you would care to name...first-born sons, pounds of flesh, etcetera...'
Jack and Yeats looked at one another. 'And this all-powerful being would be whom?'
'Name of Eugene V. Nader...'Moore opened a good-sized black leather-bound address book. 'Oh, yes. They'll know who he is, and that's all we'll need!I'll have my clerk,
contact him by wire, and send him copies of your paperwork ASAP.
And,I don't think we'll have any problems selling Alice's place, for a tidy sum, as well.That, at least, is fairly straight forward! I would venture to say that we'll have a buyer by the end of the month!'
. . . . .
After paying a cursory call to the library administration to inform them of their intentions, (which, as they'd guessed, had been duly ignored,)Jack and Yeats headed home listening to the clip-clop of Trotsky's metronome beat.
'Do you think that'll work for Em?'Jack asked Yeats. 'Less than a month to leave. She's not sure about, anything, really, as yet...'
Even old Yeats sighed at that. 'We'll speak with her.'
Jack spied a blue blur on the side of the road. 'Is that she?'
'She what, has a bicycle now?' Yeats reined in the bay to a slow walk, pulling far over.
The cart soon caught up with her. 'Em!' Jack yelled and waved. Em stole a glance behind her and grinned, stopping Lil Blue, and waited for them.'Out and about, eh, Em?'
'Oh, yes Jack, Mr. Yeats! My new bike!' She regarded Yeats then.
'Very nice.'
'So! Em!...ah...been to town, then?' Jack wished very much to talk with her and just, well, get everything out on the table, but...discretion and all that...is the better part of a 50/50 split.
'Yes!' Em seemed very keen about something at present.
'Do stop by when you can, we shall talk it over then.'
'Well...'Jack looked at Yeats, who sighed and nodded. 'Why not add bike to cart, and we'll drive you back, then, Em?'
Emmeline agreed to this, so Jack helped her load Lil Blue, and she sat with Jack on the rear seat.Em noted his eye looked slightly better, not such a dark bruise, and the swelling was down. 'Oh, I've just come from Marta's with some more herbs for you, Jack.' She handed him a cloth pouch which smelled of something fresh, green and wild.
'Thanks, Em. How is Marta?'
'Oh,Jack--just wait til I tell you! You and Mr. Yeats may stop in for a moment, yes?'Her sparkling gaze took him in and won him over.
'Just for a moment, Em, alright Mr. Yeats?' Jack asked.
'Umm.' Was Yeats's excuse for an answer.
'That'll do for 'yes.''Jack assurred her. They rode to Alice's in companionable silence...Jack was glad to have business over with early...he had hardly slept.He was concerned about the sale, and Em. Last evening,he had kept playing Dylan's 'Basement Tapes' over and over. Somehow, it was hard to feel completely beaten when hearing all these guys...and what a great cover! Jack recalled many years ago when he had first heard this mix...he'd just gotten a mandolin, and discovered it had the same tuning as a violin. He mused about playing it ala Jimmy Page with a violin bow...then, he found his uncle's copy of the Basement Tapes, with Dylan on the cover, with what appeared to be a mandolin or lute under his chin, and he posed as if to play the violinist...amidst the strongman and fireaters, ballerinas and belly dancers, nuns and dwarves and men in straight jackets and sad clowns and sangrimancers...and Jack had thought it all very serendipidous indeed...
. . . . .
'And here we are!' Em announced. It was good to see her looking more upbeat, Jack noticed, as he took the bike from the cart and wheeled it up on the porch and Em unlocked the gate and rounded up her canines.
'Do make yourselves comfortable!'Emmeline told them as they filed into the kitchen and she got the old woodstove started and fed Mac and Frida.
'Frida is looking...well.'Yeats noted.
'You see? Yes, she is doing well indeed. The Kahlos are
pleased.'Em sighed,as she put the kettle on. 'I'm not sure what we'll do though, I would hate to break up the team...I don't know how Macky will take the move! The Kahlos have been apprised of the sale, and offered to keep Mac and Frida at their place, until I am settled elsewhere...'
'Of course, Mac is welcome at Crowley Place!' Jack announced. 'Before 'Alice' showed up, I'd been telling Aleister we needed a watchdog! I've been kidding him ever since about the one he found!' Jack added, grinning.
Em took the tea to the breakfast nook and set cups and saucers 'round, adding some newly baked gingerbread slices to the table as well, 'He is the best watchdog!' Em assented, pouring tea,'He may be ready to adjust to a different place, after Frida's attention has turned to her pups.'
At last, Emmeline sat beside Jack and joined them. 'Well,'she began, 'I have news! I have found a job--more than that--a vocation!'
'Emmeline, truly!' Jack's face brightened. 'Cheers, then, Em!' He held his teacup up to her, as did Yeats.'Cheers, Emmeline!'
'Iachyd da!'Em toasted in Welsh, clinking cups.Taking a sip, she continued, 'So this morning I went to see the Guevaras and spoke with Marta, who is doing quite well, especially with her herbal medicines business. She has been thinking of hiring a helper, to work with her gathering, drying, and selling at markets. Since I know abit about herbs, and she has been teaching me...we've gone on local herb-gathering forays together; she offered me the job!''
'That sounds just the thing for you, Emmeline,'Yeats commented. 'You would enjoy the work, I think.'
'Oh, yes, Mr. Yeats! Especially compared to the horrors I was feeling when I thought I'd have to resign myself to ironing linens for society folk...'Em shuddered.
Jack had been rather quiet however.'So...will you be staying with the Guevara's then?'
'Oh, no, Jack. Marta doesn't spend much time at home herself, even.I would have to stay somewhere I could come and go easily, and be free to travel. I would be out in the field and at markets quite often...'She looked at him.'
Yeats spoke up,'It would seem Crowley House would fit that bill, Emmeline.'
'Well,'Em looked at them both, searchingly,'I had been considering it...IF it would be well with you, and Dr. Parsons, if I'd only be there, part-time! When I am there, I'd be more than willing to help in whatever capacity! Including restoration, Jack!'
Jack considered Em then. 'Are you saying, that you will come stay with us, then? Part-time?'He smiled at last.
'Yes, Jack, I would be so pleased.'Em answered.
'Then so would we. Welcome to Crowley House, Emmeline! Mi casa es su casa, whenever you are ready!' Jack sighed and grinned as Em put her arm through his and lay her head on his shoulder a moment in a brief hug.
'Thank you, Jack.'
. . . . .
Travelin' Lady, stay awhile
until the night is over
I'm just a station on your way
I know I'm not your lover...
Well I lived with a child of snow
when I was a soldier
And I fought every man for her
Until the nights grew colder
She used to wear her hair
Like you, except when she was sleeping
And then she'd weave it on a loom
Of smoke and gold and breathing
And why are you so quiet now,
standing there in the doorway
You chose your journey long before
you came upon this highway
Traveling lady, stay awhile
until the night is over
I'm just a station on your way
I know I'm not your lover...
--Leonard Cohen.
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