A collision was imminent, there was no time to stop. Billy didn’t even stop to consciously think, he merely focused to the right shoulder ahead. He felt his body convulse slightly as if it was lifting a great weight. Then the familiar violet flash though this time it was somewhat subdued from previous events.
The Bronco came to rest and Billy put it in park. His body relaxed and he let out a sigh. “Whoa. That was too close.”
Mallory was looking at him intently, then she started firing questions at him, “What just happened? One moment we were about to collide with all those rocks, the next we’re sitting safely on the side of the road. How did you maneuver so quickly out of the way? My vision blurred for a moment, then I thought I saw a flash of some kind and we were out of the way.”
“I’m not sure. Adrenaline? Quick reflexes? I saw the situation going South fast and saw the only path out was over here. I guess I managed to swerve and accelerate out of harms way.”
She reached out and touched Billy’s hand. “You’re shaking. And very warm and sweaty.” A look of sincere concern came over her face, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m okay. A little shook up is all. Must be nerves.” As he said it, Billy felt his heart rate slowing back to normal. His mind clearing he thought to himself, “I’m not 100% sure how I did it. But I definitely moved the Bronco and us from one place to another. Geez, my life has gotten weird.”
“Billy. Billy snap out of it.”
“Huh, sorry. My mind wandered a bit for a moment there. Close call eh?”
“You sure you’re all right? You were kind of out of it there for a moment.”
The driver of the dump truck appeared at Billy’s window. “You folks okay? I don’t know what happened back there. I’m glad you were able to get out of the way.”
“Yeah. We’re okay. No harm done. Nothing like a little excitement to let you know you’re alive.” Billy laughed.
“You need to see a doctor or anything?”
“No, we’re fine. There was no impact. Just a bit of a thrill is all. You’re okay Mallory?”
“I’m fine now that the excitement is over. But I am ready for that drink you promised me.”
“It’s lucky no one else was in the intersection when the gate broke free.”
Billy thought to himself, “Yeah. Lucky.” Yet he felt that there was more to it than that; remembering what had happened when that other truck had hit the bridge abutment and the driver ended up sitting in the road. “I think we’ll just be on our way now.”
“Okay then. Well I’ve got a mess to clean up.” He turned and walked back to the intersection, a front end loader had already arrived from the construction area and was getting ready to start moving the rocks out of the road.
Mallory was looking at him very intently now. Billy felt like she was looking right through him. His heart raced a bit, but this time it had nothing to do with what was going on outside the Bronco. “You’re sure you feel okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good. I told you my life has a bunch of strange in it right now. You sure you still want to hang out with me.”
She looked at him mischievously, “For sure. I kinda like weird. And you promised me dancing.” She laughed.
A little over five minutes later they had parked and heading into Halverton’s. Billy got a big smile on his face and held the door for her, “After you Madame.”
“Why thank you kind sir.” Smiling back at him and giving him a little wink. She laughed again, “This is going to be fun.”
As they entered Billy noticed the clock over the bar, 5:40. It seemed like a lot more time had passed since he had stopped at her place.
A waitress came over to greet them. “Hi I’m Carla. Is it just the two of you tonite?”
“Yes.”
“You can have either of the two small tables over by the window”, she pointed. There was a small table right up near the stage, two larger tables, then another small table further back. “The rest are for larger parties. I expect it will be a full house tonight. We always get a good crowd when Lightning Strike plays.” Up on the stage the band had just arrived and were beginning to get set up. You here to dance too?”
“Absolutely. Looking forward to it”, spoke Mallory, “How about the one on the left Billy? Not quite as close to the stage so we’ll be able to talk too.”
“Good choice. We’ll take that one.”
“Okay, seat yourself and I’ll be over in a minute to take your orders.”
“You have a preference?”
“I like to sit with my back to the stage so I can watch the crowd”, she said as she slid into that chair and took a menu from the holder on the table.
Billy sat down across from her and took another menu.
They had just decided what they wanted. When Carla arrived and took their order. “Back in a minute with your drinks. I’ll bring out the the rest together.”
While they ate they talked a little about each other’s past growing up in the area. Billy felt very comfortable with Mallory, he hadn’t been able to talk to anyone about himself like this except with Joey. He became pensive for a moment at the thought of his old friend.
Mallory stopped, “Are you okay?”
“I was just thinking of an old friend who died in an accident a few years back.”
“Sorry to hear that. It’s not easy losing someone you’re really close to. If I’m not imposing, how did it happen?”
“Climbing accident. He was climbing by himself. Park ranger found him the next day, but it was too late he’d already died.”
“That’s tough.”
“Yeah. We’d been friends since we were toddlers.” Billy smiled, for the first time he was really having no trouble about the loss of his friend. “You’re very easy to talk to Mallory, like I did with him.” Then he thought to himself, “Wow, did I just make things really awkward?” The room seemed to go quiet…
It was probably less than it felt like when she spoke, “I was just thinking how easy you are to talk with.”
Carla came over to clear their table. “You guys want dessert? Another drink?”
“Gotta watch my girlish figure”, laughed Mallory, “But what the heck we’ll burn it off dancing. Right Billy?”
“Yeah. We’ll burn up the dance floor.”
“How ‘bout we share a slice of double chocolate cake?”
“Sure. And two more drafts please Carla.”
“Double choc, two forks, two draughts. Be right back.”
The band had finished setting up and was starting to play some low level selections to warm up.
Billy and Mallory were just finishing their dessert as the band finished playing “Cherokee Nation” by Paul Revere and the Raiders. The frontman stepped up to the mic, “We’re going to take a short break. When we come back I hope you people are ready to dance!”
The room, now full, broke out in applause.
Billy smiled, “I always liked that song. It gives me the chills.”
Mallory sighed, “I’ve long had an interest in the richness of the American Indian cultures, much of history paints them as the bad guys but they really were invaded by the Europeans. My uncle used to tell me stories about the local Indians.”
She had Billy’s full attention now as he remembered Joey’s words, ‘Ask her about the Indians’, “Please tell me more.”
“Okay, many many years ago there was an Indian tribe, the Wakatoba, that used to live way out on the back of what is now our property. They kept to themselves and at the time this area was undeveloped and very isolated from everything else so no one bothered them. They lived off the land in a very peaceful existence, coexisting with nature.”
Billy exclaimed, “Wow, I never knew there were Indians that lived in this area at all.”
“Sure, there were tribes all over the North American continent. These smaller tribes are not specifically called out in the popular history books, so many of these tribes are unknown except to people who are willing to do the research. Remember, history books are written by the victor, so the truth you were taught in school is not necessarily the whole story or for that matter the actual truth as events happened.”
Billy interrupted, “I had an instructor last semester in an ethics course I took that said something similar. Something like, given enough time and exposure, perception can often replace the truth and become the accepted reality. He would usually follow a statement like that with one of his favorite quotes, “Don’t confuse me with the facts!”
Mallory continued, “It is unfortunate that people will often follow so blindly what they are told, with out checking the facts. Often going off based on one line of thought because it is an accepted fact.”
Billy was anxious to hear more about the Wakatoba Indians, “Sorry, I interrupted you, I’d like to hear more about the local tribe.”
“It’s okay. Anyways, as far as Uncle Ethan knew the tribe all died off but the burial ground is still there. They lived not too far from the Cliff.”
“Really?”
“Yes, there are some remains of what appears to have been a gathering place on the opposite side from where you climbed. Uncle used to think that this is where their Medicine Man had his tent. Supposedly there was a belief that there was a close connection to the spirit world there. The remains of the burial ground is located at the foot and he believed that the Indians lived on the side of the hill below the gathering place and above the burial grounds.”
The lights in the room dimmed as the frontman walked toward the mic. There was a long drum roll followed by a flash of strobes. Then there was a large flash outside that lit up the entire room. Billy saw the Indian warrior standing in the entrance to Halverton’s. Almost instantly there was a large crack of thunder as the Indian’s gaze fell upon Billy.
What’s in store for Billy and Mallory? Come on back next week for more in the continuing adventures of Billy Einkhorn.
Episode 14 – 7/14/21
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