Song of Angels - Chapter 23
Written for Steemit: A love story occurs during a time anomaly. A woman from today somehow steps into an anomaly and meets a cowboy asleep on his ranch, in his bed, in the 1850's. ©Jeff Kubitz 2016 - All Rights Reserved.
Song of Angels - Chapter 23
Mindy Woczlewski courtesy of Nastya Muratokova
“We climbed the trees and picked the apples…” Cyrus was saying everything he remembered when he was six years old. Mindy was using positive reinforcement to get him to talk. He had only had to take one potty break. She needed two but Cyrus was really talking to her openly, though his voice changed pitch every so often or he outright screamed with pleasure. Then Mindy heard it. She stopped and listened.
“Cyrus, I think I hear a chopper.”
“Is the game over? Can I ask a question?”
“If it is a chopper, it might be flying around looking for me. I could be rescued.”
“I would rather continue playing the game, what is a chopper, an airplane? I don’t want you to leave, Mindy.”
“The hotel is a hundred and twenty-five dollars a day, are you sure you don’t want me to leave and checkout of the hotel?”
“Oh, let’s get dressed quick and we can see if whatever a chopper is, is out there looking for you.”
“I thought that might shake you out of it.” They jumped up and dressed as fast as possible.
“Maybe you better quickly brush your hair, Mindy.” Cyrus said, “Where are my dry socks.”
“I put them on the shelves in the bedroom.”
“Right. Found them. I really like the rug idea. No dirty feet.”
“No dirty knees and besides my lips were beginning to chap.”
“I reckon we were at that question for at least four hours.”
“Four hours, you really think so?”
“I can remember a lot from when I was six.”
“Yes, you can and my how time flies when you’re having fun.”
“So, you liked doing that to me?”
“Why yes. And how do you like talking to me?”
“Oh that was the best feeling conversation I ever had in my whole life.”
“Don’t forget your coat and hat.”
“Yes Dear. Now what is a chopper?”
“I’ll show it to you. Don’t shoot at it!”
“I won’t. Not to save a hundred and twenty-five dollars a day.” Mindy pulled the bolt out and set it to the side of the door. She went outside. She could hear the chopper but couldn’t see it. It was somewhere off to the east. Cyrus came outside and heard the chopper.
“I have never heard anything like that. It is so loud. Is that the chopper?”
“Yes, and it is far away. Over there somewhere.” She pointed off to the east.
“Maybe it is at the jeep?”
“Maybe. It could be flying lower to the ground, looking for me.”
“Can it see a signal fire?”
“Yes. Yes. I think so. Where should we make a fire?”
“Right out in this open area in front of the house should be fine. I’ll do it. Just wait here.”
“Hurry, it is cold out here we could stand by it to keep warm as well as signal the chopper.” Cyrus didn’t respond other than by jumping into action. He ran over to the log ricks and grabbed as many logs as he could carry, which was at least ten. He carried them to about twenty paces in front of the house. He set them down.
There was a snow shovel leaning against the house and he picked that up and carried it to his pile of wood. He used the shovel to remove a large area of snow down to the dirt. It took a while to clear away the snow. The snow was eighteen inches deep. Once the snow was gone, he arranged the logs in the middle of the cleared area. There would be plenty of room to stand next to the fire. He used the shovel to clear a walking path back to the door from the fire. He set the shovel aside and went into the house.
He opened one of the stove burner lids and looked inside to find a piece of wood that he could grab and pull out to start the signal fire. All the wood was hot coals. He reached over to the wood pile and then put two logs in the stove. He opened the stove vent all the way. He put the burner lid back and waited a couple of minutes then looked inside the stove. The logs were well lit. Cyrus closed the vent and reached into the stove and grabbed one of the logs, then the other.
He raced outside with a burning log in each hand and said to Mindy as he passed, “Put a couple of more logs in the stove and open the vent just a little.”
Mindy went inside the house and did as she was told. She replaced the burner lid. She held her hands over the stove to warm up. “We would have never made it to the jeep without me freezing to death.” A little warmer, Mindy went back outside. Cyrus had the fire lit and he was shoveling a path to the log ricks. He saw Mindy come outside. “Go ahead and stand next to the fire.” He said as he continued to shovel his path.
Mindy closed the door to the house before she went to stand next to the fire. Might as well have a warmer place to go to because even next to this fire it is still cold, she thought. The fire grew in size but it didn’t smoke very much. She watched as Cyrus shoveled to the logs and then started toward the creek.
“What are you doing?” Mindy asked.
“I am trying to find leaves on the ground from those trees. They will make a lot of smoke for that fire. Tall grass, anything like that.”
“Oh. I think it is coming closer but it is still far away and I can’t see it.” Mindy said.
“I found some fallen leaves.” Cyrus walked over to the fire with a shovel load of fallen leaves and set them next to fire. The flames were roaring and about four feet high. Cyrus put some of the frozen, soaked leaves on the edge of the fire. The fire smoked in huge billowing clouds. “Stay out of the smoke Mindy. I don’t know what all of those leaves are.”
Mindy moved out of the smoke, it had barely touched her and said. “They should be able to see that.”
“In a few minutes, the smoke should rise high enough to be seen ten, maybe fifteen miles away. In the snow, I don’t think so but my relatives might try to come over here thinking I have had a disaster.”
“They should have seen the smoke from the wood stove too.”
“It really doesn’t put out that much smoke.” Cyrus said. “But one thing is lucky, the sky is very clear and it is sunny. So they should easily be able to see the smoke shortly.”
“Even next to the fire it is so cold out here. Are you cold Cyrus?”
“No, I am fine. I’ll tend the fire and watch. You go inside and stay warm.”
“Yes, I’ll make us some lunch, if you fetch some meat from the shed.”
“I’ll do that and we could use some more coffee.”
“Okay.” Mindy turned and went into the house. Immediately she closed the door but did not bolt it for the extra warmth. She stood next to the stove while she shivered then pulled the blanket over herself and used it to focus the heat. “It has to be well below freezing out there.”
“Here you go.” Cyrus said as he came through the door with a roast on his knife. He set it on the kitchen cabinet and turned to go back outside.”
“Steak and fried potatoes okay?”
“Sounds wonderful Mindy.”
“Okay, I’ll yell when the coffee is ready. And close the door please.”
“Will do.” Cyrus closed the door behind him as he went outside.
Mindy was all warmed up and walked over the steak and sliced it in half so that each steak would be about an inch thick. She took out a big iron skillet from under the kitchen cabinet and set the big pan on the counter and put the steaks in it. On the stove, it went.
While the meat was cooking, she quickly sliced some potatoes. She put them in the pan. She put some butter on the potatoes. It wasn’t like store bought butter. It was thick but it quickly melted. Everything in the pan began to sizzle. Mindy realized how much she missed garlic. She didn’t remember tasting any of it.
She thought the spices could wait while she slapped together a new pot of coffee. Once on its way to perk, she looked through the spices but really couldn’t see anything. It was too dark. So she walked over to the door and opened it and plenty of light came in, she listened for the chopper but it was still far away. Mindy saw what spices were under the cupboard. There was some rosemary and the dried peppers. She decided she would add an onion as well. She took what she had decided on and got busy chopping everything up. Then she threw it in with the steak and potatoes. “Oh that smells good.” She walked over and closed the door.
Whatever Cyrus was doing, she had not seen him next to the fire but it was smoking away in big clouds and he did say not to breathe it so he was probably standing clear or off doing something else. Mindy took her gloves off, she didn’t realize she had them on with the handling of the steaks and they needed to be wiped or washed. She tended the meal and took off her parka.
“I wonder if we can bake anything like bread or cakes besides just biscuits?” Mindy asked herself. She would have to ask Cyrus.
In about ten minutes, the meal had finished cooking but the coffee just began to perk. She moved the food over to the side of the stove and waited. After a couple of more minutes, she decided to serve up plates on the table, have everything completely ready.
When she finished setting the table, she donned her parka and stepped outside and yelled, “Cyrus, lunch is ready!” She heard him answer out behind the house.
“Coming!” The chopper sounded like it was still a long ways off to the east. Mindy went back inside the house. She brought the coffee over to the table and filled the two cups. Then set it down, then herself. She waited but it was not long and Cyrus came inside. He took off his hat and coat and hung them up.
“Close the door please Cyrus.” Mindy said before he could sit down and he closed it. Then he sat down in the chair opposite Mindy.
“I think we should pray, normally I do. I was just overwhelmed that you came and all Mindy.”
“Yes, same with me, go ‘head and pray.” They bowed their heads.
“Lord, you know I am not much for long prayers but I ask that Mindy be found by whatever that is out there, she is rescued and, she can pay off the hotel and do whatever it is she has to do and that you bless this food. Amen.”
“Amen. Let’s eat, I am starving.” Mindy said.
“I am surprised you are a so hungry after all you kept putting in your mouth this morning.”
“That was a joke from you wasn’t it?” Mindy laughed.
“Yes. I was trying to be funny, dear Mindy.”
“I can see that the question game has a good effect.”
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This is very good story thanks for writing it
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