Yankton

Chapter 51

Chapter 51 Women at Work

Two weeks went by like a flash; we were working from seven in the morning until well past dark damn near every day. We gave the bricklayers, and the two hired carpenters the weekend off which gave Craig, Jake and I, time to use tools and equipment, such as a small air compressor and nailer without drawing any attention. Craig and I were a little leery at first with the idea of Jake using the nail gun, fearing that he's drive one through a leg or hand, but he proved us wrong. Although Craig had done masonry work before, he wasn't confident enough to tackle things like chimneys on his own. In the end, he admitted that he became fascinated by watching the "brickies" work, learning a lot from them. Mark, Colin, and even Caleb all helped out. Both Craig and I showed the boy basic carpentry for which he was very grateful. By the end of the second week, the foundation and the two chimneys were finished, along with the "summer kitchen" change Craig suggested.

Craig borrowed the idea from Colonial times, in this case, rather than being on the interior of the boarding house, the kitchen was constructed as a separate building connected to the boarding house by a short breezeway, located at the center of the boarding house in the rear. Instead, of a large fireplace, a woodstove would take its place; the floor was constructed of brick, in fact that's where the majority of brickwork was located. Since Klara would be running things, she was involved every step of the way, something that amazed and baffled her.

"This is going to be your home and place of work Klara," Craig and I told her, you tell us exactly what you want." When the boarding house was completed, you could really see a lot of European influence in it, a feature that always made her proud.

Craig also threw together a decent little chicken coop and adjoining shed for the birds as well, off the kitchen. Through Klara's work and encouragement, Inge and Steinar were emerging from their self-imposed "prisons." They now looked to Klara as their surrogate mother, and not only began to speak more, but interact with others as well. In the case of Steinar, it was Caleb, and Travis Moss, the blacksmith's son. After his apology to Steinar, and my little "chat" with him Caleb and Steinar became good friends. In fact, later, Caleb confessed to me that I had been right, and that he and Steinar would often talk about how much they missed their mothers.

"You're learning Caleb" I told him, I then talked about how my father had died when I was younger, and how much I had missed him.

The plan was that once all the brickwork was completed, and the "Brickies" were gone, we could proceed full steam ahead on the boarding house, using a selection of power tools and modern building techniques that would speed up the process. More discussion was also being given to returning to the future, Craig needed to re-supply, Montana and Melonie were looking forward to dining like robber baron's wives, and taking long hot showers again .Annie was also agitating to come with us. I think it's only fitting to bring her up once more because of her unique behavior. As I mentioned earlier, Craig had befriended Kitty and Maggie introducing them to the ménage á trois which even caused Montana's eyebrows to rise. He looked out for them, and I think was even teaching Maggie to improve her reading. Annie came late to the party, and couldn't crack this triumvirate, but that didn't stop her.

When I first met Annie, she was at the end of her rope, but it's funny what hope and encouragement can do, about a week after Montana hired her, Annie behaved like a different person, or as Kitty bluntly put it,

"Annie just likes to screw!" She certainly had Jake pissed off, he came to me and complained,

"That girl keeps badgering me to tell her all about the future, but when I do, she doesn't understand what I'm talking about…Hell! Sometimes I don't either, but she accuses me of lying, I'm trying to work but she just won't leave me alone.

"Sorry Jake," I replied, I told her to talk to you, but not pester you, I'll have a talk with her, and hopefully get this thing straightened out."

When I did confront her, she became apologetic, telling me,

"I talked to Jake but he doesn't make any sense, talking about carriages that move around on their own, lights that shine without any flame, contraptions that can keep a room cool even on the hottest days, just crazy stuff."

"Annie," I explained, "Jake's right, all of those things are true, life in the future has changed so much you simply wouldn't recognize it. Everything you know and take for granted here in 1877 is gone; nobody does any of it anymore." She looked at me tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

"Will you take me; I want to go so bad!"

"Why Annie, why do you want to jump into something you know absolutely nothing about?"

Mr. Yankton, I want to break with this life so bad I can taste it, I figure what's in the future has got to be better than this, please take me!"

"I thought you liked it here, everyone tells me you really like your work."

"Don't get me wrong Mr. Yankton, everyone has been very good to me, but if I don't get out of this place I'll die."

"Well if you feel that way about it, find yourself a good man, you a good cook I'm sure you could have your pick of men around here."

"Popping our a little one every year, watching them die, grinding work, no thanks Mr. Yankton, for better or worse, I want to go with you, I want to meet this sister of yours."

I couldn't take it anymore, she had finally worn me down,

"All right Annie, your wish has been granted, but like I'm fond of saying…Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it." Montana thought she was crazy, but she had become popular, and had the men coming back, so she couldn't say much,

"She won't like it, I know more than she does, and life in your time bothers me."

"Well I turn Melinda loose on her, maybe she'll knock some sense into Annie."

"I doubt it," replied Montana, "But you never can tell."

We had a nice little group of travelers going forward into the future. Annie was excited right up until the time we all crowded into the chamber, then I detected a visible nervousness on her part,

"Stay calm Annie," remarked Montana, "We aren't even there yet." Since there were five of us, it took longer to make sure everything was exactly as it should be, all the readings were right on the mark, the gravity sensors didn't deviate, and the tipler sinusoid indicated a standard off-set, we were good to go. The time transfer seemed to take a little longer, and I noticed an unusual amount of energy being drained, with the indicator needle reaching the high end, but thank god it didn't go into the red. Clearly fewer people would be making the return trip, I never liked the idea of running back to back transfers, but I was really pushing things with five people.

When the humming stopped, and the indicators all returned to normal, and the recharger showed a normal re-charge, I breathed a sigh of relief,

"Everybody out, rides over, come on Annie time to check out the brave new world you have been so eager to see."

It was around two in the afternoon, roughly two days from the day we left, Melinda was not home, no doubt running errands, Mark and Jake headed for the kitchen for refreshments while Montana and Melonie made themselves comfortable on the couch. Annie crept around like a cat in a new home and when Montana switched on the TV and the sound immediately came on I thought Annie was practicing for the high jump. Turning to locate the source of the sound, Annie's eyes fell on the large TV screen, and as luck would have it, there was a commercial running that featured a woman in a bikini. Both Montana and Melonie winced, but Annie let out a gasp and pointed.

"What's that naked woman doing in there, where are her clothes?"

"Women don't seem to wear any clothes here in the future, commented Melonie, but Annie persisted.

"What is that, how did those people get in that box?"

"Calm down Annie!" I called out, "Just chill out, everything will be explained." Just about that time the front door opened and Melinda walked in carrying bags of groceries. When she spotted Jake, she let out a squeak and rushed over to him trying to put her arms around him while still holding her grocery bags. The exchange was rather interesting in that while he was very happy to see her he showed it in a more reserved nineteenth century style, while Melinda was all over him in an unrestrained twenty-first century style.

Annie just stood there taking it all in, and once my sister finished ravishing Jake she turned to Montana and Melonie hugging them, and yammering on about having a girl's night out somewhere.

I then got my sister's attention,

"Melinda, Meet Annie, Annie O'Donnell, Annie, this is my sister Melinda. Melinda, Annie kept pestering us for the chance to "see the elephant." Well, she gets what she asks for, I want you to give her the full treatment, show her what women are like here in the twenty-first century, I know it's a tough assignment, but I know you can do it." Melinda gave me a sly look,

"Well in that case," she replied, "Well then I'll just take the charge card and we'll go do some shopping. Come on Annie, we got places to go!" Annie just looked bewildered, and at a complete loss for words,

"You go with my sister Annie, she is your modern counterpart, just try not to absorb everything at once or too fast and you'll be fine, as for the rest of us, we've got things to do."

Jake ended up going with Annie and Melinda, Montana wanted to go to the casino, and Mark wanted to spend time with Mel on the computer, and Craig was headed for the building supply centers. On our way to a nearby casino, Montana asked me,

"Do you think Annie will be all right? It seems cruel to just toss her in with your sister like that."

"Well, she brought it on herself," I replied, I'm not really worried, Melinda won't let her get into too much trouble." We spent close to three hours at the casino, while Montana played Blackjack, Craps, and Keno, winning slightly less than two hundred dollars, which she later gave to my sister with instructions to buy her some new clothes, (new old fashioned cloths, that is.)

We returned home around midnight, Mark and Melonie were cuddled on the couch watching True Grit, along with Craig, who was also working at the computer at the same time.

Annie and Melinda check in yet?" I asked,

"Your sister called about an hour ago," replied Mark, said she and Annie were going to stop off at one of the casinos before coming home."

"The movie is almost over," said Mark, sorry there's no more popcorn, but you guys are welcome to share the couch with us. How much did you win Montana?" He added. John Wayne was in the process of rushing Mattie to the doctor after she'd been snake bit so Montana and I made ourselves comfortable on the couch, I didn't endear myself to anyone when I exclaimed,

"Fill your hand you sonofabitch!" getting shushed by Mel,

"Quiet! I'm trying to watch this." When the movie was over, I said,

"In the remake, Mattie looses her arm, probably more realistic."

About this time we heard a car pull up outside, a lot of talking, and sounds of fumbling around. Getting up to check, I was met by two very drunk women staggering through the door, as well as what looked like a taxi pulling away. Jake was behind them but I couldn't tell if he was drunk or not. Annie seemed to be wearing modern cloths, sneakers, jeans long sleeved Henley and her hair appeared to be cut very short, almost like a bob. Both women were dragging plastic shopping bags, so Melinda must have taken Annie out to get modern clothes.

"It certainly looks like you two are snockered," I observed,

"Well we got a damn good buzz going," replied Melinda, her speech slightly slurred.

"But we had three offers from guys to go home with them, turned 'em all down, so we can't be that drunk!"

"Well Annie," I asked, "Got a better idea of what's going on?"

"I think I'm going to be sick," she gasped, as she cupped her hands over her mouth.

"Come on girl replied Melinda, "Let's get you to the bathroom!" With that, my sister quickly herded Annie into the bathroom and slammed the door.

"Well I think Mel and I are calling it a night," announced Mark, "See everybody in the morning."

"I'm all done in as well," added Craig, "Got some things to go over with you in the morning Brian," he added. Montana and I cuddled on the couch as I teased her,

"So what happened Jake?" I asked. Jake acted disgusted, as he shook his head.

"We left Melinda's automobile in a parking lot, I offered to try and drive us back here but Melinda wouldn't let me."

When did the state issue you a driver's license Jake, if you had been stopped, it would have been all over, you keep forgetting that you can't do anything anymore without a damn license."

"Well I was jes trying to be helpful."

"I know you were, don't worry about it, now, what happened?"

"Well your sister drove us all over town, got some new duds for Annie, got me a pair of trousers as well. That's all she done, drive around showing us the sights, and stopping at saloons."

"Well did Annie learn anything on this "magical mystery tour," of my sisters?"

Jake shrugged,

"She got real skerred at first even started sobbin, but we kept telling her there weren't nothing to be skerred 'bout, Melinda kept getting Annie drunker, until she couldn't drive no more, that's when she called one of them taxi's on that tiny telephone of hers."

"So guys were trying to pick her and Annie up?"

"They was, until they saw me a-starin' at 'em. They came on all friendly at first, but their intentions didn't look honorable." Chuckling, I replied,

"Well you did right to chase them off Jake, you're right, their intentions were not honorable."

About this time both women came out of the bathroom,

"All finished preying to the porcelain god?" I asked.

"f**k you!" Snapped Melinda, we just puke our guts out and you just make fun of us."

Turning to Montana, I asked,

"I thought your employees knew how to hold their liquor?"

"You know they don't drink while they're working," she replied, "Just leave them alone, can't you see they don't feel very well." Turning my attention to Annie, I asked her,

"So, Annie how do you like the future?" Still looking quite pale she replied,

"I don't know what to do…What to think, I thought people was just telling me stories, but they weren't. Montana, did you know they have contraptions that can fly, and folks travel from place to place in them?" Montana just shrugged and grinned.

"Yes Annie, I'm aware of it."

The next morning I thought for sure, Annie would be so panicked by everything she had seen she would refuse to leave the house, but she accompanied my sister, along with Melonie, and Montana out for a long walk the next morning. I wasn't sure if she was still feeling the effects of the previous evening's binge, or the reality of it all was closing in on her. During this time while Mark talked to his folks, and worked up a study plan for Melonie, the rest of us went over more details concerning the boarding house, and preliminary on the men's barracks. Two hours the women came through the door laughing and chattering away. Annie was laughing and smiling as well so perhaps the walk did her good.

"Where did you ladies go?" I asked, Melinda replied,

"Oh we walked down the hill, and up to the cemetery, looked around there, then back down Lincoln Street, to Sherman by the police station, then back up here." Montana then spoke,

"I had the strangest feeling when we were walking through the cemetery, all the people I know are there long dead, and here I am."

"It's the eeriest sensation," added Melonie, "It's one of the things that bothers me so much about coming here, I feel like I've somehow cheated death."

"You haven't cheated it," I replied," Everything still goes according to plan, you just get a "sneak peek" at the things to come, that's all."

Up to this point, Annie had been rather quiet, she then spoke up.

"Brian, I think I now understand…Not all, but a little. I know I have to go back, but I wish to return, and stay longer, perhaps when Melinda remains here, would that be possible?"

"I don't know; ask Montana, she's your boss."

"We'll see," was all Montana would say.