Well Enough.

Chapter One – Well Enough


        “Evolution is inevitably a flawed process.  Every species evolves by weeding out the weaker so the stronger might survive, but only mankind, arguably the ‘smartest’ known species, has ever been capable of war.  Ever sense man came together in anything resembling a community or civilization we have sought to destroy any other group of people with different ideals or beliefs. The wars of today, if not fought for religion or idealistic reasons, are even more counterproductive because they are waged for land or resources.  Resources that are plenty for everyone, could we only learn to share.” (Excerpt from the essay “The Circular Path” by Dr. Jonathan Frankford 2010)


        The only sound came from the occasional rustling of distant leaves or quite stirring of birds in the trees overhead.  The summer days were long and hot, and this one gave no exception.  A gentle breeze floating over the landscape did little to inhibit the dry heat.  Trees rustled their leaves in agreement with the passing air and offered their shade in cooperation.  A calm peaceful day like helped cool the frustrations and temperaments of most men.  The question of how long the Earth could remain at peace overwhelmed most people and could only be a mystery in any case.

        Three travelers made their way down a particularly winding and earthy path.  Two of the three rode on horseback.  The other, the only female, rode in a small wagon pulled by a very put-out looking mule affectionately named Stew.  They once joked that he would better serve as dinner and the concept stuck.  Upon first sight, the trio, along with an ever enduring Stew, was a curios display of antics and outbursts of name calling.  The girl, perched on her seat with one arm holding Stew’s unnecessary reigns and the other supporting a tobacco pipe, seemed to be eyeing one or both of her brothers with momentary contempt.  Anyone privy to the pleasures of living with siblings would recognize the three as brothers and sister without delay. 

        Ezra, the oldest, sang loudly to no one in particular.  He indulged the habit of picking up different songs from bars and cantinas and singing them while they traveled.  This helped with his boredom, but whether because he enjoyed the songs, or that it annoyed his sister, Samantha, more than just about anything else he could do, he could never decide.  As he finished the song he imagined that he could physically feel the glare he knew she must be giving him on the back of his head. He smiled to himself and then started with a fresh round of “The Whore with no Door,” but just a bit louder than before.

        Sam had indeed been glaring at Ezra, but subconsciously so.  She learned long ago to tune out those horribly lewd songs of her brother’s. She now busied her mind with reflections on the life they lived thus far.  She had been small when their parents were killed, and her memories of her mother and father continued to be cloudy and elusive.  She learned not to ask about them because Galen never responded well. He stiffened and remained impossibly quite for hours.  His sensitivity about what happened was understandable. He actually witnessed the tragedy.  She sometimes felt cheated that she never really got the chance to know their parents and wondered how her life might be different if they never left her. 

        She decided she was at least lucky enough to still have her brothers, despite how they infuriated her.  After all, Ezra had, so far, proven a satisfactory care giver.  Her brothers and she, unlike too many people in the world, at least knew love and what it means.  In fact, maybe their situation had a silver lining.  She doubted many people were as close as she and her brothers, despite whatever bickering. 

        Sam wondered about the longevity of their lifestyle. Could they go on much longer traveling around from town to town, looking for scares work?  They managed to make themselves useful tinkering with the little technology that still existed.  Most good, hard working, root planting people of the world tended to frown on the sort of people generally referred to as ‘wanders.’  She grew tired of being judged and weighed based on appearance and often without any introduction at all.  Should they find a place where the work wouldn’t dry up, maybe they could establish themselves and she could even meet someone.  Maybe they could all meet someone, settle down, live a normal life.  She hoped they could do that, and she hoped they could do it soon.

        With the thought of meeting some young guy who could whisk her off her feet, or at least treat her like a woman and not one-of-the-guys, Sam began to rummage through a little bag she kept behind her legs.  After a moment she found what she searched for, a mirror with what probably used to be a beautiful wooden frame now worn and prone to splinter.  How upsetting to see the person staring back at her through her own eyes.  All together, she guessed she wasn’t completely unfortunate when it came to features, but with her hair cut short and her face so immeasurably grungy, she looked like any other boy.

        Well, can’t fault a rat for looking like a rat can you? In truth, her dirty face or short hair didn’t so much make her seem like a young boy as the way she carried herself, acted and spoke. What else could be expected from someone whose only real companionship consisted fully of her two older brothers. She sighed. If it’s a rat I am, then I’ll just be the cutest rat I can.  With that she wrinkled her nose, took a puff from her pipe, smiled once more at herself and nodded.

        “Hey jackass! Despite what you must think of those rusty pipes you call vocal cords, you’re really not doing anyone any favors singing those damned songs all day!”

        Ezra chuckled. “Sam, you know you love my little concerts.” He turned in his saddle to look at his younger sister, “You’re my muse, you know.”

        Galen actually chuckled a bit. Sam noticed. “Oh please, you can’t tell me you don’t want him to shut it…”

        Galen just half smiled and shrugged as if to declare his departure from the whole affair.

        Sam frowned deeply at them both. “Figures, you two would stick together of course. Well at least sing something other than those trash songs, God help us.”

        Ezra thought about this for a moment. Then genially smiled at Sam and began to sing a song from their childhood.





        “Well now here we go on along down the road.

        May not have the best money can buy

        May be dressed in rags and tags

        But when the going is tough we’ll keep going.

        And as long as we ride together,

        All we need is to keep going along down the road.”





        By now, they were all singing together.  Long ago they decided their parents made this song up just for them so they could sing it when they traveled.  It kept them from fighting as children and apparently still worked.  As they continued along down the road, they all began to smile and when they finished they shared a little laugh. Sam decided she was lucky indeed to have these brothers.

        Midday came and went, and with it left the day’s heat. They stopped briefly to water the animals and snack on some bread left over from breakfast.  Supplies grew slim. The undeniable lack of food for man and beast darkened the mood a bit.  Some comfort came from the idea of the town only about a day or so away.  Even if they found no acceptable work, they could sell one of the horses if necessary.  At least they would be able to stay at an Inn and have a bath in that case.  Still, having two horses made life a great deal easier because they did not have to stop so often to let Stew rest. They all realized it should be Stew they sold, but they probably couldn’t get much for him. Besides, to sell old Stew would be to sell a family member.

        They reluctantly got back on the road to get in a few miles before they stopped for the night.  They didn’t enjoy night time, not when forced to follow a road due to difficult terrain. The wagon couldn’t handle the soggy soil they had found when they ventured off the beaten path so they opted to keep to the main trek.  Night brought dangers however, and those dangers found people even more easily when they so conveniently parked on the side of a well known road. Galen’s turn at watch first would be first, so he rested as best he could in the back of the wagon. Stew, replaced at the front by Galen’s horse, plodded along behind, tied to the wagon.

        Sam just began to consider the few possibilities for supper when Ezra, who rode farther ahead to look for anything suspicious, rounded the corner headed back towards them.  He raised a hand that Sam knew meant for her to stop. She did as Ezra instructed, stopping the wagon, and turned around.  Galen, who had been stirred from his unsteady sleep by the sudden stop, already blinked grumpily at Ezra’s approach.

        “Shit,” Galen sighed. “What do you think’s wrong?”

        “How should I know, probably nothing. Hell, maybe he found a turkey dinner hiding in a bush.” Sam smiled.

        “Yeah, likely so. In any case, I’ll load the shotgun.”

        Ezra stopped his horse beside the wagon. “There’s a group of strange looking folk up the road just a bit on the other side of that curve.  Looks like they have a hurt or maybe dead horse. They were having a heated discussion, I couldn’t tell if it was an argument or what, but I figure we better ride past in a group. Better to be together should they decide to get confrontational if we turn down any request to take on passengers.  I think we learned our lesson long ago about picking up hitch-hikers.”  Ezra noticed the shotgun in Galen’s lap. “I’ll doubt we need it.”

        “Yeah, likely not. I’ll just keep it loaded in any case.”

        “Well, alright. But if your gunna go that far, might as well lie down back there. Element of surprise and all that good stuff. “

        Ezra turned his horse and Sam got the wagon moving again. They turned the corner and she saw the group of men that Ezra described.  A dead horse lay on the ground and she thought she might have seen blood on the animal, but it was too dark to be sure.  She looked at Galen who found a crack between two boxes from which he could watch, and was glad he decided to get the gun.  Something about the group ahead just seemed off.

        The four men, who indeed argued, fell silent when one of them nodded towards the passersby. They all turned to watch the approaching group.  One of them, dressed notably different from the other three, actually gave a nervous wave which earned him an ill concealed glare from the man closest to him.  Ezra and Sam nodded to the men and looked back to the road displaying as little apprehension of the goings-on as possible. The one in the center of the group visibly shook, He obviously very much desired the travelers to stop and ask a few questions, but he made no further gesture to get their attention, and they passed by without any words at all.

        When they were out of easy hearing distance, Ezra drew closer and spoke, keeping his voice as low as he could without actually leaning in. 

        “Strange eh?”

        “Yeah, did you see how scared that one guy looked?” Sam frowned. “And that horse. It looked like it had been killed.

        “That might be because it had a piece of something wooden sticking out of its torso, maybe a spear or something like that.”  Galen had been the only one who had the freedom to take a good look at things, but he remained hidden in the back of the wagon so that Sam had to repeat what he said to Ezra.  “I think they were robbers or something.  No way was that scared guy with them on purpose.”

        “Well, there is nothing we can do.  He might be in trouble, but we don’t need to make it ours too.  Let’s just keep moving on.”

        “The hell Ezra!” Galen’s words didn’t need repeating this time.

        “Look, maybe if we go back they will just get scared and run off or something, maybe we won’t need to fight anyone.  But can we really just leave that poor bastard there?” Sam hoped Ezra could provide a good argument to do just that, despite what she had just said.”

        “We will leave that poor bastard there. Maybe he is as good as dead, but if we go back he will probably still die, not to mention one or more of us might go with him, and I won’t risk it. Besides, maybe they will just take what he has and leave him there.  Either way, we are going on, and we are not stopping to make camp tonight. “

        “Ezra, think about what you’re saying for just a minute.” Galen’s tone was less argumentative now.  “What if he hadn’t been ahead of us, those goons would have probably ambushed us, or anyone else. They could be about to kill women and children, hell they probably have at some point. Who are we to say no to a man that needs our help?  Who are we if we are not the kind of people who can lend a hand to someone that is defenseless? Who are we if we turn a blind eye to people in obvious need of our help?”

        “We are people that get to live another day, that’s who we are!” They rounded another curve and were far enough away to not worry about their voices any longer.  Ezra spoke with a growl as he always did when asserting his big-brother authority. “Be glad that it wasn’t us and don’t throw away the blessing!  Now damn it, we are not going back. For once will you just listen to me and leave… well… enough… alone...” He took extra care with the last four words, drawing them out as if he thought this would push his point.

        “No, you’re wrong.  If we don’t go back now, then we are definitely not the people mother and father raised us to be!” Galen’s face was red with fury; neither Ezra nor Sam had seen him like this more than a handful of times.

        Ezra understood now.  The anger left his voice and he took on a tone of surprising comfort, coming from him.  “I understand little brother.  I do.  But, getting ourselves killed will not bring them back.”

        Sam knew the conversation just jumped to the murder of their parents and she frowned with sympathy for Galen.  She knew he must relive the images of their parent’s murder, images he never shared and she never asked for.  Maybe after this all ended she would ask him about them.  She did not realize before now how those images must torture him, or maybe she decided not to realize.

        “Maybe not.  But I was a kid then, and I was too afraid to do anything.  I watched them die, watched the joy on their murderers’ faces and just wanted someone, anyone, to come and stop them.  I know people must have heard their screams, but no one gives a damn anymore.  If someone had only cared about something more than themselves, our parents might still be here. If only I had not been such a coward, our parents might still live.  Well today, someone does care, and I’m not the same little kid I was.” With that, Galen hopped out of the wagon with the shotgun in hand.  “I’ll catch up.”

        “Damn it Galen! You damned fool. You’ll do no such thing.  Just go, be quite, and try to sneak up on them while Sam and I head back.  I’ll try to handle this without a fight, but be ready with that gun just in case.

        Galen nodded to his big brother. “Quite-like, just like you taught me.”

        “No, just like he taught the both of us.”  Ezra smiled and nodded to his brother, then turned his horse and waited for Sam to get the wagon turned around while Galen slipped off into the woods.









        Ezra and Sam approached the group of strangers; the relief of the fourth man was obvious even at a distance.  They stopped, careful not spark a volatile situation by being too aggressive. The other three men were noticeably annoyed and one of them moved a hand to the hilt of a dagger resting beneath his belt.

        “Ho there! My sister and I noticed you having some troubles when we passed by earlier.” Ezra nodded to the dead horse.  “Decided, we couldn’t just pass you by. Figured ya might need a hand.”  Ezra’s attempt at sounding innocent was probably over done because no one in the other party seemed convinced.

        “Yeah, shame ‘bout da horse. S’wut we thought too. Figured we’d stop an’ help a man out.” The man standing closest to the would-be victim smiled greasily.  “I think we got ‘er covered though. You don’t need ta worry ya’self ‘bout it now.”

        “Well, that is mighty kind of you fellas.  Gentlemen you are. But, we got room for another in our wagon, be easier if we took him to the next town, an’ well we don’t mind a bit, do we sis?.” Sam shook her head, not taking her eyes off the men.

        The speaker for the band of thugs shifted his gaze to Sam and he smiled again.  “Well maybe you got enough to worry about.  Yanno, I mighta thought that was boy like yourself, dirty as it is.  You called her it sista tho.. Oh… Ya, I see it now.  Why underneath that dirt I bet thar’s a pretty little thing… pretty pretty little thing I bet.  Yeah, maybe you just got too much worry for one man to handle.” All three of them chuckled. “Truth is, this fella,” He nodded towards the other man, “well, you never know do you. He might just be some kinda bad guy.  Yeah, might be real bad indeed.  You know what bad men do to pretty little things don’t cha?  His grin was somewhat more sinister, and his cronies chuckled again, one of them winked at Sam. “’cause… I do.”

        Ezra looked at Sam, his anger obvious. He calmed himself quickly and looked back at the men questioningly and smiled. “Pretty? I’d say average at best.” Sam ignored him. 

        The speaker moved a few steps closer. “Well then, won’t mind if she spends a little time with us then will ya.”

        Ezra frowned. He was suddenly all business.  “Enough games joker. Take another step and get full of lead.  Just hand the man over and we won’t have any need for violence. But in the end, it is your call. 

        “Speaker took a few more steps.” Big words boy. Ya say ya don’ wanna play no games, but I don’ see no gun.”

        “I’ve given you fair warning mister.” Ezra’s voice got louder. “Take one more step, and get shot.”

        “Heh, Yellin’ won’t make it so boy.” He began to walk closer, but something exploded from somewhere behind. The man’s eyes grew wide with shock as he slid first to his knees, then collapsed face first into the dirt, exposing a large red circle on his back from which blood poured.
His two accomplices stared blankly, taken aback with momentary shock.  The would-be victim took this opportunity to pick up a large wooden pole, it must have been left from the spear that killed his horse. Wielding it like a bat, he struck one of the men in the head. The third man’s sense finally returned and he ran away, while one of his partners lay dead with a back full of shot, and the other received repeated blows to the head.

        The stranger finally stopped beating the now dead robber, when Galen emerged from the trees behind. “I…I… was just so angry I…”

        “Don’t worry about it mister, they would’ve done worse to you.  I’m Galen and this is my brother Ezra, and my sister Samantha.” Galen offered the stranger his hand.

        The man took it. “My name is Thomas.  I don’t know that I can thank you and family enough for your kindness. I was just riding along and they jumped out of the trees with that damned spear and took down my horse.  They wanted money.  I tried explaining that I was just a minister on my way to meet my brothers in the next town, but they were convinced I was hiding money.  I’m surprised they didn’t just kill me.  I think they were worried you would be turning around and so were just waiting.  Oh! I’m so very glad that you came back.”

        “A minister eh? Well hop up on the wagon minister, we’ll give you a ride into town.  I hope you don’t mind riding through the night.  I’m afraid these idiots were local, given they didn’t seem to desire your horse.  I’d also wager this means the area is full of hungry desperate people, places that have no use for horses usually are.  One of them got away, and he might bring back more so, I don’t think I could sleep to soundly tonight.

        “No I suppose not.” Thomas, already climbing into the wagon, took great care not to damage his white robes on the coarse wood. Once aboard, he took off his boots and began shaking the mud off of them with a somewhat disgusted look on his face.  His expression didn’t help to cover a peculiar set of scars.  Three lines nearly paralleled each other down his right cheek.

        Sam untied Stew and rode him.  Galen unloaded the shot gun and took Ezra’s horse while Ezra slid in beside Thomas.  Ezra got them all to moving again, but noticed Thomas had as far away from him as he could without being too obvious, and busied himself with cleaning his boots and his robes.

        “You’re lucky my brother here has such a big heart minister.  I didn’t actually want to come back for you. “

        “Well praise be to God that you did, for whatever reason.”

        Ezra was silent for a moment, then spoke and made no effort to keep the contempt from his voice.  “No minister.  Praise be to my brother, my sister, and to me.  We helped you; we risked our lives to save you, a stranger, not God.

        Thomas thought for a moment.  “Perhaps God sent you to help me.  Or, maybe God persuaded you to turn around.”

        “God didn’t send us.  Hunger, and the need for work sent us to the next town, you were on the way.  And I told you, it was my brother that persuaded us.

        If Galen or Sam heard any of this conversation, they didn’t acknowledge it, and just rode on in silence.

        “But my son..,”

        “I’m not your son.”

        “Well then… Ezra was it?  Well, Ezra, God is in all things, all goodness comes from God, and what you did was a good thing.  You may not believe it, but you were a servant of God today.  That is a fact, and it’s a fact that should make you happy.  God does not choose just anyone to act for him.

        “Bullshit. All things good come from God do they?  And I suppose all things evil come from some devil or demon or bad juju or some ridiculous creation?

        “I don’t know that I would describe things in such a way, but ultimately you’re about right.”

        “Funny though isn’t it.  Men and women have absolutely no choice in the matter of what they do.  If they do something good for someone else, it was the hand of God.  If they commit some crime, it was the big bad Devil! Yet, at the end of the day, we still get to enjoy the consequences of our own actions.  We suffer for being the pawns in some twisted endless game of chess? Well, I say that’s bullshit.”

        “I never said we don’t have free will.”

        “But you did.”

        Thomas sighed and closed his eyes. “Ezra today has been long and strange.  I’m a bit too tired to have this discussion, and I don’t wish to upset the people who did me such a great favor.  Perhaps after we get into town, and both have had some rest, we can continue. But for now, my son, let’s put it aside.”

        “I’m not your son”

        “No, I see that you definitely are not.”

        The rest of the night passed without much conversation. Sometime after dawn they arrived in the town and stopped outside an Inn. The animals, very grateful for the rest, began to munch on a small patch of grass while the others got their things in order. Thomas said goodbye and shook each of their hands in turn, offering his blessings, and left to find the others in his order. 

        Ezra noted that for a man who was so grateful, he had not once ever offered to give them any kind of reward, a fact which both Galen and Sam honestly admitted had not escaped them either. They decided to go spend some of what little money they had left on a decent breakfast in then Inn, and to ask about any work that might be available, and to maybe, finally, get a little rest.