A Normal Life - revised

Charity K. Samora
1730 W. Quinn Rd #112
Pocatello, Idaho 83202
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Chapter 1
John Thomas Lords, who was the son of Utah and Idaho pioneers, moved his family to Salem, Massachusetts to get away from his estranged in-laws who disowned their daughter for marrying him.  Monica let them know that she and Harold were against their daughter, Louella, marrying her first cousin and they would not be attending any such wedding.  What Monica was really upset about is they had already set in motion plans for Louella to marry another man, a wealthy older man.
Of course this decision was heart wrenching to Louella but she was madly in love with John and just couldn’t go against her heart.  As much as she wanted her family around her that just wasn’t the case.  It was misty day when they took the few belongings they owned, went to the courthouse in a neighboring county and then moved away without a word.
One year after moving to Salem Earlin was born on May 22, 1929.  Three years later John and Earlin were blessed with another daughter, Lily. Six months after Lily was born John lost his parents in car and train accident.  They were on a single lane dirt road when they and the diver of another car both decided to try and beat the train.  The road was so narrow they ended up in a head on collision which was then struck by the train starting a fire and killing all involved. He was devastated with the loss of his parents because even after all of the family drama they were still real close and supportive.
John worked as a ranch hand for the Clark family who owned a large spread on the outskirts of town.  This is where he met William Bruner and they became fast friends.  William had traveled throughout the United States and Mexico living the life of a drifter.  What made him decide to settle down in one place, one will never know.  Even William himself couldn’t answer that question.  It could be many different things.  Some people say it was a woman. Some say a job.  Others think maybe he just grew up.
William was always welcome at the Lords home for dinner.  In fact he spent many a night there telling stories to the girls from his travels.  One such story went like this:  On a hot sunny day I was walking along a dry dirt road that had a sign saying “Bear Valley” this way.  As it were, no cars, nor horse, nor horse and carts came by.  I was starting to feel dehydrated as the last of my water was drunk up four hours earlier.  I walked and walked finally coming to a small town nearing extinction.  Only the sound of the wind rustling through the windows could be heard.  There was a man standing on the other end of town, about six blocks away, just looking at me.  He wasn’t a tall man, looked to be maybe five feet two inches.  He was wearing loose fitting corduroy trousers with black suspenders, a black cotton shirt with a leather double breasted vest over it.  His waders looked old and worn. 
I took a step toward him and he seemed to match me step for step.  Then with hardly a movement his gun had been removed from the holster and aimed directly at me.  I was never so scared in my life.  “What do you want mister?”
“Just a drink and I’ll be on my way,” said William.
“You sure you aren’t here for the gold?”
“What gold?”
“Ah ha!  You are here for our gold!  Get out and never come back!”
Slowly reaching for his empty canteen William said, “Sir, you’ve got it all wrong.  I just want a drink.”  He turned toward the saloon where he could hear the music playing and started toward the door when a shot rang out.  Looking back at the man who had addressed him earlier he said, “Can I buy you a drink?”
The man nodded slowly and followed me into the saloon, still holding his gun in my back.  Much to my amazement there was no one in there and the music died away just as they reached the door.
Still holding the gun in front of him the man moved around me and back behind the bar where he poured the drinks.  He said, “If you really have come for the gold you’re a bit late.”  Some men came through the town a couple of days ago and took it by force leaving most of the remaining residents dead or dying.  Can we trust you?”
“Trust me to do what?” William asked.
“To just, get your drink and leave without causing any more problems for the towns’ people?”  He said then without notice shot directly at me.  “We’re tired of your kind and want you out of our town.”  He then walked out of the saloon and disappeared into thin air.
After I finished my drink and filled my canteen I searched the entire town only to find it was completely deserted and the man whom I had been talking to was nowhere to be found.  I did find a paper in the deserted hotel lobby that was dated May 10, 1859 with a picture of him in the street in front of the local butcher shop in which he owned.
William always told fascinating stories but this one topped them all and even Louella wasn’t sure whether to believe him or not.  John clapped him on the back and said, “Good one!  I’ve never heard such a story in my life.”