C: About Bud (but turns out to be about Cassie…yet again!)

horse shoeing Some of you have asked for more of the story of Cassie, Barney and my childhood farrier, Bud, after my previous post on Cassie.  Indeed, that post spurred lots of memories for me, and my brother and sister have chimed in their own, bringing up that long unplowed memory ground.  If you haven’t read it, that previous post would give you a back story to this one. 

It came to me as I was writing this jesse jamesthat “Bud’s” real name was “Jesse James ‘S.’”  I had forgotten that, having become so accustomed to calling him “Bud.”  I doubt  that many knew his real name.  My brother was surprised when I mentioned that to him, saying, “You’ve got to be kidding!”  I worked for our father some, and we did some legal paperwork for Bud, so his real name was required.

I can’t tell you how fittin’ it was that Bud was also “Jesse James!”  Why he had a buckboard, wore cowboy boots everywhere he went (which wasn’t far, mind you) and he lived a very “Old West” lifestyle.  All he lacked for a complete costume was a six-gun…I think if he had worn one, it would have been a scary thing.  Not that I ever considered Bud dangerous.  It’s just that neither was he considered the most responsible person in the community. 

As clean and sprightly as Cassie was, slow Bud was dirty—always.  I’m searching my brain now for a time when I can remember Bud “cleaned forge up.”  Truth be known, I’m not so sure we’d have been able to tell “clean.”  Remember, Bud spent a lot of his time over the fire of the forge and at the hot, dirty work of shoeing horses.  There was a “darkness” to Bud, like the soot of the forge had been absorbed by his skin.  In any event, “dark” was a word that came to my mind in thinking of his physical appearance.

They say that smell is the sense which connects us to the past more than any other sense. It is certainly the sense that is evoked when I think of Bud, even these nearly 50 years later.  Bud always smelled of ash and sweat mixed with an ever-present odor of alcohol.  Even as a child I realized that, in addition to his other infirmities, Bud was an alcoholic. 

If there was a “fear factor” about Bud, it was the alcohol that caused it in us kids.  Our own father was an alcoholic, and he appeared to be a different person when he would come home drunk; challenging and sometimes violent in a way he never would have been sober.  We kids knew that alcohol made people do things that they might not otherwise do, so our familiarity with Bud was tinged with a skittishness.

I’m not sure why, but Bud seemed to drink mostly alone, away from home.  We knew this because we would often come upon him in the woods drinking straight from a whiskey bottle.  Sometimes my brother would “spy” and discover where Bud’s stash of booze was in the woods.

My good friend, “Debbie,” had her own horse, and we rode almost every day.  There were acres—square miles, really—of unfenced woods for horseback riding.  We had broad, shaded trails much like shown in this picture.  These were old logging roads, just perfect for cantering and practicing our horsemanship.  Then there were what we horsesinwoods called “paths” which we followed when we felt like exploring, pushing our horses through the briars and thick branches along what I believe probably were game trails.  Or, if there was no trail at all, we would just allow our horses to pick their own way between trees, seeing where we would end up and knowing there was no danger of becoming lost. 

Our horses had a keen sense of where the barn was and would always get us home.  Debbie and I often used their homing sense, and we were totally relaxed on the issue of getting lost—I can’t remember ever feeling lost in the woods.  And they were extensive enough that a person afoot certainly could have become disoriented.  Not so with our horses!

Sometimes these explorations were rewarded by the discovery of a cool, mossy creek bank on which to rest our mounts and to have our lunch while our horses munched the grass nearby.  Some days Debbie’s beagle, “Gertrude,” and my mongrel, “Buck,” would trail along with us, sniffing and working the sides of the trails, checking out the underwhiskeybrush.

We knew these woods well, and we knew “Bud’s territory.”  These areas were in the woods, okay, but not so far in.  I assume that Bud, almost always afoot, stashed his whiskey conveniently near the road.  I don’t  recall ever coming upon him in the deep woods.

Now, I know what you must be thinking.  Two young girls in the woods alone.  And with a weirdo commonly out and about…But, you know, I don’t think we were ever in danger.  As I said, we were “skittish” of Bud.  Although we dealt with him when he tended to our horses and would politely exchange “hellos” when we passed him on the road, we never went near him when we would find him in the woods. 

And we always knew when he was there.  We were very aware of our horses’ body language, so experienced were we with them.  They or the dogs told us of people in the woods long before we could otherwise have known.  It would have been hard to sneak up on us and, I guarantee it, anyone on foot would have had a hard time snatching  us.  I think our biggest danger was of being thrown by a spooked horse.  

Back to Bud.  I’m not sure why Bud found it necessary to hide his whiskey in the woods.  It surely was not because his parents did not know he drank—everyone knew he drank, and those without previous knowledge of that would soon know by his odor.  Perhaps it was Barney putting the quietus on his drinking, because after Barney’s death Bud was sometimes seen on the road in a state of obvious inebriation.  My mother confirms that it seems to her, too, that the public evidence of Bud’s drinking escalated after Barney was gone.

I recall seeing Bud riding his tall mare down the road.  My sister remembers that this particular horse was named “Flicker.”  She is 12 years younger than me and recalls asking Bud the name of his horse (yes, she was on first-name basis with horses, too).  “Flicker,” he replied.  “Like in My Friend Flicker.”  She remembers the shock she felt in later years when she picked up a copy of Mary O’Hara’s classic book to find that it was actually My Friend Flicka!

Often as he made his way down the road, Bud would weave and bob in the saddle, like he could barely stay on, clearly drunk as a skunk. 

This scenario ended, though, when Bud and his horse were hit one night (yes, night!) on one of our country “highways.”  Bud and Flicker were obviously at fault, I don’t believe Flicker had any tail lights on her.   She was dark and probably impossible to see.  A bad mix with Bud’s driving style.  The police cited Bud with some sort of alcohol-related citation. 

My father, trialthe lawyer, defended Bud successfully!  Had they charged Bud with public intoxication, they might have made it stick, but the charge had more to do with impeding traffic, etc. and my father found an existing statute giving horses and horse-drawn vehicles right-of-way over motorized vehicles on secondary roads, which technically made the poor car driver at fault. 

Bud escaped the law’s consequences, but his leg was shattered.  (I am happy to report that Flicker survived, seemingly okay).  The injury limited Bud’s ambulation to hobbling.  Apparently, it also ended his horseback riding days and he also ceased shoeing horses.  I imagine the bending over to perform this job became impossible with his bum leg.  We had to find one of those new-fangled farriers who came to your house in a truck.

You may recall that Bud and Cassie bought themselves a mobile home after Barney’s death.  Over the next couple of years they purchased several more and rented them out so that they could have some income.  My father drew up a little rental agreement for them to use. 

Sometime after I had married at the ripe-old age of 18, I learned of Bud’s death by reason of a beating he had received at the hands of one of his tenants.  Bud lingered in the hospital for a few days with a head injury and finally slipped away into the eternal Old West.

The man with whom he had fought never faced any charges, it being said of him by the investigators that he was defending himself.  I believe both men were drunk.  No one who had known Bud as we did ever believed Bud would attack anyone.  We all felt that this was an injustice but, really, who knows the truth?

This left little Cassie pretty much alone.  She had a sister, but Ethel lived 15 or so miles away and had her own strict husband, although nothing like what poor Cassie had to endure.  As I write, I wonder: Was Cassie’s life sad from loneliness after the death of her son?  Or was it a relief to have her life to herself at last, free from tyranny of her husband and of the responsibility from a clearly-damaged grown son.  I wish I had thought to ask her sister Ethel when we talked, but I didn’t…

As we discussed this story, my mother recalled something I had never known.  She said that Mrs. “Y,” a widow who lived across the road from my father’s office, was a long-time friend of Cassie’s.  She said that after Barney was gone, Cassie would spend the night on occasion with Mrs. Y.  I was amazed at this revelation!

Now, these women only lived maybe a quarter mile apart.  Cassie could easily have gone home after a visit.  It makes me smile to think that Cassie and Mrs. Y spent some nights together for their mutual company. 

Mrs. Y lived in the same home she had occupied for decades china teawith her husband, between the homes of her two grown daughters.  It was a humble  dwelling but Mrs. Y loved pretty things.  Her yard was ablaze with flowers all summer, and she had little china cups and figurines sitting around, neat as a pin and dust-free.   It makes me wonder what ladylike delights she could have treated Cassie to.

I can picture Mrs. Y and Cassie in the cool of summer evenings, hearing the night sounds through the window screens, perhaps sipping tea, and talking.  It gives me something on which to hang my hope that Cassie’s life was better without either of the men in her life.

What do you think?  C

Comments

Vee said…
I'm smiling at the revelation because my grandmother and her neighbor, who clearly could go to their own homes, sometimes had pajama parties. Usually these would be stormy nights or really anytime they wished to keep talking and start off together for another adventure in the morning. I'm quite certain that my nan would be shocked to think that some might consider it anything more than that. As for some men...yes, women are far better without them. And, on the other hand, women should not judge all men by the lot that are broken.

Oh my, I do love your stories. You make a regular Harper Lee and I mean it. Write a book. Please.
I think this story reminds me a bit of "Fried Green Tomatoes" and I hope Cassie found a few moments and days of happiness and peace after a lifetime of hardship and cruelty. It is truly amazing the suffering one can endure and still go on. You told this story in such an engaging and spellbinding way. Thanks for sharing more of Cassie and Bud. :)

P.S. I'm with Vee, plese write a book.
happyone said…
I think she was quite happy being on her own and to visit with a good friend when she wanted company. :-)
Anonymous said…
Men do make life interesting, but I've noticed in my family's females that life after men is so much simpler. Maybe lonelier, maybe poorer, but much simpler. What I find strange is that men seem to need a woman - they just can't decide on which one.
Interesting posts.
jan said…
I love the stories you tell! I was raised in a small town and there were certainly 'characters' of all variety. When I was a child, some of them seemed very odd, but as an adult, not so much. Funny how perspective changes things. My sister and I sometimes have to put our memories together to make a whole story, too!
Melissa said…
I just wanted to thank you both for your sweet comments that you leave me at Sunbonnet.

It really helps to lift my spirits. Only 1 1/2 more weeks to go for Nick's radiation.

Love Melissa
Anonymous said…
I've as a last resort liked things like sand clocks, lava lamps, and the like to type of just spend in days of yore staring at it as a formality of catharsis. In a way, it helps me with meditation, to mitigate stress and well-grounded assume just about nothing. That's why since I was a kid, instead of dolls and cars I've always cool more of such pieces like sand clocks, lava lamps, dulcet boxes etc. So I was most charmed when I found the[url=http://www.dealtoworld.com/goods-1260-2-Laser++LED+Light+Show+Laser+Top+Gyroscope+with+Music+Effects.html] 2-Laser + LED Light Appear Laser Crown Gyroscope with Music Effects[/url] from DealtoWorld.com protection the Toys section. It's like a tuneful caddy, a spinning head, and a light verify all rolled into one. Which is capacious amusement! The gyroscope pleasure whirl object of about a minute. The laser explanation show with accompanying music makes this gyroscope a pretty corresponding exactly bauble that my friends be suffering with also been most amused with.

My dogs are also fair outr?nearly the laser gyroscope I got from DealtoWorld.com. They unceasingly follow the gyroscope as it spins, although at principal they kept barking at the laser insight accompany, and also because it produces music. But after they got worn it, they've stopped barking but due watch over following the gyroscope whenever I start spinning it. Kids are also attractive amused by it. Off it's moral to have fun toys around the ancestry so that you can leave the toy on while the kids are being amused or playing with it while you live get up food or fall heir to changed. The gyroscope is inseparable such toy with this purpose.

The gyroscope I bought from DealtoWorld.com has a dragon as a intent plot on it, and produces a light show with red, downcast, and common colours. Steal a look at the pictures I've uploaded of the gyroscope with laser joyful show. The music produced from the gyroscope is not that renowned but allowable adequacy to treat any chic roomer to the house. The gyroscope is red and jet-black, making it look very imperturbable, and slightly macho with that dragon imprint.

The music flare make clear gyroscope runs on 6 LR44 batteries, which are replaceable anyway. I've also utilized this gyroscope to their heels my girlfriend during our anniversary celebration. I did the cheesy thing of decorating the b & b cell with roses and when I led her in, I started up the gyroscope as affectionately so that the laser brighten clarify produces a romantic effect. I also had some battery operated candles so all the light effects created a rather romanticist atmosphere. She loved it, by the style, to my relief. I also bought the candles from DealtoWorld.com. These days it seems to be my non-performance shopping site in return all gifts and ideas for romanticist occasions.

Since Christmas is coming, this laser lamp make clear gyroscope can perhaps be a superb Christmas gift for the toddler or in spite of the humour! Alternatively, the gyroscope can absolutely be a nice reckoning to the usual Christmas decorations. I can fancy placing it just about the Christmas tree and maybe spinning it when guests arrive in the house. Looks like [url=http://www.dealtoworld.com]DealtoWorld.com[/url] is getting my duty yet again!
Anonymous said…
A shared spider's web hosting military talents or essential hosting repair or arrive from host refers to a web hosting waiting where many websites reside on joke net server connected to the Internet. Each locale "sits" on its own split-up, or section/place on the server, to support it discriminate from other sites. This is on average the most close-fisted option notwithstanding hosting, as many people allocation the overall set someone back of server maintenance.
[url=http://hostinghouse.pl]hosting[/url]
Anonymous said…
top [url=http://www.001casino.com/]free casino games[/url] coincide the latest [url=http://www.realcazinoz.com/]casino games[/url] autonomous no deposit perk at the leading [url=http://www.baywatchcasino.com/]casino online
[/url].

Popular posts from this blog

Guest Post by K: Whirlwinds of Change & a New Normal

C: A Chili Dog and Country Life

C: Lessons on a Bridge