Summary:\u00a0 What could drive a man to leave?<\/p>\n
Words:\u00a0 1326\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Rated:\u00a0 G<\/p>\n
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Wanderlust<\/b><\/p>\n
It still looked the same.\u00a0 But then of course, not much ever really changed in Virginia City.\u00a0 Adam Cartwright stepped down from the Overton Stage Coach, seated his hat on his head and stretched out his cramped muscles. Glancing around, he watched as the towns people moved from the General Store to the Bank, and some to the saloon.\u00a0 The corners of his mouth turned up into a smile and he thought to himself \u2018It\u2019s good to be home\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust two bags, Adam?\u201d The stage coach driver called down from atop the stage.<\/p>\n
\u201cAh, three, Charlie.\u00a0 Those two browns ones and that paisley one there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Charlie stopped mid step and looked down at Adam. \u201cPaisley?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes Paisley Charlie.\u00a0 It\u2019s that sort of purple one with flowers on it<\/p>\n
\u201cHow\u2019d you ever come to have a paisley satchel, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI bought it in San Francisco and the person who sold it to me told me it was paisley.\u00a0 Now are you going to hand me down my luggage?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind of word is paisley?\u201d Charlie said under his breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust think, Charlie.\u00a0 Next time you pick up some fancy ladies, you\u2019ll be able to impress them knowing what paisley looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n
Charlie thought for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cGuess you\u2019re right there, Adam!\u201d\u00a0 He grinned and threw down all three pieces of Adam\u2019s luggage.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, Adam!\u00a0 Adam Cartwright!\u201d Sheriff Roy Coffee called out as he stepped from the jail house.\u00a0 \u201cHoldup a minute, will ya\u201d.<\/p>\n
Adam was just putting his last piece of luggage in to the buckboard he had rented.<\/p>\n
\u201cHi Roy, how are you?\u00a0 Adam reached for a handshake.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoing fine, Adam.\u00a0 Say, why didn\u2019t your Pa and brothers meet you?<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t really know when I would be coming in.\u00a0 Finished my business in San Francisco and scheduled the first stage out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow long were you gone this time?\u00a0 More family business?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Remember I went out there with Sally Cass.\u00a0 She took Ed Payson\u2019s death pretty hard.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSuch a shame. \u00a0Will Cass wasted away from a broken heart after Sally left\u201d, Roy offered.\u00a0 \u201cShe couldn\u2019t get past the fact that her Pa did nothing to stop Billy from shootin\u2019 Payson.\u00a0 I sure never did think that they wouldn\u2019t hang Billy. But I guess the jury thought sending Billy to prison for the rest of his life would be more punishment for him, cuz\u2019 he\u2019d have to think about it all the time. \u201c<\/p>\n
\u201cSally didn\u2019t want to be here for the trial. \u00a0She needed a fresh start.\u00a0 Pa knows the headmaster of the Finishing school there and arranged for her to attend.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t sure how long it would take, so I was able to take care of Ponderosa business.\u00a0 I do like visiting San Francisco.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have the \u2018wander lust\u2019, Adam,\u201d Roy laughed.<\/p>\n
Adam laughed as well as he swung a leg over in to the buggy.\u00a0 Seating himself and grabbing the reins he asked.\u00a0 \u201cAny idea who the new merchant will be for Cass\u2019s store?\u00a0 I saw the sign in the window that it had been sold, when I was walking to the Livery.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNope.\u00a0 Not yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
——–<\/p>\n
Hop Sing was ecstatic that Number One Son was home again and set about making all of Adam\u2019s favorite foods.\u00a0 After dinner Ben took his coffee cup with him and headed for his maroon chair.\u00a0 After taking a seat, he cleared his throat and said, \u201cBoys.\u00a0 I\u2019d like to talk to you about something important.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss, Adam and Joe looked at each other as they threw their napkins in their plates.\u00a0 Grabbing their own cups of coffee, the three joined Ben in front of the fire place, Adam sitting in his blue chair, Joe on the settee and Hoss on the fire place hearth.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdam you started me thinking when Ed Payson first came to Virginia and you had that incident with Will Cass.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Adam immediately became nervous.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not what you think,\u201d Ben continued noticing Adam\u2019 uncomfortableness.\u00a0 \u201cYou said then that the \u2018Ponderosa business was not yours to take away. Well, that may be true for this house and the Cartwright business.\u201d\u00a0 Ben paused and sipped his coffee secretly hoping the hot liquid would give him the courage to continue. \u201c Each of you already have a piece of land to build a house, make a home.\u00a0 But I think that each of you should have a place where you can do whatever you want. \u00a0\u00a0Sell it. \u00a0Give it away.\u00a0 I certainly have given away a great deal of land these last few years.\u00a0 Let\u2019s look at the map tomorrow afternoon after we get home from Caleb Welch\u2019s wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
There was casual conversation as Adam brought everyone current on the dealings in San Francisco. Hop Sing served everyone Brandy before heading to the kitchen to clean up.\u00a0 Adam said he was anxious to get back to San Francisco and get the contracts signed on the deals he had completed.\u00a0 It was easy to see that Ben was a little unfordable with the idea of Adam leaving again so soon.\u00a0 He excused himself and headed up to bed.\u00a0\u00a0 Joe quickly followed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow come you always thinkin\u2019 \u2018bout leavin\u2019, Adam?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss blatantly asked.\u00a0 \u2018You know how it upsets Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam sipped his Brandy slowly.\u00a0 Then putting the glass down and sighing, he addressed Hoss\u2019s question.<\/p>\n
\u201cHoss, it\u2019s not that I think about leaving all the time.\u00a0 It\u2019s just that leaving is the only thing I know how to do.\u201d\u00a0 Seeing the confused look on Hoss\u2019s face, Adam continued.\u00a0 \u201cEver since I was a little kid, Pa and I have traveled this country.\u00a0 We\u2019d stop in some town and live there a little while and then when things got comfortable, we\u2019d have to move again.\u00a0 We\u2019d stay some place no more than a couple of months.\u00a0 I learn to anticipate the time when we\u2019d be leaving our current place and I tried to prepare myself mentally for it.\u00a0 That meant breaking friendships with other kids I met, leaving teachers in schools and preachers in churches.\u00a0 I just stop allowing myself to get to close to anyone.\u00a0 Because as sure as \u2018shootin\u2019, I\u2019d get that feeling about moving on and then Pa would confirm it by announcing we\u2019d be moving on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam reached for his Brandy glass and took another sip, this time he didn\u2019t set the glass back down.<\/p>\n
\u201cAh, Adam, I never\u2019ed think you felt like that.\u00a0 Thought maybe you jest didn\u2019t wanna be round me and Joe all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam laughed, threw the rest of his drink down his throat and set the glass down hard on the table.\u00a0 Looking Hoss straight in the eyes, he responded.\u00a0 \u201cWhat you don\u2019t realize is that is not just me thinking about leaving, what I\u2019d really enjoy is all of us together traveling on a journey, to, well, to who knows where.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss smiled as he thought how much he\u2019d enjoy traveling as well. \u201cWell I\u2019m glad that it ain\u2019t us that you trying to get away from.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam laughed again.\u00a0 \u201cSometimes Hoss, I would.\u201d\u00a0 He paused.\u00a0 \u201cRoy Coffee calls it \u2018Wander Lust\u2019.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know about that.\u00a0 Who knows if I\u2019ll ever leave or if, as you say, find a gal to marry up with.\u00a0\u00a0 For now, I\u2019m happy here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you two still doing up? \u201ca voice boomed down from upstairs.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you have an early day tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n
The two men smiled at each other as they stood.\u00a0 \u201cI think you\u2019ve got fences to fix,\u201d Ben continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes sir\u2019re, Pa.\u00a0 We do.\u00a0 We\u2019re heading over to fix those fences down by the Double D farm.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t that Frank Dayton\u2019s place?\u00a0 I\u2019m surprised he\u2019s still around.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he comes and goes on business quite a bit.\u201d Adam answered and then leaned over and whispered to Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe Frank Dayton has the \u2018Wander Lust\u2019!\u201d They both laughed as they headed up the stairs to bed.<\/p>\n
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THE END<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Written for the Ponderosa Paddlewheel Poker Tournament.<\/p>\n
My words were: \u00a0stage coach, jail, restaurant, merchant, wedding<\/p>\n
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Tags:\u00a0 Adam Cartwright<\/p>\n