Summary: Tis the season for generosity.
\nRating:\u00a0 G\u00a0 \u00a0Words 1,000
\nWritten for the 2022 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Bonanza<\/span><\/strong> Good Will Toward Men<\/strong><\/p>\n Adam pushed through the doors of the Silver Dollar figuring to buoy his spirits with a drink and idle conversation before heading for home. \u00a0He entered\u00a0to\u00a0a sea of miners celebrating the few days off the owners allowed them. \u00a0Cow hands were scattered at tables, losing wages they\u2019d just earned in poker games and to the gals Sam hired to serve drinks and chat up lonely men.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He\u2019d spent the day at a Cattlemen\u2019s Meeting in Carson City, irritated by the back-slapping and self-congratulations of ranch owners who weren\u2019t interested in discussing issues that needed attention, such as water rights,\u00a0so\u00a0Adam\u00a0wanted a bit of peace, and a whiskey to warm his bones, before heading home. \u00a0That longing for quiet was\u00a0shattered by a throng of men belting out\u00a0\u201cSilent Night\u201d\u00a0at the top of their lungs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Men well into a barrel of cheap whiskey slapped him on the back in greeting. Adam nodded and gave\u00a0back\u00a0a tight-lipped smile.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n About halfway to the bar, a man in a houndstooth suit and bowler hat accosted Adam by grabbing his elbow,\u00a0attempting to steer him to a table. \u00a0Adam resisted the man\u2019s pull and glared down at him, noting a lumpy sack the man held tightly. \u00a0The man took a small step back then flashed a\u00a0crooked smile\u00a0before stepping close to shout in order to be heard above the off-key singing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPardon me, sir, but you look to be a man of quality.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam merely raised an eyebrow in response.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u00a0didn\u2019t seem to be\u00a0the reaction the man had anticipated. \u201cMilton Anderson\u2019s my name. \u00a0What I mean is you seem to be a man with refined tastes.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you want?\u201d Adam expected the man to spew forth a sad tale ending in a request for a stage fare to return home in time for a pregnant wife\u2019s imminent childbirth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI have an exotic inventory that I believe you\u2019d be interested in.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam fixed the man with a cold gaze.\u00a0\u201cLet me guess \u2013 you\u2019re in need of a great deal of cash and have a rare Burmese ruby for sale.\u00a0\u00a0No doubt it\u2019s the last precious keepsake of your grandmother who held onto it even though it could have restored the family\u2019s fortune.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The\u00a0man momentarily withered before he threw his shoulders back in an attempt to appear taller than he was. \u00a0\u201cI\u2019ve never been so insulted. \u00a0My motive is nothing but pure . . . .\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCut to the brass tacks.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Milton realized the man with whom he spoke wasn\u2019t going to abide a sales pitch.\u00a0\u00a0He filled his lungs and shouted,\u00a0\u201cOranges, sir,\u201d just as the singing came to end.\u00a0\u00a0Men guffawed and Milton turned red.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat little feller\u2019s been tryin\u2019 to get in a game for a couple hours with them oranges,\u201d said a ranch hand at a table, which set off a fresh round of laughter and mockery.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam\u2019s resolve softened at Milton\u2019s embarrassment. \u00a0It was a season for good will, even if generosity only aided a fool.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLet me see them.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Milton\u2019s face lit up and he\u00a0drew\u00a0forth a small orange.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam took it and inspected\u00a0the fruit\u00a0as if it were a rare gem, holding it to his nose to breathe in a whiff of citrus before rubbing his thumb over the bumpy peel and giving\u00a0it a gentle squeeze to determine ripeness.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The silence was broken as a miner bought a round\u00a0of drinks\u00a0for his compatriots and the men enthusiastically sang \u201cGod Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam\u00a0dropped the orange back into the sack and ran his forefinger across his chin as if he were contemplating a fair offer on a race horse.\u00a0Just as the light dimmed in Milton\u2019s eyes Adam leaned forward to make an offer. \u201cOne hundred\u00a0dollars for the sack.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Milton\u2019s mouth opened and closed but no words came forth. \u00a0Adam reached into his coat for his wallet and drew the money out, folding it over and putting it into Milton\u2019s coat pocket.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re too kind, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam. The name\u2019s Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThank you, sir. \u00a0I mean, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam touched the brim of his hat and smiled with genuine warmth at his newfound acquaintance as he took the sack from Milton. \u00a0\u201cMerry Christmas.\u201d \u00a0Adam headed to the bar, figuring Milton and the money would soon be parted but the oranges were, to him, worth every penny.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t know why you indulged that man,\u201d said Sam.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTis the season,\u201d said Adam as he set an orange on the bar.\u00a0\u201cI\u2019ll have a whiskey cocktail.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI might be a bit rusty on fancy drinks,\u201d the bartender said as a dropped a sugar cube into a tumbler and set to crushing the\u00a0solid sugar into a powder.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam pulled out his penknife and cut a slice from the orange, setting it closer to Sam before getting down to the business of peeling and eating the fruit. \u00a0He sucked the juice from a wedge as Sam added whiskey and a splash of Angostura bitters to the glass then dropped in the orange slice with a flourish.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam turned at a poke to his shoulder. \u00a0A smile flitted on his lips at the sight of Libby, one of Sam\u2019 gals, holding a sprig of mistletoe over her head. \u00a0\u201cDon\u2019t want to buck tradition,\u201d he said before gently kissing her lips.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He couldn\u2019t help but notice the way she licked her lips so he handed her an orange, feeling a cheery warmth as her face lit up. \u00a0His eyebrows rose when she planted a lingering kiss. \u00a0\u201cMerry Christmas,\u201d she said before\u00a0setting off for a table near the wall.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n His irritability forgotten,\u00a0he savored his drink, remembering long-ago Christmases in places far from Virginia City.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Finishing the cocktail, Adam wished Sam a merry Christmas before hoisting the sack of new-found treasure, adding his voice to \u201cGood King Wenceslas\u201d as he headed for the door and home.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The End<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Character: Adam<\/p>\n Prompt: Orange slice<\/p>\n Secondary character: None<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\n~*~*~ Advent Calendar ~*~*~<\/span><\/strong>
\n* Day 14 *<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n