Buddies (14 page)

He put sixty cents down for his old wagon that was stored away in the barn and five dollars for the plow stock. He marked down one dollar for Gloria’s rag dolls and a meager fifteen cents for Nelson the rooster. Joey Frank drew a line and added up the figures…six dollars and seventy-five cents. When he added two dollars and twenty-five cents for a week’s gathering of eggs to that total, he had exactly nine dollars.

Joey Frank flew into madness and angrily brushed the figures away with his hand, making the dust fly around him. Out of disgust he said out loud, “Heck, there’s gotta be a way to come up with more money than that. There’s just gotta be; time’s a-runnin’ out for Ernie. What am I gonna do?”

Joey Frank got up from the roadside and began to walk toward home. He was so worried for his buddy, and all kinds of thoughts begin running through his mind on how he might get some money for Ernie. The thought crossed his mind to go to every house in the country and beg for money. He could say that his family and he were on starvation, that their cow had died, and all the chickens had left home because there was no food forthem. He thought that the idea might work, but when Mama found out he had done such a thing, then it would be too bad for him. Joey Frank thought of Jesse James again, and the words that were said of him, “Rob from the rich and give to the poor.” If the rich weren’t willing to help the poor, then he didn’t see any harm in Jesse taking the money by force. He didn’t believe that rich folks should be robbed of all their money, of course, but just enough to help out a person in desperate need such as Ernie.

Suddenly he wished he were taller and older too. He felt sure there had been bank robbers that hadn’t been very tall, but didn’t know if there had ever been one as young as thirteen who had ever robbed a bank.

“I guess a fella my aged an’ not so tall could prob’bly rob a bank just as good as Jesse James did,” he thought.

Joey Frank looked down at Ernie’s old shoes he was wearing and said to himself, “I could go home an’ change into Pa’s shoes ‘cause they in better shape for runin’ than these ole thangs of Ernie’s, with one of the heels a-missin’. I could go to Ruby Creek, rob the bank an’ be home before chore time. I’ll just rob for anuff money to pay for Ernie’s operation; that’s all, an’ I won’t rob for keeps either. I’ll pay Miss Rene back when I’m ole anuff to git a job.”

Joey Frank remembered that Mr. Brown told him he had seventy-four dollars in the jar. He stooped down in the road and subtracted with his finger in the dirt that amount from five hundred dollars to learn that four hundred and twenty-six dollars was needed.

He jumped to his feet, and rushed home. Mama and Gloria were gone as he thought they would be. They were either visiting with Widow Simson or out in the meadows picking wildflowers to be placed on the eating table Sunday. Those were the things they normally did on Saturday evenings, during summer.

Joey Frank ran through the house to his bedroom and over to the closet where Pa’s gun and his other belongings were kept. He opened the door and reached down to the floor to get the fertilizer sack with Pa’s shoes tied up inside. He quickly untied the sack, took out the shoes and sat down on the bed. He removed Ernie’s shoes from his feet, and replaced them with Pa’s shoes.

He went back over to the closet and reached upon the top shelf and took Pa’s hat down. He folded it up in a small wad and put it into his front pocket. Listening intently while hoping Mama and Gloria wouldn’t return for awhile, he reached back into the closet for the gun belt that hung from a nail. He took the cold steel pistol from its holster, and then hung the belt back onto the nail. Joey Frank carefully took out the round of cartridges from the pistol and dropped them down into the pocket of Pa’s overcoat that was hanging on the inside of the closet door. He put the gun in the other front pocket of his pants; then he quickly undid his suspenders and removed them. He unbuttoned his shirt, took it off, and he snapped the suspenders back onto his breeches. He put his shirt back on so the tail would hang over the pistol’s handle. He reached back to Pa’s overcoat hanging on the closet door and took a bandanna from the pocket and stuck it down beside the unloaded gun. He rushed from the bedroom and out of the house, hoping he wouldn’t run into Mama and Gloria, because he would never be able to explain his protruding front pockets and the shirttail hanging out over them.

When he was clear of the house, he didn’t worry too much that he would see Mama and Gloria, because he made sure to go in the opposite direction from Widow Simson’s or the meadows.

Joey Frank’s nerves were quite calm as he hurried on his way through the hills and hollows toward Ruby Creek. Although Pa’s shoes were a little too big for him, they felt good on his feet. He had no qualms about the deed that he was about to do. Hewas overwhelmed with feelings of joy and happiness just to imagine that Ernie would be able to see again. He felt confident that he would get the money for his surgery.

Joey Frank smiled when he thought of Ernie’s never having to ask him, if the river was muddy or clear, if the worm he was using for bait was red or gray. Ernie had always preferred the red worm to the gray one, because he said they lived longer under the water to draw the fishes’ attention.

When Joey Frank arrived in Ruby Creek he saw that lots of people were there. Saturday, had always been the busiest day for the merchants of the little town, and the gossipmongers to get together to keep the loiter benches occupied for the entire day.

As he went down Main Street, he looked down toward Mr. Pearson’s blacksmith shop. The yard was filled with horses and wagons, indicating that he was very busy. Oh how he wished that Ernie could be there to give Mr. Pearson a helping hand so he could learn more about the work that he so thoroughly enjoyed.

Joey Frank was soon at the old deserted saloon building that wasn’t far from the bank. He had to put his wishful thinking to rest now and concentrate on the caper in which he would soon engage. All of this would determine if his buddy would ever be able to see again. He walked closer to the heavily grown up saloon and went behind the decaying old building. He looked into a broken-out window and saw what appeared to an old liquor bottle on a shelf covered with layers of dust and cobwebs. This was evidence of a drinking good time that was had when the bawd named Ruby was there singing, dancing, and capturing all of the men’s hearts.

There was no one in sight behind the old saloon to observe Joey Frank. He took Pa’s wadded hat from his pocket to straighten it out and put on his head, while pulling the brim down close to his eyes. He took the bandanna and tied it loosely around his neck, the way Pa said Jesse James did. This was done in advance so he could quickly pull it over his face, before robbing the bank.

He checked to make sure his shirttail was covering the handle of the gun in his pocket. He then squatted down and tightened the laces on Pa’s shoes because he wanted to make sure that they didn’t work loose during the time he would be making his getaway.

Joey Frank was all set to carry out his risky plan. He was still very much at ease as he walked away from the old saloon building and on to Main Street toward the bank.

As he was passing the home of Miss Mattie Hogan, he saw her sitting on the front porch. Miss Mattie looked directly at him, and apparently didn’t recognize who he was, or she would have surely waved a hello to him. He was glad to know that he passed for a stranger to the most flagrant gossip in Ruby Creek.

When Joey Frank arrived at the bank, he couldn’t help noticing the brand-new surrey parked out front. It was about the nicest thing he had ever looked at, and he didn’t have to wonder a minute about who the owner of the fancy carriage was. Banker Tolbert’s beautiful horse Dolly Belle, who had survived the accident, was hitched to it.

He was certain now that he would soon be facing Rene Tolbert. There was no doubt in his mind that she was in the bank raking in gobs of money, so she could keep-up the great lifestyle of which she was accustomed.

Joey Frank walked to the door of the bank, opened it and stepped inside. He stood there for a moment and looked around. The two men tellers were busy with customers, and had more waiting in line.

He gazed over at the office where he and Ernie had gone to visit Banker Tolbert, prior to his death. Miss Rene, who was now President of the bank, occupied the office. She could be seen through the open door sitting behind the desk with her darkhair combed neatly and piled onto the top of her head. Joey Frank could see that she was all alone as she worked on some papers that lay before her.

He thought the timing was perfect now. He wouldn’t have to stand around among the people to wait to see Miss Rene, and take a chance on being recognized. He walked quickly past the customers and over to the office door. With his back turned away from everyone, he pulled the bandanna up over his nose and stepped inside the room. Miss Rene was still concentrating on the paperwork before her; she didn’t realize that she wasn’t alone until he pushed the door to and it clicked shut. She started to get up from her chair, then opened her mouth to say something. At the same time Joey Frank pulled the pistol from his pocket and pointed it at her, so she decided to keep her seat and say nothing.

Joey Frank had become somewhat nervous now, and he almost called Miss Rene by name. He said in a deep disguised voice, trying to sound as grown-up as he possibly could, “Miss Re–, I mean ma’am, you better not holler, or I’ll shoot you for shore, an’ I mean it.”

Miss Rene glared at him with a startled, yet malicious look. Her voice was hard when she said, “What in the name of heaven are you doing here dressed like that and what do you want?”

Joey Frank wished that Ernie were here with him to answer Miss Rene’s question. Her sharp dark eyes with a demanding look made his skin crawl, because she looked even meaner than Banker Tolbert did in the portrait that Ernie and he had seen when they had gone to the Tolbert’s home.

Joey Frank spoke to Miss Rene, but in his mind he could see Ernie plainly standing before her. He began to speak the words to Miss Rene that he could hear his buddy saying, “Ma’am, I’m dressed like this ‘cause I’m a-robbin’ you.”

“Robbing me?” Miss Rene spoke hatefully again, “Just what kind of a silly joke is this? I happen to be a very busy lady, and I don’t have any time to play games with you. Now put that toy pistol back into your dirty trousers, and get out of here right now.”

“Ma’am, this here pistol ain’t no toy. It’ll blast a hole in a rabbit big anuff for a fella’s fist to go through. Now I need four hundred an’ twenty-six dollers from you, an’ then I’ll be on my way outta here. I’d like it all in bills if you don’t mind. No pocket change, please, ‘cause I got holes in these here pockets of mine.”

“Four hundred and twenty six dollars,” Miss Rene said in surprise. “I’ve never heard of a bank robber asking for a specific amount of money before. I always thought they robbed for all they could get.”

Joey Frank could still see a vision of Ernie in his mind standing bravely at Miss Rene’s desk with his jaw struck out with a wad of chewing tobacco. He continued to quote the words to Miss Rene that he could hear him saying, “Ma’am, I’ll take all you wanna give me, but all I need is four hundred an’ twenty six dollers that I’m a-figgerin’ on a-payin’ you back someday.”

Miss Rene raved as she pulled open the drawer to her desk, “Well, I have never in my life.I can’t believe this.I simply can’t believe that this is happening. Pay me back?”

Miss Rene counted out exactly four hundred and twenty-six dollars from some bills she had taken from the drawer. She handed the money out to Joey Frank with her hateful look, and then she put the remaining bills back into the drawer and pushed it closed. She looked at Joey Frank and said, “You’re certainly awfully young to be a bank robber. You’ll be caught before you get out the front door; then off to jail you’re going and spend years over a measly four hundred and twenty-six dollars.”

“If yore a-thankin’ that, ma’am, then you better show me where yore back door is, ‘cause I don’t need to get caught for shore”. He put the money in the pocket of his breeches while speaking the words he could see and hear Ernie saying “I need to hang on to this here money, an’ I’m gonna. Now will you please show me where yore back door is? An’ I’ll be a-goin’.”

Miss Rene snatched up a ring of keys that lay on her disk, and got up form her chair without a word.

Joey Frank followed her over to a back door of the office. When she located the right key on the ring, she stuck it into the lock and opened the door. She stepped out into a hallway, and Joey Frank followed her to a large steel door at the end of the building. Miss Rene picked a key from the ring and unlocked the solid metal barrier that was so heavy on it’s hinges that it made squeaking sounds as she pulled it open.

Joey Frank asked her to step outside the door to see if anyone was in sight. He warned her that if she saw someone to keep silent, or he would shoot her. She did as she was told and gave her head the nod that she saw no one.

Joey Frank stepped outside the door with Miss Rene and gave a quick look around to make sure that no one was in sight. He told Miss Rene to pull the big door closed and lock it, then give him the keys. She obeyed him without a question. Joey Frank knew that it was going to take Miss Rene awhile to get through the alley to Main Street where obviously everyone was. That would give him enough time to get a head start out of Ruby Creek before she would start yelling “robbery” to the top of her lungs.

He told Miss Rene before he left that she could find her keys behind the livery stable in a horse trough. He put the pistol in his front pocket, and then he turned from the dumbfounded widow and ran as fast as his feet would carry him. He pulled the bandana down from his face and listened to hear Miss Rene’s screams, but he heard none.

When Joey Frank reached the livery stable, which wasn’t very far away, he threw the ring of keys over the wood-railed fence into a horse trough. He then started running as fast as he could once more, dodging town at every angle.