PART FIFTEEN: NEW LIFE
(written w/illustrations)
So that was it. Isaac had taken the time needed to heal after his ruthless torture from the O'Driscolls and now he had to leave. He knew he had to leave. Both for his own safety but also uncle Irwin, who he couldn't risk endangering.
"you ready, son?" Uncle Irwins voice
"uh...sure..." He couldn't bare it. Being with the O'Driscolls meant he barely stayed in the same area for long but he was always in the USA. he'd always been around americans. His family was from America. His father was in America. Uncle Irwin and Nancy and Siobhan were all in America. And he had to leave. All because if one stupid decision.
Isaac laid his stuff out on a table, Dermots gun, food, Midges food, a bunch of clothes Uncle Irwin had donated him, food, medicine, hunting knife. He was counting and sorting things ready to pack away. Instead of packing, he stared it it, somberly.
"hey, kid," he felt a hand on his shoulder, "don't look so excited," Uncle Irwins usual happy tone.
He looked down at him, eyes filled with warmth and comfort, but Isaac was already numb from the cold.
"m'ready," he mumbled, Irwin let go.
"well then... We better go, hm?" Irwin gestured toward the door as Isaac finally packed his things.
"sure, theres somethin' i wanna do first though..."
***
They arrived in strawberry, Isaac approached the sheriffs office door. It was risky enough even being in civilisation, especially this close to hanging dog... But he had to do this. He had to.
He took a deep breathe, furrowed his brows and puffed out his chest before opening the door.
"I'm lookin' for Vernon Farley." He announced, a bit too aggressively.
"Speakin'," Isaacs attention was shifted to the side, where Sheriff Farley sat at his desk, meeting Isaacs eye, "what yu' want, kid?"
"I... Uh-" suddenly, Isaacs confidence had drained. "I have- i have info, in exchange for money."
Vernon laughed, audibly laughed, "get outta here kid, don't pull pranks on the sheriff." He waved a hand.
Isaac felt the hot and painfully familiar burn of humiliation. He tensed, eyes darting around as he searched his own mind for a way to save this. He made his way over to the table,
"I ain't kiddin, m' serious." He lowered his tone, meeting Vernons eye with an even faker confidence than before.
Vernon stared, intense. Examined him up and down. Waiting for Isaac to back up maybe, to glance away and show a sign of submission. But he didn't.
"alright, pal, " he said sarcastically, "say your peace."
Isaac took a deep breath, finally.
"I got information, good information but i need money, alot of it, and i need you to pretend i disappeared out of thin air."
"I'm gettin skeptical here, spit it out."
"Colm O'Driscoll-"
Farley choked for a second before standing up, "now this damn well better not be a prank. This is serious ground now kid, how in gods name would you know anything?"
Vernon paused again, Isaac found him infinitely hard to read.
"I used to be one of them-" he caught himself, "but it-it wasn't by choice, now they gone n' turned on me, i gotta run."
"damn right you do, after you tell me everything you know, sit down."
Isaac sat, he sat and tucked his chair and pulled out a map of the surrounding states, carefully pinpointing ever O'Driscoll hiding spot... Before spilling every O'Driscoll secret, every name, every plan, every signal, and best of all... Where Colm was headed.
"well I- this is- that makes sense," Vernon nodded, "if your right then... This is alot of money you'll be gettin' son, but i can't just hand you the money we gotta catch Colm first, You got an address, Hm?"
Isaac took a deep breath, "you able to split it between a few?"
"if you need..." Vernon seemed skeptical.
Isaac proceeded to split it in half, talking half for himself then giving Sheriff Farley Nancy and Siobhan's local post, "if you don't mind, I could have pen and paper and maybe write a note for 'em?"
"I- sure." Farley nodded, handing him pen and paper.
Isaac sat at the sheriff desk, writing slowly.
'Dear Nancy and Siobhan
You to are a famly I never had. I'm sorry I could never show you. But i rite to you too day to give you the news of Dermot MacBrian's passing. I as sure you he passed in a nowbel noble manor and that he loved you both a lot.
I must leave, I dont know when or If I'll be back. I'm sorry truely I am. How ever I know of youre fineancel money struggles and have left you some money in the hopes it bides you for at least a bit and helps you throogh your greif.
Love you both, miss you alot, I'm sorry,
-Isaac Morgan'
Isaac handed him the note, "it's confidential."
"understood," Farley nodded, "well I'll see you later uh...?"
"Isaac Morgan."
"Morgan?... Your not-"
"No. Goodbye Sheriff," he cut him off.
Isaac walked out and shut the door behind him, before dragging himself over to the ledge behind the bounty board, slumping down with boots hanging off the side and his head and his hands.
The hard beat of hooves approached, slow and steady. A large nose nudged at him, and nipped his ear.
He looked up to see his horse, Midge, Miriam Bridget. A pillar of strength. The only constant in the boys life.
"hey girl," He reached up to pet her nose, she closed her eyes and nudged in closer, "we better go... Hm?"
He pushed himself up and then climbed up onto to Midge, "we're meetin' Uncle Irwin at the bridge over to mexico," he patted her neck, "now lets git'" he kicked her into gallop and they made their way to the bridge.
***
The bridge to mexico seemed so simple for something so complicated. A couple planks of wood that split worlds apart. There was a fairly calm river beneath it, vultures hovered over-head. The landscape was different from the north, sandy and dry with cacti replacing common bushes.
"you ready?" Uncle Irwin approached, taking off his hat and holding it to his chest.
"...yeah." Isaac looked on.
"can I have a hug?"
Isaac took uncle Irwin into a silent embrace.
"promise you'll write? Come visit in a few years?"
"sure."
"I'll miss you, pal."
"... I'll miss you, too," Isaac knew he was being distant. He couldn't bring himself to be anything else.
Irwin let him go, keeping both hands on his shoulders for a second before breaking eye contact, putting his hat back on and sighing.
Isaac pulled himself up onto Midge, groaning a bit as some unhealed muscles flexed.
"goodbye, Uncle Irwin."
"Bye son."
Uncle Irwin watched Isaac trot across the bridge. Isaac couldn't bring himself to look back at him. That was the last time he saw Irwin for years, leaving him on an unbelievably somber note.
As Isaac and Midge travelled into Mexico, the world didn't seem quite real. Hills and cacti and birds and clouds blending together and waved and blurred like water. He wasn't built for this, deep down he knew that.
He passed a dead deer, a red fox feeding on it. The deers ribs protruded threw gory guts and was clearly rotting, having been there in the sun for a while. The scavenger looked up and met his eyes and he travelled by. He expected it to turn and run when he got close to it but it didn't, just stared at it, it stared at him.
"what you lookin' at?" Isaac mumbled under his breath, "get, Go," he spat.
In the back of his mind he didn't know why he was currently trying to scare it, but it left, anyway, leaving the rotting deer corpse to continue rotting in peace.
He wasn't sure how long he travelled for, passing a fairly intimidating looking military fort, he decided to steer clear, unsure what the officials in this area would think of an american on their land.
After skipping by that, he continued threw the landscape, barely passing anyone but scattered coyotes and hungry scavenger birds. Loneliness swallowed him whole, he felt like the only person alive.
After what felt like days he approached 'Casa Madrugada'
He stopped outside of it, considering his options before making his way in. The architecture around here was different, not bad. Finally he saw some people, a few kids being called over to a wagon by their father - it was getting dark, A man lighting the outdoor lamps, someone shutting the window shutters, a few drunkards holding eachother and singing outside of a saloon.
Saloon.
That was a familiar sight, obviously he wouldn't be able to live himself forever. Maybe he could pick up a job, or atleast pick pocket some unsuspecting feller.
He tied Midge up outside and peered in at the glaring amber light from inside. Taking all his belongings off her in fear he'd be robbed.
He walked into the bar, saloon door swinging behind him. Immediately he felt the atmosphere turn tense, everyone in the room turned to look at him, even the bar tender narrowed his eyes as he cleaned a class, Working girls fought to get the attention of their bachelor back, the pianist stuttered and classes clinked as they were sat down on the table with some force. Whispers were exchanged as Isaac walked down toward the bar, trying his best not to make eye contact.
As he sat, he felt the saloon return to normal, people ordering drinks, cheers and quick footsteps of dancing, a 'sshh' as a keg was opened and filled a glass, a man putting money on the counter and ordering a drink.
The bar tender approached, Isaac looked up at him before putting a dollar on the bar, sliding it toward him, he didn't know how much it'd cost but surely it wouldn't be more than that.
"uh... whiskey, please?"
The bar tender looked down in disapproval at his dollar, then up at Isaac.
"no, peso."
Shit... He didn't speak the same language, how had he not thought of that.
"mmm, whiskey uh..." He made a drinking motion and pointed at the bottles at the back.
"aye, no gringo, peso," the bar tender seemed mad and slid the dollar back to him.
Isaac scoffed in frustration, he couldn't be bothered with this, the men laughing at him from behind wasn't helping and for the second time that day, he felt his cheeks get hot with embrassment.
Suddenly, the felt the chair beside him fill, followed by money being set on the counter.
"dos tequilas, Amigo,"
Isaac turned to see a girl sat next to him. He had to admit, she was gorgeous, her white dress was frilly with puffy sleeves and red accents, Her hair was jet black, curley and tied back in a low messy ponytail, her skin was tanned and her eyes were a deep amber. She was young, probably Isaac's age, and she smelled like fresh cut grass.
Isaac paused, taken aback by her for a second, he knew his eyes were a bit wider and his cheeks grew even redder, not with embrassment this time.
"hola," she turned to him, smiling.
"uh... No speak... Mexico?"
She giggled, "you just cross the border, Americano?"
"oh..." Isaac smiled awkwardly, eyes wide, "you speak english?"
"i do."
She giggled again, Isaac looked around, confused,
"could you..." He looked back at the bar tender then slid the dollar to her, "order me a whiskey? Please?"
"I... Don't think that will get you much around here," She looked down at his note.
"what? What you mean?" He looked down at his note, then her coins, they weren't average cents.
She tilted her head, "you really have just crossed the border haven't you."
"uh... Yes ma'am," Isaac nodded.
"in mexico, we use pesos... Your american dollar will not get you anywhere around here, compadre," her tone was genuine, she actually wanted to help.
"oh..." He was really making a fool of himself and he hadn't even been in mexico for a day. He took his dollar back silently and put it in his pocket, looking away in embrassment.
They sat in awkward silence for a second, Isaac could feel her beautiful eyes staring at him. The bar tender brought the girl two small drinks, to which she slid one to Isaac.
"whats your name?" She asked.
"Isaac, Isaac Hosea Morgan, and yours?" He didn't make eye contact, inspecting the drink, instead.
"Rosita Elena Herrara," She watched him inspect his drink.
"uh... What is...?"
"tequila, mexican drink - it's a shot, like whiskey."
"oh-" he forced an awkward smile, "thank you," he nodded and took a short swig, finishing the glass before putting it back down suddenly, his face twisting in disgust and sticking his tongue out.
Rosita laughed out loud, "Is that good?"
"yeah haha... Nothin," he tried to play it off as nonchalant but his face betrayed him.
She continued laughing at him, "sì, if you say so..."
"see wut?" He turned back, confused.
Her smile didn't drop, "no... Sì means 'yes'."
"oooh, right," he paused, looking around, "you think you could teach me more Mexican?"
"Spanish."
"what?"
"Your in Mexico, the people are Mexican, but the language is Spanish, like how americans don't speak american, they speak english." she explained, "yes, i can teach you spanish."
Isaac leaned in, enthusiastic to learn more from Rosita...maybe learn more about Rosita.
Isaac listened intently, eager to learn more.
"lets start with simple terms... 'Hola', means 'hello', 'cómo estàs', means 'how are you?'..."
That night Isaac and Rosita spoke until the bar shut, Rosita learned why Isaac left the USA through drunken rambles, Isaac learned that Rosita had abandoned her fathers ranch in attempt to find a more exhilarating life. Her father disapproved but still wrote to her and sent her money. When the bar shut they sat with Midge outside the bar, when a local complained about the noise and shooed them away, they got on Midge and rode away.
Before they knew it they were partners and crime, spending the next years at eachothers side...
-END OF CHAPTER 1-
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