Date: Sat, 18 Aug 2012 02:58:33 -0400 From: Jesse Jesse Subject: Being Seen Pt 11 Summer heat once again gripped the south. For most the heat drove them indoors, seeking a seat under the ceiling fan or at least a cool glass of lemonade. But for Seth and I that summer was the busiest of our lives. The railway excursions had been a tremendous success, so much in fact that our originally monthly scheduled passenger trains had progressed into two monthly trains. Besides all this, the "old teapot" proved much more useful than any of us at the shop could have anticipated. Not a month after our first excursion, the small yard switcher that was the railway's primary motive of power decided to unceremoniously jumped the tracks just outside the yard and land so hard on the dusty ground that she broke an axle. This left the railway with two options, lose business or use the steamer; we used the steamer. The only problem was that, at least at that time, Frank, Seth, and I were the only three who knew how to operate the locomotive, so that meant much busier days for all three of us. Frank's foul mouth came to an all-time height during that first month, much to amusement for everyone around. The steam engine had its benefits. In one day the old girl could move over twice the freight of the small switcher. Being larger, but also due to the fact that, while more expensive to operate, steam locomotives provide more tractive effort than their diesel counterparts, the old steamer was able to move as much freight in a day as the switcher would have been able to in several. Though this pleased our customers who contracted the railway for carrying their merchandise, it also brought yet more work for Seth and myself. But the locomotive, or rather working with and on the locomotive, had another effect, one that while not expected was a pleasant surprise. During those months of shoveling ton after ton of coal, lifting and hauling, carrying and straining while working on the railway, I began to notice a change in my body; I was beginning to develop a bit of muscle. It wasn't that I'd ever been overweight or anything like that, oh no. Truth be told, Gram had told me more times than I could remember that I could've stood to gain a few pounds. Small and scrawny, I'd never been particularly proud of my body, so when Seth began to tease me about "getting more muscular than him" I was overjoyed. But even with these new-found benefits of our hard work, I found myself growing ever more exhausted. School and work, farm and school, that was my daily routine. It seemed nothing else existed any more. So though I was slightly worried at how Frank would fair with one of his new recruits at operating the locomotive while we were away, I was delighted when Seth told me he'd given Frank our notice that we'd be taking a week off. Finally came the evening when we came trudging into the house, exhausted and worn out, but knowing that we'd have a whole week to rest and relax. Seth and I spent the evening on the front porch, enjoying the shade of the massive oak that stood in the front yard. "So, what are we going to do for the Fourth?" "What?" "The 4th of July. What are we gonna do?" I sat stunned. We'd been so busy that I'd forgotten that in a matter of days Independence Day would be upon us. "I don't know. I'd forgotten it. What do you wanna do?" Seth smiled. "Oh, I don't know. I'll think of something, though." As I said before, I grew up in one of those "Mayberry" towns, and besides Christmas, no other time of year exhibited those qualities quite like the Fourth of July. Our little town is centered around a small square, one main street encircling it. Everything from the courthouse to the library, to the only bank in town sat, and still sit, around that square. If you can imagine the scene of the small cluster of buildings, a white marble courthouse, stately brick schoolhouse and library, and several local shops all decked in their finest patriotic decor, you'd been looking into my memory of my hometown. Each building wore frocks of red, white, and blue, banners and ribbons fluttered in what little breeze broke the stifling heat, and rite in the middle of the square sat a small white bandstand. Each year the school marching band would practice for weeks on end until they were prepared and ready for the Independence Day festivities, where they would march onto the grass of the square, horns blasting and bugling, onto the platform and perform rousing renditions of patriotic favorites. The wonderful thing about all this was that, though its quaintness and beauty were beyond compare, Seth and I didn't have to go into town to enjoy these wonderful scenes of the holiday. As mentioned before, the forests that bound the pastures of the farm give rise to the ridges beyond, and from that same cliff Seth and I first allowed ourselves to admit our true feelings for each other that frosty morning one can, quite literally, see up the river those few miles and right into the heart of town. And it was on this same cliff that Seth and I found ourselves that Independence Day, Seth's transistor blaring out the local radio station's broadcast of the annual festivities, enjoying our own quite and romantic holiday. Seth had outdone himself on his efforts to make the afternoon and evening special. He'd spent hours in the kitchen that morning, forbidding me to enter, preparing what surmounted to an all-out feast spread before us now of southern fried chicken, potato salad, fresh corn on the cob, and all traditional favorites. Then he'd rushed me into the bathroom "to get fixed up," rushed through a shower of his own, and then piled everything he'd cooked into two large baskets, loaded them onto the two saddled horses he'd managed to get ready some time before, and had lead the way toward "our date," smiling broadly with every step. The meal had been excellent, but the time spent together had been better than any food. It seemed with our lives being so busy and hectic lately, though sleeping in the same bed together, we'd hardly had time to say two words to each other. The evening was filled with laughter and fun. Finally the sun began to sink below the hills in the distance, and we saw the first flash of color from the town below. The sight of the nigh sky, splayed wide and deep before us, and illuminated by the intense colors of the fireworks that rocketed up from below was one of the most beautiful sights I had ever seen. Seth and I stayed leaned against each other, basking in the colored glow of each explosion before us until the sky once again grew dark. "Well, guess we'd best be heading for home." I stifled a yawn as we got up. "Do we have to go? Can't we just sleep here?" He chuckled at me. "Do you really wanna be eat up by mosquitoes?" Soon we were heading back down the trail from the cliff toward home. "Seth why don't we just stay in the river house toni........." I reigned my horse to a stop. From the dim light of the lantern hung on the saddle I could just make out Seth's and his horse's still forms before me. "What's wrong? What's the matter? Seth?" He was silent for a moment. "Don't you hear?" "What do you mean? I don't......" And then I heard it. Though I'd never been around a live one, I knew all too well what the half-buzzing, half-rattling sound was; rattlesnake. Seth's voice caused me to jump in my saddle. "Keep your horse very still. I can't tell if he's here on the trail or just real close by. Wherever he is, we don't want him to strike at the horse. If the horse spooks, we're apt to be bucked off and land right on top of the devil." We sat for several moments, waiting for the buzzing to stop, but it continued. For what seemed like hours that warning rattle of the snake went on. Seth pulled another flashlight from his pocket and began searching for the snake. Finally his light glanced across a coiled mound right in the middle of the trail. It was massive, I guessed six or seven feet easily. Seth's voice was a whisper. "Timber Rattler. I didn't know there were any left this big." "What do we do?" "We stay still and hope he backs off." But this proved futile. At first the large rattlesnake appeared to have began to uncoil itself and prepare to run, but what none of us had counted on was the horses. Though looking back, it surprises me that neither of the horses saw the snake earlier than they did, Seth's flashlight proved to be a terrible mistake. Seth kept his flashlight trained on the massive snake as it rattled and buzzed, thinking to make sure and watch where it crawled away to, but what neither of us expected was his horse catching and glimpse of the snake and going wild. Sandy was a young mare, just a few years old, and she'd always seemed to have a more nervous disposition than other horses, but nothing could have prepared us for her reaction to seeing the rattlesnake. She no more than caught sight of the snake than she began rearing up and bucking violently. Seth held onto the reigns and saddle with all his might, but still he was flung like a ragdoll. Though my heart jumped and pounded out of my chest, I tried to remain calm and help steady the horse. "All right, girl, you're okay. Come on now, calm down." But the horse was not to be calmed. She reared and pawed the ground, only agitating the snake that much worse. Though it happened in an instant, what happened next still replays in a terribly slow motion to this day, every detail seeming reappear perfectly. As the horse's hoof came crashing down onto the trail, the snake struck, making contact with her front leg. The horse gave one last great cry, seemed to practically leap into the air, throwing Seth off as she did, and sped into the darkness, but what played out before me wracked my heart with a terror I'd never experience. It seemed time all but ground to a halt as I watched in horror as Seth was thrown from the horse's back, sailing high into the air, and crashing down mere inches from the snake. Once, twice, and a third time the terrible demon struck viciously at Seth's leg. "Seth!!!!!!" The scream echoed along the ridges into the darkness. It seemed the world stopped for that split second. Even the snake finally turned from Seth and began winding its way into the underbrush. Seth lay still upon the carpet of pine needles on the trail, blood staining his jeans. Two distinct place were evident that the rattlesnake had sunk its terrible fangs into his flesh, and I knew that quite possibly the snake had made contact a third time. I flung myself from the saddle to Seth's side, tears practically blinding me as I half-jumped, half-ran to where he now lay shivering and moaning. "Seth? Seth?" Though he shook violently, he managed to whisper. "Doctor......hospital........." "Okay Seth. All right, let me see if I can get you on the horse." It is amazing the strength the human body can produce in those time so crisis and emergency. Perhaps it was adrenaline, perhaps it was all those months of working around the railroad shop and my body's development. All I knew was that I suddenly found myself with Seth's heavy form slumped in front of me, one hand holding the reigns and another trying my damnedest to hold Seth. I dug my boot heals into the horses sides and urged him ever on, faster and faster. My mind raced. I had to get Seth to the hospital. The wind whistle in my ears as the horse galloped through the night. Though my first concern was getting Seth to the hospital, other fears found their way into my mind. Could I find my way down the mountain by myself? Would I be able to drive Seth's truck into town? He'd been teaching me how to drive, but would I be able to do it on my own? But then I felt my jaw harden. I had to, for Seth I had to!