The Boxcar Blues (13 page)

As he rode Catwalk thought of Sam and how
well she’d fit in with his family. They’d all, including little
Petey, told him how much they liked her and didn’t want her to
leave. He knew beyond any doubt that he was deeply in love with
Sam. He also knew this brought with it some responsibility and this
worried him. He could make a living wage working for Barney, but he
wanted to give Sam a better life than that of the wife of a farm
laborer. This raised the question of how. He fell asleep while
wondering how on earth he could give Sam the life he wanted and she
deserved.

Catwalk dropped off at the Vaughn water
tank. He walked the seven miles to Barney’s farm and saw Mattie
working in the vegetable garden. He called out, “Hello,
Mattie.”

The portly woman turned toward him and said,
“If you’re looking for work…. Oh, my gosh. If it isn’t Mr.
Catwalk.”

“
Hi Mattie. Is Barney up
north?”

“
He sure is. Won’t be back
for a week or so.” She gave Catwalk a big hug, then took his arm
and led him toward the house. “How is your Momma
feeling?”

“
She’s feeling fine. She’s
got all of her strength back and even went back to work before I
left.”

“
I’m so glad to hear that.
I’d like to meet that woman sometime. Have you eaten?”

“
I can always sit down to
your cooking. I know you’ve got a fresh pie in there.”

“
Cherry. Just took it out
of the oven this morning.”

“
Do you know if they’re
finished bucking barley up north?”

“
Yes. Four men from the
Carter place came over to help and they got it all done last
week.”

Mattie served his meal as Catwalk said, “The
farmers back home are having trouble selling their crops. Has
Barney had any problem selling his?”

“
I don’t know. Mr. Barney
gives away so much to the needy, I don’t know if he’s selling any
produce or not. I think he’s fed up with the farming business
though. When he came back he was fussin’ and frettin’ around here
for a few days. Then one morning he said he’s thinking of getting
into another business, where he don’t work so hard and make so
little.”

“
What business is
that?”

“
I don’t know, child. He
didn’t say and I didn’t ask.” Little else was said while he ate for
the first time in two days, but his curiosity had been piqued. He
wondered what business Barney could possibly be
considering.

Catwalk left early the next morning walking
the same roads he and Curly had driven a few months ago. Late
afternoon of the third day, he arrived at Barney’s farm. He walked
in the kitchen and found Julio hefting a block of ice into the ice
box. Julio said, “Welcome home, son. How is your Momma doing?”

“
She’s much better, Julio.
She went back to work about the time I left Meridian.”

“
That’s mighty good to
hear. It’s nice to have you back again.”

“
Thank you. Is Sam
around?”

“
She was here earlier, but
I haven’t seen her for the last couple of hours. I don’t think she
expected you home for another day or so.”

“
I left two days earlier
than I planned on. I’ll see if she’s down at the barn.”

Sam walked in the door, saw Catwalk and
yelled, “Cat!” She ran into his arms. Oblivious of Julio, they
hugged and kissed each other with the fervor of two lovers who’d
been apart for years, rather than weeks.

Discreetly, Julio left the kitchen.

Sam said, “I can’t believe your back. I’ve
missed you so much.”

“
I’ve been thinking about
you since you boarded that bus. How was your trip back?”

“
It was fine, even though
I was lonely.”

Catwalk kissed her again, then asked, “Is
Barney around?”

“
Yes, and he’ll want to
talk to you. While we were gone that deputy, the one who wanted to
hang you, he came here looking for you.”

“
What? Are you
sure?”

“
C’mon, let’s go talk to
Barney.”

Barney was in the living room talking on his
new telephone. When he saw Catwalk, he shook his hand and said,
“I’m glad to see you back. Your Momma must be doing well.”

“
She is. She went back to
work the day before I left. What’s this about the deputy from Texas
being here?”

Barney told him the whole story, including
the rifles he’d bought for Curly and Julio.

Catwalk collapsed into a chair and buried
his head in his hands. He said, “I can’t believe he came looking
for me.”

Barney said, “I called the sheriff in
Dillard County. He said this guy had been in jail, but escaped. He
also said he’s carrying enough hate for ten people.”

Curly had come into the room. He laid a hand
on Catwalk’s shoulder and said, “Good to have you back. I wish you
didn’t have to come back to this.”

Catwalk looked at him and said, “Do you
think Jones will come back looking for me?”

With a grim expression, Curly said. “I think
he will and I hope I see him first. There’s nothing I’d like better
than to put a bullet right between his eyes.”

Catwalk looked at Sam and said, “I’m so sick
and tired of violence.”

She walked over to him and cradled his head
to her bosom. She whispered, “I’m going to take your mind off all
the violence you’ve seen.”

Catwalk smiled at her suggestion, and
whispered back, “After dinner.”

He told Barney, “I’m ready to get back to
work. What needs to be done?”

“
Go see Julio. He’s got
enough work to keep you and Curly busy until the snow
flies.”

Catwalk got up to leave, then asked Barney,
“Mattie said there might be some changes around here. What sort of
changes?”

“
Well, I don’t want to let
the cat out of the bag yet, but I’ve got an idea. I’ll let everyone
know what’s in the wind as soon as I decide whether it’s a sound
idea or scatterbrained folly.”

That night at dinner, Curly told Cat about
his flying experiences and his expertise as a pilot. Clearly, he
was proud of his progress and wanted his pal to start flying
himself so he could join in his success.

Catwalk smiled at his enthusiasm, then said,
“Julio said he’s starting my lessons in a week or two.”

“
That’s great, Cat. You’ll
love it. Hey, I’d better go; I’m meeting a girl at the Bearcat
Tavern. She calls me her dreamboat.”

“
O.K, buddy. See you
later.”

Catwalk returned to the kitchen and read the
flying books Curly had accumulated, while he waited for Sam to
finish up. Julio walked in and asked, “Curly gone up to the Bearcat
again?”

“
Yeah. He said he was
meeting a girl.”

“
There’s a lot of them
places opened up since the repeal of prohibition. She must be some
girl, ‘cause he’s going up there regular. He’s been drinking a lot
lately; keeps a pint stashed in the barn. I hope that liquor don’t
get the best of him.”

Catwalk said nothing. He’d noticed the
change in Curly as soon as they sat down to dinner. His friend had
matured in the time he’d been gone. He’d taken up smoking regular
and his demeanor had become that of someone who was trying to act
tough; he swaggered and bragged about his work and his flying.
Catwalk wasn’t sure if he liked the changes, but realized Curly
might be going through a stage in life.

When Sam finished cleaning up, she and
Catwalk walked out to the hangar so they could be alone for a
while. Sitting on a bale of hay, Catwalk took her hand in his and
said, “On the train ride out to Mississippi, you asked me if I
thought about who I want to marry.”

With the moon casting a soft amber glow on
her lovely face, she asked, “Have you thought about that?”

“
Yes I did. How old do you
think we should be before we get married?”

“
Catwalk, are you asking
me to marry you?”

“
Well, I guess I am, but
I’m not sure if this is the right time.”

Sam smiled and said, “When would be the
right time?”

“
Well, I think we should
wait until I can find work that’s better than a farm
laborer.”

“
Do you know what you want
to do?”

“
No, I don’t, but I’m sure
I can learn to do something.”

“
Well, I don’t want to
wait too long. You don’t want to marry an old woman, do
you?”

“
No. We won’t wait that
long.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Three days later, Julio started Catwalk’s
flying lessons. He soon learned that flying an airplane was easier
than he thought and he picked it up quickly. Landings were the
hardest part, but as Julio said, “They get easier with
practice.”

The fall weather kept them from flying more
than once or twice a week, still, he soloed by his sixth hour.
After that Catwalk flew as often as the weather would allow. He
often tried to schedule his flying so he and Sam could go up
together. From his first minute in an airplane, he’d known that
there wasn’t anything he’d enjoyed more than flying, and having Sam
with him made the experience even better.

On the pretense of the possible theft of
some cattle from his farm in Vaughn, Barney called sheriff Zane
Thomas. After talking for a few minutes he casually asked if the
law was still looking for the two boys that had once worked for
him.

Thomas said, “No, Barney, those boys are in
the clear. That wanted notice was cancelled a few weeks back. Are
you going to have them move back to Vaughn for the winter?”

Barney smiled. He wasn’t surprised Thomas
had seen right through his ruse. “Yes, Zane, there’s not much to do
up north during the winter so as long as they’re not considered to
be hardened criminals, I probably will. So long.”

Over the next two weeks Barney sent everyone
except Julio back down to the Vaughn farm. Because the weather was
more moderate in Vaughn, the boys flew often. Sam and Catwalk went
flying together whenever they had time. Whenever they weren’t
flying or working, they spent time just being together. Catwalk was
happier than he thought was possible and he often wrote his Momma
to tell her of his feelings toward Sam.

One morning over breakfast, Barney told
Catwalk and Curly, “You’ve both got enough flying hours now. I’m
going to take you to Albuquerque to get your pilot’s licenses.”

Curly jumped up hugged Catwalk. “You hear
that, buddy? We’re going to be pilots.”

Catwalk looked at Sam and said, “Will you go
with us.”

With a big smile, Sam said, “I wouldn’t miss
it for the world. You better get busy studying the aeronautical
regs so you can pass the test.”

With Sam’s help, the boys spent every spare
minute studying the regulations from the Department of Commerce’s
Aeronautical Division. Two weeks before Halloween, with Sam and
Catwalk in one Jenny, and Barney and Curly in the other, they made
the trip to Albuquerque. Even though he’d memorized the book of
regulations and practiced all the maneuvers, Catwalk was more
nervous than he could ever remember. Sam stayed close to him and
did her best to calm his nerves, but he still worried about failing
his written test.

Three hours after their flight test, they
were waiting outside the Department of Commerce office when the
check pilot walked into the waiting room and handed them their
licenses. He said, “Congratulations boys. You passed both parts of
the exam with high marks and you’re now licensed pilots.”

Catwalk, Curly and Sam walked outside the
building then let go, hugging each other and dancing around the
lawn, while unleashing all of the anxiety they’d held inside while
taking the test. Curly wrapped an arm around Cat’s neck and yelled
at him, “We did it, old buddy. We’re honest to goodness pilots. Do
you believe it?”

Wearing a wide grin Catwalk had one around
Sam and one around Curly. “Yes, I believe it and no one can take
this away from us.” He stopped his reverie and carefully folded his
license and put it in his pocket.

Barney returned from the airport to find his
three employees in a state of euphoria. He held his cab and said,
“Does this mean we have two new private pilots in the crowd?”

Curly yelled back, “Damn right, Barney. What
do you think about that?”

“
Well, let’s go find
somewhere to celebrate.” He asked the cabbie, “Where can we go have
a nice dinner?”

Eyeing Catwalk and Sam the cab driver spoke
tentative when he said, “Well, actually ….”

Curly interrupted, “Are you saying that
there’s nowhere that will serve these two?”

The cabbie nervously replied, “Well, there
are a couple places in south Albuquerque that cater to coloreds,
one is the Sandia Club down on Santa Fe.”

Barney said, “OK, take us there.” Everyone
piled into the cab.

The drive took fifteen minutes and once they
arrived Barney told Catwalk, “Come on, let’s make sure we can all
eat here.”

They walked into the foyer of a new
restaurant that featured large potted plants, a marquee telling the
patrons what entertainment was appearing and a large black and
white stand behind which a well dressed black woman smiled her
greeting.

Barney gestured to Cat and said, “Excuse me,
ma’am but will you serve this gentlemen here?”

“
Yes, we will.”

“
And will you serve me
here?”

“
We certainly
will.”

“
Good, we’d like a table
for four.” He then went out, paid the cabbie and ushered Curly and
Sam inside. That night they all rejoiced over a fine dinner while
being entertained by a three piece jazz combo. After making sure it
met with Sam’s approval Catwalk had his first drink of alcohol
ever, two glasses of red wine. He left the restaurant a little
tipsy but Sam assured him that he had a good reason for being
slightly inebriated.