Chapter 10
The morning sun shining in Sam’s face woke him.
“Oh man, what a night! I’m not taking any more of those sleeping pills, those damn things must have gone bad from being so old.” Suddenly it struck him as strange that the cabin was still relatively warm. He walked to the window to have a look. Perhaps the storm had passed them by again. “Wo Nellie, there must be at least three feet of snow out there if there’s an inch!”
But the sun was shining, so Sam convinced himself that the sun had probably helped heat up the cabin. Sam forced the door open as far as he could and stuck his shovel out to clear some snow away. “Yow! The sun might be out but it was still below freezing. Sam pulled the door shut and scampered over to the old stove to drive off the chill. He opened the door and stoked the coals, “There sure looks like there was more than five pieces of wood in there. Oh well!” Sam grabbed the kettle, filled it with water and put it on old faithful to warm up.
Looking over towards the tree he was shocked and somewhat bewildered by what he saw. There, laying beside his buckskin nugget pouch, was his harmonica. But hadn’t he left it on the front porch?
“Oh boy the tricks old age plays on the mind, not good, not good at all!”
Sam bent over to pick up his harmonica and nugget pouch to put it back on the nail by the door. But when he attempted to lift the pouch the weight of it pulled it from his grip.
“What the heck is that stuck on?” Sam said out loud as he lunged for the pouch a second time.
That’s when Sam realized that it wasn’t stuck, it was stuffed. Sam felt the weighty bag and said out loud, “Jesus Mary and Joseph, am I still dreaming? I better go back to bed and get up again. Sam poured the contents of the stuffed bag onto the table. “Nuggets, gold flippin’ nuggets, a whole bag full of gold nuggets?”
Sam ran to the window. There must be reindeer hoof prints and sleigh tracks out there somewhere. But there was nothing. Sam was afraid to look back at the table for fear it was all an hallucination. Probably a residual side effect from taking sleeping pills that had expired about four years ago. He turned slowly and looked, NOPE, those were nuggets OK, a whole darn pile of them, yeah this was it, he had gone right out of his mind. This looks just about like all the nuggets that I’ve ever pulled out of this claim!
His promise to Sally came rushing back to him, “I’ll make you kids a deal. Sally, you know that buckskin pouch you bought me for my birthday a long time ago, the one you told me you got so I’d have something to keep my gold in? Well when I get that pouch filled up with gold, then I’ll come back for a visit.”
Well he didn’t know if that dream with Mary in it was real, but his promise to Sally was, and that big bag of gold was, or at least he thought it was! Now, how could he get a hold of Billy? He checked the gas tank on the generator just in case. “FULL!” He had a strange feeling that’s what he would find, full right to the very top.
“FULL, now you’re full of gas when last night there wasn’t a drop? Oh brother I better get off this mountain quick because I need serious professional help! Oh yeah! Warm cabin, walking harmonicas, bag full of gold, full gas tank. Help, lots and lots of mental help that’s what I need.” Sam was talking to himself as he pushed his generator out on to the porch and pulled the starter rope. “You’re going to start the first time aren’t you? Yep!” as the engine roared., “I knew it! I’ve been poisoned. Those damn old sleeping pills probably perforated my brain or something worse.”
Sam checked his watch, it was seven am, time for Billy to get up. He was having a crisis and Billy needed to get up. Sam grabbed the CB radio microphone.
“Billy, Billy, wake up, are you up, this is Sam, come back.”
“Morning Sam and Merry Christmas!”
“Yeah Merry Christmas to you Billy, hey, I’m sorry to wake you up.”
“You didn’t wake us up Sam! Peggy has had us up since 6:00 am.”
“OK, great!” Sam said matter of factly, “Can you come and pick me up in about an hour on your snow mobile?”
“Well sure, is anything wrong?”
“No, No, nothing wrong I’m just going to visit my Sally, son-in-law and granddaughter for awhile.”
“Well hey, that’s great. I’ll see you in about an hour.”
“OK, I’ll be ready and thanks, and oh, tell Ellen and Peggy Merry Christmas, Ho Ho Ho.”
“Will do Sam!”
Sam turned off the generator, and pulled his big red duffel bag off of the shelf. He took all the ornaments and “The Angel” off the tree and wrapped them inside what few wearable clean clothes he had left. Then he carefully wrapped each of the hand carved members of the nativity scene in a clean sock and stuffed everything in his bag. He lovingly took Mary’s pillow case and took the Rosary from off of the nail keg bed stand where he had laid it the night before. He put the rosary back in the pillow case where it belonged and gently folded the pillow case placing it in his duffel. He pulled on his overalls, and straightened up the old place. It was just about time to go so he put on his old heavy coat, and grabbed his harmonica and his buckskin bag. He looked in there just one last time to make sure it really was full of nuggets. “Yep, full to the top! I’m crazier than a out-house rat.” He giggled to himself and shoved the old chin flute in one pocket and his bag full of gold in the other.
Sam went out on the porch and sat on the swing waiting to hear the hum of Billy’s snowmobile. He was whistling Jingle Bells and stopping every now and then to laugh and talk to himself out loud.
“Ha! Crazy, plum out of my mind, nuttier than a squirrel’s nest, …..dashing through the snow, in a one horse open sleigh..” Sam could hear the snowmobile now and got up and walked off the porch. He was standing on one foot and then the other as he impatiently waited for Billy to thread the trees and zoom across the frozen stream. Billy appeared from between the thick pines throwing bursts of snow all the way. He slid to a stop about fifteen feet from Sam.
“Merry Christmas to ya’ Sam, your chariot awaits.”
“Merry Christmas to you Billy, let’s get going I got a lot to do and we’re burning daylight!”
“Well then climb aboard, and hang on Sam!” Off they sped through the newly fallen snow white wintery fluff tossed high in the air in their wake.
When they arrived back at Billy’s General Store slash home, Ellen met them at the door with a cup of steaming hot cider.
“Come on now you two get in here before you catch your death of pneumonia.”
“Thanks Ellen, but I don’t have a lot of time I got to get some things bought for my family and get back to Desert Rose. I’ve got a long way to hitch hike.”
“Sam you’re not going to hitch hike all the way to Desert Rose, the plows have already been through but there still ain’t going to be nary a soul out on Christmas day.”
“God will provide Ellen, you above all people should know that. OK Billy we have to talk business, I know you got all the nuggets you need….”
“No, Sam, that’s what I was trying to tell you on the CB last night and then your radio went dead. A customer came in here yesterday afternoon and bought every last nugget I had. Paid top dollar too! Didn’t even try to bargain. He said he was a collector. He gave me my asking price of $14 a gram! That sure made our Christmas!”
“Billy that’s great! I don’t suppose you need anymore.”
“You bet Sam I’ll take all you got!”
Sam pulled the buckskin pouch from his coat and poured the contents on the glass case.
“WOW Sam those are some beauties you got there, what have you been doing hoarding them?”
“Billy, don’t ask, you wouldn’t believe me if I told ya’!”
“Well let’s weigh these little babies and see what we got. You got twelve ounces three grams Sam. Let’s see at the usual $8 a gram that’s about $3010.”
“You got that much cash Billy?”
“Sam I told you that guy bought all the nuggets I had and he paid cash. Ellen’s been upset because she doesn’t like us having that much money in the house but the bank doesn’t open until tomorrow. I’ll be happy to get some of this cash out of here, it makes me a little nervous too.”
Sam said, “Great! Are you open for an old coot that needs to do a little last minute Christmas shopping?”
“You bet Sam, just help yourself.”
Sam hurriedly grabbed presents for Sally and Frank and little Jessica. Then he grabbed a new pair of overalls, some new underwear, socks, and red flannel shirt. He found a nice new red sweater and jacket, and a matching stocking cap. A pair of gloves and a brand new pair of black leather boots and he was all set.
“Billy while you figure this up, can I use one of your rooms to change into my news Christmas duds?”
Ellen chimed in, “Sam, you come with me upstairs, why don’t you take a shower and get yourself cleaned up and I’ll fix you a quick breakfast.”
“As long as it’s quick Ellen, I got a ways to go. But that shower sounds good!”
“You go on Sam I’ll figure your bill, and get the finances taken care of.” Billy said.
Sam showered and shampooed, man it felt good. This was the best he’d smelled in a long time, he thought to himself. He then momentarily wondered how bad he smelled before that shower. He dried off and ran a comb through his long hair and snowy white beard.
“Oh yes, new underwear and socks, ain’t nothing like new underwear and socks to make a man feel like celebrating.”
He put on the new red flannel shirt and pulled on his new denim overalls, and slipped on his new boots. He washed and dried his old wire rim glasses and got them balanced in just the right place on his nose. He emerged from the bathroom to the smell of eggs and bacon, and the aroma of fresh coffee.
As he walked into the kitchen Ellen turned to put a glass of orange juice by his plate and exclaimed, “Why Sam Lewis, don’t you look grand! You’re by far the spiffiest mountain man I ever did see.”
Sam smiled shyly and asked, “This breakfast for me?”
“Indeed it is!”
“Oh man does this smell good, I can’t even tell you when the last time was I had scrambled eggs and fresh coffee.”
“I canned those strawberry preserves myself last fall.” Ellen interrupted.
Sam wolfed down his breakfast. He was truly fascinated at how good real food tasted. “Oh Ellen that was delicious, I am stuffed. Let’s go downstairs and see how Billy’s coming along.”
Sam patted Peggy’s head as he walked through the living room. She was sitting by the Christmas tree playing with a doll. “Merry Christmas sweetheart.”
“Merry Christmas Mr. Lewis.”
“Momma’s going to go downstairs with Sam, can you be a good girl and start tidying up so we can start getting ready for church in a little bit?”
“Yes momma.”
Sam and Ellen came down the stairs into the General Store where Billy was straightening some merchandise on the shelves.
“Hey Sam, ain’t you the man! You look mighty handsome for some old hermit.” They all laughed. “Your bill came to $379.32 So after subtracting that from your gold I still owe you $2,630.68. Let’s just make it an even $2,631.”
“Yeah Billy but take out that $500 plus dollars I owe you on my account.”
“What $500 dollars is that Sam.”
“That money I owed you for all that stuff you let me take on credit.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about Sam, you paid that off a long time ago?”
“Oh really? And what were you accepting as payment, pine cones? Now I don’t know what’s going on here but I know I owe you folks some money and it’s time to pay the piper.”
“Sam, I swear, your account is paid in full! I think you’ve been up in those mountains too long.”
Sam had to agree about being up in the mountains too long, but he knew he had never paid off his bill! He couldn’t have paid it off, he didn’t have a cent to his name.
Not wishing to argue, he said, “Well Billy, if you don’t know how to keep books any better than that there’s nothing I can do. Besides I don’t have time to argue with you, I got to get my thumb out.”
“Sam, Ellen had a great idea. I called a friend of mine that lives in Hawthorne, Jim Sabra, and he has family over in Nelson and said he’d be happy to drop you off at Sally and Frank’s home. I told him I’d drive you to his house. So we got to get going, because he wants to be on the road by 9:30.”
“I hate to take you away from your family on Christmas Billy.”
“Sam it’s not a problem, I’ll be back by 10:30 at the latest.”
“Well, that would be great, I got the address of Sally and Frank’s new house in the pocket of my old coat.” Sam grabbed his old coat and reached in the pocket for the crumpled letter. He felt the letter and his harmonica and retrieved them, transferring them to the pocket of his new red coat.
“Ellen could you do me a favor and take these old clothes and, well ah, …..”
“How about if I burn them Sam!?” Ellen interrupted.
“Well, yeah, that’s probably as good an idea as any, as long as you’re sure the EPA won’t give you a ticket. ”
“Come on Sam we gotta’ go!” Billy said, as he handed Sam his empty buckskin bag and a stack of hundred dollar bills. Sam took the money and quickly counted out ten one hundred dollar bills.
He turned to Ellen and said, “Now I don’t want no argument about this!” he said, as he squeezed the money into Ellen’s hand, “It ain’t much considering all you folks have done for a lonely old mountain goat like me over the years, but you put this in Peggy’s college fund. NO! Not a word!” Ellen gave Sam a look of protestation but then grabbed Sam and gave him a hug and a kiss on his bearded cheek.
Sam turned to Billy, “Are we going to go or we going to stand around jawin’ all day? Besides I think I’m allergic to something in here my eyes are starting to water.” Sam said, as he wiped tears away.
The trip to Hawthorne and on to Nelson and Desert Rose seemed like it took forever, but by 3:00 PM Jim Sabra had delivered Sam safely in front of Sally and Frank’s new home. Sam was amazed at the climate change that 5 ½ hours made. It was below freezing in Good Hope and in Desert Rose it was 57 and sunny. Much too warm for his new red heavy jacket. Sam thanked Jim for the ride and promised that they’d stay in touch and that he would take Jim out prospecting sometime. It’s something Jim had always said he wanted to try.
Sam waved as Jim drove down the street. Sam threw his red duffle over one shoulder and his new red jacket over the other. He approached the mammoth two story residence and knocked. A pretty little girl came to the door. She might have been 5 years older than the last time he had seen her but there was no mistaking the fact that it was his Grandaughter Jessica.
“Merry Christmas Jessica!” Sam said with a big smile.
“Mom, Dad, come quick there’s a man at the door that looks like Santa Claus!”
Just then a very pregnant Sally came around the corner from the living room as Frank ran down the stairs.
“Daddy!” Sally screamed as she rushed past Jessica and threw her arms around her father.
Frank got his hugs in too and said, “Welcome home Sam.”
“Hold on, not so fast.” Sam said, “I’ve just come for a little visit.”
Sally looked at him sternly and said, “We’ll see!”
“Hey you guys! What’s going on?” said Jessica.
“Oh honey I’m sorry.” said Sally, “This isn’t Santa Claus honey, this is your Grandpa! My daddy!”
“Grandpa!” Jessica screamed as he launched herself into Sam’s arms.
Sam picked her up and hugged her and kissed her beautiful little face. As he turned toward the street to hide his tears from Frank and Sally, he kept repeating to Jessica, “Your Grandpa sure has missed you sweet heart.” Then something caught Sam’s eye. There sitting in the driveway, was a big white SUV, with a big puddle of water on the ground by the tires and a melting clump of snow lying on the ground as if it had fallen from the undercarriage. Where would snow come from around these parts, Sam was thinking.
“Daddy,” Sally interrupted his thoughts, “You have to at least stay until the baby is born, it’s going to be a boy, your going to have a Grandson daddy, and we are going to name him Sam Nathaniel.”
“What?” Sam said, as he wiped the tears from his eyes.
“Come on Sam get yourself in here, or are you going to stand in the doorway all day long, we have some heavy politics to talk about.” Frank said.
“You still a bleeding heart liberal?” Sam jabbed,
“Sam you haven’t changed a bit!”
As Sam walked through the door, still carrying his grand daughter, he looked over his shoulder at the blue skies of the desert landscape. He raised his eyes towards a huge white cloud and whispered, “I’ve come home Mary!”
Remember dear friends, there may be gold in them there hills, but if you want to know what’s really precious, look no further than your loved ones. Gold is not the only thing that glitters! Those you love and those who love you, are the glow that warms your heart and nurtures your soul. Love is the food of life, without it, we perish.