Red Gold

by Sandy Nadeau

  “Hmmmm…let me make a call. I’ll see if I can do anything.”

  Jon thanked him and gave him the judge’s name.

  The group went their separate ways; most of them headed to the cafeteria for supper.

  Mandy took Jon’s hand, and they headed for their house. “God is really amazing. He puts all these people together in one place for a reason. We have a geologist and a lawyer here the first week of the season.”

  “It’s like that human tapestry Pastor Bob always talks about. People get woven together to help each other out, sometimes. That sure was a beautiful stone that Danny found. I think I’ll keep my eyes to the ground more often. I wouldn’t mind a couple of those to add to our shelf in the office.”

  “I wouldn’t mind a nice piece of jewelry with that stone…” She hinted with a mischievous grin.

  9

  The next morning the phone rang.

  “Great,” Jon said, after listening to the caller. “We’ll be there. Thanks for calling.”

  “Who was that?” Mandy asked.

  “Judge Markum’s secretary. Apparently, Mr. Reynolds called and got them to get us on the schedule. We have another meeting Friday morning at nine.”

  “Oh my gosh. That’s great news. Maybe we can get this settled and still begin the project this summer. Wouldn’t that be terrific?”

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We still have to convince the judge that the work won’t affect Mr. Shonee. Then we need to figure out how to keep that man happy while the construction is going on, if it’s allowed at all.”

  “You’re right. I just want to get this idea off the ground. I better head over to the office and see how things are going today.”

  ****

  Mandy went out the squeaky screen door. Barney met her at the steps as she came off the porch. He had his favorite ball in his mouth and was crouched in play mode, his back half wiggling.

  “All right. Drop it.”

  The dog dropped the ball at her feet, wagged his tail and took his ready-to-run stance. She tossed the ball, and he took off. As she turned to head towards the office, she noticed Jenny standing down by the pond throwing rocks into the water.

  Barney came back with the ball and trotted along beside her.

  “Drop it.” She picked up the ball and pitched it close to Jenny.

  Barney ran after it and plowed into Jenny’s legs. She yelled as she started to topple. Barney skidded to a stop and rolled over, exposing his belly. Jenny regained her footing and knelt down to scratch his stomach.

  “Sorry about that,” Mandy said as she walked up. “I didn’t think he’d actually run into you.”

  “That’s OK. I didn’t fall in. But at least it would’ve been something to do.”

  “Weren’t you scheduled for another Jeep trip today?”

  “Yeah, but Dad got a call on his cell phone from work. He has to take care of some things before we can do anything.”

  “That’s too bad. Well, why don’t you go ask your mom if you and I can go for a ride? I’ll take you up the trails if you want.”

  Jenny popped up causing Barney to do the same. “I’d love to do that. I’ll be right back.” Barney followed her.

  Mandy walked back to the main lot.

  Connie sat on the front porch of their cabin with a book. Jenny was animated as she sought her mom’s permission. Connie saw Mandy and yelled, “Thanks, Mandy. She can go.” The woman settled back into her chair and opened her book again.

  Jenny bounded down the path with Barney close by her heels.

  Several horses stood already saddled and waiting for riders at the corral. Gina, the main wrangler, was checking the tack.

  “Hey, Gina,” Mandy called out. “Can we take Cookie and Maggie out?”

  “Oh, sure. They’re ready. I’ll get a helmet for Jenny.” Gina headed into the barn and returned with a riding helmet and two canteens with water. She handed Mandy a cowgirl hat.

  Jenny took the helmet with a scowl on her face. “Why do I have to wear this again?” she whined. “I don’t want to look like a dork. I rode fine in the corral the other day.”

  “You have to wear a helmet if you’re going to ride a horse here at the ranch.”

  “You’re not wearing one.”

  Mandy took off her hat and turned it over for Jenny to see inside. “I have a special insert in my hat for protection. If you want to ride, you have to wear the helmet. That’s our rule.”

  “Fine.” Jenny slammed the helmet on her head. She rode around the corral for a few minutes to make sure she was comfortable with the reins and in the saddle.

  “OK, do you feel ready to tackle a trail?” Mandy asked.

  “As long as you don’t leave me.”

  “I won’t. Barney and I will both be with you.”

  “He gets to come, too?”

  “It’s pretty hard to leave him. He puts in way more miles than the horses do, but he loves to run with us.”

  Mandy mounted Maggie.

  Jenny’s face lit up with delight.

  “Now, just stay relaxed and the horse will do what you want.” Mandy instructed. “Remember that you’re the boss. You’re in control. Don’t let Cookie think she can have her way.”

  “OK,” Jenny’s voice held a bit of hesitation. “It’s weird without the railings around me.”

  “Don’t worry, sweetie. She’s very used to rookie riders. She’ll be good to you. Just relax, keep your back straight and go with the flow of her movements.”

  Barney ran on ahead of them as he anticipated their direction.

  “Let’s head up that way. I’d like to check on the area where we had a fire last week.”

  “You had a fire?”

  “Yeah, a couple of days before you all got here. The guys managed to get it out before it spread too much, but it sure scared us. See all the reddish colored trees back here?” Mandy pointed out.

  “That’s those beetle-killed trees, right?”

  “Right. You remembered.”

  “Sometimes I listen.”

  Mandy laughed and headed up the hillside.

  Jenny followed.

  Once they got over the hill, Mandy pulled up on the reins. They sat there for a moment and looked at the charred mess.

  “Wow. That really could have been bad. It stinks, too,” Jenny half whispered.

  The ground was black with rocks protruding above the burn. Charcoal climbed up the trunks of the smaller trees.

  “Yeah, we were real fortunate. God looked out for us,” Mandy said. She tugged the reins and headed down the other side of the hill. “Do you want to see the old mine site?”

  “Yeah, that’d be fun.”

  They rode to the west of the burn. Up ahead was the entrance of the mine. Wood and fencing covered the opening. A sign on the barrier stated in large red letters, “Danger. Do not enter.”

  After they dismounted, Mandy tied the horses to a partially fallen tree. She handed a canteen to Jenny.

  “This is the old gold mine.” Mandy pointed.

  “Did they really find gold in there?” Jenny made her way up to the fencing, gazing into the gloom.

  “They did. Not a terrific amount, but the original owner of this property found enough to keep him going several years. Once it played out though, it just wasn’t worth pursuing. We want to turn this into part of the ranch experience for everyone. That flat area over there is where we want to build a miniature version of an old west town. Kid size. Then we hope to shore up the mine going in about fifty feet or so, just enough so families can see what these old mines were like.”

  “That sounds fun. When are you going to do that?”

  “Well, that’s the tricky part. We might find out Friday when we can start. Come on over here a minute.” Mandy led Jenny to the right of the opening. The area went over some rocks and then dropped down as it opened up towards the highway in the distance. “See that house way down there?”

  “Yeah.”

  “That�
��s our neighbor and he isn’t real happy about the plans. So we need to work things out so he won’t be disturbed by the process.”

  “Why should he care? He lives way down there. This wouldn’t bother him any.”

  “It seems that way. It’s important to try to be good neighbors.”

  “Why? It’s your property. He shouldn’t be able to complain about what you do.”

  “The Bible says to love your neighbor as yourself. Sometimes that’s hard to do, but we have to keep trying.”

  “Oh. I don’t know much about what the Bible says.”

  “Doesn’t your family go to church?”

  “We did when I was little. But now, Dad is always too busy and Mom doesn’t want to go without him. We went a few times by ourselves, but just when we’d make friends we’d move again because of his job.” Jenny’s wistful tone wasn’t lost on Mandy. “That’s why they homeschool me.”

  “You’re sure welcome to join us on Sunday morning if you’d like and if your folks don’t mind. There are lots of kids your age to talk to. I’d be glad to tell you more about the Bible if you’re interested.”

  Jenny watched Barney, who was digging at the base of a rock where a chipmunk scrambled into a hole. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  Mandy sensed Jenny’s withdrawal. It was time to change the subject. “I’m sure sorry about your fall in the shaft. That must have been scary.”

  “Yeah, it was. I kept thinking about what you said about mountain lions. I didn’t want to get eaten. Then I worried about bats getting in my hair, and spiders...” She shivered. “It was just icky in there.”

  “Ewww...that would scare me, too.”

  “I’m just glad Barney led me to you.” At the sound of his name, the dog came over and licked Jenny’s face. Then he plopped down, panting from his explorations.

  “I prayed so hard for you. We all scrambled around on the hills trying to find you. We were all scared. The more I prayed, the more I believed that God was taking care of you. I just hoped you weren’t hurt.”

  They listened to the wind blowing through the trees.

  “Do you really think God is real?” Jenny asked, looking up at the sky.

  “Oh, I know He is. I can feel Him right here,” Mandy pressed her hand to her chest. “The more you learn about Jesus, the closer you get to Him. He’s my very best friend.”

  “So what’s the difference between God and Jesus?”

  “God is the one in total charge of everything. We’re all sinners and needed a Savior, so God sent Jesus, His own Son, so that we could be with Him in heaven. He had to die for our sins because we could never be good enough. God hates sin.”

  “I don’t think I’m a sinner.”

  “Really? Do you always do what you’re told? Ever had a bad thought about someone? I know I have.”

  “Oh. Well, yeah, but I’m a good person most of the time.”

  “The Bible says we can’t get to heaven unless we believe Jesus died for us. He went through a lot because He loves us. God wants all of us to be in heaven with Him. Someone had to pay the price for us to be with God. To clean sin away. Jesus did that. His death paid for our sin.”

  “Humph…I guess I never heard that before.” She glanced at Mandy. “I played with my toys in church when I was little. I don’t remember much about Sunday school.”

  “Maybe you should come to church with us, then. You could learn a lot more.”

  “Yeah, maybe. Guess I’ll have to see what Mom says.”

  “Come on. Let’s ride some more. We can talk later. Just think about what I said. God does love you, Jenny. He stayed with you in that hole. You just need to take some time to get to know Him.”

  10

  Jon and Mandy woke early on the day of the hearing. “Let’s pray that all goes well,” Jon said.

  Mandy took his hand and asked for peace in her own silent prayers, too.

  Remembering the fire, Jon cautioned the staff to keep watch for anything unusual.

  Nate went out early on horseback to look out for any activity where it shouldn’t be; his main focus around the mine.

  Jon and Mandy left early and had breakfast at the Sugar Creek Café, named for the old ghost town up in the hills. The restaurant’s walls were covered with black and white photos of the town in its early days in addition to miner hats and tools. From the window, one could view the rust colored tailings of various mines that ran down the hills.

  Toni, the waitress, set steaming plates of bacon and eggs on the table.

  “Thanks Toni. I’m so nervous, I doubt I can eat.”

  “Now, Mandy…ya know ya need to eat! Cain’t face the battle on an empty stomach.”

  “Mandy, you know you’ll be sorry later when the stress hits hard and you don’t have anything in you.” Jon said. “Eat what you can.”

  “I made sure the eggs are how you like ‘em. Now chow down.”

  “OK, OK, you two..”

  Jon prayed over their meal and dug in. When he’d finished all but his coffee, he pulled the briefcase up on the table and began rifling through the papers.

  Mandy grinned. “How many times are you going to check that stuff?”

  “I just want to make sure I haven’t forgotten any of the pertinent papers. It looks like I have all the plans, drawings and legal documents. I guess I’m set.”

  “We can only do what we can.” Mandy’s gaze drifted to the window. “There goes Mr. Shonee. Guess he isn’t about to miss this, either.”

  The man used his cane to hobble up to the steps of the courthouse.

  “Well, let’s finish up and get over there. I don’t want to take the chance of him talking to the judge without us there, again.”

  Toni had spotted Mr. Shonee, too, and brought them the check. “We’ll be praying for you over there.”

  “Thanks,” they said in unison as they gathered up their belongings.

  ****

  Inside the judge’s waiting area, Mr. Shonee sat with his hands crossed on top of his cane.

  Jon greeted him and extended his hand.

  Mr. Shonee grunted a response, but didn’t take the proffered hand.

  “Hello, Mr. Shonee.” Mandy acknowledged him, too.

  “I’ll let Judge Markum know you’re all here.” The woman stepped into the office to her right, and closed the door.

  The judge welcomed them into his office. Judge Markum lowered himself into a chair letting out a heavy sigh. “OK, now that we are all here this time, let’s try and settle these disagreements. Mr. Phillips, I got a call from an attorney by the name of Reynolds stating your case for a new meeting due to a fire you had. I trust everything worked out all right in that regard.”

  “Yes, sir. Thank you for asking. We spotted the fire early enough and were able to get it out before it got out of control. That’s what caused us to be late.”

  Mr. Shonee harrumphed.

  “We do apologize for that, sir.” Jon’s voice was non-committal. “We know how busy you are, and we appreciate that you allowed us to come in today to try to resolve this. We hope to settle it without the additional assistance from our lawyer.” Jon gazed at Mr. Shonee.

  “There’s nothin’ to settle other than these people not being allowed to mess up the land and my peace and quiet.”

  Jon reached for the briefcase. “We have plans to build this project with very little disturbance to anyone in the area. I have maps and diagrams, as well as the blueprints for the project that detail how and where it will be done, including the property lines of Mr. Shonee’s adjacent land.” Jon pulled out the documents. He handed them to the judge and Mr. Shonee, who pushed them away.

  The judge laid out the prints, and looked over the designs. He stood and leaned over the table to see the plan better, making “mm’hum” sounds as he perused the material. He then sat back down and paged through the other paperwork Jon had given him.

  Jon took Mandy’s hand under the table as they waited.

  Mr. Shonee shifted in
his chair.

  The judge removed his glasses. “You have put great effort into this plan.” He looked to Mr. Shonee. “What exactly are your objections to this project?”

  Mr. Shonee straightened and began a litany of issues. “For one thing, this area that they want to build on is right above my house. I don’t want my days filled with hammering, trucks, saws and other obnoxious tools disturbing my peace. I sit outside a lot, and I’ll have to see all that going on for who knows how long. They want to mess around by the old Jackson mine. That’s history for this area. It needs to be left alone. Ya can’t go disturbin’ history. Noisy machines are going day and night. It’s bad enough all them dang kids run around there making all that noise. They had to dig that one girl out of the hole she fell into…”

  Jon’s eyebrows rose up. “How did you know about that?”

  The judge’s concern now joined in. “What is this about?”

  “Yeah, see, it ain’t safe on that property, and here they want to make more stuff to get kids in trouble with.”

  Mandy scooted forward in her chair. “Judge, everything is fine. One of our guests is a young teen and after a disagreement with her parents, ran off. She fell into an old ventilation hole that was unknown to us. We found her, and she’s OK. We sealed the hole immediately. We now have our staff going over the property with the intent to find any other areas of concern that we might need to fix.”

  “Yeah, they’ve been messin’ around near my property line and I don’t like it. It’s just plain dangerous and they shouldn’t be allowed to do anything more.”

  Jon straightened. “We apologized to you that day. We are doing our best not to disturb you. We could just put up a huge fence and you wouldn’t have to see anything anymore.”

  Mandy grasped his knee to calm him down.

  “You better not dare to do that! I’m not going to have a big old fence ruining my view. I’ll see you in cour—”