Cowboy Girl Annie

by Risner, Fay

  “Wait here a minute. I have some loose change. I’ll get us both a fresh doughnut.” Jake took off through the door before she had time to say don’t bother. She was just jawing to be jawing.

  Not that she wanted to stop him very bad since she had his mind off the jewelry box. Besides, she loved doughnuts, and how often did she ever get Skinny Jake to buy one for her. That in its self was a pretty good deal

  Chapter 6

  Jake came back with two small, waxed, white sacks. He handed one to Annie. “Follow me.”

  Annie shoved hard on her shopping cart to keep up with Jake as they went around the bakery. She parked the cart along the bakery's back wall before she settled beside Jake in the alley.

  She felt as if she was going to start drooling all over herself any minute just from smelling the sack. She opened it and slowly drew out one of two still warm, iced doughnuts. “Oh, Jake, two of them! Much a obliged. They are iced even. That's so special that you would do this for to me.

  Lately, I’ve had dreams about this moment and figured that's as close to a doughnut as I'd be lucky enough to get for awhile,” she said before she took a big bite.

  That doughnut was gone in seconds. It settled the hunger pangs in her stomach even better than those barbecued ribs would have she'd craved earlier.

  Annie debated saving the other doughnut until later than decided to eat it while it was fresh and warm. When would she ever get another moment like this one? She reached into the sack and drew it out.

  Jake said, “I'm curious about you, Cowboy Girl. How come you never talk about yourself? You don't dress like a gal that came from the Midwest or one that was raised in the sticks somewheres.”

  “Partly I keep my mouth shut because it ain't nobody's business. Jake, you just never asked me before,” Annie said honestly.

  “All right, so now I'm asking. Where you from?” Jake asked.

  “I was born and raised in Montana. After I grew to my full size, I took to the life of a cowboy like a horse takes to oats. I worked as a cowhand until a nosy wrangler discovered I was a woman. He tattled to the foreman on me and got me fired.”

  “That was too bad,” Jake sympathized.

  Annie shrugged. “I was tired of Montana winters anyway and the hot, dusty summers. So I'd been thinking about moving on.

  Besides, there was no jobs in Montana to be had for me in my line of work so I hitchhiked my way here. Once I got in the habit of looking in dumpsters,I just gave up on the idea of being a normal human being with a job.”

  “Did you grow up on a ranch?” Jake wanted to know before he took a bite of his second doughnut and chewed.

  “Sure, I did, and I was a good cowhand. Right away after I came here I missed the country life and living on a ranch. Guess I got homesick. Open country is still better than living in a smog filled slum rubbing elbows with misfits like we have to do here.

  If I was a man I'd be punching cows on some ranch right now because it's a decent way to live. Fact is, I loved the job.” Annie leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes.

  She relived her last Montana round up where she chased after yearlings, roped their back hooves and held them down long enough to get the ranch brand burnt into their rumps.

  “Could you rope cows and shoot a gun?” Jake asked, hanging on Annie's every word.

  Jake's voice pierced Annie's daydream. She opened her eyes and smiled at him. “I had to practice with the rope, but during roundup, I got as good as the men. Been a dead shot with a pistol for some time. My pa taught me. When I was a kid he used to take me hunting for elk and deer so we had something to eat.

  Shot a bunch of snakes that got in my way, trying to scare my horse. It only took once that I let a snake get too close and spook my horse. I got throwed and shook up some. From then on, I killed every snake that got close.”

  “Wow! Isn't that something,” Jake exclaimed.

  “My real problem was the cow hands didn't cotton much to working with girl cow punchers anymore than the ranch owner and the foreman did so I didn't stand a chance once they figured me out,” Annie lamented.

  “You would look so much like a man if you hid your hair. I suppose you could disguise yourself if you wanted to do it. As tall as you are, you should have been able to pass for a man at another ranch. Maybe you should have tried harder before you gave up and changed to this way of living.” Jake waved his hand around them.

  “You sound like you're giving me a sermon. While I worked on the ranches, I was dressing like a man with my hair under my hat. I was working out fine at the next ranch I hired on while we drovers were out on the range during roundup.

  It was a different story the first night we had to sleep in the bunk house. One of the cowboys tore my hat off my head because I went to bed with it on, and my hair fell down to my shoulders. The jig was up as they say.

  I couldn't pull off the same thing for a third time. Word spread like a wild brush fire from ranch to ranch. Beware of the she male trying to get work as a cattle puncher.” Annie sighed. “Now it's your turn to talk. What about you, Skinny Jake? How did you wind up on the streets?”

  “I lost a good job when the plastic factory closed in southern Indiana, and then my wife walked out on me when I couldn't find another job I was suitable for. I hitch hiked to this town to look for work, but there wasn't any jobs to be had that I had experience in.

  I wasn't cut out to be a thief so I didn't have a choice but to try to fit in with the other homeless people around here like you said,” Jake explained in a down hearted tone.

  “The two of us make quite a pair, don't we?” Annie surmised, smiling sympathetically at Jake as she patted him on the knee. “It's better to be a has been than a never was is the way I see it.”

  “You got that right. I reckon we are an odd pair to boot,” he said, staring at the end of the alley. “Speaking of being odd, here comes old Wild Jim.”

  Chapter 7

  An old man with gray hair brushing his shoulders and a long bushy Santa beard, pushed his cart along the alley. He mumbled to himself and answered himself until he got even with them.

  The loony old man's eyesight must be poorly, Annie thought when Wild Jim stopped to stare at them through squinted eyes. He seemed to be trying to figure out if he knew them.

  She felt sorry for the old man, knowing that he was just barely getting by. “It's Cowboy Girl Annie and Skinny Jake. How you be, Wild Jim?”

  “Fair. Only fair, but what do you expect for an old man, says I,” he replied. “How be you, woman?”

  “I'm middlin'. Just middlin', Annie replied, not wanting to sound better off than the old man.

  “You are lucky to be that, says I,” Wild Jim grumbled. “Ain't you two got nothing better to do except sit there on the ground doing nothing, says I? You will have plenty of time to sit when you grow too old to make the rounds. I ought to know what I'm talking about, says I.”

  “Aw, Wild Jim, we were making the rounds. We're just taking a break now. Everyone deserves a break now and then,” Jake excused.

  “Even you, Wild Jim. You want to sit with us to rest yourself and jaw a spell?” Annie invited, patting the ground beside her.

  The old man grunted his disdain. “Says I, I ain't got nothing to jaw about that can't be said to you on the move if you want to come along with me,” declared Wild Jim. He pushed his cart on past them, mumbling to himself about how lazy young people were these days.

  Annie shook her head as she frowned at the old man's humped back.

  “What are you thinking, Annie?” Jake asked.

  “That poor old man reminds me of one of my ma's garden scarecrows. They would flap in the stiff breezes, making all sorts of snappy noises which wasn't very affective. Critters weren't a bit scared. They raided my ma's garden every night until the vegetables were gone.”

  “That about sizes up Wild Jim all right. Everyone is so used to him nobody pays any attention to what he says.” Jake watched the stooped man disapp
ear along the buildings on the street. “What you got planned for this afternoon?”

  “The usual rummaging, but first I need to go by Jerry's Auto Shop. My shopping cart needs fixed,” Annie told him.

  “Wouldn't have anything to do with those noisy squeaking noises that's been driving me crazy?” Jake asked.

  “You got it. My cart has a wheel stuck. If I'm lucky I might find a pool of grease on the driveway I can use to lubricate the wheel axle.

  Pushing that cart has purely tuckered me out already this morning. I'm hurting between my shoulders from all that hard work.” Annie stretched her back to relieve a kink and her left shoulder joint popped.

  “I haven't got anything pressing going on. You want me to push the shopping cart over there for you?” Jake asked.

  “That would be nice, but you don't have to if you did have something else to do,” Annie said.

  “Wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to do it for you,” Jake said, getting to his feet.

  “Well, let me carry your bag for you. You don't need to try to hang onto it and push my cart at the same time,” Annie said, holding her hand out.

  Jake handed her the knapsack. Annie almost lost her grip on it. She hadn't thought about the knapsack being that heavy. Carrying it was about as hard on her as pushing her loaded shopping cart.

  The sooner she got her cart back in working order the happier she'd be. “Let's get a move on. Maybe later, we can go over to the park and rummage for pop cans to redeem after the tennis match is over.”

  After Jake greased the squeaky wheel on the cart, Annie and Jake headed toward the park. They would have time to check the trash cans before the evening crowd came to walk the paths or watch their kids play on the playground equipment.

  Annie was right about the trash cans being full of pop cans and plastic pop bottles. They made a good haul.

  From there, Jake suggested they head for a trash can near the picnic tables under the shade trees to check it out. A Heinz 57 mutt got there first. He was sniffing all the way around the can. Then he lifted his leg and peed on the can to mark his territory.

  Annie grabbed Jake's arm and shook her head no. “I never find anything good in that trash can. Let the dog have his fun.”

  They stood back and watched the dog. Usually, Annie had a reason for not bothering to look in the cans near the picnic tables. Nothing to find other than Kentucky Fried Chicken bones or Hardy's catsup and mustard smeared hamburger wrappers left from family picnics.

  Even if she was curious to find out if a pop can was hidden among the trash, she wasn't about trespass on that dog's finds. It was a smart idea to not upset that large dog. He looked like he could rile up easy if she bothered what he felt was his territory. She knew she wouldn't like getting dog bit.

  Like the pro he was, the dog bounced on the trash can to knock it over. The lid flew off and rolled away like a giant silver Frisbee on the unlevel grade. Out of the can spilled soiled paper plates and Styrofoam glasses among the rumpled, fast food sacks and empty salad boxes.

  The dog's inquisitive nose jiggled like a rabbit's as he stuck his head in the trash can. His tail wiggled frantically when he found something that pleased him. He backed out with half a pizza he'd snatched and raced off to somewhere known only to him. No way did he intend to share his find with another mongrel.

  Annie put her hands on her hips and stamped her right cowboy boot. She was thoroughly disgusted with herself. “Don't that beat all, Jake? We just lost pizza for our supper. I just never figure to find anything in that trash can but trash. Wouldn't you know even the dogs are better scavengers than me?”

  “Ah, don't take it so hard, Cowboy Girl Annie. How were we to know someone would throw away that much pizza?” Jake consoled.

  After Jake and Annie finished going through the rest of the trash cans, they walked back to the edge of the park and crossed the street.

  Annie got a whiff of fresh fried doughnuts again as they neared the bakery shop. She wasn't going to say anything this time, but she stared at the bakery a little too long. Jake saw the longing look on her face and took it from there.

  “I'm getting hungry, and I know you are, too. You just wait here. I'll go in and get us a doughnut again. We aren't in such a hurry that we can't eat another doughnut, are we?”

  “Reckon not,” Annie agreed, wishing she had the pride and resistance to tell Jake not to bother. After all, he had done enough for her for one day.

  As Jake walked away, Annie opened her mouth but the words wouldn't come out. She really wanted another doughnut. That sweet tooth of hers was making her a weak human being. She almost felt guilty for taking advantage of Jake.

  Chapter 8

  In minutes, Jake was back and handed her a white paper sack. “Let's go sit behind the bakery again. That way we can rest our backs against the wall.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me. My back needs a lot of resting after how hard I fought that cart today.” Annie pushed her grocery cart over by the wall, parked it and sat down by Jake.

  She opened the sack and sniffed in the opening, savoring the delightful smell. “I don't know how I'm ever going to thank you for treating me so nice. I almost feel like I died and went to Heaven today, Skinny Jake.

  Twice in one day, I've had doughnuts to eat. The beauty of it is they aren't the hard as a rock ones from a dumpster but fresh ones. When I woke up this morning, I never imagined I'd be this lucky today. I don't usually have good luck.”

  “Sorry about that,” Jake said.

  Annie shrugged. “That's all right. I'm used to it. Anyway thanks for being so good to me and giving me all these fresh doughnuts today.”

  Jake grinned. “You're welcome. That's quite the sweet tooth you have, Cowboy Girl Annie.”

  “Reckon I got a sweet tooth for the likes of you, Jake, you old softy.” Annie smiled at him as she brought out the doughnut. She opened her mouth to take a bite and hesitated. A large shadow loomed over her, blocking the sunlight.

  “So this is what you're up to today. Just sitting here on the ground doing nothing. Those doughnuts look good, you cain't afford to pay for many of those if you don't get back to work,” said the large man, dominating their personal space. He had the broad shoulders and the gut of a has been, professional, football player.

  “What do you want, Big Ed? Get your say over with and leave. This is a private party,” Annie barked.

  “Now, now. You ought to be friendlier than that. I’ve been looking all over creation for the two of you. Just taking a short cut and lucky me, I find two of the hardest working rummagers just sitting here like they don't need to work anymore today.” He glanced at Jake's bulging canvas knapsack and Annie's shopping cart. “Looks like you've had a good morning on the hunt anyway.”

  “For your information, that shopping cart took me days of hunting to fill. That was a lot of hard work when my old cart has a wheel that keeps freezing up,” Annie replied in an icy voice.

  “Same here. A lot of work and sweat went into finding what I got in my knapsack and toting it around takes a lot of effort,” Jake agreed.

  “I'll repeat, what you want with us, Big Ed?” Cowboy Girl Annie snapped.

  Big Ed lit a cigar and puffed as if he had all day to answer her. Finally after he blew out a few puffs of cigar smoke, Big Ed said, “I just wanted to pass some news along to both of you. I've been telling folks about this protection business I’ve started.

  See, the way it works is, you give me half of your finds every day, and I keep anyone from stealing your loot,” Big Ed said casual like as if their joining his protection business was his way of just doing them a favor.

  “Besides you that is,” growled Annie. “Don't sound like much of a deal to me no matter who steals our loot. Someone else or you.”

  Big Ed's face turned beet red as he glared at her with his fists on his hips.

  “Annie, maybe we best hear Big Ed out,” hissed Jake, staring at Big Ed's three henchmen giving them the evil eye. He whisp
ered out of the side of his mouth into her ear, “Don’t make the big bruiser mad, or he'll set those mean goons on us.”

  Big Ed was still concentrating on Annie. “I don’t like the sass I just heard from you, woman. I don't want anymore of your lip.” The big man leaned over and slapped the doughnut from Annie’s hand to emphasize his point.

  Annie watched her fresh, delicious treat roll away like a miniature, runaway car tire. It sickened her to see dirt adhere to the sweet white icing, turning the doughnut gritty black until the pastry hesitated at a dumpster wheel and fell over.

  She bit her lower lip and looked down. She had to concentrate on her big toe sticking out of the hole in the end of her cowboy boot to keep Big Ed from seeing the anger in her eyes.

  She could almost suffer anything from anyone except the loss of a perfectly good doughnut. That big, crooked galoot had just crossed her imaginary boundary of no good deeds. She'd get even with him somehow or die trying.

  “Now, Cowboy Girl Annie, seems to me you don’t have much of a choice so what Jake just advised you was right. Start listening to what I got to say,” Ed ordered coldly.

  “Stand up, Jake.” Annie hissed.

  “Now …. now, Annie, don't do nothing foolish,” Jake stammered.

  Annie took a deep breath to steady her nerves. For her trouble, she got her lungs filled with the smell of stale cooking grease coming from the bakery exhaust above her as she followed the rough wall up with her back.

  Once she was on her feet, she stepped closer to Big Ed. Jake was right behind her, breathing like a freight train trying to make a steep grade. In fact any closer to her back and he'd be sticking to her like glue.

  Annie said amicably, “Big Ed, reckon both you and Jake could be right.” She stared at her full cart, thinking about the situation. She'd sure like to find a way out of this box canyon mess that wouldn't be so pleasing to Big Ed. Even though the man was mean enough to steal a fly from a blind spider.