Buck Bonner made his way down the lantern-lit boardwalk, tired from a long day’s work. He greeted the local proprietors along Main Street with a weary smile as they closed their stores, anxious to get home to a warm meal and cozy fireplace. Buck paid little attention to what was happening around him as he stepped from the boardwalk and made his way along the back alleys, anxious to be out of the evening’s chilly north wind.
The days were showing signs of a weather change to come. Winter would be upon them soon. Buck dreaded the bitter cold that was happening in the next couple of months. He worried about Tillie and the kids starting this late in the year, but it was too late now. Buck knew when Tillie got her mind made up, there was nothing to be done to change it. His preparations for her were the best he could do.
Buck's life story was well known in Hunter. He was the topic for conversation as people watched him make his way through town. Mira, Buck's sister-in-law, was not only ruthless, but she had been thorough in acquiring the family fortune. One day Buck was the richest man in Hunter, and the next, he was a pauper.
He stayed in Hunter even though Mira took the mill from him. Buck also lost his home. Now at seventy-five, he was the local janitor for several establishments that had once been financed by him. His daily ritual was to empty garbage and clean floors around town. Most anyone in town would have helped him, but he refused even though he had helped almost everyone in Hunter at one time or another.
Mira always figured Buck would die much sooner with his bad heart, but he had outlived her husband. Jack Bonner’s death exposed her scheme to everyone in Hunter. She had offered Buck a handsome sum in an attempt to keep him on as the superintendent of the mill, hoping to lighten her offenses in the eyes of the town folk, but Buck wanted no part of anything in which she was involved. He preferred to work as a handyman and refused to leave town when Mira had offered him a large sum of money if he would just leave and never return. Over the years, he had been a constant thorn in Mira’s side as he had hoped his presence would be. Now his crowning achievement had been helping Tillie and the children escape her control.
Now he was alone, and he knew the days ahead without the help of Danny and Tillie would be hard and lonely, maybe even impossible, but most of all, he would miss little Mary’s hugs and kisses. Shoving his hands deep in his pockets and a bit wobbly from the long day, Buck circled the school heading for the room he occupied behind the Hunter schoolhouse. It had been a long day and the cold night air chilled Buck as he made his way around the rear of the building.
“Hold up, Buck,” a voice from the darkness said. Buck stood fully in the moonlight as a large man came from the shadows of the schoolhouse; his cloudy breath had a strong hint of liquor.
“Jewel Marsh, what do you want?” Buck asked as the younger man came from the shadows.
“Old man, your sister-in-law asked me to have a word with you,” Jewel grunted.
Buck chuckled, “I bet she did. The very fact that she would stoop to even talk to you must have been mighty uplifting for you.”
“Listen, old-timer, it’s cold out here, and I don’t have time to waste on you!” Jewel yelled.
“Then why do you bother me?” Buck asked.
“Mrs. Bonner wants to know where the children are and will pay you well for that information!” Jewel replied.
“Doesn’t that witch know yet, there are some people that are not for sale. Present company excluded,” Buck added.
“You sayin’ I’m for sale?” Jewel asked.
“Never mind, Jewel, just tell her, I know where they are, and I helped them escape her clutches,” Buck exclaimed.
“Well, you gotta’ tell me else I’m gonna’ beat it out of you!” Jewel persisted.
“No, Jewel, I’m not going to tell you,” Buck stated.
“Listen, Bonner! Your ticker is bad. One good punch and you would probably keel over,” Jewel said.
“Jewel, do you know where I go every day on my way home?” Buck asked.
“No, your goin’s around don’t interest me none,” Jewel said sarcastically.
“Well said, my deep-thinking friend, so let me tell you anyway.” Pulling a small container out of his pocket and shaking it, Buck said, “I am living on these little pills; they keep my heart ticking. Every day I go by the church on my way home and give thanks to God for one more day of life on this earth.”
“So, what do I care?” Jewel asked disrespectfully.
“It may very well be that He is allowing me to live because He wants me to talk to you tonight concerning your eternal destination,” Buck said.
“Huh!” Marsh grumbled.
“Jewel, I want you to think about this. If I know I am going to die at any moment, then why do you think you can coerce me into telling you where Tillie and the kids are?” Buck asked.
“Cause if you don’t tell me, I am going to beat you until you do!” Jewel yelled.
Buck stated calmly, “Jewel, if you beat me up, I will die, and that will be good for me. Then the law would hang you, and that would be bad for you. I’m willing to wager, if I was a betting man, that you don’t have a clue as to where you will spend eternity.”
“I don’t know and don’t care. Tell me where those kids are!” Jewel insisted.
“Hang on for just a minute, Jewel. Now think for a moment. Would you stick your hand in a skillet of hot grease?” Buck asked.
“Of course not! Do you think I’m stupid?” Jewel asked as if insulted.
“Well, --okay! That was a thought-provoking answer. Now think about this. You are in a lose-lose situation because I have a pistol in my hand. If I should shoot you or the law hang you, either way, you probably will spend eternity in hell, and it's hot there!” Buck stated firmly.
Jewel’s countenance changed as he looked down at Buck's hands, jammed deep in his coat pockets. “I don’t know about eternity, but now I care,” he said.
With a smile on his face, Buck said, “Good thinking, Jewel! Now, how about you go in my room ahead of me and light a fire in my stove. There is no good reason for us to stand out here and freeze while we have this deep discussion.”
Jewel did what Buck told him to do. Next, with Buck’s directions, he made a pot of coffee and placed it on the stove. “You really have a pistol in your pocket?” Jewel asked.
Buck produced a shiny Twin Barrelled Derringer and pointed it at Jewel. “Now that I have your undivided attention, I want to tell you of the saddest thing I have ever heard,” Buck said.
“Old man, I really don’t care about a-hearin’ anything sad. That’s why I drink! It makes me happy!” Jewel replied.
“Well Jewel, you started this, and I have the gun. You can hear this from me or experience it firsthand; either way, it will happen,” Buck said. The coffee began to work in the pot and the room was starting to warm up. “Move the pot a little before you boil the coffee over, then I would really have cause to shoot you,” Buck said.
Reaching over and moving the coffee pot off the direct heat, Jewel said, “Alright, go ahead and tell me what is on your mind, Buck. I have to tell that old bat somethin’.”
Buck chuckled as he slid his worn old Bible over in front of Jewel and thumbed through the worn pages. “Jewel, this is the Holy Bible. God wrote this book to us. It has everything there is to know about everything. You want to know about your Creator? This is His book. You want to know about Jesus? This book was written about Him and what He can do for you. It explains our creation and eternal destination. This book lets you make a choice; however, be sure you are making the right decision and not making your choices without the knowledge of this Holy Bible. Don’t let pride keep you from reading and hearing what this book has to say to you,” Buck explained.
As Buck was thumbing through the Book, Jewel took a keen interest in it. “How come you know so much about that book, old man?” Jewel asked.
“Jewel, this book says that it has the words of eternal life. So naturally, I want to know all about that. It also tells me why I’m here i
n the first place and that interests me, too,” Buck said.
“To tell you the truth, Buck, I always wanted to know about that book. Figured one day, I would quit drinking and go to church. Now I think it’s a little too late. Besides you, there just ain’t many folks around that ever mention that book. My momma knew it was the Good Book. She was always telling me something it said,” Jewel said.
“Jewel, people seldom do more than read a few verses, then lay it down. When they do, they just skim over the passages and never pay much attention. I guess they really don’t believe it applies to them, but one day the reality of it will sink in. There will be no denying it when it does. You, me, every human will know someday they should have listened,” Buck stated.
“Buck, would you mind pointing that pea shooter some other direction. You are wasting your time with me. I’m too far gone for help, but if it makes you feel better, I will listen. I have a lot of respect for you, and if I believed anything anyone said about the Good Book, I would believe it from you. Nobody around here, but you, ever gives the Bible much thought. I figured I would start reading it when I got through sewing my wild oats,” Jewel said.
“Let’s just say for tonight you have finished sewing your wild oats and are ready to listen. Now picture this in your mind,” Buck said. He reached across the table and placed his finger on the Bible. “See these verses, Jewel? It says, all of God’s people have disappeared--gone to a new heaven and earth, and the old world burns up. But all the people who never finished sewing their wild oats are left.”
“Buck, that is impossible if the world is burned up so is the people,” Jewel said
Buck continued to explain, “Just hold on for a minute and listen, look at this verse, ‘The earth and the heaven fled away.’ That is what it says right there. Now listen Jewel, think ahead with me to that time for a few minutes. The world has just ended. In a hazy glow somewhere out in the vast expanse where the heavens used to be, there will be millions and millions of people just standing around. They have their same old bodies and souls just like when they were alive.”
Jewel scratched his chin and considered the scene for a moment. “Buck, I’m not sure I can believe all that,” he said.
“Jewel, when that time comes, you will be just like you are right now except for the liquor on your breath,” Buck said. “All around you will be crooks, murderers, and drunks. You name the sin, and the person who committed it will be there. Millions of people will surround you. It could very well be that they will be unable to communicate with you. Ironically, you will hear each other cough, some cursing, some moaning and groaning from whatever infirmities they left the world with and still have. You will be standing among people who would give their soul for a drink. Isn’t that what you are doing now, Jewel?”
“It is reasonable to assume that some of those people standing in the pale light may have been talking to someone just like I’m talking to you just moments before they died. Yet all the time, they just wanted to be away from the Bible Thumper where they could get on with living the way they chose. Unaware that in the next few moments, they would keel over dead. They hear the good news of God’s love, but they just didn’t care,” Buck said.
“Buck, I love a good cup of coffee, but I normally spike it with something a little stronger. Now, if you have a bottle hid around here,” Jewel suggested.
“No, I don’t! Now listen, Jewel! I’m hoping to get you to think of life beyond the grave,” Buck said.
“Mr. Bonner, I really don’t like to think about such as that,” Jewel said as he cleared his throat. He wrapped a cloth around the pot handle and poured two cups of the steaming coffee.
Buck persevered, “Think about that, Jewel. These folks, great and small from all walks of life, are just standing there waiting to be judged and cast into hell. Think about your children, your wife, and even yourself, Jewel. Don’t you think you should listen to me for a few minutes? God ordained you as the head of the family. You are responsible for your family’s spiritual health. But here you are all liquored up again, and all you will get for it is a headache tomorrow and a resentful family.”
“Okay, Buck. I will sit here and hear all you say, but don’t hope for much,” Jewel stated.
“Jewel, after tonight, you will not have an excuse because I’m telling you straight from the Bible. You can doubt me, but you better not doubt God's Word,” Buck stated firmly.
“So, what’s the saddest verse in the Bible?” Jewel asked.
“And there was found no place for them,” Buck said
“That’s it?” Jewel said.
“Jewel, in the beginning, God didn’t plan a place so people that He created in His image could go on doing bad things forever. He lost the world to sin, and now through Christ's death on the cross, He is taking it back one soul at a time. But the choice is yours. The Lord takes no one captive. He will only accept those who willingly become part of his family. God’s grace is free; however, the judgment you will earn from your indifference toward him and sinful living. God created hell for the devil and his fallen angels. You choose to go there by your sinful living and rejecting Christ,” Buck said.
The wind came in gusts making a loose piece of tin on the roof of Buck's small room beat incessantly. Over that distraction for the next two hours, Buck worked on Jewel holding him at gunpoint explaining where he could expect to be one second after the pistol went off. They drank a pot of coffee as the room warmed. Jewel slowly realized his lost state and eternal needs as Buck read from his tattered old Bible and watched as the warm glow of the Holy Spirit broke through Jewel's feeble mind. Before sunrise Jewel Marsh left Buck’s room, a changed man with a gentle spirit and a purpose for living. If he could have, he would have given his healthy heart to Buck.
Jewel had worked for the sawmill for the past ten years and would probably be fired this morning for not getting the information Mira wanted, but he didn’t care. This morning he found peace and was going home sober and make things right with his wife and children. His mother had named him Jewel and now with God’s help, he would try and live up to his name.
Buck watched Jewel leave his little room that morning and a thought crossed his mind. Before he had lost everything, he had never discussed the Bible with anyone. Now that he was living from meal to meal, not knowing where his next meal was coming from, he had a heartfelt desire to talk to people about his Lord. God had removed the worldly obstructions that had kept Buck fat and happy. Well, the Almighty had certainly got his attention. He should write Mira and thank her for the good thing she had done for him. He smiled to himself and realized he would not trade his life now with the abundant life he lived earlier. In the early morning hours, Buck lay down a tired and weary man and woke at the gates of heaven. With him, he brought one last report of a lost soul recruited for the kingdom. Standing at the Pearly Gates, there were tears when he realized the lost opportunities he had missed to witness for Christ. Then they were all washed away.
News travels fast in a small town where everyone knows everyone else. It wasn’t long until Jewel got the news that Buck Bonner had died in his sleep. It was a shock for the people of Hunter to see the meanest drunk in town crying openly.
C4 Learning to Keep on Going
Pace Jacobson stood in the middle of the road. He had suffered the ultimate humiliation. Wiping his hands against his dirty pants leg, he suddenly was very concerned about his appearance. Across the street from the stable was the town’s bathhouse. He didn’t even have enough money to get a bath and a clean shave. The Chinaman that ran the bathhouse would not extend him credit because Pace had treated him as a lord would treat a peasant. To reach the bottom was an upward climb for him at this point. Life had never been this bad for him. Always playing his cards close to his vest…so to speak. He had never allowed his appearance to get to this sorry state. Had he not accepted that first drink last night, this would have never happened. As a matter-of-fact, he had lived his life somewhat aloof of most people. Putting
on airs and a front. Work had been beneath him and he had worked hard at staying out of work. He generally cast a downward look on most people who toiled for a living. No one he could think of would offer him any kindness when it came to a grubstake or helping hand. Standing here dirty in the middle of the road was just too much. Every eye was upon him. The word was out as to what he had done.
Slowly making his way toward the saloon Pace stepped up on the boardwalk and looked over the swinging doors. There sat Shiver with Shirley not one bit concerned that the woman and children had gotten away. “Shiver, why aren’t you out looking for the wagon and mules. You know they can’t move very fast. It’s only been five days since I saw them last!” Jacobson yelled as he busted through the saloon doors.
“Jacobson, we came here looking for a mother and two small children. Now we’ve only heard from you that they are traveling alone in a wagon. So far, we haven’t seen them at all. We were sent here to identify them by the description the grandmother gave us. We work with the sheriff and have no lawful authority anywhere. After meeting you, I’m not sure they were ever here in the first place. It sounds more likely you are trying to swindle us to get money from the grandmother. Our job is over and we will return to Hunter to make out our report. If she sees fit to send us out looking for them, we will do so. We get paid for our work and we can and will claim the reward if and when we find them,” Shiver said with finality.
“This piece of paper is my authority to claim the reward!” Pace said, throwing the paper down at Shiver’s feet.
A lone man sitting in the corner, sat listening, hanging on to every word that was being said and eying the paper laying on the floor.
“Jacobson!” A voice from across the room said. All eyes turned to look at the gambler playing solitary, by an open window. Taking a silver coin from his pocket, he laid it on the table. “Pace, take this money and go get yourself cleaned up, a meal, and a room for the night. Tomorrow you and I will talk,” Chet Ringer said.
Winter Crossing Page 5
