Previously on A Maddisun Tale…
11 PM
The Diner.
Charlie finished reading Maddisun’s story and opened up a document with research he’d done when planning to create the private Ktunxa reservation on the land Westergaard Industries once held. There was a language database online and he scoured it for a couple of keywords. Once he had those, he began to write.
“Reckless” - A Maddisun Tale
by Charlie Jones
“Around the world or around the block
Everywhere I go, the kids wanna rock”
-Bryan Adams “Kids Wanna Rock”
Kimberly, British Columbia. December 9th, 1923
Legend has it, the original Kootenay Kid wasn’t a trailblazing gunslinger of songs on a quest for gold or a snowboarder from Nelson. The first Kootenay Kid was a Ktunaxa woman, who liked to gamble. She was a risk taker and a heart slayer. They called her Running Wolf, and at this very moment, she was sitting across from a very tricky coyote at a card table in a saloon. On a phonograph player, Al Jolson’s “Toot Toot Tootsie! (Goodbye)” was playing.
Charlie looked up from his laptop. Ed had come and sat down with him.
“I know, Ed. Mouse already said it. Everything’s going to be…” -Charlie
“…perfectly fine. Come on, let’s go in. I’m sure Running Wolf is waiting for us.” -Mouse
Kimberly, British Columbia.
1923
11 PM
The girls walk into the Saloon, which quiets upon their entrance. There were a few men at the bar, a bartender, back turned, polishing glasses, and in the back at a large table sat Running Wolf. She pushed her chair out so it made quite a noise, stood up, and smiled. “Well come on over girls, I’ve been waiting for you.”
The room returned to its usual banter.
Penny giggled and then sang quietly as they approached Running Wolf. “Come and knock on my door, we’ve been waiting for you… Lucy sang that to me the first time I met him.” When Penny gets to Running Wolf, she hugs her.
“Good to see you again too, Penny Lane-Jones. Please, have a seat. Samantha darling, would you go get us a bottle of whiskey and shot glasses for everyone?” -Running Wolf, who tosses her a 1914 George V ten dollar gold coin.
Samantha walks over to the end of the bar. That’s when she recognized the bartender at the other end polishing glasses. “Mr. Jones, we haven’t had the opportunity to meet. I’m Samantha.”
Mr. Jones notices the gold coin she’s holding, grabs a bottle of whiskey, sets it on a tray with shot glasses, and brings it over to Samantha. “Hello Miss… can I say Jones yet?”
“Not quite yet, no, but soon.” -Samantha
“Well, Charles is lucky to have you. Welcome to Ziggy’s Stardust Saloon." -Mr. Jones
Samantha smiled, picked up the tray, turned to leave, then looked back. She said “Really?” with a look of amusement and headed back to the table where Running Wolf was already dealing cards.
“You in Buttercup?” -Running Wolf
“I thought this was Ziggy’s Stardust Saloon, not namby pamby land. I might go chat up a young Mr. Jones bartending over there.”
Everyone but Samantha and Running Wolf turned to see Mr. Jones, about Charlie’s age. They all waved and turned back to the table.
“He’s a good bartender. Great conversationalist. Next time, Samantha, we’ve got some truth to deal with at the moment. Maddisun, thank you for coming, we’ll talk soon, but right now, everyone ante up.”
Penny looked at Running Wolf, took the silver bullet Charlie had made for his father out of her pocket, and put it on the table. Jenny Portnoy took out a pick she’d gotten from Mary Chapin Carpenter and put it next to Penny’s silver bullet. Jessie pulled out a boot knife her Father had given her. Penny was the only one who knew about it. Not even Jenny had ever seen it. Jake did, the one time she beat him in a fight.
Mouse looked down at the bracelet made from the purple strands of her mom’s hair. She was about to take it off when Maddisun put her hand on Mouse’s.
“No. Running Wolf, this should cover all of us.” -Maddisun, placing the 3-ounce gold nugget on the table.
“That will cover you and Mouse. Samantha?”
Samantha kept looking at the Kashmir diamond on her left ring finger.
“It will cover Samantha as well, or none of us.” -Maddisun, reaching to pick up the gold nugget, but Running Wolf agreed to the terms.
“Very well. Straight poker. 52 cards. Only one of you has to beat my hand. There’s no folding. If I win, you all go back home, and Maddisun takes the long way.”
“And if one of our hands beats yours?” -Maddisun
Running Wolf points to a door that’s probably a closet. “Toronto is right through that door if you win.”
Running Wolf dealt 5 cards to Maddisun, Penny, Jessie, Samantha, Mouse, and Jenny.
Penny went first. “Two Kings and an Ace high card.”
Jessie laid down her cards face up. “Straight”, that made Penny laugh.
Jenny laid down her cards quietly. She had a flush.
Mouse threw her cards on the table in disgust. She had a pair of twos.
Samantha had three Queens.
It was down to Maddisun, and Running Wolf, who turned over her cards. She had four Jacks.
Maddisun laid down a 4, then 5, 6, and 7 of Hearts. Straight Flush.
“Maddisun, you and I need to have a chat for a bit, ladies, the rest of you can head through that door.” -Running Wolf
“Why would we go to Toroohmygod really?!” -Penny
“Yes, really, go. Grab those coats on the rack by the back door, you’ll need them.” -Running Wolf.
Everyone but Maddisun got up, a little confused, so Penny cleared it up.
“TO-RON-TO.”
“Oh my god!” -Samantha
“Let’s go sex pot, soul mom.” -Penny, who opened the closet door and looked, smiled, stepped over to Samantha, interlocked her right arm with Samantha’s left, and then stepped forward singing “We’re off to see my…” the last bit of which was cut off as they skipped through the doorframe. Mouse, Jessie, and Jenny followed after, with Samantha coming back to close the door behind them. “This is awesome.” is all she said with a smile as she shut the door.
“Okay, now that the kids are tucked in, let’s talk, but would you mind winding up that phonograph and playing the record that’s on there?” -Running Wolf, to Maddisun, who got up and wound the phonograph and then placed the needle on the groove. The song that played surprised her. It was one of hers…