"You better not die on me, outlaw!" Sue yells turning to see how Beth was doing.
"He's very hot Sue, I don't think he'll make it," Beth says, placing a cold rag on his forehead.
"NO! He has to make it, he made a promise and he's gotta keep it. We're almost there, just hold on" Sue sits up slapping the reigns on the horse.
The bandit was back in the field from before, his eyes were closed and the wind around him blew with intensity. As he laid there a faint smell of lamb entered his nose. He opens his eyes and sits up. He turns towards the smell, he sees a person bent over a fire turning pieces of lamb, as they slowly cooked.
"Join me, son, eat. It'll be done soon" the man says.
The man wore a big white hat which covered his head and face. He wore a long white coat that covered his feet. On his hands, he wore white gloves.
"Who are you?" the bandit asks.
"I AM" the man's voice boomed, he continued to cook.
"You are?" the bandit says confused.
The man laughs quietly, "Just eat" he hands the bandit a silver plate with a big piece of lamb on it.
"Thank you, sir, where am I, if you don't mind me asking?" the bandit cuts into his lamb and eats it, "this is delicious" the bandit eats some more.
"I'll answer with a question, where are you supposed to be, son?" the man asks.
"Well, I was talking to this woman and I made a deal to help her. If she didn't turn me in, to the sheriff" the bandit eats more lamb.
"You did something wrong?" the man asks.
"Well, I guess there aren't any sheriffs around. Yes, I've done a lot of bad things, there was a time when I wasn't afraid to say what I've done. Now it haunts me, I don't know if it's the fact that I know I'm going to die, or what, I just want to stop doing the wrong thing" the bandit places his plate down.
"Why are you so certain that you are going to die?" the man asks.
"Well, I'm sure this whole thing isn't real. I feel that this is me dying, my mind's way of telling me this is it" the bandit looks around, the wind was blowing hard, "why is the wind not hitting me? everywhere around us, the wind is blowing, but where we are there is no wind" the bandit continues to look around.
"Would you like water or wine?" the man asks, lifting up two brown vases.
"Wine please," the bandit says, "did you make those vases yourself? what is that? Clay?" the bandit watches as the man pours wine into a cup.
the bandit picks up his cup and brings it to his nose, "Hm" he breathes in the wine again, "doesn't smell like wine" he takes a sip of it, "it's sweet, like jugo de uva(grape juice), oh, that means-"
"Grape juice, I know. Conmigo no tienes que traducir nada(with me you don't have to translate anything)" the man says in fluent Spanish.
"¿O, hablas español, quien te enseño?(oh you speak Spanish, who taught you)" the bandit asks.
"¿Tengo una pregunta para ti, si fueras a tener otra oportunidad para mejorar tu vida, la usarias?(I have a question for you, if you had another opportunity to make your life better, would you use it)" the man asks.
"Si, claro(yes of course), I wish I could fix it now," the bandit says.
"GOOD!" the man's voice booms.
A bright light consumes the field and the bandit opens his eyes, "What's going on?!" the bandit sits up quickly.
"Oh thank God you're awake," Sue says, looking up to the sky.
YOU ARE READING
A Beautiful Western Story
Historical FictionCan this bandit overcome his old habits and become the person he needs to be? He's done a lot of bad and gotten himself in situations he's tired of. He told himself he was leaving the life, but found his way back. Previously, he'd promised the love...
