The Lost Ponderosa

Part Four-An Overwhelming Memory

"Ponderosa.."
Violet slumped against her suitcase.
"He's..."

Rosemary laughed,
"Lillian, did you really not notice?"
She rumaged around her crimson satchel.
As her hand retrieved a missing poster, with the picture of a young boy with a gap in his teeth. His hair ruffled and pulled back in the picture. The slang screaming "WANTED" at the bottom of the page.
Over 5,000 thousand on the boys name.

"I came on this train late at Dallas, last night after y'all departed Marshall."
She hummed,
"They had already got the poster out. I saw you and the boy sleeping on the bench."

Violet mumbled under her breath.
"I don't care if he's one of those or not. He's nothing but a sweet little boy who's been hurt by this world."

"I think you'll change your mind.
Think about the reward, Lillian."
Rosemary rolled her brown eyes.

"My name is Violet, Rosemary."
Her teeth clutched together.
"Now shoo, Id rather die then keep talking to you."

"Fine."
She dropped the poster at Violet's feet.

Rosemary groaned, storming off.
Lillian truly was an idiot, not surrendering a child who could be worth the weight of the world. She grumbled closing her satchel. Heading back into the broken down train, she gazed at her watch,
"9:20 am."
Rosemary continued on however, she looked around for their seats.

"Rosie! Rosie!"
A young white haired man signed to her. He beckoned back to their fuzzy seats. His outfit was that of a strange forest tan raincoat, with badly made seams next to finely made ones.
He smiled as Rosemary sat down.

"How did it go?"
He signed with his hands trembling. She carped laying against the seats.
"Lillian's being stubborn of course."

The white haired man nodded,
"Sorry Rosie, I'm sure she'll come around soon though. Didn't you have a crush on her as a teenager?"

"Shut up, I didn't have taste back then.
I could have had any girl I wanted, and I wasted it on that shrew."
She scowled looking down at her lap.
In truth, Rosie did think about Lillian more then a friend would. To be honest, she was still processing thoughts she had about the way they turned out.

Lillian had been a graceful young women, who was raised by the spirts of sun and desert. But her ambitions led her astray to a life of solidarity helping wanted criminals escape prosecution.
Including run away children.
She was also, to Rosemary at least..
One of a kind, a inconceivably great amateur gambler with the luck of the card.
Rosemary watched as Washing bought some raspberry tea and slide it over to her. She reluctantly sipped on the soft tea, reminiscing about Lillian.
Well her name apparently was
Violet now.

"Miss Calamity!
Look your sweater fits me!"
Arion ran out from behind the bushes.
Violet wearily smiled at the young boy, as he ran to hug her. Kneeled down, she gently brushed his hair in front of his eye again. Noting more of his eye up close. It was white, with a touch of pink for an iris.
Arion was blind or at least badly sighted in that eye. Just like Rosemary..
She sadly slid his hat, and bandanna back on him. Violet mumbled to his ear,
"Now don't take those off again okay?"

Arion nodded noticing her sad expression. He nuzzled his nose against hers. He whispered,
"Don't worry Miss Calamity, I won't."

Violet grinned knowing his promise was honest. She picked Arion up and allowed him to climb onto her back. Arion was surprised he got back rides from Violet as she had been distant with him.

The train horn sounded off in the distant.
Violet chuckled,
"It looks like their done, only two hours huh, we must have gotten lucky little guy."
Arion nodded holding on tight to her shoulders.

After they reentered the train, found their seats, Violet laid down Arion for
a mid-afternoon nap. She kissed his forehead. Her mind rang around thoughts of her childhood. He reminded her of her younger self as a child. She had been bubbly. Always bopping making strange comments.
Her parents, the poor sun and desert raised her to the best of their abilities. Violet had always been sad every night, watching her father leave to go sleep so the day could start anew. On the other hand though, her mother would smother her with love all day and night.
On the contrary, she couldn't help but wonder where was Arion's family? Her set into a state a despair. Was she really helping this child? Or feeding into a young boys selfish desires? His top hair and one layer bandage had screamed that he was loved but his covered eye, and his bruised attitude said otherwise.
So Violet couldn't really tell.
Who this young man was, where he had come from. She felt herself beginning to bargain with her own morals.
If she gave him back, then who knows what might ensue. It was also unlikely Arion would never trust again.
Yet if Violet dare kept Arion by her side, she would inject him into her life of running.
Violet also did have a thrid option.
Give him to Rosemary knowing fully well that she would give him back to his family. That way this incident with her never even happened. But it would still break Arion to his core.
The very thought would crack the young boys psyche.

Arion whimpered from his slumber as train hit a crack trembling around the sharp valley. Violet snapped out of her thoughts looking towards the window. The grasslands had transcended into miles and miles of dirty yellow hay. The wind viciously tearing its way through the western pandemonium of a landscape.
It scared Violet seeing the drastic change so fast. She held Arion's hand closed to her chest making sure he was still asleep.

It had been a day, she waited, for the next four hours to come that would determine if Violet, Rosemary, or Washing, would end up with Arion Ponderosa.
The most wanted child
in the southern states.

They had made it into New Mexico.
The Land of Enchantment.