Date: Sat, 18 Aug 2012 02:58:33 -0400
From: Jesse Jesse <gmmac1987@hotmail.com>
Subject: Being Seen Pt 11

	Summer heat once again gripped the south. For most the heat drove
them indoors, seeking a seat under the ceiling fan or at least a cool glass
of lemonade. But for Seth and I that summer was the busiest of our
lives. The railway excursions had been a tremendous success, so much in
fact that our originally monthly scheduled passenger trains had progressed
into two monthly trains. Besides all this, the "old teapot" proved much
more useful than any of us at the shop could have anticipated. Not a month
after our first excursion, the small yard switcher that was the railway's
primary motive of power decided to unceremoniously jumped the tracks just
outside the yard and land so hard on the dusty ground that she broke an
axle. This left the railway with two options, lose business or use the
steamer; we used the steamer. The only problem was that, at least at that
time, Frank, Seth, and I were the only three who knew how to operate the
locomotive, so that meant much busier days for all three of us. Frank's
foul mouth came to an all-time height during that first month, much to
amusement for everyone around. The steam engine had its benefits. In one
day the old girl could move over twice the freight of the small
switcher. Being larger, but also due to the fact that, while more expensive
to operate, steam locomotives provide more tractive effort than their
diesel counterparts, the old steamer was able to move as much freight in a
day as the switcher would have been able to in several. Though this pleased
our customers who contracted the railway for carrying their merchandise, it
also brought yet more work for Seth and myself.

	But the locomotive, or rather working with and on the locomotive,
had another effect, one that while not expected was a pleasant
surprise. During those months of shoveling ton after ton of coal, lifting
and hauling, carrying and straining while working on the railway, I began
to notice a change in my body; I was beginning to develop a bit of muscle.
It wasn't that I'd ever been overweight or anything like that, oh no. Truth
be told, Gram had told me more times than I could remember that I could've
stood to gain a few pounds. Small and scrawny, I'd never been particularly
proud of my body, so when Seth began to tease me about "getting more
muscular than him" I was overjoyed. But even with these new-found benefits
of our hard work, I found myself growing ever more exhausted. School and
work, farm and school, that was my daily routine. It seemed nothing else
existed any more. So though I was slightly worried at how Frank would fair
with one of his new recruits at operating the locomotive while we were
away, I was delighted when Seth told me he'd given Frank our notice that
we'd be taking a week off. Finally came the evening when we came trudging
into the house, exhausted and worn out, but knowing that we'd have a whole
week to rest and relax. Seth and I spent the evening on the front porch,
enjoying the shade of the massive oak that stood in the front yard. "So,
what are we going to do for the Fourth?" "What?" "The 4th of July. What are
we gonna do?" I sat stunned. We'd been so busy that I'd forgotten that in a
matter of days Independence Day would be upon us. "I don't know. I'd
forgotten it. What do you wanna do?" Seth smiled. "Oh, I don't know. I'll
think of something, though."

	As I said before, I grew up in one of those "Mayberry" towns, and
besides Christmas, no other time of year exhibited those qualities quite
like the Fourth of July. Our little town is centered around a small square,
one main street encircling it. Everything from the courthouse to the
library, to the only bank in town sat, and still sit, around that
square. If you can imagine the scene of the small cluster of buildings, a
white marble courthouse, stately brick schoolhouse and library, and several
local shops all decked in their finest patriotic decor, you'd been looking
into my memory of my hometown. Each building wore frocks of red, white, and
blue, banners and ribbons fluttered in what little breeze broke the
stifling heat, and rite in the middle of the square sat a small white
bandstand. Each year the school marching band would practice for weeks on
end until they were prepared and ready for the Independence Day
festivities, where they would march onto the grass of the square, horns
blasting and bugling, onto the platform and perform rousing renditions of
patriotic favorites. The wonderful thing about all this was that, though
its quaintness and beauty were beyond compare, Seth and I didn't have to go
into town to enjoy these wonderful scenes of the holiday. As mentioned
before, the forests that bound the pastures of the farm give rise to the
ridges beyond, and from that same cliff Seth and I first allowed ourselves
to admit our true feelings for each other that frosty morning one can,
quite literally, see up the river those few miles and right into the heart
of town. And it was on this same cliff that Seth and I found ourselves that
Independence Day, Seth's transistor blaring out the local radio station's
broadcast of the annual festivities, enjoying our own quite and romantic
holiday.

	Seth had outdone himself on his efforts to make the afternoon and
evening special. He'd spent hours in the kitchen that morning, forbidding
me to enter, preparing what surmounted to an all-out feast spread before us
now of southern fried chicken, potato salad, fresh corn on the cob, and all
traditional favorites. Then he'd rushed me into the bathroom "to get fixed
up," rushed through a shower of his own, and then piled everything he'd
cooked into two large baskets, loaded them onto the two saddled horses he'd
managed to get ready some time before, and had lead the way toward "our
date," smiling broadly with every step. The meal had been excellent, but
the time spent together had been better than any food. It seemed with our
lives being so busy and hectic lately, though sleeping in the same bed
together, we'd hardly had time to say two words to each other. The evening
was filled with laughter and fun. Finally the sun began to sink below the
hills in the distance, and we saw the first flash of color from the town
below. The sight of the nigh sky, splayed wide and deep before us, and
illuminated by the intense colors of the fireworks that rocketed up from
below was one of the most beautiful sights I had ever seen. Seth and I
stayed leaned against each other, basking in the colored glow of each
explosion before us until the sky once again grew dark. "Well, guess we'd
best be heading for home." I stifled a yawn as we got up. "Do we have to
go? Can't we just sleep here?" He chuckled at me. "Do you really wanna be
eat up by mosquitoes?"

	Soon we were heading back down the trail from the cliff toward
home. "Seth why don't we just stay in the river house toni........." I
reigned my horse to a stop. From the dim light of the lantern hung on the
saddle I could just make out Seth's and his horse's still forms before
me. "What's wrong? What's the matter? Seth?" He was silent for a
moment. "Don't you hear?" "What do you mean? I don't......" And then I
heard it. Though I'd never been around a live one, I knew all too well what
the half-buzzing, half-rattling sound was; rattlesnake. Seth's voice caused
me to jump in my saddle. "Keep your horse very still. I can't tell if he's
here on the trail or just real close by. Wherever he is, we don't want him
to strike at the horse. If the horse spooks, we're apt to be bucked off and
land right on top of the devil." We sat for several moments, waiting for
the buzzing to stop, but it continued. For what seemed like hours that
warning rattle of the snake went on. Seth pulled another flashlight from
his pocket and began searching for the snake. Finally his light glanced
across a coiled mound right in the middle of the trail. It was massive, I
guessed six or seven feet easily. Seth's voice was a whisper. "Timber
Rattler. I didn't know there were any left this big." "What do we do?" "We
stay still and hope he backs off." But this proved futile. At first the
large rattlesnake appeared to have began to uncoil itself and prepare to
run, but what none of us had counted on was the horses.

	Though looking back, it surprises me that neither of the horses saw
the snake earlier than they did, Seth's flashlight proved to be a terrible
mistake. Seth kept his flashlight trained on the massive snake as it
rattled and buzzed, thinking to make sure and watch where it crawled away
to, but what neither of us expected was his horse catching and glimpse of
the snake and going wild. Sandy was a young mare, just a few years old, and
she'd always seemed to have a more nervous disposition than other horses,
but nothing could have prepared us for her reaction to seeing the
rattlesnake. She no more than caught sight of the snake than she began
rearing up and bucking violently. Seth held onto the reigns and saddle with
all his might, but still he was flung like a ragdoll. Though my heart
jumped and pounded out of my chest, I tried to remain calm and help steady
the horse. "All right, girl, you're okay. Come on now, calm down." But the
horse was not to be calmed. She reared and pawed the ground, only agitating
the snake that much worse. Though it happened in an instant, what happened
next still replays in a terribly slow motion to this day, every detail
seeming reappear perfectly. As the horse's hoof came crashing down onto the
trail, the snake struck, making contact with her front leg. The horse gave
one last great cry, seemed to practically leap into the air, throwing Seth
off as she did, and sped into the darkness, but what played out before me
wracked my heart with a terror I'd never experience. It seemed time all but
ground to a halt as I watched in horror as Seth was thrown from the horse's
back, sailing high into the air, and crashing down mere inches from the
snake. Once, twice, and a third time the terrible demon struck viciously at
Seth's leg.

	"Seth!!!!!!" The scream echoed along the ridges into the darkness.
It seemed the world stopped for that split second. Even the snake finally
turned from Seth and began winding its way into the underbrush. Seth lay
still upon the carpet of pine needles on the trail, blood staining his
jeans. Two distinct place were evident that the rattlesnake had sunk its
terrible fangs into his flesh, and I knew that quite possibly the snake had
made contact a third time. I flung myself from the saddle to Seth's side,
tears practically blinding me as I half-jumped, half-ran to where he now
lay shivering and moaning. "Seth? Seth?" Though he shook violently, he
managed to whisper. "Doctor......hospital........."  "Okay Seth. All right,
let me see if I can get you on the horse." It is amazing the strength the
human body can produce in those time so crisis and emergency. Perhaps it
was adrenaline, perhaps it was all those months of working around the
railroad shop and my body's development. All I knew was that I suddenly
found myself with Seth's heavy form slumped in front of me, one hand
holding the reigns and another trying my damnedest to hold Seth. I dug my
boot heals into the horses sides and urged him ever on, faster and
faster. My mind raced. I had to get Seth to the hospital. The wind whistle
in my ears as the horse galloped through the night. Though my first concern
was getting Seth to the hospital, other fears found their way into my
mind. Could I find my way down the mountain by myself? Would I be able to
drive Seth's truck into town? He'd been teaching me how to drive, but would
I be able to do it on my own? But then I felt my jaw harden. I had to, for
Seth I had to!