The Gift

By Anita Sanchez

Kid looked across the crowded saloon, over the heads of the rowdy merry-makers, and stared at the doorway for what seemed like the thousandth time in the last seven days.  The saloon was packed with holiday revellers, gamblers in black suits and cowboys in chaps betting heavily at all the tables, girls in scandalously short dresses with plunging necklines laughing and leaning over their shoulders. The piano jingled out one Christmas carol after another.  The bartender was run off his feet filling glasses for holiday toasts.  Kid drained his glass gloomily, and waited for the bartender to come and pour him another.

He felt a tap on his shoulder. “What’s wrong, cowboy?” inquired a female voice. “You look lonely.” He turned and smiled at the girl with a red dress and bright blonde hair who leaned on the bar next to him. She wasn’t as young as some of the other girls, but she’d struck up a conversation with him more than once in the interminable week he’d spent in this town.

“Oh, nothing,” he said, careful to appear relaxed and casual. “Just thinking, that’s all.”

“You’ve been hanging around for a week now and you keep looking at the door,” she observed. “What’s the matter, honey, you trying to avoid someone?”

“Oh, no,” he said hastily. “Nothing like that.”

“Not in trouble or anything, are you?” she asked, nodding wisely. “I’ve seen a lot of guys, jumpy like you, always keeping an eye on the door.”

“Nope, nope, just like to keep an eye on things is all.” Kid tried to think of a way to change the subject, and was relieved when the bartender held up a tray of drinks and bellowed “Alice! Bring these to the black jack table!”

“All right, I’m coming,” she shouted back. “Come on, cheer up,” she said, eyeing Kid with a smile. “Maybe Santa’ll bring you a present, if you’re good.”

“Oh, I’m good,” he said with a grin. She giggled and went off.  He looked over at the doorway again, his smile fading quickly.  He watched the swinging doors carefully, in surreptitious glances as the evening wore on, but only strangers’ faces went in and out.

He joined a poker game, but couldn’t concentrate, and lost a few dollars before tossing in a hand that had a pair of kings. He wandered over to the blackjack table, trying not to glance at the door every five minutes, but black jack wasn’t any more entertaining, so he went back to the bar for another drink.  “Want some dinner?” the bartender shouted over the noise. “We got some nice steaks.”

“No, thanks.” Kid shook his head. “Not hungry.” He glanced at the door again, and his eyes widened. He stood up and peered across the room. A tangle of three girls draped over a huge cowboy in woolly chaps got in his way, but he craned to look past them, wondering if he was imagining things. It was real enough, though. It was Heyes who stood in the doorway, scanning the crowd.

Kid shoved through the crowd, and grabbed his arm. “Hey–Hey, Joshua!” he shouted. “Where the hell have you been?”

Heyes turned and blinked at him. “Hey, Kid,” he said not troubling to lower his voice. “How ya doing?”

Kid looked him over with a quick frown. “You look awful,” he said. The usually neat Heyes was filthy, unshaven, his eyes ringed with black shadows, but he grinned. “Thanks,” he said. “You look worse than usual, too.”

“What happened?” asked Kid. “I’d about given you up for dead.”

Heyes rubbed a hand over his face. “What didn’t happen?” he said. “I’ve ridden on my last cattle drive, I’ll tell you, I don’t care how big the bonus is. Damn cows stampeded and we lost a hundred, had to stay up all night for three nights rounding up the strays. Chuckwagon hit a rock and broke the axle, so we were just out of luck for food, it was hardtack and beef jerky most of the way..honestly, safecracking is a lot easier..”

“Shut up,” said Kid, glancing around, but the revelers were too occupied in their own concerns to hear them. “Come on, let’s have a drink.” He pulled Heyes over to a small empty table in the corner, and Heyes sank into a chair. “Stay there,” said Kid.

He went over to the bar, got the bartender’s attention by slamming his fist on the counter, and finally pushed his way back to the table carrying a well-filled plate, a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. Heyes was slumped in the chair, fast asleep.

Kid put a hand on his shoulder, but he didn’t stir. Kid shook him and finally Heyes opened his eyes and blinked up at him. “Hey, Kid,” he said cheerfully.

“Will you shut up?” Kid hissed.

“What? Oh, right, sorry,” said Heyes rubbing his eyes. He looked at the plate Kid put in front of him and smiled. “Damn, steak and fried potatoes again? They haven’t got any beef jerky?”

“Fresh out,” said Kid, grinning. He leaned back and sipped his drink while Heyes ate ravenously. “So did you at least get paid?” he inquired.

“I did that,” said Heyes. “A hundred dollars, for only three week’s work, not too bad.”

“It was supposed to be two weeks,” Kid growled. “I’ve been kicking my heels here for a week.”

“How’d your job go?” asked Heyes with his mouth full.

“Easy as pie, delivering legal documents sure beats punching cows,” said Kid. “I have to say it’s nice to win a coin toss for a change.”

Heyes nodded. “I’ll have to get me a new coin, I can see that,” he said. He leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes.

“Come on, you can’t sleep here, I’ll show you where the room is,” said Kid, getting to his feet. Heyes followed him through the crowd. “Big night,” Heyes shouted. “Is it Saturday? I’ve lost track.”

“Christmas Eve,” Kid said.

“Oh, yeah?” said Heyes. “Sorry I’m not more festive company.” They went into the bare, cold hotel room Kid had been living in for the past week, and Heyes sank down on the bed. “Pretty lousy mattress,” said Kid.

“A mattress, what’s that?” mumbled Heyes. He rolled over and was asleep instantly. Kid pulled off Heyes’ boots and unbuckled his gunbelt. He threw a quilt over him, and then turned off the light and went downstairs.

Alice tapped him on the shoulder as he walked up to the bar. “Double!” he called to the bartender, and when it came he raised his glass to her in a toast before he drank.

“Well, you look a lot happier,” she said. “Santa bring you what you wanted for Christmas?”

“Yep,” said Kid.