Josh Has A Really Bad Day

 "And furthermore, why in the world do you keep that ridiculous picture of you on the wall? That does nothing but remind everyone that looks at it that that silly mine meant more to you than any of your family did, especially Naomi. That's a beautiful picture of that dear woman. You know she was a friend of mine too and you ran her away. No one knows whatever became of her. You should be ashamed of yourself. And what about your son and grandson? And what about Allie? Yes you worked hard, but to what end? Everyone is unhappy now. Maggie ran away, Naomi ran off. That mine took over your life, Rex. You end up here after a stroke with the sheriff of this town and me as your only friends. And now you are trying to take advantage of our friendship by swearing me to secrecy about that darned old mine! I've kept your secret, but you need to talk to Allie or Josh. They are your legacy, not that old mine. If you'd give them a chance they might even like you a little. Don't know why they would, but that's up to you, you old dog. Now, I've given you a bone, you chew on it awhile and do the right thing. I'm leaving now. I'm going to the feed store and give Allie a bill of credit. Yes, me. You've got the money, but here you are in here feeling sorry for yourself. You can keep your money. See you later."

"Excuse me sir, you have to wear a mask in our facility. It is a company rule. If you don't have one we will provide one for you if you are a family member or if you are on the resident's list of acceptable visitors. Just who is it that you are here to see? If you are here to visit this gentleman in room 101 he has a visitor at the moment. Please go to the front desk. The person there will tell you if you are on the list of visitors for this man. Please go now. You understand it is for the protection of everyone in this facility. I need to deliver these balloons and flowers to a lady. Please go. Thank you."

Josh thanked the lady and quickly went to the reception desk. He said, "I am Josh Durnhem, the grandson of the resident in room 101. May I please have a mask and permission to see him once the visitor that is with him has left?" The lady smiled and said, "Sure. Just let me see if you are on his list of visitors. Let me see,  no. I'm so sorry, but your name isn't here." Josh said, "Well, he wasn't expecting me to visit. I'm from Springfield, Illinois. I'm in town and thought that I would surprise him. Please let me see him. I won't stay long." 

"I'm sorry, but we have strict rules here. I will ring his room and ask if he would like to see you though. What did you say your name was again?" When the receptionist looked up the young man was gone. "Well, that was certainly strange. I wonder what he was up to. I think I had better call Rex's room and tell him that someone was here saying he was his grandson."

K.R. was mad! He knew his rights and he was going to use his phone call that's for sure. He could have as many as he wanted, but one should do it. "Guard! Bring me a phone. I want my phone call. What do you mean 'later?' I want to make my call right now!"

"What do you mean you need me to bail you out? I don't think so, buddy. You haven't given us our money from the sale of the stock of the ranch. That girl is still there, by the way. When do I get my money? Call you a lawyer? If I remember right, you are a lawyer and a crooked one in my way of thinking. Call your own lawyer." After he hung up on K.R. he called to his wife, "Hey, Honey. I have a feeling we lost a wad of dough to the jerk, K.R. He's in jail down south. He just had the guts to call me and ask me to bail him out. No, I'm not going to bail him out. Why would you even think that? Oh, that's right. But it costs money to sue folks, don't it? Only if we win. Hmm. Let me think on this a few. We'll talk, okay? No she's not back yet. Daisy is still over there on the girl's ranch. You got anything for poison ivy? No? I'll look for some vinegar. That should help."

Allie didn't go upstairs. She and Josh hadn't actually had the time to go through the downstairs of the big old house. She and Josh had pretty well cleaned the upstairs good enough so they had somewhere to sleep. The quilts were lumpy, but she had aired them out. She had found an old journal that she would put back together someday, but for right now she was just plain exhausted. "What a day. What I wouldn't do for a television, a soda, and a pizza. Boy my imagination is going wild." She did walk through what she figured was a living room at one time. The furniture was covered with sheets. She decided that she would see what kind of condition the furniture was in. Hopefully it was good enough to last until she got the Dude Ranch up and running. She needed money desperately. The first thing she had to do was to pay the ranch hands. They had decided to give her two days, so tomorrow she was going to go into town and try the local bank again. She hated to travel for a half hour to another town's bank and only get two hundred dollars.

As she was taking the sheets off the furniture she discovered an old old television. "Well, hot dog! I haven't watched television since I lost my job. I wonder if it works. I didn't see an antenna outside. I probably missed it. I'm sure if Uncle Bill had cable it hasn't been paid. As she was looking to see if the old television was plugged in she tripped and almost fell over a strange looking thing. It had two metal arms and a thin brown plastic tape running out of it. The arms were stuck in a round base of some sort. It looked like it was hooked up to the back of the television. "Hmm, I wonder what this thing is for. She set it on top of the television and continued to uncover the rest of the furniture. She opened a couple of windows and let some fresh air in. "All mine. I have a bed and a couch, two chairs and an antique television that probably doesn't work, but what the heck I'll give it a try. If it doesn't work, I'll put mom's picture on it. Yup, let's see if I can find a power button on this thing. Boy is thing old. Whoa! There's a little door with a lot of knobs and buttons. I haven't got a clue. I don't know half of what these things are for. Vertical? Horizontal? VHF? UHF? Brighten, darker.. Well, at least there is a big selction. There, volume I know. I don't see a remote any where, so I'm sure it won't work." She wiggled some knobs then thought to herself,  " Uncle Bill, I doubt if you ever once used this thing. If you did, you must have lost the remote or were a genius. I'm going to go get me a soda and see if there is some sandwich meat. At least I can sit down on the couch and pretend I'm rich," she chuckled. When Allie was out in the kitchen making herself a sandwich she thought she heard some people talking. "There better not be anybody on my place. I want the rest of the day with no people. None. Just me. "Hopefully that stray dog went home. I don't want to share with her today," she muttered to herself. She put her sandwich on a paper plate she had taken out of her camper and grabbed a drink and headed back into what was now her new living room. The television was on! It was all snowy, but she could hear people talking. "What do I do now? I have no remote. I wonder if I move this thing if it will work somehow. It looks like it's screwed onto the back of this big old thing. Oh Uncle Bill, can't you help me?" She took the strange looking thing and moved it to one side. All of a sudden there was a picture. It was black and white, but who cares? The world had just entered her home. What? Who is that? No! The lawyer that told her she owned the ranch had just been arrested in southern Texas. Now what? No! No! Picture come back on! I have to know!." She started getting really rough with the strange thing and suddenly the picture came back, but the audio was garbled. She couldn't do this. She was going to have to call Josh or Haylee. Haylee was an undercover agent. That's who she would call. She would give her the answers she needed; not Josh. Not Josh ever again. He was a crook like his dad. He needed to be arrested too. But doggone it, she missed that sweet crook. "Why, Josh, why? I need you."

When Josh heard Allie cry and call out for him he thought he would be sick. He had to fix this, but how? He heard tires on the gravel road. It was the sheriff! He couldn't let the sheriff see him. He saw a hole in the fence. He was out of there! "Get away, dog. Get now. Quit licking my face. I don't want to play. Go home! Quit barking! Doggone it, this is poison ivy! Dog, stop it! Umphh!"