Monday, December 13, 2010

Frankie, The Lone Ranger!

Frankie Mason was an idiot, it was official! he had always been that way, even his father said it!  His Mother, a rather well stacked forty something, had given up on Frankie. He had no siblings, and as far as his father was concerned, it  would remain that way!  All Frankie`s parents ever saw of their son, was an idiot dressed as the Lone Ranger! Frankie would ride his pretend horse up and down the hall of the house, shouting at the top of his voice,”YeeeeHa!”  His Father would shout across the hall,” Hey Boy! Cut that shit out! I cant here the Tv!” His mother would just sigh, and shake her head, muttering under her breath, ”Two idiots  in one house!
But what they didnt know, was that their son, harboured a serious yearning, Frankie wanted to be a Cowboy!  He longed to ride the Range, to shoot Indians and catch bad guys!  But the most he ever got to being a Cowboy, was his second hand Lone Ranger outfit, his two Chromium plated six guns, and his hat!  The fact he only had cheap plimsoles on his feet, when he caught bad guys didnt matter, what did matter was that he got his man!  Every kid on the street thought he was odd, they would point and shout at him, names didnt hurt him, he was used to that, his Dad called him enough.
Frankie Mason  was going to  leave home. He had  packed his saddle bags, and his bedroll,   made some Salmon paste sandwiches, and pinched a pint of milk from the next door neighbours step that very morning! All things considered, he was ready to ride  the Range, where ever it maybe!   Frankie Mason was ten years old the day he left home. He had no horse, but he was sure he would find one, after all, Cowboys often lost their horses, John Wayne said so!  The sun was shining as he stepped off into the wide world, he wasnt worried about what his Mom & Dad will say, when they find him gone, no, he was more worried about finding a horse!  Frankie thought he had been walking for what seemed hours, in fact, it had only been thirty minutes!  He was still only two streets away from his house, and desperately hungry!   
Sitting down on a handy overturned dustbin, he unpacked his sandwiches and ate two, drank a little milk, after all he would need to save some in case he had a long way to go!   Frankie sat and watched as a car drove by, he thought they must be rich, no one on his street had a car?  Except Mr Deeds, he had a flower shop!  It was hot, and the sun was climbing high in the sky, but Frankie new he was on the right trail. He would find a horse, a good horse, fast and furious, white, with a silver and black saddle!  He would call it Silver! Just like the one on the Tv. 
Frankie stood up, he was resolved to his task, he really hated being called those names, but he was desperate, he needed that horse, he could catch bad guys!  It was late afternoon and he was tired, it had taken all day to reach the edge of his village,  but his heart was pounding!  Frankie stood stock still, there it was, big white and magnificent!   Frankie`s horse!  He  ran, ran for all his worth, his saddle bags fell from his shoulders, and his hat came off with the wind, but he didnt care, he had found his horse!  In Frankie`s eyes this was a beautiful horse, he didnt see the sway back, cracked hooves or the tired eyes, he saw “Silver!”  Frankie climbed the fence, tearing  his frilled chaps on the barbed wire, and became hung up. But he struggled and finally fell off the fence, right between the hooves of his new found Silver. He lay still frightened to move, he hadnt really realised just how big his horse was going to be! I”I`ll never climb on this!”   Frankie started to cry, the tears welled in his young eyes, and rolled onto his cheeks, gently falling to the earth on which his head lay.
He didnt know how long he had lain there, but he was cold, Frankie sat bolt upright! Silver was watching something coming along the empty road towards him!  He stood up, his little legs tired from the days travails, and scratched from the barbed wire. Frankie was lost for words, right before him heading his way was a Cowboy on a horse! A white horse! he seemed to be galloping for all he was worth! Frankie  shielded his eyes from the late evening sunset, and as he did so, a soft kind voice came from atop the horse! “ C`mon son, I`ll take you home, your Mom and Dad, will be pleased to see you!” An arm extended from the Cowboy in the saddle and lifted Frankie effortlessly up and behind him on the horse.
Frankie waved goodbye to Silver, who was still grazing. “ Hang on son, we`re going home!” With that Frankie`s little hands gripped the belt on the Cowboys trousers and they were off! The wind wipped the Lone rangers hair, his eyes watered  as the cool night air fluttered his eye lashes!  Before he knew it, his ride   to catch the bad guys was over. Frankie Mason, asleep in the arms of a mounted policeman, was lowered into the arms of his tearful  Mother, “He`s had one helluva day Ma`am! Best little Cowpoke I know`d!”  Mrs Mason, her eyes full of tears, asked, “ Sorry? what did you say Officer?” ….” I said he has had one hell of a day! Good night Mrs Mason!”  With that, the Cowboy on the horse, reined back, as little Frankie half opened his eyes, the very tired little boy thought he saw a man in White, wearing a black mask on a white horse, shouting, “Hi Ho Silver!”  But he could never be sure!  
Frankie Mason`s adventures were the talk of the school the next day, everyone wanted to know what had happened, but Frankie just smiled, and with one finger, tilted his white hat back. 

10 comments:

  1. There it is... The opening reminds me of a book THE LEGEND OF COLTON H. BRYANT, a true story about a young man in Wyoming. As a boy he was called names because of a learning disability. His response was "Mind over matter. I don't mind, so it don't matter."

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  2. Great story - thanks! I used to watch the Lone Ranger on TV when I was young.

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  3. Hi Ron & Kate, It came to me yesterday, dont know why.

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  4. Adventure and all! Loved this!

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  5. Great story. Hey, you won a copy of A Story of the West. Contact with your address and I'll get one in the mail.

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  6. AHS! Thank you for that, appreciated.
    Susan, Thats most kind! i`d love a copy of your book!

    I`ll e-mail the address

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  7. Blogging seems to bring out the writer in folks. Good story; are you going to do a chapter two?

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  8. Hi Shirley! Yes this blogging lark does! I dont know about chapter two? Never thought about it.

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  9. Beautiful... and this from a man who said he'd dried up? Never!

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  10. Its almost true! I was drying up, but as you will know its sometimes a crisis of confidence. But really appreciate the kind comments.

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