HOME | DD

Description
So, story goes on.

This chapter includes some flashback scenes from the first part of "The promise".

5. Wait for me

When Rango opened his eyes this morning, he hoped that it was all a dream, like every morning he hoped. But it wasn't. He sighed and stood up. The sun wasn't appeared yet but the dawn began.
He made a coffee and looked out of the window thoughtfully. His cheek still hurt a little because of Bill's fisticuff.
After that last night, Rango walked into his office immediately and wanted to sleep. Just sleeping. More he wanted to die.
He lowered his glance and squinted at his coffee.
No, he wasn't allowed to die. If she heard that…
He added to the pressure around the cup. But how long should he live like that?
She said, this goodbye would not be forever. But how long should that be that "not forever"?
He went up and down. He put the cup on the table and walked to a drawer.
He reached inside and took out a knife in a plastic bag. He eyed the knife. It was the same knife with that the robber did hurt him so badly. He had put it aside as a piece of evidence, but he never had met the robber again. He looked at the sharp object. The end was a little curved and sharper than the rest of the metal. The helve was leather with white cords.
"This was the beginning of all."
He snorted and threw it away into a corner.
"Damn! It was not her fault, it was not my fault! It was just your fault!"
Breathing loudly, he stared at the knife on the floor. How he hated it that she made self-recrimination. He snorted with disgust. If he would get the chance, he would that ugly guy… damn he would shot a bullet at him.
He put his hands on his head nervously. He couldn't stay here any longer. Not today.
Without to eat something, he left the jail and saddled Excelsior. And without to leave a message, he rode out of the town.
When the town was behind him he mended his pace and rode fast over the desert morning landscape like he wanted to run away from something.
Damn! He had such an ugly feeling in his stomach but he couldn't shake it off.
"HOOO!" He pulled the reins and the roadrunner stopped with loud slither.
Dust swirled through the air. The running animal gasped exhausted of that trip. Rango petted his neck and looked ahead. That was it. That was the place where it happened.
Where he attacked him. Where he had jumped at him, and forced him to give his money.
"Your money or your life!"
He still heard it clearly inside his ears.
Damn! Why didn't he have money in his pockets this day? He managed to brush him off, but when he was sure, he would be gone, the robber attacked him again.
The chameleon clutched the reins closer in his hands, when he felt in his memories the ropes around his hands on his back and the gag in his mouth. Then the terrible unbearable pain of the knife. The knife flashed in the moon light. He had no chance to come free, no chance to avoid the weapon.
"You have no money. Fine, then I will steal your life."
He touched his right side, where he could still felt the knife. The sharp pain and fear he would never forget. The fox showed no pity, no mercy.
"Well, how do you like that?"
That evil laugh made him afraid. He wanted to run away. His eyes were so wet of tears of pain.
"You want to run away? You will be a good boy and stay here."
Without mercy, the robber had grabbed him and dragged him to a tree.
He looked around until he espied the old tree with his hanging branches. He moved Excelsior into the direction. His stomach was filled with stones when he came closer at the place of where he should die few months ago.
"At the earliest in the morning somebody could find you, but until then you're already dead. Don't hope, that somebody will find you before dawn. Have a good night and sleep well."
Rango shivered. How could a creature be so cruel? He hadn't looked back when he begged for help. Whimpering and crying. But the fox disappeared into the night, without to come back.
Rango looked to the sky where clouds drifted past in the morning sun. The stars were gone, but all was etched on his memory. He had looked for someone. But nobody came. Until Jake appeared like from nowhere.
"Well, how do you feel as a fallen hero?" he had laughed.
He released him from the tree, but then he wanted to leave him alone.
"No, Jake ...," Rango gasped exhausted.
"What?" Jake asked hypocritically. "You wanted to scream. Now you can do it."
"But here… nobody is here."
"Oh really? Bad for you."
"No, please, Jake. Help me!"
"Helping you?"
"Jake, please. Please, Jake! Don't leave me here! I don't wanna die! Please, Jake, please! You can't leave me just here! "
"I can't?" Jake laughed mockingly. "Of course I can."
Rango sank on the ground. Because of the knife he couldn't move.
"Jake, please! I do everything you want! "
Jake paused. He smiled coldly. "Oh really?"
"Yes!"
Jake grinned. "Forget it."
"No! I'll do everything!"
"Forget it more than before."
Jake acted as if he wanted to leave him.
"Jake, I do everything!"
"Really everything?"
He turned around. Rango nodded hastily.
Jake chuckled darkly. "Well, you promise to do everything?"
"Yes ..." Rango broke out in tears again.
Jake chuckled. "But the price is high ..."
"Whatever you want, I'll do it."
Jakes grinned broadly. He turned his body and leaned it relaxed against the tree.
"So, you are going to do everything?"
Rango wept desperately. Tears ran down his cheeks. How long wanted Jake torment him?
"Yes! I do everything! "
"But I tell you, the price is high ..."
"I'll do everything you want."
"You promise?"
"I promise!"
"Deal!"
Rango opened his eyes.
Deal, we had a deal. I gave my promise to him. A promise to do everything.
He looked at the floor. There were still the breakpoints of the broken branch, which Jake had broken down to release him from the tree, where the robber had tied him up.
"You promise to do everything."
He left the terrible place and rode to Beans's ranch.
The closer he came Beans's farm, the more he hoped that she would be there somehow.
Beans!
"All my fault," she had cried when she was next to his bed after his survived robber attack. "If I had never invited you to me that evening…"
No Beans! It wasn't your fault. It wasn't.
"It's not your fault. Absolutely not!"
Until after few weeks.
"But the guy is still lurking around here in this area. Maybe he is going to kill you finally."
"Beans, calm down. Maybe outside, but not here. He would never make an attack in town with many people inside."
He looked around while he was still riding over the desert. Was the fox still here?
He stopped. Beans's ranch was not far away now.
He stood there where he had say goodbye after their evening dinner. Her kiss. It was awesome this night.
He climbed down and walked to the door. He found the key like the last time under a bucket. He hesitated a moment. In hope to hear a sound inside the house. A footstep or similar.
Or the jingling of dishes. But there wasn't.
He put the key into the keyhole and opened the door.
He stood in the doorframe. But no one came. No one who expected him. As if the house had lost his soul.
He watched his shadow on the wall. The house wall had covered with old wallpaper and some pictures. He walked inside over a carpet and entered the living room. Next to it was the dining room. A door guided to the kitchen.
Rango went in, but also the kitchen was empty.
He remembered the smell which came from that room after she had cooked.
He walked back to the dining room. The table was empty. He petted with his hand over the wood. When they had their dinner the last time, a candle was between them.
With thoughtfully eyes he went through the living room. On a little table, lay an old photo from Beans with her parents, where she was a little child.
Rango didn't dare to take it with him. It should stay on the table if she came back, somehow, some day.
He sat down in an armchair. He picked up a towel where he could smell Beans's perfume.
He sighed. He leaned back and listened to the silence in the house.
Everything was so lonely.
What would she tell him now?
To say sorry? Sorry for what?
"We can't be together anymore."
"Why not?!" Rango asked louder.
"Sorry, little man", Jake said and took Beans with his gun tail more away from him. "She belongs to me now."
"Y-you can't do…," Rango stuttered. "We had a deal, you know…"
"Yes, we had a deal until you don't make me troubles. And you wanted to make me troubles, wanted you?"
"No… I… just…"
"DON'T LIE! It was her own choice, wasn't it?"
Beans nodded. "Yes, it was."
Rango shook his head. "But… but…"
"NO BUTS!" Jake interrupted loudly. "My deal with her is fixed!"
Rango looked at Beans, in hope that she would say something. But her lips kept closed.
"You… you mean…" Rango shook his head. "What do you mean?"
Jake snorted bored. "That means, little man, that she is with me now and not with you anymore. More exact it means that she and I will live together and you have no right to come in her near. Did you understand it now?!"
Rango swallowed. No, he didn't wanted to understand in this moment.
He would never accept, but…
"You heard right. I will leave the town with her. We had a deal…"
"But Jake," Beans began. "It was just a…"
"Do you wanna break your deal?" Jake's eyes became fierier.
"No," Beans said quickly.
"Beans!" Rango shouted. "What have I done?! I wish I could see you."
"I'm very disappointed about your behaviour."
Bill words echoed through his head.
Was she also disappointed?
He looked over to a wooden commode. After a while he stood up and went in the direction.
When he was here the last time, he found a paper behind a photo. The paper was small. Written with few words. It was Beans's handwriting. She had written it very fast.
There were just two sentences.
Rango picket the paper up. He didn't remove it. He let it there where he found it.
He unfolded it.
Don't forget me. Wait for me.
Under it, his words which he wrote after he found it.
I will wait.
He put the paper on the photo. He sat down on a chair next to the commode and looked at it sadly. He sighed.
Maybe Bill was right a little. Maybe his behaviour was disappointing. But if she wanted he should wait… Then he wanted to wait for her. Despite he wanted to search for her. Looking for her that she was okay. Just a little look…
Wait for me.
He clenched his hands. Damn! He had to think of her. Every day, every time. While working, while sleeping, while anything else.
What was she doing at this moment? Was she sleeping? Was she awake? What was she thinking now? Her feelings, her moments. Was she thinking, how he is?
Rango took a deep breath.
If I should wait, I will wait.
But the empty bad feeling inside his soul stayed. He kept his eyes on the paper. If she should come back, she should find the paper. He sighed.
"Beans, what are you doing at this moment?"

Chapter 6 follows...

:) (Smile) — Description
So, story goes on.

This chapter includes some flashback scenes from the first part of "The promise".

5. Wait for me

When Rango opened his eyes this morning, he hoped that it was all a dream, like every morning he hoped. But it wasn't. He sighed and stood up. The sun wasn't appeared yet but the dawn began.
He made a coffee and looked out of the window thoughtfully. His cheek still hurt a little because of Bill's fisticuff.
After that last night, Rango walked into his office immediately and wanted to sleep. Just sleeping. More he wanted to die.
He lowered his glance and squinted at his coffee.
No, he wasn't allowed to die. If she heard that…
He added to the pressure around the cup. But how long should he live like that?
She said, this goodbye would not be forever. But how long should that be that "not forever"?
He went up and down. He put the cup on the table and walked to a drawer.
He reached inside and took out a knife in a plastic bag. He eyed the knife. It was the same knife with that the robber did hurt him so badly. He had put it aside as a piece of evidence, but he never had met the robber again. He looked at the sharp object. The end was a little curved and sharper than the rest of the metal. The helve was leather with white cords.
"This was the beginning of all."
He snorted and threw it away into a corner.
"Damn! It was not her fault, it was not my fault! It was just your fault!"
Breathing loudly, he stared at the knife on the floor. How he hated it that she made self-recrimination. He snorted with disgust. If he would get the chance, he would that ugly guy… damn he would shot a bullet at him.
He put his hands on his head nervously. He couldn't stay here any longer. Not today.
Without to eat something, he left the jail and saddled Excelsior. And without to leave a message, he rode out of the town.
When the town was behind him he mended his pace and rode fast over the desert morning landscape like he wanted to run away from something.
Damn! He had such an ugly feeling in his stomach but he couldn't shake it off.
"HOOO!" He pulled the reins and the roadrunner stopped with loud slither.
Dust swirled through the air. The running animal gasped exhausted of that trip. Rango petted his neck and looked ahead. That was it. That was the place where it happened.
Where he attacked him. Where he had jumped at him, and forced him to give his money.
"Your money or your life!"
He still heard it clearly inside his ears.
Damn! Why didn't he have money in his pockets this day? He managed to brush him off, but when he was sure, he would be gone, the robber attacked him again.
The chameleon clutched the reins closer in his hands, when he felt in his memories the ropes around his hands on his back and the gag in his mouth. Then the terrible unbearable pain of the knife. The knife flashed in the moon light. He had no chance to come free, no chance to avoid the weapon.
"You have no money. Fine, then I will steal your life."
He touched his right side, where he could still felt the knife. The sharp pain and fear he would never forget. The fox showed no pity, no mercy.
"Well, how do you like that?"
That evil laugh made him afraid. He wanted to run away. His eyes were so wet of tears of pain.
"You want to run away? You will be a good boy and stay here."
Without mercy, the robber had grabbed him and dragged him to a tree.
He looked around until he espied the old tree with his hanging branches. He moved Excelsior into the direction. His stomach was filled with stones when he came closer at the place of where he should die few months ago.
"At the earliest in the morning somebody could find you, but until then you're already dead. Don't hope, that somebody will find you before dawn. Have a good night and sleep well."
Rango shivered. How could a creature be so cruel? He hadn't looked back when he begged for help. Whimpering and crying. But the fox disappeared into the night, without to come back.
Rango looked to the sky where clouds drifted past in the morning sun. The stars were gone, but all was etched on his memory. He had looked for someone. But nobody came. Until Jake appeared like from nowhere.
"Well, how do you feel as a fallen hero?" he had laughed.
He released him from the tree, but then he wanted to leave him alone.
"No, Jake ...," Rango gasped exhausted.
"What?" Jake asked hypocritically. "You wanted to scream. Now you can do it."
"But here… nobody is here."
"Oh really? Bad for you."
"No, please, Jake. Help me!"
"Helping you?"
"Jake, please. Please, Jake! Don't leave me here! I don't wanna die! Please, Jake, please! You can't leave me just here! "
"I can't?" Jake laughed mockingly. "Of course I can."
Rango sank on the ground. Because of the knife he couldn't move.
"Jake, please! I do everything you want! "
Jake paused. He smiled coldly. "Oh really?"
"Yes!"
Jake grinned. "Forget it."
"No! I'll do everything!"
"Forget it more than before."
Jake acted as if he wanted to leave him.
"Jake, I do everything!"
"Really everything?"
He turned around. Rango nodded hastily.
Jake chuckled darkly. "Well, you promise to do everything?"
"Yes ..." Rango broke out in tears again.
Jake chuckled. "But the price is high ..."
"Whatever you want, I'll do it."
Jakes grinned broadly. He turned his body and leaned it relaxed against the tree.
"So, you are going to do everything?"
Rango wept desperately. Tears ran down his cheeks. How long wanted Jake torment him?
"Yes! I do everything! "
"But I tell you, the price is high ..."
"I'll do everything you want."
"You promise?"
"I promise!"
"Deal!"
Rango opened his eyes.
Deal, we had a deal. I gave my promise to him. A promise to do everything.
He looked at the floor. There were still the breakpoints of the broken branch, which Jake had broken down to release him from the tree, where the robber had tied him up.
"You promise to do everything."
He left the terrible place and rode to Beans's ranch.
The closer he came Beans's farm, the more he hoped that she would be there somehow.
Beans!
"All my fault," she had cried when she was next to his bed after his survived robber attack. "If I had never invited you to me that evening…"
No Beans! It wasn't your fault. It wasn't.
"It's not your fault. Absolutely not!"
Until after few weeks.
"But the guy is still lurking around here in this area. Maybe he is going to kill you finally."
"Beans, calm down. Maybe outside, but not here. He would never make an attack in town with many people inside."
He looked around while he was still riding over the desert. Was the fox still here?
He stopped. Beans's ranch was not far away now.
He stood there where he had say goodbye after their evening dinner. Her kiss. It was awesome this night.
He climbed down and walked to the door. He found the key like the last time under a bucket. He hesitated a moment. In hope to hear a sound inside the house. A footstep or similar.
Or the jingling of dishes. But there wasn't.
He put the key into the keyhole and opened the door.
He stood in the doorframe. But no one came. No one who expected him. As if the house had lost his soul.
He watched his shadow on the wall. The house wall had covered with old wallpaper and some pictures. He walked inside over a carpet and entered the living room. Next to it was the dining room. A door guided to the kitchen.
Rango went in, but also the kitchen was empty.
He remembered the smell which came from that room after she had cooked.
He walked back to the dining room. The table was empty. He petted with his hand over the wood. When they had their dinner the last time, a candle was between them.
With thoughtfully eyes he went through the living room. On a little table, lay an old photo from Beans with her parents, where she was a little child.
Rango didn't dare to take it with him. It should stay on the table if she came back, somehow, some day.
He sat down in an armchair. He picked up a towel where he could smell Beans's perfume.
He sighed. He leaned back and listened to the silence in the house.
Everything was so lonely.
What would she tell him now?
To say sorry? Sorry for what?
"We can't be together anymore."
"Why not?!" Rango asked louder.
"Sorry, little man", Jake said and took Beans with his gun tail more away from him. "She belongs to me now."
"Y-you can't do…," Rango stuttered. "We had a deal, you know…"
"Yes, we had a deal until you don't make me troubles. And you wanted to make me troubles, wanted you?"
"No… I… just…"
"DON'T LIE! It was her own choice, wasn't it?"
Beans nodded. "Yes, it was."
Rango shook his head. "But… but…"
"NO BUTS!" Jake interrupted loudly. "My deal with her is fixed!"
Rango looked at Beans, in hope that she would say something. But her lips kept closed.
"You… you mean…" Rango shook his head. "What do you mean?"
Jake snorted bored. "That means, little man, that she is with me now and not with you anymore. More exact it means that she and I will live together and you have no right to come in her near. Did you understand it now?!"
Rango swallowed. No, he didn't wanted to understand in this moment.
He would never accept, but…
"You heard right. I will leave the town with her. We had a deal…"
"But Jake," Beans began. "It was just a…"
"Do you wanna break your deal?" Jake's eyes became fierier.
"No," Beans said quickly.
"Beans!" Rango shouted. "What have I done?! I wish I could see you."
"I'm very disappointed about your behaviour."
Bill words echoed through his head.
Was she also disappointed?
He looked over to a wooden commode. After a while he stood up and went in the direction.
When he was here the last time, he found a paper behind a photo. The paper was small. Written with few words. It was Beans's handwriting. She had written it very fast.
There were just two sentences.
Rango picket the paper up. He didn't remove it. He let it there where he found it.
He unfolded it.
Don't forget me. Wait for me.
Under it, his words which he wrote after he found it.
I will wait.
He put the paper on the photo. He sat down on a chair next to the commode and looked at it sadly. He sighed.
Maybe Bill was right a little. Maybe his behaviour was disappointing. But if she wanted he should wait… Then he wanted to wait for her. Despite he wanted to search for her. Looking for her that she was okay. Just a little look…
Wait for me.
He clenched his hands. Damn! He had to think of her. Every day, every time. While working, while sleeping, while anything else.
What was she doing at this moment? Was she sleeping? Was she awake? What was she thinking now? Her feelings, her moments. Was she thinking, how he is?
Rango took a deep breath.
If I should wait, I will wait.
But the empty bad feeling inside his soul stayed. He kept his eyes on the paper. If she should come back, she should find the paper. He sighed.
"Beans, what are you doing at this moment?"

Chapter 6 follows...