Can I Turn Back Time

        Can I Turn Back Time

Suzanne Marsh

“Hey Sandy, come here! You are not going to believe what this registered letter is about.” Nick Hines handed the letter over to his wife. The more of the letter she read, the larger her azure blue eyes became:

“Is this for real? Did you really inherit that huge a sum of money?”

“Yes, I called the attorney before I showed the letter to you. I

never really knew my great grandfather Joe, he was something of a recluse, from

what I remember. He lived in a small cottage on the edge of the Cypress Swam,

in the Florida Everglades. Dad took me there once, I was I think about ten. Great

Grandpa Hines was a grizzled face old man, with a lot of stories about him and

the Lincoln County Wars, out here in New Mexico. I didn’t think much of this, I

thought they were merely made up stories, they weren’t according to attorney.”

Sandy sat watching her husband’s face as she inquired:

“Just who was he Nick? How did he come to have over a million dollars and live in

the Everglades?”

Nick knew then, he needed those answers himself. He decided to call on his old friend Professor Nigel Hamp, it was time to jump back in time to 1878. Before Nick jumped he put on jeans, a Stetson, gun belt and boots. He ran and jumped back into:

February 18, 1878

John Tunstall rode toward Lincoln, driving the nine horses he hoped to sell, Billy Bonny rode drag. Jesse Evans, Henry Hill and Morton and Baker galloped after Tunstall. A few miles from town, just as Nick was arriving. He heard the gunshots, he galloped toward the sounds. When he arrived John Tunstall lay dead, Billy Bonny sobbing next to his body. Nick noted a man who reminded Nick of his dad. Jesse Evans, rode over to where Nick sat atop of his chestnut mare.

“Hey, what’s gonnin on here?” A tallish man strode on: “you better get outta here kid, we are

part of a posse that just chased this here criminal, caught him. He died tryin to escape.” Nick, obviously did not believe what the man was say, however there was something familiar about him:

“Hey, what is your name?”

“Jesse Evans, and yours?”

“Nick Hines.”

“Okay, Hines, party is over, head onto wherever you was headin.”

Dismissed by Jesse Evan’s, Nick rode on toward Lincoln; he needed more information about Jesse Evans. Shortly after Nick rode in, Evans rode in with his gang, he was on his was to see Lorin Morgan-Richards, his lover. Nick, strode into the saloon, he was more interested in a drink of beer than anything to eat. He had a look around Lincoln, a small, sprawling town, he saw Sheriff Brady dismount, looking disheavled and tired:

“Sheriff, several of your posse found and shot a man out on the trail, I just wanted to be sure

you knew.”

Nick strode off, waited several moments then jumped back to 2023.

1872

Jesse Evans knew before long, he would find himself at the end of a rope; he needed to leave New Mexico, begin a new life where? He had heard about the swamps of Florida, no one would think to look for him there. The question, he thought, was how to disappear and where. He talked his plan through with Lorin:

“Lorin, I gotta git out of town and out of state, sooner or later someone is gonna figure I

killed John Tunstall. They’ll hang me, the same as Baker and Morton. I want you to come

with me. I am thinking about Florida, we could live in that Cypress Swamp, no would

know us or care who we were. We, will have to change our names, but at least no one

will be lookin fer us.”

“Jesse, I will go with you but on the condition that if I don’t like Florida, I can return

to New Mexico. I knew you had something to do with Tunstall’s murder, I just had

no idea you killed the man. I care about you Jesse, but I don’t know if I love you.”

Jesse, simply scratched his head, he had no idea what Lorin was speaking about. Just before dawn, Jesse and Lorin purchased two tickets on the stage to El Paso, Texas. They then purchased train tickets to Florida. They rented horses and rode down toward the Cypress Swamp. Jesse, was finally free, he decided then that his name would be Joe Hines. Lorin, hated Florida, returning to New Mexico, where she felt she belonged. The law would never look for him there.

2023

Nick, began his computer search with Jesse Evan’s, discovering that Jesse, had a gang. He was wanted for the murder of John Tunstall. He felt as if he were in some western movie, except he was here in the twenty first century, trying to find out about his grandfather Joe Hines. He came across an obituary for Rufus Evans. Nick, contemplated whether to jump back to 1948. He would at least have the opportunity to meet Jesse. He questioned whether he really wanted to meet a cold blooded killer or his grandfather. He thought thing through, then jumped through the portal to 1948.

1948

Joe Hines, sat quietly reading the letter. He did not shed any tears, he and Rufus had been estranged for a number years. Elizabeth, Jesse’s wife question Joe:

“What’s in the letter Joe?”

“I just inherited a little over one hundred thousand dollars from my brother Rufu’s estate.

We don’t need the money Elizabeth.

“Joe, never even knew you had a brother Rufus.”

“Yeah, he was the good brother, never did anybody any harm.”

“I just would not feel right takin the money.”

“Joe, I don’t think Rufus would have left it to you if he didn’t want you to have it. Maybe

it was his way of making peace with you.”

“Okay, I’ll contact the lawyer.”

Nick, found himself sitting in a boat, rowing into the Cypress Swamp. He, knew then that he was going to see the grizzled old man he had met once when he was a small boy. He reached a small cove, where Joe Hines lived. It was no vine covered cottage. Nick, climed out of the boat, pulling it onto the sand. He, walked over to the cottage and knocked. Jesse/Joe opened the door:

“What do you want boy?”

“Sir, I am your grandson. I have wanted to meet you for a very long time.”

“My what? That can’t be I ain’t never had kids. Lorin Morgan Richards was my grandmother.”

Jesse, went pale as he motioned Nick in. Elizabeth came out from the kitchen, sweat streaming down her normally lovely face.

“Joe, why didn’t you tell me we had company.”

“Elizabeth, there are something I had hoped never to have to tell you.”

“Such as Joseph?”

“This strapping boy here is my grandson Nick. I had no idea that Lorin was pregnant

when she left. Second my real name ain’t Joseph Hines, it’s Jesse Evans. I know you

have read books about Billy the Kid. Billy and I rode together until I got mixed up

with Dolan. I am the one who murdered John Tunstall.”

Elizabeth Hines, fainted. As she slipped to the floor, Nick and Jesse caught her. Jesse, looked at Nick:

“What do I do? I married Elizabeth, she has been my wife for almost fifty years.”

Nick looked Jesse in the eyes:

“You should have told her the truth. I sorry I came here, it was not my intention to

hurt either of you. It was my intention to meet my grandfather. Did you really know

Billy Bonny?”

“Yes, I did. Billy, was a wild kid, he rode with my gang before he went to work for

Tunstall. He was gonna go straight, didn’t work out.”

“Why did you come to Florida?”

“I came because the law was closin in on me in New Mexico. They woulda hung me, if they

could have found me. I took Lorin, we came to Florida, she hated it here. She was only

here a few months, come down with malaria, went back to New Mexico. End of story.”

Nick, honestly liked the old man, at least he was honest now. Nick, had seen and heard enough; he said goodbye to Jesse, got into the row boat and returned to 2023. He now understood, not only why he could not alter time or change his grandfather’s ways. He had altered time twice, traveling. He gasped as he stumbled through the time portal, into the arms of his wife Sandy.

“Guess we will take the inheritance from the old man. He was quite an extraordinary man.

Sandy, he was a gunman, he had a gang. Billy the Kid ran with him until he murdered

John Tunstall.”

Sandy sighed, her adventurous husband had finally put an end to his past, his grandfather. They sat quietly into the night, simply talking about the future.