Just For Today



By DebbieB



Hoss tossed back his head and laughed.  No one knew why, only the big man.  His two brothers, Adam and Little Joe, stared at him as if he'd lost his mind.  His father glanced over the top of his newspaper and slowly shook his head from side to side.  That didn't intimidate the big man, it only caused him to laugh more.



Joe sighed deeply, disgusted by the sound of his middle brother's giggles, for it had been going on now for quite sometime.



"I wish you'd either share your secret with us, or shut-up!" growled Joe.



"JOSEPH!" snapped Ben. "Watch your tone of voice, young man!"



"I'm sorry Pa, but listen to him, he sounds like a hyena!" replied Joe.



"Hahahahahaha.oh Lordy, hahahhaha," giggled Hoss, unaffected by his little brother's rudeness.



"Hoss, I have to agree with our youngest sibling, you are beginning to sound a little repetitious.  What is so funny?" Adam said, tossing the book he'd been trying to read down on the table.



Hoss took a deep breath.  "Well, it's like this, big brother..hahahahahaha..heheheheehheeeee."



The tears were taking over the wells of the big man's blue eyes and Hoss swiped them away, unable to continue.



Ben wadded up his paper and stood to his feet, totally tired of the entire business.



"I don't know about you two, but I'm starving.  Joe, Adam, care to join me in the kitchen for a late night snack and a stiff brandy?" Ben inquired.



Joe and Adam practically bumped into one another in their haste to follow their father into the kitchen.  Behind them they could still hear the sounds of Hoss' giggles.



"Oh golly Moses.hehehehehehe...hahahahhaa."





By ten o'clock, when they could stand it no longer, Ben marched up the steps.  Adam and Joe, giving one last glare at Hoss who now stood before the fireplace, his shoulders trembling with the laughter that he seemed unable to control, followed Ben upstairs.



"I'm beginning to worry about him, Pa," Adam whispered as the three stood outside their bedroom doors.



"Me too, Pa.  I think there's something wrong with him," Joe added with concern.  "Reckon we should send for the doctor?"



"I don't know, perhaps without us for an audience, he'll be able to get control of himself.  If he's not any better in the morning, Joe, I'll have one of the men, ride into town and fetch Doc Martin back here. Now, let's the three of us, try to get some sleep," ordered Ben.





All night, Ben tossed in the bed.  The sounds of Hoss' now irritating laughter, kept him from his much-needed rest.  He almost yearned for the normal sounds of his middle son's horrendous snoring, that, he was accustomed too.  Ben turned over one more time and stuffed his head under his pillow to drown out the sounds.



Down the hall, Little Joe crept, barefooted, into Adam's room, closing the door silently.



"You sleeping?" he whispered to the still form, buried deeply beneath the blankets.



When Adam tossed back the covers, Joe jumped, taken by surprise by the sudden movement.



"What do you think with that infernal heehawing going on down the hall!" ranted Adam, obviously in a bad mood.



Joe puckered up his face in a frown and sat down on the bed, next to Adam.  He looked about to cry.



"What the devil's wrong with him, Adam?" pleaded Joe.



"How should I know?" growled Adam as he pushed the pillows back against the headrest and sat upright in the bed.



"Well, you're always telling us how to do everything I just figured you'd know."  Joe's voice trailed off into silence.  Adam glared at him.



"Are you calling me a know-it-all?" he beseeched loudly.



"No, I only meant."



"HAHAHAHAHA..HEHEHEHE."



"Dear Lord," whimpered Adam.  "Get me my gun, Little Joe!" said Adam, tossing back the blankets and nearly knocking Joe into the floor as he crawled from the bed.



"GUN!  What for Adam, what are going to do?" demanded Joe, stunned when Adam grabbed his pistol from the night-stand where kept it hidden, in case of emergencies.  Joe briefly wondered if this was one of those times.



Adam paused at the door, looking over his shoulder at his younger brother.  His eyes had turned to ebony and the look on his face was the strangest that Joe had ever seen.  Joe, frozen to the spot, quivered.



"I'm gonna kill him!" announced Adam, marching from the room.



"ADAM.NO!  YOU CAN'T..PA! PA! WAKE UP!" screamed Joe as he rushed into the hallway, nearly colliding with his father.



Ben stood barefooted, dressed in his gown, his silver hair mussed.  In his right hand he held a pistol.



"What in blazes is all the shouting about?" he demanded, seeing Joe dressed the same as he.



"ADAM'S GONNA KILL HOSS!" explained Little Joe.



Ben's eyes widened and he shoved Joe aside, rushing down the hall to his middle son's room.  Just as he flung opened the door, a loud blast ripped through the night, silencing the laughter that had, for hours, been driving the family to insanity.



Adam turned, walked to the door, which was blocked by his father and younger brother.  He paused, his lips pressed firmly into a tight, straight line.



"Now, perhaps we can get some sleep!"





The next morning, the three sat, sleepy-eyed, at the breakfast table. Neither looked at the other.  Ben sipped slowly, his coffee, Adam poked at his food while Joe sat with his head propped on his hand, his elbow on the table.  All were pondering the events of the night before, but none spoke of it.



"Joseph, get your elbows off the table, son," abolished Ben.



Joe raised his head slowly and looked at his father.  "Sorry, Pa." he muttered in a tired voice.



"Hahahahaha..hehehehee," came the snorting sound from the stairwell.



All heads turned to find Hoss, fully dressed, practically bouncing toward the table.  Joe glanced quickly at Adam who had a stunned expression on his handsome face and then at his father, who slowly rose from his chair.



"Hoss?"  Ben seemed truly surprised to see his middle boy smiling at all of them.



Hoss snickered, though he had a strange look on his face.  "Heh?"



"You're alive," sputtered his father.



Hoss' blue eyes widened in shock and with his big hands he patted his chest.



"Yep, sure am. Why, wasn't I suppose to be?" giggled the big man as he sat down at his place and began serving himself.



He paused, glanced at the expressions on each face and resumed serving himself.  After a long silence, Hoss glanced around the table again.



"Ya know, Pa there was a full moon last night.  Brighter'n any I seed in a long time.  I've always heard that strange things happen when the full moon is as bright as last night.  Reckon sumthin' happened?  Ya all look pretty shook up?" Hoss said, stuffing his mouth full.



No one said a word. No one looked in the others direction.  Joe lowered his head, staring at his empty plate.  Ben cleared his throat, Adam sighed.



Hoss swallowed.  "I had the strangest dream about you Adam, and you Joe and ya was in it too, Pa."



Hoss began to giggle; the three exchanged looks.



"I dreamt ya slipped into my room last night, Adam, and shot me. Hahhahaha…hehehhee cain't imagine why," heehawed Hoss. "Hehehehe...hahahaha, strangest thing, hohohohoho."



"I can't imagine either, Hoss.." faltered Adam sarcastically.



Adam rose to his feet.  "If you'll excuse me, I need to ride into town, I ummm need to see the doc."



Hoss raised his head, a questioning look in his sky blue eyes.



"Ya sick, big brother?"



Adam just shook his head.



"Hold on, Adam, I'm going with you," Joe said, pushing back his chair and following Adam to the door.



"Why?" glared Adam,  whispering softly.



"I think I'm suffering from whatever you got. I could have sworn last night was real!" stammered Joe.  "Please, Adam, let me ride with ya. I don't wanna stay here, he's acting weird and it's scaring me!"



Adam glanced over his shoulder at Hoss, who seemed to be unaffected by their actions.  When the big man started snickering, Adam and Joe practically knocked each other down in their haste to leave.



"What's ailing'em?" Hoss asked Ben.



"I'm not sure," stammered Ben, "but I think I'd better go with them, just to be sure they're alright," he added, rising and hurrying toward the door.



When Hoss heard the door slam, he started laughing out loud.



"It's alright, Hop Sing," he called out, "they're gone!"



From the kitchen, the faithful servant appeared, giggling and taking a seat in Ben's chair.



"It work sure 'nough, Mis'ter Hoss," laughed Hop Sing.



"That'll teach'em next time they think they can pull one over on us. I'll just crank up that old talking machine and let it play all night, again," snickered Hoss.



"It good idea, you sleeping in barn. Mis'ter Adam done gone mad and shoot you," Hop Sing said with a touch of concern.



"Aw, I dun put blanks in his ole gun. hehehehe. Did ya see the looks on their faces when I came downstairs?"



"Yes, Mis'ter Ben, he think he been dreaming. Mis'ter Adam look like he see ghost.and Lit'tle Joe.he so mixed up. He think him crazy, hehehehe, that potion in night cap, work. Just like ole Gyspy woman say.!  I hate to be in their dreams!"





"Hohohoho, hehehehe.hahahaa.think we should tell them the truth?" questioned Hoss, a bout of conscience washing over him.



"Naw, let them think they nuts. Just for today. Tomorrow be soon 'nough."



The End

RETURN TO LIBRARY