1.The Kitchen Table at Janets

2.The Gate

3.The Church
4.The Pit Bottom

5.The Cage

6.The Bankhead

7.The Fall Zone

Characters:



Cal MacPherson (Cal Jr.)

Janet MacPherson (the kids) (rosie,flo,brenda,mae, little joey,janette,toni,)

Bill/Mag Burns ( neighbours-friends)

Johnnie/Beth wiseman (neighbours-friends)



Father Charlie..

Mine Mgr. Reg Davies

Dr.Jimmy (just Jimmy)

Officer....Johnny Mack

Draegger Men.....

　

　

　

　

"When the Dust Settles...."part 1


The udder mayhem of that time of day known as supper, was for the most part, all but complete. The dishes were done, all but one of the kids were fed, Cal jr. was still working over at the local grocery store , the one owned by the Sartoni's, an Italian family , he may have a bite there, or what is left will be in the warming oven for later. The floors were swept, the jackets were hung on the drying rack just behind the kitchen stove next to the hot water tank. All the shoes and boots had been paired off and seperated into rows just to the left of the kitchen door, in the little closet where they rarely ever seem to be.

The routine from here is as usual, time to grab a little sit down for a brief few minutes, chill out, relax , a spot of tea and there is just a small piece of date loaf left, perhaps butter that up and recharge before evening sets in and the next run of familiar duties kick into gear.

It's been a long day, most are, but these last few have had anxieties of unknown porportions and seem to never end. "Cal" is workin day shift this week, so the day got started about 5:30 this morning. There's been a chill in the air, as well as some strange and unusual expressions coming out of him and it just seems odd that he comes across that way,he normally tells it like it is.Its almost 6 pm and he's not home yet, must be staying out for the crums or perhaps even an extra.There's no way to know for sure, they can't call from the Pit so it's generally accepted that something of that nature has occurred. He did mention yesterday that the overman was wanting some of the boys to stay out to get the new wall ready for extended production, so , not to worry. The extra pay will certainly come in handy too, since the pit was knocked off for 3 days in the last 2 weeks,(couple of small falls he said) and we just can't afford to get too far behind.

As it stands now everything is backed up, the milkman is 2 weeks behind, the insurance is due on Wednesday, a month late, God love Moseychuck! He doesn't put the pressure on and he's so easy to deal with. The store bill is past it's limit as well, Didn't help matters when Cal decided to have a "few" while they were knocked off too. Might be enough coal in the barn to last a week, provided it doesn't get too fuckin cold early. Then there's the power bill, that god damned thing never seems to go down.They were here last week collectin and I had to give them the $50 I was savin for Christmas. Well just like they say in the movies, one day the sun will shine, the stars will line and the sky becomes clearer.....Not when you're living the life of a Mining family ..it don't.....aaaahhhhhh the life of a Miner.....Jesus,Mary and Joseph!

The kids are takin turn eaches gettin washed up and ready for bed.They use the big sink in the back pantry on regular nights, and the big wash tub on bath nite.One by one, they all get spiffied up, change into their jammies and then the fight is on to see who gets to the Room first, to get the best chair for the night watching T.V. Not to mention, first in the tub gets the best water, and ,no one wants to sit in the middlespot on the chesterfield, it has that big Jesus spring coming right thru now and it will rip the ass of ya. (I asked Cal to do something with that , seems since he doesn't have to sit there its not a big issue).Listen! , listen!, ma, ma,ma, this is the go now! Everyone wants to be in the Big Chair by the window, since Da 's not home yet, the fight is on. For the love of Fuck, get in there, sit down shut up and be quiet or the next one out here in the kitchen is going right to bed.

It's Tuesday and the line up on the one and only channel, is what it always is, on our shaky, black n' white,jittery boob tube,: its I love lucy at 7, Petticoat Junction at 7:30, Peyton place at 8, and the one and only King of Comedy himself, Red Skelton.(hope he does Clem kadiddlehopper n Freddy the Freeloader). So get yer spot, keep it hot, and shut yer trap. At this point, unless you and one of your sibs have some sort of alliance built, it may not even be safe to get up for a leak or a piece of Bread n lassy.

The old man should be home soon,and bein late and probably hungry, you all better, stay the way you are, cuz if he's cranky,it wouldn't be a good fuckin time to be actin up, less ya want a new welt on the back of yer arse llike the last time yez got pushin too far.

Ok , better shake that grate a little, put another shovel of coal on the fire and get the old duke fired up, time to push the kettle to the front and getter boilin ta make a fresh pot a tea. That's the first thing Cal asks for when he comes through the door. Especially after drinkin cold tea all day long from his can. With that nice thick baloney, baked beans and fresh home made bread, nuttin goes better than a good cuppa hot friggin tea. He should be comin through the door anytime now.

Click, click...oooffffff.Time for a quick puff with the last bit of tobacco rolled in a makin, may be enough there to roll another 10 or so, I'll get that done before he comes in.

The latch crackles just then, and yep, Sounds like cal comin in ....The wind must have taken the door as he lifted the hook and got away from him...another one of those things he was supposed to do when he has some free time. One of these fuckin days , he says, just like everything else, one of these days. Just then as the door slams back against the house the inner door opens from the gust of wind that swooshed forward , and there are two voices coming thru the dimly lit porch. Unless Cal turned into a she over the last few hours?Grab that fuckin door, Maggie, cries one voice, hold on to me while I reach out for the handle shrieks the other...What the Fuck? What the Fuck?

Janet! Janet! yells Beth and Maggie, almost in unison, as they nervously and excitedly cross the threshold and push their way into the kitchen.

What the fuck are you two doin comin thru here like a storm on the ocean?

Maggie and Beth, (always welcome) and daily regulars for a spot of tea and gossip, will most usually come one at a time, from different directions and more placidly and casually just tap and enter.This is anything but the norm! So quick and unsettled, so boisterous and loud, and such an uneasy air about them.What the Fuck is with you two?

What the fuck brings you two here in such a panicked state?And together?

It's only 7:30pm, Cal's not even home from work yet.They must all be satying out for crumbs , are they? wasn't Bill on day-shift Mag? and what about Johnnie? Beth? Oh yeah, you mentioned on the weekend that he's still on the surface for a couple more weeks till that shoulder injury firms up. That's takin a long time to heal...Anyway...what the fuck is up? why the hell are the two of yez stormin in like this?

"Ma....Ma...Will ya come in here and tell them to stop pickin on me. They're startin it and it's not me either."

"He's in here spittin orange seeds at us Ma"

"There's something wrong with the TV ma, it's slippin an...you know like it was the other nite when the game was on.."

"Ma...I can't get the baby to go to sleep....she won't stop crying, she had her bottle....ma...."will you come upstairs for a minute to see whats the matter?" She's trowin up ma, she's screamin bloody murder"

"I gotta get the Ams of that baby's ears put up or I am gonna lose my fuckin mind...."

Janet, Janet.....hold on a minute will ya..tell the rest of that crew to chillout for a few minutes!

"FOR FUCK SAKE...CLAM UP ALL OF YOU....SHUT THE FUCK UP!

"LORD DYIN WHISTLIN RORY EYED FUCKIN JESUS....if I have to go into that fuckin room, the whole Jesus lot of you are going to bed and that god damned fuckin TV is gonna be turned off. Cal will be here any friggin minute and then you'll know it...."

Janet! janet!...Listen yourself for a God-damned minute will ya....Stop...Stop..Listen to us....

What? What?What?

Well we know you're not totally deaf with all that commotion goin on here ...it's no friggin wonder ya didn't hear the...Whistle!

"Whistle? Whistle?What whistle? Oh Fuck No...Oh Jesus Fuckin Christ No ...Not the Fuckin Pit Whistle? But...But The whistle hasn't Blown ...it only blows at Noon and...I heard it blow at noon...It's it's almost 8 O'clock! The only other time the Pit Whistle blows is when....is when.....is when....?????

OH FUCK!!!!THE PIT WHISTLE BLOWIN THIS LATE CAN ONLY MEAN..............


(to be continued)


Chapter 2….

The pungent smell of burnt sulfur is what first commands your senses to come to any understanding of what may just have taken place. Your eyes burn so bad, keeping them even half way open is pretty much impossible, Pitch black darkness compounds that sense, as only a small ray of llight from the lamp upon your lop sided helmet, slices through the thick ,dry, hot black dust that hangs like a watered down parka all round and fully encompasses you. From the taste in your mouth and the the thickness of your nostrils, nostrils,now fully collasped into your face, the coal dust has made its way deeply into every possible cavern of your upper torso. For a moment it feels as though time has been standing still, You lift your head, wipe the crusted ebony charred coal dust from your burning , itching,stinging eyes, you peer out from the darkness that has befallen you, turn your head, back and forth in all directions, extend an arm, another arm, a leg, both legs….so far, all appears to be intact, Blood trickles from the inner edge of your right ear, no sound can be heard,not a peep, you extend the head forward, turn the opposite way and faintly, you seem to sense that at least from the left side of your head you can faintly hear the slow trickle of water, from where not sure. Now with a thunderous pounding inside of your head, like that of a jack-hammer drilling from within, it’s starting to become apparent that this is no dream. Groggily, with what little strength you have left, you begin to attempt to regain some form of full movement , to allow for your body to be raised from its current position under several layers of dirt and mud and dust, heavily strewn upon you, in some form of blanketed motion only moments ago…Or so it seems anyway!

Time to make the next move , actually trying to stand, feel around for what the hell just happened, what is about the area in which you find yourself and, collect your senses to formalize any next choices . Not yet fully erect, it appears that as you remove much of the debris that had been covering you for the last moments, some of the darker, heavier,floating dust is starting to settle amidst this eerie chamber of darkness and, now…its starting to replay in your mind, that what feels like just seconds ago, you were on the level deeps phone, the cord and handle of which is still clenched within your aching, swollen hand.

The Phone, the men, the surface, the trip, the diesel, the chains, the cage, the chatter, the pumps, the drills, the continuous mining machine,the cable squeal,the fans, the clinging and clanging and banging and banter, the whooshing and chucking and pumping , the pitter, the patter……Whoa!! Whoa! None of it, not barely any sound from any of the above noted man or man made machinery can be heard from anywhere about. So Eeerie, so surreal, the Mine has come to a complete and total den of darkened , dusted,silence!

Upon your knees at this point, staggerly,stopping , thinking, reaching, feeling! What are the bearings here? The fog and grog of that pulsating,pounding skull delays the mind from getting a real clear focus on the events that have recently led to this critical point.

O.K., try again; it’s Monday? Night? No wait a sec, , it's it’s the second shift this week, it’s gotta be Tuesday, yeah, allright, OK ,Tuesday,day,day? Day shift..Tuesday dayshift, in the pit, on the horn, calling for , calling who? for what? Jeeezzzus H Croist!! If only all of this can come back to me a little bit more clearly. Maybe Cal , or Bill can figure it out, that’s it. Hey Cal,Cal !Bill ! Bill !Cal!! Bill....For Fuck sake….comon guys….answer me ..Cal....Cal MacPherson, Bill? Bill Burns?.....C'mon guys.....Cal????? Bill?????? Anyone????? Can anybody hear me.....Its...Johnny, Johnny Wiseman!!! I can't see anything , is there anyone of you hearing me.....HELLO !!! HELLO!!

What time is it? Pulling the pocket watch from inside the pouch of the pit shirt, the face,about the only thing in the entire mine that right now is clean and somewhat shining. With the limited light of the lamp able to crack the thickness of the dark ,dank ,dust , the time on the illuminated dial shows 7:57.

Starting to clear a bit , both in the mind and in the mine, the denseness of the billowing dust has seeminly settled enough now to see just a tad better. In the head too! The sequence of events of the past 4 or so hours is beginning to flash in and out , not all in order but its coming............

The last thing I think I recall was grabbing the phone from the wall of the Overmans shack just up from the crosscut , adjacent to the trip down to 6 deep, What was , Oh , Oh. Fuck!, The boom!, the crack!, the violent shake! The Movement of the roadway beneath my feet, the roofs, the floor ...all together, thunderous roar of rippling walls, echoing like ungodly bursts of war like bomb-barding!Nothing short of Bombs dropping in france some 20 years ago during the blitzkrieg did anything on earth or within ever sound quite like the destructive rattling of the mine , just some moments ago.

tbc>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>