The Monkees: Gold Rush

Always Feeling Low Down...

Peter was sleeping on the ground outside the wagon. Aponi had woken up a few hours ago. She hadn't known what to do until the boys woke up, so she went to a stream to clean their clothing. She wanted to say thank you some how. She came back to the camp while it was still dark. She hung up their clothing on a clothes's line that the boys hung up awhile ago but hadn't used yet.
There was some shifting in the wagon. Aponi assumed it was one of the boys and kept hanging up the wash. After she finished that she noticed it was almost dawn so she started to make some coffee for the boys. She relit the fire and took the coffee pot and went to the stream to fill it with water. She washed the inside out before putting water in it then she walked back to camp.
Peter was sitting up waiting for her.
"Didn't Mr. Penniman say to stay off your leg?" He asked.
"I could not sleep," Aponi said.
Peter shook his head. "It's not good for your leg to be trampsin' around like that," He said. "You just got the splint on and all."
Aponi looked down at her leg. "It doesn't hurt that bad," She said. "I can't even feel the pressure."
"Still, isn't good for your leg," Peter said.
Aponi nodded. She still walked to the fire and put the coffee pot on the fire. She poured the coffee grounds into the coffee pot. She mixed the grounds around for awhile. She let the pot sit for awhile. Peter watched her closely.
"Do you have a cup?" She asked.
Peter nodded and passed her a little metal mug. She poured some coffee into the mug and handed it back to Peter. He took a drink of it.
"It's better than Davy's coffee," Peter said.
"My coffee's fine!" Davy exclaimed climbing out of the wagon.
Aponi looked over at him. She tilted her head. "Did you never clean out the pot?" She asked.
"Clean the pot?" Davy asked.
"It had grounds from many days before in it," Aponi said.
Davy scratched his head. "I never thought about that," He said.
"That's probably why your coffee wasn't that good," Peter said.
Davy shrugged. Peter handed him a mug, and Davy filled it with coffee. He took and drink and nodded. "Yep, definitely better than my coffee," He said.
Aponi laughed. Peter smiled at her. "You have a beautiful laugh," He said.
Aponi blushed and looked down at her hands. How could she be a savage if she blushed and laughed so beautifully? Peter wondered.
Mike woke up, but he didn't say anything to the others. He took one of the horses and rode to town without saying a word to anyone.
"Why does he say nothing to his friends?" Aponi asked.
"Oh, he probably just woke up in a bad mood," Davy said waving his hand. Peter nodded.
Aponi watched the horizon for a few minutes.
"What are your people like Aponi?" Peter asked.
"My people?" Aponi asked.
"Yeah, we'd like to know more about you," Davy said grinning.
"I have not seen my people since they were slaughtered when I was very young," Aponi said.
Peter frowned. Davy looked surprised. "Why would anyone do something like that?" Davy asked.
"I am the wrong color," Aponi said. "That is what the people that raised me told me."
"What does color have to do with this? You're people too!" Davy exclaimed.
Aponi looked down at her dress. It was a light tan material. This was the first time Peter paid actual attention to her clothing. She had a belt on around her waist. It was made out of blue and white beads. She had a mass of different necklaces around her neck. The necklaces were many bright colors.
"I am afraid not many people feel the same way as you," Aponi said looking up sadly. "Even the family that raised me were glad when I left..."
Davy stared at her still. He couldn't fathom how people could be like that. Peter looked like he might cry. Aponi felt bad for burdening her few friends with her blues.
"What is it like where you come from?" Aponi asked.
Peter and Davy glanced at each other. Peter shrugged his shoulders. Davy smiled at Aponi.
"I'm from Manchester," He said.
"Manchester?"
"It's in England," Davy said.
"Where is that?"
"Somewhere beyond the sea," Davy said.
Aponi tilted her head. "So you came from across the sea?" She asked.
Davy nodded. Aponi looked over at Peter. "Did you as well?" She asked.
Peter shook his head. "No, but I was born far away," Peter said.
"What was it like there?" Aponi asked.
"Well, it was kinda crowded. There were people everywhere, and buildings, loads of buildings with people all stuffed inside them. Sometimes they'd be working on good things, but other times they would just be fighting. The only time you could find peace is when you ran on the outside of the city, then you'd come to these big open fields. You weren't supposed to be there so you couldn't tell anyone, but they were so much nicer than the streets because they would have grass and flowers and trees and animals everywhere," Peter said rambling on. His eyes were half closed as he remembered.
Aponi smiled. Their reminiscing was cut short when they heard hoof beats. Peter sat up suddenly. His eyes were wide. There were four men on horses riding up.
"Get in the wagon," Peter said with an urgency neither Davy or Aponi had heard him use before.
Aponi scrambled for the wagon. She knocked the coffee pot over in her hurry, spilling the piping hot liquid all over the ground. It put out the fire. Peter and Davy both stood up. Davy grabbed the rifle from the wagon then rushed beside Peter.
The horses drew nearer. Peter could feel his heart beat in his ears. He was terrified. Davy held the rifle at the ready, but his hands were shaking very badly. Aponi couldn't see what was going on and that scared her more than anything else.
Peter and Davy and Aponi were afraid.