El Paso - DGH

"Wow, Grandpa, you knew Marty Robbins personally?" I asked.

Grandma spoke up. I knew she was so proud of Grandpa. "Before Marty sang El Paso he came to town and asked around to see who knew any of the history of the town. He came to the store one day to talk with your Grandfather and after he went back to Nashville, he made El Paso. Shortly after that he made Feleena."

Grandpa spoke, "After those songs were made, Marty would come to see us whenever he was in town."

My Uncle Ralph, dad's younger brother came in with his guitar. He sat down and sang El Paso for us. Man did he ever sound good!

"Out in the West Texas town of El Paso
I fell in love with a Mexican girl.
Night-time would find me in Rosa's Cantina;
Music would play and Feleena would whirl.

Blacker than night were the eyes of Feleena,
Wicked and evil while casting a spell.
My love was deep for this Mexican maiden;
I was in love but in vain, I could tell."

One night a wild young cowboy came in,
Wild as the West Texas wind.
Dashing and daring,
A drink he was sharing
With wicked Feleena,
The girl that I loved."

As Uncle Ralph sang the song everyone was listening. The song went on to say how Feleena's boyfriend was jealous of this cowboy and challenged him to a gunfight. He shot him dead and realized that the cowboy had friends and he had to escape. He ran out of the back door of the cafe and mounted a horse and left town.

After Uncle Ralph finished the song everyone applauded him. He sure could sing. I didn't even think of it at the time but I was holding Corinna's hand throughout the whole song.

"Grandpa, was it a true story? You know, about this man and Feleena? Was he really her boyfriend? Did the shooting really take place? Did he get shot? What happened to Feleena after that?" I asked.

"Easy, Billy, too many questions to answer all at once. Let me start at the beginning." Grandpa then asked Uncle Ralph to sing the song Feleena.

After he finished and everyone clapped for Uncle Ralph, Grandpa told us the story behind the songs. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone that didn't know the story sat around in the different rooms and listened to Grandpa speak.

"It all began back in the late 1800's - 1870's to be a little more exact. The west was rampant with violence. Like in Deadwood there was no law. The only justice was how fast you were with a gun. The young women of the day only had their families to protect them. Some like Calamity Jane could protect themselves.

"As in the song, when Feleena was seventeen her parents wanted her to marry so that she would have a man to protect her. She lived in New Mexico with them and her brothers and sisters.

"One day she ran away. She said she was going to decide whom she would date and marry, if anyone. No-one was going to make her decisions for her. She was tired of the desert nights, poverty, grief and strife. She didn't know where she'd go, but she'd get there, and she would find happiness, if she would follow her dream.

"As it said in the song,
"After she ran away, she went to Sante Fe
And in the year that she stayed there, she learned about life
In just a little while, she learned that with a smile
She could have pretty clothes, she could be any man's wife;
Rich men romanced her, they dined and they danced her
She understood men and she treated them all just the same
A form that was fine and rare, dark shining glossy hair.
Lovely to look at, Feleena was this woman's name."

"She became restless in Sante Fe, and knew she had to get away. Again she didn't care where. It could be to any town where the lights had a bright glow. One cowboy she had talked to mentioned the town of El Paso. He told her that in El Paso the music never stopped and she could dance forever if she wanted to.

"She bought a one-way ticket from Sante Fe to El Paso. It took three days and three nights by stage with a slight rest now and then. She didn't care; she knew she would find that her new life would be more exciting than where she had been.

"She went to a hotel and got a room at the Lily Belle. She quickly changed to a form-fitting black satin dress. She wanted to experience the lights and sounds of this new town. Every man that saw her stopped to stare at this woman who had just arrived into town. There was something extra special about her. Even the women remarked of the charm she possessed. Yes, Feleena was in a class of her own.

"Another verse of the song tells about Feleena.

"Dancin' and laughter was what she was after
And Rosa's Cantina had lights, with love in the gleam
That's what she hunted and that's what she wanted
Rosa's was one place a nice girl would never be seen;
It was the same way, it was back in Sante Fe
Men would make fools of themselves at the thought of romance
Rosa took heed of, the place was in need of
This kind of excitement, so she paid Feleena to dance."

"Rosa was a business woman but she also was childless. She took Feleena under her wing and protected her and treated her as her daughter. No man touched Feleena unless Feleena wanted to be touched. There were many brawls and fights over the rights to Feleena. No man ever won. Many were stabbed, others were shot, a few were even killed. In the end they all learned, no-one had any rights to the mysterious beautiful woman named Feleena.

"About a year had passed and Feleena was dancing and felt as free as ever. She glanced up through the swinging doors and saw a young cowboy. He was so different from any of the other cowboys who frequented the establishment. He wasn't like all of the rest; he was tall and so handsomely dressed. Feleena had to meet him. She asked Rosa if she knew the handsome cowboy but was told that he was new in town; no-one knew who he was.

"Feleena walked over to his table. She knew she had his attention. She got every man's attention that ever came through the swinging door of Rosa's cafe. He asked her to dance and she said yes as he got up and took her into his arms. Feleena danced close to him, and they both felt the heat of each other's body as he held her body tightly against his.

"They spent the next six weeks together. Each minute he spent with her, he fell more deeply in love with her. He had a problem. He was insanely jealous of glances she'd give to all the other customers. He didn't understand that it was just her nature and the way she had always lived. As it said in the song, 'he was hurting inside from all of her flirting.'

"He saw her flirting one night; it started a gun-fight. After the smoke cleared away, on the floor lay a man. Feleena's young lover had shot down another man right there in Rosa's cafe. He knew he had to leave town. Even though there was not any law in town, the man was known to have a lot of friends. He knew they would be coming after him to avenge the death of their friend. He ran out of the back door of the cafe and mounted his horse and rode away. According to the song, he rode back to New Mexico.

"It was about three months later around five o'clock in the evening, it was said that Feleena heard gun shots. She quickly ran to the back door of the cafe and saw her young cowboy, riding low in the saddle, and riding in fast. He wanted to see Feleena. He was riding hard and fast to Rosa's cafe. His love for her was much stronger than his fear of death.

"As he was riding in, he saw at least a dozen cowboys chasing and shooting at him. He knew he had to see Feleena one last time. Life without her was nothing. She ran out to meet him, she wanted to kiss and greet him. She wanted to tell him, make that needed to tell him that she was carrying his child. When he saw her, he tried to motion her back, with a wave of his hand. The bullets were flying and he didn't want her to get shot.

"As she saw him fall from the saddle and into the sand, she ran to him and knelt beside him. She wrapped her arms around him and wept. She felt the warm blood that flowed from the wound in his side. He raised to kiss her and she heard him whisper, "Never forget me – Feleena, it's over. Goodbye."

"She screamed out, "No! No! You can't die. Please, God, don't let him die. I'm carrying your baby. Please wake up, please wake up," she cried as she held him to her breasts.

"Now at this point is where most songs and stories get it wrong," said Grandpa.

"They have Feleena grabbing a gun and holding it to her breast and pulling the trigger. That is not what happened at all. She did grab the gun but aimed it at the cowpoke who shot her young lover. She shot and killed him but one of the other cowpokes shot her. The bullet went into her chest.

"At that point all shooting stopped. Rosa came running out crying. She saw Feleena lying across her lover's chest. She ran up to her and found her still breathing. 'Get Doc Hoyt,' Rosa yelled. 'Get him now. Feleena is still alive.'

"The cowboys didn't want any part of anyone saying they were involved in the shooting of Feleena. They knew they would be hunted down and killed. Feleena had too many friends. They quickly departed never returning to El Paso again. In the meantime Doc Hoyt came out to see Feleena. A crowd gathered and the doc had two men carry Feleena into the cafe and lay her on the pool table. He did what he could to stop the bleeding but he told Rosa he didn't know if Feleena would pull through or not.

" 'She's going to need that strong will of hers to make it,' said the doc.

"Most doctors of that day didn't have the best of training. They carried around a small kit with a few remedies in it. After he got the bleeding stopped Rosa had two men carry Feleena up to her room. The doc tried to make the place as sterile as possible.

" 'Rosa,' said the doc. 'We have to get the bullet out as soon as possible if she's to have any chance to make it.'

" 'She's pregnant, Doc,' said Rosa.

" 'Yes, I can see that. We'll do the best we can and hope they both pull through,' said the doctor.

"They spent an hour removing the bullet. It was lodged close to her heart. The doc used a steady hand and Rosa prayed. After removing the bullet, the doc said, 'All we can do now is wait. It will take time and a will to live.'

"It was two days before Feleena regained consciousness. She cried, remembering the loss of her young cowboy. Rosa talked to her and explained that she needed the will to live for her baby now. It would be the offspring of her and her lover's love for each other.

"Feleena did pull through and had a son. She never married but she continued to work for Rosa and raised her son into a fine man. Even though she never had any more children and never got married, she was blessed with eight grandchildren from her son who married a nurse.

"A few years after the death of her young lover and the birth of her son, El Paso grew and law and order was then making the city a little safer place to live."

Chapter 3: What happened next?

"Wow! Grandpa, that was a fantastic story. Is that the way it really happened? You sure know your history. What happened after that? You know, to Feleena and her family. Also, Grandpa, how did you learn about all this?" I asked.

Grandpa laughed. "You sure ask enough questions, Billy. That's enough storytelling for tonight. I'll tell the rest of the story tomorrow, after my big birthday party."

"I agree," spoke Corinna. "Grandpa Bill needs to get some rest for his big day tomorrow."

After grandpa and grandma retired to bed, the party still went on till the wee hours of the morning. Corinna stayed with me almost the full time. I really did wonder if it was possible to fall totally in love with a woman in two days. A woman I didn't even know. If what Grandpa said was true, all those men were fascinated with Feleena. Could I be that way with Corinna too? She was with me at the party but I wondered how she felt inside.

I walked her home but she didn't talk much. She just smiled at me. I didn't want to keep asking her questions. I did reach out to hold her hand and she returned hers willingly. Did that mean something? Was I reading too much into her simple movements?

I couldn't believe that when we got to her house there were two men on the porch. It was two of her brothers. It was three in the morning and they were waiting for her?

"Where have you been?" they asked Corinna.

"At Grandpa Bill's reunion. I don't want you guys interrogating Billy either. Is that understood?" Corinna said it more as a statement than a question. Her brothers just nodded.

"I better go. I'll see you tomorrow at the birthday party," I said.

She leaned over, smiled and gave me one gentle kiss on the lips. "Goodnight, Billy. Sleep tight. I'll see you tomorrow." She turned, smiled at her brothers and walked into the house.

Her brothers didn't say a word. I told them goodnight and headed home a very happy fellow. I couldn't believe such a gentle kiss made me feel like the king of the world. God, I must be in love.

----------------------

The next day we had to go to the county fairgrounds for Grandpa's birthday party. Besides all our relatives, the whole town showed up. I've never seen so many people at a birthday party. I knew Grandpa and Grandma had the respect of the whole town. Just listening to everyone talk about them and how they seemed to help so many people throughout the years.

I was talking to some townspeople when I saw Corinna. She came over to me and said she wanted to introduce me to a few people. A hundred would have been closer. She introduced me to most of her family that had attended the party. The guys shook my hand and kind of just looked at me. Her sisters and sister-in-laws gave me hugs. It was then I met her mom and dad. Her dad wasn't a tall man but built stout and sturdy. Her mom was a beautiful woman in her own right. I kissed her mom on the cheek and shook her dad's hand.

Throughout the day I talked to my relatives and to Corinna's. I wasn't with Corinna most of the day. Everyone was busy talking to everyone. There were games and music for everyone to enjoy. I later found out that there was a big cover dish dinner. I have to tell you this town of people could cook.

A few of my relatives and even a few of Corinna's talked to me like I was the chosen one. Maybe I'm not explaining this quite right. It was just the hints that so many people said about Corinna. I understood a little better when I talked to her mother.

"So, Billy, how long are you going to be in El Paso?" said Mrs. Herrero, Corinna's mom.

"I'm not sure right now. I'm going to fix-up and repair my grandparents' house. Can I ask you a question, Mrs. Herrero?"

"Of course, Billy. What is it?" she asked.

"It's about Corinna. A lot of the people here say that she never dates much, others told me her brothers have chased her suitors away. I would like to date her and get to know her better. What can I do to get your family on my side?" I tried to say it with a smile.

"Billy, no-one chased Corinna's dates away. The only time her brothers interfere is if men keep bothering her and wouldn't leave her alone. She decides who and when she wants to be with someone. She has never been very serious about anyone yet. You need to know that she is one special lady in this town. I will add that she sees something special in you. She has never introduced any man to the whole family until today. She knows she doesn't need anyone else's opinion. She has always made her own decisions. All I can tell you is to always be honest with her."

"Thank you. I promise I'll be honest and good to her if she decides that she'll go out with me," I smiled.

It wasn't ten minutes later that Corinna found me in the crowd. She asked me if I wanted to dance. We went inside the pavilion where Grandpa and Grandma were sitting. I took Corinna into my arms and felt the heat of her body close to mine. I couldn't help remembering how Grandpa explained how the young cowboy felt when he held Feleena. I closed my eyes and Corrinna and I moved around the dance floor like two young lovers in the old west.

After a couple of songs a man in the crowd asked Corinna to dance. Immediately I felt jealous. I again thought about the jealous cowboy that shot the man dancing with Feleena. What was wrong with me? I've never been jealous before?

Corinna looked at the man and said, "No, thank you, I'm dancing with my boyfriend." Everyone who heard her looked surprised except Grandpa and Grandma. She had called me her boyfriend. I didn't say anything; I didn't want to spoil the moment.

I took her back into my arms and held her even tighter as we moved around the dance floor. We danced past her mother and father and they just smiled at us. I felt like I was floating on air. After the song had finished the band started a fast Mexican song that I had never heard. Corrina got up and moved her body and hips to the song. She was a fantastic dancer. She stood there and danced in front of me. So exotic and almost hypnotizing, again I pictured how Feleena must have danced for her lover. When Corinna was finished everyone clapped and she came over and gave me a hug and whispered in my ear. "That was for you and you only."

The rest of the day went by in a flash. The crowds began saying their goodbyes. Most of the townspeople went home. There were still a few of the family members left. We went back to my grandparents.

"Grandpa," I asked. "Are you up to finishing the story of Feleena tonight"

"Of course, Billy. After seeing you and Corinna at the party I really want you to know the rest of the story," he smiled.

I looked over at a smiling Corinna. "You know the rest of the story, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. I love hearing it over and over again. I would never give away the surprise ending."

"What surprise?" I asked, seeing if she would say anything; she didn't.

Later Grandpa continued his story, "Feleena never got remarried or had anymore children. As I mentioned, her son, whom she named Harley, married a nurse and had eight kids of their own. Feleena loved her grandchildren.

"After Feleena got better she went back at work in the cafe. She still danced and served drinks to the customers. Her son was the number one person in her life. As he grew up she asked Rosa if she could buy an interest in the cafe. Rosa agreed on a price. Feleena had purchased her part of the cafe so when Harley grew up he took over the bartending and bouncer part of the business.

"A few years later, Rosa was dying of the yellow fever and willed the remaining part of the business over to Feleena and Harley. There was now law and order in El Paso and Feleena and Harley ran a legitimate saloon. Harley met his wife when she came into town as a new nurse. They were married within months and gave birth to eight children over the years. I might mention that Doc Hoyt was the doctor who brought Harley's kids into the world. He died a few months after delivering the eight child.

"The doc had six children of his own. Their two families had become good friends. In fact a lot of the offspring of these two families still live in the El Paso area. Rosa's cafe is still owned by Harley's great, great, great, hell I don't know how many great's anymore. But, the business in still in Feleena's family."

"Grandpa, are we related to Feleena? Is that the surprise?" I asked.

"No, Billy, we're not related to Feleena's lineage. You asked me how I knew so much about the story and the song. I'm going to tell you. Doc Hoyt was my great-great-grandfather. He was responsible for saving the life of Feleena."

Grandpa had tears in his eyes and now, so did I and every other relative who was there listening to the story.