The Fall Of Big Jake Mc Cain

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The Fall Of Big Jake McCain

Big Jake McCain was the kind of a man

Who could strut while sitting down.

His fight-scarred face in no way deterred

All the women who gathered ‘round.

He had a deep voice, that gravelly kind,

And his words were quick and sharp.

He needed his space, to be left alone,

If he grieved, it was done in the dark.

He stayed to himself on his ranch out of town.

He needed and garnered no friend.

But when help was asked for, he’d be the first

To stick out the good neighbor’s hand.

Memories haunted his six-six frame,

And at times they tore him apart.

Nobody knew it. His face was a mask,

But his chest held a battle-torn heart.

Jake had been married when he was a youth

And the pain of it kept him estranged.

When the corps sent him home from the war he had fought

His wife up and left, wanting change.

The hurt that he wore like an old worn out coat,

Made him hold his head high as he could.

But his love had divorced, while the pain was the worse,

And he swore that no other gal would.

He kept up his spread like a shiny new dime,

And his wealth grew as well as his fame.

He had not a friend, though he helped many men.

Ev’ry soul in the town knew his name.

His cow hands used trucks bought and paid for with bucks,

Jake had earned through his trade honestly.

His pay scale was tops and his men had respect

For their boss. None worked harder than he.

Came the day that he rode into town on his horse,

Watching out for the people and cars.

There he happened to find a new place on Main,

With tables and a tall counter bar.

The sign on the front said, “New Start Café”,

The diner was neat as a pin.

Though the place then was packed, Jake hustled a seat,

And noticed all the customers were men.

A small boy of ten kept the coffee cups filled,

While one cook/waitress beauty just flew,

Making trips from the grill to the tables around,

Cooking orders and coffee to brew.

He listened perplexed as the men there did flex

All their muscles to get beauty’s eye,

But the woman worked fast, cooked the first to the last,

Leaving all with a pitiful sigh.

It was easy to see that she put her job first,

But the shocker came just as he left,

“Mama, please let me help,” said the coffeepot boy,

“If you’ll let me, I’ll do it myself.”

Talk runs small towns, so before Jake rode home,

He had heard of the new "dee-vors-ay".

Like some harlot in books, all the ladies forsook,

That beauty in the brand new café.

With a scowl on his face, Jake returned to his place,

But the tableau was seared in his mind.

A woman who shied from attention men plied,

Yet, to mother her son, she found time.

Weeks passed in their turn as Jake saw to his work.

His men often spoke of the town.

“That Woman” was topic of many a meal,

And the things that he heard made him frown.

The nice Christian ladies felt threatened it seems,

By the woman who ran the café.

Their husbands would stop to drink coffee and talk,

And wasted their cash that-a-way.

The rumor mill hummed with the woman accused

Of the vilest of sins in The Book.

Jake thought of the face that had never showed trace,

She had noticed a soul as she worked.

He heard of the fight that exploded one night,

When a farm woman looked for her man.

She stormed into the grill, yelling loudly, it seems

At that beauty’s only child who was ten.

“Where’s mah’ man?” She had yelled, causing all life to still,

As she shook that young son, such a shrew!

His men laughed and retold how the beauty so bold,

Threw the woman to the street P.D.Q.!

Jake knew how things were in the place of his birth,

So next day took a trip into town.

To the bank he did go and hard cash then did flow,

Jake bought several buildings around.

As he rode so discreet all the merchants would greet,

With a deference the man on his steed.

Tipping his hat from his horse where he sat,

Jake just smiled and rode on down the street.

The General Store, the Hardware, and Feed,

The warehouse and the new eatery,

Were now in his hand, unbeknown to a man,

Big Jake now was holding the deeds.

He made it a point after business that noon

To visit the town every day.

At least one full meal, while he made mortgage deals,

Jake took at the New Start Café.

The beauty was coy and hardworking her boy,

Never stopping for idle chit-chat.

But the man had a plan, never showing his hand,

Played his cards from his chest after that.

As expected his charm and his genuine warmth

Soon stole the young lad's confidence,

He learned of their flight from a treacherous life.

This beauty had grace, Jake could sense.

Weeks rolled along and hard work soon paid off,

The New Start Cafe was a hit!

But the ladies in town never gave it a chance,

Boy-cotting one hundred percent.

The hurt in Jake's soul did rumble and roll,

As he transferred that pain to her own.

The lady he saw working hard broke no law.

Jake was angry at the town he called home.

Early one day as the breakfast crowd stayed,

At their tables drinking coffee for sport,

Jake walked in the place, right into her space,

Said, "I'd be proud to be your escort."

All talk did cease and her frownlines then eased,

As she heard Jake explain why he spoke.

"There's a barn dance tonight, it would be a delight,

To take you and the boy," he did choke.

Every ear was attuned to the answer she swooned,

Like a young girl her face all aglow.

"Why, thank you, kind sir," that golden voice purred,

"We'd be delighted to go!"

That's all in the past as I can attest.

I watched as that gal roped him in.

A lady was she, and at Jake's winsome plea,

A courtship of style then began.

As the holder of deeds and the landlord of means

No one could afford to offend.

Though done grudgingly, the town willingly

Broke ranks then and let her come in.

The New Start Cafe changed owners today,

With a fanfare to make a man wince.

It's a whole new affair, and the ladies go there,

That "dee-vors-ay" gone, what's the sense?

That beauty still cooks, but she pampers her looks,

E'en polishing nails given chance.

She and her boy live a life of pure joy

Right outside our town on a ranch.

I never did hear, anything 'cepting "Dear",

The lady was called for a name.

Gents, heed my call, and remember the fall!

That was it for Big Jake McCain!