It was dark. Uncle Nate was passed out in his bedroom. Ian had to run and hide again. He had found a place in the hayloft. He could stay up there for hours and no one could see him or find him. There was just enough of a hole for him to look out. He could see almost all the inside of the barn from there.
If he crawled real softly he could get to another place where he could look down and see Mister Jude’s room. He had watched him sleep several times, so he knew that he couldn’t be seen. Ian decided that if things got bad again, he could live there. He’d be fine, unless Uncle Nate got some cows or something and needed the hay. That would be the day!
He liked it there. He could hear the cicadas outside, and he liked the smell of the hay. The barn was musty and old, a little drafty, but it wasn’t much worse than the house. Ian always made sure that when he came out of his hiding place to shake off real good, and to use Mister Jude’s mirror to make sure there wasn’t any hay stuck anywhere to give him away.
Ian had slept a good while. He didn’t know what time it was. He figured he’d stay the night, and crawl down about the time the sun came up and make breakfast. The chickens were getting old and there were only three eggs on most mornings, but that was enough to feed his uncle and mister Jude if he came by.
Ian was just about to fall asleep again when he heard the barn doors squeal open. “Jude? Jude?” A voice called. “You here?”
He could see a woman standing in the moonlight. She wasn’t a beautiful woman, but strong and more than plain. She looked around the barn and called again. “Jude?”
“Prudie?” He heard Jude’s sleepy voice. “Prudie, is that you?”
“Oh, Jude.” The woman rushed to Jude as he appeared from the tack room. “I heard you was back.” She held on so tight.
Jude pushed her back. “Prudie Mae, you shouldn’t be here, tain’t proper.”
“What you care about bein’ proper, Jude Shoun? Never entered yer mind afore.” She said refusing to let go.
“Ga home, Prudie.”
“I will not.” She held firm. “I will not until you tell me why. Why you not come fer me as soon as you got out?”
“Aw, woman…” Jude kicked at the loose hay. “I ain’t got no money. Ida come to ya, but…”
“Whatcha need money fer, Jude.” She put her hands on her hips. “I ain’t never charge you afore. Why would I now?”
Jude plunked down on a bail. “Ain’t right, Prudie.”
“But I love ya, Jude. You know that.”
“Why would ja love a man like me?” He looked up at her.
She smiled. “Why would ja love a girl like me?” She searched his face and hung her head. “I know.”
Prudie sat beside him and sighed. “I ain’t the kinda girl ya marry. I’m just the kinda girl ya screw. It’s awright.”
“Things is diff’ernt now. I couldn’t come to ya. Ya got that little girl ta feed an’ I ain’t got no money. But I’m helpin’ Nate out here, and we’s gonna split the crops. When I…”
Prudie put her hands to his lips to shut him up. “I wouldn’t take it, Jude. That ain’t right. You know if it wernt fer her…I know if it wernt fer her.”
“Aw don’t ja go talkin’ ‘bout…”
“Jude ya left me twict, you done crawled outta my bed, outta my lovin twict cause a her. I knowed it. Both times ya broke ma heart and left me a cryin’ an’ knocked up.”
“Twict?”
“Ya gots another baby girl, Jude. I named her Taylor. It’s pretty like her.”
“She’s mine?”
Prudie just looked at him. “I was gonna tell ya, but she started makin’ eyes yer way an’ I knew you was gone.”
“Ya shoulda tol’ me, Prudie.” Jude had anger in his voice went he stood up and faced her.
“Why, Jude? What good it a done me?” She stayed sitting on the hay. “She had ever thing that counted. I just had yer dick. An’ I couldn’t compete. As much as I’d a liked her ta be, she weren’t no whore, an’ I was.”
“I’d a done right by you…this time.”
“Mebbe.” Ian could see the pain in her face. “But I’d a been doin’ wrong by you.”
She patted the hay beside her and Jude sat down. “We just ain’t that kind, Jude.” Prudie put her head on his shoulder. “She’s gone now, Jude. You come to me if’n you want to. I promise ya I won’t make no fuss.”
“I don’ wanna hurt you agin, Prudie. Tain’t fair ta none of us.”
“Don’cha worry none about breakin’ m’heart agin. Don’t reckon I got one left ta break.”
Ian wished they’d quit talking. They were making so much noise. He wanted to sleep, and his head hurt so much. He put his hands over his ears. He just knew Venus was going to show up any minute.
He hurt all over. I couldn’t move. He couldn’t open his eyes. He felt a cool hand on his cheek.
“Baby Doll?” He heard in the distance. “Ian, honey?” He heard again. “Get the doctor. I think he’s trying to wake up!” He heard feet running. “It’s okay Baby Doll, everything’s gonna be fine…”
The woman’s voice was soothing, but he didn’t feel fine. Every bone is his body ached, and he wanted to vomit. He dropped to his knees and put his hand on the tree and unloaded his stomach. He barfed so hard that puke came out his nose, too. It stung and stunk so bad. He could hear the bailer grinding away.
He could hear Uncle Nate screaming, “Help me, oh dear God, somebody help me”. Then he heard snap and a gargle, and the bailer just churning away.
Ian looked up and saw blood spurting everywhere. The bailer seemed to move around the field on its own spitting out bloody bales as it traveled. Ian threw up again. His head hurt so bad…
“Mr. Justyn?” He heard a slight snap and smelled something vile. “Mr. Justyn?”
Ian was scared and nervous. He wasn’t used to sharing a room. Hell, he wasn’t used to people, and he still saw Uncle Nate all chopped up in the hay when he closed his eyes. We wondered if it would freak this Billy kid out when he woke up screaming in the middle of the night.
Billy stuck his hands in his pockets. “Since we’re gonna be living together for a while, I guess I should just come clean with you. I’m kinda nervous. I never been away from home much. I’m from a big family with lotsa noise all the time. The quiet of just one person around may drive me crazy.”
“Well, I don’t have any family. Was just me and my Uncle, and he died. So I’m not used to being around people. I know I’m sorta weird.”
“I guess we’ll balance each other out then, kinda like dots connecting…”
“If you say so. Let’s just make a pact to tell each other when we are about to climb the walls…”
“Or acting unbelievably stupid in public…”
“I wonder why they always stick the poor kids together?”
“Maybe they think we’ll bring out the best in each other.”
“Wouldn’t that be nice…now if we only knew what the best was…”
Ian was surprised at how much he missed home already, what there was of it. He really didn’t miss his Uncle, but he wished he could close his eyes without seeing him…like that…he missed Aunt Hil’s sweet ice tea. She taught him how to make it, but it wasn’t her’s.
He kept seeing the blood spurting everywhere. Uncle Nate was wobbling trying to call out to him, a whisky bottle still in his hand. Ian could feel the body weight on top of him. He was in so much pain.
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