“What kin I do, Daddy?” Vonnie was so excited. She exploring places, and there was so much to explore here.
“Your Aunt Sparky and I are going to pack things up in here, so why don’t you go out into the back yard and see if there is anything out there that we might want.” Her father informed her.
“’Kay.” She darted toward the back door.
“Vonnie.” Her father warned. “You stay in the back yard, where I can see you from the door. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
The little blond bombshell was outside at the speed of light. Billy walked over to the screen door and watched her bounce around in the grass for a moment.
“She’s fine.” Sparky assured him and used the tape gun to assemble another empty box. “Any idea when they can start going through what’s left of the Osbourne’s?”
“Maybe next week.” Billy squatted down in the floor and opened the doors beneath the old sink. “Oh man, where to start…where to start.”
“It’s so sad. You never think about the little things you leave behind. You hate to just throw it all away, especially knowing Miss Hilary. Every little dust bunny had some kind of memory or story, and no body thought to write any of it down.”
“The Clary’s said just to let ‘em know when to come and pick up anything that we don’t want.”
“So should we just box up what we’re taking for Ian and let them do the rest or box it all up and separate it into two piles?” Sparky looked out the door for her niece, knowing full well at any given moment she could be playing in the grass or trying to climb up on the roof.
“What do you think?” Billy sat in the floor and began pulling bottles and boxes of cleaners and Brillo pads.
“Normally, I’d say throw stuff like that out.” Sparky pointed to the things Billy was lining up on the linoleum. “But the Clary’s lost everything, so they can probably use it. Let’s make sure it’s all sealed tight, box it up and mark it like we were moving.”
“Good plan.” He made sure a container of Mr. Clean was shut tight and reached for an empty box.
“Here put everything like that in one of these first.” Sparky handed him a box of gallon size Ziplocs. “Have you talked to Ian?”
“A little while this morning.”
“How’s it going?”
“Well, he was going into the office. His neighbor was taking the boy out to buy clothes and stuff. He’s Ian…what can you say? He can juggle six chainsaws in the air, dance a tango and have a nervous breakdown all at the same time and never break a sweat.” Billy combined a few boxes of scouring pads together. “Your boss didn’t mind you taking off work?”
“Are you kidding? This is for Ian. He said to take all the time I needed. Besides, it’s kind of helping me with a story.”
“They finally put you back to reporting?”
“I wish.” Sparky was putting boxes of cereal and oatmeal in her own box. “This is something I’m doing on my own. I thought with the sudden publicity, I do a piece on the history of Lost Mountain.”
“Lost Mountain? God makes mountain, the rest of the world yawns, end of story.” Billy smirked, took some paper towels off the roll before he put it in the box and wiped the now empty cabinet out.
“Actually, there’s a very rich history here, and I hate to repeat myself but no one thought to write it down. Did you know that the original settlers on this mountain were all from the same family who basically lost a bet as to the outcome of the Civil War?”
“Guess that’s where the name comes from. It’s not like you could loose something this big.” Billy opened the bottom in a series of cabinet drawers. “Aw look…all Miz Hil’s special towels. She made every one of these by hand.” He held one up.
“That’s beautiful. Put those in a box for Ian. If nothing else, someday he might want to pass them on.” Sparky reached for one. “You know she made me a set of these for my hope chest.”
“Still hoping?” Billy teased.
“I’m still trying to narrow down my list.” Sparky slapped her brother on the back of the head. “Do you think Ian would mind if you kept a set for Vonnie?”
“He said for us to keep anything we wanted. I still have a little sweater set she knitted for Vonnie when we brought her home from the hospital. You know Miz Hil came over to the house everyday for almost two months when Donna got killed. She made sure we were taken care of.”
“That’s probably where Ian got it.”
“Got what?”
“You know, everyone else first, himself last.” Sparky sighed.
“You still spend hours writing Mrs. Ian Justyn in little hearts in your notebook?” Billy giggled.
“Gave up that dream a long time ago.” Sparky gave her brother a wry smile. “Have you?”
“Don’t go there, Spark.”
“Holy smokes.” Sparky looked around the room. “These old cabinets are so deep. Is there a step stool somewhere? My arms aren’t long enough.”
“Use a chair.” Billy pulled open the second drawer.
Sparky scooted a chair from the table to the counter and stood on it. “Okay, if I don’t come back in an hour, call for the bloodhounds.”
“Is it that deep?”
“Billy, Vonnie could get lost in here.”
Billy stood up and went over to look in the cabinet. “I forgot how these old places have all kinds of hidey holes. Need a flashlight?”
“No, but if I scream, pull me out quick.” Sparky rolled up the sleeves to her sweater. Billy watched the upper half of her body disappear into the cabinet.
“Jackpot!” her voice echoed.
“What?”
“I found where Santa Claus lives!” She started handing wrapped packages out. Billy took them from her and began to stack them on the kitchen counter.
“More?”
“Yup. Hold on.” A few more came out. Billy could hear his sister run her hands around feeling for anything else in the cabinet. “Clear! Coming up for air!”
Sparky withdrew herself from the cavern and sat down on the counter top. “Looks like we found one of her hiding places.” She picked up the wrapped packages and inspected. “I wonder if she even remembered this stuff was back there?”
“Maybe. I found a Christmas gift in the attic from two years ago for Vonnie I forgot about.” Billy began reading the names. “Ian, Ian, Ronnie, Ian, Ian…ooh this one’s for me!”
“Don’t you dare tear that paper!” Sparky caught him in pre-rip. “We are putting all those in a big box and we’ll make sure they are opened…at Christmas.”
Billy gave his sister a scowl. “Fine. I’ll put ‘em in my garage.”
“We’ll put them in my spare bedroom.” Sparky hopped down and grabbed an empty box. They started piling them in. “Wait. This one’s not for Christmas.”
“How can you tell?”
“The wrapping says ‘Happy Birthday’ not ‘Jesus Is Born’.” Sparky read the name. “Ian…September?”
“October.” Billy said.
“The big three oh. This will make the day special for him.” Sparky placed it to the side.
“Daddy! Daddy!” Vonnie slammed back in the screen door. “Look what I found!”
“What is it, Sugar?” Billy left the packages on the counter and got on his knees in front of his hyper four year old.
“It’s a old picher!” She held it for her father. “See!”
Billy looked at it. “Where’d you get this, Vonnie?”
The child suddenly looked guilty. “Nowhere. It just fell outta the sky.”
“I bet.” Billy took it from her and inspected further. “Did you wander next door?”
“No, Daddy. I promise.”
“Then where was this?”
“Laying over there by the field.” Vonnie smiled. “There’s all kinds a stuff laying in the weeds. Shoes, an’ bottles and burnt smelly stuff…and this! Ain’t it cool?”
Sparky took a step towards them. “Must be some things that got blown out of the house when the tank exploded.”
Billy looked at the pitcher. “This was Miss Hillary’s special milk pitcher. She used it on holidays. I wonder how this got in the back yard?”
“Look, Daddy.” Vonnie pointed at it. “There’s writin’ on it.”
“What?” Billy turned it bottom side up. His mouth dropped open and he looked up at his sister. Sparky bent over to read the letters etched into the bottom…I…A…N.
Showing posts with label Lost Mountain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lost Mountain. Show all posts
Monday, November 22, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Vignette #77: Right
Nothing else was said until they got back to the hotel room. Ian immediately lay Ronnie down on the bed. Reese produced the crocheted afghan from Ian’s box and spread it out over the boy. Ian then lay down beside the child and wrapped his arms around until the little boy squirmed to comfort and sighed. Ronnie patted the spot beside him and Reese lay down in it. The three wrapped themselves together and slept.
They were awakened by a knock at the door. Reese popped up and peeked outside the window. “It’s Jude.” He opened the door and Jude, holding two little plastic bags, entered.
He smiled when he saw Ronnie. “Hey, there’s my little man. Are you feeling a little better, buddy?” Ronnie sat up and nodded his head, rubbing his eyes. Jude handed one of the bags to Ian. “I found a pair of jeans and some under pants, stopped at Kmart on the way here and bought a shirt. That’s all there is.”
Reese walked over to his suitcase and took out a few things. “Why don’t I take a shower and let the three of you talk?”
“Thanks, Reece.” Ian said as Reese disappeared into the bathroom and shut the door.
Jude sat in the chair. “Ronnie why don’t you come here and sit in my lap. I wanna talk with ya.” The boy crawled up in his lap and wrapped his arms around his grandfather. Jude sighed. “Awwww, boy, do you know how much yer granddaddy loves you?”
Ronnie nodded his head. “Remember how I promised you one day I’d take you for a ride in a plane?” He nodded again. “Well, Ian and Reese here, they’s gonna do that for me. Would you like that?”
“You gonna come too, Granpaw?” He asked.
Jude took the boys sweet dirty little face in his hands. “No, Ronnie, I’m gonna stay here, but I want you to go with Ian.”
Ian moved to the far edge of the bed and brushed hair from the boy’s eyes with his fingers. “Ronnie, your Granpaw wants you to come and live with me. Miz Hil was all the family I had, and we were thinking maybe you and me we could be family now.”
“You want me to be your little boy now?” He asked.
Ian smiled; he couldn’t fight the tears rolling down his cheeks. “Yeah, Ronnie, I’d like that an awful lot.”
“I ain’t got nobody now but Granpaw. Can he come too?”
“I’ve asked him, but he wants to stay here and take care of a few things. Maybe we can talk him into it later.”
“Please come, Granpaw….please!” The boy begged.
“Aww buddy, I cain’t right now. I got to take care of everything here. You know yer mama wouldn’t be happy if we left the place in such a mess. I’ll get it all cleaned up and then I’ll come out at least for a visit.”
“You can call him every day.” Ian assured him. “I’ll even buy your granpaw a computer and you can see each other while you talk. It won’t be quite the same, but so many things have changed Ronnie and we just want what’s best.”
“I reckon that’d be okay then.”
Jude nodded his head and picked up the second bag. “Ronnie, I found this and want you to have it.” He handed the boy a frame with a picture in it. Ian could see it was of Ronnie, his mother, Jude and Aunt Hil. “You member when you gave me this fer Christmas last year?”
“Uh huh.”
“Well you take it and keep it by your bed. Ever night we can all watch over you while you sleep, and if you ever get lonely or sad you just look at how happy we all are and you be happy, too.”
“I’ll try Grandpaw. It’ll be hard, but I’ll try.”
“Yer a good boy.” Jude held the boy close, tears flowing from his eyes. “My heart just breaks to see you go baby boy, but it breaks with happy cause I know that Ian will take such good care of you.”
“I love you til my heart breaks, too Grampaw”.
Jude stayed with them until Reese’s plane was in the air. Ronnie waved goodbye to his grandfather and watched him wave until he was just a speck on the ground. Ronnie never looked back after that. He nestled into Ian’s lap and slept most of the rest of the way.
Reese had told Jude that he would fly back and help clean up as soon as they were allowed to. Ian said he’d pay for every trip it took, and all the manpower to clean up. Ian also made Jude promise that he would come and stay with them as soon as it was all done.
When they stopped for a final refueling Ian called Tippy. “It’s taking a little longer than we thought, but we’ll be home soon.” He said.
“It’s alright, Baby Doll. We’re just glad you’re okay.”
“Things have changed, Tippy.”
“I know, Ian. Just get home and we’ll talk about it after a good night’s rest.”
“No. We need to talk as soon as I get there.”
“Well, that’s fine.”
“Listen, Tippy, I need your help. I’m not sure what to do.”
“Anything I can do, you know that.”
Ian smiled. “I’m bringing the boy with me.”
“The boy?”
“Ronnie. He’s got nothing, I mean nothing, just what’s on his back. He’ll need clothes and toys…”
“Ian.” Tippy stopped him. “Baby Doll, I can take care of that. Don’t worry.”
“Thank you.”
“But I need you to remember something.” She said.
“What’s that?”
“That child may not have clothes and toys, silly stuff like that, but he’s got everything else in the world.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Baby Doll, he’s got you.”
It was dark by the time the plane landed. Jesse was waiting for them on the tarmack. He couldn’t help himself, he was so relieved they were home. Jesse hugged his brother and then grabbed Ian, smashing the little boy between them.
“God you stink.” He said.
“Well, your brother got a shower, but Ronnie and I haven’t had the chance.” Ian looked down at the boy. “Ronnie Kyle, this is Jesse. He’s Reese’s brother. He lives next door.”
“To us?” Ronnie asked.
“Right next door. We’ll have fun.” Jesse rubbed the boy’s head.
Ian smiled. “Let’s go home, we’ll get some food and some clean clothes and try and get settled in.” Ronnie nodded his head and stepped out on the tarmack.
Ian reached into the plane and picked up his backpack. As he started to sling it over his shoulder he saw the little head pop out. He reached in and pulled it out. “Here.” He handed it to Jesse.
“What am I suppose to do with this thing? Roll it in cornmeal and deep fry it?” He asked holding the cat up by the scruff.
“Well, you can try, but it didn’t work the first time.” Ian pointed to the boy. “It’s Ronnie’s cat. I don’t want it anywhere near me.”
“Ian’s afraid of cats.” Reese said.
“I am not. I just don’t like them.” Ian grabbed a suitcase Reese was handing him. “You gonna help us unload or stand there like a lazy bum?”
“I’m thinking about the lazy bum thing.” Jesse said. “Here buddy, this is yours?” He handed the boy the kitten. “What’s his name?”
“Don’t know yet.”
“He’s yours now.” Ian told him. “You can name him.”
“Can I keep him in the house, too?”
“Don’t see that I have much choice do I?” Ian turned to grab a box Reese had scooted to the door.
Jesse picked up the box. “Hey, Ronnie, why don’t you put that kitty down over there in my car and then come back a help me carry some of these boxes.” Jesse pointed over to his car. “The one with the trunk open.”
“Okay.” Ronnie looked to the fur ball in his hands. “Com’mon rodent, we’re gonna go for another ride now.”
Jesse looked up at Ian. “So you’ve got a kid and a cat now, can you handle it?”
“Not sure about the cat, but we’ll make it.” Ian handed Jesse the old crock from Hilary’s kitchen. “Be careful with that.”
“You got it.”
“Is that just about it?” Ian asked Reese.
“All but the rocker.” Reese jumped out of the plane and Ian helped him roll up the ladder. “I’ll just lock it up in the plane, and come back and get it later.”
“Sounds good. Let’s get home.”
As they drove toward home, Ian was seeing it all through Ronnie’s eyes. He was scared, more than he’d ever been. Until now, Ian only had to fear for himself. Suddenly there was someone else who was more important. How the hell was he going to do this? Could he do it?
Ian looked at the cat looking at him. He sighed and looked out the window to see what the boy was looking at. “We’re doing this.” He thought to himself. As long as the cat stays on the other side of the car, they were doing this.
To her word, when they arrived, the Shores and Kellen were at the house. Tippy had stocked the fridge and bought out Toys R Us. Colton and Kellen were all smiles having turned the largest bedroom downstairs into a room for a little boy.
Ronnie was just a little overwhelmed. Ian knew it would take time, for both of them, to adjust. It would be slow, but they would adjust. The boy refused to be anywhere without either Ian or Reese in sight. Ronnie had not been around such a constant flow of people and he was naturally shy, but he was opening up.
To Ian’s chagrin, Ronnie bonded especially with the damned cat. Frankly, Ian felt better knowing the boy was always in sight, but it unnerved him that the cat seemed to never take it’s eyes off Ian. Ian just knew the little rodent was planning something. He just knew that the little feline had plans to jump him when no one was around to be a witness. “Those things are just pure evil.” He thought to himself.
But Ronnie loved the little thing, and the little thing just loved the attention. Tippy, of course, had taken both the boy and the kitten under wing. Ronnie wasn’t sure what to make of Tippy, but the cat, oh the cat loved it.
Tippy had already made plans for the boy, setting up visits with pediatricians and dentists, and had a list of recommendations for a child psychologist. With Colton now off daily working on the new television show, Ronnie and the cat were now her focus.
Reese and Jesse were already fighting for the boy’s attention. They were so goofy they made Ronnie smile, something that Ian hadn’t seen since the whole tragedy happened. They were already trying to out do each other in impressing the boy.
Colton was the biggest surprise. The quiet, gentle man would just slip into the room at just the right time with just the right gesture or just the right word. When they first arrived at the house, everyone was fussing over Ronnie and the boy was completely overwhelmed. Colton got up from his spot on the couch, walked over to the boy, picked him up and held him in his lap wrapping his arms around him tight and just sighed. “Aw, it is so good to have you home.” Ronnie, and Ian, just melted.
Ian managed to get the boy and himself showered and into clean clothes. Tippy and the boys had made dinner, and they had a big old loud family meal. Ronnie tried his best to relax, but it was all so foreign to him. Several times Ian made a point to reach over and whisper into his ear. “It’s okay, I’m still getting used to all this, too.” Ronnie would look up at him and nod.
After the big old loud family dinner, they had a big old loud clean up. Ian, new to this too, wasn’t quite sure what to do next, but he was determined to be in charge. He thought the best way was to just tell Ronnie what he normally did, and see how the boy reacted. “Well, buddy, I usually have a lot of work to do which means this is the time I usually watch television.”
“You work watching television?” The boy asked.
“That’s what I do. I work in television.”
“Okay.” Ronnie just blinked. “What do you watch?”
“Anything and everything.” He said.
“Sugar Plum, is there something that you like to watch?” Tippy asked him, patted a spot by her on the sofa.
“Ummm…well…” Ronnie took the seat beside her. “I like game shows…and funny stuff.”
“Game shows?” Tippy looked at Ian and gently nodded her head to get him to sit on the other side of the boy. “Like ‘Wheel of Fortune’?”
“Yeah. That’s good, but I like you know where people has to do stuff better.” He looked at Ian. “You know, I like that one where they have to use tennis balls and paper cups and stuff, I can’t remember what it’s called, but it’s on channel five on Wednesday night.”
“I tell you what.” Ian said. “Why don’t you be in charge of the TV. We’ll surf through the channels until we find something we like.”
“Surf through the channels?” Ronnie giggled. “There’s only two. My friend Toby Davis, he can get three, but he lives way on top the mountain.”
Ian laughed. “I forgot. Ronnie…” Ian handed the boy the remote from its place in the cradle on the end table. “…welcome to California.”
“What’s this?”
“Power, child, lots and lots of power.” Ian pointed to the red button. “Just point that thing and press the red button.”
“Point it?”
“At the TV.” Tippy said.
“Okay.” Ronnie looked around. “Where’s the TV?”
Ian pointed to the flat mirror on the wall in front of them. “Just point and hit that red button.”
Ronnie looked at Ian like he was an idiot, but did what he was told. In an instant, the “mirror” lit up and a man with a deep voice looked at them.
“Can switching to Geico really save you money?” The man said.
“Well, I swan…” the boy said. “That’s bigger than our pitcher window.” Tippy showed the eager boy how to change channels, pop up the guides and the kid mastered it like a pro.
They were awakened by a knock at the door. Reese popped up and peeked outside the window. “It’s Jude.” He opened the door and Jude, holding two little plastic bags, entered.
He smiled when he saw Ronnie. “Hey, there’s my little man. Are you feeling a little better, buddy?” Ronnie sat up and nodded his head, rubbing his eyes. Jude handed one of the bags to Ian. “I found a pair of jeans and some under pants, stopped at Kmart on the way here and bought a shirt. That’s all there is.”
Reese walked over to his suitcase and took out a few things. “Why don’t I take a shower and let the three of you talk?”
“Thanks, Reece.” Ian said as Reese disappeared into the bathroom and shut the door.
Jude sat in the chair. “Ronnie why don’t you come here and sit in my lap. I wanna talk with ya.” The boy crawled up in his lap and wrapped his arms around his grandfather. Jude sighed. “Awwww, boy, do you know how much yer granddaddy loves you?”
Ronnie nodded his head. “Remember how I promised you one day I’d take you for a ride in a plane?” He nodded again. “Well, Ian and Reese here, they’s gonna do that for me. Would you like that?”
“You gonna come too, Granpaw?” He asked.
Jude took the boys sweet dirty little face in his hands. “No, Ronnie, I’m gonna stay here, but I want you to go with Ian.”
Ian moved to the far edge of the bed and brushed hair from the boy’s eyes with his fingers. “Ronnie, your Granpaw wants you to come and live with me. Miz Hil was all the family I had, and we were thinking maybe you and me we could be family now.”
“You want me to be your little boy now?” He asked.
Ian smiled; he couldn’t fight the tears rolling down his cheeks. “Yeah, Ronnie, I’d like that an awful lot.”
“I ain’t got nobody now but Granpaw. Can he come too?”
“I’ve asked him, but he wants to stay here and take care of a few things. Maybe we can talk him into it later.”
“Please come, Granpaw….please!” The boy begged.
“Aww buddy, I cain’t right now. I got to take care of everything here. You know yer mama wouldn’t be happy if we left the place in such a mess. I’ll get it all cleaned up and then I’ll come out at least for a visit.”
“You can call him every day.” Ian assured him. “I’ll even buy your granpaw a computer and you can see each other while you talk. It won’t be quite the same, but so many things have changed Ronnie and we just want what’s best.”
“I reckon that’d be okay then.”
Jude nodded his head and picked up the second bag. “Ronnie, I found this and want you to have it.” He handed the boy a frame with a picture in it. Ian could see it was of Ronnie, his mother, Jude and Aunt Hil. “You member when you gave me this fer Christmas last year?”
“Uh huh.”
“Well you take it and keep it by your bed. Ever night we can all watch over you while you sleep, and if you ever get lonely or sad you just look at how happy we all are and you be happy, too.”
“I’ll try Grandpaw. It’ll be hard, but I’ll try.”
“Yer a good boy.” Jude held the boy close, tears flowing from his eyes. “My heart just breaks to see you go baby boy, but it breaks with happy cause I know that Ian will take such good care of you.”
“I love you til my heart breaks, too Grampaw”.
Jude stayed with them until Reese’s plane was in the air. Ronnie waved goodbye to his grandfather and watched him wave until he was just a speck on the ground. Ronnie never looked back after that. He nestled into Ian’s lap and slept most of the rest of the way.
Reese had told Jude that he would fly back and help clean up as soon as they were allowed to. Ian said he’d pay for every trip it took, and all the manpower to clean up. Ian also made Jude promise that he would come and stay with them as soon as it was all done.
When they stopped for a final refueling Ian called Tippy. “It’s taking a little longer than we thought, but we’ll be home soon.” He said.
“It’s alright, Baby Doll. We’re just glad you’re okay.”
“Things have changed, Tippy.”
“I know, Ian. Just get home and we’ll talk about it after a good night’s rest.”
“No. We need to talk as soon as I get there.”
“Well, that’s fine.”
“Listen, Tippy, I need your help. I’m not sure what to do.”
“Anything I can do, you know that.”
Ian smiled. “I’m bringing the boy with me.”
“The boy?”
“Ronnie. He’s got nothing, I mean nothing, just what’s on his back. He’ll need clothes and toys…”
“Ian.” Tippy stopped him. “Baby Doll, I can take care of that. Don’t worry.”
“Thank you.”
“But I need you to remember something.” She said.
“What’s that?”
“That child may not have clothes and toys, silly stuff like that, but he’s got everything else in the world.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Baby Doll, he’s got you.”
It was dark by the time the plane landed. Jesse was waiting for them on the tarmack. He couldn’t help himself, he was so relieved they were home. Jesse hugged his brother and then grabbed Ian, smashing the little boy between them.
“God you stink.” He said.
“Well, your brother got a shower, but Ronnie and I haven’t had the chance.” Ian looked down at the boy. “Ronnie Kyle, this is Jesse. He’s Reese’s brother. He lives next door.”
“To us?” Ronnie asked.
“Right next door. We’ll have fun.” Jesse rubbed the boy’s head.
Ian smiled. “Let’s go home, we’ll get some food and some clean clothes and try and get settled in.” Ronnie nodded his head and stepped out on the tarmack.
Ian reached into the plane and picked up his backpack. As he started to sling it over his shoulder he saw the little head pop out. He reached in and pulled it out. “Here.” He handed it to Jesse.
“What am I suppose to do with this thing? Roll it in cornmeal and deep fry it?” He asked holding the cat up by the scruff.
“Well, you can try, but it didn’t work the first time.” Ian pointed to the boy. “It’s Ronnie’s cat. I don’t want it anywhere near me.”
“Ian’s afraid of cats.” Reese said.
“I am not. I just don’t like them.” Ian grabbed a suitcase Reese was handing him. “You gonna help us unload or stand there like a lazy bum?”
“I’m thinking about the lazy bum thing.” Jesse said. “Here buddy, this is yours?” He handed the boy the kitten. “What’s his name?”
“Don’t know yet.”
“He’s yours now.” Ian told him. “You can name him.”
“Can I keep him in the house, too?”
“Don’t see that I have much choice do I?” Ian turned to grab a box Reese had scooted to the door.
Jesse picked up the box. “Hey, Ronnie, why don’t you put that kitty down over there in my car and then come back a help me carry some of these boxes.” Jesse pointed over to his car. “The one with the trunk open.”
“Okay.” Ronnie looked to the fur ball in his hands. “Com’mon rodent, we’re gonna go for another ride now.”
Jesse looked up at Ian. “So you’ve got a kid and a cat now, can you handle it?”
“Not sure about the cat, but we’ll make it.” Ian handed Jesse the old crock from Hilary’s kitchen. “Be careful with that.”
“You got it.”
“Is that just about it?” Ian asked Reese.
“All but the rocker.” Reese jumped out of the plane and Ian helped him roll up the ladder. “I’ll just lock it up in the plane, and come back and get it later.”
“Sounds good. Let’s get home.”
As they drove toward home, Ian was seeing it all through Ronnie’s eyes. He was scared, more than he’d ever been. Until now, Ian only had to fear for himself. Suddenly there was someone else who was more important. How the hell was he going to do this? Could he do it?
Ian looked at the cat looking at him. He sighed and looked out the window to see what the boy was looking at. “We’re doing this.” He thought to himself. As long as the cat stays on the other side of the car, they were doing this.
To her word, when they arrived, the Shores and Kellen were at the house. Tippy had stocked the fridge and bought out Toys R Us. Colton and Kellen were all smiles having turned the largest bedroom downstairs into a room for a little boy.
Ronnie was just a little overwhelmed. Ian knew it would take time, for both of them, to adjust. It would be slow, but they would adjust. The boy refused to be anywhere without either Ian or Reese in sight. Ronnie had not been around such a constant flow of people and he was naturally shy, but he was opening up.
To Ian’s chagrin, Ronnie bonded especially with the damned cat. Frankly, Ian felt better knowing the boy was always in sight, but it unnerved him that the cat seemed to never take it’s eyes off Ian. Ian just knew the little rodent was planning something. He just knew that the little feline had plans to jump him when no one was around to be a witness. “Those things are just pure evil.” He thought to himself.
But Ronnie loved the little thing, and the little thing just loved the attention. Tippy, of course, had taken both the boy and the kitten under wing. Ronnie wasn’t sure what to make of Tippy, but the cat, oh the cat loved it.
Tippy had already made plans for the boy, setting up visits with pediatricians and dentists, and had a list of recommendations for a child psychologist. With Colton now off daily working on the new television show, Ronnie and the cat were now her focus.
Reese and Jesse were already fighting for the boy’s attention. They were so goofy they made Ronnie smile, something that Ian hadn’t seen since the whole tragedy happened. They were already trying to out do each other in impressing the boy.
Colton was the biggest surprise. The quiet, gentle man would just slip into the room at just the right time with just the right gesture or just the right word. When they first arrived at the house, everyone was fussing over Ronnie and the boy was completely overwhelmed. Colton got up from his spot on the couch, walked over to the boy, picked him up and held him in his lap wrapping his arms around him tight and just sighed. “Aw, it is so good to have you home.” Ronnie, and Ian, just melted.
Ian managed to get the boy and himself showered and into clean clothes. Tippy and the boys had made dinner, and they had a big old loud family meal. Ronnie tried his best to relax, but it was all so foreign to him. Several times Ian made a point to reach over and whisper into his ear. “It’s okay, I’m still getting used to all this, too.” Ronnie would look up at him and nod.
After the big old loud family dinner, they had a big old loud clean up. Ian, new to this too, wasn’t quite sure what to do next, but he was determined to be in charge. He thought the best way was to just tell Ronnie what he normally did, and see how the boy reacted. “Well, buddy, I usually have a lot of work to do which means this is the time I usually watch television.”
“You work watching television?” The boy asked.
“That’s what I do. I work in television.”
“Okay.” Ronnie just blinked. “What do you watch?”
“Anything and everything.” He said.
“Sugar Plum, is there something that you like to watch?” Tippy asked him, patted a spot by her on the sofa.
“Ummm…well…” Ronnie took the seat beside her. “I like game shows…and funny stuff.”
“Game shows?” Tippy looked at Ian and gently nodded her head to get him to sit on the other side of the boy. “Like ‘Wheel of Fortune’?”
“Yeah. That’s good, but I like you know where people has to do stuff better.” He looked at Ian. “You know, I like that one where they have to use tennis balls and paper cups and stuff, I can’t remember what it’s called, but it’s on channel five on Wednesday night.”
“I tell you what.” Ian said. “Why don’t you be in charge of the TV. We’ll surf through the channels until we find something we like.”
“Surf through the channels?” Ronnie giggled. “There’s only two. My friend Toby Davis, he can get three, but he lives way on top the mountain.”
Ian laughed. “I forgot. Ronnie…” Ian handed the boy the remote from its place in the cradle on the end table. “…welcome to California.”
“What’s this?”
“Power, child, lots and lots of power.” Ian pointed to the red button. “Just point that thing and press the red button.”
“Point it?”
“At the TV.” Tippy said.
“Okay.” Ronnie looked around. “Where’s the TV?”
Ian pointed to the flat mirror on the wall in front of them. “Just point and hit that red button.”
Ronnie looked at Ian like he was an idiot, but did what he was told. In an instant, the “mirror” lit up and a man with a deep voice looked at them.
“Can switching to Geico really save you money?” The man said.
“Well, I swan…” the boy said. “That’s bigger than our pitcher window.” Tippy showed the eager boy how to change channels, pop up the guides and the kid mastered it like a pro.
Vignette #76: Ashes
The sun was coming up the next morning by the time that Billy picked the four up from the police station. They all now stood there staring at the charred remains. No one could tell what was still the morning fog and what was smoke still rising from the ashes. It was all just piles of scorched memories of Ian’s childhood and everything Ronnie had ever known.
The boy had refused to leave the arms of one of the men. He spoke little and remembered less. The cop in charge, a smiling quiet man they called Sergeant Cummings, didn’t press. Jude’s statement was enough. Though in pain, bruised and bloody. He remembered every detail.
Janie and Jude had walked in the house to hear the boy whimpering, “No Daddy. I don’t want to.” Jude ran down the hall and kicked the bathroom door in. Kyle had his hands around Ronnie’s throat, trying to force the boy to perform oral sex on him.
Jude jumped in and quickly threw a punch. Kyle dropped the boy and Ronnie ran, Jude assumed to his mother’s arms. Jude said Kyle jumped up, grabbed the shower curtain rod and hit him with it. It had caught him by surprise and he fell backward and hit the back of his head against the toilet. While he struggled to get up, Kyle managed to jump over him and out the bathroom door into the hallway.
He heard Janie yell, “Run Ronnie, run!” By the time Jude got himself to his feet, Janie and Kyle were fighting on the floor. Jude picked up a lamp and swung it connecting with Kyle’s head. He rolled off his wife and bolted out of the house. Jude pulled her to her feet and they ran after, hoping to find the boy.
They got to the porch and started yelling the boy’s name. Jude said he heard a shot, and looked up. Kyle was standing between the lean to and the shed with a gun in his hand. He saw him pull the trigger a second time and he turned his head to see Janie grab her shoulder and hit the floor. Kyle pulled off the third shot and Jude ducked. He heard it ping on the heating oil tank off the porch behind him.
Jude said he made a drive toward the man and ended up face down at his feet. Kyle kicked him in the side and rolled him over into the ditch. He kicked him one more time in the face and Jude felt Kyle put the barrel of the gun to his head. Then he heard the boom and that was it, until he saw Ian and Reese standing over him.
Firemen found Kyle’s body impaled in a tree, hanging there like a fallen vampire they told them. Janie’s body, burned almost beyond recognition was pulled from the wreckage of the house. All the buildings on the property had burned either to the ground or beyond repair. It was assumed that nothing could be salvaged.
Sgt Cummings now stood beside them, looking at whatever was left. “Can I take you boy’s somewhere else?’ He asked.
“That’s our rental.” Reese pointed at the dirty car that could now easily be seen in the lane across from what used to be a field. “I assume it’ll run.”
“You boys take care.” The man said. “I’ll call if I need anything, but there won’t be any charges. This is just a nightmare we’ll all gonna try and forget as quick as we can.”
He tipped his hat, hopped in his car and pulled off into the nowhere he came from leaving them to stand there surveying what was left of nothing.
“Well, it’s all gone now.” Jude said, his forehead taped shut and his left arm in a cast and sling. “All of it…ever damned thing.” He shook his head in disbelief.
Reese looked at Ian and the little boy clinging tight in his arms, face buried in his shoulder. “So what do you want to do, Ian? I can stay as long as you need.”
“We should stay or at least come back for the funerals.” Ian said quietly.
“Won’t be no funerals” Jude said. “Don’t need to put the boy through that. I’ll have her laid to rest next to Miz Hil. She’d like that. Janie would, too. Him I’ll let ‘em dump him in a hole somewhere. Don’t really care.”
Ian took a deep breath. “Let’s all just go back to our hotel room, clean up and get some rest. We’ll decide what to do then.”
No one moved. Reese rubbed the back of still in shock boy, now dressed in one of Sonny’s tee shirts and a pair of Ian’s socks that came up to his knees, clinging desperately to Ian. The other four just looked at the blackened mess in silence.
“Raze it, Jude.” Ian turned to his old friend. “Bulldoze every fucking piece right into the ground and forget it ever existed.”
Jude nodded his head. “I’ll see if there is anything left the boy might want, and then make sure no one can ever remember what was here. Maybe when the boy’s older he can sell it like you did.” Jude turned to Billy. “Will you take me home?”
“Sure, Jude. If that’s what you want.”
Ian leaned his head against the child’s. “Come on then. Let’s all go get cleaned up and get something to eat. Reese can get us ready to fly back, but you call me if you and the boy need anything…anything at all.”
Jude looked at Ian. “Son, take the boy with you.”
“Fine, you’ll join us later though? You have our room number?” Ian started to hand Ronnie, his face still buried in his shoulder, to Jude.
“I’ll come say goodbye. Reese, buddy, will you and Billy take the boy and let Ian and I talk?”
Reese nodded and reached for the boy. Billy ruffled the boy’s hair, as Ronnie allowed himself to be switched to the other man’s arms like a rag doll. The boy clung to Reese, one arm around his neck, the other hand clinging to a singed and docile kitten. Jude and Ian watched him being carried across the field to the car, Billy following behind.
Jude put his one good hand in his pocket. He looked at the ground then but up to Ian. “Take the boy back home with you…I’ll fix it so no one will ever try to take him from you.”
“Jude? I’m just a stranger to him, you’re his family, all he knows…all that’s left.”
“Ian, son, I ain’t got much time neither…” Jude saw the question on Ian’s face. “Liver’s gone…got the cancer. Doc says maybe a year. Hadn’t even told ma girl. You leave him here; the boy watches someone else die and then gets hauled around from home to home until he turns eighteen. That’s not what you wanted.”
“Jude…”
He put up his hand. “Just hear me out. I know, I know…but things have come full circle now. You do right by this boy, just like you allus did, give him ever thing we couldn’t give you. Ever thing we wanted to give and I still can’t give to a child now. He ain’t got no family but me. Kyle’s mama’s dead and his daddy’s in worse shape than me. I’ll talk with him and we’ll get legal papers drawed up real fast…”
“Oh, Jude…” Ian sighed. “I don’t…this isn’t a good idea. I mean, look at me…all the pain…and it just keeps following me around.”
Jude pointed his finger at Ian. “Don‘t! Don’t cha even think like that. You made the right decision, make the right one this time.”
Ian held his ground. “How can you say that, Jude? Look!” He forced the old man to looked at the black, smelly mess of what his life and Ronnie Kyle’s life once had been. “If I had made a different decision none of this would have happened…none of it!”
He stepped in front of the old man and looked in his eyes, pointing behind him. “This is my fault, Jude, and you want me to take that boy to live with me? Not good Jude. Not good! What kind of nightmares will that kid have for the rest of his life, because of something he had no control over? I know what that’s like, Jude. No, I can’t do it. You can’t ask me to do it!”
“You don’t know that Ian. None of us knew about that boy’s…Kyle. What you did was…”
“Selfish, what I did was selfish Jude. I saw an out and I took it. I thought I was making things better for everyone, but I’ve just made it worse. Janie, Kyle, Ronnie and you, I made things worse. People are dead and that boy’s life is ruined, don’t ask me to seal his fate.”
Jude put his hands on Ian’s shoulders. “You think things would be better if you’d made different choices? Why, son? Taylor would still be gone, and you’d still be livin’ in a shack with no hope.”
He slipped his good arm around Ian’s shoulder and squeezed him close. “It’s time, bubba. You take that boy. You give that child everything you ever wanted. You give that boy all the love you tried so hard to give away. That’s all ya both need. None of us can make up for the bad stuff, but when it’s meant to be…it makes it so much easier to forget.”
Ian looked at the ground. “Meant to be?”
“Meant to be, Ian, you take that boy and you got something you was allus suppose ta have…family, real honest to God family. That’s meant to be, Ian. I know it in my heart. What’s happened is awful, so nows your chance to take it all, the nightmares of your childhood and the nightmares of his and make ‘em good. Ian, this were meant ta be. Take ‘em, take ‘em and don’t look back.”
“Come with us Jude…please?”
Jude shook his head. “No…caint. Gotta spend the rest of my time trying to find whatever is that was hid from you, hell hid from us all. I may not be able to do right by you, but you can do right by my gran baby, and maybe I can find something that will help you both.”
Ian started to hug Jude. “Just go now. I’ll stop by before you go, maybe bring the boy some clothes, got a couple things at the house that’s his, probably all he got left. I’ll sift through this mess and see what I can find.”
Ian gave Billy a hug and got in the car, watching Judd just silently looking over the charred remains as they drove off. As the rattling of the dirt road gave way to the smooth rock of pavement Ian finally asked Sonny. “Can we make it home before dark?”
“Probably.”
“Make it happen.”
The boy had refused to leave the arms of one of the men. He spoke little and remembered less. The cop in charge, a smiling quiet man they called Sergeant Cummings, didn’t press. Jude’s statement was enough. Though in pain, bruised and bloody. He remembered every detail.
Janie and Jude had walked in the house to hear the boy whimpering, “No Daddy. I don’t want to.” Jude ran down the hall and kicked the bathroom door in. Kyle had his hands around Ronnie’s throat, trying to force the boy to perform oral sex on him.
Jude jumped in and quickly threw a punch. Kyle dropped the boy and Ronnie ran, Jude assumed to his mother’s arms. Jude said Kyle jumped up, grabbed the shower curtain rod and hit him with it. It had caught him by surprise and he fell backward and hit the back of his head against the toilet. While he struggled to get up, Kyle managed to jump over him and out the bathroom door into the hallway.
He heard Janie yell, “Run Ronnie, run!” By the time Jude got himself to his feet, Janie and Kyle were fighting on the floor. Jude picked up a lamp and swung it connecting with Kyle’s head. He rolled off his wife and bolted out of the house. Jude pulled her to her feet and they ran after, hoping to find the boy.
They got to the porch and started yelling the boy’s name. Jude said he heard a shot, and looked up. Kyle was standing between the lean to and the shed with a gun in his hand. He saw him pull the trigger a second time and he turned his head to see Janie grab her shoulder and hit the floor. Kyle pulled off the third shot and Jude ducked. He heard it ping on the heating oil tank off the porch behind him.
Jude said he made a drive toward the man and ended up face down at his feet. Kyle kicked him in the side and rolled him over into the ditch. He kicked him one more time in the face and Jude felt Kyle put the barrel of the gun to his head. Then he heard the boom and that was it, until he saw Ian and Reese standing over him.
Firemen found Kyle’s body impaled in a tree, hanging there like a fallen vampire they told them. Janie’s body, burned almost beyond recognition was pulled from the wreckage of the house. All the buildings on the property had burned either to the ground or beyond repair. It was assumed that nothing could be salvaged.
Sgt Cummings now stood beside them, looking at whatever was left. “Can I take you boy’s somewhere else?’ He asked.
“That’s our rental.” Reese pointed at the dirty car that could now easily be seen in the lane across from what used to be a field. “I assume it’ll run.”
“You boys take care.” The man said. “I’ll call if I need anything, but there won’t be any charges. This is just a nightmare we’ll all gonna try and forget as quick as we can.”
He tipped his hat, hopped in his car and pulled off into the nowhere he came from leaving them to stand there surveying what was left of nothing.
“Well, it’s all gone now.” Jude said, his forehead taped shut and his left arm in a cast and sling. “All of it…ever damned thing.” He shook his head in disbelief.
Reese looked at Ian and the little boy clinging tight in his arms, face buried in his shoulder. “So what do you want to do, Ian? I can stay as long as you need.”
“We should stay or at least come back for the funerals.” Ian said quietly.
“Won’t be no funerals” Jude said. “Don’t need to put the boy through that. I’ll have her laid to rest next to Miz Hil. She’d like that. Janie would, too. Him I’ll let ‘em dump him in a hole somewhere. Don’t really care.”
Ian took a deep breath. “Let’s all just go back to our hotel room, clean up and get some rest. We’ll decide what to do then.”
No one moved. Reese rubbed the back of still in shock boy, now dressed in one of Sonny’s tee shirts and a pair of Ian’s socks that came up to his knees, clinging desperately to Ian. The other four just looked at the blackened mess in silence.
“Raze it, Jude.” Ian turned to his old friend. “Bulldoze every fucking piece right into the ground and forget it ever existed.”
Jude nodded his head. “I’ll see if there is anything left the boy might want, and then make sure no one can ever remember what was here. Maybe when the boy’s older he can sell it like you did.” Jude turned to Billy. “Will you take me home?”
“Sure, Jude. If that’s what you want.”
Ian leaned his head against the child’s. “Come on then. Let’s all go get cleaned up and get something to eat. Reese can get us ready to fly back, but you call me if you and the boy need anything…anything at all.”
Jude looked at Ian. “Son, take the boy with you.”
“Fine, you’ll join us later though? You have our room number?” Ian started to hand Ronnie, his face still buried in his shoulder, to Jude.
“I’ll come say goodbye. Reese, buddy, will you and Billy take the boy and let Ian and I talk?”
Reese nodded and reached for the boy. Billy ruffled the boy’s hair, as Ronnie allowed himself to be switched to the other man’s arms like a rag doll. The boy clung to Reese, one arm around his neck, the other hand clinging to a singed and docile kitten. Jude and Ian watched him being carried across the field to the car, Billy following behind.
Jude put his one good hand in his pocket. He looked at the ground then but up to Ian. “Take the boy back home with you…I’ll fix it so no one will ever try to take him from you.”
“Jude? I’m just a stranger to him, you’re his family, all he knows…all that’s left.”
“Ian, son, I ain’t got much time neither…” Jude saw the question on Ian’s face. “Liver’s gone…got the cancer. Doc says maybe a year. Hadn’t even told ma girl. You leave him here; the boy watches someone else die and then gets hauled around from home to home until he turns eighteen. That’s not what you wanted.”
“Jude…”
He put up his hand. “Just hear me out. I know, I know…but things have come full circle now. You do right by this boy, just like you allus did, give him ever thing we couldn’t give you. Ever thing we wanted to give and I still can’t give to a child now. He ain’t got no family but me. Kyle’s mama’s dead and his daddy’s in worse shape than me. I’ll talk with him and we’ll get legal papers drawed up real fast…”
“Oh, Jude…” Ian sighed. “I don’t…this isn’t a good idea. I mean, look at me…all the pain…and it just keeps following me around.”
Jude pointed his finger at Ian. “Don‘t! Don’t cha even think like that. You made the right decision, make the right one this time.”
Ian held his ground. “How can you say that, Jude? Look!” He forced the old man to looked at the black, smelly mess of what his life and Ronnie Kyle’s life once had been. “If I had made a different decision none of this would have happened…none of it!”
He stepped in front of the old man and looked in his eyes, pointing behind him. “This is my fault, Jude, and you want me to take that boy to live with me? Not good Jude. Not good! What kind of nightmares will that kid have for the rest of his life, because of something he had no control over? I know what that’s like, Jude. No, I can’t do it. You can’t ask me to do it!”
“You don’t know that Ian. None of us knew about that boy’s…Kyle. What you did was…”
“Selfish, what I did was selfish Jude. I saw an out and I took it. I thought I was making things better for everyone, but I’ve just made it worse. Janie, Kyle, Ronnie and you, I made things worse. People are dead and that boy’s life is ruined, don’t ask me to seal his fate.”
Jude put his hands on Ian’s shoulders. “You think things would be better if you’d made different choices? Why, son? Taylor would still be gone, and you’d still be livin’ in a shack with no hope.”
He slipped his good arm around Ian’s shoulder and squeezed him close. “It’s time, bubba. You take that boy. You give that child everything you ever wanted. You give that boy all the love you tried so hard to give away. That’s all ya both need. None of us can make up for the bad stuff, but when it’s meant to be…it makes it so much easier to forget.”
Ian looked at the ground. “Meant to be?”
“Meant to be, Ian, you take that boy and you got something you was allus suppose ta have…family, real honest to God family. That’s meant to be, Ian. I know it in my heart. What’s happened is awful, so nows your chance to take it all, the nightmares of your childhood and the nightmares of his and make ‘em good. Ian, this were meant ta be. Take ‘em, take ‘em and don’t look back.”
“Come with us Jude…please?”
Jude shook his head. “No…caint. Gotta spend the rest of my time trying to find whatever is that was hid from you, hell hid from us all. I may not be able to do right by you, but you can do right by my gran baby, and maybe I can find something that will help you both.”
Ian started to hug Jude. “Just go now. I’ll stop by before you go, maybe bring the boy some clothes, got a couple things at the house that’s his, probably all he got left. I’ll sift through this mess and see what I can find.”
Ian gave Billy a hug and got in the car, watching Judd just silently looking over the charred remains as they drove off. As the rattling of the dirt road gave way to the smooth rock of pavement Ian finally asked Sonny. “Can we make it home before dark?”
“Probably.”
“Make it happen.”
Vignette #74: Jump
He had to outrace the sprinting flames, the grass and shrubs crackling like popcorn. He hopped and dodged and headed for the barn. He was barely able to breathe by the time he got to the door.
Ian yanked the door open and began to yell. “Ronnie? Buddy? It’s Ian. You in here?” Ian cupped his hands over his mouth, the roar of the fire already deafening. Ian shut the door, seeing the flames a few feet away, hoping it would buy him just a few more minutes.
The front of the hayloft was in three tears, the bottom piles of loose hay and a few bales ready to break for feeding; the second and third tears stacked tight with bales. There was no ladder. Ian spotted the old conveyer off to the side. It was a struggle but he managed to push it to the loft. Ian yanked the cord to the pull start and just as the door to the barn went up in flames.
He looked across the floor to see how quickly and where the fire was spreading. The flames had already begun to lick across the front wall. He knew that once they touched the hay piled in three tiers along the back wall of the barn the whole place would go up in seconds.
Ian yanked the crank a second time. It still didn’t catch. He heard shuffling and looked up. The mama cat was leading her young to safety, through an opening at the side. He yanked again, still no start. “Screw it.” He said out loud. He jumped on it and started to run.
Movement caught his eye once again. He looked down hoping it was Ronnie coming out of his hiding place. It was that smoke colored kitten, ignoring his family and coming straight for Ian. “The other way you stupid cat!” He yelled at it, and went back to his climb.
He was halfway there, but he’d have to pull himself up the third tier. He looked down. The entire front wall of the barn was now cracking and popping covered in the orange yellow licks of fire. And there was that stupid cat, climbing as fast as it could up that conveyer.
“Damned rodent!” Ian whirled around took two steps back and scooped the thing up. “If we die, you varmint, there will be hell to pay!” He shoved the cat in his coat pocket and ran back up the belt.
He had to jump and catch himself on a beam, hoisting his feet on the third level. Adrenaline kicked in and Ian managed to catch the beam and hoist himself up with little struggle. Ian stuck his feet in the cracks of the tightly packed bales and shimmed across the front until he found what he was looking for.
It was on old chute, long ago used for corn that ran through the center of the third tier. It was too small for him to get in, but the right size for a child.
Ian stuck his head in as he could feel the heat rising behind him. “Ronnie?” He called. “Ronnie? It’s Ian.” In the dark just beyond his reach he saw the small boy laying on his belly blinking at him. “Ronnie are you hurt?”
The boy didn’t move. “Ronnie, the barns on fire, we have to get out of here!” The boy looked at him. “You’re safe now…but you have to help me. Can you do that?” Ronnie nodded.
“Crawl up to me…come on…come to me…no one’s gonna hurt you….come on…” and the boy wriggled and came toward him, just enough so that Ian could grab him and pull him the rest of the way out. Bruises had already begun to form around the child’s neck and face.
“Hold on buddy, just grab around me and hold on tight!” The wrapped himself around Ian so tight he almost lost his balance. Ian looked down the flames were starting to devour the second tier already. Ian was having trouble breathing and Ronnie was coughing.
He hoisted the boy on his hip and stood. “Hold on.” It was a balancing act, but Ian managed to take steady steps toward the center of the third tier. He lifted Ronnie over his head. “Grab on to the beam.”
Ronnie pulled himself up. Ian pointed and yelled. “Are there hay stacks at the back still?” He got no answer. “Okay…we’re playing this one by ear Ronnie, just hold on. Shimmy to the window and jump. When you land…run! Just run into the field!”
“Go!” Ian watched the child begin to crawl across the beam over his head toward the open hole at the peak of the barn. “Don’t look down, just look at the window and crawl, Ronnie. Crawl!”
He tossed his shoes over the edge and grabbed the beam over his head with one hand. Ian kicked himself off the floor, using his hands to pull himself up until he could wrap his legs around the beam. Upside down he began to inchworm to the opening.
“Don’t look down…don’t look down…” He repeated over and over, until inch by inch he could feel the cool air from the opening.
It was the center pole across the top of the barn his Uncle used to hang tobacco sticks across. He prayed it would continue to hold his weight until he shimmied its length and figured out how to flip himself around as he hand walked its length to the opening in the center tip of the barn.
He felt his feet bang against the wall. Ian looked down. The far end of the third tier was now a roar, fire racing toward him. He released the beam with his legs, the weight of his body took a full swing almost pulling him off the beam.
Ian heard someone yelling. “Com’mon. Just a little further. You can do it! Com’mon.” It was Ronnie. Ian looked up from his grip, and there the boy was a little more than arms length away.
“Jump, Ronnie, jump!”
Ronnie had laid down on the beam, his feet locked over the edge of the window and was reaching out to him. Ian knew that if he grabbed the boy’s hand, the quick shift in his weight would pull them both over and into the fire pit below. His only hope was to swing his feet up onto the ledge, hopefully enough to levy himself.
“Get back boy.” Ian yelled. Ian managed to swing a leg up and over the top of the beam. As the fire crawled upward, somehow Ian found himself on top of the beam. It was hard to breath and Ian was dizzy but he slowly managed to crawl the few feet left to the sill of the opening.
Ian caught his breath. He felt something struggling in his pocket. He reached in and pulled the cat out. He handed the cat to the boy. “Here this is yours.” Ronnie’s face lit up as he held the cat tight.
The boy took his hand and they looked down. If they could jump out far enough the could land in stacks of loose hay, otherwise it was 200 or more feet to the hard ground which would soon be enveloped in fire. “Okay kid,” Ian said. “We gotta jump out”
“Like on a diving board.” Ronnie nodded. He looked up at Ian. “I’m scared.”
“We can do this. We’re strong men. We always land on our feet.” He reached out his hand. The boy took it. “When you land, get up as quick and you can and run, run away from the heat.” I pointed out. “To the field.”
Ronnie nodded and squeezed his hand. “On three?”
Ian smiled and nodded. “One…” They both took deep breaths and looked at their target, about 10 feet out.
“Two…” They both squatted down, like frogs about to take a leap. Ronnie nodded his head and they both said “Three.”
As he yelled three, Ian felt his body hurling, he didn’t know if it was toward the pool of flame, or just to the ground outside the barn. All he knew is that he was falling. He let out a scream.
Reese had managed to get Jude to the field in back of the barn, but he could see black smoke billowing out the open holes near the top. He saw no movement.
“You see ‘em?” Jude said.
Reese shook his head. Jude’s head snapped up and pointed toward the barn as they watched layers of fire poof out the bottom.
“Get back.” Sonny grabbed Jude and pulled him further away from the flames. Both of their heads shot toward the sound of sirens. They knew it was too late to save most of the buildings and searched with their eyes whatever wasn’t quickly being engulfed by fire. Another crack made them both jump and they ducked as they saw the back wall of the barn begin to crumble and fall toward them.
It fell in pieces onto the ground, large burning chunks hitting the grass and the stacks of hay. “Oh my God!” was all Reese could say knowing that both Ian and the boy were probably gone. His heart sank and Jude grabbed his shoulder.
Suddenly above the din they heard a piercing cry, “DAMN CAT!”
“Over there!” Jude pointed and ran towards a haystack that was beginning to burn. A chunk of the top point of the barn had fallen on it. Reese could see something struggling in it. He saw little hands pushing and pulling trying to free itself. Jude ran behind Reese, ignoring his own pain and headed toward the haystack.
Reese arrived first and began to toss broken boards to one side. By the time Jude had arrived they could hear coughing. One arm swinging broken to one side, Jude showed amazing strength with his other, lifting a large heavy chunk just enough so that Reese could reach in and grab.
“I’ve got you!” Reese grabbed the hand and pulled. Ronnie sprang from where he was pinned and gulped for air.
”Ian!” The little boy screamed and began to fish in the smashed haystack.
“Hurry!” Jude yelled straining at holding the large chuck.
Reese just dove head first in, holding the clinging child on one hip. He felt a hand grab his. Reese dug his feet into the ground and wrapped his hand tight around the partial length of arm he could feel but not see and then just straightened up; smacking the back of his head on the beam attached to the bottom of the chunk Jude was holding.
Ian popped out of the haystack gasping for air like rising from the bottom of a body of water. He wrapped his arms around Reece’s waist and pulled himself to safety. Reece tried to pull Ian all the way out but Ian reached back into the haystack and pulled something out.
He handed a hay covered pissed off cat to Ronnie. “Here this thing is yours.”
Jude dropped the pylon and the four scrambled back just as the stack burst into flame. Reese wrapped his arm around Ian, Ronnie and kitten still tucked under his arm. Jude wrapped his good arm around Ian’s other side the four managed to stumble themselves as far from the flames as possible.
As they all dropped to the ground a fat man in a rubber suit walked over to them. “What seems to be the problem?” Ian stood up and decked him.
Ian yanked the door open and began to yell. “Ronnie? Buddy? It’s Ian. You in here?” Ian cupped his hands over his mouth, the roar of the fire already deafening. Ian shut the door, seeing the flames a few feet away, hoping it would buy him just a few more minutes.
The front of the hayloft was in three tears, the bottom piles of loose hay and a few bales ready to break for feeding; the second and third tears stacked tight with bales. There was no ladder. Ian spotted the old conveyer off to the side. It was a struggle but he managed to push it to the loft. Ian yanked the cord to the pull start and just as the door to the barn went up in flames.
He looked across the floor to see how quickly and where the fire was spreading. The flames had already begun to lick across the front wall. He knew that once they touched the hay piled in three tiers along the back wall of the barn the whole place would go up in seconds.
Ian yanked the crank a second time. It still didn’t catch. He heard shuffling and looked up. The mama cat was leading her young to safety, through an opening at the side. He yanked again, still no start. “Screw it.” He said out loud. He jumped on it and started to run.
Movement caught his eye once again. He looked down hoping it was Ronnie coming out of his hiding place. It was that smoke colored kitten, ignoring his family and coming straight for Ian. “The other way you stupid cat!” He yelled at it, and went back to his climb.
He was halfway there, but he’d have to pull himself up the third tier. He looked down. The entire front wall of the barn was now cracking and popping covered in the orange yellow licks of fire. And there was that stupid cat, climbing as fast as it could up that conveyer.
“Damned rodent!” Ian whirled around took two steps back and scooped the thing up. “If we die, you varmint, there will be hell to pay!” He shoved the cat in his coat pocket and ran back up the belt.
He had to jump and catch himself on a beam, hoisting his feet on the third level. Adrenaline kicked in and Ian managed to catch the beam and hoist himself up with little struggle. Ian stuck his feet in the cracks of the tightly packed bales and shimmed across the front until he found what he was looking for.
It was on old chute, long ago used for corn that ran through the center of the third tier. It was too small for him to get in, but the right size for a child.
Ian stuck his head in as he could feel the heat rising behind him. “Ronnie?” He called. “Ronnie? It’s Ian.” In the dark just beyond his reach he saw the small boy laying on his belly blinking at him. “Ronnie are you hurt?”
The boy didn’t move. “Ronnie, the barns on fire, we have to get out of here!” The boy looked at him. “You’re safe now…but you have to help me. Can you do that?” Ronnie nodded.
“Crawl up to me…come on…come to me…no one’s gonna hurt you….come on…” and the boy wriggled and came toward him, just enough so that Ian could grab him and pull him the rest of the way out. Bruises had already begun to form around the child’s neck and face.
“Hold on buddy, just grab around me and hold on tight!” The wrapped himself around Ian so tight he almost lost his balance. Ian looked down the flames were starting to devour the second tier already. Ian was having trouble breathing and Ronnie was coughing.
He hoisted the boy on his hip and stood. “Hold on.” It was a balancing act, but Ian managed to take steady steps toward the center of the third tier. He lifted Ronnie over his head. “Grab on to the beam.”
Ronnie pulled himself up. Ian pointed and yelled. “Are there hay stacks at the back still?” He got no answer. “Okay…we’re playing this one by ear Ronnie, just hold on. Shimmy to the window and jump. When you land…run! Just run into the field!”
“Go!” Ian watched the child begin to crawl across the beam over his head toward the open hole at the peak of the barn. “Don’t look down, just look at the window and crawl, Ronnie. Crawl!”
He tossed his shoes over the edge and grabbed the beam over his head with one hand. Ian kicked himself off the floor, using his hands to pull himself up until he could wrap his legs around the beam. Upside down he began to inchworm to the opening.
“Don’t look down…don’t look down…” He repeated over and over, until inch by inch he could feel the cool air from the opening.
It was the center pole across the top of the barn his Uncle used to hang tobacco sticks across. He prayed it would continue to hold his weight until he shimmied its length and figured out how to flip himself around as he hand walked its length to the opening in the center tip of the barn.
He felt his feet bang against the wall. Ian looked down. The far end of the third tier was now a roar, fire racing toward him. He released the beam with his legs, the weight of his body took a full swing almost pulling him off the beam.
Ian heard someone yelling. “Com’mon. Just a little further. You can do it! Com’mon.” It was Ronnie. Ian looked up from his grip, and there the boy was a little more than arms length away.
“Jump, Ronnie, jump!”
Ronnie had laid down on the beam, his feet locked over the edge of the window and was reaching out to him. Ian knew that if he grabbed the boy’s hand, the quick shift in his weight would pull them both over and into the fire pit below. His only hope was to swing his feet up onto the ledge, hopefully enough to levy himself.
“Get back boy.” Ian yelled. Ian managed to swing a leg up and over the top of the beam. As the fire crawled upward, somehow Ian found himself on top of the beam. It was hard to breath and Ian was dizzy but he slowly managed to crawl the few feet left to the sill of the opening.
Ian caught his breath. He felt something struggling in his pocket. He reached in and pulled the cat out. He handed the cat to the boy. “Here this is yours.” Ronnie’s face lit up as he held the cat tight.
The boy took his hand and they looked down. If they could jump out far enough the could land in stacks of loose hay, otherwise it was 200 or more feet to the hard ground which would soon be enveloped in fire. “Okay kid,” Ian said. “We gotta jump out”
“Like on a diving board.” Ronnie nodded. He looked up at Ian. “I’m scared.”
“We can do this. We’re strong men. We always land on our feet.” He reached out his hand. The boy took it. “When you land, get up as quick and you can and run, run away from the heat.” I pointed out. “To the field.”
Ronnie nodded and squeezed his hand. “On three?”
Ian smiled and nodded. “One…” They both took deep breaths and looked at their target, about 10 feet out.
“Two…” They both squatted down, like frogs about to take a leap. Ronnie nodded his head and they both said “Three.”
As he yelled three, Ian felt his body hurling, he didn’t know if it was toward the pool of flame, or just to the ground outside the barn. All he knew is that he was falling. He let out a scream.
Reese had managed to get Jude to the field in back of the barn, but he could see black smoke billowing out the open holes near the top. He saw no movement.
“You see ‘em?” Jude said.
Reese shook his head. Jude’s head snapped up and pointed toward the barn as they watched layers of fire poof out the bottom.
“Get back.” Sonny grabbed Jude and pulled him further away from the flames. Both of their heads shot toward the sound of sirens. They knew it was too late to save most of the buildings and searched with their eyes whatever wasn’t quickly being engulfed by fire. Another crack made them both jump and they ducked as they saw the back wall of the barn begin to crumble and fall toward them.
It fell in pieces onto the ground, large burning chunks hitting the grass and the stacks of hay. “Oh my God!” was all Reese could say knowing that both Ian and the boy were probably gone. His heart sank and Jude grabbed his shoulder.
Suddenly above the din they heard a piercing cry, “DAMN CAT!”
“Over there!” Jude pointed and ran towards a haystack that was beginning to burn. A chunk of the top point of the barn had fallen on it. Reese could see something struggling in it. He saw little hands pushing and pulling trying to free itself. Jude ran behind Reese, ignoring his own pain and headed toward the haystack.
Reese arrived first and began to toss broken boards to one side. By the time Jude had arrived they could hear coughing. One arm swinging broken to one side, Jude showed amazing strength with his other, lifting a large heavy chunk just enough so that Reese could reach in and grab.
“I’ve got you!” Reese grabbed the hand and pulled. Ronnie sprang from where he was pinned and gulped for air.
”Ian!” The little boy screamed and began to fish in the smashed haystack.
“Hurry!” Jude yelled straining at holding the large chuck.
Reese just dove head first in, holding the clinging child on one hip. He felt a hand grab his. Reese dug his feet into the ground and wrapped his hand tight around the partial length of arm he could feel but not see and then just straightened up; smacking the back of his head on the beam attached to the bottom of the chunk Jude was holding.
Ian popped out of the haystack gasping for air like rising from the bottom of a body of water. He wrapped his arms around Reece’s waist and pulled himself to safety. Reece tried to pull Ian all the way out but Ian reached back into the haystack and pulled something out.
He handed a hay covered pissed off cat to Ronnie. “Here this thing is yours.”
Jude dropped the pylon and the four scrambled back just as the stack burst into flame. Reese wrapped his arm around Ian, Ronnie and kitten still tucked under his arm. Jude wrapped his good arm around Ian’s other side the four managed to stumble themselves as far from the flames as possible.
As they all dropped to the ground a fat man in a rubber suit walked over to them. “What seems to be the problem?” Ian stood up and decked him.
Vignette #73: Kaboom
Then the earth shook. Ian found himself face down in the rose bush. In a moment, he felt Reese helping him stand.
“What the hell was that?” Reese said.
“I have no…oh my God!” Ian looked at the sky. It was a mushroom of fire and smoke. “The house!”
Ian darted down the old path between the fields with Reese nipping at his heals. As they reached the clearing it looked as though the world was on fire. The wind nipped at their backs as they dodged bushes and thickets bursting into flame. They reached the opening between two old oaks and could see the lean to where the Osbourne’s car was parked.
They heard a groan and a crack. Reese pushed Ian out of the way, as one of the support beams of the lean to split and fell on top of the car. As they picked themselves off the ground, it too went up in flames.
“What the hell happened?” Was all Reese could say as Ian yanked him and they raced around the bend to the house.
The roof was gone and the walls in flame. The back porch they had stood on earlier had caved in and had become a pit of fire. The men had to put their arms up to their noses to keep from breathing in the flames.
Reese grabbed Ian’s coat and pulled him up toward the clearing that led to the Spring House path. The heat was less intense, but headed their way. From their positions they could see the maelstrom. The house, the lane, everything toward the main road was burning or crashing in on itself.
“Over there.” Reese pointed. They could see a body laying face down in the ditch. Despite Reese trying to hold him back, Ian raced to it. As they fought the flames and neared, the graying hair made it clear it was Jude.
Ian touched him and looked up at Reese. “I think he’s alive.”
The rest of the house caved in on itself. Reese and Ian shielded Jude’s body with theirs. “Grab his feet.” They managed to lift the man and pull him toward the field.
He face was bloody and his left arm broken, but he was breathing. “Jude!” Ian got down close enough so he could feel the man breathing. “Jude, can you hear me?”
Reese was on his cell phone shouting over the roar, struggling to tell the people on the other end where he was. “Just look out the fucking window and follow the flames. It’s like a bomb went off for Cris’ sakes!” Reese looked at Ian. “The Osbournes, do you see the Osbournes?”
Ian looked around. The Spring House went up in a whoosh. He looked to the barn. It stood tall, but the wind was pulling the fire toward it quickly. Ian shook his head. “Help me move him to the other side of the barn. There’s an old mud hole. If we have to, we can jump in it for safety.”
Ian reached under Jude’s armpits again and Reese went for his feet. The older man stirred and kicked. “I’m alright.” He moaned. “Get the boy! Get the boy!”
“Jude?” Ian helped him sit up. “Jude what the hell happened?”
Jude struggled to talk. “We caught the bastard!” He doubled over “My baby! My babygirl!”
“Jude.” Reese grabbed the man’s shoulders and sat him up. “Jude are they in the house?”
Jude shook his head no. “She was one the porch. He dropped the boy and he runned off.”
“The boy?” Ian screamed. “Ronnie? Ronnie ran off?”
Ian stood and looked in all directions. Reese held Jude up. “Jude, where’s the boy? Everything’s on fire, we have to find him.”
Jude nodded his head. “He was touchin’ him. Goddamn, we walked right in and he was…” Ian vomited.
Reese persisted. “Jude tell us about Ronnie, he got away?”
He nodded his head. “Toward the barn.” He wheezed. “My baby…” He sobbed.
“Janie.” Reece made Jude look at him. “Where’s Janie?”
Jude shook his head and sobbed. “Porch. Sumbitch had a gun. Shot the tank.”
Ian looked toward the barn, the fire racing in that direction. “Where the hell’s the fire truck?” He squatted down to Jude. “Jude, the boy went toward the barn?” He nodded sobbing.
“Reese, I’ve got to go get him. That thing’s going to go up any minute. You drag Jude over to the other side.” He stood to race off.
Reese grabbed him. “Ian, he’s probably run off scared to the woods or something. Just help me get Jude to safety.”
“No, there’s only one place a kid who is terrified can hide and feel safe around here. I know where that is, and I bet Ronnie does, too. I’ll check. If he’s not there, I’ll join you. I’ll be in and out in a second. I swear.” Ian didn’t bother to wait for an okay.
“What the hell was that?” Reese said.
“I have no…oh my God!” Ian looked at the sky. It was a mushroom of fire and smoke. “The house!”
Ian darted down the old path between the fields with Reese nipping at his heals. As they reached the clearing it looked as though the world was on fire. The wind nipped at their backs as they dodged bushes and thickets bursting into flame. They reached the opening between two old oaks and could see the lean to where the Osbourne’s car was parked.
They heard a groan and a crack. Reese pushed Ian out of the way, as one of the support beams of the lean to split and fell on top of the car. As they picked themselves off the ground, it too went up in flames.
“What the hell happened?” Was all Reese could say as Ian yanked him and they raced around the bend to the house.
The roof was gone and the walls in flame. The back porch they had stood on earlier had caved in and had become a pit of fire. The men had to put their arms up to their noses to keep from breathing in the flames.
Reese grabbed Ian’s coat and pulled him up toward the clearing that led to the Spring House path. The heat was less intense, but headed their way. From their positions they could see the maelstrom. The house, the lane, everything toward the main road was burning or crashing in on itself.
“Over there.” Reese pointed. They could see a body laying face down in the ditch. Despite Reese trying to hold him back, Ian raced to it. As they fought the flames and neared, the graying hair made it clear it was Jude.
Ian touched him and looked up at Reese. “I think he’s alive.”
The rest of the house caved in on itself. Reese and Ian shielded Jude’s body with theirs. “Grab his feet.” They managed to lift the man and pull him toward the field.
He face was bloody and his left arm broken, but he was breathing. “Jude!” Ian got down close enough so he could feel the man breathing. “Jude, can you hear me?”
Reese was on his cell phone shouting over the roar, struggling to tell the people on the other end where he was. “Just look out the fucking window and follow the flames. It’s like a bomb went off for Cris’ sakes!” Reese looked at Ian. “The Osbournes, do you see the Osbournes?”
Ian looked around. The Spring House went up in a whoosh. He looked to the barn. It stood tall, but the wind was pulling the fire toward it quickly. Ian shook his head. “Help me move him to the other side of the barn. There’s an old mud hole. If we have to, we can jump in it for safety.”
Ian reached under Jude’s armpits again and Reese went for his feet. The older man stirred and kicked. “I’m alright.” He moaned. “Get the boy! Get the boy!”
“Jude?” Ian helped him sit up. “Jude what the hell happened?”
Jude struggled to talk. “We caught the bastard!” He doubled over “My baby! My babygirl!”
“Jude.” Reese grabbed the man’s shoulders and sat him up. “Jude are they in the house?”
Jude shook his head no. “She was one the porch. He dropped the boy and he runned off.”
“The boy?” Ian screamed. “Ronnie? Ronnie ran off?”
Ian stood and looked in all directions. Reese held Jude up. “Jude, where’s the boy? Everything’s on fire, we have to find him.”
Jude nodded his head. “He was touchin’ him. Goddamn, we walked right in and he was…” Ian vomited.
Reese persisted. “Jude tell us about Ronnie, he got away?”
He nodded his head. “Toward the barn.” He wheezed. “My baby…” He sobbed.
“Janie.” Reece made Jude look at him. “Where’s Janie?”
Jude shook his head and sobbed. “Porch. Sumbitch had a gun. Shot the tank.”
Ian looked toward the barn, the fire racing in that direction. “Where the hell’s the fire truck?” He squatted down to Jude. “Jude, the boy went toward the barn?” He nodded sobbing.
“Reese, I’ve got to go get him. That thing’s going to go up any minute. You drag Jude over to the other side.” He stood to race off.
Reese grabbed him. “Ian, he’s probably run off scared to the woods or something. Just help me get Jude to safety.”
“No, there’s only one place a kid who is terrified can hide and feel safe around here. I know where that is, and I bet Ronnie does, too. I’ll check. If he’s not there, I’ll join you. I’ll be in and out in a second. I swear.” Ian didn’t bother to wait for an okay.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Vignette #72: Roses
Reese came around the corner and looked up at him. “You okay?”
Ian nodded his head. “There’s a box in here in the kitchen and that’s it. I’m ready to go.” He held the door open for Reese and pointed at the chair in the corner.
“You sure? We can take back almost anything you want, as long as we can get it in the car. It’s a hatchback, so…”
“I don’t think so.”
“Take another look around, Ian.” Reece encouraged, “One last look.”
Reece followed Ian around the tiny house, just a kitchen, a living room and a tiny bedroom. It was all so clean, so Aunt Hil, and so quiet, one of the few places he ever felt safe…and loved.
“I just want to remember it all like this.” Ian said.
Reese walked to a little corner and touched an afghan. “This is beautiful. I bet she made this herself.”
“She did. She’d sit in front of the television, watching her stories and knit or crochet. Every little project was for someone specific, some one’s new baby, a birthday gift for so and so.”
Reese carefully lifted it off the old rocker and folded it. “We’ll take this with us.”
Ian nodded his head and looked at the chair. “She said she used to rock me and my mama to sleep in that old thing.”
“This?” Reese got squatted down and looked at it. “This is beautiful. Do you know where it came from?”
“She said her Grandfather made it. It was the only thing of her family that she had left.”
“Ian you can’t leave this behind.” Reese stood up. “We can get it in the car, and there’s plenty of room on the plane. If I have to throw the seats out we’ll get it home.”
“No.” Ian said looking at the old worn out throw rug on the floor. “I’ll never use it.”
“Yes you will.” Reese walked over to him and put the afghan in his hands. “You need that Ian. The day is going to come, and you’ll wish it was there.”
“What to rock my babies to sleep in?” Ian almost sounded bitter.
“Ian, there will be a some day. I promise you that.” Reese put his hands on Ian’s shoulders. “Someday you’ll be holding a little baby girl in your arms, and you’ll be so happy knowing you can safely rock her to sleep in the chair that someone made a point to make you feel safe and loved in, you and your mother.”
Ian didn’t move. “I’m taking it.” Reese said. “It’ll be at my house. I’m not leaving it behind.”
“Fine.” Ian said. “You get the chair. I’ll get the box. I’m ready to go.”
Reese easily picked up the old chair and followed Ian out in to the yard. They struggled for a moment to get the hatchback down, but finally managed. Everything slipped easily in. Ian slammed the hatch door shut and slapped his hands together.
“Any time you’re ready.” Reese told him, and he slipped behind the wheel.
Ian turned for one last look at the house. Putting his hands in his pockets he took a step toward the front porch, and then sauntered down the side of the house. He peered around the corner and took a glance at that one yellow rose.
He walked again to it, bending over to breathe in the scent on last time. He looked at the old stoop and there again she stood, his Aunt Hil. Her arms were open wide and her face covered with tears. She took her fist and tapped her chest. “I am always right here, baby boy…right here.”
“I love you, Aunt Hil.” He cried. “I love you.”
She blew him a kiss and smiled.
…And there was a blood-curdling scream.
Ian nodded his head. “There’s a box in here in the kitchen and that’s it. I’m ready to go.” He held the door open for Reese and pointed at the chair in the corner.
“You sure? We can take back almost anything you want, as long as we can get it in the car. It’s a hatchback, so…”
“I don’t think so.”
“Take another look around, Ian.” Reece encouraged, “One last look.”
Reece followed Ian around the tiny house, just a kitchen, a living room and a tiny bedroom. It was all so clean, so Aunt Hil, and so quiet, one of the few places he ever felt safe…and loved.
“I just want to remember it all like this.” Ian said.
Reese walked to a little corner and touched an afghan. “This is beautiful. I bet she made this herself.”
“She did. She’d sit in front of the television, watching her stories and knit or crochet. Every little project was for someone specific, some one’s new baby, a birthday gift for so and so.”
Reese carefully lifted it off the old rocker and folded it. “We’ll take this with us.”
Ian nodded his head and looked at the chair. “She said she used to rock me and my mama to sleep in that old thing.”
“This?” Reese got squatted down and looked at it. “This is beautiful. Do you know where it came from?”
“She said her Grandfather made it. It was the only thing of her family that she had left.”
“Ian you can’t leave this behind.” Reese stood up. “We can get it in the car, and there’s plenty of room on the plane. If I have to throw the seats out we’ll get it home.”
“No.” Ian said looking at the old worn out throw rug on the floor. “I’ll never use it.”
“Yes you will.” Reese walked over to him and put the afghan in his hands. “You need that Ian. The day is going to come, and you’ll wish it was there.”
“What to rock my babies to sleep in?” Ian almost sounded bitter.
“Ian, there will be a some day. I promise you that.” Reese put his hands on Ian’s shoulders. “Someday you’ll be holding a little baby girl in your arms, and you’ll be so happy knowing you can safely rock her to sleep in the chair that someone made a point to make you feel safe and loved in, you and your mother.”
Ian didn’t move. “I’m taking it.” Reese said. “It’ll be at my house. I’m not leaving it behind.”
“Fine.” Ian said. “You get the chair. I’ll get the box. I’m ready to go.”
Reese easily picked up the old chair and followed Ian out in to the yard. They struggled for a moment to get the hatchback down, but finally managed. Everything slipped easily in. Ian slammed the hatch door shut and slapped his hands together.
“Any time you’re ready.” Reese told him, and he slipped behind the wheel.
Ian turned for one last look at the house. Putting his hands in his pockets he took a step toward the front porch, and then sauntered down the side of the house. He peered around the corner and took a glance at that one yellow rose.
He walked again to it, bending over to breathe in the scent on last time. He looked at the old stoop and there again she stood, his Aunt Hil. Her arms were open wide and her face covered with tears. She took her fist and tapped her chest. “I am always right here, baby boy…right here.”
“I love you, Aunt Hil.” He cried. “I love you.”
She blew him a kiss and smiled.
…And there was a blood-curdling scream.
Vignette #71: Goodbyes
Before Ian could turn around, Reese was whipping the steering wheel hard to one side. The car spun around and a shiny ATV whizzed by barely missing them. When the dust settled Reese grabbed Ian’s shoulder.
“Are you okay?” He asked. Ian nodded his head and looked back and Jude. “How ‘bout you?”
“Fine.”
Reese slammed the car back in gear and pulled it back in the right direction on the dirt road. He mumbled several choice profanities.
Ian had barely stopped trembling from the near miss, when the car came to a stop again. This time in the old gravel lane of his Aunt Hil’s house. He sat in the car a moment, listening to the other doors open and shut and the crunchy footsteps of his companions in the driveway.
Ian felt a hand reach in a squeeze his shoulder. “Come on, buddy. This is the tough part, but it’s time to say goodbye.”
Ian looked up at Reese and nodded his head. He got out and straightened the wrinkles out of his pants. He looked at the old house. It was barely a shack, but Miz Hil had always managed to make it a home. He walked slowly to the back porch, looking at all the bushes and flowers trying to bloom in the too hot early spring.
The men followed him around the corner to the back steps. Ian stopped and bent down gently touching a rose, a yellow rose that had somehow managed to bloom, already sticking its head out of the unruly bush. Ian looked back at the men.
“I bought this for her on her birthday years ago.” Ian leaned over, sticking his nose deep in the hardy bloom and breathed in. “It smells like her.”
For a moment, Ian could see her, standing on the stoop, hands on her hips and smiling. Ian could almost touch her. “Make me proud, boy.” She smiled. “You can do it. Make me proud.” And she opened her beefy arms, beckoning him to come into her arms.
The screen door slammed. “I thought I heard ya’ll pull up.” It was Janie Osbourne standing on the stoop, the memory of Aunt Hil gone.
“I was just looking around, one last time.” Ian said.
Janie nodded and folded her hands in front of her. Ian pointed to the rose bush. “This is the one. Kyle said he’d transplant it in the fall to Aunt Hil’s grave. You think it’ll live?”
Jude squatted down beside him. “Well, son, it’s been there for at least twenny years or more, prob’ly got roots to China, but it can be done. Long as we don’t break the original bulb, it’ll live, mebbe even have enough roots to keep a growin’ here.”
“Maybe they can send us a cutting, Ian.” Reese added. “It might nice to have a little piece of it growing in your own yard.”
“Like she’s a watchin; over ya.” Janie smiled.
Ian could only nod his head. He took a deep breath and stood. “Okay, shall we?” He motioned inside.
“Honey, if you don’t wanna…” Janie touched his shoulder as he stood before her. “I’ve already put a few things in a cardboard box, just little things I thought you might wanna keep. Sparky’s gonna come, an’ Billy and we’ll pack up everything, what ever you want.”
“I think I need to just go in and look around.” Ian said.
Janie stepped off the only big enough for one stoop and Ian opened the screen. He stepped into the kitchen.
It was as he always remembered; very tidy, very clean and cluttered with little nick nacks and gadgets. It even still smelled as though she’d made ham and red eye gravy for breakfast. Ian ran his hands across the muslin tablecloth, white with blue and red embroidery she’d done herself.
He turned and looked out the window, his friends still standing in the backyard looking in. On the sill was the little coffee cup she’d drop pebbles in for every fog in August and then try to match them against the winter snows. In the two corner shelves, there was the old crock, who knows where it came from, and a tarnished pewter pitcher.
Aunt Hil only used the pitcher on special occasions. Every Christmas and Easter she’d clean it up and fill it with milk and put it in the fridge to serve at the meager meal she’d always make for them. Ian picked up the crock, collecting a few of the nick nacks that for some reason or other made him smile and placed them inside.
He pulled open a drawer and found a biscuit cutter and an old wooden rolling pin. They joined the other mementos in the crock. He picked up the old black frying pan, still on the stove ready for use, and placed it on the table.
Ian strolled the house, crock held in one hand. In went a little doily he remembered seeing her crochet, along with a pair of gloves she always wore in the garden. He stopped at her bedroom.
He heard the screen door open and footsteps on the other side of the house. Ian turned when he knew they were standing behind him. “That’s her bedroom. I never was allowed in there.” He touched the heavy door. “I can’t do it now.”
“Reese would you take this to the car? I want to take these little things with me…and the pan on the kitchen table.” Reese nodded his head. “Janie if you would, pack up her clothes and make sure they go to someone who needs them. She never threw anything away no matter how bad it looked.”
Janie smiled. “She always would mend it, and wear it til it jest fell apart.”
“Then make a quilt out of the scraps.” Ian tried to smile.
Janie turned her face to the floor. She couldn’t help but try to hide her own tears. “I’ll…I’ll take ‘em down to the Samaritan’s purse, and anythin’ else you don’t want. She allus wanted to travel the world. Now she can.”
“What about the furniture and things like that, son?” Jude quietly asked.
“I don’t know. Is there someone who can use it? It’s old, but it’s still in good shape.”
“Well…” Janie spoke up. “The Clareys over in Glade. They got burnt out a couple a weeks ago. Lost pretty much ever thing. I’m sure they could use it.”
“Clarey’s?” Ian asked. Janie nodded her head. “They didn’t have much to start with. Call ‘em and tell them to come get it, anything you don’t pack up.”
“I’ll do it. I’m gonna go over and get the supper heated up. You gonna come over soon?”
Ian shook his head. “Thank you Janie, but I can’t. I just can’t. I think I’ll just sit here a minute and then Reese and I will go home.”
“At least come and eat a bite…” she said.
“I can’t, Janie. Not now. It’s too…hard.” Ian lost the battle to hold the little tear that insisted on rolling down his cheek.
“You come back when you can.” Janie wiped his tear away.
“No, Janie. I can’t. You understand?”
She nodded her head. Ian grabbed her and held her tight. “You come in a get anything you want. Anything at all, Ronnie, too.”
“I will.” They walked toward the kitchen, Janie in front, Jude, arm around Ian, behind. Janie stopped in the kitchen and pointed to a box in the old chair. “Take that with you. I found a few can goods, and some things that she had made a point over the years to tell me that she wanted you to have. At the bottom is her jewelry box. She always told me no matter what that when the day came it was to go to your little girl.”
Ian cleared his throat and nodded his head. “Janie, you’ve done good. You let me know if you need anything…anything at all. I’ll make sure you have it.”
“Oh Ian…” she said stroking the back of his head. “All we need is for you to be happy. You made the right choices, now stop wonderin’ if you did and be happy.”
Ian kissed her cheek. Jude patted his back. “You say goodbye for me? I just can’t take another heartbreak.”
“Sure.” She smiled, lip trembling, but a strong confident smile. “Com’mon Daddy.” She walked to the door.
Jude grabbed Ian and hugged him tight. “I love you, son. I love you with all my heart.”
“Me, too, Jude. Me, too.” Ian didn’t want to let go, but he had to. He had to let go and watch them walk away. He followed them to the kitchen door, his heart finally about to burst.
Ian took a deep breath and called out her name. “Janie?”
She turned to him. “I’ll have Blake call you on Monday to arrange for anything financial that you might need…for Aunt Hil’s things.”
She nodded her head and smiled. He walked over to the kitchen sink and slipped the old pewter pitcher off its place on the corner shelf. “And this…I want Ronnie to have it. Use it on holidays and birthdays, special family times, it’s not much but it meant something to her.”
Ian placed it in her hands. “And the cat.” He said. “The little long hair gray one? Don’t make him give it away. He says it’s his favorite and I want him to have it. Tell Kyle, that’s it’s the only thing I’ll ever ask.”
Janie nodded her head and was gone. Ian stood at the kitchen door and watched them walk down the old path between the fields he’d used so many times, and would now never, ever have to again.
“Are you okay?” He asked. Ian nodded his head and looked back and Jude. “How ‘bout you?”
“Fine.”
Reese slammed the car back in gear and pulled it back in the right direction on the dirt road. He mumbled several choice profanities.
Ian had barely stopped trembling from the near miss, when the car came to a stop again. This time in the old gravel lane of his Aunt Hil’s house. He sat in the car a moment, listening to the other doors open and shut and the crunchy footsteps of his companions in the driveway.
Ian felt a hand reach in a squeeze his shoulder. “Come on, buddy. This is the tough part, but it’s time to say goodbye.”
Ian looked up at Reese and nodded his head. He got out and straightened the wrinkles out of his pants. He looked at the old house. It was barely a shack, but Miz Hil had always managed to make it a home. He walked slowly to the back porch, looking at all the bushes and flowers trying to bloom in the too hot early spring.
The men followed him around the corner to the back steps. Ian stopped and bent down gently touching a rose, a yellow rose that had somehow managed to bloom, already sticking its head out of the unruly bush. Ian looked back at the men.
“I bought this for her on her birthday years ago.” Ian leaned over, sticking his nose deep in the hardy bloom and breathed in. “It smells like her.”
For a moment, Ian could see her, standing on the stoop, hands on her hips and smiling. Ian could almost touch her. “Make me proud, boy.” She smiled. “You can do it. Make me proud.” And she opened her beefy arms, beckoning him to come into her arms.
The screen door slammed. “I thought I heard ya’ll pull up.” It was Janie Osbourne standing on the stoop, the memory of Aunt Hil gone.
“I was just looking around, one last time.” Ian said.
Janie nodded and folded her hands in front of her. Ian pointed to the rose bush. “This is the one. Kyle said he’d transplant it in the fall to Aunt Hil’s grave. You think it’ll live?”
Jude squatted down beside him. “Well, son, it’s been there for at least twenny years or more, prob’ly got roots to China, but it can be done. Long as we don’t break the original bulb, it’ll live, mebbe even have enough roots to keep a growin’ here.”
“Maybe they can send us a cutting, Ian.” Reese added. “It might nice to have a little piece of it growing in your own yard.”
“Like she’s a watchin; over ya.” Janie smiled.
Ian could only nod his head. He took a deep breath and stood. “Okay, shall we?” He motioned inside.
“Honey, if you don’t wanna…” Janie touched his shoulder as he stood before her. “I’ve already put a few things in a cardboard box, just little things I thought you might wanna keep. Sparky’s gonna come, an’ Billy and we’ll pack up everything, what ever you want.”
“I think I need to just go in and look around.” Ian said.
Janie stepped off the only big enough for one stoop and Ian opened the screen. He stepped into the kitchen.
It was as he always remembered; very tidy, very clean and cluttered with little nick nacks and gadgets. It even still smelled as though she’d made ham and red eye gravy for breakfast. Ian ran his hands across the muslin tablecloth, white with blue and red embroidery she’d done herself.
He turned and looked out the window, his friends still standing in the backyard looking in. On the sill was the little coffee cup she’d drop pebbles in for every fog in August and then try to match them against the winter snows. In the two corner shelves, there was the old crock, who knows where it came from, and a tarnished pewter pitcher.
Aunt Hil only used the pitcher on special occasions. Every Christmas and Easter she’d clean it up and fill it with milk and put it in the fridge to serve at the meager meal she’d always make for them. Ian picked up the crock, collecting a few of the nick nacks that for some reason or other made him smile and placed them inside.
He pulled open a drawer and found a biscuit cutter and an old wooden rolling pin. They joined the other mementos in the crock. He picked up the old black frying pan, still on the stove ready for use, and placed it on the table.
Ian strolled the house, crock held in one hand. In went a little doily he remembered seeing her crochet, along with a pair of gloves she always wore in the garden. He stopped at her bedroom.
He heard the screen door open and footsteps on the other side of the house. Ian turned when he knew they were standing behind him. “That’s her bedroom. I never was allowed in there.” He touched the heavy door. “I can’t do it now.”
“Reese would you take this to the car? I want to take these little things with me…and the pan on the kitchen table.” Reese nodded his head. “Janie if you would, pack up her clothes and make sure they go to someone who needs them. She never threw anything away no matter how bad it looked.”
Janie smiled. “She always would mend it, and wear it til it jest fell apart.”
“Then make a quilt out of the scraps.” Ian tried to smile.
Janie turned her face to the floor. She couldn’t help but try to hide her own tears. “I’ll…I’ll take ‘em down to the Samaritan’s purse, and anythin’ else you don’t want. She allus wanted to travel the world. Now she can.”
“What about the furniture and things like that, son?” Jude quietly asked.
“I don’t know. Is there someone who can use it? It’s old, but it’s still in good shape.”
“Well…” Janie spoke up. “The Clareys over in Glade. They got burnt out a couple a weeks ago. Lost pretty much ever thing. I’m sure they could use it.”
“Clarey’s?” Ian asked. Janie nodded her head. “They didn’t have much to start with. Call ‘em and tell them to come get it, anything you don’t pack up.”
“I’ll do it. I’m gonna go over and get the supper heated up. You gonna come over soon?”
Ian shook his head. “Thank you Janie, but I can’t. I just can’t. I think I’ll just sit here a minute and then Reese and I will go home.”
“At least come and eat a bite…” she said.
“I can’t, Janie. Not now. It’s too…hard.” Ian lost the battle to hold the little tear that insisted on rolling down his cheek.
“You come back when you can.” Janie wiped his tear away.
“No, Janie. I can’t. You understand?”
She nodded her head. Ian grabbed her and held her tight. “You come in a get anything you want. Anything at all, Ronnie, too.”
“I will.” They walked toward the kitchen, Janie in front, Jude, arm around Ian, behind. Janie stopped in the kitchen and pointed to a box in the old chair. “Take that with you. I found a few can goods, and some things that she had made a point over the years to tell me that she wanted you to have. At the bottom is her jewelry box. She always told me no matter what that when the day came it was to go to your little girl.”
Ian cleared his throat and nodded his head. “Janie, you’ve done good. You let me know if you need anything…anything at all. I’ll make sure you have it.”
“Oh Ian…” she said stroking the back of his head. “All we need is for you to be happy. You made the right choices, now stop wonderin’ if you did and be happy.”
Ian kissed her cheek. Jude patted his back. “You say goodbye for me? I just can’t take another heartbreak.”
“Sure.” She smiled, lip trembling, but a strong confident smile. “Com’mon Daddy.” She walked to the door.
Jude grabbed Ian and hugged him tight. “I love you, son. I love you with all my heart.”
“Me, too, Jude. Me, too.” Ian didn’t want to let go, but he had to. He had to let go and watch them walk away. He followed them to the kitchen door, his heart finally about to burst.
Ian took a deep breath and called out her name. “Janie?”
She turned to him. “I’ll have Blake call you on Monday to arrange for anything financial that you might need…for Aunt Hil’s things.”
She nodded her head and smiled. He walked over to the kitchen sink and slipped the old pewter pitcher off its place on the corner shelf. “And this…I want Ronnie to have it. Use it on holidays and birthdays, special family times, it’s not much but it meant something to her.”
Ian placed it in her hands. “And the cat.” He said. “The little long hair gray one? Don’t make him give it away. He says it’s his favorite and I want him to have it. Tell Kyle, that’s it’s the only thing I’ll ever ask.”
Janie nodded her head and was gone. Ian stood at the kitchen door and watched them walk down the old path between the fields he’d used so many times, and would now never, ever have to again.
Vignette #70: Questions
Ian was afraid of the next question; it was the answer to it that ha had always feared. “Was Uncle Nate my Daddy?”
“No.” Was the quick definite answer.
Ian breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank God.”
“Boy he weren’t no relation at’all.” Jude looked at Ian. “You really don’t know nothing?”
“Only what little I overheard, talk in town...things I picked up from my hidey holes.”
“I knowed you was watchin. I knowed you was in the barn, hidin, I just didn’t know where and I couldn’t figure for the life of me how you was getting in and out. I figured you was safe though, and if you wanted to talk about it you would…”
“I still don’t understand…why Jude, why did Uncle Nate hate me so?
Jude shook his head. “Lord knows, child, Lord knows. He wasn’t allus a drunk, but by the time I got back, he was a eat up, just pure eat up.”
“With what?”
“Guilt I think. I jus’ remember bits an’ pieces of that night, Ian. The night…” Jude looked down at the root of the old tree. “The night yer mama died. Ian, it took me a while, but I’m purdy sure that Nate was the one drivin’ that truck. I know he was there, he swore he wasn’t an’ I couldn’t prove it.”
“Well, a couple things make more sense now.”
“How’s that?”
“Why Uncle Nate hated me so. My being around probably reminded him.”
“Son, there was so many reasons why Nate acted the way he did, but he weren’t your Daddy. I know that fer fact.”
“Do you know who my father was?”
“No son, I don’t. All I know is your mama run off one time. Miss Leatha, that was who ya called yer Grandmaw, finally tracked her down and drug her back a kickin’ and a screamin’. Weren’t long after we realized she was pregnant. Some man she met while she was gone. That’s all I know. Lylah never said nothing about that time. Not t’me anyway.
“Lylah? That’s my mama’s name? Lylah?”
“You don’t know?”
“Who was around that was gonna tell me, Jude? Uncle Nate? When he wasn’t drunk he only spoke of the little black haired whore.”
“She weren’t no whore. She never touched but me and whoever was yer Daddy. She was what they call high strung, but she believed in love. Lylah was a dreamer jus’ like you. Only dif’ernce is you’re a makin’ yer dreams come true. Layla, she never had a chance.”
“Do you have any idea where she went when she ran away?”
Jude shook his head. “I do know when you was born, they tried to find your Daddy. Miz Hillary and Nate both, but all they had was a name on your birth certificate and the name of a town on a bus ticket.”
“Jude,” Ian looked at the ground and then back up into the other man’s eyes. “There are lots of things that never added up, things that I only heard whisps of, so forgive me if this sounds accusatory but, what did you and Aunt Hil do to my birth certificate?”
Jude looked at Ian and smiled. “You knowed about that?”
“I overheard you and Aunt Hil talking.”
He looked Ian in the eye. “See I knowed you was ever where.” He looked off into nowhere. “Some man come around when you was about Ronnie age, said he was from social services. Thought at first Nate had called, he was allus tryin to send you off somewhere, afraid you’d find out that his Mama had left ever thing to you and not him. But your Aunt Hil knowed he wasn’t from the gover’ment. He had a lawyer wif ‘im. They demanded to see a birth certificate.”
“What you do then?”
“Showed ‘em Bethany Jane’s”
“Bethany Jane?”
“A little girl a’ Mizz Leatha’s that died about the time yer mama showed up. Said it was yer mama’s. Man and his lawyer got mad and never saw ‘em again.”
“What if he was my daddy, Jude?”
“At most he was yer granddaddy, a strange little fat man. When he told yer Aunt Hil his name, she turned whiter than me.”
“What was his name?”
“I’m sorry, that I don’t recall. I only saw ‘em oncet. I was in the backfield and saw ‘em talking. Didn’t hear what they was sayin, but saw enough to turn off the tractor and get a rifle to run ‘em off. Yer Aunt Hil was scared. That’s all I can tell ya.”
“Any idea where my mama’s birth certificate is Jude?”
“No. I figure they’s somewhere in Miz Hilary’s, and yer real one’s prob’ly there, too. We’ll find ‘em if they there.”
Ian looked at Jude. “But why did you change the names on my birth certificate?”
Jude noddedd. “Mizz Hil was scared, begged me to help.”
“What was she afraid of, Jude?”
He turned back and looked at the fresh grave. “Son, all I know was I had sumpin’ ta do with yer mama. Miz Hil never ast me for anythin’, I just jumped right in and helped. That’s what family’s are for, Ian, and she was family in some sorta trouble. So we made a new certificate for ya without the father’s name.”
“My father’s name? You knew my father’s name?” Ian balled up his fists.
“Don’t get riled, son.” Jude continued with regret. “There was a big ol’ brawl over yer name when you wuz borned. I don’t know what it was about, I just remember hearin Miz Leatha and Lylah scream at each other from the other side of the mountain.”
“They argued about my name?”
“Ya know you was born in Miz Hilary’s house, don’tcha, not a hospital? Miz Hil was a whatcha call it for all us poor folk, said it was a trade passed down in her family.”
“A wet nurse?” Ian was surprised.
“Yeah, I thinks that’s it. If you wuz colored or poor, Miz Hil was the one you sent word to when it wuz yer time. She tuck care of ever thing, right down to takin’ the birth certificate down to city hall to register it. That’s why it was easy to make a fake’n fer you.”
“I don’t remember Aunt Hil ever doing any thing like that.”
“Well, things changed and they made Miz Hil stop unless she got some sorta trainin’ or somethin’. You was prob’ly one a’ the last babies on the mountain she helped birth.”
Ian wanted to get back to the subject. “My father’s name?”
“I don’t know. Miz Hil did. I just give her the iddy and took it an’ soaked it in some tea ta make it look old.” Jude looked up at Ian. “I’m sorry, boy. It seemed right at the time, her bein’ sa scared an’ all.”
Ian nodded his head. “This man that came, he was looking for my mother and not me.”
“Miz Hil said that she made a promise she’d keep your mama safe, that no one could ever know where she came from. I reckon she thought whatever might happen to Lylah would happen to you, too.”
“But why?”
“Ian, you’ll have to ask her.” He pointed toward the dirt mound in front of him. “All I know is that Miz Hil brought her here, or someone brought her to Miz Hil. It was the late fifties and they wasn’t about to let a black woman raise a white child, let alone a little girl. Leatha Ransom had just lost her husband and a baby all in one year. All she had was little Nate and this ol’ farm. She took her in. Raised her as her own.”
“And Aunt Hil?”
“She was from out West I believe, married a man who used to work on the farm when it was doin’ good. When he died, she stayed here, cleaned people’s houses or whatever she could ta make ends meet. Miss Leatha, left her the house and the lil piece a land it was on when she died. That didn’t make yer Uncle Nate happy, neither.”
Ian looked at the dry grass at his feet. “I guess we should head back. I wish I had more answers, but if that’s all there is I’ll do my best to move on.”
“We done ya wrong boy…I’ll do ever thing I can to help. Yer Aunt Hil, ya know she left what little there is to ya. We’ll go through ever nook and cranny and I’ll find anything I can. I know’d there has to be something there that will help you figure it all out.”
“I appreciate it, Jude. Maybe it’s not important. I just wanted to know who my father was, if anyone did.” They got in the car and Sonny started the engine. “And you have no idea where my mama ran off to?”
Jude shook his head and scratched his chin. “No, she told Nate she was gonna go to Hollywood and be a star. I think he said she was gonna get what was hers. He allus thought she was uppity, and he was tickled pink when Miz Leatha drug her back kickin and screamin and then turned out to be knocked up…”
“Hollywood?” Rease turned to Ian. “Maybe she brought back the painting?”
Ian turned to Jude. “Do you recognize that painting in the back seat with you?”
Jude picked it up. “Law no, I’d remember something like that.”
“Then how did it get in your tack room behind some sheet rock?”
“No iddy, boy…”
“Do you know if my mama made it to Hollywood?”
“No, she would never talk about it…why?”
“Because that’s where that painting came from. It matches one in my living room and they were both painted by the man who built the house I live in.”
“Hmmm…” Jude’s eyes got wide. “Look out!”
“No.” Was the quick definite answer.
Ian breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank God.”
“Boy he weren’t no relation at’all.” Jude looked at Ian. “You really don’t know nothing?”
“Only what little I overheard, talk in town...things I picked up from my hidey holes.”
“I knowed you was watchin. I knowed you was in the barn, hidin, I just didn’t know where and I couldn’t figure for the life of me how you was getting in and out. I figured you was safe though, and if you wanted to talk about it you would…”
“I still don’t understand…why Jude, why did Uncle Nate hate me so?
Jude shook his head. “Lord knows, child, Lord knows. He wasn’t allus a drunk, but by the time I got back, he was a eat up, just pure eat up.”
“With what?”
“Guilt I think. I jus’ remember bits an’ pieces of that night, Ian. The night…” Jude looked down at the root of the old tree. “The night yer mama died. Ian, it took me a while, but I’m purdy sure that Nate was the one drivin’ that truck. I know he was there, he swore he wasn’t an’ I couldn’t prove it.”
“Well, a couple things make more sense now.”
“How’s that?”
“Why Uncle Nate hated me so. My being around probably reminded him.”
“Son, there was so many reasons why Nate acted the way he did, but he weren’t your Daddy. I know that fer fact.”
“Do you know who my father was?”
“No son, I don’t. All I know is your mama run off one time. Miss Leatha, that was who ya called yer Grandmaw, finally tracked her down and drug her back a kickin’ and a screamin’. Weren’t long after we realized she was pregnant. Some man she met while she was gone. That’s all I know. Lylah never said nothing about that time. Not t’me anyway.
“Lylah? That’s my mama’s name? Lylah?”
“You don’t know?”
“Who was around that was gonna tell me, Jude? Uncle Nate? When he wasn’t drunk he only spoke of the little black haired whore.”
“She weren’t no whore. She never touched but me and whoever was yer Daddy. She was what they call high strung, but she believed in love. Lylah was a dreamer jus’ like you. Only dif’ernce is you’re a makin’ yer dreams come true. Layla, she never had a chance.”
“Do you have any idea where she went when she ran away?”
Jude shook his head. “I do know when you was born, they tried to find your Daddy. Miz Hillary and Nate both, but all they had was a name on your birth certificate and the name of a town on a bus ticket.”
“Jude,” Ian looked at the ground and then back up into the other man’s eyes. “There are lots of things that never added up, things that I only heard whisps of, so forgive me if this sounds accusatory but, what did you and Aunt Hil do to my birth certificate?”
Jude looked at Ian and smiled. “You knowed about that?”
“I overheard you and Aunt Hil talking.”
He looked Ian in the eye. “See I knowed you was ever where.” He looked off into nowhere. “Some man come around when you was about Ronnie age, said he was from social services. Thought at first Nate had called, he was allus tryin to send you off somewhere, afraid you’d find out that his Mama had left ever thing to you and not him. But your Aunt Hil knowed he wasn’t from the gover’ment. He had a lawyer wif ‘im. They demanded to see a birth certificate.”
“What you do then?”
“Showed ‘em Bethany Jane’s”
“Bethany Jane?”
“A little girl a’ Mizz Leatha’s that died about the time yer mama showed up. Said it was yer mama’s. Man and his lawyer got mad and never saw ‘em again.”
“What if he was my daddy, Jude?”
“At most he was yer granddaddy, a strange little fat man. When he told yer Aunt Hil his name, she turned whiter than me.”
“What was his name?”
“I’m sorry, that I don’t recall. I only saw ‘em oncet. I was in the backfield and saw ‘em talking. Didn’t hear what they was sayin, but saw enough to turn off the tractor and get a rifle to run ‘em off. Yer Aunt Hil was scared. That’s all I can tell ya.”
“Any idea where my mama’s birth certificate is Jude?”
“No. I figure they’s somewhere in Miz Hilary’s, and yer real one’s prob’ly there, too. We’ll find ‘em if they there.”
Ian looked at Jude. “But why did you change the names on my birth certificate?”
Jude noddedd. “Mizz Hil was scared, begged me to help.”
“What was she afraid of, Jude?”
He turned back and looked at the fresh grave. “Son, all I know was I had sumpin’ ta do with yer mama. Miz Hil never ast me for anythin’, I just jumped right in and helped. That’s what family’s are for, Ian, and she was family in some sorta trouble. So we made a new certificate for ya without the father’s name.”
“My father’s name? You knew my father’s name?” Ian balled up his fists.
“Don’t get riled, son.” Jude continued with regret. “There was a big ol’ brawl over yer name when you wuz borned. I don’t know what it was about, I just remember hearin Miz Leatha and Lylah scream at each other from the other side of the mountain.”
“They argued about my name?”
“Ya know you was born in Miz Hilary’s house, don’tcha, not a hospital? Miz Hil was a whatcha call it for all us poor folk, said it was a trade passed down in her family.”
“A wet nurse?” Ian was surprised.
“Yeah, I thinks that’s it. If you wuz colored or poor, Miz Hil was the one you sent word to when it wuz yer time. She tuck care of ever thing, right down to takin’ the birth certificate down to city hall to register it. That’s why it was easy to make a fake’n fer you.”
“I don’t remember Aunt Hil ever doing any thing like that.”
“Well, things changed and they made Miz Hil stop unless she got some sorta trainin’ or somethin’. You was prob’ly one a’ the last babies on the mountain she helped birth.”
Ian wanted to get back to the subject. “My father’s name?”
“I don’t know. Miz Hil did. I just give her the iddy and took it an’ soaked it in some tea ta make it look old.” Jude looked up at Ian. “I’m sorry, boy. It seemed right at the time, her bein’ sa scared an’ all.”
Ian nodded his head. “This man that came, he was looking for my mother and not me.”
“Miz Hil said that she made a promise she’d keep your mama safe, that no one could ever know where she came from. I reckon she thought whatever might happen to Lylah would happen to you, too.”
“But why?”
“Ian, you’ll have to ask her.” He pointed toward the dirt mound in front of him. “All I know is that Miz Hil brought her here, or someone brought her to Miz Hil. It was the late fifties and they wasn’t about to let a black woman raise a white child, let alone a little girl. Leatha Ransom had just lost her husband and a baby all in one year. All she had was little Nate and this ol’ farm. She took her in. Raised her as her own.”
“And Aunt Hil?”
“She was from out West I believe, married a man who used to work on the farm when it was doin’ good. When he died, she stayed here, cleaned people’s houses or whatever she could ta make ends meet. Miss Leatha, left her the house and the lil piece a land it was on when she died. That didn’t make yer Uncle Nate happy, neither.”
Ian looked at the dry grass at his feet. “I guess we should head back. I wish I had more answers, but if that’s all there is I’ll do my best to move on.”
“We done ya wrong boy…I’ll do ever thing I can to help. Yer Aunt Hil, ya know she left what little there is to ya. We’ll go through ever nook and cranny and I’ll find anything I can. I know’d there has to be something there that will help you figure it all out.”
“I appreciate it, Jude. Maybe it’s not important. I just wanted to know who my father was, if anyone did.” They got in the car and Sonny started the engine. “And you have no idea where my mama ran off to?”
Jude shook his head and scratched his chin. “No, she told Nate she was gonna go to Hollywood and be a star. I think he said she was gonna get what was hers. He allus thought she was uppity, and he was tickled pink when Miz Leatha drug her back kickin and screamin and then turned out to be knocked up…”
“Hollywood?” Rease turned to Ian. “Maybe she brought back the painting?”
Ian turned to Jude. “Do you recognize that painting in the back seat with you?”
Jude picked it up. “Law no, I’d remember something like that.”
“Then how did it get in your tack room behind some sheet rock?”
“No iddy, boy…”
“Do you know if my mama made it to Hollywood?”
“No, she would never talk about it…why?”
“Because that’s where that painting came from. It matches one in my living room and they were both painted by the man who built the house I live in.”
“Hmmm…” Jude’s eyes got wide. “Look out!”
Vignette #69: Graveside
Reese put the painting in the back seat of the car and they slipped on their suits for the service. Kyle was right. The only people who were there were the Osbournes, Reese and Ian, and of course Preacher Snowdon from the Baptist Church at the foot of the mountain.
They stood around an already covered grave as the Preacher said words that were quickly eaten by the wind. He was well into something Ian wasn’t able to concentrate on when he heard the crunch crunch of footsteps behind him. He turned to see a graying Jude standing behind him, head bowed reverently as the service continued.
The preacher finally folded his Bible and shook Ian’s hand and told him he would pray for him. Ian smiled and handed him a small white envelope that probably contained more hundred dollar bills than had ever been in the man’s collection plate.
“Aunt Hil always said the church needed a baptistery. She said that more people would come to Jesus if they didn’t have to be dipped in the cold creek out back of the church. This should do it. Thank you sir.”
“Bless you child…” the old black man said and looked in the envelope. “Praise be to you son…praise be to you.”
The five, now six, just stood there a moment. Ian wished he could cry or say something. He felt Jude’s hand on his shoulder and a rare sweet memory came flooding back. It was the first hymn that Ian had ever played for Aunt Hil, for anyone. It was a song that he had heard her sing time and time again.
Ian took a step forward and began to sing with the old woman in his head, “Wherever he leads I’ll go….wherever he leads I’ll go….I’ll follow my Christ who loves me so…wherever he leads I’ll go….”
He felt little Ronnie take his hand and start singing with him. By the time they got to the chorus again everyone was singing, even Jude. Ian ached, but tears still refused to come. It was a though his heart had already been broken in so many pieces it just didn’t work any more or maybe, he thought, never worked at all to begin with.
When the song was done, Ian squatted down and placed a bouquet of simple yellow roses on the mound of dirt. He kissed his fingers and lay them there on the grave. He couldn’t say anything. He just couldn’t figure out how to thank the one of the only two people in the world who made a scared little boy want to even try to grow into a man. All he could do was just stare into the little marks his fingers had made in the dry earth.
“Daddy, are you gonna join us fer supper?” Ian heard Janie quietly ask.
“Sure, honey, but Ian and I need ta talk first.” He heard Jude say.
Ian heard a rustle of hands shaking. Reese introduced himself and offered to let him ride back with he and Ian.
“That’s awful kind of you, I appreciate it.” Jude said. He turned to his daughter. “Honey, why don’t you all go on, and we’ll be there directly.” He heard him kiss her on the cheek and the little family walk to the car.
“Ian said he wanted to go right over to Miss Hilary’s house and look ‘round. I’ll meet ya’ll there.” He heard her say.
“That’s fine.” Jude told her.
“Law, it’s so dry the grass is like ice…” He heard Janie complain. “We need some rain so bad…” and then the car do shut.
Jude got down and put his arm around Ian’s shoulder. “You know boy, sometimes being a man is knowing you are strong enough to be weak.” He jostled him. “She loved you more’n anything, boy. She was so proud of ya, so proud she just couldn’t say the words…”
“I loved her, too…” and finally a painful little tear rolled down Ian’s cheek. “I don’t how I’d a lived, Jude…so many times…without her…” and the tears softly flowed like the much needed rain. Ian turned to look at Jude. “And you…”
Ian’s throat hurt with each sob but his heart started to beat. It was as if the pain released allowed him to finally breath. He and Jude struggled hard to let it go, there were so many hard times and too little good to remember. Aunt Hil had always said that someday the peace would come; maybe that was her final gift to Ian.
Jude wiped his face with his hand. “Let’s go sit over here and talk.” He helped Ian up and the walked arm in arm to a nearby oak, twisted and towering and still naked in the dry spring. Staying true to his word, Reese leaned against the car, two hundred feet from Ian, but not out of sight.
Jude sat beside Ian on the grass and leaned against the trunk of the old Oak. “I don’t know all the answers boy, don’t know that Miz Hil knowed em all either. Most she took with her, but I’ll tell you everything I can…” Jude said as if he was ashamed.
Ian nodded his head. He thought he knew the answer to his first question, but had to ask himself. “Are you my Daddy?”
Jude sobbed. “Oh how I wish I was, boy. How I wish I was…” He controlled himself. “Miz Hil begged me to take ya when I got home, but I didn’t.”
“Why didn’t you Jude? Didn’t you love me?” Ian asked, not accusingly, but as a small child wanting to know why he was being left behind.
“Loved you with all my heart…that’s why I didn’t take you. Maybe I could have made things a little easier fer ya, but I knew Ian…I knew…”
“Knew what?”
“That there was more for you than this…” he put his hands out to the dry grass and the root of the dying old tree. “It was fine for my girls and me, but if I took ya in, that’s all ya ever would have had.”
They stood around an already covered grave as the Preacher said words that were quickly eaten by the wind. He was well into something Ian wasn’t able to concentrate on when he heard the crunch crunch of footsteps behind him. He turned to see a graying Jude standing behind him, head bowed reverently as the service continued.
The preacher finally folded his Bible and shook Ian’s hand and told him he would pray for him. Ian smiled and handed him a small white envelope that probably contained more hundred dollar bills than had ever been in the man’s collection plate.
“Aunt Hil always said the church needed a baptistery. She said that more people would come to Jesus if they didn’t have to be dipped in the cold creek out back of the church. This should do it. Thank you sir.”
“Bless you child…” the old black man said and looked in the envelope. “Praise be to you son…praise be to you.”
The five, now six, just stood there a moment. Ian wished he could cry or say something. He felt Jude’s hand on his shoulder and a rare sweet memory came flooding back. It was the first hymn that Ian had ever played for Aunt Hil, for anyone. It was a song that he had heard her sing time and time again.
Ian took a step forward and began to sing with the old woman in his head, “Wherever he leads I’ll go….wherever he leads I’ll go….I’ll follow my Christ who loves me so…wherever he leads I’ll go….”
He felt little Ronnie take his hand and start singing with him. By the time they got to the chorus again everyone was singing, even Jude. Ian ached, but tears still refused to come. It was a though his heart had already been broken in so many pieces it just didn’t work any more or maybe, he thought, never worked at all to begin with.
When the song was done, Ian squatted down and placed a bouquet of simple yellow roses on the mound of dirt. He kissed his fingers and lay them there on the grave. He couldn’t say anything. He just couldn’t figure out how to thank the one of the only two people in the world who made a scared little boy want to even try to grow into a man. All he could do was just stare into the little marks his fingers had made in the dry earth.
“Daddy, are you gonna join us fer supper?” Ian heard Janie quietly ask.
“Sure, honey, but Ian and I need ta talk first.” He heard Jude say.
Ian heard a rustle of hands shaking. Reese introduced himself and offered to let him ride back with he and Ian.
“That’s awful kind of you, I appreciate it.” Jude said. He turned to his daughter. “Honey, why don’t you all go on, and we’ll be there directly.” He heard him kiss her on the cheek and the little family walk to the car.
“Ian said he wanted to go right over to Miss Hilary’s house and look ‘round. I’ll meet ya’ll there.” He heard her say.
“That’s fine.” Jude told her.
“Law, it’s so dry the grass is like ice…” He heard Janie complain. “We need some rain so bad…” and then the car do shut.
Jude got down and put his arm around Ian’s shoulder. “You know boy, sometimes being a man is knowing you are strong enough to be weak.” He jostled him. “She loved you more’n anything, boy. She was so proud of ya, so proud she just couldn’t say the words…”
“I loved her, too…” and finally a painful little tear rolled down Ian’s cheek. “I don’t how I’d a lived, Jude…so many times…without her…” and the tears softly flowed like the much needed rain. Ian turned to look at Jude. “And you…”
Ian’s throat hurt with each sob but his heart started to beat. It was as if the pain released allowed him to finally breath. He and Jude struggled hard to let it go, there were so many hard times and too little good to remember. Aunt Hil had always said that someday the peace would come; maybe that was her final gift to Ian.
Jude wiped his face with his hand. “Let’s go sit over here and talk.” He helped Ian up and the walked arm in arm to a nearby oak, twisted and towering and still naked in the dry spring. Staying true to his word, Reese leaned against the car, two hundred feet from Ian, but not out of sight.
Jude sat beside Ian on the grass and leaned against the trunk of the old Oak. “I don’t know all the answers boy, don’t know that Miz Hil knowed em all either. Most she took with her, but I’ll tell you everything I can…” Jude said as if he was ashamed.
Ian nodded his head. He thought he knew the answer to his first question, but had to ask himself. “Are you my Daddy?”
Jude sobbed. “Oh how I wish I was, boy. How I wish I was…” He controlled himself. “Miz Hil begged me to take ya when I got home, but I didn’t.”
“Why didn’t you Jude? Didn’t you love me?” Ian asked, not accusingly, but as a small child wanting to know why he was being left behind.
“Loved you with all my heart…that’s why I didn’t take you. Maybe I could have made things a little easier fer ya, but I knew Ian…I knew…”
“Knew what?”
“That there was more for you than this…” he put his hands out to the dry grass and the root of the dying old tree. “It was fine for my girls and me, but if I took ya in, that’s all ya ever would have had.”
Vignette #68: Gifts
Janie and Kyle had come to the back porch as Ronnie Kyle waddled around the corner of the house screaming “Come Quick!”
“What’s all the fuss about?” Janie asked as she dried her hands on her apron.
“Mama, Mr. Ian brought me some stuff for the museum…” He placed the box, almost as long as he was tall, on the stoop and tried to open it. Reese bent down and slit open the tape and the boy tore into the box.
Ian helped him lifted the first piece out and explained as he stripped away the tissue paper. “These are what we call promo mock ups. I have one for every new TV show that the network is going to air this fall. Well…not all of them, just the one’s that I’m developing.”
“What’s a mock up?” He asked.
“It’s a blow up of the advertisements we are going to run in newspapers and magazines to tell people about the shows. They are very important because with one look we have to try and tell you all about the show and make you want to watch it.”
“Cool! And these are for me?”
“All for you, but you have to promise me that you won’t sell these to the newspaper or anything. You are the first person outside my office to see these.”
“Wow!” Ronnie pulled out each mock up and Ian explained it, how it the idea was formed and what they had decided to do. Ronnie even had a few suggestions.
“I don’t like this color.” He said. “This makes me think the show will be scary and I don’t like scary…”
“Hmmm…” Ian said. “I hadn’t thought of that, but you are right. See? I’m glad I gave these to you. You found a mistake. I’ll have to change this before my meeting next week. You’ll be a great television executive one day…”
Ronnie looked up at Ian and beamed with pride. His eyes got big. “You wanna see my kittens?” Before Ian could say no, Ronnie grabbed his hand and started dragging him toward the barn.
“Ronnie, we should start getting ready soon.” Janie said starting to put everything back in the box.
“This’ll just take a minute, Mama.” With that Ronnie and the two visitors were out of her sight.
Like it or not Ian quickly found himself in the old barn. The moment the door opened the smell wafted him back in time. Kyle had repaired and replaced much of the wood, but in Ian’s mind it was still the same place.
“Over here.” He heard Ronnie say.
Ian’s eyes scanned the walls, the smell of hay forcing his mind to scan the memories. His eyes shot to the left, the door was still there to the tack room. His head lifted to see the upper loft.
He wondered if the old corn chute was still buried in the bales there. It was his hiding place as a child, just big enough to squeeze down in and not be found. Ian had spent too many nights there, trembling in fear waiting for his Uncle Nate to either calm down or pass out.
“How many are there?” He heard Reese ask the boy.
“Just three now.” Ian finally focused on the child and his friend crouched down in the corner. “They was five, but one died and we give one away.”
When the cats heard the boy’s voice, they started popping out of a little hole the mother had made between bales. Very quickly Reese and Ronnie found themselves covered in the furry little critters.
“They old enough to give away now, and Daddy says we gots to find ‘em all homes.” The boy cuddled a smoky colored one with long hair in his arms. “This ‘ens my favorite.”
“What’s its name?” Reese asked as he scratched the ears of a yellow tabby, who in turn rolled his head to feel the scratching deeper and began to purr.
“I ain’t named him. I got to give him away, so tain’t fair to name him.” Ronnie looked up at Ian. He held the kitten out to him. “You wanna hold one, Mr, Ian?”
Ian smiled. “Uh, no thanks. I’ll just stand here and watch.”
Reese looked at Ronnie. “I think he’s afraid of cats.”
“That’s silly.” The boy said. “Are you afraid a kittens, Mr. Ian?”
“Of course not. I just never really cared for them much.”
“Aw, they ain’t gonna hurt’cha.” Ronnie reached for another flipped it over on its belly and rubbed. The little cat just rolled and purred loudly. “See? They’s as sweet as they can be.”
“I’m sure they are.” Ian said. “I just…they’re vermin with attitude. I just don’t care for them, but they’re very pretty.”
Ronnie shook his head and turned to Reese, who was enjoying playing with a little black and white furball. “That’n likes you Mr. Reese. You wan’ it? I’ll give it to ya.”
“Well, thank you Ronnie, but I’d better not.” He pointed at Ian, who was taking a step backward when the little smoky kitten bounced a step towards him.
“You just stay over there you little rodent. Nobody wants you over here.” Ian said to the kitten.
Reese leaned over to Ronnie and whispered. “It’s just me and Mr. Ian in my little plane. I think putting a cat in there with him might make him jump out the window.”
Ronnie giggled. “Well, we better go get cleaned up.” He stood, picked up the kittens one by one and dropped them all in the little hay hole. Ian watched him kiss each one and say goodbye.
“They’re beautiful Ronnie.” Ian told him. “Thank you for showing them to us.”
“Yeah, maybe next time, he’ll even touch one.” Reese teased.
“That’s not gonna happen.” Ian muttered. “Those things are nasty.”
“Well, com’mon then.” Ronnie headed toward the barn door, Reese helping him heft the sturdy wood. Ian held the door open as the two stepped through. Ian took just a second to look back.
For a moment he went back in time again. He had begun to tremble when he heard Ronnie’s voice. “Mr. Ian? You comin’?”
“Yeah.” He called back. Ian took one last look, sweeping his eyes over the walls and the hay. He nodded his head. “Just an old barn.” He said out loud.
The smoky cat poked his head out of the hole and looked at Ian. Ian stared at it a moment, and the thing popped out and headed toward him. Ian slipped out the door and stuck his head back. The little cat was quickly making his way toward him.
Ian looked at the cat. “Don’t even think about it.” And quickly shut the door.
Everyone was on the porch when Ian got there. Janie looked at him and smiled. “Ever thing alright?”
“Fine.” Ian said. “Thank you. You’ve done amazing things here, but memories still come back.”
Janie nodded her head and looked at the floor of her porch. “I know. It must be hard for you.”
“It’s fine, Janie, just fine.” Ian tried to assure her. “You’ve made a beautiful family here. It’s exactly what this place needed. Knowing the love and laughter here, it helps to wipe away…” Ian shook his head. “You understand.”
She nodded her head. “You boys can change in Ronnie’s room. Ronnie you go put these away and then change clothes.”
“Okay, Mama…” he grabbed up his box and ran toward the chicken coop…er...museum, but stopped and turned to Ian. “Oh thank you so much Mr. Ian…thank you thank you thank you.”
“You’re welcome…and thank you!” And the boy was off. Ian held up the painting so Janie and Kyle could see it. “Do either of you by any chance know how this ended up here?”
“The boy and me found it in the barn, in the old tack room all wrapped up and behind some old sheet rock.” Kyle said. “Why, isn’t it yours?”
“No…but I have a match to it in my home in L.A. That’s what puzzles me. Is it possible that it belongs to Jude?” He asked Janie.
“My Daddy? I doubt it…I know he lived in that room for a while, but…well you can ask him if he comes to the service…” She was just as puzzled now as Ian was.
“I’m sure he’ll be there…he and Miz Hilary were close, almost like two peas in a pod…”
Kyle added.
“What’s all the fuss about?” Janie asked as she dried her hands on her apron.
“Mama, Mr. Ian brought me some stuff for the museum…” He placed the box, almost as long as he was tall, on the stoop and tried to open it. Reese bent down and slit open the tape and the boy tore into the box.
Ian helped him lifted the first piece out and explained as he stripped away the tissue paper. “These are what we call promo mock ups. I have one for every new TV show that the network is going to air this fall. Well…not all of them, just the one’s that I’m developing.”
“What’s a mock up?” He asked.
“It’s a blow up of the advertisements we are going to run in newspapers and magazines to tell people about the shows. They are very important because with one look we have to try and tell you all about the show and make you want to watch it.”
“Cool! And these are for me?”
“All for you, but you have to promise me that you won’t sell these to the newspaper or anything. You are the first person outside my office to see these.”
“Wow!” Ronnie pulled out each mock up and Ian explained it, how it the idea was formed and what they had decided to do. Ronnie even had a few suggestions.
“I don’t like this color.” He said. “This makes me think the show will be scary and I don’t like scary…”
“Hmmm…” Ian said. “I hadn’t thought of that, but you are right. See? I’m glad I gave these to you. You found a mistake. I’ll have to change this before my meeting next week. You’ll be a great television executive one day…”
Ronnie looked up at Ian and beamed with pride. His eyes got big. “You wanna see my kittens?” Before Ian could say no, Ronnie grabbed his hand and started dragging him toward the barn.
“Ronnie, we should start getting ready soon.” Janie said starting to put everything back in the box.
“This’ll just take a minute, Mama.” With that Ronnie and the two visitors were out of her sight.
Like it or not Ian quickly found himself in the old barn. The moment the door opened the smell wafted him back in time. Kyle had repaired and replaced much of the wood, but in Ian’s mind it was still the same place.
“Over here.” He heard Ronnie say.
Ian’s eyes scanned the walls, the smell of hay forcing his mind to scan the memories. His eyes shot to the left, the door was still there to the tack room. His head lifted to see the upper loft.
He wondered if the old corn chute was still buried in the bales there. It was his hiding place as a child, just big enough to squeeze down in and not be found. Ian had spent too many nights there, trembling in fear waiting for his Uncle Nate to either calm down or pass out.
“How many are there?” He heard Reese ask the boy.
“Just three now.” Ian finally focused on the child and his friend crouched down in the corner. “They was five, but one died and we give one away.”
When the cats heard the boy’s voice, they started popping out of a little hole the mother had made between bales. Very quickly Reese and Ronnie found themselves covered in the furry little critters.
“They old enough to give away now, and Daddy says we gots to find ‘em all homes.” The boy cuddled a smoky colored one with long hair in his arms. “This ‘ens my favorite.”
“What’s its name?” Reese asked as he scratched the ears of a yellow tabby, who in turn rolled his head to feel the scratching deeper and began to purr.
“I ain’t named him. I got to give him away, so tain’t fair to name him.” Ronnie looked up at Ian. He held the kitten out to him. “You wanna hold one, Mr, Ian?”
Ian smiled. “Uh, no thanks. I’ll just stand here and watch.”
Reese looked at Ronnie. “I think he’s afraid of cats.”
“That’s silly.” The boy said. “Are you afraid a kittens, Mr. Ian?”
“Of course not. I just never really cared for them much.”
“Aw, they ain’t gonna hurt’cha.” Ronnie reached for another flipped it over on its belly and rubbed. The little cat just rolled and purred loudly. “See? They’s as sweet as they can be.”
“I’m sure they are.” Ian said. “I just…they’re vermin with attitude. I just don’t care for them, but they’re very pretty.”
Ronnie shook his head and turned to Reese, who was enjoying playing with a little black and white furball. “That’n likes you Mr. Reese. You wan’ it? I’ll give it to ya.”
“Well, thank you Ronnie, but I’d better not.” He pointed at Ian, who was taking a step backward when the little smoky kitten bounced a step towards him.
“You just stay over there you little rodent. Nobody wants you over here.” Ian said to the kitten.
Reese leaned over to Ronnie and whispered. “It’s just me and Mr. Ian in my little plane. I think putting a cat in there with him might make him jump out the window.”
Ronnie giggled. “Well, we better go get cleaned up.” He stood, picked up the kittens one by one and dropped them all in the little hay hole. Ian watched him kiss each one and say goodbye.
“They’re beautiful Ronnie.” Ian told him. “Thank you for showing them to us.”
“Yeah, maybe next time, he’ll even touch one.” Reese teased.
“That’s not gonna happen.” Ian muttered. “Those things are nasty.”
“Well, com’mon then.” Ronnie headed toward the barn door, Reese helping him heft the sturdy wood. Ian held the door open as the two stepped through. Ian took just a second to look back.
For a moment he went back in time again. He had begun to tremble when he heard Ronnie’s voice. “Mr. Ian? You comin’?”
“Yeah.” He called back. Ian took one last look, sweeping his eyes over the walls and the hay. He nodded his head. “Just an old barn.” He said out loud.
The smoky cat poked his head out of the hole and looked at Ian. Ian stared at it a moment, and the thing popped out and headed toward him. Ian slipped out the door and stuck his head back. The little cat was quickly making his way toward him.
Ian looked at the cat. “Don’t even think about it.” And quickly shut the door.
Everyone was on the porch when Ian got there. Janie looked at him and smiled. “Ever thing alright?”
“Fine.” Ian said. “Thank you. You’ve done amazing things here, but memories still come back.”
Janie nodded her head and looked at the floor of her porch. “I know. It must be hard for you.”
“It’s fine, Janie, just fine.” Ian tried to assure her. “You’ve made a beautiful family here. It’s exactly what this place needed. Knowing the love and laughter here, it helps to wipe away…” Ian shook his head. “You understand.”
She nodded her head. “You boys can change in Ronnie’s room. Ronnie you go put these away and then change clothes.”
“Okay, Mama…” he grabbed up his box and ran toward the chicken coop…er...museum, but stopped and turned to Ian. “Oh thank you so much Mr. Ian…thank you thank you thank you.”
“You’re welcome…and thank you!” And the boy was off. Ian held up the painting so Janie and Kyle could see it. “Do either of you by any chance know how this ended up here?”
“The boy and me found it in the barn, in the old tack room all wrapped up and behind some old sheet rock.” Kyle said. “Why, isn’t it yours?”
“No…but I have a match to it in my home in L.A. That’s what puzzles me. Is it possible that it belongs to Jude?” He asked Janie.
“My Daddy? I doubt it…I know he lived in that room for a while, but…well you can ask him if he comes to the service…” She was just as puzzled now as Ian was.
“I’m sure he’ll be there…he and Miz Hilary were close, almost like two peas in a pod…”
Kyle added.
Vignette #67: Special
The flight was smooth and a little less than three hours. The airstrip was small and it had been no small feat finding a car rental place that would have something suitable waiting for them when they landed. Reese complained a little, but Ian just mused that it was just as good as the car he drove in college.
It was a thirty-five minute drive to the motel from the little private airport in Abingdon. Reese was amazed at how beautiful it was. Ian had forgotten himself, and pointed out various little places along the way that may have some interest.
Ian couldn’t wait to get to the old farm. The irony wasn’t wasted on him. It was like once he arrived he’d know how badly it hurt when the band-aid got ripped off. Until then, the echoes just bounced around inside him from place to place.
The creek beside the road reminded him of the time his Uncle caught him fishing so they’d have something to eat and beat him until he could barely fry the fish he’d caught for dinner. The old school house, now a community center, brought back memories of being beaten up by a kid one morning for his lunch, and then beat up by the same kid that afternoon because all he had were butter sandwiches. The old abandoned Five & Ten store, reminded Ian of the woman who owned it who told him that it wasn’t his fault his mama who a crazy whore who got herself killed.
As they drove up the old mountain road to the farm Ian was raised on, he felt nothing, no twangs of anxiety, no pride in returning something better than he left, and no aching sadness for those he left behind. He felt just like the air that day, so forgettable it couldn’t be forgotten.
It was finally April. The mountains didn’t seem green or ready to burst into spring. The Earth was trying hard, but it hadn’t managed to get much beyond the dirty brown of winter. Even Aunt Hil’s little yellow and grayish clapboard house seemed crispy and cold, as they passed it to the dirt road that would led back to the new house the Osborne’s had built on the nightmare Ian had come from.
By the time their rental had come to a stop, all three of the Osborne’s were standing in the front yard waiting on them. Ian introduced them to Reese, and Janie even hugged Ian told him how sorry she was. Little Ronnie could hardly contain his excitement. Ian fought hard recalling how tiny he was the last time he saw him.
Reese got the biggest kick of all out of the boy. When he asked him how old he was Ronnie smiled and said “Ten”, which, of course, he managed to get a minimum of two thick syllables out of.
“Now I’ve just made us some cornbread and soup beans. After the service we’ll all come back for a proper wake.” Janie said urging us to follow her into the house.
“Thank you, Mrs. Osborne…” Reese said.
“Aw, call me Janie…” she said letting the screen door slap closed behind her as she entered the house.
Kyle held the screen open. “Ronnie, you show these men where to wash up and hang those suit bags in your closet for me.”
“Okay, Daddy” the boy took the bags, both taller than him and struggled to get them inside.
“Here, buddy, I’ll help you, just show me where to hang them”.” Reese said helping the boy with his load.
“Okay, follow me to my room…” Reese and Ronnie disappeared inside.
“I’m sorry, but it will probably be just us and maybe Janie’s Dad at the service.” Kyle hung his head. “I doubt it Billy will make it. He called this mornin’ and said Vonnie was sick.”
“Kyle, I’m just glad you called me.” Ian put his hand on his shoulder. “This is the last place I want to be, but I don’t know that I could have lived with myself if I hadn’t come. She was the closest thing to a mother I had.”
“That’s what Janie said. I told her not to bother you at first, but I know how I would have felt, so I let her call.”
“I’m glad you did.” Ian looked around. “The place looks real nice Kyle, a real home. You’ve done well.”
“I try. Got to do right by my wife and the boy. I’m sure after we eat Ronnie will want to show you all around. You just tell him no if you don’t want to, you don’t have to give in to his every whim. It’s a rough time for you and you’ve had a long trip.”
Ian nodded his head in silent thanks as Kyle opened the screen for Ian. Once inside, Ian was overwhelmed by the smell of fresh cornbread and the salty brine of soup beans Janie was ladling into bowls around a nice little table. The house wasn’t fancy, but homey and warm, almost a shock to Ian as the drafty shack that had stood on this ground before had none of those attributes.
The five gathered around the table. Kyle lead blessing and four began to dig in. Reese turned to Ronnie. “Can you help a friend out?”
“Sure, Mr. Reese…” the boy perked up.
“I’ve never had this before. Is there a special way I’m supposed to eat it?”
“You never had soup beans and cornbread afore?” He was wide eyed.
“Not once. I’m not as privileged as you…”
“Well okay…you like onion?” He asked.
“Yes, I do.” Reese said.
Ronnie picked up the little portion of Vidalia on his plate and a knife. “Well, then you take yer onion and ya cut up up real good. Now you kin drop it in yer mug and crumble yer cornbread onit and then pour yer milk in, but I like mine right in ma soup beans.” He sliced his onion up and dropped it in the bowl.
Reese smiled. “I’ll try mine that way…” He mocked the boy’s movements. “I’ll just follow you.” And he crumbled his wedge of cornbread in his bowl just like the boy and tried a spoonful. “Mmmmm…that’s good.”
“I thought you’d like it.” Ronnie smiled. “What do you eat in California? Lotsa octopus and mary wanna?”
Ian and Reese almost choked they laughed so hard. “No, Ronnie, we’ve just forgotten how fine the simple things are.” Reese said.
Ian turned up his nose. “It’s hard to just get food sometimes, Ronnie. They fancy it all up, and sometime I just want to scream oh just throw it in a pan with some butter and put it on my plate.”
They enjoyed the rest of the meal, including a fresh apple pie that Janie had cooling on the window sill just as Ian remembered Aunt Hil doing many times. It was hot and sweet and topped with homemade vanilla ice cream Kyle had churned that morning. Reese kept telling them how he had never eaten so well.
When they were all satiated Ian asked Ronnie if he would show him the property and he squirmed until his Daddy told him it was okay. As Ian and Reese were led out the back door by a bouncing Ronnie, Janie reminded him that they had to start getting ready in an hour and to not talk the visitors ears off.
As the back door screen slammed behind them, Ian stepped into a world that wasn’t quite as he’d remembered it. When he left, the old spring house and barn were barely standing and the land behind barely kept. What lay before him now, were a fully restored barn and spring house, a cleared backyard with trimmed hedges and a freshly planted garden.
Ronnie grabbed Ian’s hand. “Com’on. Mr. Ian. Let me show you my museum!” He almost yanked Ian’s arm out of its socket racing down the path were the chicken coop used to be. When they stepped over the little bridge that had replaced the plank his Uncle had slammed down over the branch.
Ian spotted the old chicken coop there on the little knoll. It was still a little ragged, but the boy had obviously painted it in blue and gray. Ronnie stood in front of it and proudly held out his hands. “I painted it myself…in your favorite colors.”
“My favorite colors?” Ian had no idea what he was talking about, and neither did Ronnie as Ian’s favorite colors were black and red.
“Well, they aren’t the same exact colors in yer picture, but it was the closest I could find.” He said.
“My picture?” Ian asked.
“Uh huh, from that paintin you did that me and Daddy found in the barn.”
“Ronnie, I must have forgotten about that.” Ian said looking at Reese, who was just as confused as he was.
“I’ll show you…” Ronnie reached in his pocket and took a little key ring and stuck into the pad lock on the door. “Stuff in here is precious and gonna be worth a lotta money someday, so I keep it safe.”
“Good for you, boy…” Reese patted his head and tried not to laugh.
Ronnie swung the old door open, barely on its hinges and pulled the string flashing on an old overhead light. The place had been swept out and cleaned up, the old chicken nooks now filled and neatly organized with things that the boy had collected.
Ronnie went to the back wall and turned on another light. “See?” He pointed to a painting hanging on there.
Ian’s mouth dropped. He did recognize it, but it wasn’t something he had painted. “How the heck…” He said being careful to watch his language. He and Reese stepped closer and gazed at it.
“You painted this?” Reese asked staring in wonder as the swirls of different shades of blue and white and silver. “It looks just like…”
Ian nodded his head. “Ronnie, where did you say you found this?”
“In the barn, back in the old tack room, wrapped in a quilt and stuck in a nook. We almost didn’t see it. I showed it to Miz Hil, she said you musta painted it. You was always doing the most surprising things.”
Ian took it down from its little nail on the wall and held it so the boy could look. “Buddy, see this writing write here?” Ian pointed to the signature.
“Uh huh…it’s says ‘he”…”
“I think that stands for Herman Elysian. When someone does a painting they always sign it.” Ian put his hand on the back of Ronnie’s head. “I hate to disappoint you, but I didn’t do this.”
“Then blue and gray ain’t yer favorite colors?”
“Yes. Yes they are…” Ian lied. “I don’t know how this got here, but it was painted by a man who used to live in my house in California, and in my living room is a painting that this is a lot like. He called it “Untitled Masterpiece”. I don’t know why. It’s beautiful though, and this painting is just as beautiful. I think it’s my favorite of the two.”
Ronnie sighed. “So much for my pizza resistance…”
Ian and Reese controlled giggles. “I tell you what, I make you a trade.”
“Fer what?” He asked immediately becoming a business man. “It’s pretty spensive bein from a famous paintin’ maker an’ all.”
“Well, I brought some things from L.A. just for you. How bout we trade this painting for all of them?”
Ronnie little face beamed. “Deal!”
“Go run to the back seat of the car and get that big box for me and bring it to the back porch.” Reese tossed him the keys and the boy went slamming off to the front of the house.
They walked to the porch and stared at the painting together. “So where did this come from?” Sonny asked.
“I haven’t the slightest idea, but it’s a match to the one in my living room. I thought maybe it might be a series because of the title, but it’s odd that one of them turned up in my old barn.”
“You probably just bought it and forgot about it.”
“Reese, I could never afford anything like this…and no one I know could have afforded it either, let alone appreciate it. If it wasn’t Elvis or Jesus on black velvet, it wasn’t worth the effort to dust Aunt Hil always said.”
It was a thirty-five minute drive to the motel from the little private airport in Abingdon. Reese was amazed at how beautiful it was. Ian had forgotten himself, and pointed out various little places along the way that may have some interest.
Ian couldn’t wait to get to the old farm. The irony wasn’t wasted on him. It was like once he arrived he’d know how badly it hurt when the band-aid got ripped off. Until then, the echoes just bounced around inside him from place to place.
The creek beside the road reminded him of the time his Uncle caught him fishing so they’d have something to eat and beat him until he could barely fry the fish he’d caught for dinner. The old school house, now a community center, brought back memories of being beaten up by a kid one morning for his lunch, and then beat up by the same kid that afternoon because all he had were butter sandwiches. The old abandoned Five & Ten store, reminded Ian of the woman who owned it who told him that it wasn’t his fault his mama who a crazy whore who got herself killed.
As they drove up the old mountain road to the farm Ian was raised on, he felt nothing, no twangs of anxiety, no pride in returning something better than he left, and no aching sadness for those he left behind. He felt just like the air that day, so forgettable it couldn’t be forgotten.
It was finally April. The mountains didn’t seem green or ready to burst into spring. The Earth was trying hard, but it hadn’t managed to get much beyond the dirty brown of winter. Even Aunt Hil’s little yellow and grayish clapboard house seemed crispy and cold, as they passed it to the dirt road that would led back to the new house the Osborne’s had built on the nightmare Ian had come from.
By the time their rental had come to a stop, all three of the Osborne’s were standing in the front yard waiting on them. Ian introduced them to Reese, and Janie even hugged Ian told him how sorry she was. Little Ronnie could hardly contain his excitement. Ian fought hard recalling how tiny he was the last time he saw him.
Reese got the biggest kick of all out of the boy. When he asked him how old he was Ronnie smiled and said “Ten”, which, of course, he managed to get a minimum of two thick syllables out of.
“Now I’ve just made us some cornbread and soup beans. After the service we’ll all come back for a proper wake.” Janie said urging us to follow her into the house.
“Thank you, Mrs. Osborne…” Reese said.
“Aw, call me Janie…” she said letting the screen door slap closed behind her as she entered the house.
Kyle held the screen open. “Ronnie, you show these men where to wash up and hang those suit bags in your closet for me.”
“Okay, Daddy” the boy took the bags, both taller than him and struggled to get them inside.
“Here, buddy, I’ll help you, just show me where to hang them”.” Reese said helping the boy with his load.
“Okay, follow me to my room…” Reese and Ronnie disappeared inside.
“I’m sorry, but it will probably be just us and maybe Janie’s Dad at the service.” Kyle hung his head. “I doubt it Billy will make it. He called this mornin’ and said Vonnie was sick.”
“Kyle, I’m just glad you called me.” Ian put his hand on his shoulder. “This is the last place I want to be, but I don’t know that I could have lived with myself if I hadn’t come. She was the closest thing to a mother I had.”
“That’s what Janie said. I told her not to bother you at first, but I know how I would have felt, so I let her call.”
“I’m glad you did.” Ian looked around. “The place looks real nice Kyle, a real home. You’ve done well.”
“I try. Got to do right by my wife and the boy. I’m sure after we eat Ronnie will want to show you all around. You just tell him no if you don’t want to, you don’t have to give in to his every whim. It’s a rough time for you and you’ve had a long trip.”
Ian nodded his head in silent thanks as Kyle opened the screen for Ian. Once inside, Ian was overwhelmed by the smell of fresh cornbread and the salty brine of soup beans Janie was ladling into bowls around a nice little table. The house wasn’t fancy, but homey and warm, almost a shock to Ian as the drafty shack that had stood on this ground before had none of those attributes.
The five gathered around the table. Kyle lead blessing and four began to dig in. Reese turned to Ronnie. “Can you help a friend out?”
“Sure, Mr. Reese…” the boy perked up.
“I’ve never had this before. Is there a special way I’m supposed to eat it?”
“You never had soup beans and cornbread afore?” He was wide eyed.
“Not once. I’m not as privileged as you…”
“Well okay…you like onion?” He asked.
“Yes, I do.” Reese said.
Ronnie picked up the little portion of Vidalia on his plate and a knife. “Well, then you take yer onion and ya cut up up real good. Now you kin drop it in yer mug and crumble yer cornbread onit and then pour yer milk in, but I like mine right in ma soup beans.” He sliced his onion up and dropped it in the bowl.
Reese smiled. “I’ll try mine that way…” He mocked the boy’s movements. “I’ll just follow you.” And he crumbled his wedge of cornbread in his bowl just like the boy and tried a spoonful. “Mmmmm…that’s good.”
“I thought you’d like it.” Ronnie smiled. “What do you eat in California? Lotsa octopus and mary wanna?”
Ian and Reese almost choked they laughed so hard. “No, Ronnie, we’ve just forgotten how fine the simple things are.” Reese said.
Ian turned up his nose. “It’s hard to just get food sometimes, Ronnie. They fancy it all up, and sometime I just want to scream oh just throw it in a pan with some butter and put it on my plate.”
They enjoyed the rest of the meal, including a fresh apple pie that Janie had cooling on the window sill just as Ian remembered Aunt Hil doing many times. It was hot and sweet and topped with homemade vanilla ice cream Kyle had churned that morning. Reese kept telling them how he had never eaten so well.
When they were all satiated Ian asked Ronnie if he would show him the property and he squirmed until his Daddy told him it was okay. As Ian and Reese were led out the back door by a bouncing Ronnie, Janie reminded him that they had to start getting ready in an hour and to not talk the visitors ears off.
As the back door screen slammed behind them, Ian stepped into a world that wasn’t quite as he’d remembered it. When he left, the old spring house and barn were barely standing and the land behind barely kept. What lay before him now, were a fully restored barn and spring house, a cleared backyard with trimmed hedges and a freshly planted garden.
Ronnie grabbed Ian’s hand. “Com’on. Mr. Ian. Let me show you my museum!” He almost yanked Ian’s arm out of its socket racing down the path were the chicken coop used to be. When they stepped over the little bridge that had replaced the plank his Uncle had slammed down over the branch.
Ian spotted the old chicken coop there on the little knoll. It was still a little ragged, but the boy had obviously painted it in blue and gray. Ronnie stood in front of it and proudly held out his hands. “I painted it myself…in your favorite colors.”
“My favorite colors?” Ian had no idea what he was talking about, and neither did Ronnie as Ian’s favorite colors were black and red.
“Well, they aren’t the same exact colors in yer picture, but it was the closest I could find.” He said.
“My picture?” Ian asked.
“Uh huh, from that paintin you did that me and Daddy found in the barn.”
“Ronnie, I must have forgotten about that.” Ian said looking at Reese, who was just as confused as he was.
“I’ll show you…” Ronnie reached in his pocket and took a little key ring and stuck into the pad lock on the door. “Stuff in here is precious and gonna be worth a lotta money someday, so I keep it safe.”
“Good for you, boy…” Reese patted his head and tried not to laugh.
Ronnie swung the old door open, barely on its hinges and pulled the string flashing on an old overhead light. The place had been swept out and cleaned up, the old chicken nooks now filled and neatly organized with things that the boy had collected.
Ronnie went to the back wall and turned on another light. “See?” He pointed to a painting hanging on there.
Ian’s mouth dropped. He did recognize it, but it wasn’t something he had painted. “How the heck…” He said being careful to watch his language. He and Reese stepped closer and gazed at it.
“You painted this?” Reese asked staring in wonder as the swirls of different shades of blue and white and silver. “It looks just like…”
Ian nodded his head. “Ronnie, where did you say you found this?”
“In the barn, back in the old tack room, wrapped in a quilt and stuck in a nook. We almost didn’t see it. I showed it to Miz Hil, she said you musta painted it. You was always doing the most surprising things.”
Ian took it down from its little nail on the wall and held it so the boy could look. “Buddy, see this writing write here?” Ian pointed to the signature.
“Uh huh…it’s says ‘he”…”
“I think that stands for Herman Elysian. When someone does a painting they always sign it.” Ian put his hand on the back of Ronnie’s head. “I hate to disappoint you, but I didn’t do this.”
“Then blue and gray ain’t yer favorite colors?”
“Yes. Yes they are…” Ian lied. “I don’t know how this got here, but it was painted by a man who used to live in my house in California, and in my living room is a painting that this is a lot like. He called it “Untitled Masterpiece”. I don’t know why. It’s beautiful though, and this painting is just as beautiful. I think it’s my favorite of the two.”
Ronnie sighed. “So much for my pizza resistance…”
Ian and Reese controlled giggles. “I tell you what, I make you a trade.”
“Fer what?” He asked immediately becoming a business man. “It’s pretty spensive bein from a famous paintin’ maker an’ all.”
“Well, I brought some things from L.A. just for you. How bout we trade this painting for all of them?”
Ronnie little face beamed. “Deal!”
“Go run to the back seat of the car and get that big box for me and bring it to the back porch.” Reese tossed him the keys and the boy went slamming off to the front of the house.
They walked to the porch and stared at the painting together. “So where did this come from?” Sonny asked.
“I haven’t the slightest idea, but it’s a match to the one in my living room. I thought maybe it might be a series because of the title, but it’s odd that one of them turned up in my old barn.”
“You probably just bought it and forgot about it.”
“Reese, I could never afford anything like this…and no one I know could have afforded it either, let alone appreciate it. If it wasn’t Elvis or Jesus on black velvet, it wasn’t worth the effort to dust Aunt Hil always said.”
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Vignette #66: Simple
Ian felt like his body had just hit the ground. He counted to three, took a breath and then auto piloted into worker mode. Within the hour a small graveside funeral had been arranged.
He wanted flowers, lots of flowers, as Aunt Hil had loved them so. Colton reminded him that calling every flower shop in six counties in Southwest Virginia would attract attention and turn a respectful tribute into a circus.
Ian remembered how one year he had mowed yards and saved enough money to buy a simple yellow tea rose bush that he had given to his Aunt Hil on her birthday. She planted it in front of the Spring House in her back yard, where the full Virginia sun would nurture it and she could see it’s blooms first thing every morning from her kitchen window.
Kyle Osborne had agreed to transplant it at the foot of her grave in September, the first month with an “R” in it after summer, just as she had taught him—the “R”s in September, October, November and December stood for “reborn”, and Ian could then give his Aunt Hil the little yellow roses she adored every day for the rest of his life.
He had arranged a simple tombstone as well. It would be just what she wanted, stating her name and life span, nothing fancy, just dignified and strong like her. He had them add a small epitaph at the bottom. “The strongest woman God ever created, so strong she gave hope to those who needed to learn the meaning of the word.”
Ian didn’t cry. He wanted to so badly, but he just felt empty. His life was so full, and he finally had that family of heart he had heard talked about. The Shores, and his family at work; they made him laugh and helped to him feel purpose.
They even loved him. Although he didn’t feel worthy of the feeling and wasn’t sure he even knew what it was to give it back. He did the best he could and they gave him a connection to the future, but it was his past that still dangled there blowing freely in an uncreated world.
Everyone he knew all had pasts, pasts that they happily retold. They were all tales that that in the telling would give their faces a special sentimental glow. Ian's past had been shoved into the recesses of his mind with nightmares of the boogey man, never forgotten nights hiding in fear, and echoes of pain that simply bounced around in his empty soul.
With Aunt Hil gone, even his past didn’t even exist any more. What little there was worth remembering was gone. The question that haunted him the most was how could he move forward when there was nothing behind him to more forward from.
It haunted him in his sleep. He heard it calling him. “Ian…Ian…” and then it touched his shoulder. Ian felt the nightmare touch and jostle him. He sat straight up and screamed.
“Ian…Ian…it’s okay…it’s just me…Reese!” Ian opened his eyes and realized that Reese was holding him by the shoulders and Ian was screaming at the top of his lungs in terror.
You okay, buddy?” Reese was definitely concerned.
Ian took a deep breath and pulled himself together. “Yeah…yeah…you just woke me in the middle of a nightmare.”
“Must have been pretty awful…”
“It was…”
“You need help getting out of here?” Ian just looked at him not sure what he was saying, still a little groggy from the sleeping pills that Tippy insisted he take before he stepped onto Reese’s little plane.
“We’ve landed for the night. It’s almost dark, we’ve got time to rest and then about another three hours in the morning whenever you’re ready.” Reese explained.
“Oh, yeah…sure.” Ian looked around him, just to get his bearings. “Why don’t you go ahead and get refueled whatever you need done while I get my act together.”
“Already got that done, just need you…even managed to rent a car to get us around tonight.”
Reese helped Ian to stand and gather a small bag he would take with him. The rest would be safe in the plane, locked up in the hanger over night. Ian not used to taking Ambien, was way too groggy drive, so Reese would be driver of the car for the trip as well.
They drove about twenty minutes and checked in to a small hotel. Bags were taken up and then immediately back out to the car to find a nice place to relax and eat.
They had a nice meal at a little Mom and Pop diner somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Ian had no idea where they were and didn’t ask. Ian really just wanted to be alone. He was not used to sharing his misery.
Tippy had wanted the entire Shores clan to go with him. She insisted that his new family needed to pay respect to the old. After a few minutes of loving argument, Ian compromised and allowed Reese to clear his bookings and fly him to Lost Mountain and back.
“You okay, Ian?” Reese asked looking up from his pie.
“Fine, just still groggy from whatever it was your mother shoved down my throat.”
Reese studied Ian. “You’re not a very good liar.”
Ian looked at his friend and tried to reassure him. “I’m doing the best that I can, Reese, really.”
“I know you are.” Reese put down his fork and shoved the almost eaten pie to the side. “Can you handle this?”
“Don’t have much of a choice do I?”
“Do you want to talk about it? It may help.”
Ian smiled. “Thanks, but I’m fine. It’s not like I haven’t been through a death before. Every time I turn around, some one dies. You’d think that all of this would be second nature by now, but it isn’t. Aunt Hil…she was one of the few constants.”
Reese drained the last of his soft drink. “Ian, that’s not what I’m talking about. Are you going to be able to handle…you know, the other thing?”
“What other thing?” Ian looked up at Reese from the bits of crust he was pushing around his own plate with a fork.
Reese reached across the table and pushed the plate away from him. “I figured it out, or at least I’ve got a really good idea. I notice things, remember?”
Ian looked at the table, no longer able to look him in the eye. “How did you…?”
“I just put two and two together…the letter, the way it was worded. They way you trembled…just a little, and then it started to make sense to me. I never understood why you always had that look in your eyes.”
“Look?”
“Of hurt, fear, shame, it had to be more than just being a poor orphan. Hell, Mom and Dad were both raised dirt poor but they never have that look of knowing what it’s like to have your heart ripped out and the fear that it’s going to happen again.”
Reese touched Ian’s hand. Ian moved his hands from the tabletop and put them in his lap. Reese pulled his hand back over to his side. “I would, but they wouldn’t.”
Ian nodded. “Sorry. It comes and goes. I guess I’ll always wonder.”
“You made the right decision, Ian. It was good, for everyone one.”
“Things are different now. It just makes me wonder what it would be like, if…”
“Ian, if you’d made a different decision maybe things wouldn’t be the way they are now.”
Ian nodded again. “I can do this. It’ll be fine. Maybe in some small way it will help me to put it all back in the little box it came from and bury it for good.”
Reese nodded his head. “Yeah. Ready to go?”
They talked little the rest of the night. Ian read some, and Reese watched TV. They did both manage to get a few hours of sleep, but as soon as the sun came up, they packed what little they checked in with and headed back to Reese’s plane.
He wanted flowers, lots of flowers, as Aunt Hil had loved them so. Colton reminded him that calling every flower shop in six counties in Southwest Virginia would attract attention and turn a respectful tribute into a circus.
Ian remembered how one year he had mowed yards and saved enough money to buy a simple yellow tea rose bush that he had given to his Aunt Hil on her birthday. She planted it in front of the Spring House in her back yard, where the full Virginia sun would nurture it and she could see it’s blooms first thing every morning from her kitchen window.
Kyle Osborne had agreed to transplant it at the foot of her grave in September, the first month with an “R” in it after summer, just as she had taught him—the “R”s in September, October, November and December stood for “reborn”, and Ian could then give his Aunt Hil the little yellow roses she adored every day for the rest of his life.
He had arranged a simple tombstone as well. It would be just what she wanted, stating her name and life span, nothing fancy, just dignified and strong like her. He had them add a small epitaph at the bottom. “The strongest woman God ever created, so strong she gave hope to those who needed to learn the meaning of the word.”
Ian didn’t cry. He wanted to so badly, but he just felt empty. His life was so full, and he finally had that family of heart he had heard talked about. The Shores, and his family at work; they made him laugh and helped to him feel purpose.
They even loved him. Although he didn’t feel worthy of the feeling and wasn’t sure he even knew what it was to give it back. He did the best he could and they gave him a connection to the future, but it was his past that still dangled there blowing freely in an uncreated world.
Everyone he knew all had pasts, pasts that they happily retold. They were all tales that that in the telling would give their faces a special sentimental glow. Ian's past had been shoved into the recesses of his mind with nightmares of the boogey man, never forgotten nights hiding in fear, and echoes of pain that simply bounced around in his empty soul.
With Aunt Hil gone, even his past didn’t even exist any more. What little there was worth remembering was gone. The question that haunted him the most was how could he move forward when there was nothing behind him to more forward from.
It haunted him in his sleep. He heard it calling him. “Ian…Ian…” and then it touched his shoulder. Ian felt the nightmare touch and jostle him. He sat straight up and screamed.
“Ian…Ian…it’s okay…it’s just me…Reese!” Ian opened his eyes and realized that Reese was holding him by the shoulders and Ian was screaming at the top of his lungs in terror.
You okay, buddy?” Reese was definitely concerned.
Ian took a deep breath and pulled himself together. “Yeah…yeah…you just woke me in the middle of a nightmare.”
“Must have been pretty awful…”
“It was…”
“You need help getting out of here?” Ian just looked at him not sure what he was saying, still a little groggy from the sleeping pills that Tippy insisted he take before he stepped onto Reese’s little plane.
“We’ve landed for the night. It’s almost dark, we’ve got time to rest and then about another three hours in the morning whenever you’re ready.” Reese explained.
“Oh, yeah…sure.” Ian looked around him, just to get his bearings. “Why don’t you go ahead and get refueled whatever you need done while I get my act together.”
“Already got that done, just need you…even managed to rent a car to get us around tonight.”
Reese helped Ian to stand and gather a small bag he would take with him. The rest would be safe in the plane, locked up in the hanger over night. Ian not used to taking Ambien, was way too groggy drive, so Reese would be driver of the car for the trip as well.
They drove about twenty minutes and checked in to a small hotel. Bags were taken up and then immediately back out to the car to find a nice place to relax and eat.
They had a nice meal at a little Mom and Pop diner somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Ian had no idea where they were and didn’t ask. Ian really just wanted to be alone. He was not used to sharing his misery.
Tippy had wanted the entire Shores clan to go with him. She insisted that his new family needed to pay respect to the old. After a few minutes of loving argument, Ian compromised and allowed Reese to clear his bookings and fly him to Lost Mountain and back.
“You okay, Ian?” Reese asked looking up from his pie.
“Fine, just still groggy from whatever it was your mother shoved down my throat.”
Reese studied Ian. “You’re not a very good liar.”
Ian looked at his friend and tried to reassure him. “I’m doing the best that I can, Reese, really.”
“I know you are.” Reese put down his fork and shoved the almost eaten pie to the side. “Can you handle this?”
“Don’t have much of a choice do I?”
“Do you want to talk about it? It may help.”
Ian smiled. “Thanks, but I’m fine. It’s not like I haven’t been through a death before. Every time I turn around, some one dies. You’d think that all of this would be second nature by now, but it isn’t. Aunt Hil…she was one of the few constants.”
Reese drained the last of his soft drink. “Ian, that’s not what I’m talking about. Are you going to be able to handle…you know, the other thing?”
“What other thing?” Ian looked up at Reese from the bits of crust he was pushing around his own plate with a fork.
Reese reached across the table and pushed the plate away from him. “I figured it out, or at least I’ve got a really good idea. I notice things, remember?”
Ian looked at the table, no longer able to look him in the eye. “How did you…?”
“I just put two and two together…the letter, the way it was worded. They way you trembled…just a little, and then it started to make sense to me. I never understood why you always had that look in your eyes.”
“Look?”
“Of hurt, fear, shame, it had to be more than just being a poor orphan. Hell, Mom and Dad were both raised dirt poor but they never have that look of knowing what it’s like to have your heart ripped out and the fear that it’s going to happen again.”
Reese touched Ian’s hand. Ian moved his hands from the tabletop and put them in his lap. Reese pulled his hand back over to his side. “I would, but they wouldn’t.”
Ian nodded. “Sorry. It comes and goes. I guess I’ll always wonder.”
“You made the right decision, Ian. It was good, for everyone one.”
“Things are different now. It just makes me wonder what it would be like, if…”
“Ian, if you’d made a different decision maybe things wouldn’t be the way they are now.”
Ian nodded again. “I can do this. It’ll be fine. Maybe in some small way it will help me to put it all back in the little box it came from and bury it for good.”
Reese nodded his head. “Yeah. Ready to go?”
They talked little the rest of the night. Ian read some, and Reese watched TV. They did both manage to get a few hours of sleep, but as soon as the sun came up, they packed what little they checked in with and headed back to Reese’s plane.
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