Читать книгу Jewel - Myrna G. Raines - Страница 4

After what seemed like she’d waited forever, Shannon heard the wagon coming down the lane and flung open the door. Clay jumped to the ground off the back of the wagon with Uncle Clive and Aunt Dorie hurriedly climbing down off the high seat. Shannon was never so glad to see anybody in all her life. Uncle Clive would know what to do about Mommy and Daddy. And Clay was home and in her little mind Clay knew everything. He went to school when Daddy could get him down off the mountain. Sometimes it snowed too much, or it rained so hard it washed out the road in places. Daddy called them gully washers. “We’re sure in for a gully washer,” he’d say to Mommy. She didn’t know what that meant but the way he said it meant that it was real bad.

Uncle Clive ran into the house and went straight to Mommy and Daddy’s bed. He felt them, then turned around and shook his head at Aunt Dorie, his hands running back through his hair as if to erase what he knew to be true.

“Oh Lord, Dorie! Get ’em young’uns outta here!” he yelled at his wife. Shannon saw his face crumple up before he could turn away from them, and a sound come out of his mouth like something was caught in his craw. Aunt Dorie grabbed up Nate and quickly shoved them out the door onto the porch. Shannon wondered what in the world was wrong with her Uncle Clive. She’d never heard nobody make that funny noise before. Aunt Dorie was standing there holding Nate, and Clay and Shannon were holding onto her dress, just staring at the door to the cabin.

They all jumped when they heard Uncle Clive cry out, “Goddamn it, Clay! Why? Why’d ya do it!” and hit something with his fist a few times. It scared them but Aunt Dorie said not to pay any attention to it. He was just mad.

Mad at Daddy and Mommy? Uncle Clive never got mad at them. Was he so mad he wouldn’t help them? And why’d they have to stay outside? Was Daddy gonna puke or something? Is that why Uncle Clive was mad? Shannon didn’t get mad very much, but she hated to see anybody puke. If Daddy was gonna puke, he was really bad sick. She just hated to puke herself. She hated that icky feeling in her belly and then that awful tasting stuff coming out of her mouth. Shannon thanked the baby Jesus that she didn’t hardly ever puke. Once Nate puked and it even come out his nose. Ewww! That was awful! About made her puke, too.

Aunt Dorie stuck her head back in the door and said she’d have to get the kids some clothes on because it was too cool out there for them to be running around in just their underwear. “Clay’s prob’ly already caught his death, runnin’ all the way to our house without no shirt on.” Shannon looked and saw that Aunt Dorie had put one of her sweaters on him and it come all the way down past his knees. He musta been froze when he got there.

Dorie looked in the dresser drawers and found some outfits to put on them. Short overalls and shirts for Clay and Nate and a dress for Shannon that was made out of the same material as the feed sack that was over the cake. Tears were running down out of Aunt Dorie’s eyes and she was shaking like a leaf. It must be hard for her to see because she missed the arm holes a few times when she was dressing them. What was she crying for? Uncle Clive didn’t leave her home by herself. Must be the sun making her eyes water so much. Shannon’s eyes watered when she looked at the sun. And it was shining really bright that morning. It was gonna be another scorcher, as Daddy always said.

Clay wanted to go back in the house with Uncle Clive to see about Mommy and Daddy, but Aunt Dorie wouldn’t let him. So they sat down on the porch and played with Nate who was sitting on Aunt Dorie’s lap. She sat in Mommy’s rocking chair that Uncle Clive had handed out to Clay from the cabin so she’d have a place to sit down.

What was their uncle doing in there? Shannon listened and listened but didn’t hear her daddy’s voice, or her mommy’s. They wasn’t saying nothing. Every so often they’d hear a funny noise, and if Shannon didn’t know better, she’d swear that Uncle Clive was crying. It sure sounded like it. But men don’t cry. Why would he be crying? And why couldn’t they go in the cabin like he was? Why’d they have to stay on the porch?

It wasn’t long before Nate started to fuss and Aunt Dorie was bouncing him up and down on her knee trying to get him quieted down some. Shannon told Aunt Dorie that he was probably hungry. “He only had one tit a little bit ago. You better take ’im back in there and let ’im have the other one or he’s gonna haul off in a minute and howl.”

Aunt Dorie looked at her like she was in for it. Then her face crunched up like she was gonna bust out crying again, and hugged Nate against her and muttered something that sounded like “poor little thing”. But she straightened right up and told Shannon that ‘tit’ was not a nice word to say.

“Well, Mommy say’s sugar tit all the time. Is she sayin’ somethin’ wrong?” Clay asked his Aunt Dorie. He couldn’t understand why it was okay for Mommy to say that and for Shannon to get bawled out for saying it.

“That’s completely different, Clay. Only vulgar folks call a woman’s breast a tit. Sugar tit is okay to say.” But Clay couldn’t see what the difference could be since they were both the same word. Dorie looked down to where Shannon had sat down on the top step. “Do you understand, Shannon?”

“Yes, ma’am.” But she didn’t. She just said what Mrs. Waters, her Sunday school teacher, told them to say when somebody asked them a question. ‘Yes, ma’am and no, ma’am. Yes, sir and no, sir.’ She had that down pat and was pretty proud of herself. Even though it wasn’t time for her to go to school yet, she knew stuff too, like Clay did. She could even read some words because of all the newspapers on the wall. Every time they got a new newspaper pasted on the wall, she was always asking her mommy what this word or that word was. Didn’t take her long to learn them. Daddy said she was smart like Clay, Jr. It made her grin a country mile when he said that. Nothing tickled Shannon more than being bragged on.

Aunt Dorie handed the baby to Clay and told him to sit in the rocking chair and rock him while she went inside for a minute. They couldn’t understand why they couldn’t go back in the cabin if she could run in and out any time she wanted to, but Aunt Dorie told them to stay put, so they did. In a few minutes, she was back outside with fresh tears and the glass bottle that Daddy had bought for Nate sometime last month. Mommy hadn’t used it much, but Daddy said something about the baby having teeth now and was getting too big for the tit. Daddy grabbed Mommy and said that he could have them back now. Like Daddy wanted tits when everygody knew men didn’t have no use for tits. Uh, breasts. Sometimes Daddy was so funny.

The bottle was full so Aunt Dorie had to have gone out the back door and to the cellar to get the milk because there wasn’t none in the house. Shannon had looked for some. There was some water in a jar on the table but it smelled funny, so she didn’t drink none, just got her a dipper of water out of the bucket. Nate started drinking the milk like he was starved to death and hadn’t even been fed that morning. Clay and Shannon saw that he was pretty happy sitting there with Aunt Dorie, so they got down off the porch and started running all around the yard playing tag, ducking behind the two pink dogwood trees that weren’t very big. Daddy had planted them when he came back from overseas when the war ended.

They had run around back when Clive came out of the cabin and spoke to Dorie, a look of denial and disbelief on his grief-stricken face. “They’re both gone, Dorie, but I reckon you know that. Wood alcohol, I figure. You sure can smell ’at moonshine and I poured what little was left out back. If’n them kids had got ahold o’ that! Makes me so goddamned mad that I could kill that dirty son o’ bitch where Clay got it if I had hold o’ him right now!”

“Are ya sure, Clive? Coulda been somethin’ else, couldn’t it?”

“What else? They was drinkin’. You smelled it in there, Dorie. Ya had to. Ain’t nothin’ else that’d kill ’em ’at fast. ’Sides, I seen it before, years ago. Lem Manning down on Ten Mile died o’ drinkin’ ’at stuff when I was somewhere ’round twelve or so. He was some kin to Daddy and he took me with him down there when Lem died.”

“I ’spect yer right, then. Lord, these poor young’uns!” She hugged little Nate closer and he snuggled up against her.

“Looks like he went first ’cause she ain’t been dead that long. Clay prob’ly drunk more o’ that stuff than she did and more ’an likely started sooner. By the time he got sick, she was prob’ly too sick herself to do somethin’ ’bout it. I’m surprised they even got to the bed. Musta figured they’d sleep it off.”

“They’ll sleep it off, aw’right, Clive,” Dorie stated facetiously, and Clive gave her a dirty look and then shook his head.

“I saw him down in Big Bend yesterday and I told him not to buy that rotgut offn ’at man, that he wasn’t from these parts, but he wouldn’t listen. He said he’d bought it off’n ’at guy before and there wasn’t nothin’ wrong with it. But that’s the way they do ya. Give ya a good half gallon jar to get ya to buy what he’s sellin’ the next time. No tellin’ what was in this batch. They’ll put anythin’ in it to sell it ’cause they don’t care nothin’ ’bout the folks that buys it. Jus’ filthy lucre, that’s all them dirty bastards thinks ’bout.”

Clive walked over and put his hand around the porch post just looking out front toward the well tended garden that Clay had planted earlier and was just starting to come up good. “I wish to God that Clay hadn’t took up drinkin’ when he was in the Navy. He’d be alive right now if’n he didn’t. Hell, you know I even tried to talk him outta enlistin’ ’cause o’ the kids. I talked till I was blue in the face ’bout him drinkin’ too much, but he said he seen terr’ble things you couldn’t even think ’bout over there and did some things that was even worser so they all drunk to get it off their mind. They went to sleep ever night, he said, thinkin’ it might be them blowed all to hell the next day and sent home in a pine box. Mighta been easier to take if that was the way he went and not like this. Clay changed when he was over there, Dorie. That war did somethin’ to ’im. Never was the same.” He teared up again and turned back toward his wife. “You know, I bet they ain’t the only ones we’re gonna find out that died last night, and that goddam swindler ain’t gonna be nowhere to be found! I told Clay and told Clay to never trust a stranger, but he thought he knew it all ’cause he’d been overseas. I wish I could jus’ turn back the time, Dorie! I’d beat Clay to a pulp before I let ’im buy that stuff!”

“Clive, we cain’t help what other people do. You know ’at.” She wanted to help him so badly, but there was nothing she could do. “Oh Lordy, Clive! I never thought. I been sittin’ here wonderin’ why Macie drunk that stuff. Then it hit me like a ton o’ bricks. It was her birthday yesterday. She told me ’bout it last week and even asked if we wanted to come over, that she was plannin’ on bakin’ a cake, but I knew Clay would prob’ly be drinkin’. Tell the truth, I fergot all ’bout it. We all know Clay drinks more ’an he ought to, but Macie never drinks, Clive. I bet he talked her into it fer her birthday. What are we gonna tell these young’uns? That their mommy and daddy was poisoned? Or if truth be told, that they poisoned theirselves? What are we gonna tell ’em?” She shifted Nate to the other arm. He’d fallen asleep while drinking his bottle.

“We’re gonna tell ’em they went to live with Jesus and that’s all we’re gonna tell ’em, Dorie. I don’t want those kids growin’ up mad at their Mommy and Daddy ’cause some greedy idget sold Clay poison moonshine. If we don’t say nothin’ ’bout it, maybe it’ll all pale in time. Do you ’member much ’bout what happened when you was seven? You’d sure recollect poison, though.” Dorie sat there and shook her head, agreeing with her husband.

“We gotta take the kids home with us fer the time bein’. Since you’re expectin’ and yer mom and dad are so bad off, we can’t keep ’em all the time. I jus’ don’t know what to do, Dorie.”

He walked out into the yard like he had the weight of the world on him and stood for a few minutes just staring down the hill. His head fell down on his chest and Dorie could see his shoulders shaking. She started to get up and go to him, but she had the sleeping baby in her lap and what he was feeling wasn’t nobody on earth that could help him. Only the good Lord and time could do that.

After a few minutes he turned back around and spoke to her, his face ravaged by the pain of losing his only brother. “I reckon I’ll have to write to Jewel and I hate like hell tellin’ her ’bout Clay. The young’uns has got to go to her. She’s the only one that’s got any money to keep ’em with. She’ll have to take ’em in.”

“Pshaw!” Dorie’s face spoke volumes of what she thought of that idea. “You think yer sister’s gonna take in these young’uns, Clive? Jewel ain’t gonna take these kids, no matter what,” Dorie said with a frown. “She left here when she wasn’t nothin’ but a young’un herself and she ain’t gonna take in Clay’s kids. Ain’t even been back here, ain’t never even seen ’em. You’d be wastin’ paper and a stamp writin’ to her. Jewel got so she hated us all, if you remember. Don’t you recollect that she wrote that awful letter and called us lowlife, ig’nart mountain folks or did you forgit that? She’s prob’ly so high and mighty now she’d stick her nose up in the air and wouldn’t even speak to us if’n she passed us on the road.”

“I ain’t forgot ’bout that letter, Dorie. But she was prob’ly jus’ mockin’ what that old man told her. Jewel wouldn’t never think ’at stuff up by herself. I jus’ can’t see her gettin’ above her raisin’.” He walked back and crossed his arms on the banister of the porch, looking up at his wife. “She sends us Christmas cards. Don’t that mean she ain’t forgot ’bout us? Clay was her brother, same as mine, and like I told ya before, he took care o’ her one time fer two years like a baby. She’s gonna have to do her duty. Either that or they’ll go to a orphan’s home. We sure can’t take ’em fer any length o’ time ’cause o’ yer mommy and daddy. I wish to God we could ’cause I hate to see ’em raised by strangers.”

Clay and Shannon ran back around the house telling their Aunt Dorie and Uncle Clive that there was puke all over the back steps. They just looked at each other because Dorie had had to step over it when she went to get the milk from the cellar. Clive had seen it and thought the worst thing they coulda done was puke that stuff back up. But how do you stop yourself from puking when you got to? Their bowels had let go when they’d died and he swore he saw blood on the mattress. He thanked the good Lord that those young’uns hadn’t pulled down them covers.

Clive looked at the kids and didn’t say anything except that they would have to go home with them for awhile. Was Mommy and Daddy that sick? No, they’d gone to live with Jesus. Clay got mad, becoming very indignant, and argued with his Uncle Clive, saying that his mommy and daddy wouldn’t go live with Jesus without taking them. Shannon cried as her Aunt Dorie handed the baby to Clive and went back into the house to gather up what clothing she could find for the kids. Shannon didn’t want to go with them. She wanted to stay in the cabin, but Uncle Clive said they had to go. Why couldn’t they kiss Mommy and Daddy goodbye then, she asked her Uncle Clive.

“’Cause ya jus’ can’t. Jesus done took ’em.”

Uncle Clive was lying. Jesus didn’t come take them yet. Shannon could see her daddy’s bare feet through the door when Aunt Dorie opened it. Wanting at least to go tell them bye, she started to run back into the cabin. Shannon got as far as the steps when her Uncle Clive caught her by the arm and swung her around because he had baby Nate in his other arm. Holding onto her wrist, he practically dragged her all the way to the wagon they’d brought with them, lifted her up with one hand and set her down in the back and told her in no uncertain terms not to move. He did the same with Clay, Jr. which set both of them to crying their eyes out; not knowing exactly what was in store for them. Their whole world had fallen apart because Jesus done come and took Mommy and Daddy. Why’d He do that?

“Now you young’uns stay put!” Clive snapped at them. “This is hard enough without y’all actin’ up. I gotta do what’s best for ya since I’m about all y’all got left in the world.” They sat there and stared up at him, snubbing, trying not to cry because they could see that Uncle Clive was getting awful put out with them. And they sure didn’t want a whipping!

After a few minutes Dorie came out of the cabin with three pokes in her arms and Clive grabbed them and put the brown paper sacks in the wagon beside them. Shannon looked and saw that her clothes was in one bag and the others belonged to Clay and Nate. Their shoes stuck up out of the tops of the bags except Nate’s because he didn’t have no shoes.

Clay helped Dorie onto the wagon seat and handed Nate up to her. When he’d got all settled and started up the lane, he turned to Dorie. “I’ll take y’all home then I have to come back ’round here and feed the chickens and pigs. And th’ cow’s gotta be milked. Can’t let that go. After that, I gotta go down to Big Bend and see what I can find out about that feller that sold that stuff to Clay and break the bad news to Macie’s family. I sure dread doin’ ’at. And I need to see about somebody comin’ to get ’em. Don’t know how we’re gonna pay fer all this. I’ll call the funeral home at West Hamlin from the store. Mr. Simmons will open it up fer me even if it’s Sunday when I tell ’im ’bout Clay and Macie. I might have to take ’em down to Big Bend in the wagon. Go ‘round and get Sid Adkins to help.”

Clive was tore all to pieces, but he had to hold himself together. The kids wouldn’t understand and the last thing he wanted was to get them in an uproar again. They were sitting real quiet back there probably because they was scared to death he’d whip them. He’d never laid a hand on either one of them but right now they didn’t even know what was going on. With him so mad he shook all over, his knuckles on the horse’s reins were strained white where he was gripping them like he was taking out all his frustration on them reins.

“Senseless! Jus’ senseless!” Clive whispered to Dorie through his teeth. “It’s bad enough when people die from somethin’ likely or a accident, but this ain’t nothin’ but a downright waste o’ life!” The tears were pouring and he was fighting to keep from sobbing. Dorie laid her head against his shoulder, reaching over to pat his leg. It was all she could do.

Then her head come up like she’d been shot, emitting a bewildered sound. Clive turned to her, startled at the sudden outburst, and yelled, “What? What is it?”

“Oh, Lord, Clive.” She leaned over real close to him and barely whispered. “Shannon said that Nate nussed from his mommy this mornin’. It musta been after she was dead. Won’t he be poisoned, too?” She held Nate out in front of her, turning him all around, looking at him all over. He was just happily grinning at her like he didn’t have a care in the world.

“Don’t look like it hurt him none so far,” Clive said, “but we better keep a eye on him today.”

Neither of them knew that the cow’s milk bottle she fed him could have possibly helped baby Nate. Or maybe the moonshine Macie drank didn’t have time to get into her milk. He never got sick at all, but it might have been that he didn’t drink that much from his mommy or perhaps Shannon had been wrong and he didn’t get any milk from her at all. Maybe that was why he took to that bottle like he hadn’t eat all morning. But Dorie watched him all that day for any signs of a bellyache. She saw none.

What Shannon didn’t understand was why they couldn’t stay in the cabin. Why did they have to go and stay with Uncle Clive and Aunt Dorie when they had a house? She could even change Nate’s diaper. Aunt Dorie had told her that they would have their own bedroom, and that they were going to set up a little bed for Nate and she’d told the truth. When they’d got to Aunt Dorie’s house, the day that Mommy and Daddy wouldn’t wake up, everything was like she said, but Uncle Clive had to put together the bed for Nate that they’d got off Dorie’s cousin when she said she was finally expecting. He put it in the room they slept in though because Aunt Dorie would have to get up and fix Nate a bottle because she didn’t have no milk in her tits. Uh, breasts. Gosh! She was going to have to learn to say breasts, even when she was just thinking it.

When Uncle Clive left to go into Big Bend, Clay, Jr. and Shannon were sent out to play and they sifted sand from the road through a piece of screen that Aunt Dorie gave them to play with. They wouldn’t be going to church that day. They chased the dogs then the dogs chased them and when Aunt Dorie milked the cows she squirted some of the warm milk from the cow’s tits straight into their mouths. Mommy hadn’t ever done that. Did cows have tits or breasts? Shannon wondered about that. She was afraid to ask Aunt Dorie about it because she might get mad again and scrunch up her face. The milk was real warm and that surprised Shannon. Milk was supposed to be cold and that started a spate of questions and Aunt Dorie never did answer them, just shook her head.