Читать книгу Cat - R C Hilty - Страница 7
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After breakfast Cat and Ben went squirrel hunting in the woods behind their house. Ben liked to hunt once in a while but the computer used up most of his spare time. When he did go, Cat would always get the first squirrel. This irritated him a bit. Cat not only was a better shot than Ben but a little quicker and spotted the squirrels first. It was going to be different this time. Ben placed a piece of black tape over the lens of Cat’s rifle scope then put the lens cap back on. He could barely keep from laughing because he knew he was going to get the first squirrel this time. It wasn’t long until Cat spotted a squirrel sitting on a branch. Cat took aim, but she couldn’t see anything through the tape over the end of the scope.
“What the…?”
Ben saw the squirrel and shot it. He started walking over to pick it up, laughing all the way. Cat removed the tape. She took careful aim and shot Ben’s knife off his belt. She reloaded and put a bullet in the handle while it was on the ground.
Ben turned around. “What the hell are you doing? Trying to kill me?”
“Never mess with my rifle or anything else that is mine. I ain’t trying to kill you, or you’d be dead. Besides that, ain’t got time for a funeral.”
“You ruined my knife. I just bought it. It’s brand-new!”
“You can still use it, the blade’s fine. Just sand the handle down. The bullet will give it character. Maybe when you use it from now on, you’ll remember not to touch my stuff.”
“I guess.” Ben picked up his knife and the squirrel.
Betty knew something was up when the kids came back so soon and with only one squirrel. She cornered Ben and asked him what was wrong. Betty was not at all happy when she found out what happened.
Betty yelled, “Catherine, get in here!”
Cat knew that tone, plus Mom called her Catherine. I’m in big trouble! “Yes, Mom.”
“You sit there,” pointing to a chair. “Ben, over there.”
Betty walked over to the door and yelled at Dave, who was working on the lawn mower. “Dave, get in here!”
Dave walked into the house. “What’s up?”
“Do you know what your daughter did?”
“My daughter?”
“Yes, your daughter. She almost killed Ben.”
“Mom, if Cat was trying to kill me, you’d be making funeral arrangements instead of yelling at us.”
Dave was doing his best to keep a straight and serious face. Ben was right, but it was a stupid stunt. It wasn’t easy raising an “Annie Oakley.” It didn’t matter what punishment Dave came up with. It wouldn’t be good enough for Betty. She was more scared than mad. The kids were her life. If anything would happen to them…well, Dave didn’t want to think about it.
“All right, Cat. You know better.”
“I do, but Ben made me mad.”
“You’re going to have to get your anger under control. If you don’t, it’s going to get the best of you.”
Cat put her head down. “Yes, Dad.”
“And, Ben, you know that Cat doesn’t like anybody messing with her stuff.”
“But, Dad, she is always trying to one-up me.”
“Oh, the joy of sibling rivalry.”
“Cat, you gonna do another stupid stunt like this again?”
Cat looked down at the floor. “No, Dad. I’m sorry.”
“Ben, you gonna stay out of your sister’s stuff?”
“Yes, Dad.”
“All right then. Cat, bring me your rifle. Ben, get your laptop.”
“Why?”
“Just do it.”
Ben got his laptop and Cat her rifle. Dave took them. “You’ll get them back in a week. That should give you time to think about how stupid you two were.”
Cat and Ben both wailed, “Daaaad.”
“You wanna try for two weeks?”
“No.”
“Very well, now get out of here.”
Betty said, “Is that all?”
“What you want me to do, give ’em twenty lashes?”
“I give up.” Betty shook her head as she went back to the kitchen. It looked like there was going to be a lot of bake goods around.
Cat never pulled a stunt like that on her brother again. Ben thought it best to leave Cat’s stuff alone.
*****
Cat found herself in front of Judge Bean again.
“Well, Cat, I see you decided to try fishing in the habitat area. I’m sure you have read your student handbook. You know that the only time fishing is allowed is during the parent-student picnic weekend or other days specified by the school, right?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“So what did you take out of the pond?”
“Two bass and three catfish.”
“You know, you did such a good job at the park, I think I will sentence you to eight more hours of community service. Keep this up, and all the benches should be painted before winter.”
“Yes, Your Honor. Saturday morning, eight thirty?”
“That will be fine. Tell your dad it’s his turn to buy coffee.”
“Okay.” She left the courthouse. I knew I was doing too good of a job.
*****
Mike came into town and dropped off his grocery list. He bought a paper and a cup of coffee. He walked over to the bench he always sat on. On the back of the bench painted in black letters was his name. The bench looked real nice, as did all the ones Cat had painted. As he went to sit down, he noticed a bag. He opened it. Inside were a doughnut and a note that read, “Sorry.”
Cat was watching from a distance to see what the reaction would be. Mike just sat the bag back down and began reading the paper. Every time he took a sip of coffee, he would look at the bag. When he was just about done with his coffee, he opened up the bag, took out the doughnut, and ate it. He wadded up the bag and threw it in the trash.
As Mike walked toward the store, Cat met him.
“Good morning.”
“That’s what you think.”
“How are you today?”
“Ain’t none of your business.”
*****
Cat was reading the community bulletin board to see if there were any rifle contests coming up. Judge Bean walked up.
“Good morning, Cat.”
“Hi, Judge.”
“Hey, I would like to talk to you, if you have a minute.”
“I ain’t in trouble, am I?”
“Should you be?”
“I’ll plead the Fifth.”
Judge Bean laughed. “I was wondering if you could do me a favor.”
“What’s that?”
“Widow Johnson’s place is on your way home. Her husband was killed in a mining accident a couple of weeks ago. I have some food that I’m sure she can use. Would you drop it off to her?”
“Sure, that’s fine with me, but I’ll have to ask Dad.”
“I’ve already talked to him. He said that’ll be fine. I’ll be over at the courthouse when you’re ready to leave. If you have time, would you mind helping her around the house a little? She has three children. I’m sure she’d appreciate it.”
“I can do that. Oh, Judge…”
“Yes?”
“I would like to get to know Mike. You have any suggestions on how I can do that?”
“Grumpy Mike?”
“Yeah, I painted his name on his bench and left a doughnut with a note that said I was sorry. I said good morning to him, but he was still rude to me.”
“I hope you like a challenge. If you can get him to overcome his bitterness and start enjoying life again, well, that would be a Godsend.”
“Any ideas?”
“Maybe, I don’t know if it would work or not.”
“I’m willing to give it a try.”
“A few years ago a stray dog came up to my house. I didn’t want him around, so I didn’t feed him. I chased him away. He kept coming back no matter what I did. Every time I opened the door in the morning, he was there. I’d come home at night he was there. So I either had to let him stay or shoot him. I brought him in fed him, cleaned him up, and took him to the vet. You know, that’s the most loyal dog I ever had.”
“So I should keep trying till Mike opens up or shoots me?”
Judge Bean laughed. “I don’t think he’ll go that far, might threaten it though. The most he would do is file charges for stalking or trespassing. I doubt that would even happen. I think he stays in his shell because he doesn’t want to get attached to anything for fear of losing it. He has lost everything he has ever cared for.”
“Okay, thanks. Dad and I will be over to the court house in a bit.”
*****
Widow Johnson answered Cat’s knocking on the door. “Hello.”
“Hi, I have some food that Judge Bean asked me to drop off for you and your kids.”
“Oh, you must be Cat. The judge said you might be by.”
“It’s in my dad’s truck. I’ll go get it.”
Dave and Cat brought the food into the house. “Just set it on the table. Thank you.”
Cat asked, “Anything I can help you with?”
“Not really, but I wouldn’t mind some company for a bit.”
Dave asked Cat, “You want me to come back after ya?”
“No. I’ll just cut through the back.”
“Okay, I’ll see you later. Be careful.”
Cat waved at Dave as he drove away. Widow Johnson asked, “Care for a cup of coffee? I just made a fresh pot.”
“That sounds good.”
“Cream, sugar?”
“No, black is fine.”
One of the boys walked up to Cat. “Who are you?”
Cat laughed. “I’m Cat. I brought some food from town for ya.”
“Why they call you Cat? You ain’t no cat. You’re a people.”
Cat laughed even harder. “That’s my nickname, short for Catherine.”
Widow Johnson shook her head. “Go play with your brother.” She turned to Cat. “Don’t have to wonder what’s on his mind.”
“Oh, that’s okay. How old is he?”
“Seven, has to work on his grammar and manners. My oldest boy is eleven. I also have a daughter who just turned four.”
“Looks like you have your hands full.”
“Yes, I do. I sure appreciate what the town and church has done since my husband passed.”
“If there is anything you’d like me to do, let me know.”
“Thank you, I will keep that in mind.”
“I’ll help you put this stuff way.”
“Thank you. There is something you could do. The town has been very generous with food, but the boys have been wanting some meat. My husband used to hunt a lot. The boys used to go with him. I don’t want them to go by themselves. Judge Bean says you like to hunt.”
“You could say that’s how we got to know each other.”
Widow Johnson laughed. “Yeah, he told me you have been in front of his bench a couple times.”
“Yeah, we’ll go with a couple.”
“Would you mind getting me a couple squirrels, rabbits, or whatever’s in season?”
“No, I’d be glad to.”
“That’d be great. Thank you. I know the boys will like it.”
“I had better get going. Thanks for the coffee. I will see if I can get a couple squirrels for you tomorrow after school.”
“You’re welcome. Now, don’t get them out of the wildlife area.”
Cat laughed. “I take it Judge Bean told you quite a bit about me.”
“A little.”
“See ya tomorrow.”
The next day after school, Cat took a couple of squirrels over to Widow Johnson’s. While she was there, she helped the widow finish up the dishes. Widow Johnson poured Cat a cup of coffee.
“Can you stay and talk a little?”
“Sure.”
“Good, it’s nice to have a conversation with someone that isn’t calling me mom. Don’t get me wrong, I love my kids.”
“That’s not a problem. I like kids.”
“They really miss their dad. Of course I do too. My boys especially, they miss the weekends he would take them camping, fishing, and hunting.”
“I’m sure they do. Say, do you have a freezer?”
“Yes, I do, a small chest freezer. Why?”
“Oh, I was just having a thought.”
“Now, don’t get yourself in trouble for me.”
“Nah, don’t worry. Thanks for the coffee, I have to get going. I’ll be back.”
“You’re welcome.”
On the way home, Cat had a lot of things on her mind. It would be a lot easier to just get a deer and fill Widow Johnson’s freezer. That would probably get her into more trouble than painting a few benches. Getting to know Mike and convincing him to teach her what he knew about long-range shooting was another thing that was on her mind. She didn’t really know if the stray dog tactic would work or not.
Since Mike’s place was on her way home, she decided to sneak in and check it out. The pond was about one-quarter of a mile from his house. It was a really nice and well kept. The pond was so clear you could see to the bottom in parts of it. He had trails throughout the woods and lots and lots of squirrels. This place is great! There was even a rifle range. It looked as though it had been a while since it had been used. I will just have to find a way to get to know him.
*****
Betty yelled, “Breakfast’s ready. I have to work today. Anybody want a ride to town?”
Cat replied, “Yeah, I do.”
Ben said, “Me too, I want to check if there are any new games at the library I can download.”
Betty put the food on the table. “Check and see if Liz sent any e-mails.”
“Oh, all right.”
Betty turned toward Cat. “Gonna pester that old man again? You must be getting to him. Some of my customers said that he’s been complaining about a girl that won’t mind her own business and keeps bothering him.”
“If he’s talking about me, maybe it’s working.”
“What kind of doughnut you want this morning?
“The maple cream.”
“Okay, I will put it in a bag for you, and you can stop at the diner and pick it up.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Mike was getting used to the doughnut being on the bench. One day when Cat was running late, Mike stayed by the store until she put the doughnut on the bench.
As Cat was walking out of the library, Judge Bean stopped her.
“How’s the plan of softening up Mike coming along?”
“I really don’t know for sure.”
“Well, you didn’t hear it from me, but he does enjoy those doughnuts he finds on his bench. He also likes his name on the bench even if he won’t admit it.”
“How do you know?”
“’Cause he bitches about it every time he sees me.”
Cat laughed. “I guess it’s time for phase 2.”
“Phase 2? Never mind, probably be better I didn’t know.”
“Probably not.”
“I’m sure he’ll tell me about it.”
*****
For no longer than Cat had lived down here, she knew the backwoods pretty well. There were old logging roads as well as abandoned mines. Her first mission would be to get Widow Johnson some venison. Then she would work on phase 2 of getting to know Mike.
One evening, as Cat was leaving with her .410 shotgun, her mom asked, “Where you going at this time of the evening?”
“I thought I would do a little exploring. No school tomorrow, teachers’ conference.”
“I take it you plan on staying all night in the woods.”
“Planned on it, I was going to let you know after I got my backpack packed.”
“Yeah, your dad and I have given up on you asking.”
“Mom, you know that if you tell me to stay home, I will. I always let you know where I’m going.”
“Yeah, the woods.”
“I have my cell phone that you make me take with me.”
“I just worry about you.”
“Mom, I’ll be fine.”
Cat kissed her mom and went out the back door. Betty was having a hard time getting used to the fact that her baby was growing up.
*****
Cat had found a trail that was overgrown with brush and vines. It was not too far from their property line that bordered on state ground. She had found it off an old logging road while she was hunting. It went down to a valley, which had plenty of grass for deer. This was what she called the back way into the valley. It was also accessible from a logging road that ran on the other side. She set up camp in a small cave, then she hiked over to the other side of the valley to a patch of pine trees that had been planted by the mining company.
She sat down by a big rock that was in between two tall pine trees. This will be great. The deer will come down this trail. This was the first time that she had taken a deer out of season or at night, convincing herself that just because it was illegal didn’t mean that it was wrong. After all, Widow Johnson’s family did need the meat. Surely, she was not the only one that had done this. It was also getting exciting for her. Would she be able pull this off? How great it would have been to live 150 years earlier. No game laws—very few laws, period—and to find a piece of ground and build a cabin. Live off the land. Of course, there were a lot of things that were taken for granted in modern times that wasn’t around back then. Then again, you can’t miss anything you’ve never had.
This was not the first time she had sat in this valley in the moonlight. There was always activity at night, coyotes howling and raccoons wandering around. It was very peaceful with the moon casting shadows in the valley from the tall pine trees. Her thoughts were interrupted when a buck walked out into the moonlight. He was huge. His antlers were so large it looked as if he had trees on his head. The moon reflected its light off of them. Cat’s heart was racing. She had never seen anything that big. He walked with pride. He looked toward Cat, raised his head, and sniffed the air. Cat knew he had spotted her. For what seemed like an hour, they just stared at each other. Time seemed to stand still. She wanted to get a better look at him. She brought her shotgun up to her shoulder and looked through the scope. “Wow!”
Cat was after meat. This was not the time to be thinking of a wall hanger. Taking him at night would not be right. He should be taken in season during legal shooting hours. Still, she was in awe of how he just stood there. It was as though they were communicating with each other.
“I am going to call you the monster. You’re safe tonight. Another time, another place it may be different.” He looked at her for another minute, then nodded, as if saying, “Thank you.” Then he walked away.
Within a couple minutes, a yearling walked in sight. Could it be? Cat raised her shotgun, lined the crosshairs up on the heart-lung area, and squeezed the trigger. The deer ran twenty yards and fell over. She took her gun apart put it in her carrying case and set the case by the tree. Taking her knife and backpack, she walked up to the deer. It was nice size, not too big. Then she carefully skinned the deer and cut the meat off the bone. The temperature was in the lower fifties. It would have been better if it were colder, but there was nothing she could do about that. She wrapped the meat in some old bedsheets that her mother had thrown away. Then she placed it in large plastic bags and put it in her backpack.
Cat put the backpack on, walked over, picked up her gun, and walked back to the cave. She left her gun in the cave with her other stuff and headed up the trail to Widow Johnson’s house. This is going to be more of a workout than I expected. I hope I don’t scare Widow Johnson when I show up at this time of the night.
As Cat walked up to Widow Johnson’s house, she noticed a light on. She knocked on the door.
Widow Johnson answered, “Who is it?”
“It’s Cat.”
Widow Johnson opened the door. “My land girl, what are you doing here at this time of night?”
As Cat walked in, “I brought you something.” She set her backpack on the kitchen floor and started putting the bags of meat on the table.
“Bless your heart, you’re gonna get yourself in trouble, girl.”
“I’ll be okay.”
Widow Johnson got some freezer bags and a cutting board and laid them on the table. “The kids are going to enjoy this.”
“It’s not as cold as I would like, but it should be all right. I’ll help you cut it up and get it in the freezer.”
“Bless your heart. What does your mother think, you being out this late?”
“I’m camping tonight, no school tomorrow.”
They cut the meat up into steaks, a few roasts, and the rest into stew meat. After it was all put in the freezer, Cat said, “That should last you a little while. I had better get going.”
“Okay, thank you. Leave those sheets here, and I’ll wash them for you.”
“Thanks, I’ll see you later.”
Cat hiked back to her campsite, fixed her something to eat, then went to sleep. The next morning she cleaned up the area and put her gear in her backpack. She spent the rest of the day hiking and enjoying nature; this was her home.
Cat made it home close to dark. As she walked into the house, Betty asked, “Have a good time?”
“Always have a good time camping and hiking.”
“I don’t understand how sleeping under the stars on the hard, cold ground can be fun. Don’t make any sense when you have a fine bed here in the house.”
“It’s so relaxing and peaceful being out in nature.”
“If you say so. There’s some supper leftover if you’re hungry. I just put it in the fridge. It should still be warm.”
“Thanks, I think I will eat a bite and get ready for bed, have school tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
*****
Cat started helping other families in the area that needed it. She kept them supplied with meat, rabbits, squirrels, and sometimes venison. They would never ask questions, just said, “Thanks.” It wasn’t long until everyone in the county either knew Cat or had heard about her.
Cat found herself in front Judge Bean a few more times. It was usually for having more than the legal limit of either small game or fish. She had a sneaking suspicion that Judge Bean sent the game warden out to catch her when he wanted more work done in the park. It wasn’t long until she was on a first-name basis with the judge and game warden. She never got caught taking a deer. Although one night, she had a funny feeling she was being watched. After that night, she quit poaching deer. There’d be more than community service if she got caught poaching a deer. So she stuck with small game and fish.
Almost everybody liked Cat. Even though she had a knack of getting into trouble, she had a heart of gold. The city park looked the best it had in years.
Whenever anyone would see her working in the park, they would ask, “What did she do this time?”
Someone would reply, “I don’t know.”
Then another would chime in, “I think Judge Bean just likes her work.”
