Katie's Dream (10 page)

Charlie didn't charge me for the telephone call. The sun was getting high, but Katie wasn't hungry and neither was I, so I traded Juli's muffins with Charlie for a little gas. Maybe someday Barrett would tell Miss Hazel that I hadn't brought his truck home empty.

SEVEN

Julia

Sarah and I were snapping the beans for dinner when we heard the roar of an automobile coming up the road. Samuel, I hoped. I wasn't expecting anybody else. But I looked up to see Edward's roofless old car coming up our lane and nearly dropped the bean bowl. I should've listened to Samuel's concerns. Now what was I to do?

I stood as he parked his car across Emma's golden irises. He jumped out, waving his hand as if I'd be thrilled to see him.

“Samuel at home?”

“No. But he'll be home pretty soon.”

He started in my direction. “I didn't mean to cause you no trouble last night.”

I didn't answer. I couldn't figure out why he'd come back. I would've thought he'd be glad just to move on
once he'd gotten Katie to us and had a chance to make Samuel uncomfortable.

“Can you spare me something to drink? Gettin' mighty parched on this dusty road.”

I handed Sarah my bowl of green beans and told her to take them inside and stay. “I hope water from the well's all right,” I said to him, heading toward the bucket and dipper.

“Still don't have no lemonade?” he asked with a smile.

“No. Nor anything else, unless you want some strawberry leaf tea. Or coffee again, but we're almost to the last of that.”

“I never heard of strawberry leaf tea,” he said, coming closer. “That something you make yourself?”

“Yes. You want some?” I didn't want to refuse anyone a drink. It wouldn't be right. But he was making me more and more uncomfortable, just looking at me, just walking in my direction. I wished Samuel were home, or even Robert or one of George's big boys.

“I'll take the water, thanks,” he said. “Don't know about that leaf stuff.” He laughed. “I ain't used to such potions.”

I hurried to the well, drew a bucket of fresh, cool water. He was at my side by the time I was done, and I handed him the brimming dipper.

He drank the water down quickly and filled the dipper twice more. “Boy! That sure is good!” He poured one dipperful over his head, shook like a wet dog, and then laughed when I stepped back from his splatters. “You don't know what to make of me, do you? Ah, Mrs. Wortham, I don't know what Sammy told you, but I just love the simple things, sort of like yourself.”

“Why did you come back?”

“I needed a drink, just like I said. Don't know anybody else around here.”

“Anybody would give you a drink. That's common decency. You could ask anywhere.”

“Yeah, but I'll have to admit—we're family, you know. Never got a chance to know you before.”

I started walking to the garden, thinking it best to show him I was busy.

“How's Katie getting along? Didn't see her when I pulled in. Sammy didn't go and give her up to no county people, did he?”

I started pulling turnips, every other one to give the rest more growing space.

“Must be hard for you, finding out the kind of thing your Sammy was up to.”

That did it. I could abide his presence if I needed to. I could put up with a lot. But not his ugly accusations. “Samuel was up to nothing except being a good father! You're wasting your breath talking otherwise, because I'll not believe it.”

He just laughed again. “That's pretty naïve, now, don't you think?” He squatted down in the turnip row in front of me.

I scooped up all the turnips I'd pulled and turned away from him toward the well.

“I heard tell you were friendly,” he said to my back. “But you're not being too friendly at the moment.”

I stopped and turned to face him. “What do you expect me to be? You come back with nothing but ill words about my husband. What do you want? He's caused you no trouble. A brotherly visit is one thing, but this is something else!”

“But it is a brotherly visit. First chance I've had.” He shook his head. “You know, I didn't want to believe it either, but what else are we gonna do? How would some singer woman get his name? Answer me that! How would she be able to tell me the state he was living in at the time, if he never met her?”

I looked down at the turnips. “It's just someone else.”

“With the same name? And he happens to look like Sammy too, huh? She described him to me, and you can see him for yourself in that little girl's face!”

I remembered what Samuel had asked me—why is Edward enjoying this so much? I didn't know. But it was making my head swim and my heart hurt. “Why did you come here? Just to see what he'd say? Or how I'd react? Why are you so glad to be bringing such a claim? Why are you laughing about it?”

For a moment his eyes were cold, and I wished I hadn't asked. I didn't know this man. He wasn't like Samuel. There was no way I could predict him from one moment to the next.

Finally he answered, looking somehow distant. And his words came out with bitterness. “Sammy's a good boy. I used to hear that, you know, all the time. But he was a scared little nothing who ran and hid every time Mother got drunk. I took care of him. I went and stole stuff so there'd be something in the house for him to eat. But I'm the bad one. I'm sure you've heard that. I'm trouble. But he's the Christian, isn't he? Maybe I came just to teach you a lesson. He's not so good after all. We're just alike, him and me. Except he's livin' a lie.”

My heart was pounding at my insides. “If you really knew him, you couldn't say that.”

“I know him better than anybody.”

“No. You haven't seen him in—”

“Fifteen years, Missus.”

“Then you must know a lot has happened in that time.”

He took a step toward me. “Yeah, you happened.”

Quick as anything, he reached and put his hand on my arm. At first I didn't know what to do. But then without another thought, I pulled away, plopped the turnips at the base of the well, and grasped the dipper in my hand.

“Am I making you nervous, Missus?”

“You should have a seat under a shade tree,” I told him. “Sit and wait. Samuel will be along before you know it.”

“You hope so, you mean.”

“Of course I hope so! His brother's here, needing to be taught a thing or two about how to conduct himself!”

He laughed. “You're pretty. Even prettier when you're upset. Sammy's lucky. You wouldn't think to attach yourself to anyone else, now would you?”

For a moment I just stared at him. How dare he say such things! Usually I could be just as pleasant as you please. But Edward Wortham had crossed the line. Without a word, I dunked the dipper full and flung the cold spray in his face.

He stepped back in surprise and then shook his shaggy head the way he'd done before. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement by the barn. Little Franky coming out with a hammer in his hand. Thank God for him.

“Mrs. Wortham!” the little boy called. “Wanna come see the chair I'm workin' on? Shapin' up to be somethin'!” He stopped short and looked at the tall, wet stranger. I'm sure he remembered Samuel's brother. But I could see the distrust in his eyes just the same.

“Yes, Franky, I'll be glad to see it,” I told him. “I'll come right now.”

I didn't know if Edward would follow me or leave. Or maybe even wait under a shade tree like I'd suggested. But he did none of those things. When I turned toward the barn, he started for the house. Franky noticed as soon as I did.

“Where are you goin'?” he asked.

“Thought I'd help myself to—”

“Nope,” Franky interrupted. “If you want somethin', you should ask polite. Otherwise, you hadn't ought to be comin' 'round, 'specially goin' in the house nor botherin' Mrs. Wortham, 'less Mr. Wortham's here.”

Edward looked at me. “So who's this spunky kid?”

“Franky.” I put my hand on the boy's shoulder.

And Edward stared him in the eye. “I never seen the like for unfriendliness. All I wanted was a bite to eat.”

“Did you ask?” Franky looked up at me, as though he might not trust Edward's answer.

“No, I didn't ask,” Edward said impatiently. “Ain't it your place to offer?”

Franky crossed his skinny arms, hammer and all. “I don't know. Mrs. Wortham, ought we give him anything?”

I didn't want to. But Emma had fed even the tramps who came around. And somehow or another, this character was my husband's brother.

So I let him sit at our table again. I didn't have anything ready, or my fire lit yet for cooking. But I opened the last jar of peaches, and he ate them all with a chunk of fresh bread and a strip of George Hammond's rabbit jerky.

“You serve a strange meal, Mrs. Wortham. I figured country folks to cook up something bigger.”

“Not at this time of day.” I wasn't anxious for him staying.

Sarah played upstairs, but Franky sat and watched the whole time Edward ate. And I kept expecting Samuel to pull in. It was almost dinnertime. I knew I should start my fire in the ring of creek rocks Samuel had brought up for outside cooking. I should put the green beans and the baby turnips in a covered pan over the coals. But I didn't want this man to take that as an invitation. How would Samuel react when he found out how his brother had talked to me? Maybe I shouldn't tell him.

Finally Edward stood up from the table and stretched. Franky stood up too, and Edward shook his head at him. “Ought to leave your hammer in the barn when you come out to greet folks, boy. Liable to be scarin' people away.”

“ Some folks needs scared, I figure,” Franky replied with a solemn face.

Edward only laughed. “What'd you think I was gonna do? Take off with Mrs. Wortham here? And you were gonna stop me?” He kept chuckling. “Stupid brave kid.”

“You needn't talk to him like that,” I said. “Franky's a sensible child and I appreciate him.”

Edward looked long at me, his dark eyes so different from Samuel's, and yet, strangely, suddenly the same. “If I was really wanting to make trouble, Missus, I could. I'm not so bad as you think. I sure ain't gonna hurt you, whether you want to believe me or not.”

He walked outside, and I watched from the doorway as he crossed the yard to his car. He got in and started the motor and looked up at me. “Almost forgot!” he yelled. And then he threw a little blue bag out onto the grass and sped away.

Katie's things. I wondered at him. I wondered if that wasn't why he'd really come. He was a puzzle. Why he acted the way he did was beyond me to understand. But maybe somehow he was trying to do the right thing, on Katie's part at least.

By the time Samuel drove back up, Edward's visit was all a jumble in my brain.
Maybe I shouldn't speak a word of it. Samuel has been so upset already. Maybe he doesn't need to know.
But of course, I couldn't explain how Katie's bag got back.

He kissed my cheek when he got out of the truck. Katie sat there looking at me, like she was fearful of what I might say.
“You can see him in her face,”
Edward had said. I shook the thought away.

“I'm glad you brought her back,” I told Samuel. “I didn't know what they'd do, and I've heard that some children's homes are not very pleasant.”

“The sheriff didn't leave me much choice. I guess he
believed Edward's words better than mine. That's what can happen when you judge on appearances.”

He was studying me so close, almost as though he could read my thoughts, and I felt pricked to the heart.
Oh, Samuel! God help me not to doubt you!

“Are you all right?”

Franky was coming up from the barn. He'd tell all. I knew he would. At least all he'd seen. “Sammy, Edward came back. He . . . he left Katie's bag.”

“Is that all? What's the matter?”

Samuel was upset already. I didn't want to make it worse. “I fed him. He wasn't here long.”

“Where
is
my bag?” Katie asked.

“In the kitchen, honey.”

“Can I get it?” She hadn't moved. Not an inch.

“Of course. I'm sure Sarah would love to see your paper dolls.”

She climbed down from the truck seat and headed for the house. But Samuel just stood there, watching me.

“I don't think your brother was very nice,” Franky suddenly spoke up. “Looked like he was arguin' or somethin' with Mrs. Wortham over by the well, and he grabbed her. She throwed water right in his face. I was proud.”

I saw the color drain from Samuel's face. “Juli . . .”

“Now, it wasn't really that bad. He didn't really grab me. Just touched my arm.”

“I shouldn't have left you here.”