Chapter 140
I don’t know if it was intentional or just what, but about the time the meeting started Linda came over and asked if I’d help finish setting up the buffet line for the family potluck. I wanted to say no as I’d finally gotten comfortable, but I guess it doesn’t matter to be honest given how things turned out. Had I been relaxed I might not have seen what was happening.
I got up with my cane in hand and brace on as well. At least I didn’t clank. That tube of graphite and that can of WD40 we got in the charity stuff has definitely come in handy. And Sawyer traded some with Toby for good leather to replace the old straps and keep it oiled so I don’t sound like an ol’ saddle either. I walked around to the other side of the barn to where a long trestle table had been set up. I made sure that Sawyer knew what was going on and he let me know in our private signals that he understood.
Once I go over there all I could think was what a hack job. No one had bothered to even cover the wood used as the “tabletop” part. The soup line at the group home had never looked this bad, even on a slim to none kinda day. Found out it was because none of the women had wanted the extra washing to do and because no one apparently had the extra sheets and whatnot to lend and possibly have ruined.
“Kay-Lee …”
Being polite was all I could do and be at that point. “Hmm?”
She sighed. “We used to have such fun at the bake sales and stuff at school.”
“School seems a long time ago.”
“That’s what I told Mom. She also says I need to … er … get over myself.”
That caught me off guard. “Excuse me?”
Linda sighed, scrunched up her face like she was expecting to be slapped, and said, “I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry. Tommy is too. He says he is square with Sawyer and now I want to be square with you. Jeannie does too but she’s … um …”
“She’s pregnant again.”
“Yeah,” she said apologetically. “And she and Ben … they fight. I mean they make up and stuff, but they still fight. When he’s home. He’s gone a lot and … anyway, she … she just …”
“Don’t worry about it Linda.”
“You … you won’t accept my apology?”
“I already accepted it. Let’s just … let it go. I don’t know about you but I’m too tired for any more drama.”
She didn’t know what to make of what I said so I asked, “How do you want to set this up?”
“Huh?”
“Aren’t you in charge? You always were in charge of the big tables when we were in school.”
She just shrugged. “Like you said, that seems a long time ago. I’ll go ask Melissa.”
“Why?”
“Huh?”
“Why do you need to ask Melissa?”
“’Cause I’ll just make a mess of it and she’ll have to undo the mess so I don’t get in trouble.”
“Is Melissa in charge?”
“Uh …”
“Is she the one that told you to set up the tables?”
“No. Tommy’s mother did.”
“Then Melissa doesn’t have any say on it. Tommy's mother obviously thinks she put you in charge of this.”
“Er …” Linda wasn’t processing too well. I noticed the signs as soon as I put two and two together. Sawyer had mentioned having similar thoughts about Tommy, but that Tommy was getting over it. Hmm.
I suspected something that wasn’t very nice. And if it was true, maybe I had something I had to answer for. I may technically not have been in the wrong, then again I wasn’t in the right. Had I not felt so sorry for myself I would have seen what was going on and stopped it. It doesn’t matter about certain things; there’s right and then there’s wrong.
I’ve known Linda nearly my entire life. I know her weaknesses as well as I know my own. I know her strengths as well, and one of them isn’t being able to always be strong enough to not get manipulated or used. See Melissa was one of the wives that always tried to keep Linda and I in our places. She’s about ten years older than we are. She and Barb used to be friends but I can tell you straight up Barb has absolutely no use for her now despite Melissa trying to get back to the way they used to be. Her husband Boone wasn’t bad, but he was kinda weak and stupid but there’s a lot of that going around. There’s also family gossip that Melissa wears the pants in their marriage and that they’ve started fighting. A lot. I’ve tried to stay out of that stuff. I wish Aunt Dump wouldn’t share it, or Barbara either for that matter, but I suppose it is a habit hard to break. There always was a lot of gossiping going on during Canning Days though in hindsight I didn’t always see it for what it was.
“Linda, don’t take this the wrong way, but you need to stop listening to people tell you what you are doing wrong. Especially those that don’t spend more time telling you what you do right.”
“I don’t do much right these days. I make so many mistakes, worse than I ever did ... or maybe people were just covering it up. And ... I’m … I’m lonely. Tommy’s mom and my mom … it’s just different. They don't say anything about my mistakes but they are hiding Tommy and I so we don't get euthanized. There's no one to talk to, of course I'd just sound stupid and be stupid. Jeannie used to come by but she is sick all the time now, worse than Beth was. And when she isn’t sick Benny is being a pistol and she’s tired. And it’s not like there is gas so we can get together anyway. I miss the Canning parties.”
About that time Melissa proved that she was sticking her nose where it didn't belong and decided to make noise that interrupted the meeting agenda.
“Yeah, why didn’t we have the canning parties Kay-Lee?”
Sawyer got red hot angry and I could see that some of the Aunts and wives looked shocked. I decided to deal with it head on.
“Melissa they weren’t parties. Some people treated them that way … make a mess, have other people clean it up, use other people’s supplies and not replace it, have a lot of expectations they didn’t have any business having … but they were workdays. You should have gotten back only what you contributed. But as I remember it Melissa, there were a lot of days you weren’t there yet you still expected to get.”
“Excuse me?”
“No.”
She hadn't expected my short and not-so-sweet answer. “What?”
“I said no. I will not excuse you. I’m also not going to excuse you for what you are doing to Linda and Tommy … and likely Boone and some others in the family.” I never even gave her a chance to deny it or draw me in so she could deflect. “And I most definitely will not be manipulated or guilted into whatever plan you have rolling around in your head. So, instead of complaining about there not being any canning workdays at our place, how about you explain why you didn’t organize to have them at your place? Or why no one else volunteered to host them at their places.”
“You had the wood and the fruit.”
“And then we didn’t thanks to the old CI and his illegal shenanigans.”
“What about this year?” she asked like she’d caught me.
“What about this year?” I asked right back, forcing her opinions out in the light.
“You …” Boone tried to stop her and instead she snapped. “Oh please, everyone thinks the same thing. She’s being selfish. And it isn't hers anyway. The family needs it and she’s not sharing.”
Then I asked, “Where were you when we were starving?”
She turned to look at me.
Casually, like I wasn't about to start roasting as hot as Sawyer I told her and everyone else listing, “I get it. I’m not a Hartford by anyone’s measure except my husband’s – Sawyer Hartford. The one digging your butt out of debt. But if that is true, what right do you have to demand anything? You didn’t come check on Barbara. You didn’t come to check on the kids. And once you all did start coming around, what did you do? You stole our entire woodpile.”
“We stole nothing. We have a right to …”
“No. You don’t. Your rights end at your property line. Do you even have a property line Melissa? Have you worked for a piece of property? Or are you assuming you are going to get another handout?”
“How dare you talk to me like that you half-wit. You think you can stop us from …”
Into the quiet came a firm voice. “We’re through. I’m taking you to town and dropping you at your sister's at first light jsut like you claim you want. I wasn’t going to bring it up in company, but this is as good a time as any to admit I found them papers, just like you meant me to. The ones you had your lawyer sister to draw up. I had ‘em checked in town at the CI’s legal office. They’re legit. They’re signed by the right people. What you don’t understand and what I made sure your sister does, is that I have no assets in my name so have nothing to get. We've been living on family charity our entire marriage. It is part of the Trust. What little I did have in my name was sold to pay the debts you run up. And what your sister also knows is that since my name is listed on both of the kids’ birth certificates, I am the father of record. JayCee may not be mine, but maybe he is. Harris definitely ain't mine by blood but I’m the one that has raised him.” Several gasps right there. “The boys are going to be staying with me until you can come up with a lawyer that says otherwise, and that includes coming up with the money to pay one. And your sister has already gone on record that as a criminal defense attorney, she isn't qualfied for family or civil court and won't be representing you in the matter. I know for a fact that Darvin is listed as AWOL and is being hunted as one of those that was mixed up with that stuff in town with the old CI. And don’t bother denying the rest of it, the boy looks more like him every day. JayCee looks the spitting image of Chaz and I’ve already spoken with his parents and they are siding with me so that both boys – cousins and brothers both – have a different life than what they’d wind up with in town. The boys are mine to raise and mine to love more than their momma does. All their likely grandparents won't is a chance to know 'em as they grow up.”
Well I opened a can of worms for sure but then again it sounds like Boone had found his backbone and had already had plans of his own.
And that’s when there was a scream from the Big House and a bunch of men standing at the barn doors say, “Nobody move!” While another one said, “La 'ahad yataharaku!” A third yelled, “¡Nadie se mueva!” And a fourth yelled something that sounded like, “Méi rén dòng!”
You can guess what some of the Hartford men responded, and it wasn’t something you would hear Brother Don saying on Sunday morning from the pulpit.