Odd Billy Todd (34 page)

“I wasn’t saying that you couldn’t, dear,” Debbie said, reaching out to touch Rhonda’s shoulder. Rhonda dodged away.

“Yeah, you were,” the younger woman shot back. “Why is it so hard to believe that we could give her a good home, huh?”

“Rhonda, I don’t think that’s what she was getting at,” Amy said, trying to gently break the discussion up.

“Then just what was she gettin’ at?” Rhonda demanded, hands on her hips now, green eyes blazing.

“Rhonda, you two are so young,” Debbie tried again. “And. . .well, inexperienced.”

“And you was experienced, when your son came along?” Rhonda asked.

“Well, I’ve been teaching for. . . .”

“Teaching?” Rhonda scoffed. “And what does teaching do for your parenting skills? Besides, it ain’t like Mary’s a baby. She’s almost a teenager. She don’t need coddling, she needs people who can help her grow into a confident woman who can look after herself!”

“Rhonda,” Emma said softly, and the young woman snapped her head around.

“That’s enough, dear,” Emma said kindly. “I don’t think anyone objects to your and Billy raising Mary. Especially if that’s what she wants. Right?”

“Suits me,” Amy nodded, trying to calm the waters. She didn’t know Debbie much better than she did Rhonda.

“Well, I still think she needs a stable family,” Debbie had to add.

“What’s unstable about us?” Rhonda demanded. “Wasn’t for us, where would you be?” Debbie didn’t have an answer for that, and wisely shut her mouth.

“I think I’ll head home,” Rhonda said suddenly. “I don’t like the atmosphere around here,” she added, looking at Debbie. The older woman wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“Rhonda, I don’t think that’s necessary,” Emma told her. “There’s plenty of work to do, I’m sure.” Rhonda looked at her for a moment, then nodded sullenly.

“Stay away from me,” she told Debbie pointedly. Grabbing her cleaning gear, she stalked up the road, where the Smith house sat in sight. Emma waited until she was out of ear shot, then turned to look at Debbie.

“What is your problem with them raising that child?” she demanded. Her voice had lost the ‘kind old lady’ tone she usually adopted.

“I just think that it’s best for the child to be raised in a proper home,” Debbie replied, just a little defiant.

“And who defines proper?” Emma asked.

“Well, a mother and a father,” Debbie answered. “What else?”

“So you think Billy and Rhonda can’t function as a mother and father? Or maybe an older brother or sister?”

“That’s hardly the point,” Debbie waved her comment away. “I’ve had years of experience dealing with children, and have one of my own. I’m obviously the best. . . .”

“I have two children, myself, you might have noticed,” Emma cut in icily. “As for your teaching skills, I hardly see where that qualifies you to be a parent. You have a son, and he deserves your attention. Bottom line, I think that Mary Jerrolds is more than able to decide who she wants to live with.”

“Children can’t just live where they want!” Debbie objected. “They have to have a safe and stable environment. One that has been certified by. . . .”

“By who?” Emma challenged. “By you? By some social worker? Politician? Let me tell you something, missy,” Emma scolded. “Those two young people are as fine a couple as you’ll ever meet, anywhere. Billy Todd has more moral character than any man twice his age. His parents raised him to be a good and honest man, and to care for those who can’t care for themselves. To help those in need, and to protect those who can’t protect themselves. And Rhonda Higgins had raisin’ that was just as good, and she’s as smart as a whip to boot. They’re two of the finest people this county ever had the privilege to be home to.”

“And that girl is from right here in our county,” Emma added. “We’re fresh out of social workers and regulations, in case you hadn’t noticed. And I hardly think that you should be offending the very people who helped pull you out of a bad situation. Should I go on? Or are you getting my meaning?”

Debbie’s face was red by the time Emma was through. She was preparing a retort when Amy interrupted.

“Debbie, what the hell is wrong with you?” Debbie looked at her house mate.

“With me?” she demanded. “Are you taking their side, now?”

“The only side here is Mary’s,” Amy told her flatly. “What is your problem with Billy and Rhonda.”

“They aren’t even married,” Debbie said quietly.

“Neither are Ralph and I, but you’re sharing a house with us.”

“That’s hardly the same thing!” Debbie retorted. “Children need a good, stable home environment. Those two are fine people, but hardly parenting material.”

“And who the hell put you in charge of deciding that?” Amy huffed. “Am I bad parenting material because Ralph and I aren’t married?” Amy was starting to get mad now.

“Debbie, dear,” Emma said. “I think there’s an old saying you should acquaint yourself with.”

“What?” Debbie demanded.

“When you see you’re in a hole, stop digging.” Amy guffawed at that.

“Lord, I ain’t heard that in years!” she exclaimed, laughing. Debbie looked between the two women, at a loss for words.

“She’s right, Debbie,” Amy told her, when she stopped laughing. “You’re dead wrong, and deep down I think you know it. Now, let this go, and let’s go clean a house. And you might want to start thinking about how you’re going to apologize to Rhonda.”

“For what?” Debbie demanded.

“For being a pompous ass, dear,” Emma smiled sweetly. “Now, let’s do go and clean a house. We have other things to do today.”

*****

“Well, of course I want to stay with Rhonda and Billy,” Mary looked shocked at the question. “Where else would I stay?”

*****

The house was clean, and the women were gathered back at the Maness/Purdy place. The men were there as well, and had each been told, by the women in their lives, of the ‘discussion’ on the road that day.

There was no real arguing, just a good bit of heated discussion. Billy listened quietly for a while, then stood.

“Let’s ask her, and be done with it.”

“She can’t make such a decision herself!” Debbie had objected.

“She lived all alone for near three months, maybe more,” Billy replied flatly. “Reckon she’s earned the consideration to choose for herself.” With that he’d called Mary into the room.

“Girl, we need to know something. Ain’t no one gonna mind, whatever you say. Some here don’t think you can decide on your own, and some don’t see as you should live with Rhonda and me. Thing is, you’re near thirteen. Done lived on your own all this time, and done well. I figure you earned the right to choose where you want to live.”

“Do you want to stay with Rhonda and Billy, dear?” Emma asked.

*****

“I still say she can’t make that decision herself!” Debbie exclaimed after Mary’s declaration.

“And who are you again?” Mary asked, surprising them all. Debbie looked at her.

“I’m Debbie Purdy, dear,” she smiled.

“And you think I ought to live here, with you, is that it?”

“Yes, honestly I think it’s best,” Debbie replied.

“And just why is that?” Mary wanted to know. Debbie blinked at that. Such a direct question from the girl startled her.

“Well. . .I mean, I just assumed you’d want to be here, with us. With the other children, and where I can teach you.”

“Teach me what?” Mary asked. “How to spell, and do math? I know all that,” she waved her hand away. “There won’t be no college for me, and even if there was, what would I do with it?”

“My daddy always spoke high o’ Mister Todd,” she pointed at Billy. “My daddy didn’t speak high o’ many. But he said Mister Todd was the fairest, most honest man he’d ever dealt with in Cedar Bend. And trusted him to work on his truck, and no body else.”

“And even after I near shot him to death, he and Rhonda took me in, and fed and clothed me. And. . .and after so long, all on my own, I slept last night feelin’ safe for the first time in I can’t even remember when.” She looked at Billy and Rhonda.

“So long as they’ll let me, I aim to stay with them.”

“Well, I’d say that settles that,” Emma declared. “Now, I need to get home. I’ve got to make sure that Shelly hasn’t burned my kitchen up.” She rose, and Jerry took her arm.

“See you boys in the mornin’,” he said to Ralph and George. Both nodded.

“Guess we can head on, too,” Billy rose. “Get your coat, little’un. Time to go home, I think.”

“Okay,” Mary smiled, and went to do as she was told.

“This is a mistake,” Debbie told those still at the ‘meeting’. “That child needs a good home.”

“We’ve got a good home,” Billy shrugged. “She wants to stay with us, she can. We got plenty o’ room. We can take care of her.”

“She needs a family,” Debbie insisted.

“Reckon we can be a family,” Billy said, starting to get just a little touchy. “And she made her choice. Reckon that’s it.”

“Me too,” Rhonda said coldly. “Let’s go,” she said to Billy. “I want to be away from here.” Billy nodded. They went to collect Mary, and left.

“This is wrong,” Debbie told the others.

“Debs, the girl made her choice,” George tried.

“She shouldn’t have had a choice!” Debbie almost yelled. The others, George included, frowned at that.

“Debbie, what makes you the authority on that?” Amy asked.

“I know what’s best for that child!”

“She knows what she wants,” George told her, his voice soft but firm.

“I’d say this is settled,” Ralph nodded. “I know you wanted her to stay here, but she wants to be there. And she’s old enough to know what she wants, Debbie.”

“I’m through talking about this,” Amy said, standing. “I got better things to do.” With that she departed, intending to start supper.

“Reckon we all do,” George agreed. “Deb?”

“Fine,” she snapped, seeing that even her husband wouldn’t support her. She stood and stalked after Amy. Ralph watched her go, and turned to George.

“What was that all about?” he asked, puzzled. “Never seen her act so.”

“We can’t have no more children,” George said sadly. “Deb always wanted a daughter.”

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

The next morning was colder than previous days. It was still almost three weeks until Thanksgiving, but it was already feeling like December. Billy had checked some of his father’s books again concerning climate change after something like this. There was little in them about something like this, but most experts had agreed that a mass die off of people, which would be followed by a similar die off in domestic animals, would affect the temperature at least some.

As near as Billy could tell, they were just starting to see that now. Without so many cars, without so many people trying to heat their homes, the heat level was far lower than usual for these days. That meant cooler temperatures.

He thought, anyway. Some of the information frustrated him a little, since he couldn’t really grasp all of it. Some of the so-called ‘higher math’ was just beyond what he knew. But his father had, as usual, made margin notes to himself, and Billy could follow those. He was convinced that the colder temperatures were probably a sign of more of their ‘new normal’.

“Cold this mornin’,” George noted.

“Sure is,” Jerry agreed, rubbing his hands together. “Afraid we’ll see more o’ this.”

“Prob’ly,” Ralph nodded. “Ain’t so many people no more. Or cars. Or factories. Gonna be colder.”

“Everybody ready?” Billy asked, as he and Rhonda came outside. Rhonda handed out coffee to everyone, and placed a picnic basket inside the truck box, next to the one Emma had brought.

“Yep,” Jerry nodded. “Thanks, lil bit,” he gratefully accepted the coffee from Rhonda. Mary had gone to Emma’s for the day, where Shelly and Toby had agreed to keep watch over her, and Toby would be watching over all the places while the others were away.

“Guys, I want to apologize for last night,” George said, once they were in the truck and on their way. “I. . .I didn’t see this coming. We can’t have no more kids, and Debbie always wanted a girl. I should have been watching out for that, but I. . .there’s so much other stuff going on, I just didn’t think about it.”

“She’ll come around, I’m sure,” he ended on what he hoped was a high note. No one spoke for a minute, until Rhonda finally turned to look at him.