Odd Billy Todd (38 page)

“How many people?” Rhonda asked. “How many of you are there!”

“Ain’t but one o’ me as I knows of Miss! Please don’t let him eat me, my hand to God I got the wrong house, I though this was Mister Billy Todd’s place, I got the wrong house, that’s all!” The last was said in a wail, accompanied by tears, it sounded like. Rhonda looked at the figure a bit closer.

With a start, she realized that it was a scrawny, filthy, terrified teenage boy.

“Who in the hell are you?”

*****

“Danny Tatum?”

Billy paused, having heard the entire story over the radio. His first impulse had been to go streaking home, but Rhonda assured him that all was well. Rommel had tackled the boy, but hadn’t hurt him.

“You know him?”Rhonda’s voice came to him over the radio.

“Yeah, he worked for me some, after school, and during summer. Did odd jobs, ran for parts, cleaned up. What’s he doin’ at the house?”

“Looking for you, he says,”came Rhonda’s reply. “He’s awful skinny, Billy. Ain’t been eatin’ good I’d say. And he’s filthy. I don’t know him. Never seen him before. Is he okay?”

“Yeah, he’s a good kid. Kinda like. . .me and him got some o’ the same problems,” he caught himself. He forced himself not to look at the others.

“His family lived on the other side of town from us,” he went on. “Didn’t come into town much. I used to give him a ride home o’ the evenin’, when we’d get done. Good folks. They didn’t have much, but they was honest, God fearin’ people.”

“He looks like he’s about fourteen,” Rhonda told him.

“Yeah, that’d be about right, I guess. And he said he came lookin’ for me?”

“Said he didn’t know where else to go, and didn’t know anyone else to look for. You were his last hope.” Rhonda had calmed down some, by now, and her voice sounded a little sad. She’d had time to talk to the pitiful boy, and couldn’t help feel sorry for him.

“I’ll talk to him when I get home,” was all Billy could think of to say. “Meanwhile, give him something to eat, and keep him outside.”

“It’s awful cold, Billy,” Rhonda came back.

“Then give him a blanket,” Billy shot back. “He’s made it this long, he can make it a while longer. Until I see him, I ain’t got no way o’ knowin’ he’s who he says he is. We should be on in a bit,” he added.

“Okay, then. Out.”Billy laid the mike down, and sat back in the seat.

“Everything okay?” George asked.

“I think so,” Billy sighed. “Kid who used to work for me some showed up at the house this mornin’. Ain’t got no idea why. Said I was his last hope, or words to that effect. Mary saw him lookin’ in the window, and let out to screamin’. Rommel tackled the boy in the yard. Wonder he didn’t eat’im.” George nodded.

“Reckon I’ll see to him when I get there,” Billy shrugged. “Meanwhile, it’s time we get this train back on the track, I’d say.”

“Yeah, let’s get home,” George agreed. “Been a helluva day.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Billy looked down at Danny Tatum. He barely recognized him as the happy go lucky, slightly ‘different’ boy who had helped him out in his garage, what seemed like a thousand years ago now. The boy was rail thin, and his clothes were ragged and worn, and filthy. Danny wasn’t any cleaner. His hair was filthy and wildly unkept.

“Danny, when’d you eat last?”

“Your misses gave me. . . .” the boy started.

“I mean ‘sides that,” Billy waved the boy’s words away, irritated with himself.

“I. . .well, uh. . .I guess. . . .”

“That long, huh?” Billy asked, sitting down beside the boy.

“Been a few days, I reckon,” Danny’s eyes brimmed with tears, but they didn’t flow.

“What happened, Danny?” Billy asked softly.

“Ma and Pa, they, they took sick,” Danny sobbed a little. “I. . .I tried to help’em, but. . .I didn’t know what to do, and there wasn’t no answer for the nine-one-one.” Billy nodded in understanding. As the virus had progressed, emergency services had broken down.

“They. . .when they died, I. . .I taken’em out to the back, and buried’em. I didn’t know what else to do. I s. . .said words over’em from the Book, you know. From the Psalms. Pa, he. . .he always liked the Psalms. Said they soothed the troubled soul.” Billy nodded, saying nothing. The boy needed to talk, and he, Billy, was probably the last living person Danny Tatum knew.

“After that, I just. . .I just tried to keep on,” Danny went on. “I mean, that’s all there was. But we didn’t have a lotta food in the house, and daddy didn’t have but a few shells to take game with. I. . .I did okay, though. Didn’t waste a single shell, Mister Todd. Only they wasn’t many.”

“I looked at the neighbor’s houses,” he admitted, shame faced. “I know it maybe ain’t right, but they was all dead, too. I. . .you know, I tried to bury them, too, but. . .Mister McAdams, and his misses, they. . .they. . .when I tried to move’em. . . .” Danny sobbed again, reliving a horror that Billy was all to familiar with himself.

“It’s okay, kid,” Billy said gently, wrapping an arm around Danny’s shoulder. “Same thing happened to me, with one o’ my neighbors.”

“Anyway, finally I had to move further and further away, so it made me think, maybe I ought to just up and move closer to where I could find food. Found a little here and there, and a few shells, once in a while. I’m a pretty good shot, so I was able to take squirrels, and a few rabbits. Even got me one deer. But he rurnt ‘fore I was able to get all of him ate,” he added, a little sadly.

“Gotta smoke’em,” Billy said seriously. “Only real way to make sure you can save the meat. Or you can jerk it. ‘Bout the same thing, just a little different on how you get it done.”

“Didn’t think about jerky,” the boy looked thoughtful. “I should have too. Pa, he always would. . . .” The boy stopped suddenly, the momentary relief gone at the thought of his parents.

“Ain’t no thing, Danny,” Billy told him. “Plenty o’ time to learn how. I’ll show you, when we get a chance.” The boy looked up at him, eyes bright with hope.

“I can stay with you?”

“You bet.”

*****

“You’re making a habit of taking in strays, Billy,” Jerry told his young neighbor.

“Can’t be helped, I reckon,” Billy shrugged. “Boy ain’t got nobody else, and he’s a good kid. He’s. . .me and him got a lot in common,” he settled for saying.

“Then I’d say he’ll grow into a fine man,” Jerry Silvers said seriously. Billy might have blushed a little at that, but stayed silent.

“He gonna be okay?” Jerry asked, changing the subject.

“Amy says he’s underweight,” Billy sighed. “Sickly and poor, but otherwise okay. ‘Bout the same as Mary. Good hot bath and some new clothes, few good meals and good night’s o’ sleep’ll put’im right.”

“Maybe,” Jerry nodded. He looked at Billy.

“That’s two young’uns you got now, Billy. Both of’em been through a rough time. You’re gonna need to keep a close eye on’em for a while.”

“Girl’s doin’ okay,” Billy pointed out.

“She is,” Jerry nodded his agreement. “Only she ain’t yet had the chance to think on where she is, or how she got here. Like as not, she’s still in a bit o’ shock that her situation has improved so much overnight, after months alone and afraid. Liable to come back on’er. Might not, too,” he admitted. “I’m just sayin’ you need to be watchful, that’s all.”

“I’ll mind it,” Billy said thoughtful.

*****

“I guess they’ll keep this one, too,” Debbie Purdy snorted, as George relayed the days events. He looked at his wife quizzically.

“The boy used to work for Billy, Deb,” he said softly. “Came looking for him specifically.”

“All that talk about setting up a home for kids, and we see what?” Debbie snorted again, ignoring George’s statement. “The Todds! And they aren’t even ‘the Todds’, you know. They’re not married.”

“Debs, I’m getting tired of hearing this,” George told her. “I mean really tired. I don’t know what it is that bothers you about this.”

“Did we, or did we not, plan to use that place at the end of the road specifically to care for children we found who had been left orphaned by the plague?” she demanded. “Two children, so far, and the Todds keep them both.”

“Debs, for God’s sake, they aren’t keeping them. They’re aren’t things to be possessed. They’re kids!”

“All the more reason for them to be with a good family!” Debbie exclaimed. “There’s not one good reason to let those two keep those children! And plenty of reasons not to!” George looked at his wife, incredulity on his face.

“Deb, there isn’t a single reason I can think of for those kids not to stay with Rhonda and Billy. They’re good people. Hard working, honest, and charitable to a fault. There’s no reason, not a single one, to think that those two kids won’t have the best possible life they can in the world we’re living in today.”

“They need to be with someone who understands children!” Debbie shot back. “Someone who can teach! They need an education, they need to be taught good values! How to function in society! Who is better qualified to do that than we are?”

“I’m starting to wonder if we are,” George shook his head. “I’m trying to understand how you feel, Deb, but I can’t. You’re almost irrational about this. I’ve never seen you act this way.”

“Maybe if you hadn’t spent so many years running all over the world, you would have!” she retorted. As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them. The look on George’s face was. . .heartbreaking.

“I’m sorry, George,” she said hastily, as he stood abruptly. “I didn’t mean. . . .”

“Yeah, you did,” he said sadly. “Suppose I had it coming. You knew what I was, what I did, before you married me. I never misled you in any way. And I left the service because you didn’t like it. I gave up what I was, Debs, for you. Because that’s what you wanted. I guess that wasn’t enough for you, either.” He moved toward the door.

“Where are you going?” Debbie asked, a hint of desperation in her voice.

“I’m going to see if I can help unload our new neighbor’s things,” he said stiffly. “I need some air. Kinda hard to breathe in here at the moment.” With that he walked out the door, leaving his wife staring at his back.

*****

Jerry Silvers looked up at the sound of footsteps. He was in his barn, looking over his horses.

“You got a minute?” George Purdy asked the older man.

“Sure,” Jerry nodded, not missing the look on the younger man’s face. Or the tone of his voice. There was only one thing that could cause that.

“I. . .I need to talk to someone, and I. . .I don’t know what to. . . .”

“Just tell me what it is, son,” Jerry said kindly. “I’ll listen.”

“Well. . . .” George started talking. Once he started, he couldn’t stop. Jerry listened without comment, nodding on occasion, but remaining silent. George talked for a long time. Suddenly he stopped, and looked embarrassed.

“Sorry for rattling,” he said, a bit shame faced.

“No need,” Jerry assured him. “Sometimes it helps just to have someone to listen. Sounds like you’ve got a lot on you.”

“It. . .it’s not so bad as it seems, I guess,” George shrugged. “Look, I know you and Billy are close. You’d know if he wasn’t able to care for them, right? I mean, I think he and Rhonda are just fine for this, but I’ve been wrong before. If you thought they weren’t up to it, you’d say so, right?”

“I would,” Jerry nodded at once. “So would Emma. And you’re right. They are up to it. Billy may have problems, but he’s a fine young man. One of the best I’ve ever known, to be honest. His parents were fine people, George. And they raised that boy well.”

“Rhonda is about the finest young woman I know, too, even before the world went plumb to hell in a handcart. He father was as honest a man as there was anywhere, and he taught that girl well. She’s smart, resourceful, and about the shrewdest young business woman you’ll ever meet. And both of them have got hearts that are a big as they are.”

“Those two kids have a connection to Billy and Rhonda. Might not seem like much, but it’s a site better than anything they’ll have with the rest of us. And that’s important for them both, right now. Those two young’uns have had it bad. Don’t know which was worse off, and there ain’t a nickel’s worth o’ difference in their two stories. They’re in good hands, so far as I’m concerned. And the rest of us can pitch in as needed, I’m thinkin’.”

“That was my thought,” George nodded. “We. . .we’ve got to get back to the old ways, if we’re going to survive. Children are going to have to be the whole community’s children, no matter who their parents are. We have to work together to get by, Jerry, or we won’t get by. I’ve seen too much of that in. . .well, in places far from here.” Jerry studied the young man closely.

“I’ve seen what happens to children in times like these,” George said softly. “I. . .one of the reasons I kept going back. Trying to help. I kept thinking if I could help save just one child, then whatever sacrifice I had made would have been worth it. Never thought to have that thrown in my face. Especially by Debbie. My own wife,” he added, his tone not bitter, but hurt.