Rorey's Secret (25 page)

“Did she really?” he asked me. “Did she really cause the fire?”

“That’s not something we need to concern ourselves with at the moment,” I told him. “It was an accident, like Mr. Wortham said. No use casting blame.” I looked over at my son. “Robert, you and Willy follow after them, please. I just want to be sure she comes back here or goes home. That’s all. Don’t give her a hard time.”

Robert didn’t say anything. He grabbed his hat and went outside like I’d told him to. Willy, on the other hand, looked at me with a smirk. “Lester, huh? Lester come aroun’ dancin’ with Rorey an’ burned down our barn?”

“William, I think you’d better leave that alone.”

“Ain’t no wonder he didn’t want her to tell.” He strode outside, and I prayed it was to look for Rorey. But I had a bad feeling about it.

“Harry,” I called, knowing he was the only one of the boys besides Bert still in the house. “Harry, go with William. And if he starts toward the Turreys’ house, do what you can to stop him, or come and tell us, please. All right?”

“Yeah.” He grabbed his hat and ran out. And I wondered if I’d done the right thing.

“Seems like things is bad right now,” Berty observed. I couldn’t even answer him.

Little Emmie came out from behind the draped sheet in the corner with her hair dripping wet and her eyes wide and round. “Pa’s gonna be real mad at Rorey, ain’t he?”

“I expect,” I said with a sigh. “And I sure hope he uses a little wisdom.”

“Will he quit bein’ mad at Franky?”

“I hope so. But it’s not going to serve him well being mad at anybody.”

Katie came out from behind the sheet with the hairbrush in her hand. “I wish the pastor was still here,” she said.

Sarah was so exhausted she just sat on the floor at her father’s knee. Finally I made her get up and take a bath. She didn’t want to. She didn’t want to do anything. But she did. And then I took her upstairs and helped her get settled in the bed. She was crying the whole time. I knew she was, though she scarcely made a sound.

“I don’t think Rorey’s gonna be my friend anymore,” she finally said. “I’m not sure I even want her to be.”

“We’re like family,” I told her. “After a while, we’ll put this behind us, and you and Rorey will be able to get close again.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“You’re like sisters. I never had a sister, but I expect if I had, we’d always be able to find ways to forgive and go on.”

“Katie wouldn’t never have done something like that.”

“Rorey’s had some problems, Sarah. She’s not always had an easy time of it.”

“Well, same thing for Katie, Mommy! Her own mother just took off and left her with Uncle Edward when he was a scary, rotten bum! And it’s not always been easy for us either! I remember when we didn’t have nothing to eat but the daylilies and the dandelions and stuff. At least now we got chickens and milk and all, but so do Hammonds. It’s not so different.”

“Every family’s different. And every person deals with things differently.”

“But it wasn’t right for Rorey to lie.”

“No, it wasn’t.”

“She hates Franky, Mom. So does their pa. He blames Franky for his mama bein’ sick, but it wasn’t his fault. It couldn’t have been!”

“No. It certainly couldn’t.” Anger at George Hammond surfaced in me again. Could he truly think such a thing? But I only hugged Sarah, and she held on to me tight.

“I’m glad I got good folks, Mom. I’m glad Daddy’s not mean like Mr. Hammond.”

I could’ve defended George. Perhaps I should have, and I almost did. George Hammond certainly wasn’t always mean. He’d become a hard worker, and he seemed to be good to his children most of the time. But when it came to Franky, I had to admit he’d been less than fair. And not just recently.

I knew Katie and Emmie were downstairs needing to get to bed too. But I took just a little more time with Sarah alone, praying with her, hugging her again, and singing a short little song I hadn’t sung in a couple of years, at least.

“I love you, Mom,” she whispered. “And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Lester sooner.”

“We talked about that already. And it’s all right.”

“No. There was more I didn’t tell you. I knew they were going to meet in the barn last night. She told me not to tell, and I didn’t, but if I had, her pa or you and Daddy would’ve got all upset and stopped him from coming over, and then there wouldn’t have been a fire, and Daddy would be okay—”

“Sarah, sweetie, it’s not your fault.”

“Yes, it is. If I’d have told, it wouldn’t have happened. I’m so sorry. I won’t keep any more secrets. I promise I won’t.”

I leaned and kissed her. “Well, I guess you did learn a lesson.”

“But do you think Rorey will learn a lesson too?”

“I certainly hope so.”

I went down the stairs praying. For Rorey mostly. Somewhere I’d heard that the first time a young person does something really bad, a significant bit of their future and the choices they make rest upon the kind of response they get. I prayed that our response to Rorey would be what she needed.

Berty was already in and out of the washtub by the time I came down. I knew he didn’t like a bath and probably hurried through it a little too quickly, but I didn’t question him. He was sitting on one end of the davenport with his leg on a cushion. Emmie was on the other end.

And Samuel was up and gone from that rocking chair. I don’t know why I didn’t notice right away.

Katie was standing in the doorway looking awfully worried. “Where’s your dad?” I asked her.

“He went outside. I’m sorry, Mom. I knew you wouldn’t want him to, but we thought we heard yelling and he just got up and told us to stay here—”

“Oh no.”

“I’m sorry, Mom.”

“Honey, it’s not your fault. Please just see if you can get these two settled for the night.”

I ran out the back door.

“Samuel?” Oh, why hadn’t he called for me or just waited till I was downstairs? He had no business running outside after Rorey in his condition. He’d been so dizzy, and hurting, and— I had to stop myself.

I had to stop and think that Samuel was just being a father. Even though most of these kids were not ours, we’d been acting like they were at least partly ours for years now. I couldn’t really expect him to stay in his chair.
Lord, let him be all right. Let everyone be all right!

“Samuel?” I called again. This time I thought I heard something from the direction of the barn, maybe on the other side of it. I hurried just as fast as I could.

Samuel was standing up, leaning on the pasture fence. Robert was beside him. Rorey was plopped down in the dirt in front of them. And Franky was squatted down at her side. I didn’t see Kirk or William or Harry anywhere.

Rorey was crying, I could tell that now. But she turned her back to Franky, even though it was incredible to me that he’d even followed her out of the house in the first place.

“Rorey—” he said.

“I don’t wanna talk to you! I don’t wanna talk!”

“You may as well come back in the house with the others and get some sleep then,” Samuel told her. “You’re not doing anybody any good sitting out here.”

“I don’t wanna come in. You all hate me now!”

“Nobody hates anyone around here,” Samuel continued. “You can stop that foolishness and get yourself to bed.”

There was an edge to Samuel’s voice. Pain, I knew, just from getting out here. But more than that, he was angry. I hadn’t heard that in his voice in quite a while.

“But you’re gonna tell my pa!”

“You’re absolutely right I will. Every single word. An accident is one thing. And that would’ve been the end of it, if that was all. But you’ve yet to show yourself sorry, girl. And I won’t tolerate you being hateful to your family. Not any of your family. Do you understand me?”

“Well, I don’t have to stay in your house!” she sputtered. “I don’t have to do what you say!”

Samuel responded instantly. “You’re right. Start the truck, Robert. We’re taking Rorey home.”

“I’m not going home! Pa’ll kill me!”

“I don’t know what he’ll do. But it won’t be
that
bad, and you’re going home if I have to carry you.”

“Samuel—” I started.

He turned to look at me, but I didn’t say anything else, and neither did he.

Rorey stood up. I couldn’t believe she could be so defiant. “I’ll walk.”

“No,” Samuel answered her. “We’re going to make sure you get there. And that your father hears what he needs to. Right now, I don’t care what his feelings are for Frank. He’s got some growing up to do himself. But he’ll not tolerate you cussing your brother, not if I know him like I think I do. And he sure won’t tolerate you laying blame where it doesn’t belong or disrespecting me. So come on to the truck and let’s get going.”

I saw his hand gripped tight on the top of the fence, and I knew he was steadying himself. Robert knew it too. He hadn’t left to start the truck. He stood right there, ready to support his father. And it was very clear that Samuel needed it.

“Dad, you better get back to bed.” Robert sounded scared. “I’ll take her. I’ll do it by myself.”

He shook his head. “Julia, go with—”

He just sunk down, all of a sudden. He tried to catch himself on the fence, but how that must have hurt! He cried out with the pain of it, just a little. He’d have gone all the way to the ground if Robert hadn’t gotten hold of him.

“Samuel!” I cried, rushing to his side. “You shouldn’t be out of bed, let alone clear out here!”

I glanced at Rorey. She was only standing there, staring at us.

“Do you think we can carry him, Mom?” Robert asked. “If Franky helps?”

“I can walk,” Samuel told us.

“You’ve walked too much!” I protested.

“Just hold me,” he said. “Just help me along.”

With me on one side and Robert on the other, we got him to his feet again. Franky came up close beside me, trying to help. Together we made slow progress across the barnyard. I didn’t say a thing to Rorey. I didn’t know if she’d run off. I didn’t know what she’d do. But without a word, she followed us, all the way to the house.

It was hardest getting Samuel up the porch steps. He seemed to pitch forward, and I probably wouldn’t have managed very well without Franky’s help. My heart was pounding.

We went straight to the bed. Katie ran to bring us the pillows. Finally when we got him settled, he didn’t say a word to me. He just looked at Rorey with the pain in his eyes.

“Are you ready to go home?”

“Please don’t send me,” she begged. “I’ll stay here.”

“No.” Samuel shook his head. “Too late. You’re going home.”

I could see the tears at the surface of her eyes. I might have spoken on her behalf, that it wouldn’t hurt just to leave things alone for tonight and talk to George tomorrow, but I knew he was right. The way she’d spoken to him, the way she’d acted, she hadn’t left us much choice.

“I’ll drive her,” Robert said again. “Mom oughta stay here with you.”

Samuel was breathing kind of hard. I took the cloth from the bowl at the bedside table and bathed his forehead with it. I hoped its wetness felt good to him.

“Maybe I should go,” Franky said.

“Where are Kirk and William?” I finally thought to ask. “And Harry?”

“Kirk didn’t come back in?” Samuel asked.

“None of ’em did,” Katie answered.

“Oh no,” I said aloud. “Samuel, what if they’ve gone after Lester? Now what?”

“They wouldn’t,” Rorey declared. “They wouldn’t dare! Would they?”

“Willy would,” I told her, and nobody argued.

“Maybe Kirk and Harry followed him,” Katie suggested. “Maybe they’ll stop him from doing anything too stupid.”

“Let’s hope so.” I had such a sour feeling in my stomach. I should have gotten hold of that Willy and kept him in my sight. I very well knew what was running through his mind.

Samuel closed his eyes for just a second. “I’d go after them,” he said with the pain in his voice, “but, Juli, I can’t—”

“Honey, I know. I know. Please don’t even think about getting up again.”

“Maybe I oughta go after Dr. Hall,” Robert said gravely.

“No,” Samuel told him. “You drive by Turreys’, and if those boys are there, you get ’em in the truck or get their father. Franky, do you think you can walk your sister home?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I can go by myself,” Rorey protested. “Or maybe I ought to go to Turreys’.”

“You’ll go with your brother,” Samuel said again. “And you’ll tell the truth when you get over there, or your pa will hear it from me and things’ll go that much worse.”

“Yes, sir,” she said, her head sinking down. “I . . . I’m sorry. I’m sorry you got hurt.”

Samuel was silent for just a moment. “Well. That’s a good start.”

20

Franky

Rorey didn’t say much walkin’ across the timber. I knew she’d do what Mr. Wortham said an’ tell the truth once she got there, or she’d catch it worse. But I started wishin’ it was Kirk or maybe Sam with her, ’cause I didn’t figure it’d help matters to have me showin’ up over there. Maybe Mr. Wortham had done that on purpose, I don’t know, but me bein’ there might just make everythin’ that much harder for Pa to swallow.

She cried a little bit, an’ I got to thinkin’ on what Pastor said once about godly sorrow workin’ repentance. I hoped that’s what I was seein’ in Rorey. I almost said somethin’ about it, only I didn’t figure it’d do much good right then. I’d kinda learned Rorey pretty good the last few years, and most a’ the time she didn’t want to hear too much from me.

A screech owl cried. Rorey jumped. And I told her it wasn’t nothin’ to be scared of. She slowed down some and quit walkin’ so much off ahead a’ me.

I got to thinkin’ ’bout things and decided I didn’t know Rorey so good as I thought I did. Nor Sarah Jean neither. I didn’t think I ever did hear Sarah holler before, let alone be screamin’ at Rorey. I wouldn’t a’ thought it to happen, not in a million years.

We got so far as the creek and Rorey stopped and stared down at the water all dark and ripply in the dim light a’ the moon.

“What do you think Pa’ll do?” she asked me.

“Can’t say. I don’t exactly remember you bein’ in much trouble with him before.”