Underbelly (12 page)

“
Then go back and tell Bob you’ve changed your mind. Bad enough that joker wrecked your vehicle; don’t let him steal your job too,” Abner said forcefully.

“
Dick paid me for the pickup,” Grey said. Dick had given him a derisory sum for his wheels. Grey felt bad enough taking this from him as he knew he could ill afford to hand over this amount and if he did not have Germaine to support he wouldn’t have accepted any of his money. “There’s other jobs out there.”

Abner shook his head, unable to comprehend why Grey wouldn’t take the easy option and go back to his old job. “Fine. They’re hiring at the canners.”

“
I might look into it in a couple of months. Before I start working I promised Germaine I’d show her the sights of the US.”

“
And what will you live on?”

“
I’ve got some money, army pay.”

“
You were only in the army for six months, that won’t go far.”

“
I’ll work as we travel then.”

“
Aren’t they hiring at your place, Abner?” Shirley chimed in with, trying to be helpful, to her husband’s annoyance.

“
That was eight weeks ago!” he said hot-headedly, “Those positions are gone now.”

“
I thought it was last week.”

“
For goodness sake, it was two months ago!”

“
Is there any work at your store?” Germaine asked Shirley, thinking that she could work to help contribute.

“
I don’t think so, dear.”

“
Me and your mother will let you stay for a month here rent free but after that you’ll have to start paying your way,” Abner said firmly.

“
That’s fine,” Grey said, finding it fair.

“
If you’ve any sense, son, you’ll go and ask at the canners tomorrow. Jobs are like gold dust now – get in before more troops get back,” Abner said, advising him with his best interests in mind.

“
I hear what you’re saying, Dad, You’re right, I should pull my weight, and we’re certainly not here to sponge off you. I’m not looking for a permanent job because the tour takes priority but I’ll take something for a couple of weeks.”

“
Don’t tell them that. If you can get a permanent position you should stick at it,” Abner said.

“
He’s right,” Shirley said. “Opportunities are hard to come by nowadays.”

“
If they take me on I’ll play it by ear,” he said, smiling at Germaine. She was unhappy with the idea and told him so when he took her for a late stroll. She had acted as his nurse and primary carer for a long time and she felt it was too soon for him to start full time work, especially manual labour. Grey swept her up in his arms and kept walking as he carried her, a show of strength.

“
I am a lot better, Germaine.”

“
You might have to lift heavier things than me, and for long times.”

“
It’s a cannery, they make tinned goods – it probably won’t be much heavy lifting. I know my limitations and if I think it’s beyond me I won’t do it.”

“
All right, James, it’s your decision. You probably are ready, I’m just thinking how bored I’ll be without you around.”

“
I’ll miss you too, but a man’s gotta work, especially this man because I want to provide for you – nothing could motivate me more than that. They might give me short shrift; as I say, I hope not, because I want to treat you to the high life – or as close to that as I can get on factory wages!”

“
I know you want to work and I do support you. If your mother lets me do the household I’ll be fine.”

“
I can’t see her doing that – she takes a bizarre satisfaction in doing the arduous chores herself. It’s an American affliction, Gem, where the women are perversely house-proud, to the level where their greatest joy is seeing a clean, well run house.”

“
I can understand that.”

“
I can, up to a point. I’m talking about fanaticism where this desire for domestic perfection is your whole life – Mom’s got a job so she’s not as terminally affected as some.”

“
I can still see the appeal – does that mean I’m turning American already?” she joked.

“
There’s worse fates,” Grey replied. Over time she would take on mannerisms and attitudes of his home country, which he found a sweet prospect, while keeping her exotic edge. Their critics (quite a few members of the community tacitly disapproved of their union and the breakneck speed which this French girl had made it across the ocean, ahead of serving soldiers and all other war brides) could go hang.

Grey was taken on at the cannery, though he was informed when he was hired that his job belonged to another man and would be his if he returned, which Grey had no problem with, not intending to stay forever anyway. Grey’s prediction was wrong and Shirley welcomed Germaine’s contributions around the house, finding her very able – she was not quite as meticulous at cleaning, but she performed most household tasks well. After a shaky start all four of the Greys made more of a conscious effort, the two Mrs Grey’s working on their husbands to achieve peace, Shirley suggesting to Abner that he invite James on his fishing trip and Germaine commenting to Grey that it would be a nice gesture if he went. Both agreed and Grey went fishing with his father and his father’s friend for the weekend and surprised himself by how much he enjoyed it. Nothing of any importance was said, Grey finding himself as inexpressive as his father, but the harmless topics that were discussed provoked no real arguments, and the trip proved relaxing. Germaine had also made progress with Abner, asking him to teach her backgammon, his wife and son proving incapable of learning his favourite game, while Germaine did manage to pick it up and would take him on in a game every night. While she still had a long way to go with him, she felt very close to Shirley and enjoyed her company, both enjoying going shopping in town together (even though both were rather frugal). She saw less of James than she liked, his hours long, and he often returned hours after his shift ended, spending time with friends and acquaintances he hadn’t seen for a while. He was apologetic, needlessly – she didn’t resent that he was getting back in touch with his community and she knew that when the tour started she’d see much more of him, and she made the most of the time she had with him, Grey making an effort to do something with her at the weekends.

After a month Grey was dismissed and was glad to be made redundant, shaking the hand of Michael Morris, the man whose return cost him his job. Morris was sympathetic and Grey assured him that he was happy that he was returning to his former position, baffling him. Losing the job meant that they could start their journey and leave Keokuk on good terms with everyone. Germaine was home alone, polishing the silver, and Grey suggested that it might be time to move on.

“
Aren’t you going to go fishing again next month?”

“
We’ll return for visits and I’ll go out with them then, and we’ll come back for Christmas. You’re not sure about it, are you? Let’s go for a walk and talk about it,” he said, open-minded about what to do, as he had to be now that there was another to consider. Germaine was easygoing and was greatly looking forward to the trip, but she felt that if they stayed he could develop greater bonds with his parents – interrupting the process could set it back. She shared her concerns, which he noted, and he agreed to put the tour off until after Christmas.

“
If we wait longer than that I really will be restless. I love the town, but…” He trailed off, unsure of what he was trying to say, yet Germaine seemed to understand him and smiled at him.

“
That’s two months, James, I’ll be as ready as you to go then, even though I love the town, because the trip excites me too. Can you take me to Lanfred’s house?” she said, wanting to discuss an idea with him. It took some time to reach the derelict building, by which time it was late afternoon and they saw a small group of boys congregated by the front door. Grey went over to them, trying to appear friendly but firm as he asked them what they were doing and receiving no answer. He told them that he knew what they were doing as he’d done the same at their age (he had wondered for a while if entering the supposedly haunted house had been the catalyst for his power) before he realised his folly. They looked ashamed at being caught out but also seemed unmoved by his words as he talked of how the occupant had been a good man who was at peace now, the house’s only current occupants being a horde of rats (this seemed to unsettle two of them and would keep them out). He promised them there were no ghosts inside but that the house was in such a state of disrepair that it wasn’t safe to enter and they didn’t know if anyone else was inside, Grey advising them to worry about strangers rather than ghosts. They skulked off when he was finished and when they had left the area Grey asked Germaine if she wanted to look around inside – Lanfred was at peace and could no longer be disturbed and, as they had become friends, he felt he wouldn’t mind him going inside.

Germaine shook her head and said, “No, not because I’m scared of ghosts, because I’m not as you and I know that there’s nothing to fear here. Couldn’t we get arrested?”

“
There’s a way in around back – I’m surprised the boys didn’t know that, that’s the way we all used to get in. We wouldn’t be spotted, but we don’t have to go in if you don’t want to.”

“
No, I’m happy just looking at it from here. The house won’t sell because of what people say, right?”

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It’s in a state too, so both factors are off-putting.”

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But we know there’s nothing to worry about. If you want to live in Keokuk we could probably buy this house cheap.”

“
You definitely need to see inside it first, Germaine,” Grey said, remembering how squalid the conditions were.

“
Even with costs of repair it still might be cheap. This way you could be close to your parents without feeling crowded.”

“
And you wouldn’t be scared at all?”

“
Not of Lanfred, no. He sounds gentle. Sounded, he’s at peace now, thanks to you.”

“
Thanks to luck I think, Gem. I had no skill with my powers back then. It bothers me how he’s remembered and if the house was turned into a home again that tale would peter out. Whether this is the home for us though, I’m not so sure – there’s a lot more of the States for both of us to see and we might see somewhere we much prefer.” While Germaine was thinking of what they could afford, Grey was thinking of her welfare – even if she believed now that she wouldn’t be scared, would that prove to be the case if she was alone in the house at night?

Upon hearing the news of Grey being laid off, Abner told him to come to his factory first thing in the morning with him, now prepared to have his son work for the same company. The workforce numbered around 200 men and Grey was stuck permanently on twilight and night shifts, shifts that Germaine was initially unhappy with until she realised that she saw more of him when he worked these unsociable hours. The work, assembling refrigerators, was far more physically strenuous than his job had been at the cannery, and after a week he wondered if he was up to it. He could tell that his ferocious foreman would cut him no slack, prone to pushing around new workers who he felt weren’t pulling their weight; Grey was spared this treatment only because his father worked in the offices. Even if his back was fully healed Grey felt it wouldn’t take long for him to injure it anew with the foreman rushing him, making him carry heavy shelves and pallets unassisted.

One night with Grey working a twilight shift and Abner out with other members of a small local club, Germaine and Shirley spent the evening together, each enjoying the other’s company and confiding much in the other. Germaine brought up the topic of Grey’s brief stay in the mental institute, a topic which made Shirley withdraw and she retired to her room for a little while before coming back down and explaining to Germaine that she had no choice. She justified herself by giving details of how mad her son had been, remembering some of the crazy things he had said about voices in his head, and she believed that the drastic action they had taken had helped him become the healthy, sane man he was today.