TURNING BACK
CHAPTER 7
CONSEQUENCES
Ben was sitting at the table with Adam and Aaron the next afternoon. He was reading a paper and listening with one ear as his eldest grandson diagrammed a complex sentence.
When the boy finished his father was nodding his head, obviously pleased when they became aware of loud voices in the front yard.
Shaking his head Adam stood, but stopped when they heard a door close somewhere in the house, and Abby came quickly down the stairs. In a blink, she was out the front door.
Looking at his father, Adam said, "Well, this should be interesting," and sat down again. He exchanged a look with Aaron who said, "I'm glad it's not me this time, Ma's really mad," and the boy rolled his eyes.
Abby had left the front door open and soon she came back in, towing Andrew and Abram. They were covered in dust and Andrew's nose was bleeding, while Abram didn't seem to have a scratch on him.
The oldest girl came through the door then, holding Amelia's hand. The smaller girl was crying, but not making a sound, her light grey eyes huge in her flushed face. Adelaide put an arm around her sister's shoulders and just stood there quietly, knowing her mother would deal with the two boys first.
"Boys," Abby said firmly as she sat on the raised hearth, "why were you fighting?" her lips were compressed in a grim line and her eyes narrowed as both boys looked down at the floor.
"I asked you a question," she insisted and Andrew looked up at her.
"He punched me in the nose!" he said, sounding genuinely offended and surprised.
She turned to Abram and without looking up the smaller, stocky boy, stuck out his chin and his light grey eyes flashed with temper.
"He was teasing Amelia," he answered his mother.
"I was not!" Andrew said heatedly and the other boy pushed him, knocking him to the floor.
He stood over his brother, his fists clenched. "I told you what I was gonna do if you made Amy cry again!"
Abby reached out to pull Abram back from his brother, and noted the boys chin still stuck out stubbornly. Then he finally turned to look at his mother and a rush of words came out.
"He took Amy's doll and hid it somewhere and wouldn't tell me where it was. He's always doing things like that to her and I JUST GOT MAD!" Abram looked at her earnestly.
Turning to her eldest daughter, Abby didn't have to ask her for verification. Adelaide just nodded, and tightened her arm around her sister.
"I see," Abby said, and shot a quick look at her husband and eldest son, still seated at the table. Adam's shoulders were shaking slightly and Aaron was trying to keep a straight face. She sighed.
"Adelaide, would you please take your brother outside and shake the dust out of his clothes," she asked and the girl came to take Abram's hand to lead him out.
"Andrew, go get your sister's doll."
The boy got up from the floor and went out the front door, his head hanging and he swiped at his still bleeding nose with his sleeve. His mother winced.
She held her arms out to Amelia and the little girl came to her in a rush and climbed into her lap.
Andrew came through the door a few moments later, a straw covered doll in his hands. Abby frowned and sighed again as Amelia burst into tears.
"Son, sometimes I think you don't have the sense God gave a goose. Take that doll back outside and get all the straw off of it."
By that time Adam had his head down and was desperately trying to hold in his laughter. She slanted a quick glance at his back and shook her head.
She took out a handkerchief and mopped up the little girls tears. Then Andrew came into view again and handed the doll to his sister without looking up at his mother.
"She's all dirty now, Ma," Amelia said truly distressed at the doll's condition.
"I know honey," her mother said. "Go into the kitchen and wait for me, I'll be there in a minute and we'll get her cleaned up."
Sliding quickly off her mothers lap, the little girl made a wide half circle around her brother and trotted into the kitchen.
Abby turned her attention back to Andrew.
"Andrew, understand this - privileges have to be earned and I don't ever want to hear you complaining on that subject again. This behavior is not something inspiring confidence in your father and I." She paused for a second,
"Now go to your room and stay there, I don't want to see your face again until morning."
The boy turned toward the stairs, but stopped when she spoke again.
"And while you're there think about this, why would your younger brother have to protect Amelia from you, her OLDER brother."
At that Andrew bolted, flying up the stairs and Abby listened until she heard the door to his room close quietly.
As Abby walked toward the kitchen, she stopped to squeeze Adam's shoulder and he said, "Well done," deep amusement coloring his tone."I'm impressed." She chuckled.
"You poor man," she said. "You've had entirely too much aggravation lately." She ran her hand across the back of his neck, causing him to shiver. Then she winked at Ben, smiled at Aaron, and went into the kitchen.
Her husband and son exchanged a look. "Thank God," Adam said, then Aaron grinned at his Grandfather saying. "Ma's back!"
The next day all the adults made a badly needed trip to town. Adam and Abby rode on the seat of a wagon drawn by their two huge black horses, while Ben, Hoss, and Joe went mounted.
They had scattered when they reached town and Adam was standing on the board sidewalk near the wagon that now had several crates in its deep bed, waiting for the rest of the family when a huge, grey-haired man came up behind him, roughly swung him around and punched him square in the face.
Adam went down hard, but then began to laugh, looking up into the other man's face.
"Hi Jack, what took you so long?" he asked affably when the human mountain hauled him up by the lapels of his coat and shook him.
He only had time enough to yell, "Hoss, no!" before the man threw him into the street. Not being caught by surprise this time, he rolled and got to his feet quickly enough to jump in front of his brother who was coming fast, blue fire in his eyes.
He ended up being trapped in between the two men and gasped out, "Hoss, back off, this is Abby's father!"
Surprised, Hoss stepped back and Adam bent over, coughing and checking his ribs to see if any were broken.
The huge man glared at Adam and began to shout at him.
"So what is this? I go to see my daughter and my grandchildren and the house is empty!" he was shaking with rage. "Not one word! No one knew where you had gone. NO ONE!" he took a huge breath then turned around in surprise when he felt a slap on the back of his head.
"Papa!" Abby shouted, her face dark red with fury. "How many times do I have to tell you, don't beat on my husband!"
Ignoring her anger, he swept her up in his arms. "My precious girl!" he shouted and still holding her, he turned back to Adam who had managed to stand upright, with one arm cradeling his ribs.
"You...you...beheyme! Momzer! Du farkirtst mir di yorn!" he continued to berate his son-in-law when someone tapped him on the shoulder. Turning he only saw Ben's fist coming at his face and then he went down hard too.
"Putz," Ben said clearly and the huge man looked up at him in surprise, then started to laugh, his entire body shaking with mirth.
Everyone else stood there frozen for a moment, then Ben put out his hand to help the other man up.
When he was standing again Jack smiled. "I take it that you are Adam's father?" he said, both as a question and a statement.
"Yes," Ben said simply, and looked with concern at his eldest son.
"I'm fine, Pa," Adam assured him. He coughed again, cleared his throat, and spat some blood into the street.
Abby was standing next to him by that time and gasped; she gave her father an angry glare.
Adam patted her arm, "Now calm down," he said firmly, and put his free arm around her shoulders, wincing at the pain that movement caused him.
Joe had been across the street watching the whole thing and now came walking up to take part in the introductions.
"Well," Jack said, "Now that we all know who we are, I would like to have a private word with my daughter..."
Abby shook her head, "No Papa, we're taking Adam home right now." When her father opened his mouth to argue, she gave him a forbidding look and turned to Hoss.
"Would you mind driving the wagon home?" she asked, then turned back to her father who had the grace to look ashamed of himself. "You can come out to see your grandchildren tomorrow."
Meekly, Hoss came to help Adam up on the wagon seat and then Abby. Her husband didn't bother with arguing that she should be sitting in the middle - he knew it was useless.
Joe had tied Hoss's horse to the back of the wagon and they were soon driving through town.
Adam took a quick look at his brother and answered the question he could see written on his face.
"Did I forget to tell you Abby is Jewish?"
Hoss nodded, "I guess so, Big Brother."
They lapsed into silence for a while, then Hoss spoke again.
"What was he callin' you?"
Adam had to pause to think.
"He called me a fool...an untrustworthy bastard and..." he paused again..."And I will be the death of him." He looked to his wife for confirmation and she nodded.
"Does he always do that to you?"
"Not always, but that's just how Jack expresses himself." Adam smiled. "That actually went better than I thought it would!"
Hoss looked at his brother incredulously for a moment, then Abby snorted with laughter and he couldn't help but join her.
"He's absolutely serious, Hoss" she gasped and even Adam managed a restrained chuckle.
Shortly after the sun rose the next morning Adam was sitting on the front porch, leaning back in a chair, waiting for his father-in-law.
As expected, Jack came riding into the barnyard and Adam stood to say "Good morning, Jack" as the other man dismounted and came toward the house.
Adam met him half way and clapped a hand on the older man's shoulder, turning him toward the barn.
"You know yesterday I came to a realization," he said conversationally. "I've been making a mistake by not taking Abby's feelings into account," he shook his head. "You have no idea how upset she was with that little scene you put on in town yesterday," he finished and pushed the other man through the barn door.
When the two men came inside about an hour later, Abby's eyes widened as she took in how disheveled both men were.
"Grandpa Jack is here!" Adam called out, shutting the door and children came running from all over the house.
Adam waded through the tide of children breaking on his father-in-law, and he stopped when he finally made it to his wife's side. He put his arms around her and spoke low in her ear.
"Don't worry, your father and I just came to an agreement this morning," he reassured her, then turned away to go up the stairs to get the baby.
Much later that evening the children and Abby were all in bed and the four men were relaxing in the sitting area in front of the fireplace.
By that time Adam's face had bloomed with various bruises and he shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He looked up to meet his father's amused gaze.
"Are you alright son?" he asked and Adam nodded.
"What happened," Joe just had to ask and when his brother turned his dark gaze on him he couldn't hold back a chuckle.
"My father-in-law and I just came to an agreement this morning." He shook his head, "I realized I was making a mistake by not taking Abby's feelings into account," he stopped to flex and crack his jaw. "Abby was practically in tears last night."
"So," Ben said, "that man has been pummeling you for twelve years and you've never raised a hand against him."
"Of course not," his eldest son answered. "Until today, I had no reason to."
He shook his head again when his father and brothers practically howled with laughter. "You three don't understand, that man will never forgive me for not being Jewish!"
They laughed even harder and Adam rolled his eyes and sighed.
"Abby is his only child and no matter how many grandchildren we give him, I will never be Jewish."
Hearing a noise from the stairs, Adam looked up and saw Alec standing there. The child looked down at his father with huge eyes until he motioned for him to come down.
When he reached his father, Adam patted his knee and the child climbed up in his lap.
"Were you hearing noises again?" he asked the boy quietly Alec just nodded his head.
"What did I tell you?"
"That bad man will never hurt me again."
"That's right," Adam agreed, and shifted the boy in his lap to look into his little face. "And why is that?"
"Because he's dead," Alec answered in a small voice.
"Yes," Adam said, and had to clear his throat to continue. "I've never lied to you son, and I never will." He stood to take the child back to bed, "Say 'good night' Alec," he instructed and went up the stairs as the boy called "good night" over his father's shoulder.
The other three men just looked at each other, no longer amused.