Keeping Katie Ch 7
The next morning started the same as before. Joseph didn't want anything to do with Karen or Charlene, but Karen had had enough of that. He wanted only to communicate with Don and he wouldn't sit down and eat. Angrily, Karen slammed the hot pan in her hand down on the table startling everyone and glared at him. He was so startled that he actually looked at her. "Sit down and eat like the rest of us! Enough of this stuff you're pulling. You're here just like the rest of us and I'm not putting up with it any longer. Sit down, now!"
Joseph sat, looking anxiously at her. Karen dished him up some oatmeal. "Eat!" she ordered.
That was apparently the right tone, because he meekly fixed the food and ate it all. Don had a hard time containing his smile. Yep, he liked this woman with fire in her eyes this morning. They had carbon copied that letter this morning. He ate his oatmeal just like the rest of them. It wasn't something he really cared for but the raisins at least made it palatable. Karen ate her portion, much smaller than anyone elses. He wished she'd eat with the rest of them, but she was busy making sure the kids ate and got ready for school.
"Do you have time to walk out with me?" Don asked her.
"Go ahead. We're fine." Charlene said with a smile.
So he took extra time walking out to his car. "How are you this morning?" he asked Karen.
"I'm better. I'm sorry for last night. It just really hit me."
"I know. It's okay. Just make sure you call me if you need me."
"I have you now. I'm fine, love. You know it's getting sort of late in the year. How much do you think we could get Joseph to do? I'm not talking hard labor, but maybe some things around here he could do to keep himself busy."
"What does one have to do with the other? Joseph's physical strength and the time of year?"
"I need to start getting firewood in and it'll need to be stacked. I could suggest if he's bored that he could work at it at his own pace. I'll get Laslo and BB to help some as well, and even Katie. She's old enough. I also thought he could help pick tomatoes and dig potatoes, things like that. Everyone does that kind of thing around here."
"I don't see any harm in it."
"Can you think of anything else?"
"Do we have anything else he can wear? He might be more comfortable with some other clothes and things of his own."
"Good idea. Maybe this afternoon I'll take him to the store and get him some clothes and shaving stuff. I'm not sure exactly how to go about getting him the stuff he needs. I have no experience buying for a full grown man."
"I'd offer to go with you but you had such a breakthrough it might set things back See how it goes and if we need to we can go this weekend and I'll help with whatever you can't do."
"Okay. Do you have any kind of idea what size pants he'd wear? I'm not exactly sure how to go about buying him underwear."
"He's not too observant. Give him a couple of different pairs of pants to try on in different sizes and use that as a guide for his underwear. I think that'd work."
"I could do that. Start with mediums and go either way as I need to. It's a bit embarrassing for me. Kids, I'm used to."
"I think he's just basically a big child. I'm not sure what's wrong with him, but he's not normal. I'd say by his reaction, he's used to women barking orders at him. That was why he wasn't responding to you or Charlene. He doesn't appear to have any experience with women who are kind and gentle. Give him a tough attitude today and see how it goes."
"We will. I wish you could be home today."
"I know, but I need to go. Just remember I love you."
"You too." she said and gave him a hug.
He left for the office.
Tough attitude, firmly giving orders to Joseph and giving him something he could do as he felt like it combined with good meals and no abuse seemed to go a long way with him. He relaxed more and was more amenable to suggestions. Karen had him help her show the man with the firewood where to unload it, She showed him how to stack it and where it needed to go and left him to it. She left him happily working at his own pace and went back into the house. Charlene was busy at the stove browning meat for dinner that she's stick in the slow cooker. She could see the wood pile from that window. "I think he likes having that to do."
"I think so. It gives him something to do, without anyone standing over him and it feels good to work at his own pace. We just need to watch him so he doesn't overdo it and make himself sick."
"I will. I had a good time last night. John is nice and he has a most deliciously wicked sense of humor." Charlene said unexpectedly.
"I'm glad he could come and stay." Karen told her completely missing the point.
Charlene however was used to her habits and looked over at her. "Can we talk for a few minutes?"
That got Karens attention. "Absolutely. What's wrong?"
Charlene shrugged uneasy now that she'd started the conversation. "I just wanted to tell you something." she said.
Karen gave her the full effect of her attention. "Okay. You know you can tell me anything. We're friends. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, physically I'm fine."
"That's good to know. You said physically. That means something else."
"Can you let me get this out in my own time?" Charlene demanded irritably.
"I'm sorry. Go ahead when you're ready."
"I'm sorry, it's just...Oh, hell, I called off my wedding."
"You did? Okay, you must've had a good reason. Is it permanent or...?"
"Yeah, it's permanent. I, uh, came home early that one day from here and found him in bed with someone else. Our bed on the sheets we bought together for our apartment. And I got the impression from what I overheard that this has been going on for awhile. They were laughing at me. Saying how naive I was for working out here for you with a bunch of losers and fooling me was easy. He had such scorn in his voice. I thought he loved me, I thought we were so good together. Now I realize he was just using me and figured I'd never catch on."
"What did you do?"
"I flung the door open and saw them doing it and I couldn't believe it."
"Are you certain they were in the middle of...?"
"Oh, yeah. There was no mistaking it."
"Charlene, I'm so, so sorry. So what're you going to do now?"
"I was thinking I might come back here to live if you... if you still want me to live here. I know with Joseph here things are a little cramped, but..."
"It won't be that cramped. Don and I were actually thinking of changing a few things. Would you be amenable to maybe moving eventually into my quarters and being a house mother so to speak? We were talking about maybe making a separate home out in back for us and Katie. You'd have your own quarters then."
"So you don't think I'm jumping the gun?"
"No, I don't. If you want to try to work it out with him, you know I'll support you. It's up to you. I'm not at all impressed with him calling you naïve and the kids losers, but that's your private business. And being laughed at? Not in this lifetime, buddy." Karen shook her head.
"I feel like a fool for not seeing through him."
"Don't. If he had done it to you twice then you'd have reason. He's the one who should be ashamed. But look at how lucky you are. You could be married to the sucker before you found out and if he'd do that to you with her, he'll do that on her with someone else. You got out in time. She didn't. If she stays with him knowing who he is, she's the one we should pity."
"That makes me feel better."
"Good. I'm sorry this happened to you."
"I really want to hurt him, you know?"
"I know. What are you going to do if he comes around asking for forgiveness?"
"He wouldn't dare!"
"After what he did? Yes, he would. Think about that so you can hit him with a zinger when he shows up." Karen said then started to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Charlene demanded.
"I just had a mental image of him running as fast as he could down the driveway with Queen hanging on one arm and Duchess's teeth firmly attached to the seat of his britches. What a priceless image."
After a minute Charlene began to laugh as well. "You have a vicious imagination." She told her friend.
"Thank you."
Karen went out to see how Joseph was doing on the wood pile. He'd made a serious dent in it. "It looks great, Joseph." She told him. He jumped and looked at her nervously. "Are you hungry?"
"Yes."
"Good, you worked up a good appetite. Why don't we go get you cleaned up and we can have some lunch? After lunch you and I are going to go shopping and get you some better clothes. Do you want to take a shower first?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Let's go eat. It's just leftovers but sometimes things are better the second day. Have you stacked wood before?"
"Yes."
"Ah, see, I didn't have to show you what to do after all. You should have said something. We're going to get you some jeans and shirts and new shoes. Those ones you have on are fine for around here, but you want to look nice for going out somewhere off the farm."
"I-I don't want to go nowhere." He said stopping dead in his tracks.
Karen turned to him. "Not permanently, Joseph. I mean like going to the library or to the grocery store, things like that. You want to look nice, don't you?"
"Yes, but…."
"But what?"
"Then I need to give them back."
"No you don't. These will be your things. No one else can have them."
"No one?"
"No one."
"Not Laslo or the man?"
"Not even them. These will be your shoes and your clothes. All yours."
Joseph hung his head and stood still for a minute. Karen came closer cautiously. "What's the matter?" she asked him gently.
"I never had new clothes before. Mother said they were too expensive and I didn't need them. Zebs old ones were good enough for me."
This was the first thing Karen had heard from him that showed any kind of initiative. "That is nonsense. New clothes always make me feel better. Would you like to get a haircut, too? It would make you look really handsome."
"Are they going to use a razor?"
"Nope. I have a man friend in town that does Laslo's hair. He uses and electric hair clippers, but he's really careful. I can have him show you everything he's going to do before he does it and you can watch in the big mirror. Is that okay?"
"Are you going to give me away?" Joseph said.
"No, of course not. Why do you ask?"
"Mother used to get me all cleaned up and send me to the neighbors house to work and then sometimes the girls they'd…." he stopped and turned bright red. He turned and would have bolted for the barn.
Karen snatched his arm. "No, Joseph, I just want you to look nice. That's all. Let's go eat."
She got him headed in the right direction feeling nauseous. "Those girls sometimes they were real nice to me." Joseph said.
"That's good."
"So you don't want me to…With BB?"
"No. You must never ever touch BB or anyone else like that without asking me or Don or Charlene first. Okay?"
"Oh, Okay."
Karen took him inside and had Charlene put his lunch on the table while she got him cleaned up. While he was eating she went into her own bathroom and lost the food she'd eaten that morning. The Mother he was referring to had used him as a stud, probably getting paid for it! While he had obviously enjoyed that part of it, it made her stomach heave.
She went back out to the kitchen and had a glass of water while she watched Joseph scarf down a huge lunch. Charlene caught Karens eye, but they weren't free to talk then. "Later." She mouthed at her and got up from the table. "I need to make a phone call, Joseph. When you're done eating, take a shower and we'll go after you're done."
"Okay."
Joseph finished his meal and went into the bathroom. "What's up?" Charlene asked.
"I can't tell you now. I need to talk to someone first. Oh, I'm so furious right now." She dialed the phone. "Tolna, this is Karen Wesson. We have us a big problem. I need to speak with you and soon! Please call me."
TBC
