Chapter nine
Holman Farm
725 N. Co. Road 1550
Basco, IL
T+ 27
Susanna
"You and Spencer should get married." Henry said.
Susanna and Henry were sitting at her table in front of her window, enjoying the last of the afternoon sun. Once the sun went down he would go be with the other children, he said it was creepy up here. He was coloring another picture, based on the sound of the crayons moving across the paper and she was reading to him. From the bible unfortunately, but she was trying to make the stories sound sweet and entertaining. She would have preferred Narnia, at least. When she paused to think he'd piped up. "I beg your pardon?" She said.
"You and Spencer should get married."
"Cheeky monkey. What makes you think so anyway?"
"Because you're my friend and he's my friend. And you both like to read a lot, and you kinda sound alike."
"Oh, do we?"
"Uh-huh."
"And how do you know I want to marry anyone?" No reply. "I can't hear a shrug, remember."
He sighed. "Because you're lonely and he's lonely and if you were married like Mommy and Daddy then you wouldn't be lonely anymore."
Now it was her turn to sigh, "From the mouths of babes. I admit I want to meet him, if only to thank him for his help." Now there was a lie for you. "But what happens after that is adult business."
They were quiet for another moment while her fingers drifted across the page, trying to find a story she could make acceptable. "I'm hungry." He said after a time.
"So am I." From what she could tell from her listening and reading they ate a very healthy diet, farm fresh food, unprocessed, lots of vegetables, homemade bread. But Momma had a knack of giving you exactly enough on your plate to last until the next meal, not one drop more. "But I'm not giving you any of my candy, it's nearly dinner." Her sisters brought home hard candies on their travels, which she hoarded in an old jar. Sometimes they just kept body and soul together, or gave a certain little boy enough energy to make it through to the next meal. "It smells like chicken and dumplings, you really liked that the last time."
"Yeah!" He agreed enthusiastically. "Why don't you come downstairs for dinner?'
Because it makes my parents sick to look at me, she thought. "It's quieter up here." She told him.
"Oh."
For another few minutes it was quiet. Then she heard something. Something unusual just at the edge of things. She reached over and stopped Henry's hands from moving. "Shhh." She said.
"What?"
"Shhh." She repeated. What was that? She got up and opened the window, was it coming from outside?
"Susanna! It's cold!" He protested.
"Well wrap up in my shawl then." She told him. Yes, it was coming from outside. And it was getting louder. "Joshua, I hear car engines. A lot of them. Come take a look for me." She felt him come near enough to look out the window. Then he gasped and her shawl fell to her feet as he took off running. "Joshua? Joshua!" Too late, he was gone. She picked up her shawl and put it back on her chair. "Less than helpful." She murmured.
She heard laughter from the hallway as she closed the window. "What got into him?" Leah asked.
"I have no idea." She moved to the desk and quickly folded the drawing up into the bible she had been reading, collecting the crayons and settling them back in the carton in the far corner. Everything had to be in its place for her to find it again. "Chicken and dumplings?"
"And green beans and milk." She heard Leah settle the tray on the now cleared table. "More dumplings than chicken I'm afraid."
"I expected that." Momma usually had the girls make this dish when there was really just enough chicken for Father and the older boys. But it added some flavor to the broth and the dumplings would fill stomachs for a time. "It's Joshua's favorite. Did you ever wonder where he came from?"
"He was adopted, silly, you know that. Pastor Goodwin said he needed a home." She heard Leah settle on the edge of the bed.
"Yes, but I mean what his life was like before he came here."
"Doesn't matter, we're not supposed to talk about it. Remember what the Pastor said, least said soonest mended."
"I know, I know. He's just such a little gentleman; I can't help but think that he must have had good parents."
"Not that good, if they never read him the Bible. It's good of you, you know, reading it to him like that."
"Well, I have the time."
"Still, it's a powerful ministry. You're a good person, sister."
Susanna sighed. Of all the people she was going to lose she hated losing Leah the most. But she knew how much her sister pined for the chance to marry someday, have children of her own, and maybe even be a teacher. "I just hope you remember that." She said. "I've only ever wanted what's best, I swear."
"What do you mean?" Just then they heard Father's voice raised in anger. "I should go see what's wrong this time." Leah said as she stood to go.
"Before someone gets strapped." Susanna waited until Leah's feet padded down the hall before shutting the door down to a crack, then she found her radio and headphones. She wound the radio the required number of cranks to charge the dynamo and then settled in to eat her dinner and listen to the second half of All Things Considered as the light slowly faded from the room. It was better company than what was downstairs anyway.
Sometime later, after she'd finished her supper, she sensed the door coming open. Someone's weight was depressing the board in the floor of the room. "Who's there, please?" She said as light pierced the room. "Joshua, is that you? Silly monkey, you know you can't sneak up on me." She got up and stepped around the dresser, fully expecting to put her hand on a small head, which would then run, giggling down the stairs. But instead her hand encountered something...odd. It felt like a person, probably male, wearing something thick and hard on his chest. "Michael? What are you wearing?"
"Um, it's not Michael." A strange voice said.