Dorothy Garlock (30 page)
Authors: More Than Memory
“I’m glad to know at last who has been calling. I couldn’t figure out who hated me that much.”
“He’s ruined Christmas for Eric. Poor little guy has been so excited.”
“We can make Christmas a happy time for him here if you want to stay. It’s only two more days.”
“Why are you being so good to us? You’ve been away for so long, and we were only casual friends . . . back then. I was planning to go to the Salvation Army.”
“He would find you there. Not much can be done about legalizing your separation until after the holidays.”
“If he finds out I’m here, he’ll come out here.”
“We can keep him from finding out. Is there anything, besides clothes, you need from your house?”
“If we’re leaving for good, I want Eric’s toys and his baby pictures.”
“Mr. Hutchinson will talk to the police and see if they will go with you to get your things. Eric could stay here with me.”
“Kurt will follow and find out where we are.”
“Why don’t we talk about it in the morning. You’ll feel better after a good night’s sleep.”
The phone rang as Nelda got up to take their cups to the sink. Linda looked at her fearfully.
“What if it’s him?” she whispered, as if the person calling could hear her.
“We won’t know until we answer.” Nelda picked up the phone and before she could answer, the shouting, cursing voice boomed in her ear.
“Ya shitty slut! Ya blow that whistle in my ear and I’ll come out there and beat the shit outta ya.” Nelda held the phone so Linda could hear the loud, angry voice coming from the other end.
“Ya put them big ideas in my wife’s head. Now she’s took my kid ’n’ left. When I get my hands on ya, I’ll screw yore goddamn eyeballs out—” Nelda laid the phone on the counter.
“Ya ain’t nothin’ but a uppity bitch. If Lute Hanson ain’t screwin’ ya, your dog is!”
Linda put her hand over her mouth, shocked at what her husband was saying.
“Ya hear me, bitch?”
“I hear you, Mr. Branson. I’m recording what you’re saying so that it can be used as evidence when you’re arrested.” Nelda spoke calmly.
There was a silence, then, “She told ya? That bitch told ya!”
“I don’t know who you mean by
she
, but think of what you just said, Mr. Branson. You gave yourself away. Now I have evidence that will put you in jail. Mr. Smithfield is here making the recording, would you like to speak to him?”
she
, but think of what you just said, Mr. Branson. You gave yourself away. Now I have evidence that will put you in jail. Mr. Smithfield is here making the recording, would you like to speak to him?”
“Bitch—” He hung up the phone.
Nelda gently placed the phone back in the cradle and smiled at Linda.
“I’ve grown kind of used to being called a bitch. This call wasn’t as nasty as some of the others.”
“He might come out here!”
“That’s the reason I put in the little bit about Mr. Smithfield being here. I don’t think he’ll come out, but if he does, I’ve got locks on the doors and a gun. I can count on Kelly; nobody comes on the place that he doesn’t know about. No one will slip in on us.”
“I’ve never heard him talk so nasty. Being my friend has gotten you into a lot of trouble.” There was real sorrow in Linda’s voice.
“I didn’t enjoy the phone calls, but I’m awfully glad you’re here. I didn’t realize how lonely I was.”
“Aren’t you and Lute—?”
“—No.”
“I thought sure.”
“He doesn’t want me, Linda. I’m reconciled to that. He’ll probably marry that Home Ec teacher.”
“Oh, I’m sorry—”
So am 1, but there’s nothing I can do about it
.
.
C
hapter
E
ighteen
hapter
E
ighteen
“C
ALL ME BACK
, M
R
. H
UTCHINSON
,
AND LET ME
know when to bring her in.” Nelda hung up the phone and smiled at Linda.
ALL ME BACK
, M
R
. H
UTCHINSON
,
AND LET ME
know when to bring her in.” Nelda hung up the phone and smiled at Linda.
“He’ll talk to Chief Larsen and tell him that Kurt is the one who is making the obscene calls. He’ll see if Kurt can be held at the police station long enough for you to get into the house and gather the things you need.”
“Someone will tell him you took me there, and he’ll come out here.”
“I thought of that. When Mr. Hutchinson calls me back, I’ll tell him that I’m bringing you to his office and ask him to take you to your house. I’ll wait at the office with Eric.”
“Kurt will be wild when he discovers I’ve taken our clothes.” Linda’s voice trembled slightly.
“Are you sure this is what you want to do?” Nelda asked gently.
“Oh, yes. I can’t go back to him. I just can’t. All he wants to do is drink. And when he drinks he’s mean. He was angry yesterday because I didn’t want
him to take Eric out on the ice. He drives on the lake and does what he calls ‘twirlies.’”
him to take Eric out on the ice. He drives on the lake and does what he calls ‘twirlies.’”
“What’s that?”
“He drives fast, then puts on the brakes. The car spins around on the ice. He thinks it’s great fun, but I think it’s dangerous. I was afraid Eric would get hurt.”
“Well . . . I should think so! Is that sort of thing permitted?”
“I don’t know. It would be hard to keep cars from driving on the ice. You can go out on it at any public approach.” Linda drew her bottom lip between her teeth. “It breaks my heart that this will be the Christmas Eric will always remember. It’s the first without his father.”
“We’re going to make sure that he’ll remember how much fun it was,” Nelda promised, remembering disappointing Christmases when she was a child. “The only child I’ve been with at Christmas was Becky. She was only five months old and didn’t know what was going on. Please let me help make this a merry one for Eric.”
“I’ll pay you back. I swear I will.”
“It’s my pleasure having you here. You’re my guest. I’ll hear nothing more about paying back. We’ll give Eric a Christmas he’ll look back on with fond memories. Okay?” Nelda got out her notebook and began making a list. “After we get back from town, I’ll do some shopping, buy a tree and some presents. Santa Claus comes tomorrow night,” Nelda ended with a bright smile.
Linda cried quietly, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
“Don’t even mention it. I’m being selfish. I was hating the thought of being alone at Christmas.”
“I’m just so wound up, I cry at . . . the drop of a hat.”
“We’ll have turkey for Christmas dinner and pumpkin pie. Do you know how to cook a turkey? I’ve never cooked one in my life.”
“I can cook turkey,” Linda laughed nervously. “I’ve had to cook . . . since I was knee-high to a pup.” Linda stood and headed for the door leading to the stairs. “I’d better see about Eric. He might wake up and be scared.”
• • •
“After I got the clothes, Mr. Hutchinson said we should take Eric’s toys,” Linda said on the way back to the farm the next morning.
“He’s really a nice man.”
“Could you ever . . . like him?”
“I do like him, but not the way you’re thinking.”
“He isn’t all that old.”
“I’d say he’s around forty. Why don’t you set your cap for him?”
“Nelda! Are you out of your mind? When I get rid of Kurt, I’m never going to marry again.”
“Ha! We’ll see.”
As they approached the lane leading to the house, Nelda slowed the car and scanned the area before she turned in.
“The coast is clear. Let’s hurry and get you and
Eric in the house. Lute comes about this time of day and tends to his horses. I don’t want him to know you’re here.”
Eric in the house. Lute comes about this time of day and tends to his horses. I don’t want him to know you’re here.”
Linda didn’t ask the question until Eric was settled in the living room with his toys and they had carried the two laundry baskets of clothes upstairs.
“Why don’t you want Lute to know we’re here?”
“For one thing, it’s none of his business. For another, the fewer people who know you’re here, the better.”
Linda was surprised by her friend’s almost bitter tone of voice.
Kelly was in dog heaven having Eric to play with. The two of them romped around the house, Eric throwing a ball and Kelly chasing it.
“I hate to break up their fun, but I’d better take Kelly with me. If Lute’s truck comes in, Kelly will bark, and Lute might come to the door.”
“What’ll I do, if he does?”
“Don’t answer. Bolt the door as soon as I leave, and if his truck comes up the lane, go upstairs.” Nelda put on her coat. Kelly, always alert to the possibility of riding in the car, stopped chasing the ball and came to her wagging his tail enthusiastically. “Where is the best place for me to shop for what you have on the list?”
“You can get it all at Sears.”
“You have only three things listed.”
“Two for Santa and one to unwrap on Christmas morning.” Linda whispered.
“Gotcha,” Nelda whispered back.
Shopping in the toy store at Christmas time was
a unique experience for Nelda, and she had fun doing it. Uncertain about the game she had chosen to give Eric, she checked with the clerk.
a unique experience for Nelda, and she had fun doing it. Uncertain about the game she had chosen to give Eric, she checked with the clerk.
“Is this too advanced for a six-year-old boy?”
“Candy Land? No, he’ll love it, and will pester you to play it with him.”
After loading up with gifts in the toy department, Nelda had to make a trip to the car with her purchases. She returned to the store to buy a sweater and a bottle of perfume for Linda, wrapping paper and ribbon, paper bells and a lighted plastic Santa Claus to decorate the house, fragile glass balls and silver icicles for the tree.
On her way home she stopped and bought a five-foot Christmas tree. The man who sold it to her nailed a stand to the bottom, put it in the trunk of the car, and tied the lid down with a rope. Her last stop was at the grocery store. When she came out, she had to make Kelly sit in the front seat in order to make room for the sacks of groceries.
It was almost dark when she returned to the farm, and she failed to see the pickup parked in front of the barn until she pulled into the yard. She had a moment of panic until she realized it wasn’t Lute’s, but that it belonged to his hired man. She and Kelly went into the house and waited until the man left before she unloaded the car and put it into the garage.
“Something smells good,” Nelda exclaimed coming into the kitchen.
“I made something called Ted-a-rena. I don’t know where the name came from. It’s an old recipe.”
“What’s in it?”
“Ground beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, spaghetti, and cheese. I’ll write down the recipe if you want it.”
“I do. I like casseroles.”
Eric was so excited about putting up the tree that he hurriedly ate his supper, then tugged on his mother’s arm and whispered for her to hurry. Nelda suggested that the dishes be done later. They went into the living room, where she opened the packages of decorations, and Linda helped Eric fasten them to the thick branches of the fragrant tree.
“We’ve got an angel to go on top,” Nelda said after all the the colorful balls were on the tree. She held up a silver angel with wings and a halo.
“Oh, pretty. What’s her name?” Eric asked.
“Becky,” Nelda said without hesitation. She fastened it to the top of the tree and stood back to look at it. “What’a you think, Eric?”
“I like her.”
“It’s bedtime for you, my angel,” Linda said.
“Boy’s ain’t angels.” Eric gave his mother a disgusted look.
“They certainly are.”
“I’ve not seen one. They all wear dresses.”
“My angel wears pants.” Linda grabbed him up and hugged him.
“We forgot the sugarplum tree,” Nelda exclaimed, and opened another box and set the small, clear-plastic tree on the coffee table. “Eric can’t go to bed until we put the sugarplums on the tree. Come help me, Eric. We’ve got red and green gumdrops to put on the branches.”
“Is this for Santa Claus?” Eric asked, when each of the spikes on the tree held a gumdrop.
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