The Girl. (2 page)

Raining harder, she replied, “Not now”, frowning.
“What girl?” Stood in the rain.
“Will I ever see you again?”
“Maybe”. She smiled and he said, “I must go”, becoming soaked.

Sniffling and drenched, “I understand”, turning to walk away, he paused saying, “Never walk the
darks roads alone”.
“I won’t ever”, staring at him, “Promise girl”.
“I promise, but promise me something”.
“What?”
“You’ll come back to me one day, when I’m older”.
“I might”, walking away in the pouring rain.

She sat there in the rain watching him walk away and said, “My hero, bet he’s cute too, only if I
could see his face, maybe someday, I hope?”
The girl never saw the masked person again that she prays to meet one day? Never saw the
young boy that become her best friend and felt sad about it.

The snow comes down lightly.
It was a bitter winter middle of January and the year was 1968, Lexington Kentucky when a
woman with a long braid of jet-black hair going down the back of a flannel shirt and past her
slender waist.

Threw another log into the fire of a big potbelly stove, which was centered in a large country
setting living room.
“Oh that feels better”, rubbing her arms together.
She was very attractive and seem to be about early forties or even late thirty’s, gave a smile now,
looking over at a young boy sitting on the brown high back sofa.
He appeared to be eleven or twelve-years of age, if one could really distinguish his face for his
entire long, dark curls going directly into his eyes.

The young boy’s hair probably weighed more than he did, as he was skinny.
Folding her hands, “Well Seth think it’s warmer now?”
“Feels good, much warmer maw”.
She wished that she could see her little boy’s facial expression.

However, has not for about a year because of his growing out of control curls.
“Oh I better get dinner, because you’re paw and brothers will be rolling in”.
Quickly, went into the kitchen, starts preparing dinner, while Seth sat on the sofa flipping
through a magazine, as he also wore a flannel shirt and brown corduroy pants like his mother.
In the kitchen where his mother went to get dinner ready, had the same familiar country theme
that surrounded every nook and cranny
From the cow curtains to the checkerboard cabinets and many knick-knacks of farm animals
throughout.

Setting the long wooden table gave a big smile saying, “Seth son”; I hear the rattle of the truck
pulling in the driveway”.
“Cool maw”, rolling his hidden eyes.
“Oh your brothers and paw are home”, grabbing dinner plates.
Seth smirked about his brothers.

After setting the plates down onto the table hurried over to the stove swiftly stirring a big spoon
into a kettle that was cooking.
The back door opened and another young boy entered the kitchen, he appeared to be eleven or
twelve-years of age, dressed warmly.

“It’s real cold, freezing out there”, teeth chattered and his mother said,

 

“Well you’re the fourteen-year-old that insisted on going”, as she set napkins onto the table.

Stood there shaking, she added, “Sebastian go take off all that gear and stand by the heater in
the living room”.
“Sure maw”, now pulling homemade cornbread out of the oven she said, “I just put another log
to the fire.”
With almost a frost bitten face shivered, “Sounds real good maw”, taking off all his outer
clothing then hung his coat up in the laundry room off the kitchen.

Hurried to the living room, all you could notice was his long golden curls flying back, and also
wore a flannel shirt with baggy blue jeans.
Immediately, went right by the big potbelly stove standing in front of it rubbing his hands
together when his younger brother Seth asked, “Hey kill anything mighty hunters?”
“Man Saul caught a big one”.
“Really!” Seth remarked thrilled with such a big smile.
Laughs out, “Yep will be eating squirrel for months”.
Seth just giggled at his brother who was now warming up?
The kitchen sound loud and the rest of the family comes inside wearing heavy coats bundled
very warmly.

There was an older man that appear to be in his late fifties or even sixty-years of age, he had a
long braid of grayish hair going down his back and had a gray beard too.

Reached into a pocket of his blue jean overcoat pulling a pouch of chewing tobacco out.
“Brenda our boy Saul here, caught a buck on his first shot, makes the third year in a row”, he
chuckle’s out gleefully.

Smiling so proud and the two boys stood grinning taking off their heavy clothing and seem to be
around seventeen or eighteen-years of age, both of them.
One shook his long wavy blonde hair and fluffed his short light bangs.

The other boy with real dark hair, black actually, that was cut short with just a thin layer of
bangs stood shivering in a damp flannel shirt and his blue jeans are all wet at the bottom.

Looking at them frozen practically, “Boys go warm up dinner is almost on”, said Brenda rushing
by the stove.
“Okay maw”, rolling their blue and brown eyes, which you could make out.

Therefore, headed into the living room going right next to Sebastian their younger brother by
the big black stove, that was blazing and the three of them are warming up now.
“Hey Saul”.

“What Seth?” Eye rolling.

 

“Sebastian told me you got a squirrel”.

Laughing with Seth shaking his mop of curls and Saul gave such a cocky tone replying, “Sure,
little brother think what you want”.
Seth looked back into the magazine mumbling, “Tough guy, you think”. Saul nudged his two
brothers standing next to him, and grinning added, “Little buddy, I caught the biggest deer in
the woods”.

His two other brothers are laughing, as the third was annoyed, “Smart aleck like always trying to
be toughest”, said Seth glancing at the magazine.

Grinning still Saul remarked, “Maybe I would have caught the squirrel with my bare hands”.
Seth’s three brothers cracked up laughing giving each other a high five and he waved his hand at
them saying, “Ha-ha, real funny y’all”.

Keeping it going, Saul said, “Hey little brother don’t be sore at us”, making a pouting expression.
Seth was really eye rolling at Saul that remarked, “We are more experienced, better watch
learning from the best which we are”.

The three boys by the heater are smirking and cracking their knuckles with Seth looking at his
brothers with a bigger smirk on his face.
Nodding his mop of light golden curls, Sebastian give a smug tone saying, “He is right Seth, so
just wipe the smirk off your face or I will”.

The only boy with short black hair, jumped in saying, “Little buddy if you hang with us you’ll be
one little buck a near”.
Saul gave him a high five and said, “Hey good one Shane”.
Laughing at their youngest brother Seth hard even pushing one another cracking up.

Seth still shook his head mumbling, “All smarty pants”.
He did give a little smile though at his three older brothers that he did look up to and loved to
mess with also.

Mischievous grin and suddenly threw sofa pillows at them, they yelled,
“Get him!” Jumping onto Seth, as he screamed, “Hey y’all”,
“Stop”,
“Owe!” Roughing him up saying, “Come on baby brother get tough”.
The boys are laughing heavily still on top of Seth just smacking him, as he was now buried
underneath them?
Squealing, “Stop, because I know y’all is toughest”.
“Hey, okay don’t hurt me”.
In the kitchen.
“Good grief, there go the roughnecks like always hitting on Seth hurting that boy”, said Brenda
putting dinner on the table.
“Oh maw their teaching him is all”. Shaking her head at her husband that sat down by the table.

Holding a dish sarcastically replied, “About what Paul Gene getting broken bones, you know
how I feel about fighting”. She gave him a serious look in tears.
“Our boy is learning to become a young man with strength is all”. Brenda now rolled her dark
brown eyes waving her hand.
“Seth will need courage to survive in the world someday”.

Annoyed, “Sure you’re so right Paul Gene, replied Brenda.
“I am always right maw”, as he was fussing with his watch.
Brenda huffed and puffed like an angry wolf.

In addition, thought that old man is full of his bull and knee deep.
“If you’re so right, how come every time they goof around, one of them ends up with a black
eye”.
Shaking his watch Paul Gene grinned, as she added, “You know Paul Gene that is not the way of
doing things”.
Paul Gene shook his head at Brenda setting the final plates down onto the table.
“Not working”.
Paul Gene messing with his wristwatch added, “Sugar it truly is right, because our little one will
grow up to be the strongest out of the boys”.
Very disgusted, Brenda got the rest of dinner onto the table.
Paul Gene smiled looking at them four in the living room where they were actually boxing one
another.
Including little Seth, who in no doubt packed a mean punch and Paul Gene gave another grin.
Knowing he brought them up right with much courage and very strong willed boys.
Standing by the kitchen table, Brenda said, “Sounds like their getting carried away in there
paw”.

Glanced into the living room, chuckles filling his mouth with chewing tobacco, noticing his boys
boxing a bit rougher and very seriously.
Going over by the stove Brenda was still mumbling under her breath.

Turning away now, looked at her husband disgusted and said, “Paul Gene, I just bought that
lamp after the other three they broke with their goofing around being real men”.
Filling his mouth full again of chewing tobacco and hollered. “Enough boys, stop now!”

The living room got silent and Brenda winked at her husband, they sure listened to him and only
had to tell them once.
Instantly, they froze in their tracks like a statue, Paul Gene grins, as he looked back in the other
room where they are all sitting now, as Seth was holding his jaw.

Shook his head looking onto his youngest that sure got roughed up by his brothers.
“Yep maw will be eating deer the rest of this winter”, said Paul Gene looking at his wristwatch.
“Yeah I shucked most of the left over corn all morning, even got Seth to helping me.”
“Good job maw”, he grinned.
“Yes paw, your boys are good at everything they do, you taught them right about most things”.

Becoming aggravated over his watch not working, as she added briefly, “Fights, no”.
Still fiddling with his watch mumbling, “All be darn it’s broken”.
“Hey next time maybe Seth can go hunting with y’all”, pulling the dinner out of the oven.
“Oh no sugar not that soon, heck he is only turning twelve”. Brenda smiled setting the big bowl
of salad down and Paul Gene added, “Aw the boy could shoot himself or his brother”.
She mumbled, “Oh lord, Seth can’t go”, getting the final dinner preparations, then yelled,
“SOUPS ON!”
Running into the kitchen sitting down fast with such a smirk on his face, as Seth must have paid
them back over roughing him up, when the three of them come into the kitchen fast and before
sitting down.
Each boy gently smacked Seth in the back of his head, he said, “Owe!”

Grabbing his head making a mean face at his brothers, “Paw ouch they hit me”.
“Aw Seth boy you can take it, remember what have I always told y’all about pain”.
Setting the dish with cornbread down onto the table, Brenda was mumbling, “His bull never
ends, he is knee deep going to drown”.

Paul Gene looked at his four boys and remarked, “Pain you can take it, because one day y’all may
have no other choice”.

Paul Gene giggled looking at his one boy with a busted lip and was silent taking his pain.
Seth mumbled, “Take pain like paw always says”.
Gave a mischievous smile and asked, “Hey Shane you can take pain right?”

They all chuckle except Brenda looking at her boy with his head down and then rose up snarling
out, “Little brother how’d you like to take this outside?” I’ll show you about taking pain”.
Seth took a deep gulp and proceeded to eat.

Spreading butter onto her bread, Brenda shook her head and said, “Enough boys!” It is dinner
time, use your manners please”.
“I’m gonna beat the heck out of him”, mumbled Shane.
Brenda heard her one boys comment and slammed the tub of butter hard onto the table.
Paul Gene quietly mumbled, “Woo-wee maws mad”.

The boys rolled their eyes, well the ones you could notice, as they mumbled, “Uh oh.”
Furiously, “Can y’all ever just stop the fights”, said Brenda cutting up her slice of meatloaf.
Pouring gravy on his meat Paul Gene remained silent, as he knew how bad Brenda hated even
the word fight.

“Sorry maw”, reaching for ketchup.
“Okay boy, just behave mostly at dinner”.
“Please.”
Paul Gene winked at his boys as they all grinned and ate dinner.

Since they knew, it must have been hard to be the only woman in the house amongst all the
fellows.
In addition, their maw above all hated fights and the word made her cringe for some
reason.
She has been secret though as to why she hates fighting terribly, and Brenda definitely holds a
hidden family secret?

She knew her boys love to be rough and were pure country boys.
The whole family was sitting eating and Seth asked, “Paw”.
“Yes boy?”
“Can I go hunt with my brothers?” All smirking.

Paul Gene looked at Brenda who rose her black eyebrows and replied, “Well Seth soon your
frontier days will come”.
“Okay paw”.

Eating his dinner along with the rest of the family, as his one brother Shane every now and then
gave him a mean look.
Frantic, Seth took a deep gulp again and nearly choked on his bite of food, as he hurried for his
glass of water.
They were all quiet now, as they ate the phone rings, Brenda went to answer it, “WHAT!”
Everyone looked on and Brenda said, “Paul Gene here the phone”, and reached it out to him.
Therefore, he got up to get the phone and holding the receiver out to him nervously she said,
“It’s your brother Danny Ray in Tennessee”.
Paul Gene took the receiver, as she added, “He is real upset, and sounds urgent?”
The boys all looked on and still ate though, as everyone listened.
“Yes Danny Ray?”
“Aw that’s a shame”. The boys were all listening to their paw along with Brenda.
“Heck just give me and my family some time here”.
“Yep Danny Ray the boys are in school, but guess will have to transfer”.
Paul Gene hung his head and added, “Yeah basic training he started first”.