Chapter 3

Chapter 3

            The boys from Stringham Hardware and the drugstore returned to the farm and entered the house. Loraine saw them enter through the doorway, tracking in dirt and mud. “Outside, boys,” she yelled, looking down at her freshly clean floor. “I just scrub that floor,” setting a box beside the door and some brushes. “Don’t you dare take another step,” pushing them out with her broom. “I want those shoes cleaned and socks in that box. You, too, Steve,” placing her hands on her hips as she slammed the screen door.

            Steve looked over at the boys, then at the house where his wife was, and then saw Richard, Sam, and Danny playing in the yard. Richard laughed. “Steve don’t sweat the small stuff, brother. She already got mine. You’ll live,” he said, then swung Danny and Sam in the air.

            Robert laughed. “Besides, she won’t let you in until you do; trust me, we know,” Robert said, sitting on the porch, removing his shoes. They’re all the same,” he said, tossing his socks in the box.

            “I know, but she’s, my wife; she can’t do this to me,” Steve said, looking towards the house.

            Robert and Will slapped him on the back. “Right, Steve.”

            Will laughs, “She’s a woman; they are all the same,” and handed him a brush for his shoes. Then, the next thing you hear from inside the house is, “Wayne, get off my clean floors with those shoes!” The boys turned, seeing Pa being pushed out the door. Seeing his boys on the porch and Steve laughing as they handed him a brush, Pa watched Loraine shake her finger at him and slam the door. Pa laughed, removed his shoes, and tossed his socks in the box.

            “Well, boys,” they said, taking the brush and looking towards the door. Women and their clean floors�"you don’t mess with them. No, sir.” They laughed, brushing the dirt off their shoes.

            Three men pulled to the farm in with several pickups as they sat on the porch cleaning their shoes.

            “Is this the Downing Farm?” they asked.

            “Yes, how can I help you?” Wayne said, cleaning his shoes.

            “We just need to set up some water lines and electricity for the picnic, Mr. Downing, about a half mile from the farm in that field,” the men repled.

            “What picnic?” Wayne asked.

            “Haven’t you heard? It’s going to be a humdinger of one. It’s all over the county. Please sign here,” the man said.

            “For what?” Wayne asked.

            “Saying it’s ok to use your land.”

Wayne signed, gave permission, and looked over at Steve. “What’s he talking about, Steve?” Steve shrugged his shoulders. Let them go on about their business, watching them set up a pole and measuring the line for the water. “What picnic are you referring to?” Wayne asked as he walked over to the man by one of the pickups. The man hands him a flyer. “Farmer’s picnic, for details, contact Stringham Hardware and Doc Hatfield.” Wayne gave it to Steve and the boys as they looked at the flyer.

            Steve shrugged his shoulders and tried to hide his surprise. Wayne entered the house, and Loraine checked to ensure all the socks and shoes were outside. She picked up the box of socks and handed them to the girls to wash them so Martha could sew the holes in them if she needed to.

“Alright, boys,” she smiled, “now you can come inside.” Now that she was satisfied, she handed them their shoes. “Put these in your rooms. You too Steve, it’s not going to kill you; you’ll be just fine,” she said.

            Wayne and the boys laughed, watching him hang his head. “Yes,

            dear.”

            “Boys, your mother has a surprise guest coming for dinner, so you mind helping me set up the table for five more people,” she said.

            “Yes, ma’am,” they replied. 

            Wayne picked up his shoes and went into the house and picked up the phone, called over to Stringham’s, “Hello, Mr. Stringham, Wayne Downing. Hello, Dave, oh, he’s out. Can you tell me anything about this picnic? Hmm, you haven’t heard anything. Looking at this flyer, I see that it has his name on it. Yes, that flyer. Oh, I see. Yes, we can do that, a small gathering, you say. They want to borrow some land for a couple of days. Fine, fine. Glad to help another farmer. Thanks, Dave,” he said, hanging up the phone. Dave wiped the sweat off his face after telling Mr. Stringham; they sighed with relief.

             “Steve, that picnic was just a whole lot of nothing; it was just a bunch of farmers wanting to borrow some land for a get-together for a meeting. They thought it would be the best place, and it was open country. I thought a picnic close to the creek would be nice.” Steve sighed, wiping the sweat off his face. “For a minute, I thought we had a problem with how they were carrying on,” Wayne replies.

            Steve looked out the window, watched the men working, and smiled. “Yep, it’s going to be a humdinger, alright,” he whispered.

            “What was that, Steve?” Wayne asked.

            “Yes, Wayne, I thought there was a problem, too,” Pa slaps him. Oh, look, the girls are back from town.” Pa yells for the boys to help unload the pickup, laughing at Steve hopping around on his tinder feet. 

Robert and Will noticed him, too, and laughed. Richard puts his arm around his brother.

“Sore feet already, bro?” He asked.

            “Ooooh, awes oooh,” Steve replied, jumping from one foot to another.

            Richard laughed. “You’ll live,” picking up a box of canned goods and taking them into the house.

            Steve didn’t think he was a bit funny as he hopped from one foot to another, looking at his wife and whispered to her, “I’m not as young as I used to be, dear, and a long way from being a kid again,” he said, looking over at Richard.

            She chuckled, “I know that dear, don’t sweat the small stuff. You can set those right over there, thanks, dear,” she said and laughed, watching him hopping around on his tinder feet outside.

            Martha watched Steve shake her head. Loraine whispers, “He had it coming.” She said this after discovering he had dropped off his mother without them told anyone at EJ’s house.

            Martha giggled. “Don’t you think that’s a little harsh?” She asked.

            “Oh, just for one day. He can have them back tomorrow. Besides, I did have the girls scrub all the floors. It would be a shame to get them dirty so soon,” she replied.

            “True!” they both watched and laughs, seeing him hop around from the pickup to the house.

As promised, their surprised guests arrived on time at the door. Doctor Whitmore and his wife are punctual, that’s for sure. Martha greets them at the door. “Hello, Doc, Renee, please come in,” watching her boys remove their sandals, setting them by the door.

            Wayne laughed as he watched the three boys, Frank said. “Ma has a thing about shoes in the house, sir,” Frank replied. 

            “Oh, that’s fine, boys,” looking down at his own feet, laughs. 

            Renee and Doc introduce the boys: “Wayne, Martha, you met my son, Frank. This is his brother Mark and his friend Peter.”

Mr. Whitmore says as he introduced them. Frank was the oldest and took after their father with his short brown hair, bright blue, and chiseled chin. He was growing fast for a fourteen-year-old boy, almost six feet tall. But he was his mother’s pride and joy and had her stubborn streak. He was smart as a whip and loved the outdoors like his brother Mark, who was just a year younger than him, and his best friend Peter.

            Mark didn’t have the height yet like his brother, just under five feet, but that could change as his father put his arm around him. Sometimes, he felt bad that his grades were not as good as his brother’s, but he was a good athlete when it came to track and field. Mark loved how the wind would blow through his light brown hair. Girls always seemed to be in awe of his deep blue eyes like his mother, and sometimes, he’d have to fight them off with a stick or run even faster to get away from them. He loved working with leather, and as he helped his mother make leather goods, some would say he was a momma’s boy and teased him, but his brother made life bearable whenever he got in a fight; they were like two peas in a pod.

            Peter Price held a special place in the Whitmore’s hearts, going beyond the role of a mere best friend. The fact that he was family and only thirteen years old made him stand out. His grandmother, under the guidance of Mr., tirelessly worked as a nurse at Payson Hospital and lovingly raised him after his parents passed away when he was a baby. The Whitmores had taken him in as one of their own. His youth prevented him from recalling them, leaving him perpetually desiring the company of brothers to counteract his sense of isolation. Despite his smaller size, he proudly displayed his blond hair and captivating blue eyes, unfazed by the three boys. This was his true home, and the love between them was like that of a parent and child.

            “Well, we are pleased to have you; come on in.” As Wayne opened the door, the sounds of laughter and chatter in the living room welcomed them inside. As he introduced them, Martha and Wayne exchanged a glance and maintained serene smiles, seemingly unperturbed by the surprise clear on everyone’s faces. Leading the way, Wayne brought them into the inviting living room, creating an opportunity for the family to become acquainted. The room filled with joyous laughter after a while, and everyone began to relax and enjoy themselves. With each picture he showed, Doc’s stories of his country came to life, transporting everyone to his homeland.

“Well, dinner will be ready in a few hours.” Robert, Will, would you like to take the three boys down to meet EJ and visit with him for a while? Then you can take them out to the farm show, them around,” Ma replied.

            “Yes, Ma,” they said.

Robert and Will took Frank, Mark, and Peter down to see EJ, leaving Doc and his wife to visit with them for a while. Robert opened the room door, letting the boys in and closing it behind them. EJ turned his head, putting his blocks away on the tray. Seeing the boys, he waved.

“hi” to Frank. Robert introduced the other two boys.

            “You are joking, right?” EJ asked, seeing their guests all in gowns like his.

            “Nope,” the boy's reply.

            Frank laughed. “We get that all the time,” he said, coming closer to him as he looked at their Kitenge gowns. We thought maybe you would feel better if you knew that there were more of us out wearing these,” Frank said as they spun around. EJ laughed because it was so funny. Robert and Will could barely stand up. They were laughing so hard from watching them spin. 

Seeing EJ’s Kitenge, Frank takes the gown and hands it to Will to try it on. “Try it on,” Frank said.

            “Here? Now?” Will asked.

            “Why not?” Will looked at him and shrugged his shoulders.

            Then Frank handed it to Robert. “Alright, you put it on,” and waited. “You are scared that someone else will see you, aren’t ya?” he said. They all nod their heads. “We were, too, at first,” Frank said. Mark nods his head, and so does Peter. “That was until Pa took us home to visit his country, finding boys and girls just like us wearing them, but I was still scared to be seen wearing one around,” Frank said. Frank took off his gown to show them his scars. “Three summers ago, I fell off my bike, rolled down a hill, and got tangled in some barbwire. They tore me up pretty well and busted my leg. So, I know how you feel looking at those sheets, EJ, bored stiff laying in that stupid bed,” he said, then putting back on the gown.

            Mark smiled. “I fell out of a tree; I don’t have any scars like my brother,” he said.

            Peter laughed. “Chickenpox and rolled in poison ivy, don’t try it; itches bad,” he said. Robert and Will laughed. “Besides, it’s fun watching people stare at you when you walk by; you just wave and spin like this,” watch their eyes pop out of their heads. “It blows their minds when you spin like this.”

            Robert, Will, and EJ laughed until it hurt. “Alright, alright,” Robert said, holding his ribs. Will picked up the Kitenge, looked at it, and then looked at the boys in the room. “What do you say, Robert?”

            Robert was already taking off his overalls and shorts. “I’m first,” he said, taking the Kitenge gown out of Will’s hands. EJ laughed and grabbed his ribs; watching Robert spin around in the gown that was too short for him.

Ma could hear the boys laughing down the hall in the room and walked back into the living room.

            “They’re fine,” she smiled and giggled. They are in there having the time of their lives,” she said, sitting next to Wayne on the couch as they looked at more pictures of his homeland.

Doctor Whitmore was busy telling them the stories of each boy, so they knew what was going on. Pa smiled, seeing the five boys return, grinning from ear to ear.

            “Ma?” Robert asked.

            “Yes, Robert?”

            “How soon do you think you’ll have ours made?” he said, putting their arms around their new friends.

            “I’ll start working on them first thing tomorrow, son,” she replied.

            “Thanks, Ma,” and smiled. “Come on, boys, let’s go see a farm.”

            “Frank, Mark, don’t forget your sandals,” his mother replies.

 “Oh, Ma,” Frank groans. The boys had a strong aversion to wearing shoes, particularly in the summer when they relished in the sensation of the soft grass tickling their feet, granting them a pure sense of freedom. It was a universally cherished experience among their friends and neighbors - feeling the cool dirt between their toes, a sensation that held utmost importance. After school, they immediately discarded their shoes and socks, happily stripped down to their shorts, and basked in the day’s warmth or went skinny dipping on hot days. People recognized them as hillbillies and people from the backwoods. Yet, this didn’t bother them, as they regarded the city folks as uninteresting individuals who were unaware of the true meaning of enjoyment and fulfillment.

            “Renee, they’ll be fine,” Ma chuckled, her eyes sparkling with love as she looked at her boys, their excited chatter creating a lively atmosphere. “Getting them to keep their shoes on is like trying to hold water in your hands,” she replied, her voice tinged with a mixture of exasperation and amusement. Or any other thing you can think of, really. If they didn’t have guests, she would let them go naked, disregarding any sense of dignity. At that moment, she felt an irresistible temptation, willing to take the risk. She had no doubt that these boys and their friends were in complete agreement.

Witnessing their leisurely stroll towards the glistening nearby pond near their family farm was a familiar sight, their laughter filling the air and the soft rustling of discarded clothes echoing around them. The promise of a blissful afternoon hung in the air, as the scent of the earth mixed harmoniously with the comforting warmth of the sun. As the boys played, oblivious to her and her sisters, Julie and Anna watching from their concealed spot in the bushes, a strong desire to join them stirred within her. As she grappled with her desires, she found herself caught between the nostalgia for a carefree childhood and the responsibilities of womanhood. Rather than prioritizing practicality, they wore bathing suits to hide their feminine appearance. It didn’t faze the boys at all, as their sisters and mother had witnessed their nakedness too many times while growing up, making it seem like no big deal.

Despite the scorching heat outside and the stifling humidity within the walls of the house, she and her family found solace in the present moment. Memories of carefree days spent with her own brothers flooded her mind, making her an expert in this ritual. But she had always done it in the company of fellow women, and naturally, her husband.

The sensation of shoes on her feet on a sweltering day like today, especially indoors, was unbearable. No, shoes and socks were out of place on a day like this. Considering their tender age, she contemplated granting them the freedom to explore without restraint. As she examined the photographs Mr. Whitmore had brought, a shared origin became apparent between him and Renee, a bond rooted in the place they both called home. This shared upbringing fostered a sense of belonging, making them feel as if they were right where they belonged. Right as she was about to brush off the importance of guest decency, she mustered the courage to suggest the very thing, consequences be damned. Comfort was a priority or her, and she will do whatever it took to achieve it.

Renée, the boy’s mother, said. “Alright, go on then, have fun.”

Martha reached her breaking point, her frustration boiling over. She didn’t care about being proper anymore, regardless of EJ’s sister’s disapproval. This facade had gone on for far too long. With determination in her voice, she suggested, “Why don’t you boys head down to the pond and go skinny dipping before dinner, Robert?” The boys and their three newfound friends breathed out a sigh of relief, their spirits lifted. Peggy and Donna gasped in horror at the scandalous idea.

To Martha’s surprise, Renee agreed, letting out an audible exhale of relief. She effortlessly kicked off her shoes and discarded her pantyhose, skillfully flinging them towards the corner of the room. The sound of the garments hitting the floor brought a sense of tranquility. “Leave those gowns behind, boys,” she declared. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks: “It’s time to stop pretending.”

Skillfully, Martha wasted no time as she swiftly aided her husband, swiftly removing his shirt and efficiently untangling his overalls. Renee expertly took off her husband Kollie’s Kitenge gown, and as they listened to the collective sighs of relief from the boys and their husbands, they couldn’t help but smile. The boys stripped down to their boxers, and they all stood together, watching the five boys, before stepping outside in nothing but their boxers.

From the porch, Martha and Renee watched in amusement as the boys sprinted down the road, their laughter echoing through the air, their tanned bottoms on full display.

Amid the frenzy, Sam and Danny abandoned their boxers and made a quick dash towards the door. Pa and Ma embraced Danny tightly, making him feel their love radiating through every hug and kiss they gave him. With an affectionate pat on his bare bottom, Pa directed them towards the open road.

As the thick fog of embarrassment settled, Peggy and Donna’s faces contorted with shock and humiliation at the sight of these boys, who they considered nothing more than hillbillies and common trash. The sight of them running down the road, completely naked and devoid of morality, was enough to make anyone lose their senses. Turning around, they both gasped in total shock, the scene unfolding before them causing their sense of dread to escalate.

Julie and Anna, feeling exasperated, swiftly approached them both, extending a friendly invitation to come and join them and the boys. Hoping just for once that these two troublemakers would acknowledge that their so-called happiness was nothing but an illusion, but it became apparent that this acknowledgment was not happening, not today and not tomorrow. Watching them both growl, their eyes filled with so much hate that love didn’t live there. “No way! Not a chance in hell! You, God damn hillbillies! You all smell like the swine! Our parents are right about all of you.” With a resolute tone, Peggy made her thoughts clear: “You are nothing, but the God damn lowlife of immoral filth, spreading your filth wherever you go. Let’s kill you all and drop you in a hole to be forgotten like yesterday’s garbage like what your swine out in the barn eats!” Watching them both spit at their feet. Having to step back from it hitting them.

Without a second thought, Julie and Anna shrugged and casually threw the remaining clothes onto the floor, adding to the growing mess. Anna said. “Fine, we rather be immoral hillbillies and lowlifes than be round people like you two, and your so-called abusive parents. That treat people and their own flesh and blood and their sons and family members like your maternal grandmother and possibly even your grandfather when he was alive as nothing but slaves and something worse than animals.

“No, I take that back not wanting to offend our animal friends who we all love more than life itself. Garbage is a better word you two understand. Be gone when we come back. You two are no longer welcome in my home. I will do one better.

Anna nodded to everyone in the room, her eyes filled with determination, as she picked up the phone and dialed their parents’ home. “This is Anna Downing,” she said, her voice carrying a tone of confidence. “Come and get your girls your spoiled goody two shoe evil incarnated brats. If you want them back, come and get them. We don’t want them lingering around here anymore, disturbing the peace. The pungent smell of their presence, overpowering everything else and we are tired of smelling it. Indeed, smelling foul like the swine, and lowlifes you and the people like you often label us as. Come and get them. We don’t want them here,

“Allow us to establish a true understanding. We should banish you and your wife from this beautiful green planet. And that my brothers, EJ, and Danny, are strictly off-limits, both now and for all eternity. They are ours. Not yours any longer. Do with it as you please, similar to how you have done in the past. They belong with us, and we are determined to make them an integral part of our family. We love them both endlessly, with a love that knows no bounds. You no longer have ownership over them.

“I want to make it crystal clear, with no room for doubt. Any attempts to cause harm to me, my family, or them will result in a direct confrontation with you, your abusive wife, and your two daughters, Peggy and Donna. My family and I will not only inform the authorities but also mobilize our loved ones to unite against those individuals you label as hillbillies and morally corrupt people who are eager to take matters into their own hands.

“We will be more than happy to tell them. That you Jim Stuart. You, sir. Tried to kill my Ma and Pa and your own mother and been planning to do the same to all of us. Your days are now numbered, and we are watching for the day when we take action against you, your wife Linda, and your two daughters, Peggy and Donna, the very essence of evil.

“No, I am done. Talking to you. You can call the cops on us if you like, but they will do nothing but haul you two away and put you both in prison with the real Lowlifes of today’s society. Good-day and goodbye. May the devil take you both and your two daughters swiftly to hell.” Anna slammed down the phone. Excitedly took her sister’s hand, they joined the boys in their endeavor, eager to have fun with them.