Chapter 4

Chapter 4

            When early morning rises, Martha returns to the kitchen to make pancakes, fried eggs, and bacon, whipping hot butter biscuits from the oven. “Mumm, mmm.” She was cooking up a storm this morning, "a happy storm. “Morning, girls. Would you mind setting the table?” Ma asked as she walked into the kitchen with the two girls.

            “Where’s the aunts?” Anna asked.

            “Oh, they’re still asleep,” Ma replied as she smiled.

            “Morning, boys,” Ma replied as they walked in soon after.

            “Good morning, Ma, ma’am.”

            “You boys can bring EJ in here for breakfast if you like; just set him on the couch for now,” she said.

            “Yes, Ma.”

            “Just be careful. I want EJ to take it slow.” The boys helped EJ with one crutch under his arm and the other on the sides so he wouldn’t fall. EJ smiles as he passes Ma. She bends down and kisses his head. “Now take it slow,” she said.

            “I will, Ma. I promise,” he said, trying not to make any painful faces as he hobbles to the couch.

            The twos small boys, Sam and Danny laughing, raced through the kitchen, nearly knocking Ma over with Julie behind them. Julie laughing trying to catch her prize boys. “Come on, you silly boys, time for your bath.” Ma chuckled, catching both their little hands, and handing them to Julie.

            “Thanks, Ma,” Julie said, taking them back down the hall, past Pa and Steve as they rubbed their heads.

            “Yep, you gotta love bath time, Wayne,” Steve laughed.

            “Morning, dear. Steve, breakfast will be ready soon. How did that milk work for your wife last night, Steve?” she asked.

            “Like a charm, she went out like a light,” he said, standing in the kitchen’s doorway, happy to have shoes again.

            “I’m glad.”

            “I see you have been busy yourself,” Steve said, seeing her busy in the kitchen and looking at.

            EJ is on the couch. “Yes, sir, looks like it’s going to be a fine day,” he said.

            “Everything all set, Steve?” she asked.

            “Yep, just tying up some loose ends,” glancing at Peggy and Donna, then winked at Martha.

            “Good.”

            “How about you?” He asked.

            “Chopping as you speak,” she said, carrying the platter of hotcakes to the table. 

            Wayne noticed and wondered what they were up to. “Did I miss something in translation somewhere?” he asked. “Martha, you are up to something, aren’t you?” he said, looking her. 

straight in the eye.

            “Wayne, dear, how could that be possible? Every day, someone has watched me. When could I possibly be up to something?”

            “Oh, just a feeling, that’s all,” he said. Martha leaned over and reached up, kissing his cheek. “Would you mind waking the aunts and telling them breakfast is almost ready, dear? I want to get those gowns made for the boys sometime today,” she said. 

            Steve had to see the fireworks on this one and followed Wayne down the hall. “Wayne, let me,” Steve said, opening the door to his wife’s room and giving her a quick nudge. “The kitchen is on fire,” she stands back, watching her eyes pop open, running down the hall towards the kitchen.

            “That was quick,” Wayne said, watching and breaking out laughed. 

            “Yeah, it was, oh, now I’m dead,” as he grinned. Seeing his wife’s head take a second look at Martha, then turning around.

            Wayne said. “Yep, Steve, you are dead.”

            “Your turn,” Steve said.

            Wayne knocks on the door, then opens and yells, “They’re escaping, running down the road quickly!” Wayne stands back, watching them jump out of bed. Then, he runs out of the room towards the door after the girls, passes the kitchen, and stops mid-air to see the girls and Martha in the kitchen, safe and sound.

            “Yep, you are dead, too,” Steve said and laughs. “If I were us, I would run before they make it back down the hall,” Steve replies.

            The three women saw them in their sights. “Wayne, Steve?” they yelled. All they could do was watch the two go out the backdoor, laughing for now anyway. Martha, seeing Steve and Wayne coming around through the front door, gave them a hard look, trying to be mad. She placed her hands on her hips, then smiled, shaking her fingers at them.

            At last, things were returning to normal on the farm; it was just cramped, that’s all. Fun was returning to the farm of everyday life, was kicking back into swing. Or was it? Looking down the road, Wayne watched the lights and wires being strung a half mile and new water lines being put in. Something didn’t feel right. Ma is on the porch with the aunts, helping sew the new Kitenge gowns for the boys. Sam and Danny played in the yard; the boys were out doing the chores. While EJ carved in the house’s corner, things were running smoothly.

            Steve put his arm around Wayne. “Wayne, walk with me for a few minutes,” as they headed to the car. Steve opened the trunk of his car and pulled out a blueprint of the new house he and Stringham drew up the other day. “While you were sleeping, just fooling around a bit, had these drawn up a couple of days ago,” he said, showing the plan for the new house. “Tell me what you think about this?” Rolling it out so he could see it on the back of the trunk.

            “Man, Steve,” Wayne said, scratching his head as he looked at the house on the plans. It’s a big one, that’s for sure.”

            “Well, what if I told you, it was your new house? What changes would you make?” Steve asked.

            “You’re joking, right?” Wayne asked, looking at the plans. Steve waited for a response.

            “You’re not. Are you?” he asked again.

            “Nope,” Steve said. Steve whistled in the air and walked away, leaving him standing there smiling and patting him on the back.

            Wayne looked at the plans and looked back at his house. “Steve, there’s no way it can be done by spring,” he said.

            “Wayne, you keep telling me that, but somebody said it could. Guess what? The lumber is on its way,” Steve said, handing him the receipt and the bill of sale to prove it. Wayne fell to his knees. That’s right. You have work to do, so if you want to make any changes, now’s the time to do it,” he said.

            Wayne rolled up the plans, speechless, went over to Martha, kissed her, whispered in her ear, and showed her the plans for the house. With tears in her eyes, she went over and gave Steve the biggest hug she could give him. He tells Mary, Lizzy, and his wife Loraine and gives them a big hug, too. “It’s our way of saying thank you, dear,” they said with tears all in their eyes.

            Martha stood back, trying to be mad, shaking her finger at them. “How dare you keep a secret like that?” she said. They all laughed as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

            “Wayne, Martha, we are heading home today; I need to get back,” Steve said. Wayne nods. “That’s why I wanted to give you those plans. I wish I could stay and help, but we need to get home right now. Maybe later, I could stop by and give you a hand.”

            Martha gives them each a big hug. “You are always welcome, you know that. You don’t 

Have to say another word; thank you so much for your help. It’s more than we deserve,” she said, wiping the tears from the back of her hand.

            “Thanks, we will be back for the picnic; we wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he said. 

            “When do you plan on leaving?” Martha asked. 

            “Oh, this afternoon,” Steve replies.

            Wayne puts his arm around Steve. “Well, then let’s go have a look at these plans of yours, Steve,” he said.

            Martha could hardly believe it as she watched the two men approach the barn. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she was already missing them, and they hadn’t even left yet. Martha turned to watch Anna help the two girls with the chores in the house. The question lingers in her thoughts: Will I miss them when they're gone? I have my doubts. In truth, I can’t wait to see them go. They have been nothing but a trial and a headache for us all. Their ongoing feud and negative attitudes result in a hostile environment, marked by continuous swearing and hatred directed towards us and everyone else. The days here have turned into a relentless nightmare, and I can't help but count down until they can leave this place behind.

            Martha turned her head to see a car pulling into the farm, the sound of its engine breaking the peaceful silence. The overwhelming urge to burst into a celebratory jig washed over her, but she suppressed it, knowing that her main focus was to safeguard EJ and his little brother Danny from the looming threat. After the unsettling episode at the pond, this responsibility weighed heavily on her, intensifying her sense of duty. She abruptly stood up and sprinted towards EJ, her voice echoing through the air as she called for Richard and the boys. Richard, Steve, and the boys came dashing out of the barn, picking up Danny in one swoop and running over to EJ’s side with Pa right behind them. Mary and Lizzy saw who it was and stood ready for anything.

            Jim and Linda exited the car and saw everyone outside in the corner surrounding EJ as if hiding him and shielding him from them, and they wonder why considering they had just tried to kill and them at the pond not more two days ago, he had moved when that knife head straight for his chest he would be dead. Richard was holding Danny. Donna and Peggy came racing towards the house, recognizing their parent’s car as it pulled into the farm, and rushed.

Towards their mother and father. Donna said. “It’s about damn time they released you. They are holding us prisoner here,” Donna said, and Peggy ran towards them.

            Linda gives Martha a cold, hard stare. “We come to take them home, where they belong away from you immoral filthy Hillbillies,” she said.

            Martha burst out laughing. “Linda, Jim, if they want to go home, we won’t stop them. They were never prisoners; they didn’t want to have any fun. We tried, and we tried; all they wanted to do was fight and bicker all day long. If they want to go home, fine by us; we will have more fun without them, right, boys and girls?” Ma said. “Besides, we don’t want them here, and if you hadn’t done what you did the other day, you could have taken them then. Now get off our farm! You’re not welcome here! Take those spoiled brats with you! And don’t come back!

“And what about Danny and Eric? I am urgently seeking their immediate return to me, eager to have them back by my side where they clearly belong. Liberate them from the noxious and contaminated surroundings you a call home, a place filled with immorality and filth. Her voice interjected, slicing through the silence with the precision of a sharpened blade. Each word that escaped Linda's lips carried a menacing growl, her hissing delivery making her intentions crystal clear.

Richard moved forward slowly, maintaining a careful distance from her, ensuring he and Danny were always just beyond her arm's reach. “Sorry, Linda. Mother left him in my care for a while. Danny, you are welcome to hug your mother if you choose to, but I rather hug a poisonous snake than her or your father Jim. I no longer call my brother, but my enemy.”

Danny shook his head, his eyes filled with determination, and whispered, “She's not my mother anymore.” Each word he spoke carried a heavy burden, causing the atmosphere to grow dense and suffocating. Pointing towards Martha, he declared, “She is. And grandma said I never have to go back if I don’t want to. I don’t. My Pa told me I could stay here as long as I want.”

            Wayne picked up Danny from Richard, affectionately ruffling his hair and placing a loving kiss on his cheek. “I did. And I meant every word my son. This is your home. Yours and your brother EJs. And we are not letting you go. You heard, my wife you are not welcome here! Get off my farm! The next time I see you will be in a court of law!”

Steve walks them both to the car. “I’ll bring your daughter's suitcases by the house later,” he said, helping the girls into the car.

Lorain said. “No, why wait? She can have them now! “Tossing them right in front of them with heated but careful rage.

With a swift motion, Steve grabbed them both by the handle and flung them into the back of her car. As Richard and Steve approached the car, they synchronized their actions to open the doors. With grace, Richard opened the door for Linda on the driver's side, while Steve replicated his actions by assisting his brother Jim on the passenger side. As they slammed the car doors shut hard, they exchanged a knowing glance. Steve said with a hard growl. “Take care now! Remember the law and our hillbilly friends will see you in court! Jim, our dad, was right! You and your wife Linda are going to see hell very soon! And I can promise you that!” Standing at a safe distance from the car, he said confidently.

            Amidst the rowdy Downing hillbillies and their once clueless relatives. As Linda and Jim watched their son, they couldn't help but notice a remarkable transformation - he displayed an air of confidence that unsettled them, especially considering that he and his little brother were supposed to be nothing more than timid little insects that should be squashed. Despite their best efforts, they couldn't shake the overwhelming resentment towards him. As Linda clenched her hand into a tight fist, her desire to wipe that audacious confidence off his face intensified.

            With a growl aimed at the people he deemed lowlife hillbillies, Jim's hand reflexively went for his belt, a display of his frustration and helplessness. It will serve as a constant reminder, a lingering echo of all the missed opportunities to break free from them both. They should not be here, where they are reveling in luxury; instead, they should be six feet under, unmistakably lifeless. Linda hangs her head, her shoulders slumping in defeat. “Let’s go, Jim!” Linda mutters with a menacing growl. “This is not over! I am going to sue you for everything you have done to us and make sure you spend the rest of your life behind bars.

            “You hear me, Mr. Downing. I am coming for you. And all your in immoral family and lowlife friends. They all belong in prison. Damn it to hell, puts some clothes on. There are ladies, pres―” The shock was so overwhelming that it robbed her of her ability to speak even a single word.

Her gaze fixed on the boys and their two sisters, she felt a mixture of intrigue and discomfort as they casually shed their clothing, completely disregarding her and her little family in the car, leaving her feeling a seething mixture of anger and embarrassment. Following their lead, she saw the aunts and Mrs. Downing eagerly taking part, their joyous laughter echoing all around. Frustration grew as the clothes piled up, and she longed for a camera to capture the true extent of their hillbilly immorality, realizing that others dismissed Linda and Jim's claim many times.

Despite vividly recalling what had occurred at the pond, the authorities responded with nothing more than laughter. They had the audacity to suggest that if only they had joined, they would have experienced something unforgettable. As they excitedly headed towards the nearby pool, the air filled with the sound of laughter. From the bars of their cell, they had a clear view of the men stripping down to their boxers.

Without a doubt. She could never forget the moment, as it remained imprinted in her mind, refusing to fade no matter how hard she tried. The repulsive and offensive behavior was impossible to ignore, leaving a lingering sense of disgust. The town was notorious for being a breeding ground of immoral lowlife hillbillies, with their presence felt everywhere. We must without a doubt relocate and make sure her boys are taken to a secret place, where we will end their lives and leave their bodies in an unmarked burial site, before we abandon this area forever.

Pa said, standing in the buff just like the rest of them, like it was just a Sunday picnic at the beach. “We will see about that; last time I checked, you were the ones who caused this mess in the first place, and we have pictures to prove it. Now get the hell off my farm!” Peggy and Donna’s eyes did their best not look at them as turned their backs to them so they couldn’t

            “Oh, Mother, it’s not over! They’re all going to pay! They all be in jail for this!”

Linda's determination was obvious as she turned the key, causing the engine to roar to life. Leaving behind the filth and misery of the farm, she sped up away, feeling a sense of liberation. The sight of everyone on the farm, their arms waving and their laughter filling the air, only made her determination to never look back stronger.

Unfazed by the unfriendly reception from Jim and Linda Stuart, the Downing family dismissed it, their attention fixed to their own importance. Once Jim and Linda Stuart left, despite the unbearable 110-degree temperature outside, their unexpected calm and relaxation came back to them. As she walked through the farm, a feeling of tranquility washed over her. It was hard to fathom why anyone would willingly wear heavy clothing in the scorching temperatures.

            As they walked away, Ma stood there, silently watching them, her heart filled with a bittersweet emotion. “It was a rare sight to see the girls so genuinely happy because they were going home,” she said, her smile growing as she enthusiastically waved at them. Naturally, there was no reciprocation, as they didn't raise a hand to wave back. As they left down the road, they couldn't help but feel the eyes of the glaring onlookers piercing through the window. The women quickly gathered all the clothes and took them into the house where they belonged. Thinking about a nice dip at the pond sounds like a great idea.