Chapter 4-3

Chapter 4-3

        In the background, small tents sprang up like weeds around them. Some farmers and folks drifted back to their homes, but not many; this was a farmer’s picnic, after all. At last count, one only comes around about every twenty years. Doc Hatfield, Mr. Stringham in the corner by the table talking to Judge Parker, and the rest of the staff formed a small committee, sending orders and runners. Aunt Margaret walked over to the table with Betty and plopped down on a stool around them. “Well, boys, how have you been? Everything in order?” She asked.

            “Yes, Margaret, the lumber arrived last night, and we are just getting things ready,” the men replied.

            “Good. I understand you still need a schoolteacher and midwife. Well, I got just the two gals,” Margaret said, looking over at Mary and Lizzy as she pointed. “Good choices, I would say. Mary would make an excellent midwife, Doc, and Lizzy over there and a schoolteacher for the children here. Plus, that will keep them out of Martha’s hair,” she said. “Betty, you keep working on those thick trees of yours. Now then, Stringham, you think your boy Dave can run things at the store while you set up shop down here?” She asked.

            “Yes, ma’am,” Stringham said.

            “Good, all right, boys, let those horses out of the gate,” she said.

            “Yes, ma’am,” they replied.

            Wayne looked at his two worn-out, tired boys, Sam and Danny. “Martha, it looks like we better start for home, dear,” he said.

            “Just one more dance, Wayne; they’re fine,” she said as she lays them on a quilt. “Just a few more minutes. It only comes once a year.”

            “Yes, dear,” he said.

            Ma tells the rest of the children it is time to go. “Oh, Ma, do we have to?” They all pleaded.

            “I’m afraid so,” she said.

            “Yes, Ma,” the children said one by one, sad seeing the farmer’s picnic was ending. After they spend another hour dancing and playing some more summer games, they all load the children back into the wagon, leaving their aunts and uncles at the picnic, giving each of them a kiss and a hug goodnight. “See you in the morning, dears,” they said as Pa and Ma drove them home and put them to bed. Pa puts the wagon away. Ma and Pa drove back to the picnic in Grandma’s car to bring everyone home when they were ready.

            “Wayne, you didn’t have to come back, dear. Didn’t anybody tell you?” Aunt Margaret said.

            “Tell us what, Aunt Margaret?” They asked.

            Aunt Margaret rolled her eyes. “The only one going home with you is me; that’s it. Steve is here watching his mother’s house while she’s away, and Richard is with you. Well, come with me. It will be just a little easier if the Doc and Judge show you,” she said, watching him taking out a map of a diagram of the field. “We have created a small city we call Downing Villa right here,” she said.

            Wayne and Martha gasp, looking at the map. “You’re joking?” They replied.

            “Nope, Judge Parker made it legal. You gave us permission, and it’s all nice and tight. Right on down to a couple of doctors and school Marm,” she said, looking over at Lizzy. “Oh, that’s right. We didn’t tell you that, did we, dear, or you, Mary? You are Doc’s new midwife,” she said, smiles. “Don’t worry, dear, we’ll have a nice little tent for you to teach school in, and the kids will love you; I’m sure of it,” she said, patting her on the knee.

            “Mary, dear, Doctor Hatfield and Whitmore will be glad to show ya the ropes, so don’t worry about your pretty little head; you’ll do just fine,” she replied. “Now then, as I was saying, Martha, Wayne, Betty here will be busy with those stubborn trees, leaving me with you, of course, me and my boys. Now it’s getting late, dear, and I’m tired, and we do have a long day tomorrow and more to come. Boys?” She said as she stood and waved goodbye with a nod.

            “Yes, ma’am,” they all reply.

            “See ya all in the morning. Such good boys. Shall we go, my dears?” Aunt Margaret said, grabbed Wayne and Martha by the arm, and walked to the car.

            “Aunt Margaret, what about your boys?” Martha asked.

            “Martha, they’re fine, dear,” she said, hopping into the car.

            Steve brings his mother back to Jim and Linda’s house, where he hugs her and plants a kiss on her cheek. “Thanks, son,” she says with a sigh, and enters the house. Looking at it for a moment, she walks down to the girl’s room and tenderly tucks her granddaughters into bed. Gives them each a kiss goodnight, hoping their parents at least did this much, but knowing they didn’t and sighs with disappointment. Then walked down to the bedroom to the boys’ room where she has made a bed for herself. She climbs into bed smiling, thinking, that was a pretty girl Richard was with tonight, as she drifts off to sleep.

However, she wasn’t alone as she had taken a nice couple of hefty lads with her in the house and they were guarding her bedroom door and two more boys settling in another bed from hers. Yes, Jim and Linda are going to be so happy about the new arrangements come morning, she chuckles think of their looks.

            Wayne and Martha show Aunt Margaret the guestroom they have made for her, bringing in her suitcases and setting them in the room. “Thanks, dear,” she said as she looked out the window, noticing the rooster pin. “I feel at home already,” she said.

            “Can I get you anything, Aunt Margaret?” Martha asked as she turned down the bed.

            “Yes, dear, just call me Aunty M., please. Aunt Margaret makes me sound old, and this old horse is not ready for the pasture just yet, dear. I still have plenty of races to run in these old legs of mine, dear,” she said, doing a jig on the floor. A glass of milk would be nice, too, if ya wouldn’t mind. It’s good for the bones, ya know,” she replied.

            “Yes, Aunt Mar�"sorry, Aunty M,” she said.

            “You’ll git it, dear. Now scoot the both of yeas and close the door,” Aunty M said. Martha entered the kitchen, poured her and Aunty M. a glass of milk, took it down the hall, knocked on the door, and handed it to her.

            “Here you go, Aunty M.,” she said.

            “Thanks, dear,” she said, closing the door.

            Ma and Pa make their nightly rounds, tired from the night. Stopping first at the boy’s room, you could hear Richard humming in his sleep, then muttering something about those eyes. Wayne and Martha smile, then tuck each boy into bed and kiss them on the cheek as she whispers. “Goodnight, son, sweet dreams,” as they close the door. Walking down to Sam and Danny’s room, candy apples are still stuck in their hair, and little bits of chocolate are still on their faces. Ma laughed a little, thinking how much fun these two must have had and how hard it would be to separate them.

            Pa puts his arm around her. “Things will work out, dear,” he said as Ma covers them up and leaves them alone. It is no use putting them back in separate beds; they seem not to stay there.

            As Ma and Pa made their circle to the girl’s room, Ma could see a warm glow on Julie’s face. She was thinking of that nice boy she was dancing with. Actually, there were three she liked, or was it four? Anyway, she’ll be a head-turner, that’s for sure. She bent down to each of her daughters, sleeping peacefully.

            “Sleep well, my dancing angels,” she said, kissing them each goodnight. Then, making the full circle back down to their room, they close the door behind them. “Yes, dear, our house is full, and our farm is bursting. Thanks for the meal,” she said as they embrace, falling softly asleep.

            Throughout the night, work was being done around them in shifts down at the Downing Villa as it springs to life. People were always coming and going, and tents were going up. Blocks were being set up and organized while some slept, passing news throughout the little Villa. When the rooster crowed the next morning, you could hear pots and pans banging in the distance and little hammers hitting anvils. They were setting up a small smithy and establishing the doctor's office.

            “Rise and shine, children,” Aunty M. said, knocking on the doors. “Wayne, your rooster is late,” she said when he sounded off by the time she reached the kitchen, “C**k a doodle do.” Hearing him at last, announcing the day to begin. “That’s better. I was worried there; I thought ya needed a new one and might be haven’ chicken for sup tonight. Darn, I haven’t had a rooster in a long time,” Aunty M. said, looking out at the rooster, eyeing her on the fence. “Let’s get ‘cracken’ and let those horses out of the starting gate. Wayne, Martha, are ya alive in there?” She asked, knocking on the door.

            “Yes, Aun―Marg; sorry, Aunty M.,” Martha said with a yawn.

            “That’s more like it. Now then, I like a hot cup of Joe in the morning, Martha,” she said. Aunty M. opened the cabinets. “None of this weak tea stuff from England. No, sir, they can keep it. I need something to git the blood pumping. Wayne, don’t you have anything?” She asked Aunty M. searching the cabinets.

            “Sorry, Aunty M.,” he replied.

            “Nuts. I’ll have to remedy that in a hurry when we git back to the Villa, and I can’t go without my Joe. No, sir, not natural. Well, are ya going to lie there in bed all day? Oh, there ya are, dear,” she said. Aunty M. grabbed a bowl and started making hot biscuits. “Come on, Martha, we got these poor children to feed; they need something to stick to their ribs.” Flapjacks, corn muffins, ham steaks, and eggs, tossing them in a pan on the stove.

            Martha thought Mary and Lizzy were a handful together. This woman was in her seventies, and Martha struggled to keep up with her. She ran all over the kitchen. Aunty M. made the boys hop when they walked into the kitchen. “Boys, hands, let me see those hands. No, sir, those won’t do,” she said and pointed and sent them back down the hall. “I want clean hands, boys,” Aunty M. said, turning over Wayne’s. “These I like, strong, firm yet soft but not clean,” she said, giving him a swift kick down the hall. “Now, scoot. “Martha, my boys, I insist ya have clean hands when they sit at my table,” she said. “Yes, sir.”

            Aunty M. waits for the boy’s hands. “Now that’s better, next,” checking every boy’s hand before sitting at the table. “Unlike the girls, dear,” looking at Julie and Anna. “Come on, dears, front, and center, let’s take a look at what we have here,” Aunty M. said, lifting their chins, “Yes, nice cheekbones,” turning their head side to side. “Anna, dear, looks like ya could use a brush with that hair, little ruse on your cheeks, not much mind ya. Just enough to keep the fella’s eyes popping, that’s all. Julie, straighten that back; that’s better, girl; ya got your mother’s eyes and smile. Put some lipstick on, girl, rose petal, ‘yu’d’ melt a ‘fella’s’ heart and little lavender scent perfume. They’ll go wild.”

            “Yes, sir. Wayne, Martha, fine stock, I must say; ya must keep your eyes on these prizes, jewels, and all these boys. The fillies will snatch them up in a hurry, as handsome as they are. Yes, sir, fine-looking stock, every last one of them,” she replied.

            “Why thank you, Aunty M., I think,” Wayne said, giving Martha and the girls a weird             look of expression.

            “Well, don’t just sit there looking at the table,” she said, slapping a ham steak on the plate. “Breakfast is getting cold, and we have work to do now. Pass down those biscuits and the butter,” she said.

            “Yes, ma’am,” Wayne replies.

Aunty M. made sure everyone had plenty to eat before clearing the table and slapping extra helpings of ham steaks on the boys’ and Pa’s plates. She wouldn’t let them leave the table until they ate every last crumb. She gave them “no sir’ery bob” and gave them each two glasses of milk to wash it down with.

            “I want to make my boys strong, healthy,” lifting their arms, flexing their muscles. “I need to put some meat on these bones, Martha; they have a house to build; I need strong, healthy boys, every last one. Not a week and puny little men. No, sir, that won’t do around here, not on this farm,” she said.

            Aunty M. looked over at EJ, shook her head, “Boy,” flexing his arms, “we got our work cut out. I am afraid, yes, sir. This poor horse can’t even leave the starting gate,” slapping another ham steak and pours him another glass of milk. The boys’ and Pa’s bellies were bursting by the time they left the table; Pa and the boys ran out the door before she could add more food to their plates. Aunty M. yelled to them. “Hurry now, git’ those chores done.”

            Martha had never seen the boys run from the table so fast. Poor EJ nearly fell over, trying to hobble out the door before she added some more food to his plate. The girls cleared the table and did the dishes, and Aunty M. went through the cabinets to make a list. Martha tried telling her they’d already been to the store, but she just ignored her and made a list of things, anyway. Martha sighs. Margaret kept saying the boys needed more than what she was giving them. She needed strong boys, which she would get one way or another.

 

* * * *

            Things down at the Villa were moving right along, too; it was a town within a town. Little stores started popping up right out of nowhere, little vegetable and fruit stands, and gizmos and gadgets of all sorts: Quilts and cloth fabrics, rug weaving, toy makers, music shops, pastry shops with pies and cakes. You name it; you can find it down on Downing Villa Square Market Street. Doc’s office was open for business, and a dentist’s office was being built right across from his, with Stringham hardware and goods right next to it and the temporary mayor’s office for him and the Judge.

            Little street signs were being posted that said this would be known as Downing Business Villa Avenue. Heck, there was even a post office for the mail. So, the Mayor and the Judge and others wouldn’t have to go clear back to town to send things to get things done. It was a home away from home without the burdens of screaming clients at the door. Well, almost, anyway. The Mayor and Judge buildings were still being built, and they were looking for a sheriff for Downing Villa and watchmen to keep the peace. Other than that, things were running smoothly. I think Aunty M. will be pleased when she comes to visit her boys down in Downing Villa.

To read more of this second book Mask Behind the Shadows, you will have to wait until spring of 2024 before it is published on Amazon.com and other book sites.