Gonna be the last chapter for a couple of days more than likely. Playtime is coming to an end and we need to be bringing some deals to conclusion.
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Chapter 20
He was just standing there looking at Sarge and then glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. Twice. Then he did some stupid two-step as his knees went out of the locked and loaded position that made him look like the scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz.
“Ava?!”
I nearly laughed at how it came out two octaves higher than his normal voice that had finally settled down when we had both hit sixteen.
“Hi Zeb. You playing dress up or is that uniform bonified real?”
“I … uh …” he looked at Sarge, at me, at Sarge.
I finally let him off the hook. “This is Sgt. Jeansonne but he doesn’t have all day. What’s up?”
His mouth opened and shut a couple of times then he stood straighter and said, “Master Sgt. Kramer requests your presence at chow … I mean dinner Sir.”
In a nutshell Sarge told Zeb to tell Sgt. Kramer he’d be pleased to join him for dinner. Zeb is still staring like he’s seen a ghost and I laugh and tell him to go on about his business, that I have my own to take care of, and that we’ll probably see each other later if our respective jobs let us.
I was still smiling when I saw the thunderclouds on Sarge’s face. Why he cares I haven’t a clue but he’s the type to play sheep dog to excess. “Relax,” I told him. “Zeb is an old friend.”
“Uh huh,” he said, and it sounded suspicious enough to be insulting and I let him know it.
“Look. You’re my now-friend, or whatever you want to call it, but that doesn’t mean you’re the only friend I’ve ever had. Zeb’s brother and my brother were friends. Zeb and I have known each other since Cubbies. It’s just … weird-nice to see him since I haven’t for almost a year.”
“Uh huh,” he said again.
“Geez. I can see he is a soldier. I’m not looking to get him in trouble. And don’t worry … I’m not risking my job either. Zeb is a friend and wouldn’t do it to me either.”
“Uh huh,” he said a third time, this time sounding like he was willing to believe me a bit but was reserving judgment. Honestly, I hate people thinking they gotta get into my business.
I hadn’t been just talking about needing to go back to the Big House and it was a good thing I got there when I did as there was a mess in the entry way as people were trying to figure out who was going into which room. I found the guy with the clipboard and started with the highest ranking officer and went from there while Aunt Orélie got those same officers and took ‘em around to show them where they could set up in the conference room and found out what all they were going to need for the time they were there.
Then came supper. The higher ranks went in one room and the lower ranks went in another. If you weren’t an officer at all you got to sit at an outside table. Dinner was served up on plates to keep portions to fit what was fixed. Dirty Rice, Shrimp-and-Sausage, and a side of Collards was the main plate. Dessert was a scoop of Banana Foster Bread Pudding with rum sauce strong enough they should have been checking IDs. Whew.
I got a few looks when I was first setting the plates out, but they were polite about it, I’ll give them that. I looked at Zeb and he shrugged apologetically.
“So does that mean you told them or are they just too polite to ask what I am?”
Zeb knows me so didn’t bother trying to ask me to be any other way. “I mighta mentioned that I knew you. And if they can’t see you’re a girl they’re blind.”
I gave him a smile for his answer then looked around at the table and saw they were all close to our age. “Well my name is Ava and if you want to get fed before the bugs come out then don’t be so shy. Grab a plate and dig in. I’m going to put pitchers of drinks in the middle of the table, serve yourselves. Only one serving tonight so clean your plate and when you do, stack them in the middle of the table to get them out of the way of the desserts. If something runs out, I’ll catch it on the way back around. There’s only one of me and I have three … nope, four … rooms I’m working so cut me a little slack. ‘K?”
Just like with the guys I grew up around, feed them and they’re pussy cats.
I was nervous of serving the officers at first, but they turned out to be human too, even the Colonel that everyone seemed to hop for even before he asked them to. The only room I really relaxed in was the side room that turned out to be four sergeants, one of them Sarge. Only I didn’t call him that because I figured it would be disrespectful. He was dressed in his uniform and everything and seemed more like the man that I’d met in the Panhandle. I think I like sergeants in general but these four made my life real easy. They even cleaned their plates and stacked their dishes without being asked.
I don’t know what all the uniforms did after the evening meal, but I washed dishes and helped prep for breakfast. Whew. At least it is going to be buffet style. Then Aunt Orélie told me she and Fabrice could get the rest of it since it was just putting away the clean dishes and utensils. I realized I hadn’t seen the brothers and when I asked I found out they’d been and gone but because of some trouble they’d been into at school they’d be spending all their afternoons for a while at the school getting extra tutoring, even on Saturdays and some Sundays. That didn’t hurt my feelings any, not that it was my business.
I headed over to my room by way of the storage area, grabbing one of Uncle Henley’s larger tubs to take back with me. It was gonna be dark before too much longer and I wanted to at least open them to see what I was faced with. I had one box open and was looking at some weird gadgets wrapped in clothes to keep them from clinking together when there was a knock on my door.
“Yeah?”
“Uh … Ava? It’s Zeb.”
I walked opened the door and asked, “Somebody need something?”
“Uh uh. Uh … you got a few? ‘Cause I do and … geez … it’s good to see you.”
I shut my door and we walked out onto the back porch then stopped when we saw sergeants draped all over the place. We backed out quick and headed to the front porch only to find privates draped all over the place. That left us walking to the retention pond before the bugs got bad.
First thing out of his mouth was, “Did you get my message?”
“About the evacuation orders? Yeah. And thanks. The brown outs were already a mess on our side of town. You and a couple of the others were the only reason I could figure out what was going on.”
“Where did you go from there?”
“Welll, technically it was a while before I went anywhere.” I gave him a brief description of how I’d wound up here and then asked, “Did you get drafted? ‘Cause people keep telling me there isn’t one but …” I shrugged, unsure how to finish.
“No. I enlisted.”
“Why? Isn’t your aunt kinda on record saying you’re going to be a lawyer or President or something? I’m pretty sure soldier isn’t on that list.”
He skipped a rock on the pond. “Aunt Marlene is why I enlisted. She was getting to be too much. She was … man, you know how she is.”
“Yeah … but enlisting?”
“Robert enlisted.”
“You’re kidding,” I said thinking of the guy who was always dreaming about being a doctor and wondering how that had worked out for him. “How’s he doing?”
“He’s dead.”
That took my breath away so long my chest hurt. “Zeb … don’t play at something like that.”
“I wish I was.” And I could see that hurt look in his eyes that I’ve never been able to lose when it comes to DJ.
“I’m … I’m sorry Zeb. Robert … he was DJ’s friend.”
“Yeah. Had he lived he would have … just he would have been bad messed up. He was working some kind of medical ambulance, only with helicopters. We don’t have all the details because they were blacked out on the report they gave us. His helicopter was shot down, that’s about all they can tell us except … it had to be a closed casket.”
“Oh Zeb … I’m sorry. I really am.”
“Yeah. Can we not talk about it right now?”
“Sure. Just if you need to … you know you can.”
“Thanks. Maybe … maybe another time.” He skipped another rock and said, “He wasn’t supposed to see fighting … he was a medical draftee and never even went through Basic before he was put to work. But it was only behind the lines, or that’s what he told us. It just all happened so fast. But after … you know … Aunt Marlene started getting a little crazy. I couldn’t even leave the freaking house without someone tailing me. Uncle Chez did what he could but …”
“But he’s gotta live with her too.”
“Pretty much. And one night there was this huge fight and I … I just couldn’t take it anymore. I thought enlisting was the only way out as she had the lawyer lock up Dad’s estate so I was broker than broke with only my backpack and gear.”
“It shouldn’t have been. You coulda gone to your Uncle Fred’s.”
“Uh uh. See Aunt Marlene has them all under her thumb because they’ve all had to move back to Grandmother’s place. She’s turned it into a fu … uh … freaking compound with guards patrolling the fence and everything.”
“Sounds like a mess.”
“You have no idea.” I was thinking I did, or some of it anyway, but I let him have the point since he seemed to need it more than me. “But even enlisting I haven’t got away from her. She proved she knew people and after basic I got made an attaché sort of thing to Colonel Matthews. You know what that is?”
“Sure … you fotch and carry Boy, you fotch and carry and dance to his fiddle.”
Zeb finally smiled but it was an embarrassed one. “God bless it Ava, don’t let anyone here you talking like that.”
“You mean it isn’t politically correct?”
“No it isn’t and some of these officers … er … they’re a little sensitive about that stuff.”
“Then their ears are going to fall off around here,” I told him grinning unrepentantly.
“Seriously Ava …”
“Fine. So …”
“So …”
“Zeb, it’s … geez it sounds sappy to say how good it is to see you but … I gotta get some things done because I have to get up and help in the morning.”
“About that …”
“Yeah?”
“Are you okay? I mean you make it sound like it was no big deal but … yeah, it was, and you don’t have to pretend it wasn’t. Not with me.”
I decided to let him see things as they are. “Okay. So I was scared spitless but I’ve landed on my feet.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“I mean … I don’t know … just …”
I turned to look at the pond to avoid having to look at him. “We … might have had a thing at one point Zeb. It was a nice thought but … we both know it wouldn’t have worked. And we aren’t kids anymore. You don’t owe me anything … including looking after me or whatever it is you’re trying to do. You come from high society and money … and your Aunt Marlene was always booking on you taking her even higher. And … gawd this is so stupid. Look, this is just the best I can do. It might not measure up to what the rest of our troop always counted on being there but … but it’s the best I’ve got. For now, and maybe forever. And I’m working on being okay with it. Someone always has to be last or on the bottom of the heap.”
“That’s … look Ava … I … I wasn’t saying …”
“I know you weren’t.”
“Let me finish. You’re spooky how you always knew what we were thinking but at least let me say it. Robert dying at taught me sometimes you just need to say stuff.”
I shut up and let him talk.
“I’m tired of Aunt Marlene dictating my life. I can’t get away from all of it, but some of it is damn sure dead and buried and that includes her dictating who can be my friend. Right now there’s no room in my head for the rest of it so I agree things are just best the way they are … but as for you being here? It’s … almost too wild for me to believe. And don’t be insulting Ava … I never said anything about your jobs or where you came from back home did I?”
“Nah, I guess you didn’t.”
“Damn straight I didn’t. And I’m sorry the thing with your uncle … uh … didn’t work out. Just … just say you’re really okay with this and I’ll be okay with it too.”
“What choice do I have? I’m okay because I have to be.”
He caught me up on what he knew of the rest of our crew but we both decided that we like living too much and didn’t want to bleed out to the mosquitos that were starting to swarm us. We went back inside and as we passed the rest of his new crew I got introduced. I finally made it back to my room and for some stupid reason wanted to cry. Instead of giving into it I finally got focused on those boxes.
I don’t know who did the packing of Uncle Henley’s stuff, but they were probably more interested in making it as few boxes as possible than they were about being organized and careful. The first box I had already opened had a bunch of work shirts wrapped around gadgets that I could figure out were for grinding but that’s about it. I suppose I can ask someone but for now I’m just going to see what’s in the rest of the boxes and how to organize it.
The gadgets I set on the counter and the work shirts … okay, I’ve never been too proud to wear secondhand stuff but it did feel weird to try on Uncle Henley’s shirts. They’re a little big but I can make use of them. They even had Thibodeaux on a patch over one of the pockets and were beige like my scout uniform shirt. So familiar that looks like it was meant to be. They weren’t dirty but I’ll wash them anyway before I use them. Next box held more weird gadgets only this time wrapped up in towels. Now those I can use, and I added them to the laundry pile and put the other stuff on the counter. Third box was full of Uncle Henley’s personal stuff … ditty bag, shaving gear, socks and undershorts (I tried not to let it turn my brain inside out), and a bag of pill bottles with his name on them. I didn’t know that Uncle Henley was on meds, that was another piece of info that would have been nice to know before it slapped me in the face.
The plastic tub had stuff that caught me off guard. On one end was a tackle box and the rest of the space was filled with boxed food like Jello mixes, old McCormick spice containers, mac-n-cheese, stove top stuffing, and other things like that all fit in like a jigsaw puzzle so no space was wasted. The kind of stuff I remember Mom calling “bachelor food” because she didn’t approve of it. Mom worked a full-time job but about the only pre-made stuff she used on a regular basis was store bought pasta and koolaide which DJ and I used to drink by the gallon because Gatorade and sodas were too expensive. Thinking back I remember her saying she did it because both sides of our family had crap medical stuff … like high blood pressure and stuff … and she said she cooked good food because she didn’t want the doctor bills to sneak up on them like they had other people. Something else to put on Ava’s List … learning about the family medical history so something doesn’t sneak up on me because medical bills is the last thing I can afford.
I was in the middle of putting away what I could and organizing the rest when there was another knock on the door. “Lights out coming soon,” came through the door a little louder than necessary.
I walked over to the door and cracked it open. “Zeb …”
He sighed. “Yeah, I know. Sgt. Kramer … he’s uh …”
“Look, if there’s going to be problems just clue me in. Is it me being a girl? Me being a girl and staying under the same roof as a bunch of guys? Me being a girl, staying under the same roof as a bunch of guys, and knowing you?”
He relaxed when he saw I wasn’t going to beat on him about it. “Probably some of all of it. Sgt. Kramer is First Sergeant.”
“And that means?”
Smiling a little he said, “Think of him like Mr. Woodruff.” Mr. Woodruff was one of our Assistant Scout Leaders.
“Oh. You mean he likes to Nanny everyone like they haven’t got any sense until they prove otherwise a few times.”
“Pretty much. And …” He looked around carefully before adding quietly, “A couple of these guys are greener than the Cubs were at Crossover.”
Following his lead I kept it quiet. “That’s bad. Didn’t they go through that … thing … the Basic training stuff?”
“Yeah but they’re pushing people through fast and just expecting them to learn on the fly … or have it beat into them by their other unit members. Er … I’m not the only one with family that has political connections either. You know what I mean?”
“Okay. Gotcha.” He meant that some of the other privates were probably from families with enough clout that they could keep them from seeing action. “Go babysit people who need it and keep them out of trouble. That’s a headache we don’t need.”
He grinned and nodded and turned to go upstairs when he stumbled but kept going. I leaned my head out and caught Sarge and another guy lounging in the hall. I tried to not act like a kid with an attitude, but this was something I needed to nip in the bud.
I walked out and over to them. Before I could say something Sarge grinned. “Caneton.”
“Thanks. Needed that on top of all the other cap.” I took a breath and grabbed some courage. “Zeb is a friend doing his job. We had rules in Scouts and those still apply. Nothing funny is going on … or will go on. Can we please leave it at that?”
“You sure he knows the score?”
“Zeb and I have always known the score … rules … or whatever you want to call it. And neither one of us is interested in screwing up what few chances life sends our way. I don’t mean to be rude, but do I need to swear on a stack of Bibles or something to make that point? We’re not kids that can’t keep our hands out of a cookie jar.”
“So long as you’re sure Cher.”
I hated the death stare of intimidation the other guy was giving me but the last thing I was going to do was let him know that.
“I’m sure already. And don’t mess with Zeb over this please. He’s not used to having his honor and integrity questioned like I am. For whatever reason too many people see me and think slut or something else just as stupid. I just thought I’d proven myself enough to you.” Before either man could say squat back I said, “And I just found out Zeb’s big brother was killed in action. Robert and my brother were friends and Robert was a good guy. That sucks and … and it sucks to have a friend living through what I have. And now that I’ve said my piece, I’m hitting the sack.
You need anything just knock. I’m a light sleeper.”
I turned to walk away when Sarge said, “Ava, sometimes things have to be said.”
Stopping, I told him and anyone else listening that, “Sometimes things shouldn’t be said at all. Anyone that knows Zeb knows he’s so straight he squeaks when he walks. And like I said, I thought I’d proven where I stand. Or don’t you remember the rumble in camp where I backed your side without being asked.”
The other guy looked like he wanted to be part of the conversation but I didn’t let him by walking in my door and closing it. I didn’t slam it, but I was feeling like it. I learned a long time ago that acting on your anger didn’t always get you what you wanted. I also learned being on the bottom of the heap meant while someone else might be able to act on their attitude, those on the bottom usually only got squashed that much harder.
I finished up that night and then headed to bed. Saturday was just more shoveling crap of several different varieties.
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Chapter 20
He was just standing there looking at Sarge and then glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. Twice. Then he did some stupid two-step as his knees went out of the locked and loaded position that made him look like the scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz.
“Ava?!”
I nearly laughed at how it came out two octaves higher than his normal voice that had finally settled down when we had both hit sixteen.
“Hi Zeb. You playing dress up or is that uniform bonified real?”
“I … uh …” he looked at Sarge, at me, at Sarge.
I finally let him off the hook. “This is Sgt. Jeansonne but he doesn’t have all day. What’s up?”
His mouth opened and shut a couple of times then he stood straighter and said, “Master Sgt. Kramer requests your presence at chow … I mean dinner Sir.”
In a nutshell Sarge told Zeb to tell Sgt. Kramer he’d be pleased to join him for dinner. Zeb is still staring like he’s seen a ghost and I laugh and tell him to go on about his business, that I have my own to take care of, and that we’ll probably see each other later if our respective jobs let us.
I was still smiling when I saw the thunderclouds on Sarge’s face. Why he cares I haven’t a clue but he’s the type to play sheep dog to excess. “Relax,” I told him. “Zeb is an old friend.”
“Uh huh,” he said, and it sounded suspicious enough to be insulting and I let him know it.
“Look. You’re my now-friend, or whatever you want to call it, but that doesn’t mean you’re the only friend I’ve ever had. Zeb’s brother and my brother were friends. Zeb and I have known each other since Cubbies. It’s just … weird-nice to see him since I haven’t for almost a year.”
“Uh huh,” he said again.
“Geez. I can see he is a soldier. I’m not looking to get him in trouble. And don’t worry … I’m not risking my job either. Zeb is a friend and wouldn’t do it to me either.”
“Uh huh,” he said a third time, this time sounding like he was willing to believe me a bit but was reserving judgment. Honestly, I hate people thinking they gotta get into my business.
I hadn’t been just talking about needing to go back to the Big House and it was a good thing I got there when I did as there was a mess in the entry way as people were trying to figure out who was going into which room. I found the guy with the clipboard and started with the highest ranking officer and went from there while Aunt Orélie got those same officers and took ‘em around to show them where they could set up in the conference room and found out what all they were going to need for the time they were there.
Then came supper. The higher ranks went in one room and the lower ranks went in another. If you weren’t an officer at all you got to sit at an outside table. Dinner was served up on plates to keep portions to fit what was fixed. Dirty Rice, Shrimp-and-Sausage, and a side of Collards was the main plate. Dessert was a scoop of Banana Foster Bread Pudding with rum sauce strong enough they should have been checking IDs. Whew.
I got a few looks when I was first setting the plates out, but they were polite about it, I’ll give them that. I looked at Zeb and he shrugged apologetically.
“So does that mean you told them or are they just too polite to ask what I am?”
Zeb knows me so didn’t bother trying to ask me to be any other way. “I mighta mentioned that I knew you. And if they can’t see you’re a girl they’re blind.”
I gave him a smile for his answer then looked around at the table and saw they were all close to our age. “Well my name is Ava and if you want to get fed before the bugs come out then don’t be so shy. Grab a plate and dig in. I’m going to put pitchers of drinks in the middle of the table, serve yourselves. Only one serving tonight so clean your plate and when you do, stack them in the middle of the table to get them out of the way of the desserts. If something runs out, I’ll catch it on the way back around. There’s only one of me and I have three … nope, four … rooms I’m working so cut me a little slack. ‘K?”
Just like with the guys I grew up around, feed them and they’re pussy cats.
I was nervous of serving the officers at first, but they turned out to be human too, even the Colonel that everyone seemed to hop for even before he asked them to. The only room I really relaxed in was the side room that turned out to be four sergeants, one of them Sarge. Only I didn’t call him that because I figured it would be disrespectful. He was dressed in his uniform and everything and seemed more like the man that I’d met in the Panhandle. I think I like sergeants in general but these four made my life real easy. They even cleaned their plates and stacked their dishes without being asked.
I don’t know what all the uniforms did after the evening meal, but I washed dishes and helped prep for breakfast. Whew. At least it is going to be buffet style. Then Aunt Orélie told me she and Fabrice could get the rest of it since it was just putting away the clean dishes and utensils. I realized I hadn’t seen the brothers and when I asked I found out they’d been and gone but because of some trouble they’d been into at school they’d be spending all their afternoons for a while at the school getting extra tutoring, even on Saturdays and some Sundays. That didn’t hurt my feelings any, not that it was my business.
I headed over to my room by way of the storage area, grabbing one of Uncle Henley’s larger tubs to take back with me. It was gonna be dark before too much longer and I wanted to at least open them to see what I was faced with. I had one box open and was looking at some weird gadgets wrapped in clothes to keep them from clinking together when there was a knock on my door.
“Yeah?”
“Uh … Ava? It’s Zeb.”
I walked opened the door and asked, “Somebody need something?”
“Uh uh. Uh … you got a few? ‘Cause I do and … geez … it’s good to see you.”
I shut my door and we walked out onto the back porch then stopped when we saw sergeants draped all over the place. We backed out quick and headed to the front porch only to find privates draped all over the place. That left us walking to the retention pond before the bugs got bad.
First thing out of his mouth was, “Did you get my message?”
“About the evacuation orders? Yeah. And thanks. The brown outs were already a mess on our side of town. You and a couple of the others were the only reason I could figure out what was going on.”
“Where did you go from there?”
“Welll, technically it was a while before I went anywhere.” I gave him a brief description of how I’d wound up here and then asked, “Did you get drafted? ‘Cause people keep telling me there isn’t one but …” I shrugged, unsure how to finish.
“No. I enlisted.”
“Why? Isn’t your aunt kinda on record saying you’re going to be a lawyer or President or something? I’m pretty sure soldier isn’t on that list.”
He skipped a rock on the pond. “Aunt Marlene is why I enlisted. She was getting to be too much. She was … man, you know how she is.”
“Yeah … but enlisting?”
“Robert enlisted.”
“You’re kidding,” I said thinking of the guy who was always dreaming about being a doctor and wondering how that had worked out for him. “How’s he doing?”
“He’s dead.”
That took my breath away so long my chest hurt. “Zeb … don’t play at something like that.”
“I wish I was.” And I could see that hurt look in his eyes that I’ve never been able to lose when it comes to DJ.
“I’m … I’m sorry Zeb. Robert … he was DJ’s friend.”
“Yeah. Had he lived he would have … just he would have been bad messed up. He was working some kind of medical ambulance, only with helicopters. We don’t have all the details because they were blacked out on the report they gave us. His helicopter was shot down, that’s about all they can tell us except … it had to be a closed casket.”
“Oh Zeb … I’m sorry. I really am.”
“Yeah. Can we not talk about it right now?”
“Sure. Just if you need to … you know you can.”
“Thanks. Maybe … maybe another time.” He skipped another rock and said, “He wasn’t supposed to see fighting … he was a medical draftee and never even went through Basic before he was put to work. But it was only behind the lines, or that’s what he told us. It just all happened so fast. But after … you know … Aunt Marlene started getting a little crazy. I couldn’t even leave the freaking house without someone tailing me. Uncle Chez did what he could but …”
“But he’s gotta live with her too.”
“Pretty much. And one night there was this huge fight and I … I just couldn’t take it anymore. I thought enlisting was the only way out as she had the lawyer lock up Dad’s estate so I was broker than broke with only my backpack and gear.”
“It shouldn’t have been. You coulda gone to your Uncle Fred’s.”
“Uh uh. See Aunt Marlene has them all under her thumb because they’ve all had to move back to Grandmother’s place. She’s turned it into a fu … uh … freaking compound with guards patrolling the fence and everything.”
“Sounds like a mess.”
“You have no idea.” I was thinking I did, or some of it anyway, but I let him have the point since he seemed to need it more than me. “But even enlisting I haven’t got away from her. She proved she knew people and after basic I got made an attaché sort of thing to Colonel Matthews. You know what that is?”
“Sure … you fotch and carry Boy, you fotch and carry and dance to his fiddle.”
Zeb finally smiled but it was an embarrassed one. “God bless it Ava, don’t let anyone here you talking like that.”
“You mean it isn’t politically correct?”
“No it isn’t and some of these officers … er … they’re a little sensitive about that stuff.”
“Then their ears are going to fall off around here,” I told him grinning unrepentantly.
“Seriously Ava …”
“Fine. So …”
“So …”
“Zeb, it’s … geez it sounds sappy to say how good it is to see you but … I gotta get some things done because I have to get up and help in the morning.”
“About that …”
“Yeah?”
“Are you okay? I mean you make it sound like it was no big deal but … yeah, it was, and you don’t have to pretend it wasn’t. Not with me.”
I decided to let him see things as they are. “Okay. So I was scared spitless but I’ve landed on my feet.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“I mean … I don’t know … just …”
I turned to look at the pond to avoid having to look at him. “We … might have had a thing at one point Zeb. It was a nice thought but … we both know it wouldn’t have worked. And we aren’t kids anymore. You don’t owe me anything … including looking after me or whatever it is you’re trying to do. You come from high society and money … and your Aunt Marlene was always booking on you taking her even higher. And … gawd this is so stupid. Look, this is just the best I can do. It might not measure up to what the rest of our troop always counted on being there but … but it’s the best I’ve got. For now, and maybe forever. And I’m working on being okay with it. Someone always has to be last or on the bottom of the heap.”
“That’s … look Ava … I … I wasn’t saying …”
“I know you weren’t.”
“Let me finish. You’re spooky how you always knew what we were thinking but at least let me say it. Robert dying at taught me sometimes you just need to say stuff.”
I shut up and let him talk.
“I’m tired of Aunt Marlene dictating my life. I can’t get away from all of it, but some of it is damn sure dead and buried and that includes her dictating who can be my friend. Right now there’s no room in my head for the rest of it so I agree things are just best the way they are … but as for you being here? It’s … almost too wild for me to believe. And don’t be insulting Ava … I never said anything about your jobs or where you came from back home did I?”
“Nah, I guess you didn’t.”
“Damn straight I didn’t. And I’m sorry the thing with your uncle … uh … didn’t work out. Just … just say you’re really okay with this and I’ll be okay with it too.”
“What choice do I have? I’m okay because I have to be.”
He caught me up on what he knew of the rest of our crew but we both decided that we like living too much and didn’t want to bleed out to the mosquitos that were starting to swarm us. We went back inside and as we passed the rest of his new crew I got introduced. I finally made it back to my room and for some stupid reason wanted to cry. Instead of giving into it I finally got focused on those boxes.
I don’t know who did the packing of Uncle Henley’s stuff, but they were probably more interested in making it as few boxes as possible than they were about being organized and careful. The first box I had already opened had a bunch of work shirts wrapped around gadgets that I could figure out were for grinding but that’s about it. I suppose I can ask someone but for now I’m just going to see what’s in the rest of the boxes and how to organize it.
The gadgets I set on the counter and the work shirts … okay, I’ve never been too proud to wear secondhand stuff but it did feel weird to try on Uncle Henley’s shirts. They’re a little big but I can make use of them. They even had Thibodeaux on a patch over one of the pockets and were beige like my scout uniform shirt. So familiar that looks like it was meant to be. They weren’t dirty but I’ll wash them anyway before I use them. Next box held more weird gadgets only this time wrapped up in towels. Now those I can use, and I added them to the laundry pile and put the other stuff on the counter. Third box was full of Uncle Henley’s personal stuff … ditty bag, shaving gear, socks and undershorts (I tried not to let it turn my brain inside out), and a bag of pill bottles with his name on them. I didn’t know that Uncle Henley was on meds, that was another piece of info that would have been nice to know before it slapped me in the face.
The plastic tub had stuff that caught me off guard. On one end was a tackle box and the rest of the space was filled with boxed food like Jello mixes, old McCormick spice containers, mac-n-cheese, stove top stuffing, and other things like that all fit in like a jigsaw puzzle so no space was wasted. The kind of stuff I remember Mom calling “bachelor food” because she didn’t approve of it. Mom worked a full-time job but about the only pre-made stuff she used on a regular basis was store bought pasta and koolaide which DJ and I used to drink by the gallon because Gatorade and sodas were too expensive. Thinking back I remember her saying she did it because both sides of our family had crap medical stuff … like high blood pressure and stuff … and she said she cooked good food because she didn’t want the doctor bills to sneak up on them like they had other people. Something else to put on Ava’s List … learning about the family medical history so something doesn’t sneak up on me because medical bills is the last thing I can afford.
I was in the middle of putting away what I could and organizing the rest when there was another knock on the door. “Lights out coming soon,” came through the door a little louder than necessary.
I walked over to the door and cracked it open. “Zeb …”
He sighed. “Yeah, I know. Sgt. Kramer … he’s uh …”
“Look, if there’s going to be problems just clue me in. Is it me being a girl? Me being a girl and staying under the same roof as a bunch of guys? Me being a girl, staying under the same roof as a bunch of guys, and knowing you?”
He relaxed when he saw I wasn’t going to beat on him about it. “Probably some of all of it. Sgt. Kramer is First Sergeant.”
“And that means?”
Smiling a little he said, “Think of him like Mr. Woodruff.” Mr. Woodruff was one of our Assistant Scout Leaders.
“Oh. You mean he likes to Nanny everyone like they haven’t got any sense until they prove otherwise a few times.”
“Pretty much. And …” He looked around carefully before adding quietly, “A couple of these guys are greener than the Cubs were at Crossover.”
Following his lead I kept it quiet. “That’s bad. Didn’t they go through that … thing … the Basic training stuff?”
“Yeah but they’re pushing people through fast and just expecting them to learn on the fly … or have it beat into them by their other unit members. Er … I’m not the only one with family that has political connections either. You know what I mean?”
“Okay. Gotcha.” He meant that some of the other privates were probably from families with enough clout that they could keep them from seeing action. “Go babysit people who need it and keep them out of trouble. That’s a headache we don’t need.”
He grinned and nodded and turned to go upstairs when he stumbled but kept going. I leaned my head out and caught Sarge and another guy lounging in the hall. I tried to not act like a kid with an attitude, but this was something I needed to nip in the bud.
I walked out and over to them. Before I could say something Sarge grinned. “Caneton.”
“Thanks. Needed that on top of all the other cap.” I took a breath and grabbed some courage. “Zeb is a friend doing his job. We had rules in Scouts and those still apply. Nothing funny is going on … or will go on. Can we please leave it at that?”
“You sure he knows the score?”
“Zeb and I have always known the score … rules … or whatever you want to call it. And neither one of us is interested in screwing up what few chances life sends our way. I don’t mean to be rude, but do I need to swear on a stack of Bibles or something to make that point? We’re not kids that can’t keep our hands out of a cookie jar.”
“So long as you’re sure Cher.”
I hated the death stare of intimidation the other guy was giving me but the last thing I was going to do was let him know that.
“I’m sure already. And don’t mess with Zeb over this please. He’s not used to having his honor and integrity questioned like I am. For whatever reason too many people see me and think slut or something else just as stupid. I just thought I’d proven myself enough to you.” Before either man could say squat back I said, “And I just found out Zeb’s big brother was killed in action. Robert and my brother were friends and Robert was a good guy. That sucks and … and it sucks to have a friend living through what I have. And now that I’ve said my piece, I’m hitting the sack.
You need anything just knock. I’m a light sleeper.”
I turned to walk away when Sarge said, “Ava, sometimes things have to be said.”
Stopping, I told him and anyone else listening that, “Sometimes things shouldn’t be said at all. Anyone that knows Zeb knows he’s so straight he squeaks when he walks. And like I said, I thought I’d proven where I stand. Or don’t you remember the rumble in camp where I backed your side without being asked.”
The other guy looked like he wanted to be part of the conversation but I didn’t let him by walking in my door and closing it. I didn’t slam it, but I was feeling like it. I learned a long time ago that acting on your anger didn’t always get you what you wanted. I also learned being on the bottom of the heap meant while someone else might be able to act on their attitude, those on the bottom usually only got squashed that much harder.
I finished up that night and then headed to bed. Saturday was just more shoveling crap of several different varieties.
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Six people, two dogs, one cat, and assorted wild beasties in the yard that consider our yard their home … including a couple of black racer snakes that like to periscope up out of the hedges looking like miniature brontosaurus. Welcome home. LOL
Glad your home. Oh what fun, been there done that and know what it is about lol
