On The Other Side

Chapter Sixteen: Give as Good as One Gets

September, I take a deep breath of the autumn air and regret it instantly. The smells coming from the gutter aren’t too pleasant. I think of Aggie telling me she thinks it smells better over here by the store than in her neighborhood. I have to agree with her.

Just thinking about Aggie, of course, gets me thinking about Claire. Her beautiful face with a smattering of freckles, her green eyes that can cut me to pieces with just a look, her soft smile that can break a man’s heart.

“Claire,” I sigh, shaking my head to clear it, then begin sweeping the walkway of leaves and trash.

As if by magic, Aggie, Alex, and Claire appear from around the corner. Aggie smiles, waving, running ahead of her mama and brother. She sticks her arms out, flapping them as she runs, making me laugh.

“Look Dec, look, I’m a birdy.” She giggles when she reaches me, wrapping her arms around my legs. “Did you see me, did you? I can fly.”

“You sure can, how’s everyone doing?” I ask, plucking Alex from Claire’s arms, tickling his belly, making him giggle.

Claire avoids making eye contact, hurrying into the store. I look down at Aggie questioningly, a small frown on my face. “How could I have exasperated her already?”

Aggie shakes her head, “You didn’t. I heard her and Ms. Miriam talking last night.” She looks at her mama through the window, her red braids swishing back and forth, a worry line marring her forehead. “Don’t tell her I was sneak-listening, but I heard her tell Miriam that that bad guy Mr. Peters hurt her. She has an owie on her face from him….”

Before she even finishes, I shove through the door, gently setting Alex in his crib we have tucked in the corner, then track down Claire.

Aggie walks in, standing by the crib, talking to her brother, I hear her say, “That bad man’s in trouble, I think.”

Yeah, he sure is, I think to myself. I yank the backroom curtain nearly off its nails, startling Claire. Shite, her beautiful face. It’s bruised, swollen, purple and blue underneath her left eye.

She lowers her eyes, her arms folded tightly across her body.

“Claire, what happened?” I slowly make my way to her, smooth a gently finger over her bruised cheek, “Tell me, how does that bastards face look.”

Claire smiles sadly, “Oh Dec.” Then the tears fall. It breaks my heart, seeing the woman I love hurt, in pain.

This Peters fellow is a dead man. I don’t say this to Claire, just gather her close, her head tucked under my chin, her arms coming around my waist.

I pull back, smooth my hand down the uninjured plane of her cheek, over her lips. “Come upstairs, let’s get a poultice on this cheek, ok?” Claire starts to cry quietly, muffling the sobs against my shirt so as not to scare Alex and Aggie.

My strong Claire takes a breath, wiping the tears from her eyes, pasting on a smile before we walk out of the backroom.

Crag’s out with the kids, concern etched in the lines of his face. “Aggie tells me someone needs to be taught a lesson.” he says, anger boiling in his eyes. He sees her cheek, the bruising, the swelling, his lips pull back into a tight line.

“Mind the store, Crag? Aggie, tend to your brother?” They both nod, Aggie clutching Craggy’s hand.

Claire and I make our way upstairs. I wet a cloth with cool water holding it carefully to her cheek. I take her hand, pressing it over the rag. “Keep this to your cheek while I mix up the poultice.”