The Kindness of Strangers

Ch. 16 - The Plot Thickens

The drive home was tense and silent. Drayton didn't want to answer any of the questions I had. I didn't bother asking much besides if he was okay since he was so red in the face about the truck being vandalized. Drayton is still mumbling when we enter the house with bags in hand.

"EVERYONE! I'M BACK WITH STUFF!" I hear shuffling from upstairs and doors opening. Chop Top is the first one down, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

"One Lynyrd Skynyrd vinyl for Chop Top." Chop Top kisses the cover, holding it out in front of him.

"I'm gonna memorize this one. Gonna take a rrrreal good listen. Like gospel." I chuckle as he nearly trips running back up the stairs. Mama passes him on his way up.

"Hopefully, he doesn't play it too loud. Some of us have to sleep at night." I nod.

"And some of us are gonna look spiffy in their new..." I pull out the green dress. "Tea dress!" Mama claps her hands and holds the dress up to her body.

"Ooooh I'm gonna call their Auntie about this one. She's gonna set us up the nice cups and everything!" She twirls with the dress against her before heading to the phone in the kitchen.

I wait to see if Thomas is gonna come down too. I wait...and I wait. Hm. I head upstairs with his bags and enter the room. The man is stripped down to his red undies, face down on the pillow, his mask hanging out of his hand. I sigh and put my bags down before locking the door behind me. He'd be mortified if his Mama saw him in his underpants. I look down at his hairy back in concern. Is the man even breathing?

I put my ear to his back and receive a grunt of alarm. Good, he's alive.

"I have your gifts, lovely." He gives me a sideways glance before waving his hand at the bags. He'd get to them later when he has energy. "Hard day, huh? Pull any muscles?" He shrugs and mumbles before making room for me to sit on the bed. I rub his back. "Fall in pig shit again?" He sighs and nods his head. Oof. That always knocks the wind out of him, can't blame him for stripping down and giving up after a long day then. "Well, the good news is that I got you a whole outfit including shoes. No more dress shoes to work the field." He gives a pleased groan and mumbles while giving me a side hug. I give him a kiss on his back.

"Weirdest fight happened outside the pharmacy by the way." Thomas looks at me in confusion. "Yeah, this guy Drayton called Hartman was trying to fight us and even threw trash on the truck! They were out of their rockers." Thomas grumbles angrily and points to his notepad on the table. I grab it and hand it to him. "You know who they are?"

Thomas refuses to sit up and writes crookedly using my lap. "Bastard pig thieves. Put me in the clinic, made my face like now." I raise my eyebrows.

"Wouldn't they all be in jail for that?" Thomas rolls his eyes and writes more.

"They are police. Own the town. Hate Sawyers." Thomas appears to be falling asleep despite his best efforts. I rub his back lovingly.

"I got the gist of it. Go to bed, you can tell me the rest after dinner. I'll wake you up when the table is set." He gives a thumbs up before promptly going limp with sleep. Poor guy. The heat must've really cooked him today.

I go downstairs and check what's left of the chore list. The only item left is for the inside chicken to be fed.

I scoop her fat little self out of her cage and set her on the craft room floor. I throw some seed down and close the door so she can free-roam for a little bit. Chop Top can sweep up after her since I'm sure Mama has been spoiling him.

It didn't feel like I had been in the garden long but before I knew it, Aunt Tea and Henriette were at the house with Jedidiah in tow. He looks so fat and tall now. Almost a year old. I dust myself off and go inside to get the formula and diapers I bought. The door opens behind me and they sit down to cool off.

"Now I got as much formula as they had and I got different diaper sizes since he's growing so fast." Aunt Tea grabs the bags with a smile.

"Thanks, honey. We've been using old rags for a little bit. Now he can crawl in comfort." Henriette hands me Jedidiah gently.

"I gotta powder my nose, I'll be back in a bit." I sit Jed on my lap.

"Where's Tommy?" I sigh and kiss the baby on his forehead.

"Long day and fell in the stalls again. He's given up on being awake until dinner is ready. I told him I'd wake him up." Aunt Tea shakes her head.

"Poor, sweet boy."
"He told me who the Hartman family was kinda. Drayton and I had a little scuffle with them outside the pharmacy." Aunt Tea rolls her eyes.

"If God gave me a nickel every time that family crossed us, Jedidiah wouldn't be wearin' rags." I shrug.

"He told me they're responsible for his face but I don't know if you know anything more about that do you?" Aunt Tea shrugs.

"All I know is all any of us know. Drayton and Tommy were young and living with Aunt Verna. Nubbins and Chop Top were here with Luda. One of the Hartman girls got crushed by one of our car engines while messing in the barn. They took all the youngins out of Verna's house 'cause of child endangerment. They sent Tommy and one of his cousins to the clinic since they were considered troubled. Thomas could talk then. He never did but he could. Well, one day he's on Verna's steps with half his face missing and here we are."

"Well, that doesn't answer much."

"Sure don't but it's what I know. You can ask Thomas once he's up and ready. You're just gonna need a lot of paper and maybe a spare pencil." I nod. Henriette returns from the bathroom and takes Jedidiah off my lap.

"Thanks for the supply run. We'll see you soon enough." Aunt Tea pats my leg.

"Don't worry about those Hartmans too much. They haven't been an issue in a while." Aunt Tea grabs the bags and walks out with Henriette.

"Can't help it. It's almost my job to worry at this point." Henriette nods.

"Men will do that." I wave goodbye to the pair as they walk across the yard. Tommy's look of pain when I first saw his face replayed in my mind. How could I not be worried when the monsters that took his voice are still out there?