The Woods

The Woods Part 13: Thirty Years Earlier (Henry and June)

                                                                                  1985

"Kevin! Jesse!" The boys' mother calls. It will be time for supper soon.

She stands in the open doorway looking out at the backyard. "Now where did those boys get to?"

She calls again, her voice lilting up in the form of a question.

"Kevin? Jesse? Dinner!"

June shakes her head and goes back in. She needs to finish making supper.

She looks at the kitchen counter where she set out flour, sugar, a mixing bowl, a wooden spoon and a measuring cup in preparation of baking a cake. That is as far as she got before she had to go deal with the unbalanced washing machine in the basement jigging across the floor with loud thumping that sounded like the drum would come right out through its side.

After dinner. The cake will have to wait.

She washes and peels the potatoes and carrots, setting them in a pot of water on the stovetop to boil.

She opens the oven door to check the roast. Pulling the fat baster from a drawer, she turns back to the open oven, sucking up the juices starting to leak out of the meat and dribbling them over the roast. Finished, she closes the door and sets the baster down.

June returns to the back door, looking out. Still no sign of the boys. She frowns and goes to the front door. She opens it and steps out on the front steps, looking up and down the street.

No boys in sight.

"Kevin! Jesse!" She yells loud and clear. Half the neighbourhood would have heard, maybe more. She stands there looking and finally goes back in, closing the door.

She waits, she paces, and she checks the supper cooking again.

"Where are they?"

Finally, June pulls out the little phone book with names and numbers neatly written in. She goes to the tan phone on the kitchen wall, taking the receiver off its hook. She wanted to get a newer phone. Everyone else is moving to the new push button phones and they still have the old rotary dial. But, the phone still works and until it quits, they can't get a new one.

She flips through the little book and dials the first number, waiting through the rings. Finally, someone answers.

"Hi, it's June. Are my boys at your house?" She listens. "Well, if you see them, can you send them home please? It's dinner time." She listens again. "Thank you." She hangs up.

June goes down the list, calling neighbours and all the boys' friends.

No one has seen them.

The first flutter of fear dances in her stomach.

June checks the cooking dinner again. It's almost ready.

She hears the back door and turns.

"Smells good!" Henry takes his shoes off at the door. Like the boys, he is trained to use the back door so as to not to cause her that extra cleaning assumed from the use of the front door.

He enters the living room, walking past the discarded comic book and socks, towards the kitchen. She meets him at the kitchen door and he takes her in his arms, giving her a quick kiss and releasing her.

"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes and the boys haven't come back from playing outside."

"Did you call them?"