A Twisted Tale of Sanity book 3

Chapter Five: The Fight

Paul looked out the window and announced, "There are headlights coming up the driveway. He's here again. Jessica, when are you going to tell him that you can no longer see him."

Jessica shot back, "Get off my back. Geese who died and made you dictator of my life. I don't see anybody else worried about me seeing Thomas as long as I follow the rules."

Rick spoke up, "Now don't start that again. You know how it upsets your mother when you start fighting with each other."

The argument was interrupted by the sound of a horn. Jessica dashed out the door got in the truck and left.

Rick and Paul sat in silence staring at each other for a few moments before Paul got up and walked outside. He went around the house and sat on the ground under his bedroom window. Spotting his brother, Desmond went over and sat beside him on the ground, "I know how you feel but you are going about it all wrong. The demise of Thomas is coming soon and it will be Jessica who will kill him."

Paul sat and thought about this for a moment and started to smile, "Would you help me . . . "

The question was interrupted when Rick came out, "Would you boys like to help me out at old Crenshaw's sawmill he told me I could use it anytime I wanted. I spoke with the contractor Mr. Matthews yesterday and asked about putting a basement under the auditorium. He said it was possible and he helped me draw up some blueprints." The boys agreed and they left.

As they drove away Dianna and Phillip watched through the window and waved good-bye. Dianna was getting ready to go on a picnic with Phillip. He was worried about his mother and Dianna could see it in his eyes. She had slipped into a deep depression after the incident at the dock. Reluctantly she agreed to go on a picnic with Phillip if for no other reason, to get out of the house.

Upon arrival, the boys went straight to work. They borrowed Mr. Crenshaw's tractor and headed to the woods to pick out some trees to cut. Rick explained, "We want only the tallest and straightest trees you can find. We don't want any with low limbs because it makes bad wood." They picked out and cut down several trees and dragged them back to the mill. Most of the limbs were left in the woods to repopulate the trees. The tops were then cut off and cut up for firewood, and the trunks were stripped of all bark and ran through a giant ban saw to make useable lumber. The lumber was then taken and sprayed with creosote and moved into a hothouse to be dried for a couple of months.

Dianna and Phillip decided to go and see the progress and see if there was anything they could do to help. Rick and Desmond were inside the hothouse getting ready to load the trailer with the lumber while Paul backed it in. Dianna and Phillip helped to load the trailer and organize the lumber by length.

The lumber was taken back and unloaded. Jessica and Thomas were there when they got back and Paul nearly flipped his wig. In a hushed voice Paul called Desmond, "Desmond, will you help me to get rid of that menace?"

Desmond replied, "Sure, what did you have in mind?"

"I swiped these from a clothesline" tossing a pair of panties to Desmond, "his truck windows are down put them between the seat and the cab on the side kind of low. Leave them partly exposed so Jessica will see them."

While Paul looked out Desmond put the panties in the truck and walked away like nothing was going on. Paul headed for the construction site and began to carry lumber to the stack with Desmond as Jessica walked out.

Jessica walked over to the truck and opened the passenger's door and found the panties. Jessica thought for a long moment and called Thomas outside. She showed the undergarment to him and asked, "Where did these come from!? Are you seeing someone else?! Did you think I wouldn't find out or what?! I thought you loved me?!! Why would you do this to me?! Have I done something to offend you? Tell me what's going on."

Thomas stood there dumbfounded staring at what she was holding. She started to slap him but he caught her hand before she could connect. "Shut-up and listen to me, please! I have never seen those before in my life. I don't know where they came from. I do love you and I would never do anything like that." Panic was showing in Thomas' voice as he tried to explain, however, Jessica would not hear it. She simply stormed off in a rage

Thomas started to chase after her but was stopped by Desmond. "I would leave her alone right now if I were you. She can really have a temper when she gets mad and I wouldn't want to see you get hurt or anything." Thomas just scowled at Desmond and pushed him to the side and went after Jessica.

Jessica ran into the house where Dianna asked, "What's wrong?" Jessica just threw the undergarment down and ran into her room crying. Dianna looked at the panties and went to her daughter's room and softly knocked at the door, "Can I come in?" The question was met with sobs of pain and despair. "My precious child this may not be what it looks like. Why don't you talk to Thomas and try to figure things out? There has got to be a logical explanation for this and if there isn't we'll figure things out from there."

Just as Dianna finished speaking there was a knock at the door. "May I come in? Please let's talk about this. I swear to you that I have not had anyone else in my truck. I do not know how those got in there." Thomas was on the verge of tears as he explained.

Dianna asked, "Do you always leave your windows down on your truck?"

Yes, unless it's going to rain or get cold. If I roll them up I am afraid that the windshield will get worse due to the heat. Why do you ask? People around here, I think, are generally trustworthy."

Dianna stands up and walks towards the door, "Come with me you two I have a sneaky suspicion I know what's going on here."

The three walked out the door and over to Rick, and she lets him in on what's going on. As Rick listened to the situation he called Paul over, "Paul, did you have anything to do with this? If you did you better speak now." The tone of Rick's voice told Paul that he was very serious.

As Paul began, he implicated only himself, not wanting to cause trouble for Desmond as well. "Yes Sir, it was me, I am the one who put the undergarment in Thomas' truck. It was just a joke I am sorry if I hurt anyone. I didn't know it was that serious between you two, and I guess that I was a little upset because you guys never help out with the structure anymore. I guess I was feeling a bit left out because we don't do the things we use to anymore and it hurt so I wanted to hurt you."

Jessica narrowed her eyes as she listened to what Paul had to say. "I will get you for this," she muttered under her breath as she turned to walk away.

"Jessica," Rick called her back, "Paul has a point. You and Thomas have not been here to help out very much. Now, don't you think that you are being a little ridiculous always running off instead of being here for your family."

He continued with Thomas, "I believe I hired you for a job, that is not getting done, not to date my daughter. Now, what do you think we should do about this?" Thomas and Jessica looked at each other and in unison apologized for their part and agreed to stop dating until after the structure was complete. Everyone worked on the structure until it was completed about six months later.