by Linda Ellen
Continuing slowly on as each occupant of the vehicle stared at the sight in fascination, they eventually turned onto Chestnut, and Frank negotiated the piles of sludge and other obstructions to pull up where Willis indicated, in front of their building.
Steeling themselves, the Hoskins viewed the debris-littered front yard, with mud caked on the foundation and the front steps. With a jolt, they saw that the front window they had climbed from had been broken out and they wondered when and how it had happened.
Frank put the car in gear and left it idling. Climbing out, he immediately noticed the heavy, musky scent of the air as he moved to help his son and Willis retrieve the Hoskins’ belongings.
“Can we be of help to you folks?” Frank quietly offered, nodding when Willis politely declined with encouragement that they should continue on to see about their own home. He thanked them once again for their kindness and the families bid one another goodbye as the Grants continued on their way.
“My lands, what a mess!” Lilly moaned as she turned to again survey the damage.
With trepidation, they clasped their belongings and stepping gingerly, silently approached their home. Mounting the steps, Willis turned the handle on the front door, resulting in the girls squealing and jumping back a bit when muddy slime came gushing out.
“Who’s that?” a voice called from inside before a face appeared at the door. It was Mr. Anderson from upstairs, muck covered broom in hand.
“Oh it’s you, Hoskins. ‘Bout time you folks got back. Where you been?” the man asked. Looking down, he added, “Oh, hang on. Was just sweeping up some of this sh…muck.” The family stood back while the man hurriedly swept some more of the sludge from the foyer out onto the front stoop and then gave the steps a quick swipe, as Willis recounted where they had spent the last ten days.
Tentatively, the family filed inside. The man jabbered about one subject after another, such as the aggravation of trying to function without drinking water for the first few days, or electricity or heat, save for their tiny fireplace. Not to mention the phenomenon of being awakened at night by the sloshing of water against the sides of the house as boats motored by. Grabbing an oil lantern he had stashed on the steps, Mr. Anderson quickly lit it and followed them down the hall.
“I didn’t realize the electric power would still be off…” Willis murmured, meeting Lilly’s worried eyes.
Finding the door to their apartment stained with river slime and unlocked, they glanced at one another as Willis turned the handle and pushed the door open. Together they stood for a moment to survey the damage. Mr. Anderson stretched up to peer over the heads of the girls. Suddenly, everyone heard the noise of footsteps coming down the stairs and Mrs. Anderson squawking about the oddity of having an old black hearse of a thing parked at their front door.
Seeing it was her downstairs neighbors returning, and catching a glimpse inside their place, the woman had the grace to clamp her mouth shut.
Except for a thick layer of mud and silt covering anything on or near the floor, things were pretty much where the family had last seen them. The legs of the dining table showed signs of having stood in six-inch deep water for days on end, but everything they had piled on its top was still intact. The range would need a good cleaning and it looked like the floor would need to be replaced, as the retreating water had left the boards hopelessly warped. Moving cautiously to the bedroom doorway, Willis was relieved to see that only a few inches of water had gotten in there, as it had a raised floor. The edges of the bedspreads and room dividers were slime stained, as well as the bottom of the bureaus. Shoes and other items on the floor of the closet appeared to be ruined. Everything reeked of the musky smell of river water. Lilly’s eyes filled and spilled over as she viewed the mess.
“Gertrude came back yesterday. She’s fit to be tied, gripin’ about needin’ to have all of the floors replaced down here,” Anderson reported, snorting as he added, “You know how tight she is.”
“How we gonna stay here, Daddy?” Billy whined as the cold and damp of their unheated dwelling seeped inside his thin coat. As if on cue, all five Hoskins seemed to feel the cold and shivered, almost in unison. At that moment, their home no longer felt like home.
“We’ll just have to set about giving everything a good scrubbing,” Lilly declared, though her voice shook slightly. Louise and Edna exchanged glances of doubt – it looked like they had a huge job in store.
Feeling charitable, Mr. Anderson glanced at his wife, and at her nod, gallantly offered, “You folks can sleep on pallets up in our place until things get back to normal.”
Turning to meet his normally self-centered neighbor’s eyes, Willis drew in a strengthening breath and gave the man a nod of gratitude.
“We’d be much obliged.”
*
Mr. Grant maneuvered the car over and allowed it to slowly roll to a stop at the curb. His green eyes narrowed as his mouth fell open in dismay. The yard, much like the Hoskins’ place, was a mess with the unsightly evidence that the river had been making its ‘bed’ there for many days. Each family member held their breath as they surveyed their home – and some unexpected activity – as four young men were hard at work sweeping and mopping.
At the sound of the motor, Vic looked over from tossing another muck-filled bucket out the door. Smiling, albeit with concern, he tossed the utensil aside and made his way toward the car as the doors opened and the occupants climbed out.
“Vic, what…” Mrs. Grant began, but he interrupted as he wiped his hands on a rag.
“Since you guys said you were comin’ home today, thought I’d help you get a start on cleanin’ up your place.” Turning to survey the former crew of the Mary Lou, Gerald, Phil, and Eugene, as they paused in their tasks and waved, he added, “The fellas, well, they figured what the heck, they’d help, too.”
Trembling, Mrs. Grant reached out to give Vic a hug as the others drew near. When Vic pulled back, his eyes met the worried gaze of his long time friend. Earl reached out and shook Vic’s hand as Mr. Grant and young Bernice stared at their home.
“It’s um…it’s kinda bad in there, but I think it can be saved. At least everything is still there…” Vic added, prompting several questioning looks, which dissolved into understanding as they remembered what he had told them on his visit – their friend Alec and his family had lost nearly everything when three feet of water had inundated their house for days on end. Many of their possessions had floated away, as Vic had witnessed.
“Have they come back yet?” Mrs. Grant asked softly.
Vic shook his head sadly, the memory of cruising past the house still bothersome. “I went by there on the way here…” he stopped, unsure of what to say. “I don’t even know where they went.”
“Me either…they dropped me off that day and the last I saw of ‘em, Alec was paddlin’ on up the street and his mom and sisters were cryin’…” Earl mentioned, also stopping as he saw the expression on his mother’s face. Neither young man wished to add to her burdens at that point.
Scrambling for something encouraging to say, Vic blurted, “I think if we get a good hot fire started in the fireplace, that’ll help dry things out.”
Mrs. Grant managed a small smile and a nod, holding her husband and son’s hands, as she entered the door to their home. However, they stumbled to a halt as the enormity of the situation assailed her senses. The smell…a pungent odor hung heavy in the very air.
The odor of the river…earth and mud…and misery.
How would things ever get back to normal? For them? For their friends? For the city?
*
But things did get back to normal. Everyone pitched in and worked hard, cleaning, scrubbing, disinfecting with bleach and lye, deodorizing with baking soda, and demolishing and rebuilding where needed.
Two days went by and the Hoskins, much like most of the people in the city, poured themselves into the monumental task of cleaning up after the waters receded. Each day, the river retreated fu
rther back toward its normal confines, and with each foot of regained ground, the people of the city seemed to gather more determination and energy.
As Louise paused a moment from scrubbing and wiped her brow with the back of one forearm, she glanced over at the open doorway. Her eyes and mouth popped open and she let out a squeal as a voice asked no one in particular, “’Bout time ya’ll came home. Where you been?”
“Sonny!” Louise cried, rushing over to throw her arms around her long-lost brother. Excitement erupted as Willis and Billy jumped up from their cleaning chores and Lilly and Edna hurried in from the bedroom. Each one bombarded Sonny with hugs and questions, until Lilly finally pulled back, fussing, “Joseph Robert, where have you BEEN? You’re absolutely filthy!”
Sonny let out a chuckle and shook his head. “Man, have I got stories to tell.”
“We were so worried about you!” “Where ya been? Tell us!” “Leave it to you to get inta some kind of mischief,” Louise, Billy and Edna gushed at the same time. As the family gazed at their returning prodigal, each one unconsciously registered that he seemed thinner, and somehow different…as if his experiences had served to propel him further along the path to becoming a man, and not just a lanky teen.
“The first thing you’re doing, young man, is taking those filthy clothes off. Take them off this minute! I declare they must be positively full of lice!” Lilly blustered, gingerly removing her son’s cap from his head and grimacing at the smell. “Haven’t you bathed these whole two weeks?” she griped, grumbling a few choice words about the condition of her returning lost sheep. This, in typical ‘Lilly’ fashion, came on the heels of wanting to squeeze and hug him, having been so overpoweringly worried for so long.
Sonny laughed again and headed toward the cupboard where his clothes were kept, even as Lilly followed him, fussing, “Now you get on upstairs to that bathroom and scrub yourself clean, you hear? You use that bar of lye soap and plenty of hot water. Thank Heavens the power came back on to fire up the boiler…” she went on. Lilly clucked after him like the mother hen that she was and followed him up the stairs, fretting as they went, to wait for his clothes outside the door. She immediately marched herself outside and burned the lot of them, muttering about filthy lice.
Within minutes, Lilly came bustling in the back door with orders for Louise to run up to Hudson’s Market for some more lye. It was a few blocks uptown and had reopened soon after the floodwaters receded.
Happy to escape a few minutes of scrubbing, Louise tossed her coat on and quickly tied a scarf around her none too clean hair, and set off at a brisk walk. Glad for the few minutes of quiet, she was actually humming a happy tune. She was just in the midst of daydreaming an outrageous scenario involving Vic Matthews knocking at her door, wearing a tuxedo and escorting her to a fancy ball, when she became aware of the sound of an automobile motor.
Turning her head, she couldn’t believe her eyes – it was Vic Matthews – riding in what looked like the black hearse in which she had ridden home from the country club! Stopping dead in her tracks, her mouth dropped open as she stared.
Vic, riding in the passenger seat of the vehicle, had convinced his friend to take a detour after the guys had been sent on an errand to a local hardware. They were supposed to pick up items Earl’s family needed in the restoration work on their home. When Vic had seen the girl walking briskly along Chestnut, he couldn’t believe his luck.
“Hey man, pull over,” he had requested of his pal.
“Why? Who’s that?” Earl had asked, even as he maneuvered the vehicle toward the curb.
Then as the young girl turned to face them, Earl leaned over to see out the window.
“Hey there – you’re Louise, right?” he called before Vic could get a word out. “How is everything? You guys have much damage?”
Vic and Louise both looked startled, each one wondering how the other knew their suddenly mutual friend.
“What are…” “How do you…” they both began, as they looked from one to the other.
“How do you guys know each other?” Vic asked, a fierce sensation of unreasoning jealousy suddenly suffusing his chest, making him grit his teeth at the rising emotion.
“My old man drove her family home…” “His father drove us home…” they both responded, stopping short as Louise giggled in reaction. She tentatively approached the passenger door so that she could see Earl better, to ask, “How about your home? Was it bad?”
“Not as bad as some, but oh man, the smell now…” he returned, still leaning over Vic.
“Yes! We’ve been scrubbing since we got home, but still that smell is there,” she agreed, wrinkling her nose at the thought of it. Vic stared at her, fighting his feelings of jealousy. Everything about the girl seemed to draw him like a magnet.
After a few more exchanges with Earl, Louise’s eyes switched to the other occupant of the vehicle, and the intensity of his gaze nearly took her breath away. Instantly, her mouth went dry and she swallowed nervously as the final moments of their last encounter…their ‘almost’ kiss…came rushing back to her memory.
“Hi,” she said with a shy smile.
“Hey,” Vic murmured, allowing his eyes to roam over her face and the scarf on her head. Its faded pink color seemed to bring out the healthy glow of her complexion.
Unconsciously she raised one hand to touch the unattractive object, acutely aware of her not-so-lovely appearance, and especially conscious of what she knew her hair must look like under the tattered scarf. Drat it all! She groused silently. Why is it every time I see you, it’s when I’m not expecting it!
“You guys doin’ okay?” Vic asked. “Did Sonny ever come home?”
“Yes today!” she immediately gushed, causing Vic’s eyes to become alive with pleasure at her sudden animation. His feelings of jealousy forgotten, he laughed in delight.
“Where’s he been?”
She laughed in infectious happiness. “I don’t know yet. As soon as he walked in the door, Mama made him march right upstairs to take a bath – and she took his clothes outside and burned ‘em, fussin’ that they were full of lice!” she added as they both chuckled.
“He’s sure got a lot ‘a explainin’ to do, huh?”
“Hey, uh…who’s this ‘Sonny’?” Earl interjected, feeling decidedly uninformed, and wondering how his friend knew this girl.
“Oh sorry, he’s my brother,” Louise explained, dragging her gaze from Vic to his friend. “He was gone the night we had to evacuate and we didn’t know where he was the whole time we were away. Mama ‘bout went crazy worryin’.”
“I bet,” he answered, imagining his own mother in that situation.
“I’d sure like to know where he was,” Vic smoothly injected.
Louise met his eyes again, hers still bubbling with joy. Vic went on without missing a beat, “How ‘bout I pick you up Friday night and you can tell me all about it?”
Her heart jumped in her chest, speeding up double time.
“You mean…a real date?” Louise asked, wide-eyed.
He grinned, thinking how cute she was, and so innocent. You’d think she’d never been on a date before.
“Sure,” Vic answered smoothly. “How ‘bout I pick you up about seven?”
Suddenly panic began to rise within Louise at the thought of Vic coming to the apartment. She feared that he would find out the one thing she wished to keep from him until she knew him better. Even worse was picturing Edna finding out that their hero rescuer and spinner of flood yarns was actually Vic Matthews, her blind date – and that he was more than ‘just okay’, he was downright gorgeous. Louise had suffered Edna’s wrath more than once, and she was determined to avoid that as long as possible. Frantically, she scrambled to find a way…
Shaking her head, Louise moistened her lips as she thought for a minute. “Um…no,” she began, but at Vic’s crestfallen expression, she added, “I mean…Mama doesn’t want anybody coming to the apartment right now, it’s still such a me
ss. I…I could meet you somewhere…” she offered, hoping he would agree.
Vic thought that was a bit odd, considering the whole city was a virtual mess, but he merely shrugged. It didn’t matter to him as long as he could spend an evening with this girl who had captivated his entire range of senses.
“Okay…how about…Luckert’s on Fourth. It’s on a bit of high ground and didn’t take much water, so they’ve already reopened.”
Relieved, Louise nodded, striving to hide just how excited she was that Vic Matthews had actually asked her to go out with him. “Alright. I’ll see you there Friday night,” she promised, though mentally she was already scrambling for something she could tell her parents. Never mind…I’ll think of something.
Then realizing quite a bit of time had passed and her mother would be wondering where she was with that lye soap, she gasped, “Oh gosh, I better run. Mama sent me to the store for lye. She’ll be sendin’ out a search party for me.”
Backing away from the car, she waved goodbye to the young men and turned, only then realizing she was within sight of the market. Hurriedly, she ducked inside the door as the big car pulled away and the screen door banged shut behind her. The interior was dim and shadowy, the walls lined with overly packed shelves. The familiar old and musty scents mingled with the aromas of fruits, fresh bread and bakery goods.
Rushing over the smooth, well-worn wooden floors with their accustomed squeaks, she circled the center product island of the quaint little store, heading right to the shelf she needed, and circled around to the counter, money ready.
“Well, little lady, it’s good to see you again,” Mr. Hudson greeted as he rang up her purchase. “This’ the first time you been in since the flood. Your family okay?”
The jovial, gray-haired gentleman’s eyes crinkled fondly behind his spectacles as he looked at her. Of all the neighborhood young people, sweet Mary Louise Hoskins had always been his favorite. Mr. Hudson felt like somewhat of a surrogate father toward her, especially so when Willis was away for extended periods.