The Waking Bell

by Jackie Weger

  She pressed her lips tighter together. “Child. Child. You’re too innocent for this world. Moria isn’t a good influence on Dodie. Flitting about like she does…and her a married woman.”

  I reached over and patted her hand. “Now, don’t get yourself riled up. The doctor said to rest. It’s not going to do any good to stew about it. You can tell Dodie yourself when she gets back.”

  “I tried that last night. She won’t listen. Stubborn as they come.”

  The sudden realization overcame me in that moment that something happened last night that upset Ginny Rose and caused her spell.

  “Would it ease your mind to talk about what’s bothering you?”

  Ginny Rose understood I wouldn’t tell a soul. Her breathing quickened. “It’s an outrage. That woman feigned to be a friend to Dodie and then stabbed her in the back…the audacity of a Pritchard to try to blackmail someone. Though Dodie should never have told her.” Ginny Rose waved her hand at the porch door. “No, Dodie had no business confiding family matters…now what are we to do? Pa is so upset.”

  Whatever those family matters were, it was obvious Ginny Rose wanted to keep them secret. I had never seen Ginny Rose so upset. Worried about her health, I sat on the edge of the mattress, wondering how to calm her. She laid her head on my shoulder. Wrapping my arms about her, I rocked her.

  “Moria said…that her husband wants a divorce.” Ginny Rose’s voice was low but held an animosity I had never heard from her. “Oh, Cady Blue, that woman confessed to loving another and having an affair…and she’s afraid her husband has discovered evidence of it…she wants Dodie to help her convince Matt that nothing happened and that it’s all a big misunderstanding. If Dodie didn’t, Moria threatened to tell the whole sordid tale. She’s going to drag Dodie down with her.”

  I sat there confused. Ginny Rose wasn’t making any sense. What if Dodie had covered for Moria while she went to a lover? It wasn’t life shattering and had absolutely nothing to do with the family. Furthermore, I was certain that Dodie would cover for herself. She wasn’t the helpless sort.

  Ginny Rose’s face contorted. She gripped my arms so that her fingernails dug into my skin. “I keep hearing that woman crying she can’t take it anymore. Perhaps she should confess it all…living with this lie would kill her.”

  “Ginny Rose, it’s going to be okay,” I said in an effort to soothe her. “Moria Pritchard isn’t going to taint the family name. This sounds like a mess of her own making. It has nothing to do with the Reeves.”

  “That’s not what Dodie confessed to Mr. Reeves after that dreadful woman left,” Ginny Rose uttered in a low ominous tone. “Moria is going to ruin her and us if Dodie doesn’t help.”

  “There is nothing she can do to you.” I shook my head. “I won’t let her.”

  Ginny Rose finally calmed and fell asleep. I slipped out of the bed. I had work to do.

  The first place I went to was the bedroom Dodie had slept in the previous evening. The place was a mess: sheets bunched up and clothes spread across the room. As I suspected, an empty bottle of Mr. Reeves’s Jack Daniels lay on the floor.

  It didn’t look much different than any other night Dodie had stayed over, except for a large stain on the bedroom wallpaper and, beneath it, a shot glass shattered into a million pieces.

  Chapter 5

  It was four thirty when I took out the cornbread and set it on the counter to cool. Taking the prepared meatloaf, I placed it in the oven. The peas and okra were ready to go on the stove. Dinner would be ready at five, as Mr. Reeves liked.

  The back door opened. Turning, I was surprised to see Claire walk inside. She greeted me with a frown.

  I realized my aunt avoided me like the plague. It was strange because Ginny Rose told me that I looked like Claire, more so than either of her daughters. Ginny Rose had even shown me an old picture.

  The picture showed my father and Claire when they had been teenagers. Both had been smiling, sitting on the front porch. I had to admit that I saw the resemblance.

  Claire’s hair had turned gray, but Ginny Rose said it had been as mine, thick dark brown with a coppery tinge, and we had the same short nose. Our eyes were both large, but hers were amber. Mine were sky blue.

  I realized my favoring her was the last thing Claire wanted to hear. Ginny Rose said that she was close to my father. I supposed I was a constant reminder of his loss.

  Swallowing hard, I realized her appearance implied Mr. Reeves must be staying at work late. She never would have come otherwise.

  “Good afternoon,” I said. “Ginny Rose is resting comfortably. I was just making dinner.”

  No pleasantries, Claire replied with a stilted nod. “You can leave.”

  “Of course.”

  I went to make one last check on Ginny Rose. She was asleep, but the room was hot despite the opened windows and fans going. I turned one of the fans toward her.

  Satisfied Ginny Rose was fine, I walked back into the kitchen to discover we had a visitor. At the sight of Matt Prichard, I froze. My immediate thought was he was going to upset Ginny Rose.

  Though when his eyes set on mine, he aroused deep feelings in me. The awareness of the effect his presence had on me disturbed me greatly. Why, I couldn’t put my finger on the reason. I had only seen him yesterday. Yet, the sensation he evoked made me feel faintly disgusted with myself.

  He studied me speculatively as if he could read my mind. I felt awkward as warmth flooded my face.

  “Hello, Miss Reeves. I came to ask if anyone has seen my wife.” He gave a forced laugh. “Seems I have misplaced her.”

  His strong eyes had a trace of urgency in them. A sudden impulse to comfort him overwhelmed me. Silly and improper, for certain, I ignored the urge.

  Instead, I shook my head. “I haven’t seen her since early this morning.”

  Immediately, Claire shot me a look signaling her desire for me to be quiet. From behind him, her eyes widened, and she bit her bottom lip. She gestured for me to leave.

  Lowering my gaze, I obeyed and started toward the door.

  Matt stepped in my way. “This morning?”

  “Yes, I believe she picked up Dodie,” I said without looking up. “Perhaps I was mistaken. It was from a distance. Please excuse me. I need to go home.”

  He let me pass and directed his attention back to Claire. I let out a sigh of relief when I got on my bicycle. I left without looking back.

  After I pedaled outside of town, the flare of my overalls got caught in the chain. The chain came off. I grimaced when I saw the rip in the pants leg and the grease stain. It wasn’t the first time it had happened, so I knew what to do. I just needed to get a stick to ease the chain back on the gear. A screwdriver worked better, but I didn’t have one on me.

  Behind me, I heard wheels crunch over gravel. Looking back over my shoulder, I saw Matt pull his blue Chevy truck to a stop.

  I watched him get out of the truck. For a brief moment, I wondered if he had planned this, which was an impossibility. Yet, I saw in his eyes he wanted to talk.

  It was a situation for which I was unprepared. I wished I could have disappeared, but there was nowhere to hide.

  “Need some help? I could just put your bike in the back and give you a lift home.”

  He didn’t give me time to answer. He took the bike from my hands. With the ease of lifting a feather, he placed it in the bed of his truck. His limp obviously had not taken his strength. He opened the passenger door and waited for me to get inside.

  I tried to think of an excuse. None came. A few minutes later, I found myself sitting next to him as he turned on the ignition.

  He turned to me and smiled. In that second, I was conscious of the magnetism of the man.

  “I suppose I should apologize,” he said. “My manners were atrocious.”

  “You weren’t rude, only concerned.”

  “You’re right.” His smile widened. “I am worried. You are quite observant.”

  A feeling of di
scomfort followed. I believed he thought I would simply convey to him what he wanted. It was not the way I was. I had seen arrogance masked behind the façade of kindness too many times before to be fooled.

  We drove for a while in silence. I thought of his compassion in accompanying me to Two Oaks. Our minds must have been thinking of the same thing.

  “I don’t think I told you that I admired what you did yesterday,” he began. “I don’t know many ladies who would have trekked in the wilderness like you did.”

  “A child is lost,” I answered. “We all do what we can. I know the area. It wasn’t remarkable…moreover, we didn’t find Alfie.”

  I looked over at him as he drove. It wasn’t easy for me to talk to a stranger, but he was correct; there was a strange oddness about our connection because of the search. I saw he was troubled by the young boy’s disappearance. He hadn’t simply dismissed Alfie because he was a simple mountain boy.

  “But you aren’t like you’re portrayed.” He glanced over at me. “Don’t look at me like that. You know exactly what I mean. The town believes you are simple-minded, spurred on by your relations. Yet, you haven’t done a thing to disillusion anyone. No one will know how smart you are…unless you show them.”

  “And you believe I showed you?”

  “I confess that I deduced it. I’ve known grown men that couldn’t maneuver through a trail like you. It was quite a feat…that and the fact that Goldie Caudill depends on you. That says mountains.”

  “Goldie’s been good to me.” I recognized my defensive tone and felt the wall I erected around myself reemerge. I had a sudden need to stop talking. My body shivered.

  “No—good heavens. I didn’t mean anything other than Goldie respects your ability and opinion,” he said readily enough. “I know she’s your family—” He breathed out in frustration. Then he pulled over and stopped the truck. “Here I go again, apologizing. I’m putting my foot in my mouth. It’s not what I wanted to say. I’m not even sure of your family’s situation. I shouldn’t have said a thing.”

  “The Reeves aren’t my family,” I told him. “Ginny Rose is my employer.”

  The situation was embarrassing. Naturally, I would have liked to be a part of my father’s family. It’s hard for a child to be rejected for something she had no control over; harder still for an adult to be humiliated by those who are supposed to love her. Goldie had said to hell with them for not acknowledging me.

  Matt was silent for a few seconds. He rubbed his forehead, ending with his hands together in a praying position. He thought hard for a long moment.

  Remembering what Ginny Rose said about his wife having an affair, pity surged. He was in obvious pain. It was just I never talked about my situation with the Reeves.

  “I’m sorry,” he began. “I’m exhausted with the search and work. I know I shouldn’t say anything, but it seems to me that we don’t choose our family. It’s an awful thing what they have done…don’t tell me it hasn’t been. I’ve heard Dodie talking.”

  This time it was me who said nothing. I was left wondering what he had heard. The thought made me feel vulnerable as if he could see into my heart and see the pain.

  “When I stopped by the Reeves today, it was to see you,” he went on. “I’m afraid I got distracted when I saw Mrs. Wentworth. I was taken aback when you said Moria had been there this morning. She told me that her friendship with Dodie was over. She was quite upset. Mother said that she left early. I thought she had gone back to Savannah.”

  There was a peculiar air of strangeness about our conversation. I couldn’t put my finger on the reason. He was strikingly different from anyone I had known. My shyness vanished around him. More importantly, the bells didn’t ring.

  “Why did you come to see me?” I ignored his talk of Moria. I didn’t want to add to his worry about the argument with Dodie.

  He bent his head to light a cigarette. Taking a puff, he blew out. “The brooch you found yesterday. Do you still have it? Sheriff Brawner said he didn’t take it.”

  “I showed it to the sheriff. He didn’t seem interested. Muttered something about it could have been lost at any time. It didn’t mean a thing. Said it could have been dropped from up the creek or by someone who went up there to coon hunt.”

  “Not women,” he said. “It was a women’s brooch?”

  Nodding, I eyed him questionably. “You said you didn’t recognize it.”

  He shook his head. “I didn’t, but I was thinking about it and wanted to get a second look. It seemed unusual for an expensive piece of jewelry to be found in these parts. At least, it looked expensive on a glance. Do you have it?”

  Sheriff Brawner had dismissed me when I showed him the brooch. He didn’t believe it was expensive, rather a piece of junk. It had been stepped on and dirty.

  I had shown the brooch to Goldie. In honesty, I don’t think she knew what to make of the discovery. I soaked and picked the mud out of it. It was quite beautiful. Goldie told me to keep it.

  “I put the brooch in my room,” I answered. “I’ll get it when you drop me off.”

  “Thank you.”

  Matt took another puff of his cigarette and pulled back onto the road. Within minutes, we were winding around the bend up to a white two-story house. The high-pitched red tin roof covered a deep-set porch with green shutters.

  Unlike Ginny Rose’s lawn, the yard was plain without a bush or flower. The porch was held up by concrete blocks and the stairs were simple planks that had never been painted. The electric and telephone lines were attached to the left side of the house from a large pole no more than fifty feet from the place.

  It had cost her a pretty penny, but Goldie took pride in having modern conveniences.

  Goldie’s place was large. A hundred yards behind the house was the barn, which held the horses,

  -hinnies, and donkeys. She had a small herd of cattle, and the pigs were kept in another shed away from the main barn.

  Most days when I got home, Goldie would be on her rocking chair with a glass of tea. More than likely, something stronger was in the tea. She hid it from me because she knew I didn’t like it when she drank liquor. I worried about her health.

  The moment we pulled to a stop I saw Goldie on the porch. One look at her face with her clenched jaw and fixed stare told me she was mad as hell. Her anger wasn’t directed at me, but the company that had come calling.

  Sheriff Brawner’s car was parked in front of the house, alongside an older dark gray one I didn’t recognize. Sheriff Brawner was standing at the bottom of the steps talking up to Goldie, who stood with her hands on her hips.

  Without a glance toward Matt, I got out of the truck as soon as it stopped. I heard the sheriff talking. From Goldie’s expression, she didn’t like any of it.

  “I told you, Goldie. I came by out of respect,” Sheriff Brawner said. “Meant no harm…and don’t you go getting riled up.”

  Goldie’s large bosom heaved. Her narrowed brown eyes might betray her age, what with all the wrinkles surrounding them, but they were sharp and wary, welding hard at the lawman. Goldie didn’t have to announce that she thought he was a damn idiot.

  “You said what you came to say. Now, get off my land.”

  “But you have to…”

  “I don’t hafta do nothin’,” she spat out the words. “If you want to talk to Rudy Tipton, you go up there and do it yourself. I ain’t gonna bring him down to you.”

  “Now, Goldie…”

  “Sheriff, Ma said what she said. She ain’t changing her mind.” My attention turned to Otis, sitting on the porch in one of the high-back chairs from the kitchen, his leg propped up on another. Beside him, to my surprise, sat Brother Frazier Clayton, a glass of tea in his hand.

  Sheriff Brawner grimaced. “I think it would be best for Rudy. You know what a mean bastard Daryl Walker is. He’ll hear that we want to talk to Rudy.”

  The inference wasn’t lost on any of us what Daryl would do if he thought Rudy was in any way responsi
ble for his boy’s disappearance. Rudy’s life would be in danger.

  I looked at Goldie who stood in stone silence. She would say no more but watched the sheriff get back into his car. He gave a long hard stare at Matt, walking my bike up to the porch, and motioned for Matt to come closer.

  Matt walked over and leaned down to the open window. His face turned grim while the sheriff talked. He said something I couldn’t hear and then took a step back.

  He looked over at me. “I’m sorry. I have to go.”

  Before I could take another breath, he abruptly turned on his heel and walked back to his truck. I didn’t even get a chance to thank him for the ride. He was gone, followed by the sheriff, with dust blazing, since it hadn’t rained in a month of Sundays.

  An ominous feeling had come over me when I saw the flash of pain that crossed Matt’s face. My thoughts went to his wife and her lover. In the distance, I heard the bells that haunted me. Something bad had happened.

  The dust settled, but I couldn’t dismiss my uneasiness. Moreover, it seemed we were to have a guest for dinner, Brother Clayton.

  “The good preacher has spent the greater part of the afternoon with us.” Goldie’s voice betrayed her irritation. “And now, Otis here has invited him to supper.”

  I realized her lack of manners meant she felt she had better things to do. One glance at Brother Clayton told that he hadn’t taken offense. He smiled at me in a way that eased my rising anxiety.

  “Good day to you, Miss Reeves,” he said. “I stopped by to see poor Mrs. Walker at the campsite. She is refusing to leave until Alfie is found. Being so close, I thought I would check in with you. How are you doing with all the chaos around you?”

  My heart warmed. No stranger had ever considered my feelings in this way. I had no time to answer, though. Dickie came bounding around the corner of the house. He must have been feeding the pigs.

  When he saw me, a wide fish-eating grin emerged. “Cady Blue’s got a caller,” he crowed. “Cady Blue’s got a—”

  “Go to your room, Dickie Claudill,” Goldie demanded. “Ain’t no way to act around a guest.”