“Do they know we’re coming?” she asked. “You call them to let them know?”
“They’re not clavers,” Jon said. “They don’t have a phone.”
“If they ain’t clavers, what are they?” Ruby asked. “Grubs like us, Mr. Jon?”
“I’m not a grub,” Jon said. “As you perfectly well know, Mrs. Ruby.”
“Pardon me,” she said. “Is this brother of yours a grub?”
“No,” Jon said. “He’s a courier. That’s like the cops and the teachers. Not clavers but not grubs either. Like me.”
“His wife a courier?” Ruby asked.
“She’s a domestic,” Jon said reluctantly.
Ruby burst out laughing. “She’s a grub,” she said. “Marry a grub, you’re a grub, too. Right, Mr. Jon?”
“They were married before they got here,” Jon said. “Besides, what’s the difference?”
“Plenty,” she said. “What happens when we get there?”
“I’ve been thinking about it,” Jon said. “Gabe’s staying with them. I guess with Lisa dead, they’re his parents now.”
Ruby stood still. “Wait a second,” she said. “All that time the cops were beating me, you knew where Gaby was?”
“They hit you a grand total of twice while I was there,” Jon said. “And once was at our wedding. It had nothing to do with Gabe.”
“They hit me plenty before you got there,” Ruby said. “I still got bruises. They kept asking me what I did to that little boy, and every time I told them I didn’t know nothing about it, they hit me again.”
“I’m sorry,” Jon said. “Come on, Ruby. Let’s keep walking.”
“No,” Ruby said. “Not till you admit it was your fault I kept getting hit.”
“What difference does it make?” Jon asked. “It happened. It’s over and done with.”
“My life ain’t over and done with,” Ruby said. “I got family back in White Birch. My parents don’t know what’s become of me, whether I’m alive or dead. All because you lied about where little Gaby was.”
“All because you ran away,” Jon said. “Everything happened because you ran away, Ruby.”
“Mrs. Evans didn’t shoot herself because I ran away,” Ruby cried. “Gaby didn’t end up with your brother because I ran away. I don’t know what’s going on, Mr. Jon, but I know it ain’t my fault.”
“All right,” Jon said. “Things happened because of Miranda, and I guess you were a victim. At least partly. And yes, I knew where Gabe was and I didn’t tell the police, and they hit you and you didn’t deserve it. And I didn’t do anything to protect you except marry you, which is pretty big, and I don’t remember hearing you thank me, but all right. We’ll let that pass. We’re going to my brother’s, and he and my sister-in-law have Gabe. That’s what I was thinking about. Gabe was crazy about you, Ruby. You could stay with Matt and Syl and take care of Gabe for them. You’d be safe there. You could make a whole new life for yourself.”
Ruby started walking again. Jon gave her a moment then caught up with her.
“You’ll really like them,” he said. “Matt . . . well, Matt’s great. And Syl’s been through a lot, but you’ll like her, too. Think how happy it would make Gabe if you were there.”
“You’re crazy, you know that?” Ruby said. “Grubs can’t have domestics.”
“Why not?” Jon said. “There’s no law against it.”
Ruby laughed humorlessly. “Don’t need to be no law,” she said. “This—whatshername, Silly.”
“Syl,” Jon said. “S-Y-L.”
“Syl,” Ruby said. “Syl the grub. She earns enough for her own food most likely and that brother of yours earns enough for his food, and maybe if they eat a little less, there’s enough for Gaby. I work for them, no food for me. There don’t need to be no law, Mr. Jon. Grubs got to eat, too. Thought you’d figured that out by now.”
“It was just an idea,” Jon said. “Anyway, that’s where I’m going. You don’t want to go, fine. Go your own way. Just don’t tell anyone where I am. A lot of people could get hurt if you do. Gabe could get hurt.”
“Sounds like you’re the only one in trouble,” Ruby said. “How could they hurt a little claver boy?”
“He’s not a little claver boy anymore,” Jon said. “Not with Lisa killing herself. If Gabe’s lucky, they’ll give him to decent people to raise. That’s if he’s lucky. You want that on your conscience?”
“I didn’t ask for none of this,” Ruby said. “Rich people’s problems.”
“You want to hear something funny?” Jon said. “I didn’t ask for it, either.”
“You really marry me just to save me?” Ruby asked.
“Not just to save you,” Jon said. “To save me, too. Look, I don’t know what’s going to become of you. I really thought your living with Matt and Syl and Gabe was the answer, but you’re right. You wouldn’t be earning any money, and food costs money.” He wished they’d stop talking about food. It reminded him how hungry he was, how much more walking they had in store before they could begin to think about getting any.
“They really nice people?” Ruby asked.
Jon nodded.
“Well, I guess that’s as good a place as any to go,” she said. “You know anything about their enclave? What kind of work they have for grubs?”
“No,” Jon said. “Just that Syl’s a domestic.”
“I love that word,” Ruby said. “Can’t call her a grub, can you? You never had a problem calling me that, but not that sister-in-law of yours. Not family.”
“Miranda was a grub,” Jon said. “You know that.”
“Was?” Ruby asked. “What’s she now?”
“I don’t know,” Jon said, which was pretty much the truth. “We’ll get all the answers when we get there and decide what’s best for you. I promise you that, Ruby. You promise you won’t ever tell anyone where I am, and I promise we’ll do right by you.”
“Nice of you to make that offer a hundred miles from home,” Ruby said. “You’re a real gentleman, Mr. Jon.”
Jon grabbed her by her shoulders. “Listen to me,” he said. “I’m not happy about any of this, either, all right? My mother was slaughtered. My stepmother killed herself. I lost both of them in a month. Everything I had was taken from me. I’ll never see the girl I love again. I’ll never see my home, my friends. I’m as tired and as dirty and as hungry as you are. I’m probably more scared than you are because I can only hope my family is all right, that Sarah is all right. You know where your parents are, where you sisters are. Hell, you have parents. That puts you two steps ahead of me right there.”
“Take your hands off me!” Ruby said. “You touch me again like that, and the whole world is gonna know where you are.”
Jon let go of her. “All right,” he said. “Fine. I’m going to my brother’s. You go wherever you want.” He began walking away.
“You can’t do that!” Ruby shouted. “You’re my husband. You come right back here, Jon Evans. You know what could happen to me walking on this highway all by myself? You want my dead body on your conscience, too?”
Jon stared at Ruby. But all he saw was Julie.
“No,” he said. “No, I don’t want that. Look, Ruby, my life is in danger. My family’s lives are, too. Sarah, her father, we’re all in jeopardy. But you’re right. You didn’t ask for it, and it’s not fair what’s happened to you. If you want, we’ll turn around and go back to White Birch. I’ll leave you, I don’t know, five miles from there. A safe distance. Then I’ll start back. If I do that for you, would you promise not to turn me in? Is it a deal? If that’s what you want, we’ll turn around right now.”
Ruby rolled her eyes. “My momma warned us about clavers,” she said. “All they do is take. They see a little grubber girl, they take what they want from her, no please, no thank you.”
“Your mother was right,” Jon said. “That’s just what I did.”
“But you ain’t no claver anymore,” Ruby said. “You ain’t
no decent, hard-working grub, neither. But you’re getting there, and I don’t see much point to hurting you. We’ll go to that brother of yours, that fancy domestic Sylly. I wasn’t counting on seeing little Gaby, but I guess I can handle that if I have to. What’s the name of that town they’re in?”
“Coolidge,” Jon said.
“Maybe I’ll find myself a nice man in Coolidge,” Ruby said. “Settle down. Raise my own family. Live a decent, hard-working life, like my folks. You can go off, do whatever you want. Find that girlfriend of yours before she settles down with some decent, hard-working claver. Assuming there is any, which, according to my momma, there ain’t.”
“Thank you,” Jon said. “You’re better to me than I deserve.”
Ruby snorted. “You just figure that out?” she said. “You clavers ain’t just mean. You’re dumb and mean. Come on. Let’s get to that precious brother of yours while you still got the strength to walk.”
Saturday, August 8
But it was Ruby who lost the strength, Ruby who collapsed, crying she couldn’t walk one step farther.
There had been no work for them Thursday or Friday, no food in almost three days.
“I’ll walk to the next town,” Jon said. “I think there’s one in a couple of miles. I’ll get you some food. But we need to get you off the side of the highway, back where the truckers can’t see you. I don’t think I can carry you, Ruby. Can you stand up? I’ll help you walk if you can.”
“I’m sorry I’m such a baby,” she said, trying to stand. “Mr. Jon, I am so sorry. My knees won’t lift me.”
“You’re not going to die out here,” Jon said, bending to help her. “Put your arms around me. Right, like that. On the count of three I’m going to help you up. Use whatever strength you have, Ruby. Okay? One. Two. Three.”
It took more strength than Jon knew he had in him, but he managed, with Ruby’s help, to get her upright.
“Keep holding on,” he said. “We don’t have to walk far. Let’s get you behind those trees. That should give you enough cover.”
Even the twenty feet was a struggle, but Jon managed to drag Ruby over and position her where no one could see her.
“I don’t know how long this is going to take,” Jon said. “But I’ll come back with food. I promise you, Ruby. Sit tight and don’t give up hope. All right?”
“All right, Mr. Jon,” Ruby said.
Jon bent over and kissed her on the forehead. “See you soon, Mrs. Ruby,” he said, and went back to the highway to look for the nearest town.
He walked for almost an hour before seeing the exit sign. There was no guarantee there’d be a town there, and even less that someone would give him food, but he had no choice. He walked along the exit ramp, then kept going. A mile or so later he saw an old farmhouse with the glow of kerosene lamps in the windows.
He walked over and knocked on the door. “Please help me,” he cried. “My wife is starving. Please give me some food for her.”
The door opened. A man, wiry with muscles, pointed his rifle at Jon. “It won’t hurt me none to kill you, boy,” he said. “You might want to do your begging someplace else.”
“Stop that, Virgil,” a woman said. She walked to the door and stared at Jon. “Your wife, you say?”
Jon nodded. “I left her a few miles down the road,” he said. “We haven’t gotten work for a few days now. We haven’t eaten since Wednesday.”
“Still say it’d be easier to shoot him, Katie,” Virgil said. “Feed him to the hogs.”
“Hush up,” Katie said. “Don’t mind him, boy. He’s got no company manners. Didn’t before, and nothing the past few years improved him any. I must say, you look way too young to be married.”
“What day is it?” Jon asked. “What date?”
“August eighth, I think,” Katie replied. “We got a perpetual calendar, and I think that’s what it said.”
“I’m seventeen,” Jon said. “I’ll be eighteen in ten days. My wife’s younger. Please, I’m begging you. Just a little food for her.”
“Come on, Virgil,” the woman said. “We can spare some of that potato bread I baked yesterday. Remember, you said it wasn’t fit for the hogs? We can let the boy have that.”
“I’m not giving no stranger my food,” Virgil declared. “Tell me your name, boy, and where you’re from, and why I shouldn’t shoot you on the spot and feed you to the hogs.”
“You shouldn’t shoot me because it would make your wife mad,” Jon said. “And you’d have to butcher me before you feed me to the hogs, and there’s not a lot of meat on me.”
“He’s got a point, Virgil,” Katie said. “It’d put me in a terrible bad mood if you kill this nice young man.”
Virgil lowered his rifle and pulled Jon to him, yanking his hair until Jon thought his neck might break. “I’m still waiting to hear your name, boy, and where you’re from.”
“Jon Evans,” Jon gasped. “Sexton.”
Virgil pushed him away. “Sexton,” he said. “Ain’t that one of them enclaves?”
Jon nodded.
“Clavers,” Virgil said to his wife. “That’s what they call them. Fancy boys with cars and money.”
“No cars,” Jon said. “No money, not anymore. Just a wife who’s starving to death three miles down the road.”
“Even clavers got to eat,” his wife said. “And their little wives. You treat this boy nice, Virgil, while I go to the kitchen and get him some food. You hear me? You hurt a hair on his head, and I’ll be madder than two hornets’ nests.”
“All right,” Virgil said. “Give them that bread. It’d poison the hogs anyway.”
“That bread and more,” his wife said. “How far are you going, boy?”
“Thirty miles maybe,” Jon said. “I’ve got family there.”
“That’ll be till Monday,” she said. “Well, I can’t give you enough for then. But you go back to the highway, and there’s an exit about ten miles east. Braxton. They got a real nice church there. You get there tomorrow, they’ll find a way to feed you and that little wife of yours.”
“Thank you,” Jon said. “I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”
“Well, Virgil here don’t like to admit it, but we was young once, and poor as church mice,” she said. “We had our share of helping hands. Now, you stand still, both of you, and I’ll be right back.”
“She’s a good woman,” Jon said. “You’re a lucky man.”
“She has her good days,” Virgil said. “But she can’t bake potato bread worth a lick.”
Jon smiled. “We won’t care,” he said. “Right now we’d be honored to eat as good as your hogs.”
When Katie returned, she’d packed all the bread, two potatoes, and a bunch of carrots. “Take it all,” she said. “And Godspeed to you.”
“Thank you,” Jon said. “Ruby, my wife, she thanks you, too.”
“Just get out,” Virgil said. “And don’t show your face here again.”
“Never,” Jon said. “I promise.”
It was hard walking back to Ruby without eating any of the food, but he wanted to show her how much they had, to let her have the first bites before he allowed himself any.
He thought about how brave she was, how much her strength had helped him. It was funny. He was with her day and night, but he’d lost any interest he had in her as a woman, if he’d ever had any. Someday, maybe, he’d be over Sarah, but by then Ruby would have found that hard-working man she’d make a life with.
“Ruby!” he called as he saw her resting against a tree trunk. “I got us some food!”
“Real food?” she cried. “Really, Mr. Jon?”
“Well, the hogs won’t eat it,” Jon said. “But it’s good enough for us.”
Chapter 16
Monday, August 10
“Do you know their address?” Ruby asked. “Or are we gonna wander around Coolidge the rest of our lives looking for that brother of yours?”
“Forty-four fifty-two Route Thirty-s
even East,” Jon said.
“I don’t suppose you know where that is,” Ruby said.
“No, I don’t,” Jon said. “But the streets are full of people. Let’s ask one and see if we can find out.”
“Full of grubs,” Ruby said. “You know that’s what you want to call them. ‘People.’ You don’t think of them as people. They’re just dirty grubs like me.”
The closer they’d gotten to Coolidge, the crabbier Ruby had become. Jon figured she was nervous about meeting his family. Nervous and hungry and exhausted.
“People or grubs,” Jon said. “Let’s ask one.”
Coolidge looked like a rural version of White Birch. The people who lived there had the same worn-out look to them. But it was close to 7 p.m., and they were getting home from their jobs.
At that, the grubs looked better than he and Ruby did. They’d found a stream a few miles back and had washed themselves, but they’d been wearing the same clothes now for ten days and had only rinsed them out a couple of times during their journey.
“You ask,” Ruby grumbled. “Use that claver charm of yours.”
Jon found a man who looked a little less dead than the others. “Excuse me,” he said. “I’m looking for Route Thirty-seven East.”
The man spat in the vicinity of Jon’s feet. “What for?” he asked.
“I’ve got family there,” Jon said. “Can you tell me where it is?”
“Yeah,” the man said. “But I don’t reckon I want to.” He walked away.
“Okay,” Jon said to Ruby. “You go next.”
Ruby scowled, but she walked over to a woman. “Thirty-seven East?” she said.
“Walk to the corner and make a left,” the woman replied. “Go about a mile. You’ll see the sign for it there.”
“Well, thank you, ma’am, very much,” Ruby said.
“Any time,” the woman said, cracking what seemed to be a smile in Ruby’s direction.
“How did you do that?” Jon asked as they began walking down the street.
“Like knows like,” Ruby replied. “You still smell of claver.”
Jon was pretty sure claver wasn’t what the grubs were smelling, but he kept his thoughts to himself.
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