by N. C. Reed
“Pretty good,” Billy nodded. “And they’re good at spottin’ trouble.”
“Sounds good.”
Not much was said for the next few minutes. It wasn’t long before they were on the hill top, looking over the valley behind them.
“Well, that’s encouraging.” Jeremiah came to a stop beside Billy. The latter nodded.
“Yeah. I can’t believe I didn’t think to come up here before now. We could have cut this field. Baled the hay.”
“Don’t worry over it,” Jeremiah shook his head. “This field will cover feed for a good while, and we’ll find somewhere else to get hay.”
“Yeah,” Billy sighed. “Well, let’s take a closer look, I guess. If we’re gonna think about driving cows today, we need all the light we can get.”
*****
Drive cows indeed.
The Franklin place was in good stead. The house was empty, Billy was relieved to see. He had half expected the find the old couple dead inside. He really didn’t want to go through any of that, anymore.
The barn was in fine condition, as was the larger pole barn used for storing hay out of the weather. Jeremiah and Billy looked the place over, and deemed it sufficient for their needs.
The five of them were in the saddle again right after, heading down the roads and trails, looking over stock. To their delight, the animals had not suffered much in the two months of neglect. Only two barns had had animals stalled. They had died, of course, after their water had run out. No one bothered to go inside, since the smell was enough to tell the story. Jeremiah noted that they could burn the barns if needed, come winter.
They managed to find several hogs, as well. They weren’t fairing as well as the horses and cattle. The latter two were grazing on still green grass, while the hogs were milling around for what was left in the pens. Although many had perished, enough remained to start a decent swine herd. They fed and watered all the hogs still alive, leaving them until they could come for them in a stock trailer. Having a ‘swine drive’ just didn’t sound like anyone’s idea of a good time,
Horses and cattle were another story. They began gathering them on the way back. Rommel and Dottie helped keep the cattle in line, running alongside of the small but growing herd. Neither were stock dogs, and didn’t have a clue how to herd or manage cattle, but the cattle didn’t know that. All they knew was that two very large and ferocious animals were along their flank, and so the cattle tended to stay huddled together for safety.
“We might make good cow dogs out of them yet,” Rhonda beamed at Billy.
“I’d soon not,” Billy laughed. He related the story of how he’d first introduced Rommel to his own small herd. Rhonda’s laughter was heard over the bellowing of the cows.
Sooner than Billy would have thought possible, the cattle were safely settled on the Franklin acreage. Billy had done a count, and there were one hundred and seventy-two cows, nine bulls, and thirty-two horses, three of which were stallions.
“Nice haul,” he showed the numbers to Jeremiah. The older man nodded.
“Reckon we can rest up a day or so, then take the truck and trailer to get the hogs. Need to scavenge what feed and tack we can as well. I don’t know how to make a saddle. You?” Billy shook his head.
“No sir. Bit much for me, I reckon.” Jeremiah frowned at his young neighbor.
“Billy, you really don’t give yourself enough credit. I reckon you can do ‘bout anything you set your mind to, myself.” Billy didn’t frown, but it reminded him an awful lot of what his parents used to say to him.
Maybe he wasn’t giving himself enough credit, but Billy had always liked to believe he knew what his limitations were. He knew he wasn’t overly smart, at least in books. But maybe Rhonda had a point. Maybe the things he did know, the things he could do, were well suited to a life like this.
I wish I could talk to daddy for just a few minutes, he thought to himself. Daddy would know what to tell me. He’d know how to tell me, too. It was one of the rare moments that Billy allowed himself any self pity. He’d been raised to view such things as worse than useless. Wasteful at best. He sighed.
“Reckon all I can do is what I can do,” he said to Silvers by way of an answer. He looked up at the sky. Where had the day gone?
“Be gettin’ dark soon,” he noted. “Guess we oughta pack it in for today.”
“Yeah, we need to be headed home,” Jeremiah nodded. “Have to get these horses rubbed and put away. Like as not I’ll have to do all three.”
The Silvers’ kids hadn’t been useless today, for the most part, and true to their word they hadn’t complained. They did look haggard, however. Neither was accustomed to doing serious labor for any length of time, and it was showing. Billy had to admit, however, that Toby had seemed to come into his own on horseback, working the cattle. Despite how tired he was, he still looked eager and excited.
“You know, Toby,” Billy called out, “you make a pretty fair cowhand.” The boy lit up at that, smiling.
“Really?”
“Yep,” Billy nodded. “Just don’t forget, caring for your horse is just as important as riding it. Horses need good care so they don’t let you down when you need them the most.”
“Okay,” Toby nodded eagerly. Jeremiah looked at Billy questioningly, but grinned just a little when Billy winked at him.
“Well, we better be gettin’ home,” Jeremiah said again. “Billy, talk to you tomorrow, I reckon.”
“We’ll be here,” Billy agreed, as he and Rhonda turned toward home.
*****
Billy and Rhonda worked their horses down, finishing with a good rubdown. Samson and Mabel had worked hard today, and Billy rewarded them with an apple apiece, and a few cubes of sugar.
“That was really slick, what you did with Toby,” Rhonda said casually.
“What?” Billy asked, not having been paying attention.
“The way you talked to Toby, about caring for his horse,” Rhonda said. “That was pretty good thinking.” Billy shrugged.
“He did a pretty good days work, considering. He might not be a total loss. I guess if you can find something to interest him, he’ll give a better effort.”
“Maybe,” Rhonda mused. “But the way you tied him caring for the horse to his working the cattle got him thinking, I think.”
“Mister Silvers needs some help,” Billy shrugged. “Toby oughta be helpin’ his dad. He ain’t. Maybe gettin’ a hint from someone else will nudge him a little.”
“Misses Silvers said something about that,” Rhonda nodded as the two headed for the house. “She laid into Shelly pretty good about how she don’t know how to do nothing’, and Toby don’t seem to care one way or ‘nother. Shelly didn’t take it too well. She seems to think that the ‘government’ is gonna fix everything back the way it was.” Billy snorted.
“I know, but that’s what she thinks,” Rhonda continued. “Emma says she might be in denial cause she ain’t been out and seen how bad things is.”
“Today should have cured her o’ that,” Billy commented. They’d seen several homes that obviously had dead people inside. They hadn’t bothered to enter them.
“I think it woke her up some,” Rhonda agreed. “She wasn’t so talky, that’s for sure.”
“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” Billy told her.
Rhonda was still laughing when Billy walked inside.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“Where have you been?” Rhonda asked as Billy walked into the house, Rommel and Dottie close on his heels. It was two days since the cattle drive.
“Been workin’,” Billy told her. “With all the other stuff last two weeks, ain’t got a lot done. Been catchin’ up.”
“You should have said something!” Rhonda scolded lightly. “I could o’ helped.”
“Don’t need it,” Billy shrugged. “Stuff I’d have to do was you here or not. Ain’t nothin’,” he shrugged again.
“Are you finished?” she asked.
“More or less
,” Billy nodded. “What you been doing?” he asked, nodding to all the papers on the table.
“Oh,” Rhonda started gathering the papers up. “I’ve been going over all the lists we made when we sorted through the stuff from town. Trying to get a better idea what all we have, and what we can spare, and what we can trade, and so on.”
“Okay,” Billy nodded. He opened the refrigerator and took out a cup of tuna salad to make him a sandwich.
“I can make you something to eat,” Rhonda told him. He just looked at her.
“I don’t mind,” she added. Billy’s brow furrowed a bit.
“Is something wrong?” he asked. Rhonda had never been very hesitant in the days since he’d found her hiding in her dad’s store. Why was she so hesitant now?
“No! Nothing!” Rhonda said quickly.
“Rhonda, what’s going on,” Billy asked, setting the tuna on the counter. “You’re acting a little squirrely. You sure ain’t nothing wrong?”
“I. . .I just don’t know what to. . .I mean, we ain’t never really talked about how. . .dang it Billy! You ain’t makin’ this easy for me at all!”
“Huh?” Billy was really confused now.
“I’m trying to talk to you about us!” Rhonda almost yelled.
“What about us?” Billy asked. “Are we. . .did we do something wrong? Can we fix it? As far as I know I ain’t done nothin’ different the last few days, but if I. . . .”
“That’s not what I mean!” Rhonda was almost in tears now, and that just made Billy feel more disoriented, and confused.
“Rhonda, how ‘bout we just settle on down, and you tell me what it is, okay?” Billy asked cautiously. He tried to guide her to a chair, but she wrenched her arm away.
“Billy Todd, dammit, I’m trying’ to tell you I like you!” she almost wailed.
“Uh, okay?” Billy tried. “I like you, too, Rhonda.”
“You do?” the change was instant. Rhonda looked at him with wide eyes, her expression gone from anger to hopeful.
“Well, of course I do!” Billy exclaimed. “Why would I. . .I mean I wouldn’t ask someone to come out here and live here if I didn’t like you. I like you.” Rhonda’s face fell.
“You mean like a friend,” she said sadly, sitting down heavily.
“What?” Billy was lost again, poor thing.
Rommel had come into the room when he heard the commotion, sat down, and was watching the two of them. Dottie sat down at the hallway entrance, looking between the two of them.
“You like me like you like Mister Silvers,” Rhonda explained. “Like a friend.”
“Well, I wouldn’t compare you to Mister Silvers,” Billy told her. “And I don’t know what he’s got to do with this nohow. I’m just not. . .Rhonda, I ain’t all that smart. I know you and Mister Silvers been trying’ to tell me I am but I’m really not, at least not on some things. I do know some stuff, but I ain’t real good at others. If you got something to tell me, please just tell me right out.”
“Are you wanting’ to leave? Is that it? Cause if it is, I’ll take you anywhere you want to go. Heck, you can have the other truck, for that matter, but I’ll help you haul all this stuff to wherever you. . . .”
“I don’t want to leave you dope!” Rhonda shouted before she thought. She knew as soon as she said it, it was the wrong thing. But it was too late.
“Dope, huh?” Billy’s voice wasn’t angry, but sad. “I ain’t heard that one in a while, anyway,” he shrugged.
“Billy that wasn’t what I meant!” Rhonda rushed out of her chair, wanting so desperately to hug him. “It’s just that. . .you are so clueless!”
“Yeah, that’s me,” Billy nodded, easing away from her.
“Dammit Billy Todd!” she almost screamed. “I’m trying to tell you that I love you! And you’re a dope because you can’t see it!”
Billy froze.
He had never heard anyone but his parents tell him that. He didn’t know what to do. Or what to say. He was having trouble processing.
“Well, say something!” Rhonda demanded. “Don’t just stand there!”
But he did just stand there. That was all he could think of to do. He looked at Rhonda, and she could tell he was struggling to decide what to do.
“Billy, it’s okay,” she said, her voice softer. “If you don’t lo. . .like me back, it’s okay.”
“I. . .but I. . .I mean I d. . .I do,” he said haltingly. “I just. . .I mean I never imagined anyone telling me that,” he admitted. “Especially not someone so pretty as you,” he added, his voice completely subdued and sincere. Rhonda blushed prettily at that.
“You do, what?” she asked him. “Like me? Or love me?”
“Lo. . .Li. . .er, both?” he stammered. Rhonda screeched in delight, and threw her arm around him. Before Billy knew it, they were kissing, square on the mouth. Billy didn’t know what to do, so he just. . .did something, anyway.
When Rhonda came up for air, her face was as read as his.
“I wanted to do that for nearly two weeks,” she breathed. “It was worth the wait.”
“It was?”
“Definitely.” She kissed him again, slower this time, with more care. Billy responded nicely, she decided. Without a thought she began to steer him toward the stairs.
Billy didn’t really notice that, still caught up in this sudden change of things. He didn’t mind it, he decided. It was just so sudden that he was caught off guard. It wasn’t until he fell backwards on his own bed, with Rhonda atop him, that he realized where they were. And what she intended.
“Rhonda, wait,” he managed to get out between kisses. She stopped, and looked down at him.
“I. . .I ain’t. . .I mean, that is, I never. . . .” She stopped him by pressing her fingers over his lips.
“Shhhh,” she told him softly. “Me neither. We’ll figure it out.”
*****
Jeremiah Silvers rode over the next afternoon. Billy was outside, working in his father’s small shop building. He heard Rommel’s bark, and went out to say hello.
“Afternoon Billy,” Silvers nodded, stepping off his horse. “Sorry about not getting back to you sooner. Been a little busy.”
“Everything okay?” Billy asked.
“Better than okay,” the older man smiled, and it was a genuine smile. “I want to thank you, Billy. When we got home the other night, after the cattle drive, Toby had me show him how to care for the horses, and did all three of them, with a little help from me. Last three days, he’s kept me jumping, showing him everything he can think of on the farm.”
“Well, that’s good,” Billy nodded. “I hoped it might.”
“Even Shelly is doing better,” Jeremiah told him. “Not like Toby, mind, but still, she’s gotten her mother showing her how to cook more, and been helping around the house more. It ain’t perfect, but it’s a start, and a damn sight better than it has been.”
“I’m glad to hear it, Mister Silvers,” Billy nodded.
“Expect it’s about time you called me Jerry,” Silvers told him. “You’re a man grown, Billy. Time you was treated like one.” Billy looked at him for a moment, then nodded.
“I’ll try, Mist. . .Jerry.”
“Good deal, then,” Jerry smiled again. “You ‘bout ready to round up some hogs?”
“Hey Mister Silvers!” Rhonda said, coming outside just then. She walked up to Billy, and kissed him on the cheek. Billy blushed a bit, but Jerry smiled.
“Wondered when that might happen,” he chuckled. “Plain as day you two belong together.”
“He just needed convincin’,” Rhonda winked, grinning from ear to ear. “What you two talkin’ about?”
“Gettin’ the hogs gathered,” Billy managed not to stammer. He wasn’t used to being the center of attention. Anywhere.
“Where we gonna put’em?” Rhonda asked, frowning. “We ain’t really got a suitable pen around here.”
“I was thinking’ on that,” Jerry nodded. “Reckon we can
get into town? Maybe see can we grab some wire and posts at the Co-Op?” Billy looked hesitant at the thought of going into Cedar Bend again, but Rhonda nodded.
“We can. We can take the red truck,” she pointed to the Ford. “Might need to get a trailer, though,” she added.
“Can we use one of them?” Jerry asked, pointing to the three trailers in the yard.
“We can take that one,” Billy pointed to the one empty trailer. “Others got stuff stored inside.”
“Well, then we got a plan, then,” Jerry declared. “I thought we could put the pen up in the woods, say about halfway between your place and mine?” he asked/suggested.
“Sounds good,” Billy nodded. “There’s a little clearing along the path we been using. Should be a good place. We’ll need to look about building a shelter for’em, too, I reckon.”
“Thought we’d see if we couldn’t scavenge some tin whilst we was in town,” Jerry replied. “Use that and a few posts I got, and build a good little lean to barn for’em. Time might come when we can trade some o’ the hogs for other things we want or need, you know.”
“And eat’em if we can’t,” Billy grinned. “Well, I guess we better get going. Wasting daylight.”
“I’ll go and get Toby, and be back in a few,” Jerry nodded. “Need to tell Emma where I’m going, anyway.”
“We’ll hook up and be ready,” Rhonda smiled. As Jerry rode away, she turned to look at Billy.
“I know you didn’t want to go back,” she said softly.
“Ain’t got a choice, I think,” he shrugged. “He’s right. We should have done this a month ago. Maybe ‘fore that. We already lost a lot o' stock, waitin’ so long. Sooner we get it done, sooner we’ll be done, my dad used to say.”
“I like that,” Rhonda giggled.
By the time Jerry returned, the trailer was hooked up, and the truck already pointed out. Rhonda was surprised to see Michelle along with Toby and Jerry.
“I haven’t been to town since. . .well, since,” she explained. “I want to see.”
“Ain’t pretty,” Billy warned gently. “And the town’s over run with rats, so be watchful.”