Common Sons

by Ronald Donaghe

  “But Pete kept his and gave it to me. And it was lucky because not more than a minute later, Father came into my room and jerked me off the bed. He sent Pete home.” Tom frowned and sighed.

  When they were north of the cowshed, Joel pointed to the rapidly fading path. “Just watch your step along here. Don’t let the mesquite bushes scratch your face.” He moved ahead, picking his way, holding up the branches of the mesquites while Tom followed. “So what happened?” he asked, over his shoulder.

  “Wasn’t much different than I expected.” Tom’s voice had lost its playfulness. As they walked along, Joel turned occasionally to listen. “But his tactic was more subtle once he got over his temper tantrum.”

  “What d’ya mean?”

  “He repeated the same accusations again. He said other people saw us kissing at the dance. I think he was just guessing that it really happened, because he knew about the picture.”

  “But it’s true.”

  “Yeah. Anyway, once he calmed down he was real quiet about everything. I could see that deep down it hurt him to go through with it. But he did, Joel, down to the last detail. He wanted to know what was true and what wasn’t. So I told him everything from the beginning. I told him about all the years I’ve been fighting against it. I think he really felt sorry for hitting me, or maybe he felt sorry for me and that made the whole thing a lot harder. But it felt good to get it off my chest, to be honest with him. If he’d been his old stern self, I probably wouldn’t have felt so sorry for him. But at that moment he was just a man, not a preacher. I saw that old veneer of his crack for the first time in my life. And I felt closer to him than I ever have.” His voice caught on a sob. Joel tried to hug him, but Tom pushed him away.

  “I need to finish this. Just keep walking.”

  Joel turned back around and continued clearing a path for them.

  “Anyway, Father listened—for once—without interrupting. I guess he was sort of shocked or something. So, I told him everything about me, right down to the day the picture was taken. He said that despite everything, I had some character, after all.”

  “That was a mean damn thing for him to say!”

  “Not for him, Joel.”

  “Why? He made it sound like he thought you’re a wimp or something.”

  “Around him, man, I was. All these years. Believe me, that was one of the nicest things he’s ever said to me.”

  The pond was ahead and to the left, and the ground began to rise on a low hill. The undergrowth became sparser as they began walking up hill toward the west. Joel was carrying the suitcase on his shoulder and he shifted it. Tom followed, carrying the box. Joel stopped and Tom ran into him. Joel laughed. “Sorry, Tom. But turn around and look!” Tom turned around, facing east.

  “This is kind of a nice view of our land.” Above the undergrowth, the land lay before them, shimmering in the golden yellow of the afternoon. It was laid out in squares, divided by dirt roads and the concrete ditches. The squares were various shades of green and, this early in the summer, the row beds gave the green patches a textured look. Beyond the crops, the Mulligan pecan orchard divided their line of sight from the sudden purple of the Florida Mountains and the pale blue of the sky above them. “You like it?”

  Tom nodded, speechless for a moment. “This would be a beautiful spot for a house!”

  “Yeah? Then wait till you see when we reach to top. C’mon.” He led the way again.

  They walked on in silence a few yards, then Tom said, “Father told me that Elder Romaine had a copy of the photograph. He said he didn’t need to see it. Then, after that, we got down to fighting it out.”

  “You mean hitting?”

  Tom laughed. “Quoting scripture. I guess that’s the way we fight best. He was on autopilot. Reverend Suskine, though, gave me a kind of new light on things, and I think I flabbergasted Father with it. You know, Father is a proud man. A couple of things gave me an edge and, as much as it hurt to see him sort of break down, it was the first time in my life I think I won one of those arguments. First, he was thrown off by hitting me. Maybe his concentration was down. And second, for every interpretation he put on something, I came back with one that sounded at least as reasonable. You wouldn’t be interested, and I won’t bore you with it. We quoted a lot of scripture. He gave up a lot faster than I thought he would, and he finally said he was sending me away. He wanted me to go to Georgia to some retreat for the rest of the summer, and guess what?”

  “What?” Joel said quietly.

  “Paul is being sent there! Don’t you think that’s ironic? It’s sort of a retreat for confused young Christians. Anyway, I told him I wasn’t sick, I didn’t need help. And then, well, he exploded again, which was a relief. A week ago, I was so afraid of his anger I didn’t think I could live through it. But I did! I told him I didn’t think love between us was a sin. He didn’t argue. He couldn’t win this time, and he said if I felt like that, he wasn’t going to stand in my way. So he said he’s disowning me. I told you there’s no in-between with him.”

  Joel stopped again. “I’m sorry, Tom. I just can’t imagine how you felt. But didn’t your mother have something to say about that? Surely.”

  Tom shrugged. “I don’t know. I couldn’t even talk to her. He’s never allowed her any control over me. About that he’s a tyrant through and through. But I left her a note, said I’d call her later. I think she’ll be okay.” He laughed. “After all, she’s lived with him all these years—she’s used to being hurt. Have you talked to your parents?”

  “Not yet, with all that happened. But we can do it today. I don’t know about them knowing where you are, though.”

  “Oh, that’ll be okay. Father won’t care if I sleep with every boy in town now.”

  Joel heard the bitterness in his voice, and it angered him. “Well, I do! And Dad cares. You’ll see.”

  Tom moved closer to Joel as they walked, and threw his free arm over his shoulder. “What kind of hole are you planning on hiding me in?” Joel felt a strange exhilaration rush through him.

  “Remember I told you we used to have Braceros working for us? We never tore down their house. It isn’t much, but we can fix it up. There’s no indoor plumbing, but we can get water from the pump.”

  The house was almost hidden by the high weeds against its walls. But like everything the Reeces built, the house itself was sturdy, plastered, and tight against the weather. The door was jammed, and drifting sand had filled the doorway. Joel scraped it away with the side of his boot. He put his shoulder against the door and pushed. It groaned and gave inward. The interior was dark.

  “There’s shutters on the outside to protect the glass. I’ll go open one to let a little light in.”

  The burst of light revealed an empty space, except for a wood-burning stove beneath the open window and a bunk-bed in a corner. The mattresses were covered with heavy plastic, but the mice had nibbled one corner, and a pile of yellow filling had spilled onto the linoleum. Cobwebs were thick, and the odor was musty. An open doorway led to another room.

  “What’s in there?” Tom asked, indicating the other room.

  “The other bedroom. It’s not much, huh?”

  Tom stood in the middle of the room looking around. “It’s our home, Joel. I love it!”

  “Oh, I forgot. C’mon.”

  They went into the next room. “We stored some junk in here.” Joel pulled the lid off a large wooden crate. He rummaged around and pulled out a kerosene lamp. “And.” He placed some other objects on the floor and pulled out a gasoline can. “Some kerosene!”

  Tom took the lamp and blew a cloud of dust off. He took it into the front room and set it on the stove. Joel followed, carrying the can. He took off the globe and opened the bottom. He poured some kerosene in and set the wick down into it. “By tonight, the kerosene will’ve soaked up to the top and we can light it.”

  Tom looked around and sighed. “We’ll fix this place up, won’t we, Joel? I hate to take you out of your
house.”

  Joel hugged him. “I’m happy as long as we’re together. You’re the one giving up a lot. But I’ll make it worth it, okay? Let’s go tell Mom and Dad. You hungry?”

  Tom pulled away. “You go, and bring back a broom and something to clean this place with. Talk to your parents.”

  “I’ll be back as soon as I can, then.” He grinned. “If you have to go to the bathroom, use a bush and not that old outhouse back of here. Snakes’ve probably infested it. I’ll bring some food.”

  Joel picked his way back down the path to the cowshed, then drove the pickup back to the house. He got out and looked around, expecting to see his father outside somewhere. He ran his fingers through his hair to get rid of the cobwebs and dust, and he went in. But his parents were still gone. It was almost supper time, and he wondered if something had gone wrong at the hospital. How long did it take to check a person for shock? He decided to get their bedding together and was pulling out blankets and sheets when he heard the car drive up outside. He quickly piled the blankets and sheets together and put them in his bedroom. When he came into the kitchen, his mother was there.

  “Hi, Joel.” She set a box down on the counter, dusted her hands, smoothed down her dress. She was sweating.

  “Where’ve y’all been?”

  She looked tired. “In town and at the Strouds, getting a few things of the kids.”

  The memory of it made Joel shudder. “Was it, you know, clean?”

  She nodded. “The police took care of all that. I guess they took a bunch of the Strouds’ things, too, to see if they could find relatives or something, because I couldn’t find much at all to take for the children. It was so sad, Joel. That place. Those poor people.”

  “But you didn’t take the kids back there, did you?” Joel was appalled at the idea.

  “Of course not! While I was at the Strouds’, Douglas took them to the hospital. The doctor said they were all fine but to expect them to become depressed over the next few days, at least until after the funeral. Then Douglas and I took the children shopping.” She laughed. “I think he’s happy with all the children around. We’ve always wanted a big family. Thank goodness we can afford it.” She shuddered. “It was eerie being at that old shack. I don’t see how people could live there. Thank goodness Deputy Gray stayed with me.”

  Joel said, “I don’t think I’ll ever forget that mess.”

  The door opened and his father herded the children in ahead of him. He was carrying a big load of bags from the department store and each of the children had packages. Patrick and Detrick were carrying as many as his father was. Patrick was the most lively and followed the rest of them in acting as Douglas Reece’s second in command. Joel felt sorry for them. The twins looked confused and lost, and he understood how it felt to be a stranger. They looked uneasy and wide-eyed at the same time. But if there were miracles, his parents would work them.

  His father grinned. He told Patrick to take the children into the living room and go through the packages. He laid his down on the table. “Looks like we’ll be keeping the kids until some relatives can be found.” He put his arms around Eva’s shoulders. She held his hands and nodded. Then Douglas looked around. “Where’s Tom? You’ve got him hidden somewhere, don’t you?”

  Joel shrugged. “Yeah. His parents kicked him out. I had to.”

  “You better go get him,” Eva said. She pulled away from Douglas. “He must be hungry. Where’re you keeping him?”

  “I took him to the Bracero house. We’re going to live there.”

  “But you can’t!” she said. “Douglas, do something. Joel, that place is a rat trap!”

  “Eva, please. We’ll work it out. We’re not going to have room to change our minds in this house.”

  “We’ll make room! Joel, you’re not going to be sleeping out there! Douglas, tell him!” Joel was surprised at her excitement. He watched her, dismayed. She took the other packages from the table. “I’ll be in the living room. I don’t want any nonsense! We’re going to have a big dinner tonight.” She looked helplessly at the brood waiting patiently. She shrugged and left the room, shaking her head.

  Joel looked at his father. “Can we have the Bracero house?”

  Douglas rubbed his chin. It was an unnatural gesture for him. “It’ll take fixin’ up. You haven’t even got running water, you know. No bathroom. No electricity. Wouldn’t you rather let Tom sleep on the couch? We could get bunkbeds for the boys, keep all the kids in the guest room.”

  “Dad,” Joel said, “you know why we can’t do that.”

  Douglas waved Joel off irritably. “You’re upsetting your mother, you know. And after all that’s happened, I’d think you’d drop it for awhile.”

  Joel shook his head. “We can’t. You know I don’t mean to hurt you or Mom. We’ll be out of your way, and we’ll both work. Okay?”

  “You’d leave if I said ‘no.’ I can see that. Or join the army. You’re stupid enough to do that. But you’re crowding me, Joel, and I don’t like it. So you can do as you please but not with me paying your bills.” He paused and saw that he had Joel’s attention. “We made a business deal once, didn’t we?

  Joel nodded. “Yes. If you want to go back on that, it’s okay. I understand. But we could work for you, couldn’t we?”

  His father looked at him gravely. “I’ll make you an amended deal. I think it’ll let me off the hook with your mother.” He chuckled, but his eyes were humorless. “I will treat you two like hired hands. Everything I give you, you pay for. Including food from your mothers’ garden. You work for $1.50 an hour, since you’re experienced. Tom works for $1.00, just like anyone else. Your ren-t’ll be $75.00 a month, and for that tidy little sum for that old house, I’ll put in plumbing and electricity. During school, I’ll spot you food, as a gesture of goodwill, since you won’t be worth a shit as a hired hand. You can borrow the pickup from now on. It’s not yours anymore unless you take over my payments and pay me my equity. Then, when you finish high school, you’ll become a partner, just like we agreed. I don’t go back on deals, Son; we’ll still split the profits.” He paused and looked toward the living room. “Tell you what, though.” he said, lowering his voice. “We’re hoping to adopt those kids.”

  “That’s great! Dad, that’s great! So you want to take a larger share of the profits? That’s fine with me.”

  His father held a finger to his lips. “I said we’re hoping to. Anyway, let’s give this thing with you and Tom till next summer in that old house. He stopped suddenly and walked away from Joel, deliberately putting a distance between them and making Joel feel awkward. Then he turned around. He just happened to be standing by the marred china cabinet. The broken dishes were gone and he ran one hand along its gleaming surface. There were ugly pock marks in the hard wood. The frosted panes of glass flowers in the doors were jagged and broken, as though they had frozen in the dead of winter and shattered.

  His father was working something out in his mind, evidenced only by the small working of his lips. There was humor in parts of his face, around the eyes, especially, as he studied Joel, who had sat down in one of the dining room chairs. This was a moment Joel would never forget, he realized. He had wondered once how his parents would react if they knew. This was it. His mother didn’t like it a bit, but she couldn’t stop the flow of her love any more than she could keep herself from spreading her wings and inviting the Stroud children to come under them. His father wasn’t upset by the facts as Joel had laid them out. But his limits had been reached now, Joel saw. He didn’t want Joel to live with Tom. Tom could, like one of the Stroud children, live with the Reeces, as long as it was to seek shelter, but it stopped there. In a way, Joel saw that he was also being kicked out. But for him, it was just a logical step into manhood. It would let him off the hook with his mother. It would put the right distance between him and his parents so people couldn’t say they condoned it. And Joel realized that was wise. And now he waited for his father to say it.

 
“You have a lot to prove, Son.”

  Joel looked frankly into his father’s face. It was easy to smile. “Just tell me what you want. Give me a chance though to prove that what’s between me and Tom is something you can respect.”

  “That’s fair. That’s what I respect in you, Joel. I’ve tried to raise you to be just like you are. If you can make it on your own, and fight the problems you’re going to have if you and Tom stay here, and finish high school, and if, after all that, you still feel the same way about yourself, I’ll support you. I wouldn’t be much of a man if I didn’t allow you that.”

  “Do we get overtime pay?”

  Douglas laughed loudly. “No. Is it a deal?”

  “Deal. Thanks.” Joel looked serious. “Dad, I love you and Mom, but I also love Tom, and I don’t mean to lose him.”

  His father’s smile faded. “I’m sorry for you, Joel. But I don’t see any other way out, leastwise with Tom out of a home. Your mother ain’t gonna like it. But I think you need to learn the hard way. Living with someone is no picnic. You’ll see. Now you go get him out of that Bracero house. I bet he’s hungry. Supper is on me tonight.”

  Joel left for his room to gather up the bedding. The living room was a mess with papers and boxes, and in the midst of it, Patrick and Detrick were silently looking at their new clothes as if stunned. Eva had turned on the television and the two littlest ones were sitting side by side on the floor, watching with fascination. He stopped by the twins and knelt down by them on the floor. He smiled, wanting to tell them they might soon be his brothers, but it was too soon, too pointless to add to their confusion. “Y’all okay?” he said, instead. Detrick just nodded, but Patrick managed a little smile, then nodded. Joel patted Detrick on the shoulder and stood up. “See ya later.”

  He passed his mother in the hallway. “Dad said it was all right for us to stay at the Bracero house.”

  She looked a little shocked and frowned. “Oh, for heaven’s sake!”

  “Mom, Tom needs to live somewhere. Dad will explain it, okay? I gotta go.”