The Perfect Cast

by T. K. Chapin

  Snapping herself out of the memories, she turned and left the barn, headed for the truck that was parked along the side. When she got to the truck’s door, she couldn’t get the door open. Kicking it, she began to scream in her frustration. It was so hot outside she could barely hold onto the handle to open the truck for more than a moment. “Come on!”

  “Calm down,” Henry said coming around the corner of the barn. “You sound like you are being killed, Jess.”

  “Shut it, twerp.”

  “Let me help.” Henry came up beside Jess.

  “Ha. I’d like to see you try,” she replied, stepping out of the way of Henry.

  Henry gave each of his hands a spit and rubbed them together. Gross. She watched as her brother used all his force in the attempts to dislodge the truck door’s handle. It was useless. He stopped and began to look around, spotting a wooden rake stuck in the ground as if it had been there for a very long time.

  “You are going to rake the truck?” Jess asked jokingly.

  Henry remained silent as he dislodged the rake from the ground. It appeared to have sunk partially into the grass and dirt in the field. Brushing off the dirt, Henry came back to the truck and used the butt of the rake to jam it up into the door handle.

  “Good try but I don’t--” Suddenly the door popped open. Henry stood proudly with his chest puffed out. “Thanks,” Jess said.

  “Pleasure helping you, madam.”

  “Trying to talk like a cowboy,” Jess said with a laugh. “Even Grandpa doesn’t talk like that.”

  Henry beamed. “It’s fun to pretend.”

  “I’m sure it is; I use to do the same thing when I was younger. Thanks bro.” Pretending and dolls use to be a huge part of Jess’s life. All the way up until she hit ninth grade and Suzie Donaldson came over to visit after school one day. Jess could recall it like it had just happened. When Suzie came over, she had laughed at Jess’s doll collection. That marked the turning point for Jess. She wasn’t going to be a little kid who played with dolls anymore; she was going to be a cool kid like Suzie, and leave the dolls behind.

  Jess climbed into the truck and shoved the screwdriver into the ignition. After turning the screwdriver over, the truck fired up loudly and she pumped the gas to get it going. “Yay…” she said sarcastically as she began pulling forward around the front of the barn.

  “I wanna go, I wanna go!” Henry shouted as he ran alongside the truck.

  “I’d love to let you… but I can’t.” Jess drove off, leaving Henry in the rearview mirror as she went down the driveway, over the bridge, and out onto Elk Chattaroy Road.

  Chapter 6 ~ Roy

  “Looks like she figured it out,” Roy said, as he watched Jess pull out of the driveway. Roy had had that truck since Tiffany was just a kid. It had been sitting next to the barn for a couple of years and not getting a whole lot of use; it made Roy glad to see it running again.

  “Guess so. That was sure nice of you, Dad. Thank you,” Tiffany said.

  “You know, I heard you guys talking about a retirement home in the other room.”

  “Dad…” Tiffany paused as she put a hand on his. “I’m so sorry.”

  “I’m not ready to go to a retirement home. This farm is my life and I don’t want to give it up.”

  “I know it is. I wouldn’t expect you to give it up.”

  “But you want me to.”

  Tiffany paused. “I want you to enjoy the rest of your life, not slave away at this farm.”

  “Then you’re severely confused about what enjoying the rest of my life means. It’s not stuck in an apartment complex of dying people.” Roy looked out the kitchen window. “People die in those places, and I don’t want to die like that. I want to be here and get my farm back up and running the way it used to be.”

  Tiffany appeared to be holding back her words, and instead of saying something she just nodded to her father. Roy knew she just wanted her dad to be close to her and the kids. With rarely having time to travel over to visit him, they both knew they’d only see each other a handful of times before he kicked the bucket.

  “I’m sorry,” Roy said. “I know you miss me.”

  “I do… Terribly.”

  “Come live on the farm with me; you, Henry and Jess.”

  “No… I can’t. You know that.”

  “You can, but you just don’t want to give up the high rise in downtown Seattle.”

  “That’s not true. It’s more than that. Henry and Jess have lives in Seattle. I have a life and a job there, also.” Tiffany leaned in towards Roy. “Jess is starting her senior year, Dad. I don’t want to yank her from that… It’d destroy her.”

  Roy knew his daughter was right. He and his wife Lucille had had a short split back when Tiffany was a senior in high school. She had to go live with Lucille’s parents in Omaha, and she’d ended up finishing her senior year half way across the country. She’d had to graduate from a school she’d only attended for half of a year. It was devastating to Tiffany at the time and set her on a course of rebellion, which Roy felt stemmed from the split. Drugs, alcohol and boys were her sole purpose in life for almost three years following the split. The other kids seemed to be unaffected because they were so young. And while the split itself was only for a month, it felt like an eternity to Roy. He recalled picking Tiffany, the other kids and their mother up from the airport like it was yesterday. When his eyes met Lucille’s, she’d dropped her luggage and dashed across the airport terminal, jumping into his arms. He knew from that day forward, he’d never do anything to risk losing her again.

  “You’re right… It wouldn’t be good for Jess,” Roy replied.

  Tiffany placed a hand on Roy’s. “I love you, Dad.” Standing up, she continued. “I have to get going if I want to get home by a decent time.”

  “Jess isn’t back, though. Don’t you want to say bye to her?”

  Tiffany laughed a little. “She probably wouldn’t say goodbye if she was here. She’s pretty mad at me these days.”

  Roy joined Tiffany as she went out to her car. Coming around the corner of the garage, they found Henry crouched on his knees and inspecting something in the dirt intensely.

  “Henry, what are you doing?” Tiffany asked as she opened her car door.

  “I’m looking at an ant hill. There are so many ants!”

  Roy came over to Henry’s side and peered down at the trails of ants marching into the soft mound of dirt and into the hole. “When I was a boy, we’d take hair spray and a lighter-”

  “Dad!” Tiffany exclaimed.

  “What?” Roy replied with a chuckle.

  “Don’t tell him about that!”

  “Oh c’mon Winnie.” Roy smiled and turned to Henry and winked. “Give your mom a hug goodbye.” Henry darted over to his mother, wrapping his arms around her firmly.

  “I’m going to miss you,” she said kissing him on the forehead. “Behave for your Grandpa and keep an eye on your sister.” Looking over at Roy, she said, “Don’t you dare do anything with that ant hill, Dad!”

  “Let the kid be a kid and have some fun. You are on your way out and I’m the parent over Henry and Jess for the summer.” Roy smiled.

  “Okay… just be careful, very careful.” Looking down at Henry, she continued, “Don’t try stuff on your own. Be sure to have your Grandpa there with you.”

  “I know,” Henry said hugging her tightly.

  Roy came over and hugged his daughter. “I love you dear. Have a safe trip home and be sure to call when you make it safely.”

  “I love you too Dad.” Tiffany got in her car and backed up. Waving to the both of them, she drove off down the driveway and over the bridge to leave.

  “Want to tell me the rest of that story now?” Henry asked.

  “Nope.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’d rather show you.” Henry beamed and followed behind Roy back into the farmhouse. Getting into the bathroom, Roy began to search for a can of hairspray. “I’m not
finding any…”

  “I bet Jess has some!” Henry said excitedly darting out of the bathroom. Roy followed after Henry up the stairs to Jess’s room and her suitcases.

  “Henry. I don’t think you should go through your sister’s stuff.”

  “It’s okay, I already found it. It’s in here,” Henry said holding up a small yellow pouch. “This is her bathroom bag.” Opening it up, he grabbed the can of hair spray and handed it to Roy.

  Holding the can of hair spray in his hands, it reminded Roy of his wife’s Aqua Net hairspray. She had bought the same brand over the years and after she passed, he’d spray a little in the bathroom in the mornings to help him feel like she wasn’t really gone. He missed her more than anything in the world. Roy often thought if he only had five more minutes with her, he’d be able to tell her how much she meant to him.

  “Let’s go!” Henry said, breaking Roy out of his thoughts.

  “Okay,” Roy replied. Leading Henry back downstairs and out to the porch off the kitchen, Roy grabbed a book of matches from atop the coat closet. Glancing at Henry as he put them in his pockets, he saw his grandson smile. “You can never do anything like this without me.”

  “Of course,” Henry replied.

  Opening the front door, Roy and Henry ventured back out to the garage. Every step they took, Roy could see Henry’s excitement grow as his smile got bigger.

  Chapter 7 ~ Jess

  Pulling into the gravel parking lot of the run-down convenience store, Jess sighed heavily. It was the only thing around, unless she went into Spokane, which was about a thirty-minute drive. Looking up at the torn away ceiling of the truck, she prayed sarcastically. God help me.

  When she stepped out of the truck, she made sure not to shut the door all the way, so the door would not get stuck again. Taking steps up the wood porch, she glanced in the window and saw a rocker chick who looked like someone she’d know back in Seattle, and she was behind the counter. Cool, there might be life out here after all.

  The screen door creaked as Jess opened it, causing the girl behind the counter to look up for a moment. But she quickly returned her eyes to her tablet that she seemed to be entranced with.

  “Hi, I’m Jess.”

  The girl looked up at her and scowled and then said, “What do you need help finding?”

  “I’m just here for the summer and…”

  “Did you need help finding something? We don’t sell Seventeen or any other magazines like that here.”

  Jess was alarmed by the girl’s rude assumption she wanted a silly teeny magazine. Looking down at herself, she realized that her collared baby blue and white plaid shirt and white jeans were most likely giving off the vibe of prep.

  “My mom made me wear this,” Jess said trying to defend herself to the stranger. As to why she was defending herself, she hadn’t a clue. But she wasn’t going to back down until she got some answers. It could be the last person her age she saw all summer. “I’m stuck in Chattaroy for the summer and I wanted to know where everybody is out here.”

  The girl looked up at her again and sighed heavily. “You won’t leave me alone until I talk to you, huh?” Jess nodded quickly with a smile. “Fine, Copper’s Cove. It’s a place people hang out. It’s down Old Thompson Road. K?”

  “Thank you!” Jess said. “When do people usually go hang out there?”

  “Usually at night… Around ten or so…”

  “Awesome.”

  “Is there anything you are going to buy? Or are you just going to bug me more?”

  “I’ll take this,” Jess said grabbing a beef jerky medallion from a container and putting it on the counter.

  “Okay, that’ll be fifty cents…”

  Reaching in her pocket, she pulled out two quarters and handed it to the girl. “I’m Jess.”

  “You already said that…” Pausing, the girl seemed to think about something and then continued to talk, “Look, I’m sorry I’m being rude… but I’ve had a lot of issues with girls like you. I just can’t help but not like you. Nothing personal ya know?”

  “It’s fine. I just thought you were the type of person who wouldn’t just judge someone by what they wore.” Jess turned and headed towards the door.

  “I’m Elly,” the girl shouted. Jess looked back and smiled, and then continued to her truck.

  Turning off at her grandpa’s farm, Jess pulled in and came over the bridge up into the driveway. Upon approaching the garage, she saw her brother Henry holding a bottle of her hairspray and spraying flames at the ground. What does he think he is doing? Putting the truck into park, she leaped out, slamming the door behind her.

  “What are you doing?!” she screamed at Henry as she ran towards him.

  Her grandpa came out from the garage and looked surprised to see her. “We are just having a little fun.”

  “Grow up,” she said looking at her grandpa. How could a grown man condone such behavior? Yanking the hairspray from Henry’s hand, she said, “Don’t go through my stuff!”

  “It was on top,” Henry said in defense rising to his feet.

  “It doesn’t matter. It was mine. Don’t touch it!” Looking at her grandpa she shook her head. “Does Mom know what you are doing with her son? She’d be livid.”

  “Calm down Jess…” her grandpa said. “These ants can destroy our garden if we don’t get rid of them. This is just a fun way of doing it.”

  “Have fun with someone else’s stuff. Don’t touch mine again!”

  Annoyed, Jess stormed back to the truck. Teaching a ten-year-old how to use hairspray to make fire? Are you kidding me? Pulling up on the door handle of the truck, it was stuck again. Great. Looking back at her grandpa and Henry she put her hand on her waist. “Help me…” she said delicately, trying to shift her tone of annoyance.

  “What do you say?” Henry asked.

  “Stop, boy,” her grandpa said putting his hand on his shoulder. “She’s upset.”

  Going up to the truck, Roy put both his hands on the handle and gave it a quick yank, opening it. “She’s a little rusted. If you just pull more up than out, it should work next time for you,” Roy said. Jess rolled her eyes and reached into the truck, turning it off.

  “Where’s Old Thompson Road?” she asked.

  Her grandpa said, “It’s up the road a mile or so, and then take a right. Why?”

  “I made a friend… she said a bunch of people my age are getting together tonight.”

  Not hanging out long enough to be asked more questions, she ran off, back to the farmhouse and to her bedroom upstairs. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, she saw it was seven o’clock. That meant it should be dark soon and she could go meet up with Elly and all the other kids her age. Hopefully then, she’d start to feel a little more comfortable with the situation at hand. Setting her alarm clock on her phone for nine-thirty, she turned on her playlist and dozed off to sleep while she waited for night to come.

  Chapter 8 ~ Roy

  Walking into the garage after the carnage that he and Henry had set on the ant hill, he felt bad about taking Jess’s hairspray. “We’re going to replace that hairspray of Jess’s. We’ll pick some up tomorrow at the grocery store.”

  Henry looked up to Roy and nodded. “That’s probably a good idea. But you know what’s a better idea?”

  “What?”

  “Eating. I’m starving!” Henry said rubbing his stomach. “I could eat a cow right now I am so hungry!”

  Roy laughed. “Well it’s about supper time, so we’ll get that hunger taken care of for you.”

  “What are you making for dinner?” Henry asked.

  “Go take a look in the deep freeze and pick something out,” Roy said motioning over to the freezer that sat against the back wall of the garage. Henry hurried over to the freezer and climbed almost entirely in as he searched. Pulling out a package of steaks, he held it up in the air behind him.

  “How about these?”

  “Great choice, but I have some steaks tha
t are thawed in the fridge inside.” Henry tossed them back into the freezer and joined Roy’s side. Roy and Henry walked back up to the farmhouse and pulled the gas barbeque out from the covered patio, positioning it between the giant pine tree and the patio. Henry ran inside and brought the steaks out from the fridge. “Do you know how your sister likes her steak cooked?”

  “She won’t eat any. She’s a vegetarian and usually doesn’t eat dinner with us. Well, we haven’t eaten dinner together in a long time.”

  Roy glanced over at the patio’s door that led into the farmhouse and thought for a moment. A family that doesn’t eat together? Roy couldn’t fathom the idea. Roy knew that times had changed since he was a boy, but he thought his daughter would have carried on the traditions that he instilled within her. “Well I guess that means more steak for us!”

  Sitting down to the table in the kitchen, Henry began digging into his food. Roy was startled as he got steak sauce from the fridge. “Hold on Henry, what are you doing?”

  Henry had a mouth full of potatoes and steak when he stopped mid-bite. Muffled, he said, “What?”

  “We need to pray before we eat.”

  “Why?”

  “You don’t pray at your house before supper?” Roy asked sitting down at the table. Henry chewed his bite before talking.

  “No…”

  “You go to church don’t ya?” Roy asked.

  “Yeah... You’re being weird Grandpa.”

  Roy had been so accustomed to his own life and raising a family that he found himself lost for words. He thought praying over a meal as just something everyone did. Even growing up, the Ferguson’s up the street weren’t religious at all and still prayed over their meals.