Tenderness

by Dorothy Garlock

  Mrs. Gordon was on the porch. A small shy girl hid behind her skirts.

  “Howdy.” Mrs. Gordon held out her hand. Jesse shook it, returned the greeting, and then placed her hand on the head of the little girl.

  “Hello, Madaline. Remember me? I had on my nurse’s uniform the day I was here. You’re not sick anymore. You look fit as a fiddle now.”

  “Yes’m, she’s doin’ tolerable. Don’t have no lustre yet, but perkin’ up ever’day. We don’t know how we kin ever thank ya—”

  “No thanks are necessary, Mrs. Gordon. Just seeing Madaline well is thanks enough. Have you heard of any new cases of scarlet fever?”

  “No, ma’am. Now school’s out we don’t get much news. Hello, Mr. Simmer,” she called. “Won’t you and the lady step in for a cool drink of water? I’ll get one of the boys to draw a fresh bucket.”

  “Thank you. And I’ll gladly fetch the water.”

  “Bucket’s there on the shelf. Watch that pulley. It don’t take to the rope like it ort to no more. Come in outta the sun, ma’am.”

  The half hour they spent with the Gordons was pleasant. Jesse explained about the smallpox inoculations. Mrs. Gordon asked sensible questions and promised to send the older children to homesteads farther back in the woods to spread the news. Jesse passed out the stick candy and spoke to each of the children. They responded politely while their mother smiled with unconcealed pride in her brood.

  As soon as they were away from the house, Wade grabbed Jesse’s hand and held it tightly.

  “I’m proud of you, sweetheart. I’m so proud of you I could burst.”

  “Well, for heaven’s sake.” Jesse gave him a pleased smile. “What brought that on?”

  “You’re so patient. You act as if you actually like these people.”

  “I do like them, Wade. Why in the world wouldn’t I like them? As far as I can tell, most of them are good, honest people trying to make a living. And they love their children and want what’s best for them.”

  “You don’t understand, do you? To them you’re someone far above them. You live in town, you wear nice clothes, your father is a doctor. Yet you treat them as if you were their friend.”

  “—But I’m not above anyone!”

  “You really believe that.”

  “I’m just doing my job. This is what I was trained to do.”

  “And you do it very well.” He pulled the mare to a stop. “Enough talk. I’ve got to steal kisses while I can.”

  “We shouldn’t.”

  “I remember you saying that to me once before. As a matter of fact, I think I can remember every word you’ve ever said to me.”

  “Well, if you’re going to kiss me you’d better get at it. Christmas isn’t fond of standing still. She’ll think we’re slow as… Christmas.” She tipped back her head and laughed.

  Small warm puffs of her breath fanned his face. He could feel the beat of her heart against his chest, smell the freshness of her skin and the fragrance of her hair. He watched with intense pleasure as she lowered her lashes. Her eyes were on his mouth. He could wait no longer to taste the sweetness of her lips. Dear God, what had he ever done to deserve this pleasure?

  His lips touched hers, lightly at first, then with longer and more intense kisses, sending his blood thundering through his ears. He pulled back and looked into her face.

  “Jesse, Jesse, Jesse,” he said her name as if he loved saying it. “How I yearn to love you all night long.” His hands framed her face, and he looked deeply, lovingly into her eyes.

  Caught in a spinning whirlwind of desire, Jesse was aware that his heart was racing as fast as hers. She placed her hands over his.

  “Right now we’ve got to get to the Merfelds’,” she whispered.

  At the Merfeld homestead Otis was sitting on a stump in the yard with a crock jug held between his bare feet. His face was covered with thin light whiskers; rope suspenders held up his britches. Mrs. Merfeld sat in a willow rocker on the porch.

  “Oh, shoot,” Jesse said in a low murmur. “I was hoping he wouldn’t be here.”

  “Don’t worry about him. If he gives you trouble, he’ll lose a few more teeth.”

  “No, Wade. Don’t let it come to that. He could keep his children from getting the vaccination. Let him say whatever he wants. If he lays a hand on me, I’ll poke him with the hatpin I carry for just that purpose.”

  “You’re a wonder,” he whispered as he helped her out of the buggy.

  “Afternoon, Mr. Merfeld,” she said and kept walking toward the porch without giving him a chance to answer. “Hello, Mrs. Merfeld. Isn’t this a lovely June day. I swear, I’ve never seen so many wildflowers. They thrive up here.”

  “Howdy, ma’am. Won’t you sit?” Mrs. Merfeld made an effort to get up.

  “Thank you. I’ll sit here on the edge of the porch.” Jesse watched the woman sink back down in the chair gratefully. “Did the children get over the fever all right?”

  “Yes’m, they did. And Flora never came down with it. She was a mighty big help.” The woman glanced nervously toward the yard where her husband had lifted the jug to his mouth.

  “I’m sure she was. How is she? I’d like to say hello to her and the other children.”

  “Well… she’s out back… some’ers with the kids. They’re… they’re playin’.”

  “I’ll just say hello to her.” Jesse got to her feet. “And I want to see how the little ones fared after their bout with the fever.”

  “But…”

  Jesse ignored Mrs. Merfeld’s protest, walked around the porch, and headed for the back of the house. Something was not right. The woman was scared to death. Otis jumped up and came across the yard to intercept her.

  “Where ya think yo’re goin’? Ya ain’t had no invite to go prowlin’ ’round. Yo’re still hangin’ out with that nigger-lover, ain’t ya?” He reached for her arm, but halted when Wade spoke behind him.

  “Touch her and I’ll break your arm in four places.”

  “Ya got no say-so here, Simmer. This here is my place.”

  “And what a sorry-looking place it is. Torn-down fences, hogs running loose, scattered woodpile. A good ’wind would blow that shack away. Look at that garden, Otis. Your wife planted it, and you’re letting it go to ruin ’cause you’re too damned lazy to pull a few weeds.”

  Jesse, leaving Wade to handle Otis, continued to walk toward the children who were bunched with their older sister in the shade of a birch tree. A boy, a head shorter than Flora, had a thread tied to the leg of a june bug and was amusing two small boys and a thin little girl by letting them hold the end of the thread while the bug flew above their heads.

  “Hello,” she called cheerfully. “Remember me? Nurse Forbes. Maybe you don’t want to remember me. I made you drink that awful medicine.”

  When she was close enough to the children to see their faces, she could see that Flora’s eyes were both blackened, and her lip was puffed and split. The boy with the june bug had a bruise on his swollen jaw and one eye was swollen shut. Jesse’s mind groped wildly for a way to handle the situation and decided it would be best to ignore, for the time being, the obvious signs that these children had been beaten recently.

  “Hello, Flora.” The girl murmured and turned her face away.

  Jesse spoke to the boy. “I used to love to play with june bugs when I was your age. Your name is Dude, isn’t it?”

  “Yes’m.”

  “You were a big help when I was here before. You brought in water and helped cool the little boys while I worked with your sister. They all have fully recovered, I see.”

  The children seemed to be awed into silence. They looked at her with the quiet patient eyes of their mother. Sad eyes, Jesse thought, and silently wished she had their father’s neck under her foot.

  “Thank ya fer what ya done,” Flora murmured.

  “You’re very welcome. I was trained to help sick people and I love doing it. Not that I want people to be sick so I can hel
p them.” She laughed lightly and asked if she could hold the thread tied to the june bug. She held it for a moment and then passed it to the youngest boy.

  “How’d ya get to learn all that?” Flora asked.

  “I went to nursing school in Knoxville for two years.”

  “I wish I could.”

  “Maybe you can someday.”

  “I can’t leave Maw.”

  “If you still want to be a nurse when you finish school, come down and talk to my father. He may be able to arrange something for you.” Jesse reached down and took the hand of the thin little girl. “I’m going to talk to your mother about you children having a vaccination for smallpox. Come up to the house so you can listen and understand.” Jesse desperately wanted Wade to see what that beastly man had done to his children.

  “Pa seen ya comin” ‘n’ said fer us to stay here till yo’re gone.” The boy spoke, barely moving his lips. It made Jesse wonder if his jaw was broken or just badly bruised. She watched as he carefully untied the thread from the leg of the june bug and held it on the palm of his hand until it flew away.

  “Mr. Simmer will explain to your father that it’s important for you to hear what I’ve got to tell your mother. Besides,” she added in a conspiratorial manner, “I’ve got stick candy to pass out.”

  Jesse prayed she wasn’t going to cause these children more pain. She was counting on Wade to throw the fear of death into Otis should he do it again. Holding the little girl’s hand she started walking toward the house. After a few steps, she glanced over her shoulder to see the three boys following and Flora slowly trailing along behind.

  Otis was sitting on the end of the porch and Wade stood near by trying to make conversation with Mrs. Merfeld. When Jesse and the children came around the corner, Otis stood.

  “I done to!’ ya—”

  Jesse cut him off. “I insisted they come and hear what I want to tell you and Mrs. Merfeld about the smallpox vaccination program.”

  Jesse saw Wade’s scowl as he looked at Flora’s and Dude’s faces. The children sat down on the edge of the porch as far away from their father as possible. Flora stood behind her mother’s chair.

  Otis snorted disdainfully at various times as Jesse explained the necessity of the vaccinations, how the vaccine worked and its effect.

  “Foolishness. I ain’t heared of no pox in these parts. Injin’s and niggers have pox, not decent white folks.”

  “Mr. Merfeld, smallpox doesn’t care about color or class. It hits the rich, the poor, and people of every color. The germs will live a year and a half in a cotton bale or on a blanket. Once an epidemic starts it spreads like wildfire. Hundreds could die in these hills before it could be stopped.”

  “My kids ain’t goin’ down to no store ‘n’ havin’ no prissy-tail woman scratch ’em and put germs in ’em.”

  “To set your mind at rest, Mr. Merfeld, my father, a doctor of medicine, will be doing the vaccinating. I’ll just assist him.” She turned her back on him, her face red with anger. “Mrs. Merfeld, have you given any thought to coming down to Harpersville when your baby comes?”

  “Law, no, ma’am. It’s more’n ten miles. I’d never make it astraddle that mule.”

  “I see. I didn’t realize you didn’t have a wagon.”

  “Ya think we’re poor trash, don’t ya?” Otis stood again. “Didn’t realize ya didn’t have a wagon,” he mimicked. “She ain’t needed yore help to pop out a youngun. Popped out five slick as catgut.”

  Jesse ignored his outburst. “If you have time, get word to Mr. Simmer. He’ll pass it along to my father. Papa will come if at all possible.”

  “Gettin” chummy, air ya? Mister Simmer, the nigger-lover, will pass the word—”

  “Shut up. Papa!” Flora yelled.

  “Why ya shitty little—” Wade’s hand came down heavily on Otis’s shoulder, pressing him down and cutting off his words.

  “Before I go,” Jesse said, opening the bag she had left on the porch, “I have something for the children to thank them for being so good at taking their medicine when I was here last.” She brought out the stick candy, gave one to each child, and gave a handful to Flora for later.

  “No, by Gawd. Ya ain’t taking her handouts.” Otis shouted so loud the little ones flinched. They looked longingly at the candy, but made no attempt to eat it.

  “I think it’s time you and I had a man-to-man talk, Otis,” Wade said calmly. He reached down, hooked his hand in the rope suspenders and effortlessly hauled Otis to his feet.

  “I ain’t palaverin’ with no nigger—”

  “Don’t say it again unless you want to walk spraddle-legged for the rest of your life.” Wade hissed the words and yanked on the suspenders until the overalls rode high in the man’s crotch. He walked him that way to the back of the house, slammed him up against the wall and fastened his hand to his neck, holding him there.

  “What ya doin? Ya can’t—”

  “Shut your mouth, you filthy, half-assed son of a bitch, or I’ll shut it for you. You used your fists on those kids, didn’t you? You’re a big man, tough man with kids that can’t fight back. Hit me, Otis. Your hands are free. Hit me, so I can smear your nose all over your face.”

  “They sassed, talked back—”

  “Sassed, talked back.” Wade banged Otis’s head against the house. “It would give me a great deal of pleasure to smash your jaw and shut your lying mouth. If I hear of you beatin’ your kids again, I’ll break every bone in your worthless body. Get the message, you puking fat head?”

  “Ya don’t… ya ain’t—”

  “I do… and I am. Lay a hard hand on them again and you’ll get a hard hand laid on you. Another thing, I hear you’re fond of young girls.”

  “Naw. Naw.” Otis tried to shake his head in denial.

  “You were seen trying to feel up the little Foster girl at the camp meeting over at Coon Rapids. If her pa gets wind of it he’ll kill you.”

  “Naw!”

  “Lying bastard!”

  “Naw… I swear—”

  “Have you been tryin’ to get in Flora’s pants? Is that why you hit her? Ruin her, Otis, and I’ll hunt you down and kill you. You know I’ll do it, don’t you?” Wade’s hand tightened on the man’s throat. “You know I’ll do it because I’m a mean, nigger-loving son of a bitch. The day you die, you’ll never know what hit you. I’ll be shootin’ at a squirrel and suddenly your ugly head will be in my sight when I pull the trigger. It’ll pop like a ripe melon.”

  “Ya can’t… I’ll tell the marshal.”

  “Dead men don’t tell anything. They just lie in the woods and stink.”

  “Yo’re… crazy!”

  “You’re the one that’s crazy if you think I won’t do it.” Otis tried to break away from the hand holding him. Wade put his knee in his groin. “I’m not through with you yet. See to it that your kids are down to get the vaccination, or I’ll set the revenuers on you. They’ll bust up that still and haul your rear off to jail faster than a chicken on a wooly worm.”

  “You don’t know—”

  “I know exactly where it is and who you sell to. You’re paying off a debt with whiskey. You know what that man will do to you when the deliveries stop. He’ll be up here like a shot and before he leaves you’ll wish you were dead.”

  “How’er ya knowin’ that?”

  “You’re stupid, Otis. Everyone in the hills knows it. Don’t try to move that still or I’ll bust it up myself. Do we have an understanding? If not, say so. I’d just as soon break your neck now as later. It would be a relief to your family to be rid of you.”

  “Aw… all right—”

  “All right what?” Wade snarled.

  “Kids’ll be thar.”

  “What else?” Wade’s booted boot came down hard on Otis’s bare toes.

  “Aw… shit, don’t—I… won’t… hit ’em.”

  “You go back on that and I’ll find you. When I do you’ll be walking on a stump if you’re walki
ng at all. Now you get out there and tell that nurse who is trying to help your family that you appreciate what she’s done and what she’s going to do.”

  Jesse looked back at the group on the porch as the buggy pulled out of the yard. The children were bunched together, and Flora stood protectively beside her mother. Otis had gone back to the stump in the yard.

  “What will he do? Will he beat them as soon as we’re out of sight?”

  “He won’t beat them.” Wade saw the worried look on her face and wanted to erase it. “Don’t worry. He won’t beat them,” he said again. “He’s too big a coward.”

  “What makes you so sure he won’t?”

  “We had a little man-to-man talk. The only kind a man like Merfeld understands.”

  “Whatever you said to him had an effect. He was meek as a lamb. I hope it lasts, and he doesn’t take it out on Mrs. Merfeld and the children. I could have cried when I saw Flora’s face. And Dude. That bully could have broken his jaw. Dude was so kind to his little brothers and his sister. He even took the thread from a june bug’s leg before he let it go. Most kids would have let the poor thing fly away with the thread hanging to get caught on something.”

  “Otis knows what will happen to him if he uses his fists on his kids again. He also knows what will happen if his kids fail to show up for the vaccinations.” Wade grinned at Jesse wickedly and moved close to her so that they were touching from shoulder to thigh.

  She answered his grin with one of her own. “Wade Simmer! You’re a bully. You threatened poor Mr. Merfeld with bodily harm.” She tucked her hand into the curve of his when he reached for it. Her eyes danced with delight. “I’d like to have been a bird so I could have heard and seen it. Oh, I wish you’d blackened both his eyes and… knocked out his teeth.”

  A rumbling laugh bubbled up out of Wade. “I didn’t know that my girl was such a bloodthirsty little vixen.” His eyes, full of teasing laughter, traveled lovingly over her face.

  My girl. The two words held a world of meaning. She belonged to someone—Wade—in a special way. Her face reflected her happiness when she lifted her chin and looked down her nose at him with a haughty expression on her face and a teasing glint in her eyes.