Halversham

by RS Anthony

  “Yes, he did.” Andy smiled.

  “Did he hurt you?” Her eyebrows came together and the smile on Andy’s face broadened to laughter as she watched his face. “What?”

  “No, Aunt Magda. He didn’t hurt me. He’s grumpy and grotesque. But he didn’t hurt me.”

  “Remember, you don’t know him. Just be careful whenever you’re alone in his house, okay?”

  “I promise to be careful. Don’t worry.”

  “Okay. Would you like some breakfast?”

  “No, thanks. Piffy’s already filled me to my neck,” Andy said, holding a finger across his throat. “I was wondering if you’d like me to do some delivery this morning.”

  “I’d like that. Let me put them all in a bag so it’s easier to carry.” Aunt Magda rose to look for a bag and Andy glanced along the corridor. “I was thinking of taking Corrine along. She’s still sleeping?”

  “Yes. You can go right in and wake her up, though.” Andy glanced at Corrine’s door, his legs rooted to the spot. What if she was naked? Aunt Magda saw him hesitate and smiled. “Let me take you there.”

  She knocked on Corrine’s door and went in when there was no reply. Andy stood outside, staring the other way. He heard Aunt Magda’s soft voice but couldn’t make out the words. One moment later, she was back out in the hall and smiling at Andy.

  “You can go in,” she said, walking back toward the kitchen.

  Andy peeked in, saw Corrine in a pair of pajamas, and rapped the door once before entering.

  “Hi. Good morning,” he said.

  Corrine’s hair was tangled and grimy as if she hadn’t washed it in weeks. Her legs were tucked under a blanket and she was rubbing her eyes. “Morning.”

  “Want to go deliver bread with me today?”

  “What time is it?” she asked, stretching like a cat and yawning at the same time.

  “It’s almost eight.”

  “Who wakes up this early?”

  “Normal people?” Andy said and Corrine chuckled. He gave her a minute to scratch her back and compose her thoughts. “So, want to join me?”

  “Sure. Let me get dressed.”

  Andy went back to the kitchen and saw Aunt Magda watering herbs in little white pots on the windowsill. She looked up when he approached her. “Is she going with you?”

  “Yes,” he said. “These are lovely. It’s the first time I’ve seen them here.”

  “I bought them at Dorrie’s yesterday. They were on sale. No match for the herbs in your mother’s garden, though. Mort keeps them thriving.”

  “That he does. But next time you need herbs, just ask Mort. You’d save some money.”

  Aunt Magda smiled guiltily. “I know. I just love having these pots on the windowsill. Maybe next time I’ll buy the pots and get the herbs from Mort.”

  “That’s a better idea.”

  Corrine stepped out in her staple ensemble of jeans, t-shirt, and sling bag. Andy said goodbye to his aunt and the two of them left with Aunt Magda’s goodies. Once they were outside, Corrine took a look at the list for the day. There were nine houses in total. She plotted the route for faster delivery while Andy’s mind wandered.

  “Corrine, where’s Uncle Matt?” he asked. “I mean, I’ve heard he doesn’t go to work and that he spends his time drinking at the inn. But surely he can’t be doing that all day, every day?”

  “I don’t know, Andy. And I don’t care. They’re all fucked up.” Andy dropped his head. Corrine noticed it and sighed. “All I know is that he goes to the inn every day. He drinks every day too. But that’s usually in the evening. My guess is that he goes frolicking with other women during the day.”

  “You know this for sure?”

  “No. But I know he goes to the next county from time to time. People talk.”

  “What for?”

  “Women.”

  “And he doesn’t work at all?”

  “No, he does. He sells our livestock sometimes and does a little farming. He just doesn’t bring all the money home. So she sells these.” Corrine pointed at the package he was carrying.

  An hour and a half later, they had delivered all of Aunt Magda’s baked goods. Andy counted the money and put it in his wallet.

  “Come on, let’s go have some breakfast.”

  “Haven’t you already?”

  “Nope. And I lied to your mother.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I want to have breakfast with you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I want to.”

  “Where?”

  “We can go to Betsy’s.”

  “Andy, you know I don’t talk to the townsfolk. I don’t want to be seen at the diner. It’s bad enough people see me around town with you.”

  “Don’t you want to have breakfast with me?”

  Andy’s eyes sagged, forcing Corrine to rethink her decision.

  “Alright. I have an idea. Why don’t you get something to go at Betsy’s and come over to my secret place?”

  “It won’t work.” Andy looked at his Diesel watch. “Your secret place is far and I have a little over an hour before I have to be somewhere else.”

  “Where?”

  “I’ll tell you later. I’ll go grab something at Betsy’s and we’ll go to a place I know.” Corrine rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry, no one will be there to see Your Highness,” he teased and she pinched his waist, eliciting a yelp.

  They walked over to Betsy’s, and Andy went in to get scrambled eggs, bacon, baked beans, toast, and coffee to go while Corrine waited outside. Fifteen minutes later, Andy stepped out of the diner holding two brown bags. Corrine helped carry one of them as they continued.

  “So, where are we going to have these?”

  “Remember I told you about my mom feeding some stray dogs by the foothill?”

  “Yeah.”

  “That’s where we’re going. There’s nobody there. Plus, you’ll get to see Brutus.”

  “Fine.” She shrugged. “Where is this place you need to be in an hour?”

  “Milton’s,” Andy said.

  Corrine searched his face and when he smiled, she doubled over in laughter. Andy waited for her to compose herself.

  “You’re joking,” she said when she was calmer.

  “I’m not. I met his daughter Millie two days ago and I started working for him yesterday.”

  Corrine shook her head in awe. “You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that. But then again, he’s an old man. I shouldn’t be surprised.”

  “You know I busted your theory the moment I became friends with Jared, right?”

  “Pfffttt! So you spoke to him once. Big deal. It doesn’t mean anything.”

  “Nope, I went to his house yesterday after work and we had tea,” Andy said proudly, and Corrine nodded in admiration.

  “There might be hope for you yet,” she teased. “What do you do at Milton’s?”

  “Nothing much. Just clean and wash mostly. The man’s a little too old to be doing that kind of work anyway.”

  “So how’s his house?”

  “It’s quite simple, actually. Nothing fancy. But he’s got lots of wines.”

  Corrine nodded, not really impressed. A moment later, they were at the foot of the hill and Andy was calling out to Brutus. The dog came wagging his tail and Corrine patted him as he stood wary of the stranger. Andy knelt to unzip his backpack and Brutus sniffed the brown paper bags they had placed on the grass.

  “You hungry, Brutus?” Andy asked, and Corrine smiled. He took the treats bag out, tossed a few at the dog, and sat down to have breakfast. Corrine opened the first paper bag and found two coffees while Andy opened the other. They took all the items out and spread them on the grass, each item in its own box. Andy handed Corrine one of two paper plates and a set of plastic utensils. She took them, salivating just like Brutus at the piled eggs, bacon, and toast on her plate. Andy was sure she’d eat a mountain, so he had bought a generous amount. Brutus drooled watching them eat, and A
ndy tossed a few pieces of bacon, which Brutus caught in his mouth. Twenty minutes later, all the boxes were empty and the coffee gone. Corrine belched and wiped her mouth.

  “Gosh, it’s been so long since I had this much greasy food,” she said.

  “You know, you’re not homeless. You’ve subjected yourself to living like this.” Corrine shrugged. “Why didn’t you come over for lunch like I asked you to? You don’t like Piffy either?”

  “I don’t need handouts, okay?”

  Andy rolled his eyes and leaned forward. “Corrine, what are you planning to do with your life? I mean, you’ve dropped out of school, you don’t have any money, you don’t have a job, and you won’t talk to anybody.”

  “Gee, thanks for the summary.” Andy watched her face and she dropped her head. “I want to get out of this town.”

  “And go where?”

  “Anywhere. It doesn’t matter.”

  “Why?”

  “Can’t you see? There’s nothing for me here. I can understand why your dad left and never came back until your mother made him.”

  “Who told you that?”

  “Doesn’t matter.”

  “When are you planning to skip town?”

  “As soon as I get the money for a one-way ticket.”

  “And how are you going to get the money?”

  Corrine shrugged and her eyes teared. “I just want to get out of here. This town is making me crazy.” She shook her head and tears poured down, squeezing Andy’s heart. “I feel like my mind and soul are slipping away every day I’m here. A part of me is just dying.” She closed her eyes with the heels of her palms and let out a heart-wrenching sob. He waited while Corrine poured out her grief. When she finally looked up, she said, “I’m afraid if I don’t get out of here soon, these people will kill me.”

  “Corrine, calm down. No one is going to kill you.”

  “You don’t know anything, Andy.”

  “Look, I don’t know anything because you don’t tell me anything. I’d really like to help you, but I’m not sure skipping town is the way to go.”

  “Yeah? What, then?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe you have to change your attitude, Corrine. Reconcile with your mother, start talking to people.”

  “Forget it. You don’t know what you’re asking me to do.”

  “Then tell me.” Andy threw his hands in the air.

  “I can’t. But will you believe me when I say Halversham isn’t a good place for me?” Andy closed his eyes. “I can’t live like this anymore. I want to start over someplace else. It’s the only way.” Andy looked away and they both remained silent for a moment. When Corrine glanced at him again, there was a fierce energy in her eyes. “You said you want to help me. Then let me come live with you and your father in the city.”

  “Whoa! What will you tell him? What will I tell him?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “And your parents?”

  “We can’t tell my parents.”

  “You expect my dad to kidnap you?”

  Corrine pouted. “Look, can you at least talk to your dad? Like, find out how he feels about me staying with you guys for a while.”

  Andy looked at his watch; it was ten past eleven. “Fine. I can talk to my dad. But even if he agrees, he’s going to want to talk to your parents. And you.”

  “What about?”

  “Everything. Listen, I have to go now. But I want you to think about a few things. First, you’re going to have to start talking about what’s going on with you. I know you were pregnant and lost your child, but my father will want to know who got you pregnant. You’re a minor, so he might want to press charges. You’re going to have to find a time when you’ll feel comfortable telling me. If you can’t tell me, you sure can’t tell my father. Second, you need to think about how you take pleasure in torturing others. I’m worried that if you can do what you did to your mother, you could do a lot worse if my father took you in.”

  “No, you don’t understand. I won’t be like that. I promise,” Corrine said, cutting in.

  “We don’t know that, Corrine. You might have to talk to someone.” Corrine’s face fell. “Third, if we take you to the city with us, you’ll have to think about what you want to do there. You’ve already dropped out of school, so you’ll need a plan. I can assure you my dad, being the successful businessman that he is, will want to know what your plans are.” Corrine was looking at Andy, taking note of every word from his mouth. “Now I really have to go. We’ll talk again when you’ve thought this through.”

  Corrine nodded glumly and gathered the empty paper cups and plates strewn about on the grass. Brutus had long gone back to his place behind the large rock. Andy helped her stuff the rubbish into the paper bags and stood.

  “I’ll take this to the trash,” she said.

  “Thanks. I’ll see you later,” he said, jogging toward the stairs.

  ***

  “It’s about time you arrived,” Mr. Milton said as soon as Andy let himself in through the back door. The ghastly old man was sitting on a kitchen stool with his jar filled, startling Andy.

  “I’m sorry I’m late. Did you need anything?”

  “You promised to work for me, and you have a duty to be on time.”

  Technically, he wasn’t late since he’d been asked to come in after eleven, and it was after eleven. They hadn’t agreed on a specific time but Andy didn’t dare argue out the point.

  “I’ll get to work right away.”

  “You better.” The man rose with his jug. “I wanted to tell you I was impressed with what you’ve done to the kitchen, but now that you’re late...” He shook his head and headed for the hallway. Andy’s eyebrows rose at the unexpected praise. “Mow the lawn after washing the dishes in here; the grass is getting too tall. There’s a lawn mower in the toolshed somewhere. Get it done in two days,” he ordered and left.

  “Sure.” Andy placed his backpack on the counter and walked over to the sink while the old man ambled up the stairs. There were a few dirty plates, bowls, half a dozen forks and knives, mugs, and glasses in the sink. And several crusty pots on the stove. He remembered Mr. Milton’s wine glass from last night and headed for the main hall to get it. He brought it to the kitchen, then washed and dried everything before stepping out into the lawn.

  Just as Mr. Milton had said, the grass was getting taller every day. Soon, it’d be long enough to block the house from view completely. Andy went around looking for the toolshed and found it in the backyard; a wooden structure resembling a small house. Probably the only part of the original house Mr. Milton did not knock down after the previous owners left. Andy reached for the handle and pulled the door open. The combined smell of hay and grease rushed to fill his nostrils as soon as the door opened. He looked around and breathed in the heady scent for a minute. Apart from the tools and appliances thrown haphazardly around the room, nothing was amiss. It was just another cluttered shed no one had bothered to keep organized.

  Andy crossed the threshold and searched for the lawn mower. Rows and rows of wooden racks stood along the walls, filled with tools of various sizes in no discernible order. He walked over to one of them and picked up a bow saw perched precariously on the edge of an axe. Not only were some of the teeth gone, it was rusty. He put it away on a shelf and scanned the space for the mower. He found it at the far corner of the shed, behind a disintegrating couch and bags of old newspaper. He removed the clutter on the floor in front of him and slid between two stacks of heavy boxes. Luckily, nothing was piled on the mower or it’d be impossible to get it out. He leaned forward, wiggled the handle, and pulled it with both hands. The mower came free and Andy heaved it over to the empty space behind him to inspect. It hadn’t been used in a long time, that much was clear. He only hoped it still worked.

  An hour later, he’d had lunch, changed the oil in the mower, and started the machine, working Mr. Milton’s yard noisily. He went about mowing in long straight lines, only briefly begrudgi
ng the fact that the task took him away from searching for the trapdoor. He wanted to solve the mystery as quickly as possible and find out if Emily was indeed imprisoned in Mr. Milton’s basement. What if she was dead? The mind-numbing task had him imagining all sorts of troubling things but he pushed the thoughts away and concentrated on making perfectly straight lines. Two and a half hours later, he was done for the day, and stored the machine back in the shed before heading out.

  Andy stopped by to feed Brutus again and spent some time playing with him. The dog now approached him confidently, jumping and pawing him for food, which pleased Andy immensely. It would have made his mother proud, the way he had taken care of Brutus. Although the dog wandered to other places, Brutus was always there when it was time to eat. A few minutes later, Andy dozed off in the grass with Brutus comfortably snuggled on his side.

  Andy woke up with a jolt an hour later when the sky rumbled. Dark clouds floated low. Brutus was gone, probably back behind his rock. Andy rose in a hurry, brushed the dirt off his back, and rushed home before it rained. The sky grew darker, altering the hills and fields into silhouettes, briefly illuminated by flashes of lightning. Andy quickened his pace to a jog when he remembered he had to give Aunt Magda the money from that morning’s sales. Soon he was running as the rumblings grew louder and the lightning more frequent.

  By the time he was standing at Aunt Magda’s doorstep, fat blobs of water were coming down like missiles. The scent of the earth rose warmly with every drop as Aunt Magda opened the door and let him in. Just as she closed the door behind them, the rain came down in torrents.

  “Did you get wet?”

  “Just a little. Don’t worry about it,” he said, wiggling off his backpack. “I’ll dry in no time.”

  “Let me get you a towel,” Aunt Magda said, rushing off into her bedroom.

  “Thanks,” he said when she returned.

  “I made lamb stew today. Can I get you some? It’ll be glorious in this weather.” Andy was toweling his hair and he paused to nod while Aunt Magda picked up a large bowl from the counter. “How was your day at Milton’s?”

  “It was okay. I think he praised me for cleaning his kitchen yesterday.” He hung the towel on the back of a dining chair. “And I mowed the lawn today.”