The Settlement

by Ali Spooner

  “Business is steady, but nothing I can’t handle for a few months. Go find the Cadin I love again. Quite honestly the new you is bumming me out,” Pam teased.

  “Let me finish up a few projects and I’ll take off next week.”

  “That sounds like a plan. Let’s go deposit this check and I’ll buy you an early lunch,” Pam said.

  Chapter Two

  Cadin rode hard all morning until she reached Greensboro then pulled into a gas station to fuel the bike. She looked across the small town square and found something mysteriously missing. There was no sign of a hotel, bed-and-breakfast, or boarding room in sight. Going inside to pay for her fuel she smiled at the middle-aged woman behind the counter.

  “Can you tell me if there’s a hotel nearby?”

  “Not unless you consider ‘nearby’ as fifty miles. There’s a flop-and-drop frequented by truckers twenty miles away at the main highway, but I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s one of those places you leave with more than you came with, if you catch my drift,” she said with a knowing smile.

  Cadin wasn’t exactly sure she “caught her drift,” but she did know she didn’t want to find out for certain what the woman meant. She felt like her decision to come to Greensboro was becoming a bad one, but decided to ask one more question.

  “So what do you do for local accommodations?”

  “Well, we don’t get many visitors, and most stay with family or friends.”

  Cadin felt her hope slipping away, and her face formed a frown.

  “However, Sister Frances runs the local women’s shelter, and would gladly offer you accommodations for a short period.”

  “That would be perfect,” she said, her smile returning. “Can you give me directions?”

  Cadin paid for her fuel and then returned to her bike for the short ride. She pulled into the drive of the address the clerk had given her just as the sun was fading. She walked up to the front door of the white clapboard home and rang the bell.

  Cadin heard footsteps from inside the house while she waited for the door to open. She was surprised when the heavy door swung open and a slight girl of six or seven opened the door. Her light brown curls fell to her shoulders and her green eyes grew wide as she looked up at Cadin.

  “Are you Sister Frances?” she asked to tease the young girl.

  The child grinned, revealing a dimple in her left cheek.

  The action reminded her of Missy, how her green eyes sparkled when she smiled. Her heart soared with the memory of her lover, but plummeted when the reality returned and Cadin remembered she would never look into those eyes again.

  The girl giggled. “No, I’m Lexie,” she said.

  “Is Sister Frances around?”

  “Yes, ma’am, she’s in the kitchen with Mama,” she said without moving away.

  “Do you think I could talk to her?”

  The small child surprised her by reaching up and taking her hand. “Come with me and I’ll take you to her,” she said as she pulled Cadin deeper into the house. She couldn’t help but grin as she followed Lexie to the large kitchen.

  When they stepped into the room, her eyes fell on three women talking behind the counter. One woman was an adult-sized version of Lexie, who she assumed was the child’s mother. Cadin stood motionless, riveted by the deep green eyes that peered back at her until the banging of a pot broke her concentration.

  “May I help you?” a heavyset older woman asked.

  “I hope so. I’m looking for Sister Frances. Bev at the gas station told me she could offer me accommodations for a few days, and I can pay,” she added for good measure.

  “I’m Sister Frances,” she said and stepped forward to offer her hand.

  “Cadin Michaels,” she said as she clasped the warm hand, rough from long hours of labor, and shook it firmly. “I’m going to be in town for a few days and I didn’t realize there wasn’t a hotel until I got here.”

  “Never has been. We had a boarding house back in the sixties, but it didn’t last long.” She looked at Cadin with curiosity. “What brings you to town? Not many from out of town visit these days.”

  Cadin thought of an answer for several seconds. “Fate,” she finally answered.

  “Well, that’s quite a large answer, but I don’t have time to pursue it right now. We’ve got to finish dinner.” She looked down at Lexie. “Will you be a good girl and take Cadin to the sleeping quarters and show her around for me?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Lexie said, wearing a proud smile.

  “We eat promptly at six,” Sister Frances said.

  “Is there anything I can help with?”

  “Not tonight, but thank you. Take the time to get settled in and familiar with the grounds.”

  “May I pull my bike around back?”

  “Yes, there’s a small covering, you may park beneath.”

  “I’ll meet you out back then,” she said to Lexie and turned to step away then stopped. “Do I need to pay in advance?”

  “No, we’ll discuss that later,” Sister Frances said and went back to rolling out biscuits.

  Cadin nodded and turned to walk back out the front door to her bike. She started the motor and drove slowly around the house to the covered area Sister Frances had spoken of and parked her bike.

  Lexie ran up to her as she stepped off her bike. “Can I carry anything for you?”

  “Sure, you can carry this for me,” she said and handed Lexie her helmet.

  Lexie took the helmet as Cadin busied herself releasing the duffel from the back of her bike.

  “That’s all you have?” Lexie asked innocently.

  “Yeah, it is,” she answered with a grin. “It’s hard to carry much more on a motorcycle.”

  Lexie led her inside a long building that looked like a dormitory or bunkhouse. Row after row of twin bunk beds filled the room. There were four other women and two small children in the room, and they smiled as she and Lexie entered.

  “You can have any of these beds,” Lexie said, pointing to a row of beds.

  “Which one is yours?

  “This one. Mama sleeps on the bottom and I’m up top.”

  Cadin took her helmet and placed it beneath the foot of the bed next to the ones Lexie had pointed out. There were several empty clothes hangers dangling from the base of the top bed, so she pulled her jeans and shirts out of the bag to hang them at the foot of the bed. The rest of the clothing she left in her bag and pushed it beneath the twin bed.

  “Do you want me to show you around?”

  “That would be great.”

  Lexie took her by the hand again and led her across the long room to a door. “This is the bathroom and shower area,” she explained.

  Six shower stalls, six enclosed toilets, and four sinks lined the wall. A large shelf held clean towels, washcloths, and bed linens. The sparsely decorated area smelled fresh and clean. Lexie allowed her to take in the room and then led her outside.

  “This is our play area,” she said.

  She stepped into an ancient pecan orchard with large trees, spaced precisely with level plots between them. There were several swings and other toys visible along with several bicycles. Cadin felt an item rolling beneath her boot. She bent down to pick up a fully matured pecan.

  “Sister Frances pays me a penny apiece for every pecan I harvest for her,” Lexie said.

  “That sounds like a good deal,” Cadin said. She checked the time to find that it was quickly approaching six. “We better head to the dining room. I would hate to miss out on dinner.”

  “Tonight is pot roast, veggies, and biscuits,” she said. “One of my favorites.”

  “How long have you been here?”

  “Since we left home,” Lexie said, unaware of the time frame.

  Cadin smiled at the child’s innocence and opened the door to the back of the house revealing a large room filled with picnic tables and benches. Two of the tables were set with plates, cups, and utensils.

  Sister Frances and two
women began bringing out dishes from the kitchen, pitchers of tea, and several gallons of milk.

  “May I help carry anything?” she asked.

  “You and Lexie can bring the biscuits,” Sister Frances said with a warm smile.

  Sister Frances was slicing the roast when they returned. “You can place the biscuits in the middle of the table and take your seats.”

  Cadin put the platter on the table and then took the seat Lexie was pointing to. Once they were seated, Sister Frances took the hands of the women seated on either side of her and bowed her head. The rest of the people around the table also joined hands as Sister Frances said a short prayer.

  “Amen,” Lexie said after the prayer ended.

  “Would you care to introduce yourself to the group, Cadin?” Sister Frances asked.

  “Well, my name is Cadin Michaels and I’m from Atlanta. I recently lost someone very dear to me, so I’ve decided to take some time away from work to find out who I am.”

  “Welcome, and I’m sorry for your loss,” the adult-sized Lexie said. “My name is Terri Foster, and you have already met my daughter Lexie.”

  “Yes, I have, and might I say she’s a wonderful tour guide.”

  “My name is Betty Duncan, and like you I have lost someone close to me,” said an older woman sitting on the other side of Sister Frances. “My husband of forty-five years. Henry passed away suddenly six months ago.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. Forty-five years is impressive,” Cadin said.

  “We were sweethearts from elementary school,” Betty said.

  The other women introduced themselves and their children, but did not elaborate on the circumstances that brought them to Sister Frances. With the introductions complete, the group began eating the wonderful meal.

  “I can see why this is one of your favorite meals, Lexie,” Cadin said. “This food is terrific.”

  “Eat all that you want,” Sister Frances said.

  “Thanks,” she said and selected another biscuit.

  After everyone had finished eating, they all pitched in to clean up the kitchen, store leftovers, and wash the dishes. Cadin volunteered to wash and Lexie eagerly requested to dry the dishes, with her mother’s help of course.

  When everyone else had left the kitchen, except for Terri, Lexie and Cadin, Sister Frances asked them if they would like some hot cocoa.

  “That would be great,” Lexie answered.

  “I suppose you’ll want marshmallows too?” Sister Frances asked.

  “Yes, please, if you have some.”

  “How can you have hot cocoa without them?”

  “Not very well,” Lexie answered.

  “Well, let’s get to it,” Sister Frances said.

  Cadin and Terri returned to sit at the picnic table. “You have a great daughter.”

  “Thanks, Lexie has definitely been the highlight of my life,” Terri answered.

  “How long have you been here?”

  “Almost three weeks. Her dad got sentenced to ten years in state prison, so we took advantage of an opportunity to leave and get a fresh start.”

  “Is Lexie close to her dad?”

  “Quite the opposite, she’s terrified of him. He’s not a nice man, especially when he’s been drinking, which was almost constantly. We aren’t married, so I have no qualms over leaving him in jail.”

  “Even if you were married, I think it’s still a good decision for the two of you. What are your plans for the future?”

  “We like it here and I’ve got a job at the grocery store. Sister Frances will allow us to stay until I can save enough to start out on our own.”

  “That’s very generous of her,” Cadin said.

  “She’s been great to us since we arrived, our car floating in on fumes and my wallet empty.”

  Cadin looked across the room to watch as Sister Frances placed Lexie on the counter and they chatted while they made the hot cocoa. She smiled brightly as Lexie told her a story, her body animated as she shared her tale.

  “What about you? What are your plans?” Terri asked.

  “To settle here for a few days and then do some more traveling,” Cadin said. “Eventually I’ll make my way back to Atlanta.”

  “What do you do there?”

  “I’m a lawyer,” she answered.

  “Wow,” Terri said impressed.

  “Even lawyers have screwed-up lives at times,” Cadin said. “Mine is definitely screwed up.”

  “I’m very sorry. Do you mind me asking what happened?”

  Cadin hesitated for a second, sharing such personal information. What the hell, she’s a complete stranger and after a few days I’ll never see the woman again. “Missy, my lover and partner of six years, went into the hospital for a simple surgical procedure. Things went terribly wrong and she died.”

  “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry,” Terri said.

  “Thanks,” Cadin said and looked up to find Sister Frances and Lexie had entered the dining area. She didn’t know how much she had heard, but then it didn’t really matter. She was surprised she was able to tell a stranger about Missy, without breaking into tears or flying into a rage.

  †

  “Here we go, ladies, hot cocoa with marshmallows,” Sister Frances said as she placed a tray on the table holding the four mugs.

  The group drank their cocoa and Terri announced, “I think it’s time for showers and bed for us, young lady.”

  “Okay, Mommy,” Lexie said. Cadin could hear the sleepiness in her voice. “Will you still be here tomorrow Cadin?”

  “Yes, I will see you in the morning.”

  “Goodnight then,” she said and hugged Cadin.

  She and Sister Frances watched them leave the kitchen. “Lexie sure seems taken with you,” she said as Cadin carried empty mugs to the sink and washed them.

  “For some weird reason kids seem to be attracted to me,” Cadin said with a shrug.

  “That’s not a bad thing,” Sister Frances said.

  “No, I guess it’s not,” Cadin said as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a fifty-dollar bill. She handed it to her host. “Will this cover the first night?”

  “That will cover two nights. I usually don’t charge paying guests but twenty-five dollars a night.”

  “I would have had to pay four times that amount for a hotel,” Cadin said. “One night,” she repeated.

  “Thank you,” Sister Frances said as she tucked the bill into her pocket.

  “So, how does a newcomer get in on this pecan harvesting enterprise?” she asked with a grin.

  “I hate to inform you, but you are too old,” she said with a chuckle. “I offer that opportunity only for children under ten to give them a goal to work for and an opportunity to make a few dollars. It’s also a good way to keep them constructively occupied while their mothers find work in town.”

  “That’s a great idea. What do you do with the nuts?”

  “We have a small farmers market twice a month on Saturdays, and I sell them there. I crack and shell some, others I sell whole,” she explained. “I don’t know if it’s all this global warming stuff or what, but the nuts have dropped a good month early this year.”

  “I can’t really say much about global warming, but it was a mild winter and an early spring, so maybe Mother Nature’s clock is just a bit off,” Cadin offered.

  “I reckon, but I’m not complaining,” Sister Frances added with a smile.

  “Would you mind if I help Lexie out a bit? I could use some fresh air.”

  “That would be fine. The nuts are dropping like crazy and I need to get them off the ground soon. I can pay you, but not as much as it’s worth.”

  “Nonsense, pay our little nut harvester your agreed upon price.”

  “Lexie’s a good kid and Terri did the right thing to leave when she could,” Sister Frances said.

  “May I ask another question?”

  “Sure.”

  “Why is Miss Betty here?”

&nbs
p; “That’s a sad story. Her husband had been very ill, but kept it secret from her. His illness and the mounting medical bills caused him to fall behind on their mortgage payments and when he died suddenly, the bank foreclosed on her for a little over twenty thousand dollars.”

  Cadin shook her head in disbelief. “They wouldn’t work with her on payments?”

  “No, and to make matters worse, she’s eligible to draw social security benefits on her husband’s record, but after she applied, the caseworker quit and her application disappeared, so she had to start the process over.” Sister Frances shook her head. “Hopefully she will start receiving benefits in the next month or so and can find a place to rent. I’ve told her she can stay here as long as she wants, but she’s a proud woman. She’s a great deal of help to me here.”

  “Do you know what bank foreclosed on her?”

  Sister Frances chuckled. “The only one we have in town.”

  “Could you give me the address on Miss Betty’s home?”

  “Sure I can, but what are you up to?”

  “Just a little investigation,” Cadin said.

  “I’ll write it down for you after breakfast if that’s okay. I’m bushed and think I’ll head off to bed.”

  “That would be perfect and thank you for allowing me to stay.”

  “You are more than welcome,” Sister Frances said and walked across the room. “Turn the lights out when you’re done please.”

  “I’m headed to bed soon too,” Cadin said and flipped the light switch as she went out the back door.

  †

  She walked over to a small bench near the pecan orchard and looked up at the cloudless night sky. Cadin could not remember ever seeing the stars as clearly as she did right now. The lack of artificial light made the sky glitter with the brilliant stars and the full moon was huge in the clear sky. A cool breeze had picked up while she was inside and she felt goose flesh rise on her arm. She stood and stretched before returning to the sleeping quarters as quietly as she could.

  †

  Lexie was sleeping soundly when Cadin entered the room. Terri was sitting on the bed folding a basket of clean clothes. A pair of freshly pressed jeans and a uniform top for the local grocery were hanging at the end of the bed.