Gretel

by Christopher Coleman

  And her father hadn’t uttered a word of protest either. He was in fact relieved, both that his daughter was exerting her independence through the healthy outlet of work, and that desperately needed money would now be coming into the household. He hadn’t asked about her salary, and Gretel hadn’t offered to tell him, but the shine in his daughter’s eyes had revealed to him that their worries could subside for a few weeks. In this exchange, which Gretel was determined to keep fresh in her mind for as long as possible, Gretel saw a glimpse of the man her father was before their mother went missing, before his injury even, and she laughed boisterously in his arms as he hugged her and told her how proud he was.

  Gretel didn’t know what would happen when the harvest eventually ended, or how they would continue to survive, but she wasn’t ready to submerge herself into that concern just yet. She had done as she set out to do that night in the canoe: feed herself and her brother. Certainly, her goal hadn’t been realized quite the way she’d intended, but that’s how it usually went. Knowing what you wanted and then doing something—anything—about it was a big part of the battle.

  And in this case, it turned out a hundred times better than she’d ever dreamed. She was now able to feed her entire family, keep some of her family’s creditors at bay, and, since most of her meals were provided by the Klahrs, which meant less money was needed for food, she could even buy a few ‘luxuries’ like new dinner plates for the house and shoes for Hansel. To Gretel, it was all a miracle; two weeks ago such a scenario seemed far beyond impossible.

  Even Gretel’s school work had improved. Her grades, which had been dropping steadily, quickly began to trend upwards, and the combative behavior which had shortened so many of her school days over the past couple of months suddenly became agreeable and helpful. Gretel even became somewhat amicable with her classmates, and though her schedule allowed little time for outside socializing, she had made one or two friends.

  Of course, she recognized many of these changes were due to her fear that any news of mischief in school might find its way back to the Klahrs, but it was also more than that: for the first time in months, Gretel felt happy. And it wasn’t that fleeting kind of happiness which arrives seemingly from nowhere and then evaporates with the same lack of reason. It was a consistent happiness—that underlying peace that seems always to flow beneath the surface of certain people, subliminally repeating to them throughout the day that everything is okay. That no matter what happens, everything is okay. Those people who have never been without the feeling might label it ‘contentment,’ but Gretel was new to the feeling, and it was one she was now dedicated to for life.

  “Gretel, the pies!” Amanda Klahr barked her raspy command at Gretel as she carried the oversized platter of biscuits out the front door to the waiting table of hungry pickers.

  The men were mostly quiet and undemanding, particularly when it came to Mrs. Klahr, but she was as adamant as any city restaurant manager about having their meals to them hot and on time. Gretel surmised this came from a combination of pride and motivation, figuring the men would work hard for her if she worked hard for them. Plus, as far as Gretel could tell, the picking months were the only time of the year the Klahrs had company, and Mrs. Klahr enjoyed the entertaining part of the whole thing.

  The Klahrs had long ago moved the daily meals of the workers outside where cleanup would be easier and space wouldn’t be an issue. Georg Klahr had constructed a large wooden table for the purpose, with permanent benches on either side and a flat patio area made of clay brick. The giant table ran the entire length of the patio and was quite a marvel of construction. She had never measured it, but Gretel figured the table must have been twenty feet long. It was the length of a table that kings might dine at, Gretel thought, though its impurities and unfinished design made it suitable only for the environment in which it now stood. The whole area was actually quite beautiful, though Gretel couldn’t imagine that the space was used much at any other time of the year. But it served its purpose well, and the scene of men seated around the table resembled something closer to a family reunion than a migrant worker lunch hour.

  “I’ve got them, Ma’am! I’m right behind you.” Gretel slipped on the oven mitts and took two pies from the oven, setting them on the stove top and grabbing the remaining two from the back of the rack. She placed the four pies on a large serving board and followed Mrs. Klahr through the door which, mercifully, she had left open.

  Saturday: Gretel’s favorite day of the week. And her busiest. She’d been at work for five hours now and it was only eleven a.m.

  Gretel set the first pie at one end of the huge table and continued down toward the other end, spacing the remaining pies evenly so as to make them accessible to everyone. Gretel could feel the eyes of the men—not on her, but on the food. With great restraint the men sat sturdy, watching, waiting for the women to finish their roles and signal for them to begin. And when the signal came, the men wasted no time moving in.

  They were courteous, of course, taking one biscuit at a time, or one spoon of potatoes or chili, and then passing the dish on. But when they began, they ate everything. Soup pots were bone dry when the hour was up. The boards of roast beef or game hens or whatever main course was served that day were cleaned by the workers as if they had come from the wash bin. The tea pitchers, the greens, and the seemingly never-ending bowls of apples and pears were drained without pause.

  And then there were the pies.

  Amanda Klahr’s pies were staggering and had become so popular among the men that Gretel had suggested to Mrs. Klahr they be served first. Mrs. Klahr put up a mild protest at first but came around after testing the idea and receiving applause from the men when she placed them on the table at the beginning of the meal. From that point on, pies had been the appetizer at each lunch and dinner, whether they were made with fruit, meat or potatoes.

  Gretel placed the last pie on the table and stepped back, placing her hands properly in front of her, waiting as a servant in a mansion might for any further requests. Gretel loved to watch the men as they began the feast. She reveled in it. There was such joy in that first moment, and the moments just after the first bites, from men who spent most of the day looking stoic and grim. The ear-touching smirks and agreeable nods that sprang up around the table when Mrs. Klahr finally said ‘enjoy’ in her ironic, understated manner made Gretel glow inside. She wanted to clap for the men, encourage them to ‘take more, there’s plenty!’

  Of course, she said nothing and waited for Mrs. Klahr to flap her back to the kitchen for the next task.

  “They’re not children,” Mrs. Klahr scolded amusingly. “You shouldn’t watch them like that.”

  Gretel smiled, nodding toward the table. “I don’t think they mind. In fact, I don’t think they would notice if I was standing here naked.”

  Mrs. Klahr laughed and put her arm around Gretel, leading her back to the house where, once inside, Gretel went right for the kitchen and began cleaning the floors and range top. She worked fast, knowing that the dishes that awaited her after the men finished would take up most of her time until dinner, which she would need to help Mrs. Klahr prepare.

  “Pace yourself child! My goodness! You’ll be an old woman before you become a young woman!”

  Gretel smiled conspiratorially and continued scrubbing. “With all the food I eat now, I’ll get fat if I don’t move this fast.”

  “Well I can’t afford you getting sick, so don’t overdo it.”

  And this was a truth Gretel had come to accept.

  For the Klahrs, Gretel had evolved from a charity case to a necessity in only a few short weeks. She didn’t know how they ever got through a harvest without her, though Gretel assumed they must have hired some kind of temporary helper, perhaps the wife or daughter of one of the pickers. The fact was: this day was a typical day for Gretel, and Mrs. Klahr’s cautions to take it easy were simply courtesies. The work Gretel had been given was hard and heavy, and the pace at which she moved wa
s what was required for it to get done. And Gretel was naturally suited for it.

  At first, of course, the hours and work seemed impossible, particularly during those first two or three days; but Gretel’s body adjusted quickly, not just in terms of her stamina, but also in her physique. The carrying of pots and baskets, as well as her newly-discovered love for rowing (the Klahr’s had gifted Gretel a set of old oars), had quickly transformed her biceps and shoulders and thighs into those of an athlete. Gretel was accustomed to hard work on her land and household, but those duties had mostly been limited to feeding livestock, cleaning stalls, and mopping floors. The work she was doing now had made her lean and wiry, and she even seemed to have grown an inch or two.

  She was becoming the woman her mother had always envisioned.

  “Hi Gretel.”

  Gretel paused at the sink, trying to place the voice before turning around. It was young, male, and definitely one she had heard before. Not one of the workers—they rarely spoke to Gretel except to say ‘please’ or ‘thank you.’ Certainly never to engage in idle kitchen talk

  Gretel flipped the dishtowel across her shoulder and spun toward the voice. A smile reflexively spread across her face at the sight of the boy in front of her. It was Officer Stenson’s son.

  For the moment, Gretel couldn’t recall his name, which was odd considering she had replayed her encounter with the boy virtually every night for almost a month following their whirlwind meeting.

  But so much had changed since then. She’d quickly began to rebuild her life—thanks almost entirely to the Klahrs—and had spent as little time as possible on the ‘what ifs?’ of the past few months. What if The System had found her mother? or What if Petr was her boyfriend? There was no room for fantasy in Gretel’s life right now. Her actual life was working, and she wasn’t going to waste it wishing she were somewhere or someone else.

  Even with her mother, whom she still thought about several times a day, Gretel refused to descend the path of ‘if only Deda hadn’t gotten sick and mother hadn’t gone to take care of him and…’ She had learned at fourteen what most people never did: regrets were a waste of time.

  But now, months later, here was the mysterious son of The System officer. Petr Stenson. That angelic face from the window was now appearing to Gretel in the center of the Klahrs’ kitchen, as if in a dream, looking as beautiful as she’d remembered him.

  Gretel forced down her smile and shook her head quickly, blinking in confusion. “Hi,” was all she could manage.

  “It’s Petr,” he said, recognizing that perhaps his name had escaped her.

  “Right, Petr. Are you…here with your father? Is there news about my mother or something?” There was only the hint of hope in Gretel’s voice, mostly the tone was bewilderment.

  “No, no, nothing like that. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…I’m actually working here during the final weeks of the harvest. The academy agreed to accept me for the fall, with the condition I enroll immediately. They wanted to see if I’m suitable, I suppose. Anyway, the spring session has ended and the summer session doesn’t start for a few weeks, and my father wanted me to work during my time off instead of staying home. I guess he thinks it will keep me out of trouble.”

  “So your father knows the Klahrs?” Gretel asked.

  “I don’t think so. But my roommate this spring at Hengst worked for them last season, and he told me they always need workers to finish up the season.”

  None of this sounded plausible to Gretel, but she continued with the conversation. “This isn’t too far out for you?” she asked.

  Petr laughed, “Of course it’s too far, but what am I to do? I don’t make the decisions.” He bounced his gaze around the kitchen before his eyes landed back on Gretel. “Besides, I kind of like it out here.”

  Gretel blushed and looked away, swallowing hard, the sting of the boys piercing blue eyes lingering on hers. She composed herself and met the boy’s look again, quickly running through the circumstances of this meeting, none of which added up, of course. That she had met Petr at all that first day was unlikely—he’d happened to be with his dad, and his dad had happened to leave his notebook behind in her living room?

  And now she was expected to believe that this same kid had been referred to the Klahr orchard by a schoolmate at some snooty academy? Most of the workers in the orchard had never made it past grade school, let alone been to private secondary schools.

  With these calculations, Gretel’s defenses rocketed to the surface, with anger leading the way. She had little patience for lies—especially from teenage boys—and even less patience for those who looked to take advantage of the people she loved.

  “What is his name?” Gretel asked.

  Petr’s smile dipped slightly and his eyes widened for an instant. “Who’s that?”

  “Who’s that?” she repeated, mimicking the look on Petr’s face and tone of his voice. “You know damn well who I mean! What is the name of your roommate? He worked here last summer, did he? Don’t you think that’s an easy enough thing for me to check?”

  Gretel was close to yelling now, and had taken a step forward. She was now only a foot or two from Petr’s face.

  “What is his name?” she asked again, enunciating each word in staccato jabs.

  “Gretel!” a voice barked.

  Shaken from her hypnotic attack, Gretel turned to see Mr. Klahr standing tall in the foyer, his chiseled face expressionless and his eyes locked on hers. He had called her name the way a parent might to a disorderly child in a public place, whispery, with jaws clenched.

  “Yes, sir,” she whispered. She was breathing heavily now, her eyes blurred with a mixture of fear and anger.

  “What has gotten to you, Gretel?” Mr. Klahr’s voice contained more concern than anger. “This is how you speak to our workers now?”

  “No, Mr. Klahr, but—”

  “That’s enough then.”

  Mr. Klahr walked slowly to Gretel, his eyes softening as he extended his arms and placed his hands on her shoulders.

  “That’s quite enough, Gretel. I want you to go home now. You’ve worked far too much lately, and with all of your schoolwork, I fear you’re exhausted.”

  Gretel had plenty of words to come back with—how this outburst had nothing to do with work or school, and that Petr was suspicious, and that she needed the money—but she knew speaking them would be a waste. When Mr. Klahr made his decision, it was made.

  Besides, she was tired, and a day of rest wasn’t the worst thing she’d ever been told to do. She silently slid the dishtowel from her shoulder and placed it over the basin and then walked toward the door, glaring once more at Petr Stenson before turning the knob.

  “His name was Francis,” said Mr. Klahr.

  Gretel looked over her shoulder at her employer.

  “Petr’s roommate, his name was Francis.”

  ***

  Petr’s first week had come and gone with him saying little more than ‘Hello’ to Gretel, and she now regretted her tirade. It was more than just the scolding she’d received from Mr. Klahr, she’d completely overreacted, showing no grace in her behavior.

  She still believed Petr’s employment at the Klahr orchard to be an unbelievable coincidence, but apparently coincidences did happen, as was confirmed by Mr. Klahr himself. And now the result was that she’d alienated a potential friend. And maybe something more.

  But what did it matter really? The harvest was ending soon and Petr would return to school. And Gretel had far more pressing thoughts to consider, the most important of which being her plans for after the harvest. Her family had come to depend on the money she was earning—for food, for medicine, for everything—and though the end had always been in sight, there was nothing in place for the future. But why was this her concern anyway? Gretel was just fourteen after all, and yet the primary adult in her life, her father, had become reliant on his daughter’s temporary, part-time job. It was despicable to Gretel, and she had all but shed an
y remaining sympathy for his sickness. His recovery had plateaued, apparently, and though Gretel had been able to pay a doctor to reexamine him, he hadn’t found any real reason for her father’s lack of progress. ‘Some people just recover more slowly,’ the doctor told them, ‘there’s not much that can be done.’ But he was bed-bound twenty hours a day, and Gretel began to regard him, fairly or not, as just plain lazy.

  And frankly, Hansel was Gretel’s only real concern now, though she saw very little of him lately; he certainly must have missed his sister just as she did him. But that was a consequence of necessity, and they would all be better off for it. In fact, her being gone was probably good for the boy’s development, not having his sister around all the time to impart feminine softness into his personality. He needed to become strong, male, and, with an invalid as a father, Hansel would need to learn this from the world. And, indeed, Hansel was slowly making friendships with other boys in the community—not all of them Gretel’s first choices, but safe enough. There certainly hadn’t been adequate dedication and follow-through on his schoolwork—Gretel could only do so much—but Hansel had always been a solid student, and as long as he stayed away from trouble, she figured that part would work out fine. And so far, as much as Gretel could tell, her brother was keeping his nose clean.

  It was Odalinde Gretel most worried about. She’d kept out of Gretel’s hair for the most part, as it concerned her work and other things, but the longer she stayed on, working for free, the more Gretel distrusted her. The Morgan farm was no great land treasure—in fact it was slowly becoming ruinous—but it was property, and if Odalinde had her sights on it, who knew what intentions she had ultimately.

  Gretel had been saving though, putting some cash away after each day’s wages, leaving only enough for Odalinde to pay the creditors and feed herself and her father. Gretel had splurged some in the beginning, but she’d been frugal otherwise, and had saved up a decent stipend. When the Klahr gig was up, she would offer it all to Odalinde, with the condition that she leave quietly. She wasn’t sure what she’d tell her father, or how she would care for him, but she needed that woman out of her house. Of course, Gretel had no illusions the payoff would work—she was old enough to understand that if Odalinde was the evil figure Gretel imagined her to be, the woman could have robbed them long ago—but maybe a lump payment was just what she was waiting for, and Gretel had to try.