Joshua stood to fetch another chair, but Alton stopped him. “I’ve been sitting in the Port A jail for several hours. I’m happy to stand, though I could use a soda if you have one.”
Becca hurried inside to pull a cold drink from the refrigerator. She’d shut the door to the appliance and was turning to head back outside when she bumped into Joshua, knocking her kapp askew.
“Careful now,” he said.
“I didn’t hear you walk inside.”
“You didn’t hear me ask if there were any cookies left?”
“Nein. I suppose I was distracted. My thoughts are scattered all over the place.”
“Then we should unscatter them.” He righted her kapp and then kissed her softly, briefly.
“I’m proud of you,” she said when she could catch her breath.
“For?”
“Everything.” She reached up and touched his face, and then she stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his lips. Making no attempt to explain herself, she turned and walked back out to the patio.
Alton accepted the can of soda and took a long pull from it before setting it down on the table.
“What was the jail like?” Sarah asked.
“Same as an Oklahoma jail.”
It occurred to Becca that he was the only person there who could make that comparison.
“Actually, it was a bit different because it was in a FEMA trailer, but the bars and bad furniture were the same.”
“Did they charge you with anything?” Nancy asked.
“No. But we had to pass a few tests before they would let us go.”
“Tests?” Sarah glanced from Becca back to Alton.
“Sure. First they checked our pupils. Then we had to tilt our head back, close our eyes, and count to thirty.”
“Seriously?” Joshua shook his head in disbelief.
“Oh, yeah. If you’re drunk or high, they say you can’t do it. After that, there was the heel-to-toe-walking test and then the stand-on-one-leg test.”
“Show us.” Becca felt the urge to laugh. It all sounded so absurd. Alton might be a free spirit, he might be indulging his rumspringa, but take one look at him and you would know he didn’t do drugs. Then again, she hadn’t known anything was wrong with Sarah’s father. She supposed people could become good at hiding stuff.
Alton stood, raised his right leg, and began to count. By the time he reached twenty they were all laughing.
“You look like one of the pelicans on the beach,” Nancy said.
“I guess we were lucky. Because we passed all the tests, they didn’t need to take urine or blood samples.”
“Ack.” Sarah crossed her arms. “I don’t like needles.”
“Once they’d confirmed that neither of us had anything to do with the drugs found in the backpack, we just had to fill out some paperwork and then we were free to go.”
“Sounds like a lot of trouble for a bag of marijuana. I’m certainly against drugs, but… ” Joshua shook his head.
“Turns out the bag also contained prescription and illegal drugs. They found some bottles of hydrocodone as well as some cocaine.”
They were all silent for a few minutes. Becca thought she was just beginning to understand the implications of the police investigation. If Alton had been found guilty, he may have had to stay in the Port A jail. It didn’t bear thinking about.
“And Spider?” Joshua sat there, looking relaxed and studying his brother.
“The backpack wasn’t his.”
“So why did they take you both in?” Becca asked.
“Procedure. I guess we could have been lying, but when they opened the pack they found a scrap of paper with Zach’s name on it. I think that was how he was paid. He’d leave the bag on the beach. The buyer would pick it up, and the money would be left in a post office box under Zach’s name.”
“Seems rather chancy,” Sarah said. “Anyone could have picked up the bag.”
“Maybe a tourist would. I think the locals know not to pick up bags that aren’t yours.”
“How did you learn all this?” Joshua asked.
“Spider. He’s been aware of the growing drug problem in the area, but he had no idea Zach was involved.”
“Wait.” Becca rubbed her fingers across her chin. “Isn’t Zach the clean-cut one?”
“He is.” Alton seemed amused by their confusion. “Sometimes it’s the clean-cut guys you have to worry about. Turns out the police have been watching him. They obtained a search warrant for his house and were headed out there as we left.”
“To arrest him?” Joshua asked.
“Yes. For the sale and distribution of marijuana, prescription drugs, and cocaine.”
“Wow.” Sarah fiddled with the strings of her prayer kapp. “Just… wow.”
“Unbelievable.” Joshua leaned forward. “You’re telling me the glassy-eyed kid who called me ‘bro’ and looked as if he hadn’t been sober in weeks was not involved?”
“You’re talking about Dax. Nah. He’s clean.”
“But he looked so… ”
“Spaced? Yeah. He has terrible allergies and has been taking meds for it. We warned him about surfing that way, but he wouldn’t listen. Turns out the combination of sun and saltwater made him pretty sick. A paramedic was called to help him.”
“Tonight?” Becca asked. “On the same beach?”
“Yup. Busy place.” Alton finished his soda.
“What are the odds?” Joshua asked. “What are the chances that Dax would get sick at the same moment that a drug-seeking dog sniffs out someone’s stash?”
“I suppose they’re low.” Alton shrugged. “Odd things happen all the time, though.”
“Maybe. Or maybe Dax was looking for an escape route, so he wouldn’t be taken in and questioned.”
“But there were no drugs in his bag.” Alton stood and stretched. “I’m beat. Think I’ll head on to bed.”
Nancy and Sarah followed soon after, leaving Becca on the patio with Joshua, once again watching the stars adorn the Texas sky. She would miss these quiet moments with him when they returned home.
“Do you think Dax could be in on it?” she asked.
“I’m not sure. I don’t know Dax all that well, and the fact that Spider came away clean—well, that surprises me.”
“Because of how he looks?”
“Maybe. Probably.” Joshua crossed his arms on the table and dropped his head.
Becca had to lean closer to hear the last thing he said.
“All I know is that Alton is too trusting, too naive.”
Becca gave in to the urge to reach toward him and brush his hair back from his face. He looked up, smiled at her, and caused her heart to skip into a triple rhythm.
Joshua’s expression turned somber. “I had a change of heart today, but that doesn’t mean the world became a better, safer place. I’m afraid Alton is involved in something he doesn’t understand at all.”
CHAPTER 48
Charlie didn’t want to be a bother at the job site, but it was difficult for him to stay away. There were plenty of other things for him to do during the week. The island was full of people who needed help clearing away debris. On Tuesdays and Thursdays he drove over to Rockport or Corpus Christi for supplies that folks needed. And he stopped by Alice’s apartment on the mainland at least once a week to take dinner and check on the kids.
But the MDS site had an immense pull on him. He loved watching the young people work, and Jim was a good manager. He didn’t stereotype as to what someone could or couldn’t do. In the last two weeks, Charlie had seen little, graceful Sarah Yoder hanging drywall and big, muscular Joshua Kline planting flowers in the front beds of Alice’s house. When you were finished with one task you were given another—whatever needed to be done. Gender or age weren’t usually a factor.
That approach worked well with the MDS crews. It meant a lot of variety for the workers in addition to providing some good laughs for everyone watching. Alton’s attempt to
add shelf paper in Alice’s kitchen was a case in point. He ended up with the stuff stuck to his arms from his wrists to his shoulders.
It was no wonder that Charlie enjoyed stopping by the site to visit, and Quitz trotted by his side, eager to see friends new and old. But when Charlie showed up on Wednesday, expecting to hear the weekly testimony, the crew’s mood was somewhat somber. He’d heard about the trouble at the beach with Alton and his friends. Although it hadn’t resulted in any charges against the young man, it seemed to have put a damper on their spirits. There were fewer smiles and jokes, and everyone looked a bit tired.
The couple scheduled to give their testimony were Rodney and Jalynn Thomas. They brought large pots of seafood gumbo once a week, and their home was next door to Alice’s. Charlie realized they had been Alice’s neighbors for years, but he’d never taken the time to get to know them before the storm. Today Rodney and Jalynn stood up and told about the day they had evacuated from Port A.
The two were African-American and in their early fifties. Charlie knew they were both hard workers, as he’d seen their applications. They loved the island and would do their best to give back to the community.
“I drove a school bus until Orion hit,” Rodney said, running a calloused hand across the back of his neck. “After that… well, we had some families come back to the island with their children, but not as many. Not nearly as many. The school district needed only half the bus drivers, so I was laid off.”
“I found other work easily enough, but it wasn’t what I was used to doing. I knew bus driving, knew my routes, and I was good with the kids. Suddenly, I’m hauling loads of debris across the island for half the hourly wage I’d made before. It’s been a tough change. I miss the kids. I miss the job I once had, though there’s always a chance that more families will eventually come back and I’ll get rehired.”
He cleared his throat and glanced over at his house, which would soon be finished. “This program has made it possible for us to stay on the island. We’re grateful to MDS, more grateful than we can say. We appreciate what you all do every day. That’s why my wife brings the gumbo and whatever else we can put together.”
Alton groaned at the mention of gumbo, and Sarah said, “I told you not to go back for a third helping.”
Soft laughter from the group helped to ease the intensity of Rodney’s story.
Then Jalynn stood up. She was a larger woman, and usually wore polyester slacks with a T-shirt proclaiming some slogan. Today her shirt was psychedelic and said Jesus Freak. Her hair was cut nearly as short as Charlie’s, and she wore dangly pink earrings. Charlie had met women like her before—mothers and grandmothers who took care of their children and grandchildren. It was obvious she was tough and didn’t cave because of hard work. You could also tell that her faith had helped her hold her family together.
“First thing I want to say is praise Jesus, who has saved my soul, who protected my family, and who provided an island for us to come back to.” Murmurs of “Amen” sounded from Charlie’s left and right. “You all think you came here on your own, but I know differently. I know God brought you here.”
A smile spread across her face, deepening her age lines but also softening her expression. It seemed to Charlie that she actually radiated the love of God. “And for young Alton, I saved you a piece of pecan pie for after you’ve digested those three bowls of gumbo. Lord, but that boy can eat.”
Now there was open laughter and Charlie joined in. Alton put both hands on his stomach and said, “Give me another half hour.”
“Oh, child, I’m not going anywhere.” Her face grew more somber. “And that’s what I want to talk to you about. I’m staying here. Rodney and I are staying here, and I pray to the good Lord each night that my children and grandchildren will return. Some folks may say we’re crazy. Well, that won’t exactly be the first time we heard such.”
She slowly scanned the crowd, and when she met Charlie’s gaze she nodded slightly. “Life is hard, amen? But the good Lord never gives us more than we can handle. What Rodney didn’t mention was that times were hard even before Orion hit. I stayed home when my children were young. I was a homemaker and proud to be one. But once the children married and moved to their own place, I took a job cleaning some of the condos out on the beach.”
White teeth and a large smile again. “I know you’ve been by them. Big, monstrous things. Houses that cost more than you or I will make in ten years. And I liked my job. I liked taking a place that was dirty, messy, and sometimes neglected and turning it into something sparkling and beautiful. Lord, but I would pray as I worked. Pray that Jesus would shine His love on all His children—the rich and the poor alike.”
Rodney bowed his head and stared at the ground, as if he knew what was coming.
“Then I fell. It was my fault, and I won’t be blaming anyone else. Got in a hurry and tripped over my own two feet walking out to my car. Broke my arm, this one I favor slightly. It was a bad break too—had to have surgery and pins put in. Now if I go through an airport screening machine, I’m going to set that thing off like fireworks on the Fourth of July.”
Charlie noticed Becca lean over and say something to Joshua. Something about her mother and a broken foot.
“The worst part was that I couldn’t work, and my job didn’t provide paid sick leave. Some of the people I cleaned for gave me a few weeks’ pay, which they didn’t have to do. It was appreciated. Even though folks may be different, God can show us that we share a common decency. The medical bills… well, they were covered after we met our deductible. Our church helped us to do that, God bless them. But we had to let some things go. We had to tighten our belts.”
Her voice dropped as she confessed, but everyone heard. They were transfixed on Jalynn and her story.
“We turned off the cable and started eating things we could catch, like that gumbo you just enjoyed. We stopped paying the flood insurance. Didn’t know, couldn’t even imagine the destruction of Orion. We fled in the path of that black storm—all of us went inland. What a sight we must have made—three cars stuffed with children and grandchildren and pets.”
She tilted her head and glanced at Quitz. Charlie knew she was remembering that October day and that long trip, the road that seemed to stretch out forever. The evacuation routes that had turned both sides of the freeway into northbound lanes—escape lanes.
“We also took a few changes of clothes and some photographs. That’s about all that would fit. When we returned—our home was gone. Our possessions had been scattered across the gulf. But our children were safe. Our grandbabies were healthy and alive. Praise God, amen?”
Now there was a rousing chorus of “Amens!” in response.
“We didn’t know where we would live when we saw that our home was gone. How could we ever afford to rebuild? But we prayed. We prayed and we believed.” Jalynn raised her hand to the sky, testifying to God’s ways. “His grace is amazing. We’d never heard of MDS, but God, He brought us Jim. He brought us work crews with people from places we have never been. He brought us you—each one of you.”
She reached down for Rodney’s hand and clasped it with her own. “We will testify and tell of what you have done for us. We’ll tell our children and our grandchildren and our neighbors. And when we do, we’ll give the glory where it belongs—to our God.”
The applause was thunderous.
Tears stung Charlie’s eyes, but he didn’t even attempt to wipe them away. Why would he? Gratitude and joy were not things to be ashamed of.
He stayed and helped for the rest of the afternoon, though there wasn’t a lot he could do. His shoulder had ached worse than ever the last few days, probably because of a storm that was predicted to land before morning. Nothing dangerous. Just a south Texas squall.
It was when he was helping Joshua store the day’s tools that he had the idea. “If you’re not busy tonight, I’d like to take you out to see my place.”
Joshua looked around confused. “No offense,
but doesn’t it just look just like ours? You’re in a FEMA trailer, right?”
“I am, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I’d like to take you out to see my home—my little piece of property.”
Alton had walked up behind them. “Can I go too?”
“Of course.”
“Not surfing tonight?” Joshua asked.
“The guys couldn’t make it. I could go alone.” He shrugged and added, “But alone isn’t much fun.”
Charlie thought it was more than that, but he didn’t call Alton on it. The boy would share when he was ready to.
“Nancy made sandwiches for dinner. I’m sure there’s extra.”
“Sounds good.”
An hour later the three of them were in the front seat of Charlie’s old truck, Quitz sitting on the smaller bench seat in the back, her nose pushed out the partially opened window. Charlie drove out toward the state park, and then he turned on the road that led to his home. He tried to see it as Joshua and Alton might, but his memories of the past overlay the destruction of the present.
CHAPTER 49
Joshua couldn’t have said what he’d expected to see, but it wasn’t the heap of rubble Charlie parked in front of. It looked two, maybe three stories high. Parked a few yards away and to the south was a small FEMA Urban Disaster Trailer.
“Welcome to my place, or what was my place.” As soon as Charlie opened the back door, Quitz leapt out and headed for the corner of the rubble where she marked the spot.
“Apparently Quitz still thinks of the place as home,” Alton said.
“Yeah. There are more strays than before the storm, though Animal Control is doing their best to rescue them and reunite them with their families. Quitz catches their scent and has to reassert herself.”
They all laughed as she ran to a different spot. The laughter helped, but it didn’t mitigate what they were seeing. Charlie’s place was a wreck.
A good part of the structure was simply gone. Joshua could tell where it had been because of the foundation, but what lay on top of it was rubble.
“You had a swimming pool?” Alton walked over and craned his neck back to stare up at what was clearly a water slide.
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