Carolyn was starting to return to reality. “Nice young man? Oh. Rodger. Yeah. He’s a good kid. I hope I’m not too early.”
“Not at all,” Hazel readily replied.
“Swell. I’ll go on and get my tools from my truck.”
When she turned to head for her truck, Hazel had a clean view of Carolyn. Her mother would have torn Carolyn apart. Overalls and a plaid shirt? A braid barely hiding a tan neck? Work boots and muscles? “How unladylike, how uncouth, how undesirable!” her mother would declare. Hazel had to disagree. Carolyn was beautiful.
Carolyn lifted her toolbox from the truck and carried it to the car. Without pause, she opened the hood and began to work. Hazel knew that Carolyn wouldn’t be interested in help, and Hazel knew that Carolyn probably wanted to be on her own. Hazel retreated into the house where she secretly watched from the window.
Something about seeing Carolyn felt right.
Five
After an hour of playing around with the engine, Carolyn had to stop. She shut the hood and glared at how dirty she had gotten. Once she had reached the front door of the house, she had to use the toe of her boot to knock. Anything else would have turned the white door black.
Hazel wasn’t far from the door. When she opened it, she laughed at how Carolyn was such a mess. “You’re a sight. I can’t let you get into your truck like that. Come in. I have some iced tea you can have too.”
Carolyn shyly followed Hazel through the small house. It didn’t have a second level, and it only had one bedroom. The building was nearly as old as Carolyn’s, but this one hadn’t been maintained. She didn’t have to be a genius to know that the furniture came with the place. As they passed Hazel’s moving boxes, Carolyn bumped into a few things here and there. Hazel managed to steady the stacks before they toppled.
“I apologize for the mess. I haven’t had the desire to unpack. The essentials are out. Rather, what I can find of them. The kitchen is in here. The sink is over there. Are you interested in tea?”
“Tea would be nice.”
While Hazel went for the tea, Carolyn desperately scrubbed her arms beneath the sleeves. She had to hurry before Hazel had a chance to see the marks. Right as Hazel entered, Carolyn rolled down her sleeves. Hazel set a glass of iced tea on the counter beside the sink. She sipped from her own glass as she leaned against the wall beside Carolyn.
“I’m not an expert when it comes to tea, so it might be too sweet or not sweet enough. I can add more water or sugar if you need me to,” Hazel offered.
Carolyn smiled. She liked Hazel’s accent, and she liked that Hazel used her voice often. Carolyn typically preferred listening to conversations rather than talking. Then again, she never met someone truly worth talking to.
“I’m sure that it’s just right,” Carolyn assured Hazel. She took a breath before delivering the bad news. “That car out there isn’t going anywhere for awhile. It needs some new parts. Only one or two. But it’s hard to get parts for an old car like that out here. I know a guy that has parts and scrap, but it’s about an hour’s ride. The good thing is that he’s got a telephone. Elmer could phone him and find out if the guy has the parts and how much they’d be. I’d see about going and getting them if he does.”
“You’d drive an hour away to get those parts for me?”
Without hesitation, or thought, Carolyn replied. “Yeah.”
“You’ve been so kind to me, Carolyn. You don’t have to keep doing it.”
“I said that I’d fix your car. Can’t fix the car without the parts. Besides, you don’t have a way of doing it yourself,” Carolyn said.
Hazel considered. “Only if I pay for the gas and go with you.”
“All right,” Carolyn agreed. She dried her hands on a nearby towel before taking a sip of the tea. Her head bobbed up and down. “It’s just right.”
“It is? Good. I was worried about the sugar. I couldn’t get much with it being rationed and all that. I’ll have to see if I can get any more when I go to town next…” she trailed off as she realized that she had no way to get to town, except on foot. “How many miles is it to Elmer’s from here?”
“Four or five. I go into town every Thursday and this farm is on my way. You could come with me.”
Stop talking, Carol, Carolyn desperately thought. Whenever she opened her mouth, her heart would overrule her head. She had already spent a great deal of time away from her farm yet again, which meant that she was risking the wrath of Thompson.
“That would be marvelous,” Hazel said, readily accepting Carolyn’s offer. She tried to sound less enthusiastic. “I would appreciate that.”
“I usually get going after breakfast. I stay out for a few hours. I’ve got to get things for the farm too. Is that all right by you?” Carolyn asked.
“That’s fine. Absolutely fine. Thursdays after breakfast.”
“Yeah,” Carolyn confirmed. She swallowed the last of the tea and stared at a clock that had yet to be hung. “I have to be going.”
“All right. You’re done with the car for right now?” Hazel wondered, discreetly hoping that Carolyn would be back in the morning.
“Yes. I can’t do a thing until I get parts.”
“Oh. Well, I guess that means I’ll see you on Thursday.”
Carolyn nodded. “Until then.”
“Until then. I’ll show you out.”
Hazel walked with Carolyn to the front door. They said their brief farewells. Hazel somberly sighed when she shut the door. She didn’t like that she would have to wait so long for Carolyn. She especially didn’t like that she would be stranded alone on the farm in the meantime. Unpacking would soon be her only entertainment.
*-*-*-*
It felt as though Thursday would never come. Carolyn went about her business as usual, avoiding bodily harm as best as she could. Hazel finished getting the house cleaned and properly arranged. With nothing else to do, Hazel spent time with her book collection and her new property. The fields weren’t too hard on her. Their emptiness was.
On Thursday morning, Hazel was awake before dawn. Carolyn was awake even before that. She tried to focus on her cows and chickens, but the young city girl plagued her mind. Hazel had another fight with her wardrobe until a sundress stood out. Once it was on, Hazel sat with a cup of coffee. She told herself to stop getting so excited over Carolyn.
Carolyn waited until Thompson’s car had vanished and Rodger was long gone. Then, she put on the dress she wore to town. She hated dresses, yet that’s what women were supposed to do in Debarr. She thought that maybe Hazel would prefer to see her in a dress anyway. She figured that dresses were even more important in Boston than they were in Nebraska.
Hazel heard the truck before she saw it. She didn’t want to wait or to make Carolyn leave the truck, so she met Carolyn halfway up the driveway. When Hazel grinned with the morning sun in her hair, Carolyn’s heart flipped. It took a moment to recover.
“Good morning, Hazel. Get in.”
“Don’t mind if I do,” Hazel smirked in response.
Hazel hopped into the truck. Carolyn drove onto the open road. When she did, she had a small voice. “I need to see a man about getting some hay for my farm. Is it all right if we stop there first?”
“That’ll be fine.”
Hazel stared at Carolyn’s wedding band. It wasn’t a topic that she wanted to explore. Still, Hazel began to think. Where was Carolyn’s husband? Carolyn was always in a rush to get back to the farm like nobody else was there to care for it. She was the one buying farm supplies instead of her husband. She was spending a great deal of time with Hazel…
Eugene wouldn’t have let Hazel care for the farm unattended, he wouldn’t have allowed her to buy anything other than groceries, and he’d never let her be alone with someone else for so long. Thus, Hazel started to find the situation odd. She thought for a moment that maybe Carolyn’s husband wasn’t so controlling, but that didn’t feel like the right answer.
“When did you start y
our farm?” Hazel began.
“Twenty years ago,” Carolyn answered.
“That long? With your family?”
“Just my husband,” Carolyn always felt as though she would vomit when she called him that.
Expertly, Hazel had created the opportunity to ask a specific question. “He farms with you?”
“Not anymore. He went to work in the factories when the war started.”
“You have to work the entire farm by yourself? He doesn’t help at all?”
“He’s gone almost all day. The factory is in the city. It’s a long way to go but good money,” Carolyn explained.
Hazel hummed to herself. “Your farm has cows and chickens, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah. I’ve got a horse too. A few bulls. And blackberries. But, those are for me.”
“Really? It’s ridiculous that you have to do all of that alone.”
“I manage all right.”
“I never said you didn’t. Can I help?” Hazel asked.
Carolyn’s neck snapped towards her. “Excuse me?”
“Can I help you on the farm? I’m supposed to be learning how to live out here, and I haven’t anything to do except read my books. It would be fantastic to have some human interaction. Besides, you’ve helped me, so let me repay the favor. I mean, it’s the least that I can do.”
“You’d want to work with me? You don’t even know me.”
“You don’t know me and you’re letting me ride along with you,” Hazel pointed out.
“Well, that’s different. Your car broke down and you’re alone, so—”
“You’re alone on the farm too. I’d really like to help. Maybe just one day a week,” Hazel continued to push.
Now, it was Hazel who spoke from her heart rather than her head. Logically, she was aware of the reasons it would be a dangerous idea to spend time with a married woman. This was particularly true, given that this married woman made her pulse flicker. Nevertheless, Hazel threw logic out the window.
It was Carolyn’s turn to do the same.
“All right, Hazel. One day a week.”
Six
It was agreed that Thursdays would be their day. They would go to town together, drop off Hazel’s things, and then go to the farm. Carolyn spoke with Elmer about the car parts, and he said that he would see what he could do. Elmer found it interesting that the young Northerner was following Carolyn around. Carolyn mentioned that she was helping Hazel with the car, but that didn’t feel like the complete story in Elmer’s mind. He wasn’t sure what the story could be.
The following Thursday, Hazel didn’t waste time. She rushed to Carolyn’s truck before it came to a complete stop. Carolyn’s smile instantly brightened Hazel’s morning. They didn’t pay much attention to their time in town. Elmer mentioned that the man had the car parts that they needed, and Carolyn commented that they would worry about picking them up later. That morning, getting to the farm was their only concern.
Once Hazel dropped her groceries off at her house, she climbed back into the truck. On the way to the farm, Carolyn’s eyes strayed from the road for a moment. Hazel was in a beautiful yet casual dress. It was tantalizingly short and entirely unfit for farming.
“Is that dress all you’ve got with you right now?” Carolyn asked.
“Yes. Why? You don’t like it?” Hazel said, self-consciously smoothing the wrinkles around her abdomen.
“No. I mean, no it’s not that I don’t. Not no that I do don’t,” Carolyn stuttered.
“What?”
“It’s a pretty dress,” Carolyn said. Hazel blushed while Carolyn uncomfortably cleared the anxiety from her throat. “That dress isn’t meant for working is all. You don’t have any work clothes?”
“No. This is as casual as I get.”
Carolyn considered. “Well…you’re about the same size as me. I’ve got an extra set of overalls. If that’d be fine by you.”
“My mother would have a heart attack if she saw her daughter in overalls,” Hazel scoffed. She smirked at the notion. “So, I have to wear them.”
“Good deal.”
When Carolyn’s farm came into view, Hazel thought that the house was gorgeous compared to hers. Even so, something about it felt dark. Perhaps it was the way that Carolyn’s face drained when she saw it. It was as if she were staring at a graveyard rather than a home.
“Let’s go in and get those overalls,” Carolyn said as she turned off the engine.
Hazel followed her up the wooden porch and through the front door. Immediately, Hazel was struck by how orderly everything was. The wallpaper was seamless, and the furniture was spotless. She almost hated to enter for fear of tracking dirt on the clean wooden floors.
Carolyn went to a framed painting of Debarr. Her thumb carefully straightened the picture, and she nervously bit her lip. “I’m sorry about the mess. I haven’t cleaned today.”
“What mess? This house is immaculate. I’m sorry for bringing dirt in here,” Hazel replied.
“Don’t worry on that. I’ll see about the clothes.”
After Carolyn went up the steps to her bedroom, Hazel gave herself a tour. The kitchen was just as tidy as the living room. Hazel stood at the backdoor for a lingering moment. There was a small window cut into the door. The window revealed a screen door and the rest of the farm. She tried to count the barns and guess what they were for. She jumped when she heard Carolyn behind her.
“Try these. The bathroom is back there,” Carolyn told her.
Hazel took the clothes with a nod. Happily, they fit. Hazel did find that she was a bit tall and thin for them, yet it wasn’t bothersome. It surprised her that the plaid shirt was so hot and heavy, which was nothing compared to the thick overalls. She solved that problem by rolling her sleeves.
“They work for me, Carolyn. I don’t see how you don’t faint in these. They’re so warm. You should at least pull up your sleeves,” Hazel commented.
Carolyn instinctively tugged them down. “It doesn’t bother me. We need to go let the cows out to graze.”
Hazel enthusiastically skipped behind Carolyn the entire way to the barn. When Carolyn opened the doors, Hazel was greeted by the sight of dairy cows and a few calves. She walked up to the young calves while Carolyn opened the other barn door. Soon, she began to let the cows out. Hazel remembered that she was supposed to be assisting Carolyn, so she bounced to her side.
“You just unlock the stall like this. They know where to go from there,” Carolyn explained.
Together, they let the cows go into the field to graze. Hazel smiled at the way their tails swished and their ears twitched. “This is the first time that I’ve been close to an animal that is so large. They’re majestic in a clumsy sort of way.”
“I know what you mean. That’s why I’m so happy that Thompson bought a dairy farm. I would never have handled killing them.”
Thompson. Hazel figured that must be her husband’s name. Carolyn said it with such disdain. Hazel knew that she sounded the same way when she spoke Eugene’s name. Hazel began to think that perhaps Carolyn was miserable in her marriage.
Suddenly, something wet flicked across Hazel’s ear. Hot air puffed on the back of her neck moments later. When she spun around, she was met with the horse’s face. Hazel flopped to the ground as soon as she saw the enormous animal. He was bigger than the cows.
“Are you all right?” Carolyn asked.
She helped Hazel to her feet. Hazel clung to Carolyn’s side. “Carolyn…there’s a gigantic creature over there.”
“That’s only my horse,” Carolyn gently said.
“That isn’t a horse. That’s an elephant with a mane,” Hazel argued.
“You’re not scared of horses, are you?”
“Well, I’ve only been around horses of the rocking variety,” Hazel muttered.
Carolyn laughed. “This horse is as sweet as apple pie. Never bites. I let him roam around all day.”
“He never tries to escape?”
�
��No. He likes to be wherever I am. Go on and pet him. He’s real soft.”
Hazel rapidly shook her head. “I think that I’ll get to know him from over here.”
“Go on and try it, darlin.”
Darlin. Carolyn had called Hazel darlin. Both of their hearts began to race. Carolyn’s heart rate pounded from shock and fear. She couldn’t believe it. Such a word should not have been used, in Carolyn’s mind. On the other hand, Hazel’s pulse raged from delight. Somehow, in Hazel’s mind, that was the perfect nickname. She hoped that Carolyn would say it again.
Cautiously, Hazel held her arm out. The horse did not move. He stayed still as her fingers brushed against his muzzle. When she saw that he was quiet, she ran a hand along his muzzle with more confidence. Carolyn playfully nudged Hazel closer. She bumped into the horse’s head, yet the horse remained calm.
“See? He won’t hurt you a lick. I’ll get you to ride him,” Carolyn smiled.
“Not today, you aren’t,” Hazel answered.
“I will one of these Thursdays,” Carolyn insisted. She saw the sparkle in Hazel’s eyes. It turned Carolyn’s disposition to stone. “We need to let the bulls out and get working.”
Hazel wasn’t sure what had changed the mood, but she followed Carolyn to one of the other barns. Inside, there were a couple of bulls for mating season. They had a smaller field that was meant just for them. Hazel didn’t feel comfortable with the bulls either. However, she felt safe knowing that Carolyn was with her. It was peculiar to her that she could feel safe with someone who was essentially a stranger. Regardless, she did.
“This is the barn where I keep all my tools and such. The other one is for hay and feed. The last barn is for the horse. We’ll get to that in awhile. First, we got to worry about caring for those fields,” Carolyn explained.
“All right. Hazel Mayer reporting for duty,” Hazel said as she grabbed a certain shovel.
Chuckling, Carolyn took the shovel from her and replaced it with a watering can. They took to the fields and the garden for quite some time. Hazel found the sun to be excruciatingly hot, and the air didn’t seem to move. She spilled the water from the watering can on herself, fell over twice from using a shovel that was heavier than it looked, and accidently flung dirt onto Carolyn’s face.
The Way We Are Page 3