Chapter 13

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It was no one’s fault, really. Considering the events of the day, it was almost understandable that two little boys might get lost in the shuffle, especially these two. Everyone agreed, even Mother, that these two were full of the devil. They had such imaginations, so what one didn’t think of, the other one did. They were very close, especially these past few months. Annie tried to be attentive to them but it was hard. They were always too noisy or dirty and needed scolding for things their brothers would never have dared to try.

They thought that moving to the country was a wonderful adventure, and on such a day, the woods were very inviting. Since no one was paying attention, they were on their own.

Ben had found them petting some lambs out in the back pasture and invited them in for cookies. They sat at Ginny’s big kitchen table and recounted their day’s discoveries.

“But, boys,” Ginny said, “you have to stay away from the river. Shouldn’t we let someone know where you are?”

“Nah,” Peter answered between bites. “Everyone is really busy. We were just getting in the way. But if Annie drives past, then we’d better get back ‘cause she’ll see we’re gone.”

“But she won’t be back for a long time yet. She went shopping with Mrs. Bean,” explained Danny. He took a long look at his hostess over the rim of his milk glass. He hadn’t been around old people much except the aunts who clearly were of the opinion that children should be seen and not heard. He thought all old people must be like that, but he felt very much at ease here. “Maybe we could help you with something. We’re stronger than we look.”

“Yeah,” seconded Peter. “We could maybe help you with the sheep or something.”

Ben and Ginny exchanged glances. “Well,” Jake said. “You fellas s’pose you could help an old man fix some fences and maybe finish chores? An ol’ codger like me could use all the help he can get.”

“The ewes – that’s the mama sheep – aren’t always good mothers,” Jake explained as they leaned over the fence and watched the sheep graze. “For no reason at all she might not let her youngin’s nurse. I swear, they are the confoundest, dumbest animals God ever put on this earth. But having a herd of sheep is easier for an old man that having to mow all the time.”

He started his little Ford tractor and let the boys take turns steering it around the barnyard. He sent them up the ladder into the hayloft to drop down a couple of bales of hay. They strained and grunted, trying to move the obstinate bale to the edge and then push it over. Before coming down, they cast a wistful look at the stacks of bales, dusty rafters, and ropes hanging about. It didn’t take an overactive imagination to see that this could be a wonderland. The old man understood.

“Is old Billy up there?” he called, sitting down below, leaning on his cane. “That ornery, lazy ol’ cat of mine. You boys ought to stay up there a spell and see if you can find him.” Soon, he heard shrill laughter as they discovered the joy of jumping from haystack to haystack and swinging on a rope Tarzan-style, setting the pigeons into frenzied flight. The boys were so amazed. They didn’t even know places like this existed.

So when Jake and Ginny delivered them home that afternoon, they knew they had just had the best afternoon of their young lives. And when Jake told them they should come back for a visit real soon, they wondered if tomorrow would be too soon.

_ _ _ _


A lot of progress had been made around the house that day, but Annie was not particularly thrilled with the manner with which it had been accomplished. There was debris everywhere and the walls, even those which were previously intact, were dotted with holes where wiring and duct work had been installed. But she certainly wasn’t going to complain. There was electricity in part of the house including the kitchen so that the refrigerators now worked. There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony of sorts at the kitchen sink where everyone gathered to watch Annie turn on the water faucet for the first time. Trying not to appear unappreciative the Winston's were somewhat horrified to see that new pipes and pump did not magically produce clear water. They were still reluctant to drink it although everyone assured them that they would get used to it.

The LP gas was hooked up so that the new stoves were functional. The ladies had fun experimenting with all the new appliances. The menu that night was beefsteak, mashed potatoes with brown gravy, vegetables, salad, and a chocolate cake. Annie was amazed how quickly Lori put the whole thing together. Annie wasn’t much help.

After supper, a very jubilant Matthew pushed away from Annie’s brand new table and announced that he, along with Charlie, and the “boys”, was going into town to toast their accomplishments at the Pub. Soon after they left, the dishes were washed and Lori packed up her sleepy children and went home.

Annie made her rounds to make sure the boys were tucked into their sleeping bags and then went to check the baby. She needed to do something of which she felt confident, so she picked up the sleeping infant and cuddled her in her arms. Softly, she sang her mother’s favorite lullaby.

Red and yellow and pink and green
Purple and orange and blue
You can sing a rainbow, sing a rainbow
Sing a rainbow, too.

Gradually, she became aware of faint sounds of Sonny’s pounding and sawing in the kitchen. “God, doesn’t he ever quit,” she muttered. He had to be utterly exhausted.

She found him laboring methodically on the cabinets. He murmured a hello when he noticed her standing there, but there was no break in the tempo of his work. Annie poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table. A week ago, even a few days ago, this would have made her uncomfortable, but now she knew this is what he preferred. Idle chitchat irritated him. She sipped her coffee and watched as he expertly fit the new counter tops into place. There were no wasted moments, only precision and concentration.

He finished one side and stood back to survey his work. He took out his cigarettes and shook one out, nodding when she poured him a cup of coffee. “It looks good,” she said.

He said nothing, inhaling deeply on his cigarette. Finding the coffee too hot, he set it aside and crouched down by the old cabinets, easing his lanky torso inside. Turning onto his back, he tapped here and there until another section of the old counter was loose. He came crawling out, rubbing the dust out his eyes…

“My God, Sonny, how much longer are you going to work tonight?” she asked. It angered her that he was pushing himself like this, especially when no one else was.

“Look, this is ticklish work. Can’t do it when there’s a bunch of people hangin’ around.” Annie wondered if that remark was intended for her benefit. “Besides, I ain’t that tired. I’m used to working late, remember?”

“Well, it’s just as well you’re getting some of this done because my father is already getting bored with the work on the renovation. He wants to get started outside.” She was going to say more but she could hear crying from the other room. “Sounds like Joey,” Annie said wearily as she left to attend her brother.

Moments later she reappeared, carrying the little boy who was still fussing. She thought for a moment that his expression changed when he saw Sonny, but that was absurd. She was going to give him some milk, but then she realized there was something else she had to do first. “I think I drank too much coffee,” she murmured. “Here, watch him for a minute. I’ll be right back.” She thrust the little boy next to Sonny and fled.

She grabbed a flashlight on her way out but she didn’t need it. The moon was bright and the night skies were clear. And she knew her way to the outhouse by now.

Coming back into the kitchen she was horrified to find Joey sitting on the counter unattended with tools nearby. “Joey!” she shrieked as grabbed the child. “Couldn’t you stop working long enough to watch him? He could have hurt himself or--”

“Oh, for cryin’ out loud. I was right here. I wasn’t gonna let him fall or nothin’.”

“No? How were you going to stop it? Your back was turned.”

“He was sitting there, watching me work. You treat him like baby.”

“I told you. You have to watch him every second.”

“That’s stupid. He was fine.” He picked up his hammer and went back to work..

But Annie persisted, refusing to be excused or ignored. “Stupid?” she cried. “Is that what you call having concern for my brother?” She wanted him to respond but got nothing. How dare he talk to her like that. This was the second time he had hinted that he disapproved of the handling of Joey. Annie picked up the whimpering child and stormed out of the room.

She sat down to rock the child but her jerky movements were even more unsettling. It took a long time to quiet him. Eventually, he fell asleep, his head heavy against her shoulder. She could feel wisps of his warm breath against her cheek. Yes, we do treat Joey like a baby, she thought, because in most ways he is one. It was true that his body had grown but he never spoke or crawled or did any of the other things a little boy was supposed to do. If Sonny knew how the family agonized over this child for the last four years, he would never have said such mean, hateful things.

She stood to lay the boy in his bed and felt a familiar twinge in her lower back. He weighed at least 45 pounds and she often struggled to carry him. It occurred to her that in a few months she might not be able to lift him at all if he continued growing at the present rate. But he had seven strong, healthy brothers who could manage him easily.

She covered him with his quilt and bent over to kiss him. “Good night, my angel,” she whispered. “There’s nothing to worry about. I love you.”

She crawled into her sleeping bag and listened to the chorus of different breathing patterns that surrounded her. She began to tremble as fear began to close in around her. Don’t be such a coward, she thought. Why would you listen to anything that bastard has to say. Yes, their lives have taken a turn that no one would have predicted in a million years. But some things can’t change. Old ideals and attitudes have to continue. They must.

_ _ _ _


It was Sunday, but Charlie and the Dunlevy brothers pulled onto the yard at 7:30 just as they had the previous two days. Annie heard pick-up doors slam just as she wandered into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes and yawning. Matthew and Sonny were already dressed in their work clothes, having a cup of coffee. Matthew’s eyes were red and there was the unmistakable aroma of stale beer on his breath.

“Daddy!” Annie exclaimed. “Mass is at 9:00. There’s not much time to work.”

“Sorry, honey,” Matthew said, gulping down his last swallow of coffee. “Charlie and the boys are already here. Besides, aren’t you anxious to get some heat and plumbing in this old barn? I think God realizes the health and safety of my family is as important as going to church.” He pulled on his cap and gave his daughter a quick kiss as he headed for the door. “Say a prayer for your old dad, okay?” He rambled out without waiting for a response. Sonny followed without comment.

Good, Annie thought, because I have no intention of talking to him. She was still smarting from last night’s confrontation. She had to admit that she was pleased with the work he had completed. The counter tops were installed, the place clean, swept, and ready to be used. She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and set to work. During the night she had remembered that today was Danny’s seventh birthday. She was appalled that she and everyone else had forgotten it. Determined to make the day as special as she could, she was going to cook a big roast for Sunday dinner and attempt to bake her first cake. She should have gotten him presents when she was in town, but there was nothing she could do about that now.

Wishing she had written down Lori’s detailed instructions, Annie searched through the boxes of kitchenware till she found the blue-speckled roaster. Buoyed by an unfamiliar sense of self-importance, she stepped to the sink to peel the potatoes and carrots. The task was not nearly as simple as advertised. The harmless looking device could viciously slice the skin off her fingers as easily as a potato.

After a few minutes, Annie found she needed to concentrate less so she was able to glance up from her work from time to time. She discovered a world that belonged to generations of farmwomen working at their kitchen sinks on such early spring mornings. From her window she could survey the yard. Birds flittered past and an occasional rabbit or squirrel scurried by. Everything was bathed in a heavy blanket of dew with the sprouts of new grass lending its color. Although the view was somewhat desolate and unkempt, Annie could imagine how it would look with painted fences, repaired buildings, and farm animals pacing about.

The deed was finally done, and the mound of meat and vegetables was pushed into the oven. The heated stove took the chill out of the morning air as one by one her siblings strolled into the kitchen, shocked that their Sunday dinner was already cooking.

There were brief scrimmages as the boys jockeyed for position at the kitchen sink, wanting to wash and brush their teeth. No one could find anything. Shoes, arms and legs were flying everywhere. There was not much Christian love among the grim group as they marched toward the bus, ready to go to church.

_ _ _ _

Since the whole town was buzzing with the news of the Winston's arrival and it was rumored that they were Catholic, the congregation of the small white church on the hillside was awaiting their arrival that morning with thinly veiled curiosity. Word was that they were a large family with a lot of money, so there was talk that the church might finally get new carpeting and the roof fixed. Wasn’t it a shame the school had closed some ten years past?

Precisely at 9:00, the organ finished the processional as Father James Fitzpatrick, himself a little disappointed that the Winston's had failed to arrive, climbed the steps of the ornate, wooden alter. He turned to lead the congregation in prayer just as a loud commotion began building from the back of the sanctuary. Ten Winston's filed in, red-faced as they felt all the stares directed their way. The kindly priest paused for a moment to allow adequate time as each one genuflected in turn and settled into their seats. The older boys became aware of the scattered giggling as they were getting the once over by the young ladies and their mothers.

At the close of Mass, Fr. Fritz formerly welcomed the family into their congregation. “I see that Mr. Winston is not with you this morning,” he noted in that priestly intonation meant to inflict guilt. “I hope to see him here next week.” Ah yes, smiled the prayerful parishioners, we can’t wait to meet this man who would leave his home and prestige to move his family to a dump like the Weatherly place.

_ _ _ _


Sunday afternoon was nothing like those lazy, peaceful days they had enjoyed back home in New York. No one was allowed to rest as saws buzzed, hammers banged, and drills whined from one end of the house to the other so that walls and floor seemed to shudder. Since the kitchen was now somewhat functional, Annie busied herself cleaning out the cupboards and putting away the things she had purchased the day before. She kept a watchful eye on her prize roast in the oven.

Just as dinner was almost ready, someone announced that a big truck was pulling onto the yard. Annie checked the oven and went outside with the others just as Matthew and Sonny came up from the basement.

A large vehicle with an open cargo space and high walls came to a stop near the barn. It was a stock truck, loaded with various squawking and grunting animals. “What the hell?” Matthew exclaimed as he approached the driver. “You’re Mr. McGruder, aren’t you. I remember talking to you last night.”

“Yes, sir,” the visitor announced, pushing aside the spectators as he walked toward the back of the truck.

“I know we talked about me buying some livestock but we never made a deal, did we?” Matthew asked, obvious puzzlement clouding his face. “Hey, I was a little drunk, but I’d remember that!”

But Mr. McGruder, who seemed to be a man of very few words, began opening the tailgate. “Where ya’ want ‘em?” was all he said.

“What?“ Sonny roared with far more emotion that he had ever shown so far. “You can’t even go to town for a couple of beers without getting us into a worse mess?” Angrily, he turned toward their visitor. “Mister, there’s been a mistake here. We’re not near set up for this yet..”

“No sir,” McGruder drawled,. “Around here, a deal’s a deal. I got here a signed bill o’ sale. Now, where’d ya want me to unload? I got at hurry ‘cause I have to have the truck back by 6:00 and there’s another load.” He took some sort of small piece of paper out of his pocket as he spoke. He handed it to Matthew and then turned back to work.

“Oh, my God,” Matthew sighed. It was a receipt all right, written on the back of a cheap, white napkin from the Pub. “Oh, my god!” he whistled again.

Sonny was standing with his hands on his hips, looking as though he didn’t trust himself to speak. Everyone was waiting to see who was going to make the first move.

It was Matthew. “Oh, hell,“ he said. “My name’s on the deed, so if I want to buys some goddamn livestock, I guess I can! Let's get these animals unloaded.”

Mr. McGruder seemed quite intent on finishing his appointed rounds in the specified time. He swung open the gate and herded out five head of cattle, two of them with large utters.
“Milk cows!” Sonny roared. “You bought milk cows?”

“Yes, I did. Why in the hell should we buy three gallons of milk a day when we can just as easily milk ourselves?”

Mack, Andrew, and the others were beginning to get the picture, but there was no time to comment. As soon as the animals were unloaded, they began to scatter everywhere. The plan was for the boys to corral the animals while Sonny and Matthew constructed some kind of fenced perimeter. The cattle were fairly easy to contain but the chickens and pigs were an entirely different matter.

The scene of pure pandemonium that ensued that afternoon was one of those things they might laugh at someday, but at the time it was anything but funny. Even the normally suave Mack was chasing after the squealing, grunting, squawking barnyard animals along with everyone else. Running after pigs through muddy ditches and prickly bushes, they uttered profanities Annie had never heard before. Even the usually austere Andrew was heard to yell a few choice superlatives himself. It was dark outside by the time the situation began to approach some semblance of control and the weary combatants drudged back toward the house.

Annie had dispatched Thomas to look after the little ones but hadn’t thought about her Sunday dinner until she came back to the kitchen and was met with the awful stench of burnt food. “Oh, my beautiful roast!” she cried, heart broken. She looked at her scraped hands, now cold and caked with mud, and remembered how she had labored to prepare this feast for her family. She apologized to Danny for ruining his birthday. There was no cake, no presents, no anything, not even a chorus of “Happy Birthday.”

Everyone was so dirty and tired that Annie thought Danny understood. But later, when everyone else sank into a state of near unconsciousness, he laid in his sleeping bag, staring at the ceiling.

“Hey, what’s with you?” whispered Peter. “Aren’t you tired? Or are ya’ still mad about your birthday?” His brother didn’t answer. “Ah, come on,” Peter persisted. “birthdays aren’t that big of a deal anyway. You know, I was thinking. You should have the pick of the litter – you know, the ol’ dog’s puppies. This being your birthday.”

Danny aroused a little. “What if they make us get rid of ‘em? They might, ya’ know.”

“Nah, they’d still let us keep at least one, no matter what. I can’t wait till that ol’ dog brings ‘em out so we can see them. That old dog sure watches over her pups good, don’t she?”

In the darkness, Peter heard quiet sniffles as his brother was trying to fight back the tears. “Peter, why do you suppose some of those sheep don’t take care of their babies? Do you think it’s cause she just don’t want ‘em or cause she thinks they’re just dumb or somethin’?”

“Course not. It’s got nothing to do with the lambs. Jake said it just happens sometimes. He don’t know why. Besides, if she don’t want ‘em, they got ol’ Jake to take care of them.”

Danny was consoled by that last statement. He felt sleepy, but just before he closed his eyes he thought he would have to tell Ginny and Jake about his birthday first chance he had.

Chapter 14


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