Chapter 14

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The mood around the Winston household did not appreciably improve the next morning. There was more than the usual grumbling when Matthew rousted his unwilling sons out of their bedrolls

“Get ‘em up!” Sonny blasted in Matthew’s direction. “The fences are down and they’re running’ all over the place. A couple of those damned cows are all the way down to Gibson’s.”

“You heard him, gentlemen,” Matthew echoed in his best John Wayne voice. “Let’s get out there.”

There was barely time to dress properly, much less eat. Two hours later, when they trudged wearily back into the kitchen, wet and caked with mud and other foul-smelling substances, it was not a happy group.

Sonny came in, carrying two large pails of what appeared to be milk, although it looked much thicker and more foamy than normal. “Here it is. What you’re gonna do with it, I have no idea.” He thrust the buckets onto the counter where Matthew stood drinking his coffee.

“Well, I suppose we’ll drink it,” Matthew snapped, sounding equally agitated.

“Maybe you don’t know this, but this stuff don’t exactly come out of the cow as Grade A pasteurized 2% milk.” He left without waiting for a response.

No one spole for several minutes until Andrew cleared his throat and looked as though he was ready to make a rehearsed announcement. “It’s Monday and only 8:30,” he began. “This would be a perfect time to get the boys enrolled in school.”

This proposal was received with a loud round of boo’s and hisses, but Matthew waved them off. “Sure. All right. Get ‘em dressed and out of here.”

There were more groans and protests until the boys began to realize that maybe school was an appealing alternative to the mud and work. Mack graciously volunteered to drive them into town, reminding them that he was the only other driver besides Sonny and their father.

Annie was ill prepared for this latest turn of events and felt she should have been consulted before the decision was made. However. It probably was a good idea to get the boys out of here before things really exploded. Hopefully school would offer some semblance of normalcy. She managed to find the box of school records. Finding decent clothing proved to be much more difficult. An hour later, they were ready to go. They looked fairly presentable, she thought, although their clothes were wrinkled and shoes were stained with dried mud. She shuddered a little when she remembered the crisp, immaculate uniforms they had worn back in New York. It was becoming more apparent with each passing day that their new lives were becoming a never-ending succession of compromises and diminished expectations.

_ _ _ _


The Shannontown Community Schools were located across the parking lot from St. Patrick’s Church. Set back in the woods on the hills overlooking the river, it had served as a serene and tranquil place for learning these past ten years since the merger of the public and parochial schools. Facing declining enrollment and the threat of annexation into the larger neighboring school districts, the small congregation begrudgingly conceded that it was useless to keep St. Patrick’s School open.

The parochial and public schools consolidated, using the new Catholic grade school building and constructing a new high school with public bonds. The transition was accomplished fairly smoothly except for a few minor skirmishes such as deciding who should be the captain of the football team or the president of the school board. Of course, there was the constant threat of inter-faith dating which was the scourge of Catholics and Protestants alike.

Mack parked the bus, and they all sat quietly for a few minutes. The only noise was the gentle breezes rustling in the trees and the humming of a distant tractor.

“Jeez,” Thomas sneered. “What is this – a convent?”

“No, I don’t think so,” whistled Mack as the girls’ gym class emerged from the high school and headed across the parking lot to the sport‘s field. They giggled as they scampered self-consciously in the cool morning air. “Not unless nuns here are a lot different than the ones back East. Not bad,” he mused, “not bad. I’ll take the high school. You take the grade school.” He checked his hair in the mirror as he grabbed his half of the folders.

Annie’s job was easy enough. She herded her two charges into the grade school building on the right. They followed the signs to the principle’s office. Soon they were being escorted to their respective classrooms. Principal Boris Meacham informed Annie of his students’ high scores on national tests. “And there were team sports even at the junior high level, which were closely overseen by the high school coaches,” he said. Annie had no idea why that was important.

Mack paraded his three Winston's down the corridor. It was a standard, single level high school with classrooms down one side of the central hallway with the gym and cafeteria on the other. Arriving at the office, they were greeted warmly by Mrs. Lewis, the school secretary.

“No introductions necessary,” she said. “I saw you at Mass yesterday.” She called the principal, Mr. Rausch, to come meet their new students.

“Oh, we’re so happy to meet you at last,” he said, smiling and shaking everyone‘s hands. “Oh, I see you brought school records. That’s excellent. You should go see Coach Evans right away.”

“Coach?” asked Mack, more amused than puzzled.

“Oh well, you see, Mr. Evans, our very fine guidance counselor, is also the varsity football and wrestling coach,” Mr. Rasch explained. “Very, very fine coach.”

“Oh yes, of course,” Mack said, his hand over his mouth trying not to laugh.

They were ushered into Coach Evans’ office, if it could be called that. The small windowless room was crammed with stacks of books and college catalogs, mixed in with baseball bats, football helmets, and various other sport paraphernalia. The illustrious Mr. Evans was lounging back on his roller chair with his feet on his desk. Since there was nowhere to sit, the Winston's were forced to stand awkwardly as he concluded a phone conversation with someone they assumed was a fellow coach.

“Oh, yeah?” he was yelling into the phone. “Who says, buddy! It’s only March but already my team looks better on paper than your bunch ever will on the field... . Oh, yeah? Well, there’s always a first time... . We’ll just see come September 22... . I got the schedule right here in front of me... . Hey, we’ll be ready for ya’ .... . ” After a few more friendly barbs, the coach finally hung up the phone.

He sprang to his feet. “You must be the Winston boys,“ he said as he scanned his three new students as though he was sizing up racehorses. “One of ya’ wouldn’t happen to be a good running back, would ya’? I could really use a good halfback.”

“Well, sir,” Mack said, still stifling his snicker. “I guess John here would be your best bet for that. He’s the athletic one. Did real well in intra-murals last year.” John said nothing, just stood staring at the floor.

Mack continued. “Actually, they each have unique talents. Luke here is an excellent artist – I assume you do have an art program here?” His voice trailed off then because he wasn’t sure Mr. Evans was listening. The guidance councilor was still gazing at John.

“Oh sure, sure, we have a really fine art program here,” he said. “At least it’ll get you by ‘til graduation time in a couple months. And Thomas? What’s he good at?” he asked, sitting his rather wide frame on the edge of his cluttered desk.

“Well, Thomas’ interests lie mainly in music. He’s taken private lessons for years, and he can play several instruments.”

“Oh, well, that’s fine. We have a mighty fine music department here. The marching band plays at all the halftimes and things.”

“Oh, goody!” muttered Thomas under his breath, barely concealing his contempt.

“This is gonna be just fine for you boys,” Mr. Evans exclaimed. “We may be a smaller school than you’re used to, but we still have a lot to offer. And you know what they say--better to be a large frog in a small pond than vice versa, right?” Obviously, he must subscribe to that logic himself, thought Mack, or why else would still be teaching here?

Annie was waiting when Mack jumped into the driver’s seat. “Those poor suckers!” he said as he turned the bus homeward.

_ _ _ _


As they pulled up to the house, Matthew was walking across the yard toward the house, swearing and hollering about “those damnable pigs!” As they entered the kitchen, Sonny, Charlie, and the others were coming up from the basement. Lori called to tell Charlie that he needed to come to town to take care of another customer’s plugged toilet. The Dunlevy boys explained that they had other things to attend to as well. Thankfully, the furnace installation was close to completion except some wiring, which Sonny could finish by himself. He walked out to the truck with the men, talking about ground wires and circuit breakers. The remaining four sat down to the table, the house strangely quiet

“Well,” Matthew grunted, stirring his coffee briskly. “I guess I really fucked up.”

“Daddy!” Annie cried, horrified at her father’s language. But the others were chuckling. Even Mack seemed to be enjoying this display of humility.

“Well, it’s true,” Matthew continued. “Those damn pigs out there. I do not believe there is a fence known to modern man that will keep those things penned up anywhere!” But then his face softened and a wide grin spread across his face. “But did you see Peter catching that one slippery devil yesterday? My God, he landed on his belly in all that mud in the ditch down there? And he’d be damned if he’d let go, even when he lost his glasses!” It was funny and they all howled with laughter.

“Now listen, all of you,” Matthew pleaded, trying to be heard. “I promise I will never do anything that stupid again, I swear it! But why have this beautiful farm without some livestock?” His referral to “this beautiful farm” made them laugh even harder. “No, now listen. We’ll have beef and pork for butchering, chickens for eggs and meat. That’s what farming is all about. We’ll be self-sufficient!” He looked more somber now, waiting for his irreverent children to settle down.

“But the truth is,” he continued, staring into his coffee cup, “I can’t do this – not even begin – without you guys. Mack, I know you’re especially unhappy with this situation. I know you never dreamed in million years I’d ask you to do anything like this. But I am asking now. Just give it some time. I need you to stay until the first harvest at the end of the summer. Andrew, I know that seems like an eternity. But I promise, you can go back to college in the fall.” He sat quietly for a few moments trying to find the right words. “Don’t you see, you have your whole lives ahead of you. So can’t you spare me a few months?”

Sonny came in and went straight for the coffee pot. As was his habit, he preferred to hang back rather than join the group at the table.

“I understand I need to be more open with all of you.” Matthew said. “We’re all adults so we should discuss things more. It’s obvious that there needs to be more planning.” That was certainly an understatement, which brought smiles to all their faces. “So, what do ya’ think? Should I call McGruder and tell him to take his livestock back?” he asked. He was addressing the whole group, but it was clearly a question Sonny needed to answer.

“Well,” Sonny sighed, “the damn things are here now so we just as well keep ‘em. McGruder wouldn’t take anything back anyway.” He blew across his coffee cup thoughtfully. “But we have to get some decent fencing.”

“Yeah, there’s no use trying to patch up the old stuff, “ Matthew agreed. “I’ll call in an order to Charlie right away. And maybe the Gibson's would know someone who has one of those separators for the milk. At least then we could drink the stuff.”

It was amazing how hopeful he sounded. Skeptical glances passed between his children as they set about completing their assignments. Andrew went down the road to talk with Ben and Ginny, mumbling that he had no idea what he was asking them about. Matthew and Mack went into town to buy fencing, leaving Sonny to work on the furnace. Annie was happy to move about the quiet house, only interrupted by an occasional crying child.

The day went quickly. Annie was able to get a lot of cleaning done upstairs. Matthew surprised everyone by coming on the yard with a new 4-wheel drive GMC pickup. “Took me about 5 minutes to buy it,” he said, grinning. “It was the only one they had on the lot.”

Their afternoon of concentrated productivity was loudly interrupted when the school bus delivered the five Winston students back home again. They each had their own stories to tell as the kitchen was swallowed up by noisy confusion. The one thing they all had in common was that they were all starved and seemed genuinely glad to be back home. Annie smiled at their youthful exuberance. The lone exception was, of course, Thomas. He was brooding as usual. The teachers were awful, the students were hicks, and the music department was barely worth his time. But no one was paying much attention to his whining so he wandered off, still sulking.

The other boys were anxious to get outside and get more acquainted with the new animals. “Livestock,” one of the boys corrected. “Farm animals are supposed to be called livestock.” Peter and Danny thought each one should have a name. Annie was happy to see how excited they were because they were expected outdoors for another round of chores. They grabbed their sandwiches and cans of soda, ready to bust out the door.

“Hold it!” Annie commanded. “You have to change your clothes first!” This idea of “school clothes” and “work clothes” was still an alien concept to them.

The tired and hungry laborers came in after nightfall. Annie managed to put a decent supper together with ice cream for later. There was homework to be done and a few other things to finish up before bedtime. Sonny had come in much later than the others. He took his plate and ate standing up by the counter. Then he was gone again.

When he appeared a few minutes later, he sought out Danny and Peter and mumbled something about following him back outside. Annie started to object, but the two little boys were squealing with delight so she said nothing. They grabbed their coats and were outside for what seemed forever. She decided to investigate herself.

She stepped quietly onto the back porch, pulling her sweater around her shoulders. At the far end she could see flashes of light darting around and as she drew closer, she could hear the excited whispers of her little brothers.

“Oh, they’re so cute,” gushed one of the boys.

“They are still real little,” Sonny cautioned. “Their mother won’t like it if you handle them much. So I don’t ever want to catch you guys down here alone, ya’ hear?”

The boys promised, fondling one little furry ball after another. The mother crouched nearby, watching the proceedings carefully. Annie watched as the boys moved about, even reaching to pet the older dog. Annie’s presence was so far undetected. She said nothing as she knew if it would end in another argument with Sonny.

Later, when she was tucking the boys into their sleeping bags, she asked them where they had gone. They told her of the five puppies and how their eyes were open now. “Sonny says soon the mother will have them out playing on the yard,” Peter said. “I can’t wait!”

“You have to be careful around their mother,” cautioned their big sister. “Are you sure its safe?”

“Oh, sure it is. She’s a dog, not a wolf or a fox or anything, you know,” lectured Peter. “Sonny says the more she’s around us, the more she’ll trust us.”

“Yeah,” agreed Danny. “I think she’s starting to a little. Sonny thinks so, too.”

“Oh, he does,” said Annie, tersely. It looked as though there were two more members in the Sonny Jackson Admiration Society, and that infuriated her.

_ _ _ _


The next morning there was another scene of mass confusion. No one could find anything for school. The bus pulled up to the end of the long driveway and honked incessantly until all five boys were on board.

Just as that group of Winston's left, the “second shift” came in, already looking tired and cold from working outside since 6:00 A.M. Keeping the livestock corralled, fed, and watered with inadequate equipment was turning out to monopolize too much of their time. Even Matthew admitted it was much more difficult than he expected. The milk was a major disappointment to him. Even after Sonny got the Gibson’s antiquated separator operational, everyone still complained the milk was too thick and creamy. Plus, Sonny was the only one who could milk the cows, which was an obvious waste of his valuable time.

For the second day in a row, they assembled at the kitchen table, trying to make plans for the day. Sonny took up his usual retreat in the corner. Thankfully, the Sears order was coming today so at least they would have some decent clothing. And the J.C. Penney’s truck would be bringing the furniture today, also. Annie and Andrew would concentrate on the upstairs so everyone could sleep in beds tonight – if Sonny could get the furnace started.

By early afternoon, Annie proudly toured the second floor. It was cold and drafty but the debris was cleared, cobwebs were gone, and the floors and walls were scrubbed. Her red and sore hands were testimony to the hard work it had taken.

Of course, all the delivery trucks showed up at the same time. Sonny had to wade through the muck and mire of the low place in the driveway to drive the trucks through. Annie attempted to act as traffic cop, but chaos ensued and most everything got stacked in the front foyer. There were mattresses and box springs piled ten high with boxes of bed frames and bedside tables. Tools were dispensed and everyone except Sonny headed upstairs to assemble furniture. Once again, the time passed quickly.

They were working in one of the bedrooms when suddenly Andrew stood up erect, sensing something was different. Annie felt it, too. Then they realized it was the furnace, blowing bellows of wonderful warm air. And, to Annie’s dismay, there were clouds of decades’ old dust, too.

There were no sheets for the beds yet, no curtains on the windows or carpeting on the floor, but tonight they would sleep in beds in their own rooms. The boys took their sleeping bags and belongings upstairs. The house was dreadfully short of closets so piles of clothes and things were everywhere. At least, it wasn’t all in one room.

Sonny didn’t come in that night. One of the boys said they had seen him working in the little L-shaped shack across the driveway. About 9:00 he came in and picked up his few things and headed for the door. Matthew asked him where he was going.

“I got my place ready, so I thought I’d turn in,” he said as he walked out the door. Matthew began to protest, but then thought better of it. “It’s true. We didn’t think to assign him a room.”

“So?“ mused Annie. “I’m sure he prefers to be alone anyway.”

Later, when the house was quiet, she looked across the yard from her bedroom window and saw a light coming from the broken-down shed Sonny claimed as his home. There was smoke rising from the chimney. Well, at least he won’t freeze to death. But she quickly reprimanded herself for worrying about him. He certainly could take care of himself. She crawled into her bed, feeling so tired she could hardly move. But she lay there awake for a long time, unable to shut out the eerie ensemble of noises echoing all around her. After a week of sleeping on the floor with all those bodies so close, it felt strange to be in a bedroom alone. She began making mental lists of all the things she wanted to get done the next day. Gradually, weariness overtook her and she fell into a restless sleep with mops, brooms, and cobwebs floating in her dreams. There was no respite from the work, not even in sleep.

Chapter 15


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