Hanging Stars On Big Willow Creek: A Novel

by Sarah Hill

  The woman’s face fell. Pursing her lips to the side she lit a cigarette and walked over to the gate that separated her yard from the pasture and opened it. Leaning her hip against the gatepost, she put the cigarette to her lips and inhaled before blowing out a cloud of smoke and said, “I’m Delphia, you can call me Del.” She put her free hand out towards Rylie to shake.

  Rylie looked up at the woman with her mouth gaping open. Most people who looked at her with eyes of pity pretended not to see her and went about their day. This woman was holding her hand out willing to touch Rylie’s dirty one. She inched closer to the woman as she narrowed her eyes at her and reached out her hand.

  Del took her hand in hers and said, “I’m pleased to finally make your acquaintance, Rylie. I’ve seen you playing out in the pasture and in the tree line.”

  Rylie relaxed as Del’s soft hand warmed her cold, bony one and in her tiny voice said, “Pleased to meet you… Delphia.”

  Del let out a musical laugh that lifted Rylie’s dark mood into the light and caused her to smile. “Please, call me Del.”

  “Del.”

  “I was just about to go in and whip together some lunch. I’d love it if you kept me company,” Del said, stepping aside and signaling Rylie to enter as she stomped the cigarette out on the ground.

  Remembering an old rule she learned in school to never trust a stranger, Rylie looked around expecting to see Miss Ryan, her Fourth-grade teacher shaking a finger in her direction.

  “It’s ok, sweetie. I promise not to kidnap you. I’m having turkey sandwiches and chicken noodle soup if you’re interested. The tomatoes I put on the sandwiches are fresh from the garden.” Del winked at her and added, “It’s okay if you don’t feel comfortable enough to join me. We can get to know each other a little more and then maybe you can join me another time.”

  Rylie felt her stomach rumble angrily as the thought of getting lunch started to slip away. She took a deep breath as Del turned towards her yard and blurted, “I want to eat.”

  Del turned back to look at her and smiled. She knew it was a look of pity that Del gave her, but she didn’t care because today she was going to fill her belly with lunch. She followed Del into her garden where she stopped to pick up a basket of vegetables before heading into her backyard. Rylie looked around the backyard full of things her own yard didn’t contain. Del had a barbeque made of bricks that stood nestled between two lilac bushes, a clothesline of clothes swaying in the breeze and a yard of actual green grass that smelled like it had recently been mowed.

  “Come on in, sweetie,” Del said, as she held the screen door open.

  Rylie reached out and touched the screen door, then looked up at Del with a smile and said, “I’ve never seen a real screen door before.”

  “My husband made it for me years ago because I complained about the flies getting in.” Del laughed, shaking her head, as she added, “Darn flies still get in, but I do love this screen door.”

  Rylie smiled up at her as she walked past her and into the house. As she stopped to wait for Del to go ahead of her she saw the washer and dryer against the wall and with a gasp said, “You even have a washer and dryer! I have to wash my clothes in the tub and hang ‘em up around the house to dry.” She turned back to Del, the smile on her face slipping when she saw the sad look Del was giving her and added, “I don’t mind though.”

  “Personally, I like to line dry my clothes,” Del said, with a wink. “Come on, honey. Let’s get some lunch. Did you want to help me?”

  “Yes, please!”

  Del led her into the little kitchen and grabbed a chair, pulling it up to the sink and said, “Hop on up. You get your hands washed and I’ll grab everything we need.”

  Rylie climbed onto the chair and sitting on her knees, she turned the faucet handles forward and leaned across the sink to grab the purple bar of soap laying in the soap dish. As she twirled the sleek bar between her hands, the scent of lilacs enveloped her and she felt her mood relax some more. “Your soap smells so good. Mine just smells like soap,” she said, giggling.

  “Thank you. Lilacs are my favorite flower.”

  “Is that why you have so many of them in your yard?”

  “That is exactly why. Here, you can dry your hands on this and I’ll get you an apron.”

  Rylie took the hand towel from Del and hopped down from the chair looking around the kitchen. Her eyes fell on a small television sitting in a nook in the wall above the stove. “Do you watch a lot of TV?” she asked, when Del came back in with an apron.

  She tied the apron strings around Rylie’s small waist and said, “Not a lot. Norman, that’s my husband, sits with me in the evenings and we watch a little. We turn it on in the mornings to listen to the news as we get ready for the day and I watch my soaps, but other than that it stays silent. How about you?”

  Rylie shook her head and said, “I’ve seen a couple cartoons at school, but we don’t have a TV at home. I create stories of my own instead.” She turned to face Del. “My teachers say I have the most creative mind on the planet,” she added, with a wide smile.

  “They do, do they?”

  “Yes, but I don’t think they think it’s a good thing because I always get in trouble for it at school. They say I daydream too much.”

  “Do you agree?”

  Rylie shrugged. “I can’t help it. I like stories and when I get bored at school, I create a new story. I can see them just like a TV screen, only in my head.”

  “Sounds like you have a wonderful imagination,” Del said, holding a butter knife out to her. “You spread some mayo on those slices of bread while I slice some tomatoes. So, Miss Rylie, are you excited for school to start?”

  Rylie took the knife from her and dipped it into the open mayonnaise jar Del placed in front of her and said, “No, and yes. The kids can be mean sometimes, but the lunch ladies make good food.” Reaching for the other bread slices, she frowned. “Are you extra hungry?” she asked, turning to look at Del.

  “No, why?” Del asked, pausing from her tomato slicing.

  “There are six slices of bread.”

  Del nodded as she turned back to the tomatoes and said, “Yes, well I’m sure Norm will be hungry when he comes in for lunch.”

  “Oh. Will he be eating with us?”

  “I never know. He works for the Banks family who own this land. Most days I eat alone.” She looked at Rylie and added, “So I appreciate your company. He usually eats an hour or two after I do, so I just leave his lunch in the fridge or warming on the stove for when he gets here. Then I sit with him while he eats and we talk about how our days are going.”

  “That sounds nice,” Rylie said, spreading the creamy white mayo across one of the bread slices.

  Del brought the tomato slices, a plate of turkey and some cheese slices over to the table and asked, “Do you and your momma talk about how you spend your day? It being summer I bet you have all kinds of adventures to fill her ears with.”

  Rylie lowered her head to hide her eyes and said, “No. I don’t really see momma much.”

  “Oh, I see. She works at the bar in town, doesn’t she? Does she work long hours?”

  Rylie shrugged and said, “I don’t know.”

  Del’s forehead creased as she fell silent and stared at Rylie’s profile.

  Rylie could feel her eyes on her, so she focused on spreading a perfect layer of mayonnaise on each slice and ignored the clicking of Del’s tongue. “How’s that look?” she asked, turning to look at Del, who was studying her in silence.

  Del snapped to attention, looked down at the bread slices nodding and said, “Looks like some professional mayo spreading to me. You put the perfect amount on ‘em. These sandwiches won’t be dry.” Del pushed the plate of cheese slices towards her and asked, “Do you like cheese?”

  Rylie nodded eagerly and said, “Yes, ma’am!”

  “Well, go on and get those slapped on and then you can add the tomatoes and turkey. I’ll start warming up t
he soup.”

  Rylie laid a slice of cheese on three of the slices, making sure the edges lined up perfectly with the edges of the bread. She imagined herself to be a famous chef as she dramatically laid the tomatoes and turkey on top of the cheese and began a dialogue inside her head. “Chef Rylie prepared the most devastatingly delicious sandwich the queen had ever sank her teeth into, causing her highness to rise from her throne and clap in admiration.” Rylie curtsied and nodded her head in the direction of the imagined queen and her royal subjects.

  “Rylie, sweetie. Are you okay?”

  Del’s words cut across her imagination and she stopped mid-curtsy, smiling over at Del who was looking at her with concern.

  Pulling her bottom lip behind her front teeth she nodded shyly before saying, “I’m all finished with the sandwiches.”

  “I see that. You did a beautiful job.” Del walked over with a knife to cut them in half and lay each slice on a white porcelain plate. “Were you daydreaming?” she asked, with a knowing smile.

  Rylie smiled timidly and said, “Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t you apologize. There is nothing wrong with a healthy imagination. So, what was going on up there?” Del asked, softly tapping the side of Rylie’s temple.

  “I was a famous chef for the queen.”

  “Impressive! Did she like your sandwich?”

  Rylie’s lips broke into a smile and nodding, she said, “Yes, ma’am!”

  “Well then, I think you and I better have a seat and try them ourselves. What do you say?”

  Rylie nodded vigorously as her stomach rumbled its agreement underneath her thin dress. They sat down and feasted on the best sandwich and bowl of soup Rylie ever remembered having. She was relieved Del’s husband didn’t make it for lunch. She was nervous he wouldn’t be as welcoming to the creek urchin as his wife had been. She helped clean up the few dishes they’d used and then Del handed her a Tupperware bowl full of soup to take home.

  “Do you have a way to warm that up?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.

  “Yes, ma’am. We have a stove and only one of the burners doesn’t work,” she replied, hugging the bowl close.

  “Okay. Do you know how to safely use the burners?”

  Afraid Del might change her mind and take the soup back, she nodded and said, “I promise I do. Momma only buys stuff I can cook on my own. I do all my own cooking when she brings groceries home.”

  Del’s shoulders sagged as she closed her eyes.

  “Did I say something wrong?” Rylie asked.

  “No, sweetie. You didn’t say anything wrong.” Del sat down on one of the kitchen chairs so she was eye level with Rylie and asked, “How would you feel about having lunch with me for the remainder of summer? That way you can keep me company.”

  Rylie gasped. “Really? You’d want me around every day?”

  Del reached out her hand and tapped Rylie’s nose. She smiled and said, “Really. I quite enjoyed having you around today.”

  “So, I can come back tomorrow?”

  “I would love it if you did, but only if you want to of course.”

  Rylie felt a rush travel through her body and goosebumps appeared on her arms. “Yes, ma’am! I want to!” she shouted, a little more loudly than she’d intended

  Del laughed and said, “Then I will see you tomorrow. And remember you promised me to use those burners safely.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I promise!”

  October 9, 2010 – Early Evening

  Rylie packed her bags and put together Alex’s schedule for the next week, placing it on the fridge for Spencer. She called her team to let them know she would be leaving town for a while and would need to postpone the start of the book tour. Then she sat on the couch staring at the flames dancing in the fireplace until she fell asleep.

  She awoke to Alex crashing through the front door. He jumped up on the couch and excitedly said, “Mom! Mom, wake up! Guess who had the best show and tell in class today? Guess!”

  Rylie’s eyes fluttered open and she allowed a small smile for her beautiful little boy before answering. “I bet Toby did.”

  “Nope! Wrong! It was me! After I showed them my wizard’s chess, they didn’t want to pay attention to anyone else! Everyone wanted to play my game!” he exclaimed. He paused and added, “Don’t worry, I didn’t lose any pieces.”

  “You are growing up to be such a responsible boy. I am so proud of you,” she said, brushing his bangs from his eyes. She sat up and looked up at Spencer, who had entered the apartment behind Alex and was watching them with a smile. She so loved that gorgeous smile. After all these years, it still made her heart beat fast. “Hey. How’d your day go?”

  Spencer sat on the arm of the sofa and said, “It went well. How about you? Did you get a flight booked?”

  She nodded and pulled Alex into her lap to make room for Spencer. “I did. I have a flight out tonight. We’ll have to head to the airport after dinner.”

  Spencer sat in the space Alex had just vacated and said, “Why don’t we go out to eat? Since you may be gone for a bit, it’d be nice to enjoy you while we have you here. We can leave now and head to the airport from there.”

  “Yeah! Mom, can we please go out to eat?” Alex asked, placing his hands on her cheeks and staring into her eyes.

  Her mouth broke out into a smile and she said, “You sure do know how to make me feel better. You know that, right?” she asked, nuzzling her nose against his.

  Alex’s smile created crinkles on his little freckled nose as he replied, “Because I’m so cute, right?”

  “That is exactly right,” Rylie said. She snuggled her face against his and whispered, “I’m going to miss you so much, buddy.”

  Alex wrapped his arms around her neck and squeezed. “I’ll miss you too mom. Will you call every day?”

  “I promise.”

  Alex loosened his arms and sat back to look at her face. “And can I talk to Grandma Del and Grandpa Norm, too?”

  “Absolutely! As soon as grandma is able to take phone calls you will be the first person we call.”

  “Hey, buddy. Why don’t you go put your backpack and wizard’s chess away and then we’ll go eat,” Spencer said, reaching over and messing Alex’s hair up so it stuck up all over.

  “Okay. Can I pick where we eat?” he asked, his sapphire eyes shining.

  “I’m sure your mom will be okay with that.”

  Alex hopped down from Rylie’s lap and ran down the hall to his room.

  Laughing, she looked over at Spencer and said, “He needs a

  haircut.”

  “I’ll take care of it. When you get back you will be able to see those eyes clearly again,” he replied, as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

  Leaning her head against his shoulder, she closed her eyes and said, “Thank you, Spence. I don’t know how I’d survive without you.”

  “And here I am, wondering how I’m going to survive without my best friend,” he said, leaning over and kissing her forehead. “How long do you think you’ll be gone?”

  “Gosh, I don’t know,” she said, turning to look at him and sighing. “I’m hoping by the time I get there the doctors will have told them what the next steps will be. I’m sure it will be surgery again. If so, I’ll stay for a week or so to make sure she’s settled in and Norm knows what he’ll need to do as she heals. Spence, I don’t want to go. I wish they’d just move here so I didn’t have to go back for stuff like this.”

  Spencer hugged her tighter and said, “I know. They’re getting older though. These trips are going to be more frequent.”

  “Not if I can talk them into moving here.”

  “I hope someday you’ll tell me why you hate it there so much. The way Del and Norm talk about it, I’m amazed you don’t like to go visit.”

  “Yeah, well,” she said with a shrug. “Different experiences.”

  “Hmmm, okay.”

  She turned to face him and asked, “Does it bother you th
at much? Not knowing why going back makes my stomach sick? Why the mere thought of facing people who hurt me gives me more anxiety than book reviews?”

  Spencer nodded and said, “It does.”

  “Why?”

  “Because Rylie, I’m supposed to make you feel better when you feel bad. When it comes to going back home, I have no idea what to say or do to comfort you. I don’t know what happened. And…,” he stopped and looked toward the fireplace.

  “And?”

  He turned back to her with a hard look and said, “After nineteen years together, most of it married, I don’t know why you can’t trust me.”

  Gasping, Rylie sat up straighter. “Spence! I do trust you! With all my heart, I do!”

  “Then tell me why you hate going back. You know everything about my past but I know so little about yours.”

  Rylie sat back nodding. “I know. You’re right. I think it’s because my past embarrasses me.”

  “How?”

  She pressed her lips together and looked down at her hands, then said, “I didn’t have much.”

  “I already know you grew up poor, Rylie. I don’t think that’s what’s stopping you.”

  “That’s part of it though. People knew I didn’t have money and the biggest reason I had perfect attendance in school, was so I could eat. I had stellar grades. I wasn’t mean to a single soul. But those kids were cruel to me for the simple fact that I was poor. They did things I still have nightmares about, Spence. It embarrasses me to admit I was treated so badly.”

  “Okay, but you can’t let that stop you from going back. That was high school. Look at you now, Rye. If it were me, I’d fly in just for the chance to say, ‘Look at me now.” Spencer crossed his arms and puffed out his chest like Superman.

  Unable to keep from laughing, Rylie pushed against Spencer’s shoulder. “You are such a dork!” she exclaimed.

  “Maybe so, but I’m also right,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

  “I’m not so sure. I feel like I’m walking into a fire,” Rylie replied, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

  Spencer’s face grew serious. “Why do I get the feeling there’s more to the story than some high school kids were mean to you?”