Ella

by Ryan Scott

  Chapter 19

  A month after her honeymoon, Ella wrote a letter to Violet. "Dear Violet, I wish I had taken your advice not to marry John. Since we’ve been back, he’s acting terrible, criticizing me for every little thing, accusing me of spending too much money. Now, he doesn't want me to use the car! He said it costs too much for gas, but I think he just wants to keep me chained to the house. To hell with him! I'm going to Juanita to see if I can find out if her psychic visions can help me understand him better. I’ll close now, but thanks again for taking care of Tommy. Love, Ella"

  That afternoon, she drove to Luigi’s farm where Juanita was tending her garden. "Hi Juanita. I’m glad I found you," she called.

  Juanita waved. "Hello Ella. Come in for a cup of coffee."

  As Ella was drinking coffee at the kitchen table, she asked, "Juanita, could your psychic visions tell me something about John?"

  "The visions only come if there's a good reason," she replied with her dark eyes penetrating Ella.

  "Juanita, I do have a good reason. There's something about John that frightens me. Maybe the visions could help me to do something about his anger."

  Juanita nodded slowly, asking, "Do you know where his people come from?"

  "His father came from the Schlashick Holstein Peninsula. It's a part of Germany, but I think it used to belong to Denmark."

  Juanita’s eyes gradually became glazed, looking at a distant point. She said, "Yes, I see it now. I see a woman, a young woman, short and muscular, with a bulge at the back of her head. She's wearing animal skins. She comes from the other people who live in caves. Something frightens her. She begins to run. Three tall yellow-hair men with blue eyes chase her. They catch her and throw her to the ground. One of the men mounts her. Now there are only two left, the tall man laughing and the short girl weeping."

  Ella leaned forward. "Juanita, what do those visions mean?"

  "It means John has mixed blood from humans and from the other people."

  "You're not suggesting John is part Neanderthal, are you? I once read Neanderthal caves were discovered on the Schlashick Holstein Peninsula."

  Juanita went to the stove and refilled their cups, saying, “I don't know about names. I only can tell what I see."

  On her way back home, Ella imagined John wearing animal furs, squatting by an open fire and chewing on a bone. Is it possible he could be a throwback? She wondered. He looks like he could be a caveman with those big muscles and hairy body. Well, even if he isn't a Neanderthal, he’s been acting like one. I hope he's in a better mood tonight.

  That evening, John came into the house with his face livid, yelling, "Goddamn it Ella. You used the car again. Don't try to lie. I checked the speedometer."

  "John, why are you acting like a cop? I haven't done anything wrong!"

  "You're wasting too much money, just driving around the country."

  "Oh Jesus, John. I couldn't have used more than a nickel's worth of gas. That gallon of milk Juanita gave me is worth more than that!"

  "Now you listen to me! I work myself half to death for my God damn boss. I earn the money, and it's your job to do what I say. Do you understand?"

  "John Nelson! I do my part. I don't need you to order me around like a slave!"

  Tommy began to cry. "Mama, I spilled my milk."

  John grabbed him roughly and shouted, "Damn it Tommy! How many times have I told you not to spill your milk?"

  "John, Leave him alone. He didn't do it on purpose!"

  When Tommy cried louder, John pulled his belt loose, yelling, "Quit that God damn bawling, or I'll give you something to cry about!"

  Tommy cried louder. John swung the belt down hard across his back. Tommy screamed. Ella jumped between them and grabbed his upraised arm, yelling, "John, stop it. You're acting crazy."

  "Ella, I'm warning you, let go."

  She continued clinging to his arm, crying, "No, I won't let you beat that boy just because you're afraid of your boss."

  "Goddamn you Ella. I warned you!" He struck her with his fist. She slammed against the wall and slumped to the floor with her face in her hands.

  Tommy squirmed out of his chair and ran to her side, crying, "Mama, Mama!"

  John grabbed his hat and stomped out of the house, muttering, "There's no damn peace around here!"

  When he slammed the door shut and stomped down the steps, Ella got up and put ice on her throbbing face. After she Calmed Tommy, she put him to bed on his narrow cot and lay down next to him.

  At midnight, John fumbles with his key at the front door and shuffle to the bedroom. Ella held her breath until she heard him fall across the bed. He's drunk. Good! I won’t have to deal with him tonight, she thought and let out her breath.

  The next morning, John left for work without breakfast. When he was gone, Ella got up and looked in the mirror at her bruises. I need to hide the damage so no one will be asking me a lot of nosey questions, she thought, gingerly applying makeup.

  While Tommy was still asleep, she went quickly to Mueller’s Resort and called Violet and James. Back at her home, she packed their clothes and wrote a short note. "John, I’ve left you because I won’t live with someone who hits me."

  Shortly Violet arrived and took one look at Ella’s face, saying, "How dare That God damn brute hit you! You and Tommy are welcome to stay with us."

  "Thank you, Violet. James has invited me to stay with them, but if I need a place later, I'll take you up on that offer," she replied and blew her nose.

  Violet gave her a hug and said, "Ella, you're always welcome. Now, let’s put your things in the car and get to hell out of here!"

  As Ella rode on her way to Petaluma, she felt anger welling up. How dare he hit me! I'm so mad I could chew nails!

  "Ella, will you get a job in Petaluma?" Violet inquired.

  "Yes, I’ll have to get a job to support Tommy and myself; I just hope I can find one."

  At the outskirts of Petaluma, Violet turned on a dirt road with numerous chicken houses and large flocks of chicken on both sides of the road. When they finally arrived at James’s place, Ella saw two broken-down trucks parked in the Yard next to a ramshackle building. Florence appeared at the door and called, "Hello you guys. It's marvelous to see you again."

  "Thank you, Florence, I appreciate your invitation to stay here."

  Florence laughed. "For goodness sakes, Ella; you’re family!"

  After Violet helped carry in Ella’s things, she kissed her cheek, saying, “Good luck Ella. Call me if you need anything."

  As she drove away, Florence Invited Ella and Tommy to come into her kitchen, saying, "Make yourself at home. I’ll put on a pot of coffee. Tommy, would you like a cookie and a glass of Kool-Aid?"

  When he nodded, she handed him a home-made cookie and cool-aid in a Shirley Temple glass.

  She turned to Ella, saying, “You were lucky to reach James this morning. He was just getting ready to leave for the Valley, but he will be back tonight."

  "I’m anxious to see him. I haven’t had a chance to visit with you guys since you returned from Venezuela."

  Florence poured the coffee and asked, "Ella, what happened to you? Your eye looks bad."

  Ella took a sip of coffee and replied, "If you don’t mind, I'd rather not talk about it right now."

  "Oh sure, "Ella. I understand," Florence replied. She asked Tommy, "How old are you now?"

  "I’m almost four," he replied with his mouth full of cookie.

  "I have a little boy and his name is Robert. He’s six years old, a little older than you, but I bet you boys will have fun together. He’ll be coming home from school soon."

  That night, the rumble of a big diesel engine and squeaking airbrakes announced James had returned from the valley.

  "Daddy's home! Daddy's home!" Robert yelled and ran outside with Tommy following.

  James came into the kitchen with a boy on each side, saying, "Hi Sis! I got here as soon as I coul
d. There’s a truckload of cantaloupes out there, so I have to leave early in the morning, but I’m glad you’re here!"

  Ella hugged him and replied, "Hello, James. Thanks for taking me in."

  "You’re welcome, Little Sister. You've always got a home here. By the way, I saw Kyle yesterday. He's getting divorced."

  Ella frowned. "That doesn't surprise me; no one could live with him very long. What's Gloria going to do now?"

  "Kyle said she’s working for a small-time grocer in Monte Rio. She's keeping the kids, of course. Excuse me now. I've got to get out of these dirty clothes and take a shower. Hello, Florence. What's for dinner?"

  Florence gave his nose a pecked, taking care not to let her freshly ironed pinafore brush against his greasy clothes. "Hello dear. We're having a simply divine stew."

  After dinner, they sat around the dining table, and James reminisced about the "good old days" in Occidental. He laughed. "I left when I was 15, but there’s never a new idea there. When I returned 16 years later, they were still talking about the same old stuff."

  While James repeated old stories, Ella’s attention drifted, thinking, I’m grateful he hasn’t mentioned my black eye. I wondered if John has found my note.

  During the next week, Ella searched for a job, but she was unsuccessful finding one. There were long lines at every job opening where homeless men avoided her eyes as if they were ashamed of being hungry. She saw gaunt women with ragged children standing at the side of the road, holding signs advertising their willingness to work for food. Newspaper headlines screamed unemployment had reached 25%. She despaired, how much longer can I expect to lean on James? He works 16 hours a day and they barely get by.

  At the end of the second week, she still had not found a job. Feeling queasy, she returned early one afternoon from her desperate search for work.

  Florence met her at the door, saying, "Ella, John just called. He's on the phone right now."

  Ella took the phone. "Hello John. I'm fine. Yes, Tommy's fine too. You sound different. Oh, when will you get them? John, I don't believe that. Well, all right. Next Saturday, but just for a little while."

  She hung up the phone, saying, "Well, John’s coming up next Saturday to talk. He said the reason he was cranky was because of a toothache, if you could believe that. Anyway, he's had all of his teeth pulled and getting new dentures."

  Florence arched an eyebrow, asking, "Does that mean you won't need the car tomorrow?"

  "Oh, yes, I'll need it, if you don't mind. I have to find a job, or I won't be able to take care of Tommy. I don't expect you and James to support me forever."

  On Saturday morning, Ella, still unemployed, anxiously waited for John, thinking, I wonder if his toothache was the real reason for his awful outbursts. Well, I do miss him, but not the way he became.

  At two that afternoon, John arrived dressed in his suit. He awkwardly handed her a bouquet of roses, saying, "Hello Ella. These are for you. Could we go to that little diner down the road and talk?"

  She took the roses, replying, "All right. I'll ask Florence if she could watch Tommy."

  He grinned, revealing a flash of white dentures.

  At the cafe, Ella kept her eyes cast down as she listened to her husband. He began, "I know I'm not very good with words. It’s always been hard for me to do things like other men. I've always been the one at the end of the line with a shovel. In the Navy, I shoveled coal in the fire room of the destroyer. As a cowboy, I shoveled manure from the stables. In the lumber mills, I shoveled sawdust, and now I work for the State and shovel mud from the ditches. I do what I'm supposed to do, but I just don't seem to get ahead. The one thing in my life that means anything is having you. If I lose you, I don't know what I would do."

  He stopped talking and cracked his hairy knuckles.

  Ella had not expected John's explanation, knowing how difficult it was for him to admit his limitations. She suddenly felt compassion for the man whose ancestors reached back to Neanderthal caves. She took one of his work-worn hands, saying, "John, I don't want to lose you either, but I can’t have someone who beats both me and my son!"

  His eyes became teary. "Ella, I swear that will never happen again. I've been half-crazy without you. I'll do anything you say if only you'll come back."

  She clasped both his hands, saying, "Oh John, I've missed you too. I’ll give you another chance." She wiped her eyes with a napkin and leaned across the table, whispering, "John, I have a surprise. We're going to have a baby."