When He Returns

by Amelia Smarts

Wade nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  “Good. I wanted to discuss school with you. A boy of thirteen should be in school for at least another three years, so I think it best you attend classes with the rest of the children starting next week.”

  Wade scowled, deeply annoyed that the marshal had assumed it fine to make plans for Wade’s life. “I don’t intend to be in town that long. I’ll be moving on shortly.”

  Clyde studied him. “Where do you intend to go?”

  Wade thought of a city on the spot. “I’m headed to Sacramento.”

  Clyde didn’t acknowledge his answer right away, electing to change the subject. He pointed at a stack of wood against the house. “Fetch a big log for me, would you, son?”

  Wade obliged, selecting a thick, round piece of wood. It was so heavy, he accidentally dropped it after a few steps. As he picked it up, he waited for what he assumed would follow—berating over his clumsiness, but the marshal didn’t say a word. Grateful to be spared from that, Wade heaved it the rest of the way and landed it on the base log before stepping away.

  “Thanks, that’s a good one,” Clyde said. He swung his ax down, causing the first third of it to split. Two more strikes effectively sliced the log in two.

  Clyde rested an elbow on the butt of the ax and returned his attention to Wade. “Sacramento is a fair distance away. How will you get there without money?”

  Wade shifted under his gaze, knowing he didn’t have an answer that would satisfy the marshal. He looked down at his boots. He’d stolen them from a small man who had passed out in front of a saloon. The boots were too big, but Wade was glad for that. He’d learned some things while living on the streets. One was that it was better to wear boots too big than too small.

  “You’ll need money for a train or coach, money for food, and money for shelter,” Clyde told him. “I’m guessing you don’t have much of that, or you would’ve bought the bread yesterday instead of stealing it.”

  “I’m planning on working in each town to earn money to fund my travels,” Wade said, lying through his teeth. Before that moment, he hadn’t made any plans grander than finding his next meal, but working sounded like an upstanding activity that would please the marshal.

  “Ah! Good lad,” Clyde said, his face splitting into a smile. “In that case, you might as well start by working for me.”

  Wade couldn’t think of a single way out of accepting Clyde’s offer. He realized then that Clyde wasn’t just kind, he was clever. He had used Wade’s own plans as a way to ensure he stayed.

  “What work would you have me do, Mr. Shaw?” Wade asked slowly.

  “There’s always something to be done around here. I can tell you have a good head on your shoulders, so I’ll let you decide how to help. As you can see, I lost my wife. Died of typhoid three years ago.” Sadness flickered in his eyes briefly before he continued. “Sadie takes care of the cooking, but she has a hard time keeping up with cleaning. Grace could use help staying on track with the chores Sadie has her doing. Miles and Luke help me with the animals, but a stall always needs more mucking. There’s plenty to be done. Can I trust you to pitch in where you see fit?”

  Wade nodded dumbly, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of chores. There had always been servants at his parents’ house to take care of such trifling matters.

  Clyde smiled. “I’ll pay you two dollars per week. You can save that up for your journey west. But I must ask two favors of you in addition to the work you’ll be doing.”

  Wade tried to mask his expression of excitement while his brief worries about the chores vanished. He could hardly believe his good fortune. He’d never been offered a salary before and certainly hadn’t imagined earning such a good one from the marshal. If he saved the money wisely, he would be able to travel without having to steal anything. “What favors?” Wade asked, more than willing to accept his terms.

  Clyde ran his forearm across his brow to wipe away the perspiration caused by exertion. “I try to be a fair man, both with the citizens of Lebec and with my children. But what’s especially difficult for children to comprehend is that fair doesn’t always mean the same.”

  Wade listened with attention, eager to understand.

  “I’ll give you an example,” Clyde continued. “At supper, the boys get a bigger portion of meat than Ada. That’s fair, but it’s not the same. In fact, if the boys only got the same small portion as Ada, that would be unfair. Understand?”

  “Yes, sir,” Wade said. He’d never thought of fairness in that way, but how the marshal explained it made perfect sense.

  “I’m going to pay you to help out around the house, but I won’t be paying the others directly. In your case, it’s a fair thing for me to grant because you’re nearly a man and you have a goal. The others wouldn’t see it as fair, though, so I ask that you not tell them until they’re old enough to understand.”

  Wade thought that promise would be easy to keep. He didn’t imagine he’d want to spend much time with the children in general, and he certainly couldn’t picture sharing information with them. “Sure, Mr. Shaw, I won’t say anything.”

  Clyde nodded his satisfaction. “On to the other favor, then. It’s not always easy being a part of this family, I assure you. If you decide you want to leave, you come and tell me, not slink out in the middle of the night or some other time when no one’s looking.”

  Wade swallowed. He wondered how Clyde had known what Wade had been planning to do just minutes before talking to him. Clyde was even smarter than he’d thought. Wade recovered from his surprise and cleared his throat. Staring down at his boots, he said, “Yes, sir.”

  “Please look at me and say you understand,” Clyde said sternly.

  Wade raised his gaze to Clyde’s face. “I understand. I won’t leave without telling you.”

  “Good lad. It’s all settled, then, and I’m mighty glad about that. You can go on inside now.”

  Wade hesitated, having no desire to return to the cramped space. “Do you mind if I stay out here with you?”

  “No, I don’t mind,” Clyde said, cocking his head. “But have you eaten?”

  “No, sir.”

  Clyde gave him a searching look before saying, “Go get a plate of food. You can eat it out here with me this time.”

  A surge of uncharacteristic joy shot through Wade. That’s exactly what he had wanted to do but had known it would be rude not to join the children at the table.

  Without saying anything to the children inside, he fetched his food. Sadie glared at him as he scooped a portion of the grits she’d just made onto his attractive red plate. He proceeded to fill it as quickly as possible with the other delicious food she’d prepared, uncomfortable with how bothered she appeared. He was eager to return outside.

  As he walked to the door, Grace asked in a concerned voice, “Where you going, Wade?”

  He didn’t answer, since it was obvious where he was going. He joined Clyde outside with his breakfast and sat on the flat side of a log. He and Clyde spoke easily as he ate and Clyde chopped wood, and Wade couldn’t remember a time when he’d felt more content than he did just then. He felt simultaneously free and taken care of, and those two states of being had never happened at the same time for him before.

  When he’d been free on the run, no one had taken care of him or made sure he ate. When he’d been living with his parents, he’d had all the food he could eat but was a slave to his pa’s whims and moods. Now, he was being treated as a man, free to do as he wished, but also eating like a king.

  Wade soon realized his feeling of freedom was too good to last. As soon as he’d finished his last bite, Clyde informed him that eating apart from the rest of the children wasn’t something he’d allow on a regular basis. “You’re new and I want you to feel comfortable,” Clyde said. “But the family usually eats its meals together, and I’d like you to be part of that next time.”

  “All right,” Wade mumbled in a resigned voice.

  “In general, I want you to stic
k with the other children. Next week you’ll go to school with them.”

  “What?” Wade exclaimed, “But I thought I was gonna be working for you!”

  “You will be. After school,” Clyde said firmly.

  Anger welled up inside Wade as he realized he’d been duped. Clyde had tricked him into believing he was a free, working man, but Wade understood then that Clyde had just cleverly eased him into being another one of his kids. Wade bit his tongue to prevent himself from lashing out, but Clyde didn’t miss the fury in his eyes.

  “Like I said, son, being part of a family, and indeed part of society in general, isn’t always easy,” he explained gently. “But you must learn not to act as a lone wolf all the time. Especially at your age. You’re still a child.”

  Wade glared at him. “I know how to take care of myself. I don’t need brothers and sisters, I don’t need a pa, and I don’t need school.”

  Clyde nodded once in acknowledgement. “I know that’s what you think, Wade. Now get on inside and wash the dishes with Grace. You ate the food, you can help by cleaning up.”

  Wade stormed inside and slammed the door. The children looked up at the noise, but Wade ignored them and strode to the basin where Grace was washing dishes perched on a stepstool.

  “I’m gonna help you,” Wade mumbled.

  “Thank you!” she said, not bothered by his surly attitude.

  As Wade took part in rubbing down the pans, plates, and silverware, his anger dissipated. By the time the children had left for school, he felt rather foolish for having such anger toward the man who had helped him. He still didn’t want to go to school, and he still thought the house was cramped and the children tiresome, but his dismay over those facts seemed an overreaction once he’d taken some time to cool down.

  Sheepishly, Wade watched Clyde don his vest over his shoulders as he prepared to leave for the jailhouse.

  “You know where I’ll be if you need anything, Wade,” Clyde said, pinning his marshal’s star to his chest. He sat down and struggled into his boots. He didn’t seem angry with Wade for storming back into the house and slamming the door, but Wade was worried he was displeased.

  He shifted nervously. He wasn’t used to apologizing, at least not of his own accord, but he felt guilty for his actions, especially after Clyde had shown him such kindness. “I-I’m sorry, sir, for slamming the door like a child.”

  Clyde glanced up from where he sat on the sofa. He smiled at him in a forgiving manner. “You are a child, so you’re allowed to act like one occasionally. But you apologized like a man, so as far as I’m concerned, you’re going in the right direction.” He stood and walked to the door, where he plucked his Stetson from a hook on the wall and clapped it over his head before leaving.

  Wade was relieved by Clyde’s response. He wanted to make Clyde proud—just like a child wants to make his pa proud, he realized, feeling annoyed with himself. It was a new experience for him. It wasn’t that he hadn’t tried with his own father. He’d struggled every day to garner some sort of praise from the man, but he’d never succeeded. It was different with Clyde because Wade suspected that if he tried hard enough, he could succeed in making Clyde proud of him.

  With a full belly and an empty house, Wade’s spirits lifted. He flopped on the sofa and started reading. Becoming lost in Huckleberry Finn’s world was so enjoyable to him that the time passed quickly. It was early afternoon before he became aware of where he was, and he jumped to his feet. The children would be back from school soon, and he found that he wasn’t as put off about that fact as he thought he would be. He was even rather looking forward to seeing Grace, who already felt like his kid sister.

  The sounds of the children walking and laughing reached his ears shortly before the door burst open. The house, which had been so quiet for hours, now bustled with noise and activity. Grace promptly sat down next to him and explained how Jimmy Cooper had pulled her braid hard at recess but she’d gotten him back by sprinkling sand in his sandwich when he wasn’t looking.

  Wade felt strangely protective. “This Jimmy seems like trouble. Want me to give him a licking?” he offered.

  Grace giggled and shook her head. “Nah, I have a whole bunch more tricks I can play if he pulls my hair again.”

  Wade wasn’t entirely satisfied by this answer, but he didn’t have an opportunity to discuss it with Grace further. Sadie appeared before them, staring down at Wade with an expression of annoyance. “What did you do all day while we were away?” she asked, her voice a challenge.

  “I read Huckleberry Finn,” he said, holding the book up as demonstration.

  “That’s my book, you know,” she said haughtily. “You might have asked my permission before reading it.”

  Wade was taken aback, and he didn’t know how to respond. What he did know was that he wasn’t going to apologize. He stood to his feet, not liking how she was towering above him like an authoritative parent while he was sitting. When he stood to his full height, he was only an inch or so taller than the girl, but it gratified him that he was able to look down at her when he spoke. “Your book is about a brave boy who goes on adventures. What’s that got to do with you? Don’t you have chores to do?” he asked, purposely returning her rudeness with some of his own.

  “Yeah, as a matter of fact I do,” she snapped, not missing a beat. “I have a lot of chores. You know why? I can’t just sit on my butt all day reading. I’m important to this family.”

  “I’m important too,” he snarled, for lack of a better response.

  She scoffed. “You’re not. You didn’t even fetch a bucket of water from the well or wash anything. You could leave right now, and we’d be better off because you don’t do nothin’ but sit around and eat our food.” She spun on her heel and grabbed the empty bucket next to the door before storming outside.

  Wade’s blood boiled. He was so angry he couldn’t speak. He felt Grace’s small hand covering his fist, and slowly he relaxed his muscles enough that she was able to place her hand in his and give it a warm squeeze. “Don’t pay her no mind,” Grace said kindly. “Sadie’s always in a bad mood.”

  Wade forced the anger away from his expression and returned Grace’s squeeze. He then picked up Huckleberry Finn and walked to the bedroom, where he closed the door and opened the window. He’d told Clyde he would stay there and work and go to school, but he couldn’t do it. He didn’t belong there, and he decided he would leave that night once everyone fell asleep.

  Ada and Miles burst into the room, playing a game of chase, and Miles laughed loudly as he leapt up to the top bunk away from Ada.

  “That’s not fair, Miles!” she screeched. “I’m not allowed to climb up there!” Her voice sounded distraught.

  Miles laughed. “Guess I win then.”

  Ada shook her head. “You cheated. Pa says when you cheat, you lose. You’re a loser!”

  Miles stopped laughing. “Doesn’t matter. You wouldn’t have been able to catch me anyway.”

  “Sadie!” Ada cried, running out of the room. “Miles cheated!”

  “Tattletale,” Miles muttered under his breath. He hopped down from the bunk and left the room, much to Wade’s relief.

  His relief was short-lived. A few minutes later, Luke entered. “Howdy, Wade.”

  Wade glanced up from his book and sighed. “What can I do for you, Luke?”

  “Sadie says you have to help me feed the horses.”

  Wade’s temper flared. “Sadie isn’t my boss. You can feed them on your own.”

  Luke stared at him with a stupid look on his face. He appeared downright baffled by Wade’s refusal. “But… she’s in charge. Pa says we must obey her when he’s not here.”

  Wade slammed the book closed. “She may be in charge of you, but she’s not in charge of me.”

  Luke shrunk away from him. “All right, Wade. I’ll do it myself.” He looked hurt, and Wade regretted being so sharp with the boy. If Luke had simply asked him, Wade would have helped without reservation. B
ut being ordered to help by Sadie was more than his pride could stand.

  Sadie was enraged by Wade’s refusal to obey her order. By the time Clyde arrived home from work, they were all in a dour mood. Ada was in tears over losing every game she played with the twins. Sadie’s face was beet red and her lips pursed in an angry line. Wade was annoyed that he couldn’t go anywhere without being interrupted and that Sadie seemed to think she was his boss.

  Only sweet Grace gave Clyde a happy greeting. “Hello, Pa,” she said, wrapping her arms around his waist when he walked in.

  Clyde ran a hand over her head and bent to kiss her forehead. “Hello, Grace. How was your day?”

  Grace proceeded to babble about the various highs and lows of her day, while the rest of the family stayed relatively quiet. Ada’s big eyes were filled with unshed tears. Clyde must have noticed. He scooped her up into his arms and perched her on his hip while Grace chatted. Wade guessed it must be a relatively common occurrence for the youngest to be in a state of near tears. Clyde didn’t ask what was bothering her. He simply provided comfort by holding her, and what was troubling her vanished eventually, for her eyes dried, and by the time Grace had finished talking, a smile lit Ada’s face.

  Sadie was still in a snit about Wade not hopping to fulfill her demands. The seven of them sat down to dinner, and Sadie slammed the plates of food on the table. Supper smelled delicious. She wasn’t a pleasant person, but Wade could appreciate the food she cooked. The family dug into the meal, and soon everyone except Sadie and Wade was engaged in lively, happy conversation.

  When supper was over, the twins and Ada carried the plates and cutlery to the basin. Miles fetched the stool for Grace to stand on so she could do the dishes, leaving Clyde, Sadie, and Wade still sitting at the table.

  Clyde eyed them quizzically. “You two were awfully quiet during supper,” he commented.

  Sadie’s scowl became even more pronounced before she spoke. “I don’t want Wade to stay here, Pa. I want him to leave.”

  Surprise flashed through Clyde’s eyes before they narrowed. “That isn’t up to you, Sadie. Mind your tongue.”