Promise

by Judy Young

  “She’s okay. I was surprised she didn’t get too upset at the TV.”

  “TV?” Emmett asked.

  “Yeah. Dad and I went to Chapston City and bought one. Gram even watched the news on it.”

  “See, didn’t I just tell you? People can change.” Emmett laughed. They each picked up a basket of vegetables and walked back to the house.

  “Are you going to make pickles?” Doris asked. “I love your spicy hot ones.”

  “Not enough time. I have all that wood to split back there.” Emmett sold firewood to half of Promise and gave it away to the other half.

  “This early?” Kaden asked. “It’s only September. We haven’t even had a frost yet.”

  “I know, but I told Clarence I’d have three cords for him by the middle of the month and I don’t work as fast as I used to. These old bones get pretty stiff leaning over and picking up logs.”

  “You shouldn’t use that splitter by yourself,” Doris said. “It’s dangerous. You could chop your arm off with that thing.”

  Kaden had seen the splitting machine in Emmett’s shop and Emmett had shown him how it used hydraulic pressure to cram a log into a wedge to split it. He knew one slip and the wedge could split an arm in two.

  “Doris is right,” Kaden now told Emmett. “You’ve always said it was safest to have two people running it.”

  “Well, if you’re going to side with Doris, maybe you and Yo-Yo could help me with it this weekend?”

  “Sure, if the pay’s right,” Kaden said, grinning. “How about another Jumbo Lightning Moo-Cream?”

  At school, Yo-Yo was waiting impatiently in Ms. Ales’s room.

  “So, what was he like? I’ve been dying to know. You guys really have to get a phone. Did he have prison tats? Big muscles and stuff? You know, they do a lot of weight lifting in prison.”

  Once Yo-Yo started, he couldn’t stop. He asked as many questions as Doris but his were entirely different.

  “And what about scars? Any scars? You know, from knife fights? Every prison show I’ve ever seen has a knife fight. They sharpen a spoon and hide it in the laundry and then someone buys it with cigarettes and hides it under their mattress, just waiting for the right opportunity. Does your dad smoke cigarettes?”

  “Enough already. If you’d shut up for a minute, I’d have a chance to answer.” Yo-Yo slapped his hand over his mouth and Kaden continued.

  “Yes, he’s very muscular and he has a tattoo—”

  “What’s it look like?” Yo-Yo interrupted.

  “A band of barbed wire around his left bicep. But I didn’t see any scars. He didn’t smoke any cigarettes and I didn’t see any in his truck either.”

  “You were in his truck? What did you do, sneak out in the middle of the night and search through it? What’s in the cargo carrier? I should have told you to take the flashlight home instead of leaving it at the tower.”

  “No, I didn’t search his truck. We went to Chapston City in it. And the only thing in the cargo carrier is an old sleeping bag.”

  “You went to Chapston City?”

  “Yeah, he bought us a TV.”

  “Awesome! How big is it? Is it a wide-screen? High-def? Does it have surround sound? What about 3-D?”

  “It’s not very big,” Kaden said, laughing. “A big one wouldn’t fit in Gram’s cabin. There’s no cable or satellite out there, so we only get three stations.”

  First bell rang and voices could be heard coming down the hall.

  “No more right now. We’ll talk later when we can be alone,” Kaden said. “Oh, and before I forget, Emmett wants you and me to help him split wood Saturday. Think your mom will let you?”

  “Split wood?” Yo-Yo asked. “Sweet! I’ve never used an ax before. You think I’ll be able to lift it? I don’t exactly have a Paul Bunyan body, you know.”

  “You don’t use an ax; you use a log splitter. It runs on gas,” Kaden explained. “We’ll help lift logs onto it and stack the split wood on Emmett’s trailer. After we deliver it to Clarence, Emmett will take us to Pillie’s.”

  “I thought I told you to stay away from Pillie’s.” Luke had come up behind them. He had evidently made up with Elana, because she was right beside him.

  “Luke, you can’t say who can come in my parents’ restaurant,” Elana said. “I’ve talked my mom into letting you back in but I’m warning you, if she hears you’re threatening people, she’ll kick you out again.”

  “You don’t need to warn me; you need to warn your mom. Kaden’s dad is out. She better keep a gun handy if she doesn’t want to be robbed.”

  Kaden knew the news would travel fast but he couldn’t believe it would get to the school that quickly.

  Elana rolled her eyes at Luke. “Why are you telling me that? I’m the one who told you.” Then she turned to Kaden to explain. “The restaurant was swamped this morning so I was still there helping when Doris came charging in with the news about your dad.”

  “Well, with a con on the loose, you can’t be too careful. Fresh out of prison, no job, and he’s already shown up with a TV.” Luke turned to Kaden. “How big was it, Kaden? Small enough to easily lift?”

  Second bell rang. Ms. Ales walked in. Luke put his mouth up close to Kaden’s ear. “I’m warning you, stay away from Pillie’s,” he whispered.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  SCHOOL BEAUTIFICATION

  It was sixth-grade week for School Beautification Duty. After lunch, the cooks handed the girls wet rags to wipe ketchup and spilled milk off the tables. Then some of the boys moved the tables into the storage room. Other students swept up the mess of crumbs, bits of food, and straw wrappers left on the floor. Everyone was busy working except Luke. Luke leaned against the wall by the door. Coach Dosser leaned against the wall next to him. Almost all evidence of a school lunch had been removed and the cafeteria had almost transformed back into a gym when Mr. Price came in. He glanced at Luke.

  “My dad said I don’t have to be a janitor around here,” Luke instantly spoke up.

  Mr. Price ignored Luke but took Coach Dosser aside. Then he walked over to Kaden and Yo-Yo.

  “Come with me,” he said.

  Mr. Price led the way. A white truck was backed up to the back doors of the school, its bed filled with long boxes covered in clear plastic wrap. Kaden’s first thought was it was his father, but then he saw Mr. Schmerz pulling one of the boxes toward him across the open tailgate. Already a bunch of new trowels, hoses, and other garden equipment was piled up inside the doors.

  “Your grandmother said you two would know what to do with these,” Mr. Price said, pointing to the boxes Mr. Schmerz was stacking inside. Stamped in big block letters across each box was ZOYSIA GRASS PLUGS / KEEP SHADED UNTIL PLANTED. One of the boxes had an envelope attached to the top.

  “Yes, sir,” Kaden said, giving Yo-Yo a glance. “We know all about zoysia grass, don’t we, Yo-Yo?”

  “Oh, yeah, tons,” Yo-Yo said. “And I think we’re going to find out even more, up close and personal.”

  “Good,” Mr. Price said. “Then you’re in charge. They’re for the courtyard. You and the other sixth graders can get started planting them today during C.A.R.E. I’m sure that won’t be nearly enough time but I can’t have all the sixth graders out there all afternoon. So you two are dismissed from afternoon classes to work on it. If you can’t get done today, we should be able to keep what’s not planted alive until Wednesday.”

  The janitor came around the corner with a dolly. Mr. Price left. Kaden and Yo-Yo helped the janitor stack the boxes on the dolly. Only half of them fit. Taking the garden equipment, the boys followed the janitor back down the hall, through the library, and out into the courtyard. Coach Dosser was waiting there with the rest of the sixth graders.

  “Gram was right,” Yo-Yo said, looking around at the remnants of weedy gardens and sparse patches of grass scattered in the hardened dirt. “This place could do with a makeover.”

  Kaden removed the envelope from the t
op box and opened it. Yo-Yo looked over his shoulder at the papers inside. They were instructions on the planting and care of zoysia grass plugs. When the janitor came back with a second load of boxes, he reached in his pocket and handed Kaden a pocketknife.

  “Price said you’re in charge,” the janitor told him. “You’re going to need this to cut through that plastic.”

  Kaden must have looked surprised.

  “I know all about school rules,” the janitor said. “They’re ridiculous. This is a tool, not a weapon, and I’ve got other stuff to do. You can give it back to me at the end of the day.” The janitor left, leaving Kaden holding the pocketknife.

  Kaden opened the knife, slit through the plastic wrap, and opened one of the boxes. Inside were rows and rows of little grass stubs, each in a tablespoon-size ball of damp dirt. Yo-Yo counted. Four rows, twenty-five in each. Kaden counted the boxes. Thirty.

  “Do you realize how many zoysia grass plugs we’re going to have to plant?” Kaden said, closing the knife and slipping it in his pocket.

  “Yeah, but I’ve got a plan,” Yo-Yo said, grabbing the directions. He put a trowel and a grass plug on the picnic table near the library door and jumped up on the tabletop.

  “Hey, listen up!” Yo-Yo yelled. Nobody paid any attention to him. Like a teacher, Yo-Yo clapped his hands first slowly two times, then quickly three times. The students immediately quieted and clapped back, two times slowly, three times quickly. Even Luke spontaneously responded. Kaden was glad Gram didn’t see that. She would have said something about students being trained like circus monkeys. But it worked. Yo-Yo had their attention.

  “My fellow sixth graders,” Yo-Yo started, “we’ve been given our mission. We are to beautify this courtyard by planting a specimen of grass called zoysia.” Yo-Yo held up the grass plug. “Coach, you should be especially pleased to know this kind of grass is frequently used on golf courses. Once it takes hold, you should be able to set up a putting green in the middle of the courtyard.”

  The students started talking again, so Yo-Yo clapped his hands to get their attention back.

  “First,” Yo-Yo said, looking at the directions, “the ground must be watered thoroughly. Sarah-with-an-H, that will be your job. You can start right now while I’m talking. Get it wet, but not muddy.” Kaden screwed the hose to the spigot and turned it on for Sarah. As she pulled the hose to the middle of the courtyard and started spraying, Yo-Yo held up a trowel.

  “There are eight boys and we have eight trowels, so the boys will dig little holes.”

  “I’m not digging nothing,” Luke called out. “And who said you could give orders, anyway?”

  To Kaden’s surprise, Coach Dosser came forward out of the shade. “Mr. Price said Kaden and Yo-Yo are in charge. Luke, you’re digging. My orders.”

  Yo-Yo continued reading the directions aloud. “The holes need to be about three inches deep and six inches apart, in a chessboard pattern.” He stopped and looked out at the students. “Sara-without-an-H, go to Mr. Herd’s room and get eight rulers.”

  “I don’t understand,” Phillip called out.

  “Of course you don’t, Phillip,” Luke scoffed. “It takes brains to play chess.”

  Yo-Yo ignored Luke. “Picture a chessboard, Phillip. Dig holes only on the black squares. The white squares are the six inches of dirt in between.”

  “Oh, I get it, the rows are staggered,” Phillip said.

  “Kind of like your brain,” Luke said.

  Kaden had had enough of Luke, and without even thinking, the words going through his mind came out of his mouth, loud and clear. “Shut up, Luke.”

  It startled Kaden that he actually said that, and it must have startled Luke, too. He looked at Kaden in surprise but before he could say anything, Elana spoke up.

  “Yeah, Luke, be quiet,” she said. But Luke had regained his composure.

  “Has everyone forgotten we’d all be sitting nice and cool in study hall having a good time instead of out here planting grass in the hot sun if Kaden’s grandma hadn’t stuck her nose where it didn’t belong?”

  “I think she was right,” Elana said. “The courtyard needs work.”

  “Me too,” several of the other students chimed in. Kaden smiled to himself, surprised by how many had the courage to stand up against Luke.

  “Well, do what you want,” Luke said, “but I’m not going to be treated like a prisoner sentenced to hard labor.” He stomped off and sat under a tree at the far end of the courtyard. A couple of other boys joined the mutiny.

  “Get back up here,” Coach called out. Luke didn’t budge. Neither did the other boys.

  “Extra laps in PE for those who don’t participate,” Coach said sternly. The other boys got up and joined the rest of the class but Luke stayed under the tree. Coach crossed his arms and took two steps forward. Luke got up and slowly started sauntering back.

  “Okay, back to directions,” Yo-Yo started up again. “The girls will be planters.”

  “I thought I was the waterer,” Sarah said. As she spoke, she turned to look at Yo-Yo. The hose changed directions and water sprayed all over Luke.

  “Hey, watch what you’re doing,” Luke snapped at Sarah.

  The whole class laughed.

  “Sorry,” Sarah said, but then started giggling. “Looks like you peed your pants.”

  The class laughed even harder. Yo-Yo let them laugh for a while before he clapped his hands again.

  “Yes, Sarah, your job is to water the ground to soften it up,” Yo-Yo continued. “Watering Luke was a nice try but I don’t think he softened up any.”

  Luke scowled. The class laughed again. Yo-Yo was on top of his game.

  “Okay,” Yo-Yo said. “Let’s get to work.”

  Coach opened the library door. “Behave yourselves,” he said. “I’ll be watching from inside.” Kaden could see through the window as Coach Dosser sat in the air-conditioned room, his feet up on a table.

  Everyone worked diligently, talking and laughing as they dug and planted. Everyone but Luke. He had gone back to the shade of the tree. Kaden kept an eye on him but Luke seemed focused on Elana and Yo-Yo. They were digging and planting as a team. Elana pulled out a pair of earbuds, the cord running down to the pocket of her capris. She gave one earbud to Yo-Yo and put the other in her ear. As they worked closely side by side sharing the earbuds, Luke’s scowl got bigger and bigger.

  Kaden was about to give Yo-Yo the heads-up about Luke when Coach opened the door and stepped onto the patio.

  “Five minutes ’til the bell rings,” he announced. “Go wash up before your next class.” Luke was the first one in the door.

  As the rest of the class filed inside, Yo-Yo and Kaden put down their trowels, stood up, and stretched.

  “Ten empty and two rows gone from the eleventh box. Barely a third,” Yo-Yo groaned.

  Kaden slid the half-empty box of plugs over to an area of dampened dirt and returned to his hands and knees.

  “Next time,” he told Yo-Yo, “be more selective about what you read aloud in front of Gram.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  SHARING MUSIC

  When the last student to come out the middle-school door stepped on the bus, Doris didn’t pull forward.

  “Where’s Luke?” she called out.

  No one knew where Luke was, and Doris was obviously irritated. She radioed in to the school office to report Luke missing, then pulled forward to the elementary door. The younger students boarded the bus but Doris stayed put. She waited until Luke had been located, not at school but at Pillie’s. Doris was fifteen minutes off schedule and not too pleased.

  As the bus let out the last student before heading up the hill out of town, Kaden moved up to the seat behind Doris.

  “Could you stop at Emmett’s?” he asked. “I want to let him know Yo-Yo and I can help him split wood on Saturday. And you could use a little treat.”

  “Well, for just a second,” Doris said as she swung the bus into Emmett’s driv
eway.

  “Yo-Yo made the wall,” Emmett announced as Kaden and Doris entered the kitchen.

  “You got the fishing pictures developed already?” Kaden asked. Emmett’s old camera used real film and sometimes it was months before he took enough pictures to use up a whole roll.

  “Right there,” Emmett said, pointing to a photograph. Yo-Yo was holding up a not-very-big sunfish but a record-size smile stretched across his face. His hair was sopping and his wet shirt clung to his body. It was the first fish Yo-Yo ever caught. He was so excited when the fish tugged on the line, he fell off the log he was standing on, right into the water. But he landed the fish.

  “Sweet! He’ll love it when he sees it,” Kaden told Emmett.

  “Never seen a boy fall into the river as many times as that boy did,” Emmett said, “but he always came up grinning. I took two. You can give one to Yo-Yo.”

  “You can give it to him yourself,” Kaden said. “He’ll be here with me Saturday to split wood.”

  “Good,” said Emmett. “So, who wants pie and ice cream?”

  It was more than an hour before Doris let Kaden off at the cabins. Gram sat on the couch with her feet up. The TV was on. She had a glass of iced tea in one hand and the remote in the other.

  “Don’t know why people are so enamored with televisions,” she said, not even glancing at Kaden, who went straight to the refrigerator and put in half a pie. “Used to be good shows on TV, but there was nothing on all afternoon worth watching.”

  Gram turned off the TV and looked up as Kaden turned around.

  “What happened to you?” she said. Kaden’s face was streaked with sweat and dirt. His T-shirt had dirty hand marks down the front and his knees were covered with caked mud.

  “Zoysia grass,” was all he said. He had to explain it thoroughly to Doris and Emmett but Gram didn’t need any more of an explanation.