Promise To Keep

by Rainwater, Priscilla Poole

  Startled, she turned to see Connell standing in the doorway. He was holding the door open, and looked as if he was deciding on whether or not it was safe to enter. And she knew disbelief was written all over her face.

  Easing himself further into the room, he glanced at the photos lining the wall. “She would be in here for hours, looking at these. There was such a look of wonder on her face, a look of excitement. You know, I believe she got to experience the world through your camera, and your letters. She always tried to find time to finish that book.” he said, turning and nodding at the sheaf of papers she held in her hand. “But then she got sick, and..ran out of time. She was never able to realized that one dream.”

  Aisha wiped a sudden tear away, her lower lip quivering. “May I keep this? Please?” she whispered.

  Stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jeans, he nodded with a sad smile, grateful he could do something to make up for the hateful way he had treated her earlier.

  “Thanks.” she whispered.

  He cleared his throat and stammered, “Ummm, listen, I’m really sorry about earlier.”

  Hugging the folder to her chest as if it was a precious infant, she nodded as more tears spilled over, then got to her feet and rushed from the room.

  *********************************************************

  Connell woke the to smell of bacon and coffee. Surprised, he looked at the bedside clock, and saw that it was five in the morning. Thinking that his mother must be downstairs, he sat up and stretched wearily. He hadn’t done any really hard work in six months, and knew his body would be screaming in pain by the end of the day.

  Shuffling off to the shower, he wondered what the day would bring. He would finally get to see first hand what work had been done, and he sighed, praying his irrational temper didn’t get the best of him if he wasn’t happy with the job the hired help had done.

  Thirty minutes later he bounced down the stairs, prepared to greet his mother. He was shocked when he heard Aisha talking to someone, surprised that she was up so early. He stepped into the kitchen and saw Jonus Thompson sitting at the table drinking coffee, and eating from a plate heaped with biscuits, sausage gravy, bacon and hash browns, a breakfast fit for a king. His own stomach growled, his mouth began to water, and he was relieved to find his own appetitive had finally returned.

  “Good morning, sir.” the strapping young man greeted him.

  “Connell” will do, no need for formalities.“ he replied as he sat down at the head of the table.

  “Morning” Aisha mumbled as she turned and saw him, surprised that he seemed in a relatively good mood. She had expected him to be angry once he found out she hadn’t let Jonus go, had fully braced herself for a confrontation. Slightly leery, she picked up the coffee pot and poured him a cup.

  “Thanks.“ he replied as he looked up at her and smiled, almost chuckling at the look of uncertainty on her lovely face,

  “You’re welcome.” she mumbled as she returned the coffee pot to the stove, then placed a heaping, steaming plate in front of him, identical to the one the young man was devouring.

  Placing a third plate on the table, she pulled a chair out and sat beside him. Taking a bite of the crispy bacon, she chewed and said, “Jonus was just telling me the land for the new barn is cleared, we worked six days just cutting down trees and pulling up stumps.”

  Connell gave her a surprised look, unable to believe the Aisha he knew, or thought he knew, would have been capable of such physical labor. “We…?” he asked, with one eyebrow raised.

  She chuckled as she sat up in her chair just a little straighter, proud of her hard work. For the first time since he had joined them, she smiled. “That’s right, we. I’ll have you know I’ve learned quite a bit about farming the last few months. I guess you could say I had a crash course. With help, of course.” she amended, slightly more modest.

  She then went on to tell him most of what she had learned, and he couldn’t help but notice how her brown eyes twinkled as she talked, really pleased with herself. He also regretted that he hadn’t been able to see her work, first hand. After he and Ben had visited the hardware store, on the drive home Ben had been trying to cheer him up with humorous stories. According to him, when she had first started working in the chicken house, she had the not-so pleasant task of cleaning out the droppings. The look of horror and disgust on her face had been priceless, he had said. And her comical run-in with an old, ornery bull he had. While feeding the cattle, the stubborn, irritating beast had spotted her, and chased her from one end of the field to the other, where she had scampered up and old oak tree, screaming for Ben and Jonus to come get her.

  When she had finished, he teased her a little, telling her that according to Ben, she had left out the best parts. He then recited the stories.

  While Jonus roared with laughter, Aisha gave him a phony look of hurt and betrayal. She sniffed and said, “It was weeks before I could stand to eat chicken. And that stupid old bull! Now him I would GLADLY eat!”

  Coffee came spraying out of Connell’s mouth as he burst into laughter just as he was taking a sip.

  When the teasing and ribbing finally died down, she decided to let him know about a business transaction she had made, again hoping he wouldn’t get upset. “Connell, there’s a lumber company that wants to buy the timber we cut down. We told them they could only buy what we have already cut, and it seemed like a fair price, but you decide.” Pulling a sheet of paper out of the pocket of her bathrobe, she handed it to him.

  He glanced at it, not sure he had seen the figure correctly. “That’s a damn good price.” he finally said. “Almost twice what I would have thought we could get, how did you manage that?“ he finished, a bit puzzled, but clearly pleased.

  Grinning from ear to ear, she nodded in the direction of the young man seated with them. “Jonus was a big help, he told me what kinds of timber we were dealing with, and where to go to get the best price.”

  Jonus seemed to be uncomfortable with her praise, looking down at his now empty plate.

  “I also told him I would talk to you about a ten percent finder’s fee, since he did find the best buyer for you.”

  Resting his elbows on the table, he laced his fingers together as he considered her request. After he had sobered up, he had remembered hearing awhile back that the young man had served in the Army, and had been shipped to Afghanistan, but when he came back he had seemed haunted and withdrawn. It was said around town he wasn’t the same, fun- loving young man he had been before he left. He admired any man or woman who had the courage to do what the young man had did, and felt guilty about his earlier, rash decision to get rid of him. Clearing his throat, he spoke quietly. “Alright, that sounds fair, and thanks for the help, Jonus.”

  “So he can stay on?” she asked hopefully, desperately wishing for his blessings, weary of so much strife, anger, stress, and tears.

  “Yes.” he said, still unable to look the young man in the eye.

  Beaming at Jonus, she patted his hand. “Now we can get you a place to stay, get you out of that shelter.” Glancing back at Connell, she snapped her fingers and said, “You know, I bet that camper you have behind the barn would be a great place for him to stay, until he gets on his feet. What do you think?” she finished, then astounded him by batting her eye lashes at him and giving him a doe-eyed, innocent look.

  The little hellion planed this all along..he thought, not without considerable amusement.

  “Alright, Ok.” he replied, then turned and looked Jonus in the eye for first time. “BUT, no partying, drugs, or strangers hanging out here. You have the run of the kitchen here, when you’re hungry, and if you’re inclined to have a few beers in the evening, I got nothing against that at all, have at it.”

  Jonus smiled, nodding his agreement to Connell’s rules. They weren’t a problem for him, since he didn’t hang out with anyone anyway, except, on occasion, his younger brothers.

  Connell didn’t miss the subtle wink sh
e flashed at Jonus, or her trying to hide her smug, satisfied smile behind her coffee cup. Sneaky woman…. he thought as he finished his breakfast.

  “Jonus, I’m going to get the kids, would you feed Thelma and Louie?” she asked as she rose from her chair and placed her plate and coffee cup in the sink. When he nodded, she sprinted upstairs, presumably to get dressed.

  Connell gave Jonus a questioning look, and the man mumbled, “Uhhh, well, you just have to see for yourself.“ Taking one last sip of coffee, he rose to his feet and gestured toward the back door.

  *********************************************************

  “You have got to be freaking kidding me.” Connell moaned as he looked at two of the saddest, sorriest looking animals he had ever laid eyes on. They were a pitiful sight. One, an old German Shepherd, was so emaciated her ribs were showing. The other, a tiny poodle, had had all it’s hair shaved off, and to top it off, it was wearing an eye patch. The pitiful creature was wearing one of Shawn’s tiny, outgrown sweatshirts for warmth.

  While Connell stood looking at them, still ashamed at what he had said (he knew the condition the animals were in was not *their* fault) Jonus poured large helpings of dry dog food into two bowls, and placed them before the starving canines. Wagging their tails the entire time, they began gobbling the Gravy Train, practically inhaling it as Jonus filled two equally large bowls of water for them.

  “They showed up ‘bout a week ago, both at once, believe it or not. I tried to talk her into taking them to the county shelter, you know, to be put out of their misery. She wouldn’t hear of it, said there was enough death in the world already, and if she could save them, she would. She took them to a vet in Coeburn and had them checked out.” Pointing at the smaller animal he said, “She had the little one there shaved. His fur was so matted and tangled with cockleburs the vet had no choice but to shave him. She found some of your son’s old shirts that were going to go to Goodwill, and used them to keep them warm. Both of them have been wormed and given shots. The vet said that other than being hungry and slightly dehydrated, they were fairly healthy, so should start regaining their strength soon. We’ve been feeding them dry food in the mornings, Spam, raw eggs, and bowls of milk in the evenings, to give them plenty of protein and fat. They love it. The Spam, eggs and milk I mean, but it gives them the trots.“ he chuckled.

  Looking down at them, Connell thought, That woman has completely, taken over. I’m going to get control back and….ahhh, forget it. I’m sick and tired of arguing with her, for now, anyway. “Well, let’s get the day started.“ he said.

  *******************************************************************

  As they began the day’s chores Connell looked around the barn. There was no hiding his surprise and pleasure, the place looked in tip-top shape. Upon closer inspection he was surprised to see boards that he had been planning to replace already fixed.

  “She helped replace the boards, and wait until you see the chicken houses. She found a buyer for the manure the next time Goldkist comes around to round up and buy the stock. Sure beats having to put it in your pasture every time, huh? Because of the smell I mean.” Jonus said when he noticed the pleased look on Connell’s face.

  His jaw dropped, barely able to believe what he was hearing. He had closed himself off for six months, while she had not only looked out for him and the kids, but the manual labor of helping run the place to boot, not to mention the business end of things. First, the deal with the timber, now this. And she knew absolutely nothing about farming before coming here…he thought to himself, more impressed than ever.

  By lunchtime the full scope of what she had taken on and managed had sank in. He was amazed how much she had invested in time, sweat, and money, and the truly humbling thought was that she had never been obligated to do any of it. He knew he would never be able to thank her enough. Oh man, I can’t believe I spoke to her the way I did last night, how could I have been so blind, so insensitive? You should be ashamed, you’ve been behaving like a…well..she was right, a knuckle-dragging ape…he thought, thoroughly ashamed. No wonder Jenny loved her so much, when she cares about someone she gives her all. And she’s a woman of her word too.

  *******************************************************

  Connell stretched his aching back, sore from the morning‘s work. It had been a long time since he had felt this way, he had laid on his ass and stuck his head in a bottle long enough to now feel the effects of neglect. He looked at Jonus, who was tossing another fence post off the back of the truck, the young man hadn’t even broke a sweat yet. Well, it doesn’t help that I’m not getting any younger, either…. he thought, stretching once more.

  “Lunch time, daddy!” a happy voice chimed. He turned and smiled when he saw Abby running towards them, her long her hair bouncing wildly around her head. She came through the gate dragging an old tattered blanket behind her.

  Aisha followed close behind, balancing Shawn in one arm, the other carrying a huge lunch basket. The infant looked so content, clutching a bottle in one tiny hand while the other pulled her hair. The two pitiful dogs brought up the rear, and Connell was ashamed to find himself wanting to laugh, especially at the shaved poodle. Looking at Aisha, he thought, She looks like she was suited for this life.

  Looking back at the dogs once more, he finally broke. He threw his head back and roared with laughter. Aisha had put a tiny, red and black lumberjack shirt that Shawn had outgrown on the poor creature.

  “What’s so funny?” she asked, smiling, but with a puzzled expression on her face.

  “Geez, that poor thing looks like a shaved rat!” he replied in between gasps for breath, tears running down his cheeks. Finally calming down, he wiped his eyes and stepped forward to help her.

  “Sorry I’m a little late, I was busy doing laundry and lost track of the time. Me and Abby threw a few things together for lunch as fast as we could.” she said breathlessly as she handed him the basket,

  “From the weight of this thing it feels like you two made enough to feed an army.” he said as he followed her to the blanket Jonus and Abby had laid out. He set the basket down and reached his hand out as Aisha handed him and Jonus wet wipes along with paper towels to clean up afterwards.

  Abby hummed a little tune to herself as she opened the basket and unwrapped several different types of sandwiches. After her dad finished cleaning his hands, she handed him a large roast beef sandwich, which she knew was his favorite.

  “Thank you, Angel.“ he said, with a wink.

  Smiling brighter than ever, she handed one to Jonus, then reached back into the basket for the cheese, crackers, fruits, sodas, and bottles of water. “Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about you two.” she said as she pulled the last two items out, Gaines burgers, and gave them to the dogs.

  Everyone ate in silence, lost in their own thoughts. It was a beautiful day, and the atmosphere was one of contentment for everyone, where words weren’t necessary.

  “Wanna’ go down to the creek and catch some minnows, Jonus?” Abby said as she leaped up and brandished her empty Styrofoam cup. “I just like to catch them, I always put them back.”

  “Sure, why not?” he said as she grabbed his hand and led the way.

  Finishing his third and final roast beef sandwich, Connell sipped his Sprite and watched Aisha. She had laid Shawn on his back, and was tickling his stomach and blowing raspberries on his belly while he squealed with delight.

  She could feel his eyes on her, but said nothing, waiting for him to say what was on his mind.

  “Aisha, I just wanted to say, you’ve done a wonderful job, with everything. I know you didn’t have to, especially when I was, well, you know, feeling sorry for myself. You didn’t have to stick around, I know I wouldn’t have. So…thanks, I mean it.“ he said, finally breaking the silence.

  Her lips quirked in amusement at his bumbling attempt at reconciliation and gratitude. Is he actually getting used to saying the words “thank you” to me?
she thought. “Don’t mention it. I’ve learned a lot, and I did have plenty of help too. Believe it or not, some of it’s been kinda’ fun.“ she replied.

  But when he stared at her in disbelief she laughed, then reached out, almost touching him, then looked down as she withdrew her hand in embarrassment. “Alright, alright, so it’s not exactly fun, let’s settle for...fulfilling, how’s that?”

  “That’s better.” he laughed, wishing that she hadn’t jerked her hand away.

  After a moment of silence she said, “Did Jonus tell you about the chicken fertilizer project I have going?”

  “Yeah, he said you’ve got everything set up and ready to go. You can tell me about it tonight, we need to get back to that fence I guess. And, if you don’t mind, could you call the lumber company about that timber, since you know everything about it.”

  “Sure.“ she replied, pleased that he was accepting her help. She looked at him, neither of them turning away like they usually did. Looking into his eyes she sensed a depth in them she had never noticed. Getting an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, she mentally shook off the strange feeling, finally looked away, then quickly picked Shawn up. “I’ll handle it, don’t be later for dinner.”