Stardust: A Novel

by Carla Stewart

  On the Fourth of July, Malcolm cut up a snapping turtle the size of a hubcap and cooked the meat from its legs along with the day’s catch. He wangled Ludi and her kids into joining us. Ludi sent Merciful for a quick trip to Zion to get a mess of ’maters from her garden.

  As she bit into a thick, juicy tomato, she smacked her lips. “Next week there’ll be cantaloupe and string beans.”

  I shook my head. “Ludi, how do you have time to keep up the garden and do your job here?”

  “The garden ain’t no burden. It’s the place I watch the sun come up ever’ mornin’ and do my confessin’ to the Lord Jesus. The ’maters and melons is His way of saying He be listenin’ to me and mindin’ what we need.”

  Malcolm offered her another helping of the fried turtle legs. “You’re one of a kind, Miss Ludi, but I know what you mean. I feel the same about the bayou. Even this danged snapping turtle. Some might think it’s an ornery nuisance, but I see it as a gift from the muddy waters.” He had a gentle way with Ludi and Mary Frances that made me warm inside. He served the rest of us, then lifted his head in greeting as Mr. Sweeney came from his cottage.

  Malcolm motioned him over. “Hey, there, you look like a fella who needs to put some meat on his bones. How about some of the best fried turtle you ever tasted?”

  Mr. Sweeney laughed. “You can’t imagine how many of those ugly buggers I’ve eaten in my day. We got creeks in Tennessee, you know. Thanks, but no, I’ve already eaten a fine meal.”

  Malcolm winked at me. “You know, if I didn’t know better, I’d say old Van’s falling for that aunt of yours. Second night in a row she had him over for dinner.”

  A familiar twinge pinched my insides. Aunt Cora always had a good eye for refined men. “Is that so? I thought you might have gone to the jelly tasting downtown.”

  Mr. Sweeney laughed. “I might’ve, but I met Cora at the planning meeting a couple days ago. I can’t remember when I’ve seen such dedication to a worthy cause.”

  “How are the fund-raiser plans coming?”

  “This is going to be one of the finest shows I’ve done. The enthusiasm from Bobby Carl, Mayor Sheldon, and your aunt has been inspiring.” His voice flowed with sincerity, a deep passion, and I could see why Aunt Cora was interested in him.

  He walked over to Catfish and stooped down. “What you doing there, son?”

  Catfish held up the cypress knee he was carving on. “Just messing around. This one’s gon’ be a snapping turtle.” He nodded toward Malcolm, who’d taken his usual spot beside Mary Frances. “For him.”

  “You have a fine gift there.” He lowered himself to the grass and watched as Catfish whittled.

  The girls played tag in the grass while Sebastian raced after them. Mary Frances bounced the baby on her lap. Peter sat with his back against a tree and pulled me down to sit by him. The trees hummed with cicadas as twilight fell, hypnotizing us all with its murmuring blue haze. Peter slipped his arm around me and nuzzled me on the neck. As I was imagining what the sweet taste of his lips might be like, headlights flashed between the cottages, breaking the spell.

  Half dizzy with the bliss around me, I hurried toward the office.

  An unfamiliar car jerked to a stop, and a woman peered through her open driver’s side window. “This the Stardust Inn?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Your name Georgia?”

  “Yes.” The half-dizzy feeling turned into a swarming nest of wasps in my stomach.

  An ample woman dressed in a plain shirtwaist emerged from the car. She pulled a hankie from her bosom and dotted her forehead. “I’ve come for the Callahan children.”

  [ CHAPTER 33 ]

  Peter steadied me, his arm encircling my waist, but still my voice quavered when I spoke. “You must be—”

  “Theodora Benning.”

  “Aunt Teddy.”

  Her eyes widened as if I’d startled her. “Please, call me Theodora.” Other than the accent, which had a backwoods sound to it, the woman before me looked reasonable. Clean. A late-model car. Sensible lace-up shoes with a heel.

  I offered my hand. “Please, won’t you come in?”

  When she leaned in to shake my hand, I detected the scent of cloves on her breath and remembered Bonnie said her aunt smelled like Christmas. Sweet. Pleasant. As I ushered Mrs. Benning in, it wasn’t Christmas cheer I felt, but something deep and painful. Like someone was getting ready to sever my leg.

  The bell above the door jangled when Peter opened the door, and Theodora’s lips curved into an anxious smile. “Where is my sweet girl? I’ve not seen her in a month of Sundays. And a boy I’ve yet to lay eyes on. I must say, it all came as a surprise.”

  Peter offered to fetch Bonnie, and I was suddenly aware that I must look a fright and probably smelled like wood smoke. I ran my hand across my mouth in case any food crumbs remained. “We were just finishing supper. With the heat and all, we prefer to eat in the back. We just had a little Fourth of July celebration. There’s still plenty of food if you’ve not eaten. Can I fix you a plate?”

  “No, thanks. It smells like you had fish, and fish generally disagrees with me. But thanks for asking.”

  I didn’t dare tell her we had snapping turtle; she would wonder if we were hillbillies.

  She gazed around the office. “If it’s no trouble, I could use a cool drink.”

  “Certainly. Let’s go back to our quarters, where it’s more comfortable.” She followed me through the connecting door and seated herself at the kitchen table.

  “Sweet tea all right?” I poured it without waiting for the reply then shoved the girls’ coloring books aside to make room.

  She’d just taken her first sip when Peter came in, carrying Bonnie. She had a strawberry on her knee, the bottoms of her feet nearly black from running barefoot. Pale gold eyes looked cautiously at Theodora, then me.

  “Hey, sweetie. There’s someone here to see you.” I took her from Peter and asked if he wanted some tea. He said he’d better get back and help clean up. I took a seat next to Theodora and set Bonnie on my knee. “Look, your aunt has come for you.”

  The woman held out her arms. “Got a kiss for your auntie? My goodness, you must’ve grown a foot since I seen you.”

  The tension in Bonnie’s wiry body made it seem like she was trying to anchor herself to me.

  I brushed the hair from her face with my fingers. “It’s okay. You don’t have to be shy. It’s your aunt from Arkansas. Remember you told me she lived in the Ozarks?”

  Mrs. Benning reached for her, getting a grip on her forearm. “Come on now. You weren’t shy the last time I saw you. Remember I let you play with the kitties? Isaac was your favorite. Betcha he remembers you.”

  Bonnie winced and tried to pull away. “Isaac scratched me.”

  “Only because you were too rough. I bet he’ll give you another chance. Where’s your brother? I bet he’ll come sit on Aunt Teddy’s lap.” She looked at me. “Has your husband gone to get the boy?”

  “Peter? Oh, he’s not my husband. He’s one of the boarders.”

  She smiled. “Do you think he could bring him? I’m anxious to get on the road. Bonnie, sweetheart, why don’t you run on now and get your things?”

  Panic bubbled into my throat as Bonnie scurried to the bedroom and closed the door, anxious, it seemed, to get away from her aunt. Poor thing had been tossed about so much, and I wished I’d known Mrs. Benning was coming so I could have broken it to her gently.

  “Surely you’re not leaving tonight. It’s late and, well, I haven’t told you what’s happened with Fiona.”

  “I gathered from speaking to a woman on the phone that she got the polio. We’ve had a mess of it, too, over in Green Oak.” She drained the sweet tea. “The Wilhite girl got hit the worst. Twisted legs. Poor thing will always be a cripple. We’ve got more than our share of misfits out our way. Last month Silas Sparks got kicked in the head by his mule and don’t make a speck of sense no more.”

  “I’
m sorry to hear that. I hoped you might want to see Fiona while you’re in Texas. Let her know you’ll take good care of Bonnie and the baby.”

  “I’ve no desire to see her. She never was one to write. I didn’t even know about the boy. To be expected, I suppose.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “She never cared too much for us, her and her highfalutin ways, wanting her and Rusty to move back to Texas, closer to her family. She outright stole Rusty away from us.”

  “Fiona has family in Texas?”

  “She’s got a sister. Inez something.”

  A spark of hope went through me. Mrs. Benning, though willing to take the kids, was not the sweet and doting aunt I’d imagined. Bonnie’s reaction had been telling enough, but the more we talked, the worse I felt about relinquishing Bonnie to her.

  “Do you know where Inez lives?” The name seemed familiar. Aunt Eyes. Could she be the one Bonnie mentioned?

  “She lived in Kilgore, same place as Rusty and Fiona.”

  My guess was Rusty might’ve been anxious, too, to get away from his aunt and uncle. Perhaps we’d been looking for the wrong relative, although it worried me that Inez hadn’t been looking for Fiona. If Bonnie was to be believed, she and Fiona had an argument, so perhaps it was just as well we didn’t explore it. I rubbed my temples, hoping to ease the pressure these added twists had put in my brain and trying to remember what Bonnie told me.

  Mrs. Benning hugged her handbag to her body. “I need to get on the road. My Elmer’s had this hernia operation, ain’t quite himself. With the doctor bills and all, I’m not even sure we can afford two young’uns, but since the woman told me the March of Dimes would pay us a stipend, we’ll get by.”

  “You would have to check with them.”

  “I figured you’d have the information since you’ve been the one watching them.”

  “I’ve only volunteered my time. By the way, how did you know the children were with me?”

  “I went to the sheriff’s office, one reason I’m so late. There was a mess of cars downtown, and the sheriff was out gallivanting somewhere. The dispatcher said I had to talk to him personally.”

  “He was probably at the Fourth of July celebration. Did he tell you there would be an allowance for the kids?” Mr. Salazar hadn’t mentioned the trust fund being available, so I wasn’t sure where Mrs. Benning had gotten the idea. I was beginning to suspect the money had influenced her decision to take the children.

  “He told me you would know, some relative of yours being a bigwig in the March of Dimes. It’s only right we get what’s coming to us. And with Rusty gone…” She sniffed. “I’m sorry, all this talk about Rusty is more than I can bear. You don’t know what it’s like to lose a child.”

  “I thought Rusty was your nephew.”

  “We raised him from the time he was three years old—after his folks was taken in a tornado. He’s our only flesh and blood besides Elmer’s sisters’ kids, and every one of them’s meaner than snakes. Thank the Lord we’ll have Bonnie and the boy to remember our Rusty by.” She sprawled back in the kitchen chair and yawned. “What’s keeping that girl? And the boy? Where is he?”

  The decision loomed before me. But the answer was obvious. “I appreciate your coming all this way, but it’s getting late. I could even put you up in one of the cottages tonight, then tomorrow, we’ll contact the March of Dimes.”

  “I can’t stay. Elmer’s expecting me home by morning to do the chores.”

  “You can use the phone in the office if you need to call someone.”

  She frowned and let out a long sigh. “Why don’t you make the call to whoever you need to check with? And find out how I get the money.”

  Rosey burst through the door. “Peter says Bonnie is leaving, to come say good-bye.” Tears rolled down her freckled cheeks. Her breaths were ragged as she tried not to sob. Then she saw Mrs. Benning. “Who are you?”

  “I’m Bonnie’s aunt, come to take her home with me until her mother gets well.”

  Rosey nailed me with a look. “Did you tell her, Momma? About the iron lung and Willie? How Bonnie is sad and we make her feel better?”

  “Yes, she knows, but sometimes people leave, sweetheart. Not because they want to, but because they have to. Bonnie needs to be with her family.”

  Mrs. Benning was growing tired of explanations, I knew, and while I was comforting Rosey, Mary Frances came in with Willie, followed by Peter carrying Avril.

  Mrs. Benning looked at Mary Frances. “Who the devil are you? And where’s the boy? Fiona’s kid.”

  Mary Frances smiled. “Right here. The sweetest thing you ever seen. You must be Bonnie’s aunt.”

  I was so proud of Mary Frances I could’ve cried. Although I knew it was ripping her apart, she handed the baby over. Or tried to.

  Mrs. Benning flinched. “Is this a joke? That can’t be Rusty’s boy. That’s a baby. I assumed Fiona was carrying him when Rusty died serving our country eighteen months ago, and the last time I checked, a pregnancy only took nine months.”

  Mary Frances and I traded wary looks, but I spoke. “Mrs. Benning. Perhaps you misunderstood. My aunt is the March of Dimes spokesperson who called you. She said you were under a lot of stress with your husband’s surgery. No one has tried to fool you into thinking otherwise. The fact is, we’re not certain who Willie’s father is, only that Fiona gave birth to him after she contracted polio.”

  Mrs. Benning bolted from the chair and knocked on the girls’ door. “Bonnie Fay, come on now. It’s getting late.” She turned to those of us in the room. “You can find someone else for the boy. Bonnie and I are leaving.”

  The bedroom door remained closed. I chewed my lip and tried to think of an excuse to delay their leaving.

  Peter, ever quiet and observant as he was, wrapped his arms around me. I elbowed him in the ribs. I hated to be comforted when I was frustrated and needed time to think.

  He winced, then cleared his throat. “Mrs. Benning, there’s no sense in rushing things. Before we get hasty, let’s give it a day. Never hurts to sleep on an important matter.”

  Mrs. Benning slumped back into the chair. “I never expected so much confusion.” She waved her hand in front of her face. “I only wanted to help and take care of Rusty’s girl. The poor thing needs a stable home, the kind Elmer and I can provide.”

  Peter went to her. “Your concern is appreciated. I think Georgia can set you up in one of the cottages.”

  Mrs. Benning pursed her lips. “It looks like I have no choice.”

  Time. We’d bought some time. I hoped it was enough to come up with another plan.

  [ CHAPTER 34 ]

  Willie woke for his night feeding at three o’clock. I put the water on to heat his bottle, then changed him while it was warming. He was such a good baby. Even when he was hungry, he only fussed, clenching his egg-size fists and waving them at me to hurry. Already he had a scowl that reminded me of O’Dell and Avril. I took him to the rocking chair in the office and held him close as he slurped the bottle. I’d always loved the girls’ nighttime feedings, when it was only the two of us as the rest of the world slept.

  Was it the money Mrs. Benning was after, or was she really trying to help? My gut told me she hoped the profit outweighed the inconvenience of raising a child. And either way, it meant Bonnie and Willie would be separated.

  Hopefully, Aunt Cora would start the ball rolling on finding Inez. She’d been having her bedtime chamomile when I’d called and told her things weren’t going well with Mrs. Benning. She assured me she hadn’t mentioned the trust, only that the polio foundation sometimes assisted with family finances in hardship cases. Mrs. Benning had read more into Aunt Cora’s call than she should have.

  From my chair, I could see the neon of the Stardust sign through the front window. Nothing worth having was easy, and for a moment, I was glad for the hard work we’d all done. I closed my eyes and rocked and cuddled Willie. When he fell asleep, I tucked him into the portable crib an
d patted his back until he was sound asleep.

  An urge to check on the girls came. I yawned and wanted to crawl back in bed, but I knew I would never sleep until I’d had a peek. I turned the knob and hoped the squeaky hinge didn’t disturb them. I tiptoed to Rosey’s bed and patted the spot where she should be. The bed was empty.

  My heart inched up a notch as I turned to see if she’d crawled in with the Avril and Bonnie, but she hadn’t. Their bed was just as empty.

  Panic rose in my chest, my face tingling, my arms and legs numb.

  Calm down. They have to be somewhere in the house.

  I flipped on the light and scanned the room quickly, looking in the closet and wardrobe Doreen had left. I wasn’t even sure I was breathing. A slight movement caught my attention. The muslin curtains hung limp at the window, riffling ever so slightly. The sash had been raised as high as it would go and the screen unlatched. My heart was in my throat, electric fear racing through me.

  I leaned out the window and saw nothing in the neon haze. The highway beyond was eerily void of sound and cars.

  Mrs. Benning. She took the girls.

  My temples throbbed as I flew from the front door and looked toward the cottage I’d given her for the night. Her car still sat in the spot where she’d moved it only hours before. I ran around to the bedroom window, hoping for a clue. I spotted something in the grass near the shrubbery. A cypress knee. The frog Catfish had made for Bonnie. She slept with it like it was a baby doll. Why would she drop it unless she was in a hurry… or someone was forcing her away?

  Maybe they went to see Mary Frances and hide from Mrs. Benning. That seemed logical. My feet slapped the sidewalk as I ran toward Mary Frances’s cottage. I pounded on the door. No light came from her window, so I pounded again. She was a heavy sleeper, but if the girls had gone to her, the light would be on.

  Mary Frances appeared, her hair in pin curls, her eyes heavy with sleep. “For heaven’s sake, what’s wrong?”

  I gave her a quick explanation. “Get dressed. We have to hunt for them.”