by Andrea Young
“Get him off the property, Carl. Kid, if I see you again, I ain’t gonna be so nice.”
From behind the barn door, Finny watched the boy being driven away. She contemplated telling Jeff that Ray and Carl had stolen a kid’s money, but would he care about some stowaway? Carl and Ray were Jeff’s trusted go-to guys. They’d deny it and Finny knew she’d probably end up being kicked out. With a heavy heart, she went back to work.
Finny was feeling sore and very tired by the time she slid through the fence into Azure Hills.
Vel was nailing up a new board on a stall to replace one a horse had broken. She worked to hold it straight and drive the nail home but was having trouble getting the board and nail to cooperate. Finny grabbed the board and steadied it.
“Thanks,” Vel said. She looked even more tired and disheveled than Finny.
“No problem.” Three hammer hits later the board was secured.
“Finny, I was thinking . . . With your help, I could take on some boarding horses and maybe generate some income. Do you think you can stay on during the school year?”
“I can. Tell me what you need and I’m there.”
“Will you have enough time?”
“Yes, I totally will.” As tired as she was, Finny meant every word.
“Wonderful, it would help so much. I’ve been fighting to keep this place open. Donations are down thanks to the bad economy, and my paycheck only goes so far.”
“Oh no, this place can’t close. What would happen to the horses?”
“I don’t know. That’s why I’m trying so hard.”
“I’ll get to work right now. What do you need?”
Vel gave a laugh. “I just finished. I had today off so I put my time to good use. I called the vet for you. He’ll be here tomorrow morning.”
“Thank you so much. I’ll be here first thing tomorrow morning. I’ll feed the horses and clean all the stalls before I go next door. I really appreciate you letting Sky stay here.”
“It’s my pleasure, and a day off from barn chores sounds like heaven.”
“Oh, could I use your phone? My mom’s picking me up and I want to tell her I’m here and not at Silver Spur.”
“Sure, honey, it’s in the kitchen.”
After five rings Finny’s mom picked up the phone with a rushed hello.
“Hey mom, just wanted to tell you I’m at Azure Hills, not Silver Spur. What time are you coming?”
“Your dad’s picking you up today.”
“No, they went out of town, remember?”
“What? He didn’t tell me that.”
“I did a week ago.”
“Your father needs to communicate with me directly. Please remind him of that.”
“Okay, so are you coming?”
“I just put the girls in the tub. You’ll have to wait until they’re done.”
“Mom, that’d be forever. Can’t Steven come get me or something?”
“He’s busy in the den with a project from work. Could you walk, sweetheart? It’d help me out so much.”
“But it’s almost dark.”
“Then stay on the trails and off the roads. It’s not that far. Come on, Finny, you’ve walked it a million times.”
“Fine, I’ll walk.”
“Thanks, baby. See you soon.”
By the time Finny was saying good-bye the dial tone was humming in her ear.
Four miles by road, five or so by trail. Finny stayed on the road to get home faster. She could have jogged but it was still hot and she was already exhausted from working all day. Being forgotten yet again didn’t help anything either.
At the highway, Finny checked both directions before running across. Once on the other side, a semi truck whizzed by, giving Finny a slight shove with a warm blast of air as it covered her in a cloud of dust. Being a little too close for comfort, Finny moved farther off the road and walked along the typically bonedry concrete California flood control channel. After about a mile, she spotted the bus stop shelter. The shelter didn’t catch her eye, but the person sitting behind it did. It was the boy she had seen earlier getting kicked out of Silver Spur.
The bus would go right by; the driver would never see him back there. When she got closer Finny saw he was asleep.
“Hey, wake up.” Her words had no effect. Finny noticed his eye and cheek were purple and his lip was split. She gently shook his shoulder. The boy jerked awake. After a moment of disorientation, Joe remembered where he was and gazed up at Finny.
“You’re going to miss your bus back here.”
Joe looked for his backpack, found he’d been lying on it, and picked it up.
“Did Carl do that to you?” Finny motioned to his face and saw that besides having a black eye and split lip he was sweating profusely. She didn’t know what to think when he closed his eyes without answering. Finny looked up and down the road then back to the teenager. She shook him awake again. He was hot to the touch.
“I think you need a doctor.”
Joe shook his head.
The sun had set, dropping the temperature to a reasonable eighty-five. Finny rubbed her forehead.
“What’s your name?”
“Joe,” he said, then closed his eyes again.
“I think I better call an ambulance.”
“No, I’m okay.” Joe struggled to rouse himself as if to prove it.
“It’s almost seven. I don’t think the next bus comes until tomorrow morning.”
“I’m not waiting for the bus. I just need to rest a little.” Joe touched his split lip. Speaking had made it bleed again.
“What happened? I saw you drive away with Carl.”
“I tried to get my money back.” Using his T-shirt Joe blotted the blood from his lip.
“You should call the police.”
“No,” Joe shook his head. “I just got to somehow get it back.”
“How much did you have?”
“Little over three hundred.”
“Carl’s a real jerk.”
Joe hugged his backpack and slumped back against the wall.
“Is there anyone you can call for help?”
Joe looked at Finny for a moment before giving an almost indiscernible shake of his head.
For the third time Finny glanced up and down the road, as if that action would lead to an answer. The boy seemed as pitiful as Sky. Finny wanted to help him now, since she hadn’t been able to help him earlier.
“Do you think you can walk a little over a mile?” Joe looked confused at the question.
“If you can, I have a place for you to stay. It’s where I used to live. There’s a bed and everything. No food but I could bring some.” Joe quietly studied Finny for a moment.
“Why would you help me?”
The question caught Finny by surprise.
“Why wouldn’t I help you?”
Joe ran his hand through his thick dark hair. He had no answer.
“It’s a mobile home. Me and my mom used to live there. Electricity and water are still on and everything.” Finny watched what must have been the wheels spinning in his head.
“Come on, twenty-minute walk tops. You can sleep there tonight, then deal with getting your money back tomorrow.” Finny felt a kinship for the boy, although if pressed wouldn’t have been able to come up with why. She offered a hand to help him up. After a pause Joe took it and then stood. Once on his feet, he dug through his backpack and pulled out a hat, shook it, and did his best to get the old worn felt cowboy hat back in a reasonable shape before snugging it down on his head.
“It’s this way.” Finny motioned down the road. Joe nodded and followed.
Finny watched him out of the corner of her eye. He was taller than her five-eight and on the thin side. His T-shirt and jeans were old and stained. The backpack he carried was dark green and had an Army insignia on it. Finny couldn’t help but notice underneath the dirt and sweat he had soft brown eyes and a pleasantly handsome face . . . along with a pretty decent limp.<
br />
“Thank you,” Joe said after a few minutes of walking in silence.
“No problem.” Finny gave him a smile. Between how sick he looked and his limp, she hoped he’d make it.
“Do you know anyone hirin’ around here? I’m good with horses.” He spoke with a subtle accent, a soft twang.
“You don’t want to go back to Phoenix?”
“I’m not from Phoenix. I need a job anywhere.”
“Are you eighteen?”
Joe shook his head.
“Sixteen?”
Joe shook his head again.
“You’re fifteen?” Finny asked with surprise.
“Yeah, wish I looked older. Be easier gettin’ a job.”
“Did you run away from home?”
After a slight pause Joe shook his head no. Finny didn’t push. They were almost to the trailer.
“I’ll ask at the feed store. They might know who’s hiring,” Finny told him, but with his limp, he moved pretty slow. She wondered if anyone would hire him in that condition. At the rate they were going it would again be long past dark before she got home.
At the trailer park, the streets were quiet. With mostly older residents, that was typical. Finny unlocked the door and quickly got Joe inside. The trailer was oven hot and stuffy, so she dashed around and opened windows and then turned on a fan. The trailer was still furnished and had most everything a person needed. Finny’s mom had wanted a new start with her new husband and left most of the possessions from her first marriage behind. Joe looked around, unsure of what to do. Finny worried about how pale he was.
“Joe, why don’t you go sit on the couch. I’ll get you some water.”
Joe nodded and sank into the soft cushions, then took off his hat and lay it on the coffee table. By the time she was back with his water, Finny thought he had fallen asleep, but his eyes opened when she came into the room. He downed the water immediately after she handed it to him.
“I got to get home. The shower works and we have a washer and dryer. Try not to make it obvious someone’s here. I don’t think the neighbors would call my mom, but you never know.”
Joe nodded.
“There isn’t any food, but I’ll bring some tomorrow if you want.”
“It’s really nice of you to help me.”
“No problem. I better get going. I’ll be here early. I hope you feel better.” Finny gave a quick wave, then closed the door behind her.
Joe glanced around the room. With the windows opened and the fan on it was cooling down. He felt his swollen eye and split lip and wished he had some ice. He was dead tired and his knee was killing him. Joe pulled his pant leg up and looked; it was purplish yellow, swollen, and ugly.
The refrigerator was in plain view from where he sat. He’d take a chance and look in the freezer. Pain shot through his leg when he stood, making his head swim. After a moment Joe limped over to the kitchen. He opened the freezer and found a lone bag of peas. It was like a gift from the heavens. He pressed the cold bag to his swollen face. He knew it had been dumb to try to fight Carl. He was no match. It was panic over losing his money that caused him to lose his head. For all the good it did, Joe thought miserably.
The cold air from the freezer made him shiver. He could feel heat emanating from his skin. He couldn’t believe that on top of everything else, he was sick. Joe limped back to the couch. California . . . unbelievable. It was a lot farther than he thought and that was fine with him. Ray and Carl had been wrong. Joe had been in the truck for almost three days, not less than one.
After balancing the bag of peas on his swollen knee, Joe lay back. Once they thawed, he planned to eat them. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a solid meal. It’d been two days without any food at all. Joe’s eyes grew heavy as he looked around the modest trailer. To him, it looked like paradise.
The porch light burned bright but the rest of the house sat dark. Finny used her key and went inside. After fumbling around she found the light switch. Her stomach got tight when her mom wasn’t there waiting for her. Finny reasoned that she was almost fifteen, and her mom must expect her to take care of herself by now.
She opened the fridge and found it jam-packed with food. After shutting the door she ran up the stairs and knocked gently on her mom and Steven’s door. Beth stepped out into the hall. “I’m glad to see you’re finally home.”
“Came as fast as I could. . . . Hey Mom, if you’re really sick with a fever, what should you do?”
“Are you sick?” Beth touched the back of her hand to Finny’s forehead.
“No, I was just wondering.”
“Well, you’d take Tylenol to lower the fever, drink lots of fluids, and rest. That’s about all you can do if it’s the flu.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“Sure, sweetheart.” Beth kissed Finny on the forehead, then heard one of the twins holler. She rolled her eyes and took off in that direction.
Back in the kitchen, Finny looked at the leftovers from dinner: pasta with vegetables. She chewed her lower lip and glanced at her watch. Thirty minutes round trip is all it would take by bike. She dashed up to her room and grabbed her backpack. A bottle of Tylenol was in the bathroom; she tossed it in the pack, then grabbed some towels and washcloths before heading back down to the kitchen, where she loaded as much food as she thought she could get away with taking. Finny stepped back and looked. The fridge still looked packed. Finny put the backpack on the porch, then stood in the kitchen and listened for sounds of her mother. She had never snuck out at night before and seriously doubted her mom would notice if she were to leave now. Finny crept out, closed the door quietly, and jumped on her bike.
* * *
Fifteen minutes later she was at the door of the mobile home. When she got no response to her gentle knock, she opened the door. Joe was asleep on the living room couch, a warm bag of peas on his knee. Finny took the bag and put it back in the freezer so he could use it again. As quietly as she could she placed the food in the refrigerator, then contemplated waking Joe so he could take the pills but decided to let him sleep. Finny lightly touched his forehead. He was burning hot. She went back to the kitchen and soaked a washcloth in cool water, then folded it in thirds and placed it on his forehead. Unsure, she watched him for a while. What if he had something worse than the flu? Finny was tempted to call her mom and confess everything. Her sense that Joe wouldn’t want that prevented her. She’d give it one more day. If he wasn’t better, she’d tell her mom. Finny wrote a quick note to Joe about the food and medicine, then jumped on her bike and took off for home.
Joe woke with a panicked start. He blinked several times and rubbed his eyes. After a moment of bewilderment he remembered where he was. Joe found a washcloth on his forehead. He pulled it off and sat up, scanning the room.
“Hello?” No one answered. Joe saw next to his hat on the coffee table was a bottle of Tylenol and a glass of water with two pills lying next to it. He took the pills and finished off the water.
The full night’s sleep had done him good. Joe knew he had a fever and was starving, but he no longer felt exhausted on top of that. He spotted Finny’s note telling him she’d brought food. Joe shot off the couch. His knee screamed in protest, stopping him instantly. He waited until the pain eased and the dizziness passed before carefully making his way to the kitchen. With trembling hands he took the food containers out of the fridge and put them on the table. Not bothering with a fork or a spoon, he began to eat with his hands. There was a lot of food. Joe wasn’t used to dealing with other kids his age. He was amazed by what a kind girl Finny was.
Twenty minutes later, Joe sat back. His stomach felt like it would burst. He wished he could keep eating. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this full, or if he’d ever felt this full. Tired again, Joe limped back to the couch and was out before his eyes closed.
The clock refused to move no matter how many times Finny checked it. She jigged her leg with impatience. Her mom had surprised the fami
ly with pancakes for breakfast. All five of them were having a meal together for the first time in a long time. Her sisters were being adorable, her mom and Steven were happy, and the food was great, but Finny was going nuts. She had a hidden boy and a secret horse to get to.
Finny held out as long as she could before asking to be excused. Her mom, happy with the breakfast, said yes and Finny was out the door again with a backpack full of food and supplies.
Fifteen minutes later she was knocking on the door of the trailer. When she got no response, she opened the door and peered in. Joe was still asleep on the couch. She was relieved to see the half-empty food containers on the table. This meant he hadn’t died of some mysterious disease during the night.
Finny lightly touched Joe’s forehead. He was definitely cooler. She unloaded more food into the refrigerator from her backpack, then went back to the living room. She didn’t want to leave Joe, but she had promised Vel she would clean the stalls and give the medications today. Not to mention the vet was coming for Sky and she had her lesson at Silver Spur. Figuring Joe had a few days of rest ahead of him, she left him with a note explaining where she was and when she’d be back. Finny hopped on her bike and headed for her horse.
* * *
All the horses were fed and eight of the eleven stalls were clean when the vet rolled up. Finny prayed the two hundred dollars of babysitting money she had in her pocket would be enough.
Dr. Scott Monie stepped out of his truck. Finny knew Dr. Monie from her work at Silver Spur and liked him very much. He was in his forties, handsome, with a thick mop of curly dark hair lightly sprinkled with gray. His best feature, though, was a quick-witted sense of humor that kept everyone laughing.
“How you doing there, Finny?”
“Good, Dr. Monie, and you?”
“Right as rain, darling. So what’s this I hear? You have a horse?”
“I sure do. He’s right this way. He’s not in the best shape.”
“Well, we’ll fix that.”
Finny grabbed her lead and halter and went to Sky.
Sky stood with his head down in a pile of fresh hay that he wasn’t eating. Finny haltered him and led him out of his corral.
