Eli laid the brush on the dresser. He could not keep his mind on brushing hair when his thoughts raced with the image of her. The way her hair shimmered in the light, the faint smell of soap and shampoo about her, the rise and fall of the gown that kept drawing his eyes.
"What's the matter?"
Carol turned, bringing her breasts even with his groin. He could almost feel the heat of her body penetrate the cloth of his pants. He sank weakly on the bed beside her. Her body was soft and flexible when he pulled her to him and tilted her chin to kiss her.
She pulled away in surprise, when their lips met.
"Haven't you got a little kiss for your old man?" he whined.
She shrugged her shoulder, causing the gown to lift enough to give him a brief glimpse of the lacy panties underneath.
"I guess so, but you've never wanted to kiss me before."
"Well, I want to now," Eli groaned, pulling her hard against him.
He forced his tongue into her mouth and was surprised to feel her return the gesture. A shiver passed through him, as she began to expertly return his kiss....
CHAPTER ONE
Eli Tanden groaned, sat up and decided it was useless to try to sleep. Not when he had to try to get comfortable on the floor of the hut. He cursed the damned sadistic devil that made the hut in the first place. If it wasn't actually made for torture it served the purpose well, anyway.
He drew a deep breath and looked around. The hut was barely seven feet long and six feet wide. The walls were made of bamboo sticks, just close enough to prevent falling through, which made for rather uncomfortable walking, sitting, or sleeping. All of which he was forced to do since they hadn't seen fit to provide him with furniture.
"Goddam them to hell!" Eli muttered, pushing the hair out of his face and running a hand over his beard. "Did you hear me down there?" Eli shouted. "I hope you fry in hell!"
"Shut up, yankee!" the guard yelled in answer.
"Oh, go play with yourself!" Eli said and spit through the cracks in the floor.
He turned his back on his guard and cursed himself for getting in this mess in the first place. If he'd had brain one he'd have refused this mission when he had a chance.
Had to be a bigger hero, Eli thought with disgust.
The sun was getting hotter now and the steam rose from the wet ground and foliage around the little hut. Eli ran his sleeve over his face and looked out. He could see nothing but trees and mud. It had rained every day that week and the small clearing under his prison hut was knee deep in mud.
Eli grinned when he heard his guard swear and squish around, trying to find a dry spot to stand his four-hour watch. He hoped the foreign devil caught pneumonia and hurried that trip to hell. He called down his good wishes and was threatened with a gun.
Eli laughed. He didn't mind the gun. Since his capture he had been questioned and threatened repeatedly. When they were too busy to question him he was placed in the hut under guard. He'd deliberately threatened his guards at every opportunity, but they hesitated to kill him. They wanted him alive for some reason, of that Eli was certain. He felt he would be killed only if he tried to escape. They prevented that by keeping guards posted twenty-four hours a day.
Eli had been in the war two years and he was used to death. Even prepared to die himself. He'd learned many things. One was that death wasn't too hard to take and the other was the simple fact that he wouldn't die a minute sooner than he was meant to go. This idea allowed him to take chances that would've been the instant death of another. He fully intended to take the chance of escaping.
Eli was forming a plan. First, he studied the surrounding area and the habits of his guards. He found that his hut was in a clearing barely large enough to hold one man. The jungle undergrowth was creeping in slowly. If he could get one of the guards to leave the clearing, the guard would be completely swallowed up in the brush. There was a hole in his roof that opened directly under a tree branch-his avenue of escape.
The main problem seemed to be getting someone to leave the clearing while on duty. When threats, pleas, and tricks failed, Eli tried urinating through the cracks. The guards cursed and waved guns at him, but they didn't offer to leave.
Then Eli had another idea. He waited peacefully until his guard was sleeping with his back against the tree under him. He then lowered his pants and forced his bowels to move. In a couple of days he was good enough to score a direct hit every time. He knew that some day one of the guards would be so sure of being crapped on that he'd be tempted to stand watch just outside the clearing. When that day came Eli Tanden was miles away before he was missed.
The jungle was no stranger to him and he made his way back to his headquarters, sick, wounded, and suffering from malnutrition. From there he was sent to a hospital for medical attention. The hospital sent him to the States with a recommendation for a Purple Heart to prove tangibly his worth to his nation. Physically speaking, Eli Tanden returned home a perfect specimen. However, there's no cure for hatred, distrust, and the smell of violent death. Eli carried these things home with him.
He wasn't met when his ship docked. He'd sent his wife a letter asking that she wait for him at home. There was little sense in her dragging two little ones across the country when he could be there in a couple of days by train.
On the train he finally allowed himself to realize that he was actually getting out of that hell alive. It was far more than he expected and he sighed with relief. There was nothing about the peaceful train ride across the plains of Kansas to remind him of the artillery and death ne'd just left behind.
Eli settled back in the seat and closed his eyes, trying to form a picture of his house and the family that waited. First and foremost, there was Alana. Lovely, sweet little Alana. His wife and the mother of his two children. He tried to picture the children but couldn't. Carol, the oldest, was only a chubby baby girl when he left. He'd been home on leave once, but she hadn't made much of an impression. The second was Jim and he'd been born after Eli's return to the war-a living reminder of the fifteen days he'd spent with Alana.
But Alana! Ah, there was something a man could remember. The way they'd run off to get married because her parents had thought her too good for the likes of Eli Tanden. Only when she almost died giving birth to their first child did he learn that his bride was only fourteen years old at the time of their marriage. He hadn't thought to ask and she hadn't mentioned it for fear he wouldn't want her if he knew. Thinking back, Eli knew it wouldn't've mattered much one way or the other. He married Alana out of spite. Simply to teach that goody-goody mother of hers that nobody was too good for Eli Tanden. Love, of sorts, had come later with practice.
Can't get my hands on her too soon, Eli thought with a grin.
Not that he'd been without women for so terribly long, but none of them seemed to take her place. None had her warmth or her ability to make a man feel so big and special.
A man could take a lot of that treatment, Eli thought with pleasure.
He settled back in his seat and closed his eyes again. His thoughts of Alana were so strong he could almost see her. Her black curly hair streaming over a pillow. Her tiny body arched to meet him. That little smile she gave him when he came to her. The way she groaned with unbearable pleasure as their bodies met and clashed.
Eli jerked himself back to the present. Such thoughts could put a man in a pretty embarrassing condition.
He got up and strolled to the dining car. He ate a sandwich and had a cigarette as he drank his coffee. He wondered if his mother would be at his house to welcome her ever-loving son back from the dead. He figured she would. Just like dear old Mama. She'd probably spend several days so he couldn't have any time alone with his wife. Not that Mama would want to hurt him in any way or spoil his homecoming. However, she would be determined to show Alana that he belonged to his mother no matter who he married.
While Eli had been growing up, his mother had been too busy with her various husbands, most of whom she'd neglected to marry, to even try to raise him. He'd been left in the hands of his grandmother while his mother flitted from man to man. But now that old age was creeping up on the old gal, it wasn't so easy to keep her men and it took longer to replace the ones that got away. She used Eli's love to boost her sagging morale. Still, she was a pretty good old gal and Eli couldn't resent her use of him, no matter how hard he tried.
"Are you getting off here?" the conductor asked.
Eli jerked his head around and saw the familiar landmarks just outside his window.
"Yes, thank you," he replied.
Feeling wonderfully free for the first time in over two years, Eli stepped from the train. The big sign with its faded letters still weakly proclaimed the name of the town as being Miami, Oklahoma. He patted the sign lovingly as he swung from the platform and hailed the waiting cab.
"Welcome home, Eli," the driver said with real emotion, as he turned to open the door.
"Thanks, good to see you, Ed," Eli grinned.
Old Ed pulled the cab around and headed straight for Eli's house, just off Main Street.
"It's good to be back," Eli sighed, as they drove up in front of his house.
"I'll bet!" old Ed said and winked, nodding his head in the direction of the house.
Eli turned and saw that Alana was watching him, waiting for him to make the first move. He held out his arms and she ran into them with a little whimper. He felt tears soak through his uniform.
"There, there, baby. You're not going to cry on me now that it's all over, are you?" Eli coaxed.
"I can't help it. I'm so happy I could cry," Alana said, smiling through her tears.
"I would've never known," Eli laughed, squeezing her to his side, "but let's go inside and cry together."
"Oh, you can't do that." Alana pulled away. "Your mother is inside waiting for you. She'd be outside, but I guess she didn't hear the cab drive up."
"Goddammit all! I was hoping she'd wait at least a couple of days before barging in."
"Not hardly, darling. She's been here a week to make sure you didn't slip into town unannounced. You didn't tell us exactly what day you'd arrive," Alana accused.
"I didn't know for sure and I didn't want to disappoint you. I can't say that I'm surprised that the old gal's here. I guess we'd better go inside and say hello," Eli explained, picking Alana up and swinging her around to face the house.
"You'd better, considering the fact that you have two children in there who're dying to get to know their father."
"We do have a lot to make up for, don't we?" Eli whispered suggestively.
Eli was pleased to see his daughter rush to his arms and snuggle up as though she'd been there forever. He liked to think she remembered him, but he knew it was more likely her friendly nature instead of any form of recognition. He reached for his son and was surprised to see the boy draw away and hide behind Alana.
"What's with him?"
"He isn't used to men, darling. Be patient; he'll be all right when he gets used to having you around," Alana explained, hugging the child to her.
He was a small, sickly child with blond hair curling almost to his shoulders.
"How come the sissy hair?" Eli frowned.
"It's so pretty, Eli. I couldn't bear to have it cut."
"But it's longer than Carol's," Eli protested.
"I know, but her hair is so straight and ugly. I can't stand the sight of it," Alana said.
"That may be true, but that boy is going to the barber shop first thing in the morning and see if he can look like a boy for a change, Alana."
"Son! When did you get here? Why didn't you tell me you were home?" Martha said, and ran out of her bedroom into her son's arms.
"I just this minute walked in the house, Mom," Eli laughed, patting her on the back.
"Son, you don't know how good it is to see you here all in one piece. So many of the boys have been killed or horribly maimed that I've held my breath all the time you were away. Held my breath, I tell you!" Martha sobbed.
"Now, Mom! I'm back and everything's all right. This isn't any time to be crying all over the place," Eli said, gently pushing her away.
"I suppose you're right, dear," Martha sniffled, "but I don't think anyone has worried as much as I did," she whined, with a meaningful glance at Alana.
"What's for supper?" Eli asked quickly, to avoid the storm he saw brewing in Alana's eyes.
"I'll fix something right away, darling," Alana offered, sitting little Jim on the floor before turning to the kitchen.
"I'll fix the potatoes just like you always like them," Martha cooed, rushing to the kitchen ahead of Alana.
"I'll fix the potatoes along with the rest, Mother," Alana said coldly. "Why don't you change into something more comfortable while supper's cooking, Eli?"
Eli grinned, thinking how the two always fought over who would get to care for him. Then he turned and went to the bedroom, where he found his civilian clothes neatly pressed and hung in the closet. He sighed and flexed his muscles under the soft, clean fabric of the shirt.
"Feels wonderful," he said to Carol, who waited for him at the kitchen door.
"Can I sit on your lap, Daddy?" Carol asked.
"Sure can, sissy," Eli said, then picked her up and carried her into the kitchen.
He held her on his lap while the women tried to pass small talk without drawing too much attention to his painful memories, as Martha put it. Eli listened with one ear and watched his children. He marveled at the way his daughter looked like him. The same short muscular body, blonde hair, and bright-blue eyes. She even grinned with the same crooked twist of the mouth. How could two children look so much alike and apparently be so different? Carol was so happy and friendly, while Jim sulked and seemed withdrawn. Eli shrugged his shoulders and pulled his chair to the table as Alana motioned that the meal was ready.
After they'd finished eating, he led everyone to the living room and dug through his duffel bag to produce the various presents he'd brought.
Carol was delighted with her new doll and presented her daddy with a kiss in thanks. Martha grew misty at the sight of a scarf Eli handed her and Alana insisted on trying her new perfume right away. Eli tried to act calm in the midst of all the fuss. He was anything but calm. He wanted only one present-his wife.
He needed her and the need was great. So great that the physical evidence of it made him hesitate to stand or walk for fear it would be noticed. He wanted to take Alana to bed, but he didn't know how to say so without hurting his mother's feelings. Finally, it was she who suggested they all turn in so they could have a nice visit in the morning when Eli was properly rested.
"I suppose it's getting late," Alana blushed.
"It is late, honey. Get the kids ready for bed, and hurry up," Eli said with a relieved grin.
He went to their room and hurriedly removed his clothes. He stretched out on the bed and fancied he could smell Alana's perfume on the pillow. The mattress sloped a little to one side and he ran his hand along the indentation, almost feeling her body there beside him. He felt his chest tighten when he heard her footsteps just outside the bedroom door, only to be disappointed when the boy cried and she turned back to the kid's room. He waited, his impatience growing with each squeak of the rocking chair near the crib. After what seemed like all night, she walked into the room.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, she leaned over to remove her shoes. Eli grabbed her by the waist and pulled her down to him, kissing her hard as he fumbled with the blouse buttons. He swore under his breath and jerked the blouse up, tearing the buttons loose. He groaned at the sight of her bare tummy and the twin peaks hidden by her bra. He let his hands trace down her side to her waist and back before fumbling with the fasteners on the back of the bra.
"Goddamned things," he swore, when they refused to come undone under his trembling fingers.
"Wait a minute, honey," Alana pleaded.
"I've waited long enough," Eli moaned, jerking the bra up and over the swell of her breasts without bothering with the troublesome hooks any longer.
Her breasts jiggled with the new-found freedom and the brown tips rose to meet his searching lips. He grasped one tip in his mouth while he gently rubbed the other between his fingertips.
"Eli, please." Alana squirmed beneath his weight. "Let me get these things off."
"What's gotten into you?" Eli hissed, grabbing her wrists in his free hand.
"It's been a long time, Eli," Alana groaned, partly with pleasure and partly discomfort.
"You don't have to tell me that. Now be a good girl and hush," Eli pleaded, kissing away her protests.
With one hand he pulled her skirt down over her knees and impatiently tore at her panties. They wouldn't come down easily, so he simply pulled them aside and forced entry, above Alana's cries.
Her legs sought to enfold him, but the skirt was in her way. Eli tugged impatiently at the skirt, cursed, and gave up. Instead, he ran his hands back up her legs until he felt the rise of her buttocks. Here he grabbed a handful and held her pinned to him while he worked furiously to satisfy the need that was about to tear his insides apart. When he finished he fell back and pulled her to him.
"I'm sorry. It'll be better next time," he promised.
Wordlessly, Alana lit him a cigarette and held it to his lips.
"I didn't mean to be so rough," Eli grumbled, "but dammit all, you knew I was waiting for you. What did you mess around with that kid so long for?"
"I understand, darling, but I had to get Jim asleep before I left him." Alana smiled sweetly. "Otherwise, he would come in here as soon as I got in bed."
"I suppose it wouldn't do to be interrupted, but it makes a guy wonder where he stands when his wife would rather rock a kid to sleep than come to bed with her husband."
"I didn't want to rock him, Eli, but I had to."
"Yeah, well, I'd like to feel important on my first day home, at least," Eli pouted.
"Darling, you are important. The most important person in the world as far as we're concerned," Alana assured him, kissing him on the forehead.
"Want to prove it?" Eli challenged.
"If I can get a little help with these things,"
Alana teased, tugging at her tangled clothes.
"In that case, I'll help," Eli offered, slapping her breasts to see them wiggle.
Eli unfastened the misplaced bra and removed the skirt. When she was stripped he raised himself on one elbow to survey the goods. She was beautiful in her own way. Not what you'd call sexy, just lovely. Her hips were small and the buttocks a bare handful. Her legs were slim and the children had shrunken her breasts somewhat, but they were adequate. Nothing spectacular, but, put together in perfect proportion, it made a pretty desirable picture. Eli felt his strength return with renewed passion. He reached for her and held her tight for a minute, breathing in the smell of her.
Then he released her only as much as was needed to allow him to trace a line down her body with his tongue. He flicked over each breast and felt her tighten her leg muscles against his thigh. He buried his face in the hollow of her waist and bit her hipbone where it brushed against his cheek.
By then Alana was squirming, twisting away from him, then throwing herself back. He held her tightly and followed the swell of her stomach to her navel. He traced the small oval before sliding down to the soft pubic hair that out-lined his main goal. He followed the hairline to her inner thigh where he bit softly, twisting the flesh in his mouth.
Alana moaned and threw herself against him, as she cried:
"Now, darling, now."
"Now who's in a hurry?" Eli teased, biting again before raising himself back to her side.
As he promised earlier, it was much better this time-not only for Alana but for himself as well, now that the urgency was past.
CHAPTER TWO
The next morning Alana crept carefully out of bed and hurried into the children's room. She wanted to get little Jim up before he got up on his own and sneaked into her bed as he always did. She had a feeling Eli wouldn't care for that sort of thing.
"Good morning, little sweetheart," she cooed to the sleepy-eyed boy. "You can help your mama get breakfast. Okay?"
She sat little Jim in his high chair while she started breakfast. Carol stumbled into the kitchen, still wearing her pajamas, as Alana started to set the table.
"Where's my daddy? Is my daddy still here?" Carol cried, rubbing her eyes.
"He's still here, Carol, but he's asleep," Alana said shortly.
"Is breakfast ready? Can I tell my daddy breakfast is ready?" Carol asked, jumping up and down.
"Oh, all right, dear. Just tell your daddy to get ready for breakfast. It'll be ready in a few minutes," Alana smiled and said.
"Oh, goody! I get to get my daddy up!"
Carol squealed at her brother, as she passed his high chair.
Moments later Alana was startled to hear Carol scream and Eli started cursing. She hurriedly wiped her hands and ran to the bedroom. Tears came to her eyes when she arrived to see Carol huddled in the corner of the room, blood streaming from her nose.
"What happened to her?" Alana demanded, grabbing the child to her.
"That damned kid crawled into my bed. She grabbed my shoulders and I threw her off," Eli said and pointed with shaky fingers.
"She only came to tell you that your breakfast was almost ready. That's no reason to throw her across the room like a rag doll," Alana said, silently thanking heaven for the foresight that prevented little Jim from coming into the room instead of Carol.
"Let that be a lesson!" Eli growled. "Don't ever let one of those kids wake me up again. I don't like people sneaking up on me while I'm asleep. Keep the kid away from me if you know what's good for her," Eli shouted.
"I don't imagine you'll have to worry about that from now on. I doubt very much if she'd want to come near you after being treated that way," Alana said bitterly.
"Goddammit, Alana! Where I came from, the person waking you up could easily kill you. I wouldn't've lived long enough to get home if I hadn't leaned that," Eli shouted with a toss of his head.
He was angry with himself for throwing the kid and angry at her for getting a nosebleed.
"She's just a baby, Eli. She doesn't understand these things. She was so thrilled to have you home, she wanted to be the one to get you up for breakfast," Alana tried to explain, hushing Carol.
"Look, tell her I'm sorry. And go wipe her nose, will you?" Eli muttered sourly.
He sat up and stretched. He heard the crying coming from the kitchen and swore. He hadn't hurt the kid on purpose and he sure didn't see any reason for all that fuss over one little nosebleed. He'd been expected to drag his buddies off the battlefield and go back to look for heads that had inconsiderately allowed themselves to become disconnected in some explosion. No one had made much fuss about that. Here he was on the line for one nosebleed.
He pulled his pants on and searched for a shirt. He felt guilty about the whole thing. He knew that to the child out there a nosebleed was a major tragedy, and he had been the cause of it.
He walked into the kitchen just in time to hear Martha ask what had happened.
"I threw the brat off my back, that's what happened," Eli growled, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "I thought you said breakfast was ready," he added.
"I said it was almost ready," Alana looked up and said. "You'll have to wait now until I get her nose to stop bleeding."
"Here, dear, I'll finish getting your breakfast while Alana fixes Carol," Martha offered.
"Just forget the damned breakfast. I'll go out and eat!"
Eli slammed the cup on the table, breaking the handle.
Carol started screaming again, frightened by the unusual sound. Little Jim joined her in tears.
"Shut those little brats up if you know what's good for all of you," Eli threatened, shaking his finger under Alana's nose.
"Haven't you done enough for one day?" Alana asked, carrying Carol past him.
"I'll shut you up the same way if you can't learn to keep a civil tongue in your head," Eli yelled at her.
"Now, son, there's no reason for everyone to get so upset. Carol isn't used to loud noises and you scared her, that's all. You sit right down here and let your mother fix your breakfast."
"Don't do me any favors, Mother. I said I'd eat out and I will. I just left one war; I don't intend to stay here and fight another one. I may be back in time for lunch. See if you can have it ready without all this racket," Eli said, grabbing his jacket on his way out.
"But, son," Martha pleaded, "we had so looked forward to a nice long visit today."
"Then you'll have to have a nice visit without me," Eli snorted, slamming the door behind him.
He heard the glass shatter, but he didn't slow down or look back.
He marched angrily down the street toward Main Street. There he turned left and walked toward the three alternately colored signs that proclaimed "Food." He slowed at the first, but seeing no familiar faces, he walked on. He entered the second one and sat in a back booth. He ordered black coffee and ham and eggs. It was only six in the morning and the day shift was having breakfast before reporting to the mines at seven. He noticed a few guys he knew, but they were busily chatting with one another and didn't look in his direction. He sipped his coffee and tried not to care that nobody had spoken.
The waitress returned, bringing his eggs, and she studied him as she wrote his ticket.
"Say, ain't you Eli Tanden?" she roared.
"The same!" Eli said, proud that someone knew him.
"I thought you was. I knew you when you and that fella Jack used to come in here every morning," she said, smiling.
"Hey, boys!" She turned. "Look who's back from the war. It's Eli Tanden!"
A couple of the men Eli had recognized earlier turned slowly on their stools and carefully eyed him.
"Well, I'll be damned! It is you!" one bearded old man yelled, shaking Eli's hand.
"How's it going, old man?" another asked, bringing his coffee cup to Eli's table.
Soon, Eli's table swarmed with men, young and old, as they talked about the mines and people they'd known. Some of them knew Eli personally; others knew only of his reputation of being the best drill and dynamite man underground. They were one of a kind and they had much in common.
Most of the men were dirty with the ground-in dust that a man can't wash away. The dirt was their brand as was the hacking cough that punctuated their sentences. The cough would one day turn into tuberculosis and kill them as it had their fathers before them.
Their clothes were stiff with the red clay and mud mixed with sweat. They were rough, mostly uneducated men, but they had a great deal of common sense and the sort of understanding that comes with living close to other men. A few eyebrows lifted when they learned that Eli had just returned home yesterday, but none intruded so much as to ask about Eli's wife.
They naturally assumed that Eli must need work right away or he wouldn't be out on his first day home with his family. This was something they could understand. If a miner needed work he went to the places where working miners hung out. Then he need only let it drop that he wasn't working and if there were any openings he was told so. These were a proud breed of men and they didn't like to beg. Not even for badly needed work. This method of hiring prevented a man's having to openly announce his need for work.
"Say, Eli, you planning to go down right away?"
"I don't know yet, boys."
"Well, if you are, why don't you go out to the Big Blue. I hear they lost their best blast man last week. They sure could use you now," one man offered.
"I may look into it," Eli said thoughtfully.
"Tell you what, if you don't like the looks of things down there, come on over to Jim Stanton's new place. Just tell him I sent you," another said.
"Thanks a lot, boys. I appreciate it," Eli said and grinned, shaking hands all around as the men prepared to leave for their jobs.
A man could feel appreciated here, Eli thought.
After they left Eli ate his cold breakfast with pleasure. He felt at home here. There was no need to try to fit himself into a household full of women.
He sipped his coffee and tried to remember the first time he went down and joined the group of men known as miners.
CHAPTER THREE
Eli had slipped out of his mother's house without a word of farewell or even a note saying where he was going. He hadn't really known at the time. Just try the big world on for size.
It didn't fit really well. He bummed around, working here and there, until winter, when it got cold and was hard to find part-time work. Then he gave it up and tried to hitch a ride back to the farm.
He remembered old Jack Fenn. Eli had been standing by the side of the road, frozen stiff and about to pass out from hunger, when an old beat-up Ford pulled up beside him.
"Where you headed, boy?" a grizzled old man asked roughly.
"Out to Missouri," Eli said, his teeth chattering.
"I'm going part way. Hop in out of the cold," Jack offered, holding the door open for him.
He slipped into the car and huddled beside the door, trying to get warm.
"How long you been standing there?" Jack asked.
"Don't know for sure. I walked until my feet quit, then I just stood there," Eli admitted.
"You look like it," the old man snorted. "When did you eat last?"
"I don't remember," Eli whispered.
"You look like that, too!" The old man turned and, with a wide grin, said, "Dig around in that box at your feet and you'll probably find something to your liking. Made them myself, but if you're hungry they'll taste fine."
Eli reached into the box and found a pile of sandwiches wrapped in waxed paper. He hungrily devoured two of them before the old man spoke again.
"Now," he said, "if you poke around under the seat there you might come up with something that'll help warm your insides."
Eli found the bottle and took a cautious sip, shuddering with the impact as the fiery liquid hit his stomach. "Feel better now?"
"Much, thank you," Eli grinned, offering the bottle to the old man.
"No, boy. I don't drink while I'm driving. I'll join you when we stop for the night."
Eli replaced the bottle under the seat and they rode in silence several miles.
Suddenly the old man asked:
"What's in Missouri?"
"What?" Eli jerked out of a doze. "Oh, my mother."
"Where you been?"
"Just around. Ran out of work and money so I figured I'd better head for home," Eli said absently.
"Anxious to get there?"
"Not really. It's just a place to go. It's pretty cold out there."
Eli motioned to the passing, snow-covered land.
"Want a job?"
"Got one for me?"
"Might have. You ever been down?" Jack asked.
"Down where?" Eli asked with interest.
"Underground. The mines. I'm going out to Miami, Oklahoma. Got a job lined up for me and my assistant, but he went and got married on me just before I left. Decided to stay on there," Jack explained.
"I don't know anything about the mines," Eli admitted, drawing a disappointed breath.
"Can you take orders? Without asking silly questions?"
"I guess I could," Eli brightened.
"If I took you on you'd have to do better than that, boy! I know what I'm doing. When I give an order there's a good reason for it. To wait long enough to ask why could get us both killed. Is that understood?" Jack asked harshly.
"What do you do down there?"
"I set off big booms." Jack laughed. "I'm a drill and dynamite man. In other words, I set the blasts that jar the ore loose so someone else can go down and shovel it into the cars. Are you interested?"
"Might as well try it," Eli accepted.
"Good! I like you, boy!"
"Eli Tanden's the name," Eli said and offered his hand.
"Jack Fenn here, boy," Jack grinned, taking the hand.
Tired and relieved at having found a job, Eli leaned his head against the back of the seat and dozed as the car sped across the silent countryside. He awakened only when he felt the car stop and a bright blue light flashed in his face.
"Huh? Where are we?" he grunted, rubbing his eyes.
"You looked beat, boy. Thought we'd stop over for a little rest tonight. Won't get a chance to stop again until we get there."
"If you say so," Eli agreed with a grateful grin.
"You stay here and I'll go see about a room," Jack ordered, as he hauled himself out of the car.
Eli watched as the old man ambled across the dirt court and entered the little cubbyhole labeled "Office." In a few minutes he reappeared wearing a huge grin. He waved for Eli to join him.
"What are you so pleased about," Eli asked, glad to see his new friend in such a good humor.
"Got us a little place to lay our weary heads-and a little company," Jack said happily.
"I'm afraid I'm not much company."
"Not you," Jack laughed, throwing a solid punch to Eli's shoulder.
"Then who the hell's your company?"
"Little gal in there."
Jack winked, pointing to the office.
"Ah, come on!" Eli laughed.
"Think I'm spoofing you, huh, boy? Let me tell you, this old man ain't that old! You just sit around with your pants on and miss all the fun if you want to, but I'm going to get ready for a little female companionship," Jack said with twinkling eyes, as he swung around and jingled a key under Eli's nose.
"Hey, you're serious, ain't you?" Eli yelled in surprise.
"Boy, I ain't anything but serious when it comes to a piece of tail. You coming or not?" Jack asked, opening the door of the one-room cabin.
"Hell, I can't go in there if you're expecting something like that."
"Why not?"
"Because I can't, that's why!"
Jack pushed Eli gently into the room and stood with his hands on his hips as he took a long look at the obvious blush spreading across Eli's face.
"Ain't had any, have you, boy?"
"What made you think that?" Eli demanded, trying to hide his discomfort.
"How old are you, boy?" Jack asked, ignoring Eli's answer.
"Sixteen."
"Don't you think it's about time you tried that thing of yours out? Or are you saving it for something?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Eli grunted, glaring at the presumptious old man.
"No need to get huffy," Jack said slowly. "She knows there's two of us and she's willing. I'm going to sound pretty silly explaining how my friend here is embarrassed."
"Then don't explain!" Eli shouted. "I'll go sleep in the car."
"Sleeping in the car's going to get mighty uncomfortable after a while. Especially since I'd sort of figured you'd be living with me," Jack said quietly.
"Do you do this all of the time?" Eli asked in awe, as Jack stifled a yawn.
"Yeah, I like my women when and where I can find them. If the gal's willing I ain't got no objections to sharing with a close friend. In fact, I sort of like to share."
Curiosity and the need to show this strange old man that he wasn't a child to be humored caused Eli to hesitate. Yet, his lack of experience made him half afraid. He waited for the old man to coax him but soon saw that the decision was to be his alone.
"All right," Eli growled, "I'll stay, but I don't know what you expect me to do. It's your woman. You found her."
"It's anybody's woman who can afford to pay the price," Jack said bluntly. "And I paid for two of us. You can let it go to waste if you're of a mind to. As for me, I'm taking it."
The door opened and a young girl slipped inside. Her hair was bleached pale yellow and her lipstick was slightly off center. She grinned and Eli saw that some of her front teeth were broken.
"I'm Josie," she said, reaching for the buttons on her dress.
"Josie, this here's Eli-my friend I told you about. You be a good girl and take care of him while I go out to the car and get the bottle," Jack said with a wink.
"Hey, what're you doing?" Eli yelled, when Josie started working on the buttons of his shirt, rubbing herself against him all the time.
"Just helping you with your things, honey," she giggled, deftly whipping his belt off, "so you'll be ready for a good time. Don't want all these clothes in the way, do you?"
"But Jack'll be back any minute," Eli stammered, "and the lights are on."
"Sure, Jack'll be back. Then you and me and him are going to have ourselves a time," Josie said, unzipping Eli's pants.
"All of us?" Eli choked, making a frantic grab for his pants.
"Sure! Ain't you ever tried it that way before?"
"No!"
Josie looked at him with real concern.
"Gee, honey, where you been?" she asked. "In jail or something?"
"No, I haven't been in jail."
"Well, don't you worry none. Little Josie will take real good care of you," Josie promised.
"I don't think I want to be taken care of. This is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard of," Eli whined, as Josie smilingly led him to the bed and wrestled his pants over his feet and threw them on the floor.
She lay down beside him and ran her hands down the length of him before plopping down on top of him. She rubbed his back roughly as she wriggled her body into a perfect fit and began to rock back and forth.
"What are you up to now?" Eli whispered, beginning to like this treatment despite his protests.
"Don't it feel good?" Josie teased, taking one of his hands and resting it between her ample breasts.
"That sure does," Eli agreed, relaxing in the warmth of her.
The door swung open and Jack ambled into the room.
"Here we are with a little cheer," he offered, showing a bottle. "Come on, everybody, let's have a little drink to get things going."
Eli jerked into a sitting position, throwing Josie off the bed and onto the floor.
"What the hell?" Eli grumbled, making a dive for his pants.
"What the hell, what?" Jack asked, handing the bottle to Josie, who stopped rubbing her bottom and tipped it up for a hearty drink.
"What are you doing back so soon? I thought you might at least be gone a little while."
"I said I was going for a bottle and I went. I also told the little gal to get you ready while I was gone. I sure as hell didn't mean to miss any of the action. Get me? Go ahead with what you're doing. I'll get a piece when I you finish with it," Jack offered kindly.
"You're really going to watch me an' her?"
"Sure, honey," Josie said for Jack, who was quickly removing his clothes. "He likes to watch someone do it to his woman before he does it."
"I don't guess I can turn the lights off?" Eli asked hopefully.
"Boy, how many times do I have to tell you I want to watch? I don't want to have to feel around for it in the dark."
Josie placed her hands on her hips and turned on the two of them, saying:
"Ah, come on, fellas! Enough is enough. I gotta get back to the desk in case I might have a customer. Let's do something, or something," she pleaded.
"Well, go ahead," Jack said with a grin.
"Come on, honey," Josie coaxed Eli. "Let's get those clothes back off. I ain't going to undress you many more times."
"Oh, all right," Eli agreed, blushing as he pulled off his pants and revealed a small penis nestled in the dark curly hair.
"You're not even hot, are you?" Josie cried in awe.
"I don't know," Eli mumbled.
"Well, we'll take care of that, honey," Josie whispered.
She took his penis in her right hand and began to squeeze it gently at first and harder as it began to respond. Her mouth came up to meet his and she pinched his ear with her free hand while she kissed him deeply. She began to moan deep in her throat and suddenly Eli didn't care if the room was full of people. He had to have this woman, right now! Heat surged through him and his head felt light with a strange ringing in his ears. His arms tightened around her and he pulled her down on the bed where she lay on top of him again.
"That's good, baby," Jack whispered, licking his lips. "Do it! Go on and do it!"
"Wait a minute, honey," Josie said to both of them.
Suddenly Eli felt her hand loosen from his penis and he jerked to follow only to find himself come into contact with the damp hairs between her legs. He moaned when he felt the flesh meet his straining penis and he almost exploded as she eased him into her.
"Let me see," Jack demanded, moving to the side of the bed.
"Come on, honey," Josie invited, reaching her hand out to take Jack's penis in her hand.
Eli watched her massage Jack in time to the motions she made with him. The sight seemed to thrill him and he couldn't take his eyes off her hand.
"Ohhh, that's good, baby, that's good! Do it to him. Let him have it good," Jack moaned.
"Turn over on top of me," Josie directed, sliding off Eli, pulling him to her.
Eli turned over her and let her guide him into her again before she wrapped her legs around his back to pull him closer to her.
"Move it, boy," Jack pleaded. "Do it to her. Do it to her good."
Without really knowing what he was doing, Eli began to move, urged on by Jack's pleas. He clutched her to him and worked furiously to relieve the pressure that had built up and threatened to drown him. Suddenly a shiver ran through his body and it felt as though his head would lift off. He moaned with pain and wondered how such a pain could feel so good.
When Eli sank back on the bed, weak and dizzy, Jack stood up to proudly display an erection which he waved at Josie to indicate that he was ready now. She laid back on the bed and spread her legs for him. Jack slipped into the bed and entered her, immediately, crushing her body to him.
"Now, baby," Jack cried. "There, do it to me. Come on, baby, don't slow down."
"I am, baby, I am," Josie whispered, working her legs up and down his back and the backs of his legs.
"Bring it up tome," Jack moaned. "Bring it up to meet Daddy. That's a girl, harder; harder! Oh, there, that's it," Jack kept talking all the while.
Eli watched as his friend's body went rigid for a second before a scream of pleasure escaped his lips. Then Jack went limp and rolled off the girl and lay in a heap in the middle of the bed.
"Not bad, huh?" Jack whispered, winking at Eli.
"Not bad at all," Eli agreed, trying to hide the fact that he was indeed ready for more of the same.
"Don't get impatient, boy. Wait a few minutes and you'll have enough strength to take care of that thing," Jack advised, pointing to Eli's erection.
"Not on me, you're not," Josie said with a laugh. "I'm going back to my desk. I didn't say anything about staying all night to make a man out of a boy. You'll have to think of something. I have other things to do," she added, retrieving her clothes from around the room so she could get dressed.
"Damn! Did she have to go?" Eli swore when she slipped out the door.
"I guess so, but don't worry about it."
"I'm not worried about her, but this thing is miserable."
"Oh, that! I'll take care of that in a few minutes," Jack offered.
"Where you going to find a girl?"
"Hell, boy, who needs a girl?" Jack laughed, licking his lips. "What do you mean?"
"I'm here, ain't I? I'm just as good as that whore any day."
"Good at what?"
"Haven't you ever heard tell of men doing it to each other?"
"I've heard of it somewhere," Eli admitted nervously.
"Well, so?"
Eli watched his new friend with interest. Lust made a light coat of sweat pop out all over the small body, and Jack's eyes glowed with anticipation. The idea was new and not totally uninteresting to Eli, so he found himself crawling back into the bed, being careful not to get too close.
"Might as well give it a try, boy. Ain't no strings attached. If you don't like it, say so, and we'll forget it," Jack offered.
"Okay."
Not wanting to ask questions and show his ignorance, Eli lay as still as possible and submitted himself to the caresses Jack used to further stimulate them both. Soon Jack indicated that Eli should turn over on his stomach and Eli turned silently. Only when he felt Jack's weight on his back did he speak.
"What are you doing?"
"The same thing the girl did with you. But I'll have to use the back door," Jack whispered.
Startled, Eli tried to sit up.
"You ain't going to stick that thing in me!"
"That's the only way I know of, boy," Jack stated calmly. "Just relax and it'll feel good."
Eli felt his legs being forced apart and suddenly a sharp pain tore through him, threatening to rip him up the middle. He jerked and tried to roll the old man off him, but Jack had a firm hold.
"Relax, boy, just relax," Jack repeated.
Forcing himself to relax, Eli soon experienced a warm, dizzy feeling that spread through his body despite the occasional pain. He felt his body getting sweaty and the pain seemed almost pleasurable. The movements forced his penis to rub across the rough surface of the blanket.
Jack began to moan and cry out as though he too were in pain. Eli found the sounds strangely exciting. Without warning, Jack screamed, made one final lunge, and sank against Eli's back. Another twisting motion against the bed brought a flood of relief to Eli and they rolled over to rest before sleep found them.
CHAPTER FOUR
Eli continued to live with Jack for two years. They shared rooms, women, the last cigarette, and most of all their jobs.
Jack patiently taught Eli all he knew about the mines, and soon they worked as a team that liked and respected each other. If one was fired or hired the other was automatically included in the contract. They stayed on the roam, moving from one job to the other when they felt they'd been one place long enough. In time they returned to Oklahoma where they'd started together. There Jack received an offer of a job on top. He was to be hired as a supervisor while Eli took over underground. He refused.
"Why didn't you take it?" Eli demanded.
"Why should I?"
"You know it pays more, and besides, it would be easier on you," Eli argued, thinking that the old man shouldn't be working so hard and so long.
"What's the matter, boy? Think I can't take it any more?" Jack asked slowly, knowing Eli's thoughts.
Embarrassed, Eli shook his head.
"No, that's not it. I just thought you'd rather do something easier, that's all."
"Well, I wouldn't!" Jack answered. "I've been down there, seems like, almost since they sank the first shaft. Ain't going to come up now. It would kill me. I got the dark, the damp, the loneliness in my blood, boy. You can't get it out that easy."
"But working that hard down there. That could kill you, too," Eli said.
"Yep, and it probably will someday. But I lived down there most of my life. Might as well die there like all the rest."
Eli dropped the subject, but he didn't fail to notice that the old man was slowing down a little on the job. Not that he couldn't do his share, but it just seemed to take more out of him every day.
Then one night they stood at the bottom of the shaft waiting for the can to come pick them up and carry them back up into the world of sunshine and fresh air.
"It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey," Jack joked, rubbing his hands together for warmth.
"Got a cigarette?" Eli asked.
"Yeah, here," Jack said and dug one out. "But light up quick. I hear the can coming."
Suddenly there was a loud crack and the shaft rained pieces of wood and dirt.
"What the hell?" Eli asked, looking up the shaft.
"Get the hell out of there, you dumb ass!" Jack yelled, jerking Eli back with such force that they both fell to the ground.
Eli reached for Jack's groping hand as the can came flying down, grazing his shoulder and knocking him out of the way. It landed with a sickening squish on top of Jack's prone figure.
"Jack! Jack? You all right?" Eli screamed, scrambling to his feet.
There was no answer. Eli tried frantically to raise the heavy can off his friend, but it was firmly imbedded in the soft dirt.
Eli talked to his friend to assure him they'd send someone down as soon as the cable could be fixed. He pleaded for Jack to hang on for a little while. He promised that everything would be all right as soon as the rescue men got there. And he cried because he couldn't get the can off by himself. He was still crying when the rescue men arrived a half-hour later.
He pushed his way through the crowd of men to help his friend, but was forced to turn back at the sight of the bloody pulp that lay in a puddle at his feet. There was no longer any resemblance to anything human, much less that of his friend and protector. He cried out to a silent God and turned his back on the gruesome mess. He heard the men working with the shovels and tried not to think of what they must be doing.
When they finished, someone spoke:
"You got something to cover this with?"
Eli removed his jacket and lovingly spread it over the mouth of the can, keeping his eyes averted.
"You going to ride up with him?"
"Yeah, I'll go," Eli said, knowing it was tradition to have someone ride up with the funeral can, as some of the men called it.
Balancing dangerously on the edges, Eli hoped to God he could hang on long enough to make it to the top. Not that he was afraid of falling back down the shaft. Such a fall would only kill him. But to fall into the can would drive him insane on the spot.
Thankfully he allowed someone to pry his fingers loose at the top and help him to the ground. He stood, sick and weak, while they removed the can from the hook.
Someone walked over to him and handed his jacket back, saying:
"There's a little blood on the sleeve there, but if you wash it in cold water it'll probably come out all right. Better put it on before you get sick."
Eli threw the jacket in the face of the unknown speaker and walked away from the mine. He was sick with the smell of death-sick that they could take Jack's death so lightly, and angry because the old man died trying to save him from his own stupidity.
Eli reported for work the next morning simply because he had no place else to go. He was asked to report to the strawboss before going down.
"You wanted to see me?"
"Yes, Tanden. We wanted to tell you that Jack had you listed as his only next of kin. His stuff in the doghouse is yours, as well as the pay check he had coming. Aside from that we wanted to let you know how sorry we are to lose a good man like that. Jack was the best in his field and we hate to see him go. Still, these things can't be helped sometimes."
"Thank you, sir," Eli said tightly. "But I wouldn't want to take any of Jack's things."
"Boy, you might as well. He wanted it that way, and there's nobody else to send them to."
"I guess not," Eli said absent-mindedly.
"Another thing. We want you to take over for Jack here and finish the job you were doing. We'll start looking around for an assistant for you."
"I don't want to take his job! It ain't fit to take a man's job before he's even buried," Eli exploded.
"Tanden, Jack Fenn was an old miner," the strawboss said firmly. "He was mining while you were still in wet diapers. He knew the score and he knew the risks he took every time he rode that can down. But he wouldn't give it up for anything. He turned down more jobs on top than you'll ever see, because he preferred it this way. He wouldn't like to see you acting this way about it. And he never liked to leave a job unfinished."
"What's that got to do with me?" Eli asked.
"He'd be proud that you could do a job for him, Eli. He thought of you like a son and he trained you for this day. You can't let him down now, can you?"
"I can't help it. I'm not going back down there in that black pit of hell for you or anyone else!" Eli shouted angrily.
"It's your choice, boy. I wish you'd change your mind."
"Some choice! Just go back so's someone can scrape me up in a shovel and pour me into my casket?" Eli yelled.
"It's up to you. If you change your mind let me know. I'll always try to find an opening for you."
The strawboss shook Eli's hand and ushered him to the door. He knew Eli would be back as soon as he ran out of money. The reaction was always the same the first time they lost a close friend down there, but it was only shock. Mining was the only work these men knew. Eli Tanden would be back!
CHAPTER FIVE
"Hey, you old sonofabitch! Miles said you were here. What have you to say for yourself?" a voice broke into Eli's thoughts.
He jerked his head up and found himself looking into the face of one of his childhood friends.
"I'll be damned. Jimmy Hunt! I didn't know you were still hanging around in these same old holes."
"Oh, hell, I'm still here. Good to see you back safe, Eli. I was beginning to wonder if anyone was coming back at all. We lost Wade, you know."
"Damn, I'm real sorry to hear that, Jimmy," Eli answered with a catch in his throat.
"After growing up together like we all did, it's like losing a brother," Jimmy said sadly. "But so many of them are gone now."
"Hey, let's run over to Bart's and have a beer. We can talk a while," Eli suggested.
"I'll take you up on that," Jimmy said with a smile.
Before they had talked long Eli noticed that it was past noon, so he made excuses and hurried home. He figured there had been enough fuss this morning without being late for lunch.
He saw that someone had cleaned up the broken glass and patched the window with a piece of cardboard.
"Your lunch is waiting," Alana greeted him with a kiss.
"Good. I'm starved," Eli lied.
"We'll eat and get the kids ready for a nap," Alana smiled.
Eli remembered his threat to take the boy to the barber, but he didn't feel like bringing it up again and chance another argument. The few beers he'd had made him sleepy.
"Did you see anyone you knew?" Alana asked.
"Several of the guys. They tell me Dan left for Arizona a couple of weeks ago. I did see Jimmy Hunt, though. He said Wade got killed overseas. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Darling, we didn't think it would be proper to write something like that with you over there in all that mess," Martha said quickly.
"Well, hell, I would've liked to at least be told some things. Wade and Jimmy were the only friends I ever had, besides Jack," Eli said bitterly.
"I'm sorry, dear," Alana said.
"What's done is done, I always say," Martha interrupted with a smile. "Have you been looking for a job?"
"Well, not exactly looking. But I did get a couple of offers today," Eli bragged.
"You didn't promise anyone, did you?"
"No, not yet. Why?"
"Oh, that's good," Martha sighed. "I had something in mind I wanted to talk to you about before you made any plans."
"What?"
"Son," Martha began, "as you know, your grandmother and I are left with that big farm to take care of without any help. There's an awful lot of work to be done and I thought I could get you to give us a hand with the harvest, at least."
"How did you get the crops in?" Eli asked with a mischievous grin.
"We hired some of the local boys, but they have all gone to the big sights in the city for better work. We're really in a fix, son. I thought we could count on your help, since the whole thing will belong to you one of these days, anyway. Maybe sooner than you think," Martha added with a meaningful sigh.
"Mom, let's not try to fool each other. You'll probably outlive me by years. But if you really need help I'll go see what I can do for you. It would be nice to be out there again."
"Oh, son, I knew you wouldn't let your poor old mother down when she really needed you," Martha giggled, kissing Eli on the mouth.
"Okay, Mom, okay. If you girls will find something to do I think I'll take a nap with the kids," Eli said, then pushed his chair away from the table and stretched.
"All right, dear," Alana said. "I'll get the ironing done while you get a little rest."
As soon as Eli had closed the bedroom door, Martha turned to Alana and laughed.
"I hope you'll enjoy the stay on the farm, dear."
"I'm sure I will, Mother," Alana said coldly.
"Sure, you will," Martha said. "We'll be pretty busy, of course, but you'll do. Besides, I had so counted on your help with the winter canning."
"How could you have planned on my help when we just decided to go?" Alana asked, peeved.
"You didn't decide anything, Alana. Eli decided, without even asking you about it. Or don't you remember that part of it? Don't you know why he did it?"
"Not really! I couldn't care less."
"Oh, I'm sure you'd be interested, dear. It's very simple, really. Eli loves me more than anyone else in this world. He'll do whatever I ask him to do."
"He wouldn't go if I asked him not to," Alana said quickly.
"You wouldn't like to put him to a test, would you?" Martha challenged with a crude twist of her mouth.
"No, I'm not going to be that childish. But I don't intend to put up your winter food for you, either," Alana stormed.
"Alana child," Martha scolded, "will you never learn? If I want you to can for me, you will. Eli will see to it that you do whatever I wish. The sooner you learn that, the sooner we'll be able to get along."
"We'll never be able to get along, until you keep your nose out of my marriage," Alana hissed.
"I don't intend to argue with you any further," Martha said quietly. "I'm going in and pack. I'll go back and get things ready for the work ahead, now that I know Eli's coming."
Alana stopped sprinkling clothes and looked at her mother-in-law.
"Is that the only reason you came to see Eli?"
"It's reason enough, I should think," Martha laughed.
Alana shook her head and sighed.
"Yes, Mother, to your selfish way of thinking I'm sure it's reason enough."
"I'll tell Eli goodbye now and then we'll see you at the farm," Martha said with a wave of her hand.
Shortly after Martha drove off, Eli got up and strolled into the living room.
"Mother says they should have a pretty good harvest this year. She seemed worried about losing part of it because she and Grandma are too old to get it put up in time. I told her not to worry. As long as we're going to be there anyway you can help her get it done. She didn't think you'd care to help, but I promised her you'd be glad to. Made the old girl happy to know she could count on your help," Eli said, patting Alana on the rear as he walked by.
So Alana worked to get things ready for the two-month stay. There were clothes for both kids to be done up and packed. Eli's things had to be sorted and packed, as well as the household goods. But with Eli's help they arrived at the farm a couple of days after Martha.
Alana worked from daybreak to late evening, trying to can the crops as soon as Eli could bring them in. She was laughed at because she couldn't learn to milk a cow and didn't want to watch the butchering of a hog. They were laughing through their tears when they brought a hog's head in for Alana to boil and cut up for head cheese. Alana was simply sick to her stomach.
Martha continued the heckling when Eli was out of hearing and showered her with sarcastic concern when Eli was around. There was a constant battle until Alana wondered if the whole stay wasn't just a glorified contest for the affection and attentions of Eli Tanden.
When the two months were up Eli sat down and tried to explain to Alana that he enjoyed the farm work and wanted to stay.
"I don't want to stay here any longer than I have to," Alana sulked.
"I like it here, Alana. I was just talking to Mother and she says we could just stay right here and I could take over half of the farm. We could build a house over there at the back in a few years, if everything went well," Eli explained.
"Mother says! I'm sick of what Mother says. She says I don't know how to do anything, and when you turn your back she makes me do my share and half of hers. She cares about nothing but herself and I'm sick of it. I'm sick of her and doing her work for her," Alana shouted in anger.
"Alana," Eli coaxed, "I wish you'd try to get along with Mother. She likes you and it hurts her feelings when you treat her so mean. I've never seen or heard her say an unkind word to you."
"That's half the problem. That's just the problem. You don't see or hear her do anything unkind. You don't even care who does the work around here. If I have to can one more bushel of anything I'll throw up all over the place!"
"Alana, I don't know what got into you. It's only fair that you help do some of the work around here. We're helping to eat some of that stuff."
"We'd have to stay forever to consume all the junk I've canned the past two months."
"That's exactly what I want to do if you'd listen to me," Eli shouted, losing patience.
"We can't stay here. It's too far from everything," Alana protested tearfully.
"There isn't a thing that isn't available here or that you can't order from Sears," Eli said, lowering his voice.
"There's just one thing that Sears doesn't happen to have," Alana sniffed.
"What's that?"
"A doctor and a hospital for the baby that's due about nine months from the day you got home!" Alana said with a toss of her head.
Eli jumped to his feet and walked around the table.
"Are you sure? About the baby, I mean?"
"Of course, I'm sure! I've been through this before, in case you've forgotten," Alana answered bitterly.
"Alana, there's no reason to get upset about that. You can go into Buffalo a couple of weeks ahead of time, like everybody else around here does."
"A couple of weeks ahead of when, Eli?" Alana wiped tears from her cheeks. "You know as well as I do that my babies don't come easy or on time."
"All right, you'll probably get your own way, but it's a pretty dirty trick to pull," Eli said.
"It's a hell of a dirty trick, if you ask me, but I'm not so sure I'm the one playing dirty," Alana said, jerking away from his hand. "You knew that I didn't want any more children. You knew how hard it was on me!"
"But, for God's sake, Alana, you can't blame me for that! It takes two to make babies, and if I remember right you were pretty willing at the time!" Eli sneered.
"Children, children! Whatever is the matter?" Martha said, bustling into the kitchen.
"Alana wants to go back," Eli snorted in disgust.
"Doesn't she understand what a lovely chance this is for both of you?"
"Yeah, I've told her. But she's gone and got in a family way and wants to go back where they have a doctor and a hospital near."
"Women these days can't have babies without a doctor holding their hands all nine months. Maybe a woman as helpless as Alana really needs a doctor, dear." Martha shook her head. "Still, when I had you, Eli, I did my chores on this very farm until my time came. Then I walked the floor until you came.
Didn't even see a doctor until you were seven months old."
"Mother, you know I always have trouble with my babies," Alana argued.
"Oh, fiddlesticks! It's all in your head. Always was. The good Lord made women to have babies and he didn't see fit to make no doctors to do their job until a long time after that."
"Ohhh!" Alana screamed, running from the room. "You're both impossible!"
"Eli, you going to let that woman run your whole life for you?" Martha asked.
"I guess I'd better. At least until she has that kid. She's hard enough to get along with at a time like that without carrying a grudge against us all. Maybe after the kid comes she'll be more reasonable."
Eli shook his head and stared at the blank wall before him. He wasn't a man to give up to a woman so easily, but when it came to a man's kids, that was something else again. Kids represented a man's virility. It wouldn't do to have one of them die on him. Time enough to take a firm stand when the kid was born and healthy. Besides, Eli had to admit to himself, Alana was awfully puny when it came to childbearing.
CHAPTER SIX
So Eli took his family back to Miami and returned to the mines. Alana was still angry that he would decide to plant her off in the sticks without even asking her advice. She went to her doctor immediately after returning and came home with the news that she was indeed pregnant and that she had doctor's orders to restrain Eli from having intercourse with her. Something about hurting the baby, but she gloated that he would have to do without because of his getting her into such a shape.
A couple of times Eli forced himself on her, but she made it so humiliating for him that he forced himself to ignore her and look elsewhere for whatever sex life he would have until after the baby came.
When he stopped trying, Alana accused him of having a girl friend and refused to even clean the house or take care of the children she had at home. Eli didn't care for the children as such, but they were his belongings. Symbols of his manhood, and he expected them to be taken care of the same way he would care for a brand new car or a new gun.
"Can't you tear yourself away from those books long enough to change the baby's diaper?" he yelled, one night when he came home and found his two-year-old son with wet clothes on.
"I can't do everything." Alana slammed her book down. "It's not enough that I have to wash your filthy clothes by hand, scrub your lousy floors, and put up with your griping. You seem to forget that I'm not well, thanks to you!"
"How the hell could a man forget it? You yap about it every time you open your mouth. Other people have babies without letting everything go to pot. What's wrong with you?"
"You sound just like your mother. If you'd shut up and mind your own business you would not have so much time to yell at me every night!" Alana screamed.
"Shut up? By God, you may be sick, but you're not sick enough to tell me when to shut up in my own house." Eli grabbed Alana by the wrist and jerked her face next to his. "Do you hear me, woman?"
"I hear you, big man," Alana mocked him.
"That will be enough out of you if you know when you're well off. One more word like that and I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget so easy," Eli snarled.
"And just what word is that?"
"That'll do!" Eli shouted, spinning her around and pushing her away from him.
She landed against the sofa and sat up, rubbing her wrists.
"Big man!" she shouted. "Big man, aren't you? Why, you can even beat up all hundred and ten pounds of mean old pregnant me!"
"I feel like beating the hell out of you. And if you don't get up off your ass and get some work done around here, that's what I'm going to do," Eli threatened.
"When I get good and ready," Alana whispered, getting to her feet.
"Then, for your own sake, I hope you're ready."
"I understand you, and so did all the neighbors, from the way you carried on," Alana sneered, walking past him to pick up her book.
Eli stalked out of the house and made his way to the nearest bar where he knew he could always find someone to talk to, even if it was only one of the guys from the mines. The night was cold and he entered the dim room with relief, instantly feeling the warmth, not only from the heat of the stove in the center of the room, but the songs coming from the jukebox and the laughter of the people sitting around the bar also gave out a friendly heat all their own.
"Hey, Eli," a voice called from a booth in the back. "Come on over and join the party."
"Be right there," Eli called, working his way through the crowd toward the man he recognized as a miner on the day shift.
"Eli, meet our friend Tiny," the man called Wake said, patting a small, chubby blonde on the leg.
"Glad to meet you, tiny," Eli said, sliding into the booth, across from her.
He ordered a beer and watched silently as the girl called Tiny cuddled up to Wake and another man, passing kisses between the two of them.
"Don't be so quiet, baby doll," Tiny said, laughing at him. "We're having a party."
"Yeah, I see," Eli grinned.
"Tiny here's going to keep us company for a while until her old man gets off work," the strange man explained.
"Yeah," Tiny snorted, "why don't you keep your fat lips shut and order us another beer?"
"Someone else will have to go for the beer," the man said. "I've got to go piss."
"Oh, piss in a bottle," Wake said lightly.
"I don't have an empty bottle," the man said.
"Here, baby, I'll even give you my bottle if you can piss in it," Tiny offered kindly, draining her bottle.
"What do you mean, if I can? Sure, I can," the man said, drawing himself up to his fullest height.
"Bet you can't!" Tiny teased.
"Bet I can!"
"Then prove it," Tiny challenged, offering the bottle.
"I sure as hell ain't going to do it here in front of God and everybody!"
"Then we'll go out to the parking lot and see if you're man enough to do it or not," Tiny suggested, leaping from the bench.
"By God, I'm man enough to do anything! Come on," the man growled.
Tiny solemnly led the procession out the front door to the darkness of the parking lot. There the man proudly drew his penis out of his pants and proceeded to prove that he could urinate in a bottle, if he so desired.
"See there, smart ass! I told you I could do it, and that's more than you can do any day."
Tiny threw him a scornful glance and giggled.
"I can piss in a bottle as good as anybody can."
"Ahhh, you can not," the men laughed.
"Give me that goddamned bottle and I'll show you who can do anything you can do and probably better, at that!" Tiny shrieked, jerking the bottle from his hands and pouring the contents on the ground.
"You ain't really going to try that here, are you?" Eli stammered.
"Try it? Honey, you just watch ol' Tiny. I don't try anything! I always do it!"
So saying, she casually lifted her skirt, pulled some pink panties down around her feet and squatted over the bottle. In a minute she stood, offered the full bottle to Eli to hold, and pulled her pants back in place.
"There! Is that a bottle that's been pissed in, or isn't it?"
She laughed and led the way back to the bar.
Eli stood in the middle of the parking lot holding the bottle, not knowing what to do with it or himself. Tiny turned around and walked back to him.
"Look, honey, I know it's a rare thing, but you don't have to hold it all night," she teased, hurling the bottle to the side of the road. "You be a good boy and maybe Tiny can find something even better to hold all night. How's that for openers?"
"I don't know what you mean, but I'll go along for the ride," Eli grinned and let her lead him back to their table.
"Hey, where you going?" Wake asked, as Tiny began gathering her belongings.
"I'm going to another table where lover boy and I can have some peace and quiet."
"You can't do that, baby," Wake moaned, rising from the table.
"The lady can sit where she wants," Eli said quietly.
"It ain't none of your business, Eli," Wake warned. "Stay out of it."
"I'm making it my business," Eli said. ' 'The lady wants to sit with me, and I think you'd better sit down and forget it."
The second miner rose and the two of them staggered from the booth to meet Eli, hatred on their faces. Eli stood still until they'd cleared the table, then before they could start across the floor, he reached over and took a bottle from the table. Crashing it against the table, he brought the jagged neck forward. Wake halted when he saw the bottle, but seeing his friend intended to back him up, they both moved forward. Eli shifted his weight to the other foot and leaped forward, bringing the bottle up in a wide sweep. It caught the front man in the arm. The injured man jerked back in surprised pain. A low growl escaped Eli's lips as he turned to the second man. Taking a wild look around, both miners hurriedly gathered their belongings and left in search of another friend who didn't have such rough friends.
Watching them leave, Eli calmly threw the bottle under a table and grandly escorted Tiny to another table.
"Hey, that was quite a fight," Tiny cooed. "You sure know how to take care of a lady."
"Honey, that ain't half of how good I can take care of a lady."
"Sounds great," Tiny gurgled, happily leaning on Eli's shoulder.
A few beers later Tiny suggested they go somewhere else.
"I ain't got no car, baby," Eli said sadly.
"Ah, ha, but I do," Tiny smiled. "Let's get out of here."
"I'm right with you," Eli said, following her swaying hips out of the tavern.
Behind the wheel, Tiny turned to him and opened her arms.
"Come give Tiny a kiss before we leave," she said.
He gave her a kiss, and then a few more, until they were slumped into the seat of the car. Eli worked his hands up under her skirt and worked his fingers under the silky fabric of her panties. Suddenly Tiny sat up and pulled at his hands.
"What do you think you're doing? I ain't that kind of a girl," she giggled.
"What the hell?"
"Well, do you think I'm the kind of girl that makes out in the seat of a car?"
"What's wrong with the seat of a car?"
"It ain't right. Let's go somewhere else."
"I sure as hell look like going somewhere else," Eli snorted, pointing to the protrusion in the front of his pants.
"Honey, that looks great for where I had in mind," Tiny giggled, starting the car.
"That sounds more like it," Eli sighed. "Where we going?"
"To my place."
"Hey, we can't go there!"
"Why the hell not?"
"Didn't someone say something about your old man getting off work pretty soon?"
"Yeah, they said something about it, but it was just a crock of something that smells. I always tell them that, so I can get off the hook if I don't want to spend much time there. That way they buy me drinks and still don't get mad when I leave."
"I'll be damned! Where is your old man?"
"Hell, I don't know. Working somewhere up north, I guess. Anyhow, he took off a couple of months ago, and I ain't heard hide nor hair of him since," Tiny said.
"What makes you think he won't be back?"
"I ain't worried about it, are you?"
Tiny threw him a sidelong glance, as she drove into the yard near the outskirts of town.
"Is this where you live?" Eli asked, following her out of the car.
"Are you always beating your gums around like this?"
"No, but I do like to know what's going about here."
"Well, if you'll shut your trap long enough I'll show you what's going on," Tiny said, wiggling her hips suggestively.
"What the hell? I can't fight that," Eli grinned, following her into the small house.
"Don't turn on the lights," Tiny whispered, leading him through one room and shutting the door behind her before pushing him against the bed.
"Unzip me, honey," Tiny whispered urgently.
Eli fumbled in the darkness to find the zipper and was rewarded with the rustling sound of clothes falling to the floor. He smelled the woman smell of her and knew that she was ready for him. The thought that she was so willing further excited Eli, and he hurriedly removed his shorts.
"Leave your shirt on, honey," Tiny suggested. "I scratch, sometimes."
Again Eli felt his throat tighten with desire. He removed his shirt, despite the warning.
"I just might like that," he said.
"Some men do," Tiny agreed, sighing.
She wiggled until she was firmly fitted against his side, and then threw one leg over his legs and softly rubbed herself against his body, moaning, as Eli fondled her breasts.
"Kiss me. Hard!" she pleaded breathlessly.
He did. Again and again and was delighted with the way she caught his lower lip between her teeth and worked it back and forth. Her tongue searched into the depths of his mouth as her body moved rhythmically against him.
Eli let one hand rest on her waist while he worked the other between her legs.
"Do my ear, baby," Tiny moaned, turning her head.
Eli kissed his way to her ear and followed the shell shape with his mouth. When he forced his tongue into the small opening, she groaned and dug her fingernails into his shoulders. He felt the pain but didn't mind. He did it again to see if she would scratch some more. She did!
"Like that, baby?" Tiny gurgled.
"You're the greatest thing I ever had in bed," Eli said truthfully.
"Ohhh, I love to hear that, even if it is a lie. It makes me do better than ever."
"If you do any better I don't think I could stand it," Eli groaned, drawing her to him.
"Just let me try, huh?" Tiny teased, running her fingernails down his stomach, leaving red streaks. "Just let me try."
Eli gently bit her on the shoulder blade and pulled her to him.
"Not yet, baby," Tiny whimpered. "Bite me hard. Do it right."
Eli bit harder until she squirmed beneath his weight.
"Now, baby," Tiny cried urgently. "Now! Do it to me now. Bring it to me! I need you. Oh, hurry, hurry," she chanted, as Eli rolled her onto her back and threw himself onto the soft body squirming and thrusting beneath him.
Her legs came up to meet him and clamped themselves around his buttocks, completely enclosing him. She worked herself furiously and moaned deep in her throat when he completed entry.
"Harder, baby, harder. Come closer," she cried, and Eli crushed her to him until his arms ached.
He felt her nails rake down his back, and the pain drove him to even more effort to please this maddening woman.
"Come on, baby. Relax and enjoy yourself," Tiny said. "Take it easy and bite me when I say to. Okay?"
"Anything you say, honey!" Eli panted.
Suddenly her movements became frantic, and her voice changed from a soft cooing to a harsh demand.
"Do me hard, baby! Oh, damn, you're a good lay. Now, honey. Bite me now. Can you make it? Oh, please, make it for Tiny. I want you to make it now with me. Ohh, God!" her voice faded into a sharp, sighing pant.
The sound of her pleas and obvious pleasure drove Eli out of his mind. He found himself being almost thrown off, in her frantic, anxious efforts to be close to him. He held onto her and tried to work with her, but gave up and let himself go along with her movements. When she cried out, the top of his head lifted and he felt as though his very being was draining out.
"God, you're good," Tiny sighed, snuggling against him when they finished.
"You really like that, don't you?" Eli asked, amazed.
"Sure. Why not?" Tiny asked, kissing him.
"I don't know. I mean, it's just that most women don't really like to do it."
"Sure, they do," Tiny laughed.
"Not like you do," Eli insisted. "You're the best."
"Oh, you're just saying that."
"No, I meant it," Eli said.
"We'll see in a minute," Tiny sighed, reaching for him.
"Hey, what's got into you? I can't do anything yet."
"That's what you think. I'll make you think you can do almost everything. Just as long as you do it to me," Tiny promised.
"I guess you could," Eli had to admit, acknowledging the heat spreading from his groin to the rest of his body, even now.
He turned joyfully to give himself over to her expert manipulations, knowing that he was in good hands.
Eli continued to see Tiny for a couple of months, until one night when he returned home late to find Carol waiting on the porch for him.
"What're you doing out here this late, sissy?"
"Just waiting for you, Daddy," Carol answered, running to be picked up. "Can I have a drink of water?"
"Sure, sissy," Eli said, getting her some water from the sink as he passed.
"This is the best water in the world," Carol sighed.
"When did you have a drink last?" Eli asked.
"Last night you gave me some," Carol said.
"Haven't you had any today?"
"No," she whispered. "Mama said she was too busy. So I waited for you."
Eli stomped into the living room and found Alana lying on the couch reading a book.
"What the hell do you do all day?" he demanded.
Alana looked up calmly.
"What's wrong with you?"
"You know damned well what's the matter with me. These kids could die of thirst and you wouldn't even miss them if I didn't come home and take care of them."
"If you spent more time at home instead of running around all night, you wouldn't have to ask what goes on around here," Alana remarked sarcastically.
"I shouldn't have to come home to see about the kids. That's what you're supposed to be here for. If you don't straighten out I'm going to know the reason why," Eli said, waving his fist at her.
Alana pulled herself off the couch and stood in front of him.
"I'll tell you the reason why, Eli Tanden! That is, if you really want to know. I'm sick and tired of being a mechanical baby-producing machine for you. I'm sick of runny-nosed reproductions of you hanging on my skirt tail all day. I'm sick of you and your meanness and filthy mouth. Do you understand now, Eli? Do you? In short, I'm sick and tired of you and everything that reminds me of you!" Alana screamed hysterically.
"Well, you're not the only one who's sick of the way things are around here. I'm tired of having to do the dishes in the morning before I can find a clean cup to drink my coffee out of. You don't even try to make things better," Eli complained.
"No! I don't try any more. I'm tired of trying. I ain't trying no more!"
"Oh, yes, you are! Get up off your fat butt and clean up that kitchen, to start with."
Alana sat calmly with no sign of moving.
"Did you hear me?" Eli said.
He jerked her to her feet.
"That's another thing I'm sick of! The doctor says you have no right to yank and push me around like you do," Alana announced with a smirk.
"I don't give a goddamn what he says. He don't have to come home to the mess I do. He don't have to live with your complaints all day and all night."
"Oh, you'd want to know what he said. He said you were sick. Only he thinks you're sick in the head," she laughed, making a circle around her temple to indicate his insanity.
Eli held his breath a minute and saw little dots running around in front of his face. Beyond those dots was a face laughing at him-calling him crazy. He hit out and felt bone crush beneath his knuckles. The face stopped laughing, but he hit it again and again until it stopped trying to get away from him. Then he tossed it to the floor and kicked it a couple of times to see if it wanted to laugh any more. It didn't!
CHAPTER SEVEN
Eli had a beer, then more, until he couldn't remember where he was or who he was with. It didn't matter, though. The people here were so friendly. Take the blonde sitting next to him. She kept giggling and trying to whisper something in his ear.
"I'm drunk," he confided, when the blonde leaned over.
"Hell, yes, butchy boy! We've been drunk for the past three days," the blonde giggled in return.
"Three days?" Eli snickered. "Didn't think I could do it."
"You did a lot of things in the last three days I wouldn't've thought you could do," the blonde whispered, rolling her eyes to the ceiling.
"Like what?"
"Oh, you name it, butchy boy, and we've done it."
"My name ain't butchy boy," Eli said carefully.
"I know it ain't. I call everybody that. Can't remember names for shit," she confessed loudly.
"The name's Eli Tanden," Eli said.
"Okay, Eli Tanden, how's about going back to my place for a little roll in the hay?"
"Do I know you that well?" Eli snickered.
"Considering the fact that we been in and out of the hay so many times I had to change the sheets in the middle of the week, I think you'd better know me that well," she said in an offended tone of voice.
"Really did that, did I?" Eli asked seriously.
"Yep, butchy boy, you did just that."
"Well," Eli said, pulling himself off the bar stool, "I don't think I want to roll in the hay with someone who can't even remember my name."
"Then go to hell!" the blonde said calmly.
"Nope, going home," Eli proudly announced.
He was none too steady on his feet, but he found his way to a cab parked down the street.
"Where the hell am I?" he asked the driver.
"Columbus, Kansas," the driver answered slowly.
"Then I want you to take me to Miami," Eli said, climbing into the cab.
"I can take you to Miami, but it'll cost plenty, buddy."
"So I'll pay. Can't very well walk, can I?" Eli grunted, pulling out a wad of ones.
"No, I doubt if you could walk to the corner in your condition," the cabby muttered under the sound of gnashing gears.
Eli gave the man his address and stretched out in the back seat to nap while they drove along. He awoke when the man shook him on the shoulder.
"That'll be five bucks."
"Five bucks? What the hell for?"
"You want to walk it next time?" the cabby asked.
"Oh, hell," Eli muttered, threw five ones on the floor of the cab, and staggered up the steps of the porch and opened the door.
The house was immaculate and the kids were cleaned up for the first time in months.
"Shoulda beat the hell out of your mother a long time ago," Eli said to Carol, as she ran to meet him.
"You'd have killed her and the baby if you did," Anita said bitterly.
Eli's head jerked up and he found himself looking, not at his wife, as he'd expected, but at his mother-in-law.
"What're you doing here? And what are you talking about?"
"Alana and the beating you gave her, as if you didn't know what happened around here."
"Where's Alana?"
"In the hospital where she belongs, after the working over you gave her before you took off on a binge," Anita said.
"Is she all right?" Eli wanted to know.
"She will be, no thanks to you! The people next door found her when little Carol ran out to find someone to help her mother. They called the ambulance and the police. The baby came, on the way to the hospital."
"I'll be damned!" Eli swore, heading for the door.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"To the hospital to see Alana," Eli said over his shoulder.
"Try to refrain from beating her there, if you can," Anita said in a voice heavy with sarcasm.
"Lay off my back!" Eli said and slammed the door behind him.
At the hospital the floor nurse refused to allow him in Alana's room. He raised hell until they called the doctor for permission. It was given, provided a nurse was in attendance at all times.
"Alana?"
Eli tip-toed to her bedside. Her face was heavily lined with worry, and her nose was covered with bandages.
"Alana sweetheart, please don't be mad at me. I won't do it again," Eli whispered.
"I know you won't, Eli," Alana sighed painfully. "I won't give you the chance. You see, I'm taking the children to Mother's, and I'll stay there, away from you."
"You can't mean that," Eli grinned. "What about the kids? They need their father."
"Yes, Eli, they need a father. But not you! You almost killed your baby daughter with your childish temper tantrum. Can you honestly stand there and tell me they need to have you around all the rest of their lives? Never knowing when you might get mad and kill one of them, or me? I don't think so."
"I wouldn't do that," Eli protested. "You know why I hit you."
"Sure. You hit me because you didn't have anyone else around small enough for you to beat up. You hit me because you didn't get your own way. As long as you act that way once, you might do it again, and next time it could be one of the kids. They wouldn't live through a beating like that."
"You know damned well that isn't true!"
"It is true, Eli. You hate the world and everyone in it. So you take it out on those near to you. Well, I, for one, don't intend to get that near again. You can take your hate and spite out on someone else, if you can find someone who'll have you," Alana said calmly.
"I won't allow you to take those kids with you. They were mine, and I mean to keep it that way. If you want them you can damn well stay with me where you belong. If not, I'll take them so far away you'll never find them by the time you get out of here," Eli yelled, hitting the bed with his fist.
"Mr. Tanden!" the nurse warned coldly. "You'll have to keep your voice down if you want to stay here."
"I'm going! You can bet your last dollar on that. And as for you, Alana, have a nice time all by yourself. Cause that's the way it'll be from now on," Eli laughed and strode quickly out of the room.
"Call Chief Kelly at the station and tell him what happened, will you, Amy?" Alana turned to her nurse and said.
"He knows what to do, doesn't he?" the nurse checked, before leaving the room.
When Eli reached his home again the police car was parked outside, and he met Kelly carrying Carol to the car. There was an argument, but Eli knew better than to fuss with Kelly right now. Kelly and Alana's stepfather were best pals, and he knew Kelly would rather shoot him on the spot if given a chance. He'd fight when the time was right for him to win. Not before. He watched them drive off with his mother-in-law and both his children. He remembered he had a child at the hospital that he'd never seen. Someone had said it was a girl.
"Oh, hell! Another damn split-tailed female," Eli cursed, walking into the house to pack his belongings.
CHAPTER EIGHT
With Alana's children in her custody, Anita felt better. She had a quick cup of coffee and checked the children. Then she went into the kitchen and started to prepare Jim's breakfast, which would consist of meat, vegetables, and dessert. He didn't care that it was time for eggs. He always said he liked something that stuck to his ribs after work. The meal was almost ready to set on the table when he drove up.
"Hey, I could tell you were here by the smell of the old place," he laughed, kissing her fondly on the back of the neck.
"Eli came back," she said briefly.
"Oh?"
"Late last night. He even had the nerve to go to the hospital and threaten Alana there. He was going to take the kids away so she couldn't see them again."
"Well, what happened?"
"The hospital called Kelly and he came out and got me and the kids. Eli got there before we could leave, but Kelly shut him up. Kelly says to save a day for fishing with him."
"What's Eli doing now?" Jim asked, knowing that Eli didn't usually give up too easily.
"I don't really know. Kelly said something about keeping an eye on him for a while. We sort of hoped he would leave town to wherever his sort wander off to."
"He could well do that. He used to wander around a bit, but I don't think he'll stay any longer than it takes for things to cool off a little bit here."
"Well, no matter. We have the kids, and Alana will be coming home in a few days."
She and Jim took the children to town the next day to buy some of the things they needed so badly. They also purchased new clothes for the tiny baby and beds for the kids. Then they stopped at the hospital so Anita could see Alana, while Jim waited in the car with the kids.
"Alana dear, how do you feel?" Anita asked, slipping quietly into the room.
"Much better, Mother. Are the kids with you?"
"Yes, but Jim had to keep them in the car with him. We just got back from town. Bought a few little things."
"Oh, Mother," Alana cried, "you shouldn't have gone to that extra expense."
"Don't fret. You know Jim considers those kids of yours as his very own grandchildren. He'd be spending the money on something, and he'd rather it be on you. You ought to know that by now," Anita hushed her.
"I know," Alana smiled weakly, "but thank him for me, just the same."
"No thanks needed, child. You have three children and yourself to take care of now. There won't be any help from that no-good husband of yours so you'll have to let us help the best we can."
"I know that, Mother, but I hate to be so much trouble."
"It's no trouble. We have a lot to work out and you can't waste your energy worrying about things like that."
Alana's face crumpled and tears streamed down her face.
"What am I going to do?" she cried.
"You poor child! I don't know for sure yet. We'll think of something."
"Mother, you don't understand," Alana sobbed. "I still love him! Even after all the terrible things he's done I still love him so much it hurts. I know it's crazy, but I'd go back to him if I didn't have to worry about him hurting one of the kids," Alana confessed, tears soaking her bandages.
"I guess I knew you'd get around to saying that," Anita said. "And I can't blame you. If you really love him, Alana, you can't just turn it off just because he hit you. But you have to think of your health, if only for the children's sakes."
The two women wept on each other's shoulders until they had washed away part of the pain and grief. Refreshed, they started to make sensible plans for the future.
"Jim and I were talking this morning, and we thought maybe you should go out to Caroline's in Utah for a while."
"Why should I go there?"
"So you can get some kind of professional training. You'll be the sole supporter of three children from now on. I'll take care of the children while you're there and you can get a little rest and learn something to support you. Do you think it could work?"
"I'd hate to leave the kids for so long, Mother, but I suppose it's for their own good. I owe it to them to learn something so I can support them right. I'll do it if it's all right with Aunt Caroline," Alana said and sighed with relief that someone had figured out a solution to this mess.
"That takes care of that," Anita said brightly. "Did the doctor say when you could come home?"
"Oh, I almost forgot; I can go tomorrow, as long as I come in for a checkup and a talk with him in a couple of days. He seemed pretty upset about something, but he says he doesn't want to bother me with it until I feel better."
"What's wrong? Are you sick with something serious?" Anita asked, alarmed.
"Oh, I don't think so. I think he just wants to talk to me, and if he makes me think it's serious he knows I'll come back in."
"Thank the Lord! Well listen, honey, I've got to go now, but we'll be back in the morning to pick you up. Get some rest while you can."
So Alana went home to live with her mother again, after all these years. She took with her a newborn baby girl, a two-year-old boy, and a four-year-old girl. She stayed for several weeks, until the doctor said she was able to make the trip. When she came back to pack, Anita asked what the doctor had been so anxious to tell her.
Alana looked out into space for a second before laughing shyly, then saying:
"Oh, nothing that matters any longer!" Alana finished packing and left for Utah.
When Alana returned, her eldest daughter was in school, her son didn't remember her and the baby was frightened of her. But all was not lost. She'd gained a profession as a licensed nurse and a healthy glow of confidence that made Anita's heart swell with pride.
Alana took tests at the local hospital and was hired immediately. She worked evenings, because it allowed her to spend the day with her children. She heard that Eli was back in town, but since he made no effort to get in touch with her she didn't mind.
She'd been working two months when the mine called in to warn the hospital the ambulances were on their way carrying twenty-five injured men. There'd been a cave-in in the main tunnel, and everyone was badly injured.
Alana called in extra nurses and blood donors listed near the telephone at the nurses' desk. It was essential to have everything ready before the men arrived. She was waiting at the door to help unload the injured, when the first ambulance arrived.
Eli Tanden was the third man carried into the corridor. He had a serious back injury and several muscles were badly torn and strained. His jaw was broken, and he was unconscious. Alana assisted with him and went on about the many other more serious cases.
Later, when she learned that Eli had personally pried five men out of the wreckage in time to save their lives, at the risk of his own life, she worried about him all the more. A man who went back into the middle of a tunnel that was caving in to save five others couldn't be all bad. Maybe she'd been overly harsh.
The day before he was released he sent for her.
"You wanted to see me?" she asked, leaning against the door.
"You know I do!" he said, his voice choked with emotion. "After what you did for me."
"I did no more for you than I did for any other patient here in your condition."
"Alana baby," he wheedled, "don't be so hard on the old man. At least let me thank you for saving my life."
"I had a lot of help," she reminded him.
"Alana, then let's talk about something else. I want you to come back to me, where you belong."
"I'm not about to talk about that!"
"Sweetheart, we have to talk about it. We need each other, baby. We always have and always will. You can't stop loving me, just like that."
"I may not be able to, but I can try," Alana flared, resenting his tone.
"You're just wasting precious time. Come on back to me. I want to see my kids again. I've got a daughter that I've never seen. I've got a wife I want to be with again," he lowered his voice and winked at her.
"I'm not in the mood for your silly games!" Alana said, angry that he should take it for granted that she'd come running back the first time he held out his hand.
Angry also that she was so tempted to do just that, despite her pride. She swung on her heels and started to open the door, when the sound of his voice stopped her in her tracks. He sounded like he was crying. She turned; her eyes widened to see the tears streaming down his cheeks, as he held his arms out to her.
"Alana," he sobbed, "don't leave me again. Don't leave me! Please, please, baby."
Alana, who'd never seen her husband cry before, ran to his side, automatically taking his head to her breast while she kissed the tears from his eyes.
"Shhh! It's all right. It'll be all right, Eli," she crooned, rocking back and forth with him.
"It isn't all right! Dammit all, Alana! I can't stand it any longer. I want you back. You belong to me," Eli cried. "Alana, you're my wife. The mother of my children. How can you turn me down now, when I need so little from you. Just your love."
"I'm still afraid, Eli!"
"Baby, I promise you that I'll never lay another hand on you in anger. I didn't mean to beat you like that the last time. I've hated myself for it ever since. You've got to believe me. I need you. Give the old man a second chance?"
"I don't know," Alana whispered, but noticed that her head was already nodding yes before she even thought.
Suddenly she was free. She could take him back. She could and she would!
They talked earnestly for a couple of hours before she left with her head held high. She was going to try to explain to Anita and then go rent them a house.
"Alana child," Anita said, shocked, "you can't be serious about this. After all you've done to be free of him!"
"But I am serious, Mother. You should've seen him. When I said no, he cried and actually begged me to forgive him and give him a second chance. Please try to understand, Mother. Everyone deserves a second chance, and I do love him so much."
Anita saw the confusion in her daughter's eyes and her only thought for the moment was the fact that even in coming back Eli managed to cause sadness for Alana. She wanted to think of something to say that would prevent this madness, but she knew there were no words in the world that could erase that wishful look on Alana's face, nor change the love for this irresponsible man.
She nodded her head and tried to hide the tears as she gave her blessing:
"I hope you'll be happy this time, my dear."
CHAPTER NINE
They left the hospital, arm in arm, and went straight to their new home. Together they unpacked boxes and filled shelves. They rearranged the furniture that went with the house. Eli fixed the broken clothes line, while Alana went shopping for groceries. He entertained the children while she served the meal, and he cleaned up the mess while she put the children to bed.
"When you're through in there come on out to the kitchen," Eli called, pouring two cups of coffee and cutting a good-sized piece of cake.
"What's the matter?" Alana asked, seating herself at the table.
"Nothing, really. There're just a few things we want to talk about. We haven't had a chance to make any plans yet," he said.
"I know, dear," she sighed, covering his hand with her own.
"First of all, the mines are planning to pay a reasonable settlement to all the guys that got hurt. I want you to know that I stand to get a pretty good chunk out of it," Eli boasted.
"How come you get so much?" Alana asked.
"Because my back was hurt! You should know about back injuries. They're kind of hard to tell about. It's not like a fever or a broken bone. They have to take your word for whether it hurts or not," Eli explained with a grin.
"What're you talking about?" Alana asked, suspicious.
"Honey, don't you see? If I say my back hurts when I lift something they can't prove any different. If I say I'm not able to work because of it, they don't know whether I'm telling the truth or not. So they have to pay me, like I can't work any more."
Eli got up from the table and paced the floor with his hands in his pockets.
Alana watched him carefully for a minute, before speaking:
"There really isn't anything wrong with your back, is there?"
"How can you say for sure?" Eli hedged.
"Because you have been lifting furniture around all day and it didn't seem to bother you much at all. Are you lying to the doctors?"
"Alana, try to understand. I'm not really lying. How do I know I'm not hurt worse than it seems? I'd be in a fine fix if I couldn't work in a couple of years and had no way of collecting for it."
"But that's cheating, Eli."
"It's better we cheat them a little than have them cheat us out of everything in a couple of years, isn't it?"
"But I don't think that'll happen. You're well, Eli."
"I've got a right to collect for my injuries, haven't I?"
"Of course, you do. But this doesn't seem right," Alana said, frowning, as she avoided looking into Eli's eyes for fear he'd see the disgust at such an idea.
"Look at it this way, honey. The mines have plenty of money-money they made by keeping men like me down there too long, without protection. Hell, without even decent working conditions, much less the lousy pay. After giving them our lives they can afford to give us a little extra, even a lot, and still not be hurting. They owe it to us, believe me. They do!"
Alana sighed and took a good look around her. The table and chairs in the kitchen were old and did not match. The fixtures at the sink were bare and the sink was pitted and stained beyond help. A stray cockroach ran across the floor and hid under the rickety wood stove, which had one leg missing.
In the bedroom her children were sleeping on clean sheets, but they were two to a bed and the beds and mattresses should've been thrown away years ago. Their clothes were packed neatly in cardboard boxes, because there was no dresser. All around her was proof of the fact that they were poor. Desperately so, in fact. Maybe Eli had a point. If the mines paid a little more they wouldn't have to live like this forever. Maybe they did owe them something, after all. Mentally shoving her conscience to the back of her .mind, she nodded her head reluctantly.
"I suppose you're right. Besides, they wouldn't give you any more than they thought you deserved."
"That's my girl! Now there are a couple of things to say, though. In the first place, I can't go back to work until the settlement comes through. Do you think you can work until then?"
"Sure, I'd have had to work, anyway. I like the job and it isn't too bad."
"Good girl!" Eli smacked her with a wet kiss. "I knew I could count on you. You know I hate like hell to have to ask you to support us like this, but it can't be helped, for a little while. That money could be just the break we've needed to get on our feet again and make a decent life for ourselves."
"Maybe we could use it to go into some sort of little business," Alana suggested wishfully.
"Could be, if that's what you want with it. Maybe we could do just that."
"What I want? Oh, Eli, I'd like that very much. Wouldn't it be wonderful? I wouldn't have to worry about your going down again in those dreadful mines and we could work together. Maybe a small grocery store or a little tavern, huh?"
"Well, it may work, if you can keep on at the hospital until the settlement comes through. It shouldn't be too long since they aren't taking it to court or anything like that."
"I'll do the best I can, Eli," Alana promised with tears of happiness in her eyes. "It'll be something special to work for."
They settled down to a nearly normal routine. Alana went to work in the late evening and returned in time for a few minutes to get Carol ready for school. Then she lay down for a few hours' sleep. Eli kept the kids reasonably quiet while she slept, until their nap time. Then he woke her when the kids got back up. That gave her time to help clean the house and prepare supper and bathe the kids before putting them to bed again. Everything went smoothly for about two months, until the night Alana came home from work and sank onto the side of the bed.
"What's the matter?" Eli asked, rubbing sleepy eyes.
"I got sick and had to come home," Alana said wearily.
"What happened?" Eli asked, concerned and shocked at the grayish, tired look on her face.
"Some of the smells in that place, I suppose. My stomach seems a little weak these days. Probably because I'm pregnant again," she said with an ironic smile.
"Pregnant again? Are you sure?" Eli asked, worried.
"I'm afraid so. I've already missed two periods, and the feeling's pretty strong," Alana sighed and removed her shoes.
"Then you won't be able to work?" Eli asked in a disappointed whisper.
Alana dropped the shoes and turned to glare at him.
"Is that all you can think of? Whether I'll be able to keep on supporting you and the kids? Are you afraid you may have to go back to work yourself?"
"Is that what you think?" Eli cried. "I never thought about it like that. I thought you wanted me to wait for the settlement money, too. Since you made such big plans on how to spend the money I earned by almost getting killed," Eli flared.
"I'm sorry, dear. I didn't mean a word of it. I was just worried, that's all," Alana said quickly.
"No! Tell the truth. Do you want me to go back to work?"
"Of course not. Not after waiting all this long time. It would be a very foolish thing to do, just because I don't feel well. I'm just nervous and irritable."
"Well, I think I'd better get on back to work, anyway," Eli muttered, running his hands through his hair while he waited for her to insist he stay home.
It wasn't a long wait.
"Don't be silly. I'll be able to go to work tomorrow. Probably will be able to work right up to the time the baby's born. At any rate my hospital bill will be paid by the insurance."
"Are you sure now? I don't want you to feel that you have to work. I'll go back any day when you say the word."
"I'm positive, darling. I know you'd go back if it was really necessary. It just isn't really necessary, that's all," Alana assured him with a weak smile, as she sank back into the bed.
"That's my girl. I knew you wouldn't let me down if you could help it," Eli said and kissed her, as he tucked her into the blankets.
"Eli?"
"Yes?"
"Please forgive me for being so mean. I didn't mean it, but I've been so worried about this new baby and everything," Alana said.
"Don't be worrying your pretty little head none. Everything will turn out for the best. You'll see."
Alana slipped off to sleep instantly, but Eli lay in the darkness thinking.
So I'm going to be a papa again? Still got what it takes, that's sure enough, he thought, before turning over to go back to sleep.
Eli tried to help a little more with the chores so Alana wouldn't be so tired before going to work. It worried him when she came home from work short of breath and the color of slate. Her face would be drained of color and her eyes dull, and sometimes she was so tired he could barely understand a word she said, but she insisted there was nothing more wrong with her except a little trouble carrying the baby. He believed her because he wanted to.
Then she came home one night with tears in her eyes.
"I won't be able to work any more until after the baby arrives."
"What happened?" Eli demanded, noticing that she was so weak she was trembling.
"Nothing, really," she said. "The hospital gave me a forced leave of absence. They say I'm no longer able to even try to work."
"Then it can't be helped. Don't cry, baby. I know you tried the best you could. I'll just go and see if we can't hurry that damned settlement through a little bit."
"But what're we going to live on in the meantime?"
"Baby! I know how worried you are. But don't do it. You're just making yourself sick. I'll manage something."
Eli patted her back as he paced past her.
"Are you going to go back to work, after all?"
"Not if I can arrange something else. Baby, I can't just throw away all this time and effort on both our parts. But I'll figure something out," Eli promised.
The next day Eli left early in the'morning to see the lawyer and try to fix something. He came home with the news that the check wouldn't be ready for a month or so, but he'd made arrangements.
"What kind of arrangements?" Alana wondered.
"Well, the landlord's going to let us have a month's rent in exchange for fixing up the place. And the store's going to let us run a bill for a month or so."
"How did you get them to do that, when you don't even have a job?"
"Oh, that's easy. They know the settlement's coming through. They're already running bills on about half the guys that were hurt."
Alana breathed a sigh of relief and a hopeful thought that she hoped to heaven that settlement came in before the baby arrived.
It was shortly after a month, when the men were called into the lawyer's office to collect their checks. Eli received three thousand dollars. He paid off the debts and bought a good used car and gave Alana money to buy things for the baby that was due in a month. The rest was put into the bank so they could decide what to do with it, as soon as the baby came.
A few days later Eli awoke to the sound of Alana walking the floor.
"What's the matter? Can't you sleep, honey?"
"Not very well. I was just going to call you." She bent over in pain. "I think you'd better help me get the kids ready to go to Mother's."
"Are you ready?" Eli asked.
"Not quite, but I will be by the time we get the kids to Mother's and get back to the hospital," she gasped.
"Here, you rest," Eli urged. "I'll get the kids."
He jerked his pants on and tried to find the missing shoe.
Eli pushed the car to its limit on the way back to town as Alana's pains seemed more serious with every bump in the road. He went through the silly process of admitting her and then was left to pace the floor for a couple of hours before a nurse came and asked him to stay nearby.
"Is she about ready?" Eli demanded, anxiety making his voice squeak.
"We think she'll deliver any time. There are a few complications, Mr. Tanden. If there's anyone you can call for blood donations, you'd better get on the phone. She'll probably need all you can get before this is over with."
Eli grabbed the nurse's arm.
"What's wrong with my wife? What have you done to her?"
"Mr. Tanden," the nurse released herself from his grip, "your wife was told last time that the next child could easily kill her. We haven't done anything to her, I assure you," the nurse said coldly.
"I didn't know," Eli whispered, turning pale when he realized the importance of the situation. "Why didn't she tell me, for God's sake? Why didn't she tell me?"
The nurse saw him stumble toward the desk and felt deeply sorry for him at that moment. It was obvious that he hadn't known anything about Alana's condition. She shook her head and thought again how very foolish people in general were. Still, if Alana hadn't felt like telling her husband, it was none of anyone else's business. Her business was trying to save Alana. She hurried off to see what she could do, leaving Eli to make the necessary calls.
Eli called Anita first and explained. She told him to sit down. She would be right there and Jim would take care of getting the donors from the mines. By the time Anita arrived three men from the mines were waiting.
The donors pace the floor much the same way Eli did. When someone entered the hall they all jumped, only to sink wearily into the nearest chair when the figure had passed them. They were truly concerned, even though they didn't know Alana personally.
Usually they were called on to give blood in case of mine accidents, but the woman in there bleeding to death could easily have been one of their wives. They cared; they worried; and they walked the floor, each remembering a like incident in the birth of at least one of his own children. They wanted to help this woman, but they had no money. The only charity these men had to offer was the blood from their veins and the prayers in their hearts.
Three hours later they all jumped to their feet when the doctor appeared in the doorway.
"How's she doing, Doc?" one of the men asked.
"Not good, not good at all. I want you to stick around. We'll be needing you in a few minutes. In the meantime, if you'll excuse us, I'd like to talk to Mr. Tanden alone."
The doctor sank wearily into a chair. The men slipped out of the room, but Anita stood frozen in the middle of the room. The doctor looked up, and, surprised to see her still there, made an impatient motion with his head. She started, and walked slowly out of the room.
"Eli," the doctor began, "I understand she didn't tell you anything about the complications we expected."
"I don't understand it," Eli mumbled, looking at his hands. "She didn't say anything."
"Well, let me try to explain. Your wife has a tendency to hemmorage, and there's the further complications caused by her pelvic bone. Aside from that and far more important is the fact that Alana has a very serious heart condition. Ordinarily, with her condition, simply carrying the child would've been enough strain to kill her, and, needless to say, labor isn't doing her very much good."
"Damn! Why didn't she at least tell me about that? Why?"
"To be perfectly frank with you, Eli, I don't have time to wonder why she did or didn't do anything. I don't want to scare you, but I doubt very much that she'll pull through. If you're a praying man, I suggest you get on your knees and talk to the man, because she needs more help than we can give her," the doctor said, glancing at his watch, then rushing away.
Eli sat in a trance. He heard the others return, but he didn't have the strength to lift his head.
"What did he say?" Anita asked fearfully.
"He doesn't expect her to live."
"Oh, dear Lord!" Anita cried. "Why didn't he tell me? I'm her mother!"
"I don't think he had time."
"I'm sorry to hear that," one man said.
Another stood and cleared his throat, nervously. Everyone looked at him.
"I don't know how to say this," he started, "but, well, my missus puts a lot of store in the help of the Lord at a time like this. She's had trouble with six kids, and He's brought her through all of them, so she says. Maybe we could say a word or two for your missus?"
Anita looked sharply at the three men. Here were men, dirty from a full day's work underground, sitting in a hospital when they could just as well be at home eating their supper. Men she'd often thought beneath God. Suddenly she felt that they meant every word of the offer. She left Eli's side and walked over to them.
"I don't know your names, and we haven't time for that right now. However, that girl in there is my daughter, and I appreciate your offer. Let us all kneel in prayer," she said, dropping to her knees in front of the couch.
"Dear Lord," she began, "please, listen to this plea from us, your servants. We come here to ask your help for Alana. She's been a good daughter all her life. She's followed your commands and is right now on her death bed trying to have the child you gave her to carry. Lord, she's always done a good job with your little ones you gave to her, but they still need her. Please, let her be well," she lost her voice in tears, and silently cried as one of the others took up with the Lord's prayer and the twenty-third psalm.
As they rose a nurse beckoned from the doorway.
"Wait a minute. How is Alana?"
"Not well, but the doctor will be out shortly and he'll talk to you," the nurse answered kindly, leading the men away.
Eli and Anita sat silently waiting for the news that they both feared. Sometime later the doctor returned, removing his gloves as he strode into the room.
"Well?" Eli rasped.
"You have a fine baby girl, Eli. A very healthy baby."
"What about my wife?" Eli demanded.
The doctor shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Tanden. Alana died just a minute ago. Her heart went, on the table, but we managed to pull her around long enough to bring the baby into the world safely. Then she took a long look at her child and closed her eyes. There was nothing we could do for her. I'm sorry."
Anita followed the doctor to sign the necessary papers and to see the baby. Eli sat in the stunned silence of the empty room and tried to forget the words he'd just heard. Words that were running around in his head. Alana just died. Dear, sweet, little Alana. He realized he'd never again see her smiling, or feel the gentle touch of her hand.
"It's impossible," he cried out to the loneliness. "She was fine this morning."
But he knew that she hadn't been fine this morning nor any other morning since she'd become pregnant. Anita came back and touched him on the arm.
"Come on, Eli. Let's go home. We can't do any more here."
"Home? I don't have a home any more, Anita," Eli said sadly.
"Yes, you do. Come on home with us. The kids are there and they'll be needing you now. And you need them. Come on," she urged, pulling him from his chair as she led him out.
He followed, unable to protest, his grief beyond words. He allowed Jim and Anita to fill him with coffee. He tried not to see the tears on their faces. He tried not to cry himself, but the grief in the room was so strong he felt he would smother beneath its weight any second. Unable to restrain himself any longer, he laid his head on his arms and sobbed.
"I killed her! If she hadn't gotten pregnant she would be alive right now."
"No, Eli! That's not true." Jim swallowed hard and added, "Alana didn't tell you about her condition. In fact, she didn't tell any of us. She must've felt the baby was worth the risk. It was a difficult choice for her to make, and she lost the gamble, but you mustn't blame yourself. She loved you and wouldn't have wanted that."
"Jim's right. She loved you and wanted to make you happy. She never did like to cause trouble or bad feelings," Anita said.
"What am I going to do without her?" Eli groaned.
"I don't know what to tell you. It won't be easy for any of us to do without her. But you do have four lovely children to remember her by," Jim sighed.
"I can't even take care of them without her. I have to work to support them. Who's going to take care of them?"
"We could do that, Eli, if you want us to."
"Could you take them until I get a job that pays enough to hire a babysitter? I may have to go out of state to find a good job."
"If you think that's what you'd like to do," Jim said gently.
"Then I guess that's what I'll have to do. They'll be better off with you, anyway."
They drifted back into the silence of mourning, until daylight sifted into the sad little kitchen.
The next day the funeral was held and Alana was seen for the last time. Neighbors and friends spent the day with the family and cooked the meals. The children barely knew what was going on. Eli stayed away from people by hiding in Alana's old room.
CHAPTER TEN
The day after the funeral Eli packed his few personal effects and said goodbye to the three kids at home. He didn't wait to see his new daughter and left her entirely in her grandmother's care.
He often sent money and sometimes there were presents for the kids, but he seldom returned, and when he did he stayed only a couple of days before taking off again to some other job.
Jim and Anita had their hands full with four children to care for, but they enjoyed every minute. Carol grew from a gangly little girl to a graceful young woman without much help from anyone.
Little Jim was a problem to Jim, but he tried his best to make a man out of the boy. He took him on fishing trips, but little Jim got violently ill at the sight of a fish on a hook. Hunting was out for the same reason. Baseball and other sports were referred to as vulgar shows of brute strength and in bad taste. Finally, Jim left the books and the boy alone together since it seemed the only thing to do.
"You can't force a child into a shape you want. Perhaps this one's meant for things other than physical work. He's smart enough, for sure."
Jeannette turned into a lovely little girl with snappy black eyes and dark pigtails. She was popular at school, and she was doing well enough to make passing grades in her classes.
The baby born at the time of Alana's death was named Jana, thanks to Anita's love of different names. She was a sad, quiet baby and hard to cope with. Alone in a crowd of children, she seemed to prefer it that way. She seldom laughed and even her smile seemed make believe, when one noticed her eyes. They remained emotionless. She was frightened of everything-from barking dogs to darkened rooms.
When Carol turned twelve years of age she began to think of herself as a little mama. She devoted her time to little Jana and soon they were inseparable. The curse of Alana's death was wiped out of little Jana's eyes and she began to sparkle with happiness.
The children knew their father from short visits, but they thought of him only as a visitor. Grandpa Jim was their father in the true sense. He was the one they loved and trusted.
He could be counted on to know how to find a four-leaf clover or a butterfly for a collection. He could coax a reluctant kite into the air or mend a broken model plane. It was he who took them to town to watch the people and see the show on Sunday afternoon. It was his wrinkled face and twinkling eyes that they looked for over the stage lights when they appeared in some little school production. They knew he could be counted on to applaud loud and long even if he did have to prompt them from his front-row seat now and then. And if you accidentally tripped on your skirt during your big entrance, who'd dare laugh with his sharp eyes whipping around the room?
Grandpa Jim was the one who took Carol on his lap and gently explained the secrets of the womanly flow that scared her out of her wits. It was his words that helped her to wear the proper equipment with pride instead of fear. Again when her thin little chest sprouted amazing bumps, Grandpa Jim explained why she had to wear that uncomfortable contraption Grandma brought home for her.
Theirs was a happy home, full of love and understanding. They'd spent six years together and had grown dependent upon the family as a group.
Then the summer before Carol's fourteenth birthday, Eli came home. He drove up with a woman by his side, in the new car.
"Hey, everybody, I've got someone here I want you to meet."
He led his companion to the door with his arm around her waist.
"Eli, you should've written that you were bringing company," Anita joked.
"Janet isn't exactly company, Anita," Eli said sheepishly. "Jim, Anita, kids-I want you to meet my new wife Janet."
"You didn't tell us you were getting married," Jim teased, with a good-natured handshake.
"Wanted it to be a surprise," Eli laughed, hugging Janet to his side.
Janet brushed her attractive blonde hair out of her face and smiled.
"Aren't they the prettiest kids?" she asked Eli, after taking a good look at the line of young faces in front of her.
"Is she our mother?" Jana asked, puzzled at the new relationships involved.
"No, dear. She's our stepmother," Carol explained.
"Like in stories?" Jana drew away from Janet's outstretched arms.
"No, silly, she's just a nice lady that Daddy married. Don't be afraid, Jana. She won't hurt you."
"I promise, Jana dear," Janet said with a smile. "I'm really very nice. And I just love little girls like you."
"Come on inside, Janet," Eli spoke. "You got an extra cup of coffee?" he asked.
"For heaven's sake, look at me! Forgetting my manners. I was so surprised I plumb forgot. Come on in and I'll put on a fresh pot."
"What a darling place you have here," Janet said, glancing around the kitchen, which was brightly decorated with yellow towels and checkered cloths.
"Anita likes yellow," Eli said.
"Sure. Makes a kitchen look sunny. I'm glad you like it, Janet," Anita said, pouring the coffee grounds out to clean the pot.
When they were all seated around the table, Eli cleared his throat nervously and said:
"Anita, Jim, I want to come down to business right away. We can't stay any longer than overnight. I just got a promotion, and I have to get back to the job."
"Sure, we understand," Anita said quickly. "Still, it's nice that you could come down so the kids could meet Janet."
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I didn't come all the way down here to make introductions. We waited until we had a house and moved in."
"What house?" Anita asked nervously.
"We just bought a house large enough for all the kids and furnished it pretty nice. Nothing fancy, you know, but nice," Eli said, hesitating a moment before adding, "We're taking the kids back with us, for good."
"Taking them back for good?" Anita repeated, as though she feared she hadn't heard right.
"Yes, Anita. I know how much they mean to you and all that, but, after all, they're my children. And now that I have a wife to take care of them and a place to put them, I think they should come and live with their old man, where they belong."
"Jim, say something," Anita pleaded.
"There's nothing to say, Anita. The kids are his and we knew to expect this sometime. We'll miss them like hell, but they're his to do with as he pleases."
"That's exactly what Eli says," Janet said.
"Well, yes," Eli grinned, "though I didn't want to bring it up. Don't think I don't appreciate all you've done for the kids; I do. But now that I can see for them myself, I'll do it."
"I know you're right, Eli. But out of the clear blue sky?"
"I knew it wouldn't be easy. Maybe they can come back for summer vacation, or something," Eli offered.
Anita shrugged helplessly and rose to pour the coffee. The bitterness was almost more than she could bear.
"Oh, Jim, why must he do it?" she cried.
"They're his kids, honey. He has a right to take them if he wants to. It hurts me just as much as it does you, but it can't be helped. You can't change that one fact."
"I don't think I can stand it. It's cruel."
"There, there, sweetheart. You'll be fine. Besides, they'll be back to see us. Let's look forward to that."
Anita stood in the warm circle of Jim's arms and knew that he was right, as usual. There was no way to fight the obvious. You just had to wait until things changed in your favor. Hadn't she proved that so many times in her own life?
"Of course, Jim. They'll be back this very summer, I suppose. We can have a lot of fun, huh?"
Janet Tanden sipped her coffee thoughtfully and watched the drama unfold before her.
She saw the unbearable pain in Anita's eyes as well as the defeated slouch of the shoulders when she left the room to pack. With unfailing intuition, Janet knew that Anita would scorn any offer of help, no matter what amount of work there was to do.
She leaned back in the chair and turned her attention to Jim, as the children automatically drifted to his side for his explanations. She wasn't surprised to see the deep love in Jim's eyes as he looked tenderly into the puzzled faces. She saw also that the children didn't like what was happening, but they were apparently going to accept it gracefully, because Jim said they should. She shuddered at the trouble she could expect if the man wasn't so understanding. Four unhappy children would be too much!
She let her eyes drift to her husband's face. Here she saw no love for anyone, no concern for what he was taking from these people. Only appraisal and victory. He'd often talked of this moment. These kids were his possessions, and he'd come to take back what was rightfully his.
She wondered momentarily if this moment wasn't all the reason Eli'd had for making their long-standing relationship legal. Not that it mattered a hill of beans. They'd never pretended to love one another. Their marriage was simply one that provided much-needed security for Janet, who had reached the stage in life where girl friends were difficult to find and harder to keep. She was a Lesbian at heart, and until she met Eli she'd practiced her beliefs. Then she decided security wasn't a bad bargain, even if it did mean that she had to make do with a man in her bedroom.
For Eli, the marriage meant two things: he could take his children back and he had someone for his bed when he was in need, without having to go out and look for it each time. She did his washing, cleaning, and cooking, for which she received food, clothes, and a roof over her head. It was as simple as that.
Janet looked up to find Carol watching her with a frown.
"What's the matter, dear?"
"Well, if we're to live with you, what are we to call you?"
"You can call her Mother," Eli said.
"She's not my mother," Carol said quietly.
"Carol, you heard me," Eli said, frowning.
"Well, she isn't!"
"It's all right, Eli. Just let them call me Janet."
"Well, I don't give a damn what they call you," Eli snarled, angry that his authority had been questioned.
Heaven forbid my having four little monsters hanging on my skirt tails calling me Mother, Janet thought. Not after all the trouble and pain I've been through to prevent such a thing.
"Janet? Thank you, Janet," Carol said.
"It's all right, dear; I understand," Janet smiled at the girl.
"Come on, Jim, Jeanette, Jana," Carol said and motioned for the children to follow.
"What for?" Jim pouted.
"We better help Grandma, if we have to leave tomorrow," Carol said.
"I don't want to go any place, Carol," little Jana cried.
"Jana, now listen to me. We have to go with Daddy. Grandpa said we should be nice about it. Try to understand, will you?"
Carol hugged the little girl close to her.
"I won't like it!" Jana threatened. "I'll be very unhappy."
"You'll love it," Carol laughed, kissing the baby. "You'll see that I'm right. There'll be a new school and all kinds of new things to do and see."
"I kinda like old things. I think I'll just stay here," Jana said thoughtfully.
"Well, I think you'll get busy and gather up what you want to take with you. Now!" Carol said firmly.
Janet watched as Carol hustled the kids off on separate chores. She sighed with relief. Her job wouldn't be half bad with Carol helping her. Of course, one had better keep on the good side of that kid if they wanted to keep peace in the family.
Wouldn't mind being on either side of that little one, Janet thought with a little secret smile for herself.
Carol was extremely well put together for a girl of fourteen. Her outfit of blue jeans and a sweater didn't do much to hide her generous assets. Janet felt her cheeks flush with a familiar rush of passion.
Watch it, old girl, she thought. It wouldn't do for the old man to catch you eyeing his favorite baby with those thoughts in your eyes.
She forced her eyes off the inviting sight of Carol leaning over a box, to join the elusive conversation. Janet had learned a long time ago that discretion was the only cloak to hide a Lesbian. She could be discreet until the time was right.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
After a good night's rest and an early breakfast, Eli and Janet loaded the car and started the trip. Janet sat between Eli and Carol on the front seat. She rested one hand on Eli's knee but the other strayed to the girl as often as possible. By the time the trip was over Janet was in the best of moods. She and Carol were fast becoming friends. From there Janet was sure she could accomplish her delightful goal with only a little trouble.
First of all, there was the business of settling four children and their things in the new home. Carol helped as much as usual, leaving Janet to do as she pleased. In return, Janet insisted that Carol have a room for herself. Eli left to have the car checked after supper and Carol put the children to bed, while Janet did the dishes. She told them stories and tucked them in before going back downstairs.
"Everybody settled for the night?" Janet asked, drying her hands.
"Almost asleep, already. They were so tired," Carol laughed.
"I'll bet they were," Janet agreed. "And I'll bet you're a little tired yourself after all that work today."
"I'm a little tired and cramped from sitting in the car so long. But not sleepy yet," Carol said, flopping down on the couch.
"Well, thanks for the help, anyway," Janet said, offering Carol a cigarette.
"Oh, I'm not allowed to smoke. Grandpa says it isn't nice or good for young people."
"Here, have this one. It'll help you relax. You've earned it this time," Janet insisted.
"Won't my daddy protest?" Carol asked, holding the lighted cigarette between her fingers like Janet did.
"I don't know, but I don't think so. I'll ask him what he thinks about it tonight."
"Do you think he'll allow it?" Carol asked eagerly.
"Can't say for sure. Kids start earlier these days. We could always say we'd rather have his permission so you wouldn't have to sneak around to do it."
"But I wouldn't do it if he said not to," Carol denied, shocked that an adult would suggest such a thing.
"He doesn't know that, now does he, dear?"
"Boy, you're sharp! I'd never have thought of that. I'm glad Daddy married you instead of some old fogy."
"I just want us to be friends," Janet said.
"I think we are," Carol smiled and took a cautious puff from her cigarette.
"Here, let me rub your back while you're sitting there. It'll get the kinks out for you."
"You don't have to do that."
"But I want to, dear. It's the least I can offer after all the help you've been today," Janet said firmly. "What's the matter? Haven't you ever had your back rubbed before?"
"Not unless someone was putting on medicine or something."
"Doesn't that feel good?"
"Ummm," Carol groaned in answer. "Are you always this way, Janet?"
Janet took her hands off Carol's back and knelt in front of her.
"What way do you mean?"
Carol turned her head and Janet saw her face turn scarlet.
"What is it, dear? You can talk to me, Carol. Aren't we friends?"
"I-I just don't understand about you."
"What is it you don't understand?"
"The way you act."
"What way, Carol? I have no way of knowing what you don't like, if you don't explain."
"The way you're always touching other people and things. Grandma and Grandpa Jim never went around feeling people. And we did not touch each other unless it was to do something for them that they can't. You know, like putting on medicine or washing kids, or something," Carol mumbled.
"That bothers you? Don't you like for me to touch you?"
"I don't know that I don't like it. I'm just not used to it and it makes me feel funny."
"Well, it shouldn't, honey," Janet explained kindly, holding Carol's face in her hands. "If you like people, it's natural to want to reach out and touch them. To feel them touch you and know that they're near. There's nothing to feel funny about."
"It does feel awfully funny," Carol insisted.
"Sure, and it feels friendly. It's supposed to. Now turn over on your tummy so I can do a good job on your back."
"Okay," Carol said and tuned over.
Janet sat on the edge of the couch with her hips touching the indentation of Carol's waist. She let her hands travel lightly up Carol's back, over the shoulder, feeling the sharp mark left by bra straps. Then back down Carol's side, feeling a rush of passion as she passed over the gentle swell of breasts.
She looked at Carol's face and was relieved to see she had her head turned away and her eyes closed. Reassured, Janet let her eyes feast on the beautiful swell of hips and buttocks under the tight shorts. She rubbed the small of Carol's back and let her thumbs explore the firm rise. She wanted to lean over and kiss the twin hills beneath her fingers and the tan flesh spilling out from under the tight legs of the shorts.
She felt Carol shift weight and settled for massaging the legs, slowly working from ankle to thigh. She gently rotated the flesh under her hands, relishing the feel of firm young muscles rippling at her touch.
When she touched the leg of the shorts, Carol lifted her head and said:
"Don't rub there."
"Why not?" Janet asked, leaving her hand in position.
"I thought you were going to rub my back."
"I'll not do it again if you insist," Janet agreed, slapping Carol lovingly on the rear.
"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."
"It's all right. If you don't like it I won't do it," Janet pouted.
"Do you seriously think I'm going to do anything to hurt you? Or anything that isn't right for you?" Janet asked shrewdly.
"I didn't mean that, either," Carol said, uncertain as to how to put her feelings into words without hurting her new friend.
"It's all right, Carol. Why don't you think about it. You'll see that there's nothing wrong with friends being close! Will you do that?"
"I'll think it over," Carol promised. "But now I'm tired and sleepy. We can talk in the morning."
Janet had to restrain herself from kissing the lips so wonderfully close to her own, when Carol leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. Then she heard Eli's car in the driveway.
"Goodnight, dear," Janet choked. "Hurry on to bed and I'll have a talk with your father about your smoking."
Janet watched Carol's rear as she wiggled upstairs, before meeting Eli at the door with a warm kiss.
"What's gotten into you?" he grinned, as he pinched her on the breast.
"Missed you," Janet said, shoving his hand away.
"I've only been gone a couple of hours. Looks like I should leave you more often."
"Haven't had much loving, you know."
"Well, don't just stand there talking about it. Get in bed and we'll do something about it," Eli grinned and shoved her toward their bedroom, on the ground floor.
Janet was undressed and in bed before Eli could remove his pants. He sat on the edge of the bed and reached for her.
"You really got hot pants tonight, don't you?" he teased, when he felt the already hardened nipples touch his palm.
"Huh-uh! Don't have any pants on," she sighed, placing his hand between her legs to prove her point.
"So I see," Eli said, gently moving his hand in tight circles over her thighs and pelvis. "Like?"
"Love!"
"Like?" he asked again, taking one nipple between his teeth.
"Umm, do it some more!" Janet wiggled, causing her breasts to jiggle against his face.
"What if I don't want to do it any more?"
"Please?"
"Nope, I want to do this instead," he said, placing his mouth where his hand had been only seconds before.
"Oh," Janet groaned, "I love it when you do that," she sighed, bringing her body closer.
"I love it when you do that, too," Eli hinted, moving around until his head rested between her thighs.
"I'll do it as long as you will," Janet said, breathlessly going to work with expert hands and tongue.
Later they lay back and relaxed with cigarettes.
"Did everything go all right with the kids?"
"Yes, but I don't know what I'd have done without Carol's help."
"I imagine she helped Anita quite a lot. She's used to it."
"I know. That child's so mature she scares me," Janet said.
"I've noticed that. Did you see the body on that kid of mine? Gonna make some man a good bed full," Eli winked and said.
"I saw," Janet admitted.
"Wonder how this is going to work out in the long run?" Eli mused.
"Pretty good as soon as she gets rid of some of the old-fashioned ideas they've pumped into her."
"What ideas?" Eli asked, interested.
"Oh, like it's wrong to touch people unless in the performance of duties. And it being wrong to curse or smoke in public. God! Some of that went out with high-top shoes."
"They'll get over things like that when they live with us for a while," Eli laughed.
"They'd better, if you expect them to grow up normal."
"Oh, they'll adjust to things."
"Which reminds me, I promised I'd ask if Carol can have a cigarette now and then."
"What brought that up? I thought she thought it was wrong?"
"It's my fault, really, but it might not be a bad idea. It's better to give permission with rules than to have them sneaking around."
"I suppose you're right. I'd rather they learned things at home so we can teach them right, instead of having them learn out on the streets. Tell her she can smoke, but only in the house with us. I don't want everybody down our throats about it."
"She'll mind better if we give her a little more freedom."
"She'd better, or I'll turn her over my knee and beat that pretty little bottom. Here, give the old man a kiss and let me go to sleep. I've got work to do, in the morning."
Janet arose in the morning to the sound of dishes clattering in the kitchen sink. She stumbled sleepily into the room. Carol was standing at the sink drying the last of the dishes. Jim was helping Jana tie her shoes.
"What on earth? What time did you kids get up?" Janet asked.
"Not early. Just after Daddy left. We've had breakfast, but I can fix you something if you like," Carol offered, moving to the stove.
"Ugh!" Janet groaned. "I never eat breakfast. It spoils my lunch, not to mention my figure."
"Okay." Carol moved back to the cabinets. "The kids are waiting to ask if they can go to a park Jim found a couple of blocks away."
"Can we go?" Jana asked.
"Sure, I guess so. Just go straight there and back. I don't want to have to look for you on your first day here," Janet said with a wave of her hand.
"Jim, you keep an eye on the girls," Carol said quietly.
"Oh, all right," Jim grumbled. "But if they want to go with me they'd better hurry up."
"Go with us, Carol," Jana pleaded.
"I can't, angel. I've got some clothes to iron and your rooms to clean up. You mind Jim and run along."
"What ironing do you have to do?" Janet asked, accepting the offered cup of coffee.
"I washed a couple of loads of the kids' clothes and hung them out. They'll have to be ironed as soon as they get dry. The kids are pretty scarce on clothes, and everything got dirty on the trip."
"Well, sit down and have a cup of coffee with me," Janet said and offered a cigarette.
"Did you talk to Daddy about that?"
"Just so long as you smoke in the house, he says it's all right. People might not understand if you smoked in public right away."
"Thank you, Janet. I knew I could count on you. I'll get to work as soon as I finish this."
"Don't worry about that right now. I'll help you with it later. We'll have to work out some sort of schedule so you don't have to do so much. It's too nice a day to do ironing."
"What will we do then?" Carol asked.
"Do you like to work on the house? I mean like painting and making curtains?"
"Oh, yes! That's a fun idea."
"Your father and I bought some paint and curtain material. I thought we might start by doing over your room. Later on we'll get them all done."
"Can we start today?"
"As soon as I slip into something. You'd better run and find something you can spare."
"Great! I'll see you upstairs."
Janet dressed and hurried upstairs with the paint and brushes.
"Hey, where are you?" she called, not seeing Carol in the hall.
"In my room," Carol answered.
"Can I come in?"
"Sure, I guess so. Maybe you can help me tie this halter in the back," Carol said.
Janet stepped into the room in time to see Carol leaning over in an attempt to get all of her breasts stuffed into a halter that was obviously two sizes too small for her.
"Oh, there you are. This thing's so little I can't get all of me into it."
Janet held her breath a minute before trying to answer.
"I see that. We'll have to get some more clothes for you, if they all fit that way."
"I know, but I figured it was good enough to get paint all over," Carol said, still struggling with the protesting flesh.
"Here, let me see what we can do with that," Janet offered, stripping the halter off Carol before she could protest.
"Oh!" Carol cried, hiding herself with her hands.
"What's the matter with you? Stop that silly stuff with the hands. Do you think that's the first set of boobs I've ever seen?"
"I'm sorry." Carol let her hands drop. "I just can't get used to things like this."
She motioned to herself and back to Janet who was by now actually staring at the feast wobbling around in front of her eyes. The breasts were high and firm with tiny pink tips that gently waved in the air whenever Carol moved. They seemed to beckon to Janet, and she couldn't help but answer the call. Taking one breast tenderly in her hand, she raised it slightly and rubbed her thumb over the nipple.
"What're you doing that for?" Carol asked, trying to squirm out of reach.
"Just looking. Did you know you have the prettiest set of boobs I've seen in ages? Just look at them," Janet sighed. "These things are simply beautiful."
Carol tipped her head to one side and took a long look at herself in the mirror. She didn't see anything different than she had last night when she bathed.
"I never thought of it that way. In fact, I don't think I ever looked at them except to see if they were clean."
"I thought as much. Feel them. See how soft and silky they are? Feel how much warmer the nipple is compared to the rest of them."
Carol moved her hands as if in a trance and traced the shape of her own breasts. Janet took her hand and guided it to their tips. Carol was surprised to find they were warm and hard to the touch.
" 'See what I mean? Look at the color. Like strawberry candy. So pink and fresh."
"Isn't everybody's that color?"
"Of course not! Mine are brown and not nearly so pretty," Janet confessed. "Would you like to see them?"
"I guess so, if you think it's all right."
Janet didn't bother to answer as she removed her blouse and then her bra. The girl was naturally curious, despite her initial protests. This was going to be pure pleasure.
"They are brown," Carol whispered in awe.
"Touch them," Janet suggested. "I'd like for you to. Do you remember what I told you last night? About people who like each other touching and things?"
"I thought about it and I suppose you're right. I can see that it isn't bad. It's sort of nice and tingly," Carol giggled, reaching out timidly to touch one of Janet's nipples.
"Not like that, Carol. You aren't afraid of them, are you? Do it this way," Janet coaxed, taking Carol's breasts in both hands and massaging them in circles.
"Ohh, that feels good!" Carol squirmed and giggled. "Does it feel good to you?"
"It would if you'd do it like that," Janet assured her with ragged breaths. "You haven't had sex with anyone else, have you?"
"You mean like making babies with boys?"
"Mostly boys, but I meant anyone," Janet said gently.
"Oh, no. Grandpa said I was too young to go with boys, and I never knew any girls that knew things like this."
"I didn't think you had. Do you know much about sex?"
"No," Carol answered thoughtfully. "Just that people do it when they get old enough, and it's supposed to be fun. That sort of thing."
"This is part of sex. A different kind than most people have. This is when two women love each other. They like to have sex, too."
"Is this all there is to sex?" Carol asked.
"Not at all," Janet answered, pulling Carol to the edge of the bed. "Not at all."
"What do I have to do?" Carol asked nervously.
"Not much of anything. I'll do most of it. Then you can just lay back and enjoy it," Janet promised, kissing Carol's neck while she shoved her back on the bed.
Janet stripped off the rest of her clothes. Carol watched from the corner of her eyes, until Janet said:
"Why don't you get out of those shorts?"
Without speaking, Carol stood and removed her shorts and panties. Janet watched with greedy eyes, anxious not to miss a single view. She caught her breath at the sight of all the youth and loveliness before her. The breasts swept the air in gently swaying arcs as Carol kicked off the sandals. Her hips rounded into firm full thighs and tight buttocks. Her legs were slim and long. There was a white mark across her body showing the shape of a past bathing suit. The pelvic area stood covered with soft downy fur instead of the usual coarse hair. Janet couldn't wait to get her hands into that softness.
"Let me hold you like this," she murmured, pressing Carol's body next to her.
She thrilled when their breasts met and crushed together. She ran her hands hungrily down Carol's shoulder, then on down the length of her body.
"Don't you want to sit down again?" Carol asked, stretching.
"Yes, yes," Janet gasped, leading Carol back to the bed, helping her to lie back on it.
"There, like that. Lift your arms above your head. That's right! Now spread your legs a little. That's good." She sighed and stood back to admire the view. "Yes, that's good enough to kiss," she moaned, leaning over.
She kissed Carol on the mouth and forced her tongue between the tightly held lips. In a few minutes she knew the girl was an excellent pupil. She caught on fast. In fact, so fast that Janet suddenly felt she was no longer in control of the situation. But it didn't matter who seduced who just as long as someone got the job done.
"It's my turn now," Carol giggled, pushing Janet aside and returning the kisses with some of her own.
"You do learn fast," Janet gasped.
"Do I? That's good. I want to do things exactly like you do them. Am I doing right?"
"Kiss here, too," Janet begged, pointing to her waist. "There where the bone sticks out."
"Not yet. You promised to show me first," Carol pouted, turning over on her side.
"With pleasure. First, you kiss here." She started kissing Carol's navel. "And here." She moved to the inner thigh. "And most of all here." She finished with the pelvic bone, burying her face in the wonderfully soft fur.
"Oh," Carol jerked away.
"Just relax and enjoy it," Janet coaxed, pulling Carol back.
"I couldn't stand that very long."
"Oh, yes, you can. You'll see," Janet said quickly, hating the time it took to speak.
She worked with the skill of long practice until Carol was whimpering and squirming beneath her. She felt her hair being twisted around Carol's fingers, but she was so involved she never felt pain when Carol pulled. In a few minutes Janet found herself pulling up to meet the writhing of Carol's body with motions of her own. She worked feverishly until Carol screamed and jerked and sobbingly fell back on the bed. Following only seconds later, they both knew fulfillment. Carol for the first time in her life, and for Janet it seemed almost as long.
"Oh, I don't think I could live through that again," Carol sighed, stretching her arms above her head like a contented cat.
"You will, my pet, you will," Janetpromised with a kiss.
"Are you sure?" Carol teased.
"You could bet on it."
Janet was content to lie there and enjoy the warmth and closeness of Carol's body, but Carol rose and began dressing. She picked up the paint and brushes.
"Are you going to help me with this?"
Janet got up and followed Carol's example as she later always came when Carol called. She had just woven her own trap.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Eli came home that night from work to find his supper on the table and a cold beer beside his plate. Janet fairly glowed with happiness, and Carol wore a look of peace and new-found confidence.
"What've you two been up to?" he asked.
"What do you mean?" Janet asked quickly.
"Look at you. I've never seen either of you look so happy."
"Oh, that. We had lots of fun today, darling. It does a woman good to have a friend around the house to talk to and do things with," Janet confided with a secret smile.
"It sure does," Carol laughed.
"Everything's all right then?"
"It sure is, Daddy. We already painted my room today, and tomorrow we'll make curtains. It was lots of fun." Carol smiled a secret smile and passed the meat.
Eli sighed and watched them carefully. He'd been expecting some sort of trouble. That they wouldn't get along very well, but it seemed quite the opposite. He was glad. He didn't like upsets in his home, unless he had good reason to start one himself.
"How's your dinner, Daddy?" Carol inquired. "I made it myself."
"It's just fine, sissy. Where did you learn to cook like this?"
"Partly in school, and Grandma taught me a lot."
"They taught you well, sissy. You keep this up and you'll make some man a fine wife." Eli patted her hand.
"I'm glad you like it. I wanted you to like me. Janet does."
"Of course, I like you. You're my little girl," Eli said absently.
"I'm not such a little girl any more, Daddy," she protested. "Or hadn't you noticed?"
Eli glanced at her and again was reminded that she spoke the truth if anyone ever had. Tonight she seemed to glow with sex appeal. He felt his temperature rise and his manhood swell with the look she gave him. Wouldn't be long before this one made a good place for the lucky man that got it, Eli thought with no special regard or respect for the fact that she was his daughter.
He watched her clear the table and offer him another beer. After his fifth or sixth beer he couldn't bear to take his eyes off her movements. After several more he quit trying and sat back to enjoy the scene.
"Is there something wrong with me, Daddy?" she asked sweetly, removing her apron.
"No. Why?" Eli asked, startled.
"You were looking at me funny."
"I was just thinking about you," he muttered.
She grinned a grin exactly like his own and turned her head to one side.
"And what were you thinking?"
"How beautiful you are and how soon you'll be a woman. You're already the same age of your mother when we got married."
"That would be nice," Carol said, lighting a cigarette.
"What would be nice?"
"When I get big enough to get married like Mother did," Carol said.
"Now wait a minute, young lady," Eli tried to get her in focus. "Janet will have to have a little talk with you pretty soon, I can see."
"What about?"
"Oh, boys and girls and things," Eli evaded.
"Why don't you tell me your side of it?"
Carol laughed in an odd manner.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean, you're my daddy and should tell me what you want me to know. Don't you think?" Carol was suddenly serious again.
"If that's the way you want it. Some day pretty soon," Eli said slowly to avoid a slip of the tongue. He was getting pretty drunk and Janet was already so far gone she didn't even hear this conversation, much less come to his rescue. Damn kid would put me on the spot like this, Eli thought. "Why don't you run along to bed now?"
"If you say so, Daddy."
"I say so. I'm going to pour Janet into bed and get some sleep myself, while I can still make it to my room."
Eli grinned and pulled himself to his feet.
Carol turned and went to her own room while Eli picked Janet up and carried her to the bed. He was angry with her, because she went to sleep before getting some loving. She knew he liked a little loving before he went to sleep after he'd had a few beers. He lay beside her and tried to remember what else he was mad at her for. Oh, yes! She should've helped him talk to that kid.
What was it we were talking about? Eli wondered. Oh, yeah, the birds and bees. Wonder if she's still awake? Didn't even say good night. Could tuck her in on the way to the bathroom, Eli muttered, feeling for his shoes.
He felt his way up the stairs and stumbled against her door.
"Are you awake?" he whispered.
"Yes, I'm just getting ready for bed."
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Eli whispered loudly.
The door opened and he saw her out-lined against the light from the window. She was wearing shorty pajamas and held a hair brush in her hands.
"Come on in. I'm glad you showed up. I need you," Carol said, holding the door open.
"You do? What for?" Eli asked, peering suspiciously at her.
"Janet promised to brush my hair for me, but she can't now. I'm having an awful time with it. Will you help me with the back?"
"I guess so, but I haven't had much practice at this sort of thing," Eli mumbled, taking the brush between his awkward fingers.
Carol sat on the edge of the bed and turned her back to him. He stood above her with the brush poised in the air as he watched the movement of the front of her gown every time she drew a breath. He licked his lips and drew the brush through her hair.
"Harder!" Carol said.
He pulled harder and it drew her head against his stomach. He felt his muscles tighten at the touch, and he laid the brush on the dresser. It was useless; he couldn't keep his mind on brushing hair when his thoughts raced with the image of her. The way her hair shimmered in the light. The faint smell of soap and shampoo about her. The rise and fall of the gown that kept drawing his eyes.
"What's the matter?" Carol turned, bringing her breasts even with his groin.
He could almost feel the heat of her body penetrate the cloth of his pants. He sank weakly on the bed beside her. Her body was soft and flexible when he pulled her to him and tilted her chin to kiss her. She pulled away in surprise, when their lips met.
"Haven't you got a little kiss for your old man?" he whined.
She shrugged her shoulder, causing the gown to lift enough to give him a brief glimpse of the lacy panties underneath.
"I guess so, but you've never wanted to kiss me before."
"Well, I want to now," Eli groaned, pulling her hard against him.
He forced his tongue into her mouth and was surprised to feel her return the gesture. A shiver passed through him, as she began to return his kiss, expertly.
"Where did you learn to kiss like that?" he gasped afterward.
"Oh, I just did," she answered with a grin.
"Maybe it's too late to tell you anything about boys," Eli teased.
"Oh, I don't know anything about boys, except how to kiss them," she admitted slowly.
"Like this?" Eli bent for another kiss.
"Um-huh, like this," she grinned and tilted her head up to meet him.
Eli trembled with passion and pushed her onto the bed so he could lie beside her. She rubbed his chest and traced his ribs with her fingertips. She leaned over and bit him playfully, when he pulled her gown up. It was more than he could take. He jerked the gown off and threw it to the floor. Then he lifted her hips and pulled the panties off.
"You could drive a man wild," he moaned, reaching for her breasts with his mouth.
He kissed each one before returning to pay more detailed tribute to the one nearest him. She moaned and twisted up to meet his groping hands, as he slipped them roughly down her body.
"You like that sort of thing, don't you?" Eli gloated, thinking how exciting it was to have a woman under him who could really appreciate a man with his abilities.
"I guess so," Carol admitted.
"You guess so?"
"Umm." She pulled away from him and whispered, "Why did you want to kiss me like this?"
"I like you and it feels good," Eli said impatiently. "Here, let me get these things out of the way."
"You aren't going to take your clothes off, are you?"
"Sure, why not?"
"I've never seen a man with his clothes off," Carol stammered and blushed.
"You don't have to see if you don't want to. You can close your eyes," Eli laughed. "But if you change your mind, this is what a real man looks like," he added, throwing his pants on the floor.
"I can't see anything," Carol said, relieved.
"Maybe you could feel your way around," Eli suggested, jerking her hand toward him.
"No, don't!"
Carol tried to pull her hand away, but he had it firmly clamped in his own.
"Here, don't be squeamish! Hold it. Like that," he growled, clamping her hand around his penis and holding it there.
"Don't, please. It feels hot and funny. Let me go," Carol cried, afraid.
"I said, hold it," Eli insisted, pinching her wrist cruelly to make her stop trying to get away.
"I don't want to. It gets hot and keeps jerking around and everything," Carol protested, sobbing.
"I know, baby, I know. That's what you do to me," Eli groaned, roughly handling her breast with his free hand. "Carol," Eli whispered after a minute, "do you want me to let you stop holding it?"
"Oh, yes, please."
"Then you'll have to do something for me," Eli bargained. "What?"
"You'll have to kiss it, so it won't think you're mad at it," Eli giggled.
"No! I can't do that," Carol said.
"You'll have to if you want me to let your hand go."
"I don't want to. It's ugly. I can't!"
Eli released her hand and used both hands at the back of her head to force her down to the position he wanted. When she protested and tried to squirm off the bed, he held her body down with his leg while her head was forced closer. She turned her head away from him, but his hands formed a vise that kept her in line. He forced his penis into her mouth and started to move, when she moaned and, with superhuman effort, managed to twist away from him and off the bed just in time to vomit, her insides twisting and heaving.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Eli hissed, when she tried to leave the room.
"I'm going to the bathroom. You make me sick," Carol choked.
Grabbing her arm, he threw her across the bed and slapped her face until her nose bled.
"You're not going anywhere, do you hear me? I'm not through with you yet and you know it, you little bitch."
"Leave me alone!"
"Not yet. Not until I get through with you. You want to know what I'm going to do, baby?" he asked. "Huh? Well, I'm going to put it where it belongs, if you're so sissy you can't take anything else."
"You can't do that," Carol cried, crossing her legs.
"Don't get smart with me," Eli hissed, uncrossing her legs by force.
"I mean it. Stop it right now," Carol cried, frightened.
"Lay still and stop that noise."
Eli slapped her again.
"I won't!" she screamed this time.
Eli clamped his hand over her mouth and held his breath to see if her scream had awakened anyone. Apparently not. She bit him and tried to kick him at the same time. He doubled his fist and hit her in the pit of the stomach.
"Don't ever try something like that again. You keep your goddamned mouth shut before you wake someone up. I don't like women to tease me and not come through. You understand? This isn't some piss-ant kid you're playing with now," Eli said, slapping her to emphasize his point.
She tried to scream again but fainted when he made his entrance. By then he knew she was actually a virgin, but it was too late to stop and he didn't intend to spoil his fun for something that was bound to happen sooner or later, anyway. When he finished he found she'd regained her senses and was trying to fight him again.
"Wasn't so bad, was it, baby?" he gloated.
She glared at him and tried to bite his hand.
He ground his hand into her lips until he felt blood, and then he took it away.
"You'll learn to stop fighting me or I'll kill you."
"You hurt me on purpose," Carol accused. "You hit me and hurt me," she glared with tear-filled eyes.
"It didn't hurt all the time," Eli said.
"It did so! How would you know? You didn't even hear me when I begged you not to do it."
"It won't hurt any more," Eli consoled.
"There won't be any more!" Carol said, spitting out some blood in a kleenex.
"There will, because I say so. And if you don't be a nice girl about it I'll just have to see if Jeanette will be more reasonable about it," Eli threatened shrewdly.
Carol's eyes widened with shock. "You wouldn't dare. She's just a baby!"
She watched to see if he was bluffing. He wasn't. He laughed, pulling on his pants.
"Want to try me?"
"Get out of here," Carol screamed. "I hate you. Get out right now. The sight of you makes me sick."
"Watch your tongue, young lady," he threatened with his fist, then slipped out the door.
The next morning he couldn't help but notice that Carol wasn't speaking to him. He didn't care. He knew she'd think about his threat to have Jeanette, and she'd come around.
He went to work but found he couldn't keep his mind on work. He kept going back to last night and what'd happened. He knew now that Carol had only been playing a game. One that she obviously hadn't played before and didn't know the end of. He felt guilty about hitting her into submission, but what the hell? Let him kiss her and then turn it off and tell him to go away. How much does the kid think a man can take? Stupid brat should know better.
Why'd she have to be so damned desirable in the first place? I couldn't've done anything if she hadn't let me into her room. Why did she?
At the same time he thought these things, something in the back of his mind told him she had every right to let her father into her room without having to be afraid. If she was supposed to be safe with any man in the world, a girl had the right to assume that that one man was her father. But in this case she was wrong. She hadn't been anywhere near safe. Not with her silly games that wanted to end in the middle of things. Do her good, Eli tried to tell himself. She could've got in a lot worse fix if some punk kid got ahold of her like that. This way she could learn a few things a girl ought to know, anyhow. He argued with himself until noon and then pleaded illness so he could leave work. Instead of going all the way home he stopped at the nearest bar to try and forget the whole sordid mess. The drunker he got the more solemnly he promised himself he'd never allow the incident to repeat itself.
He promised he'd make it up to her, somehow. By six that evening Eli was pretty well overboard. He pulled himself out of his booth and staggered to the car. The trip home would've sobered most people, but Eli carried only guilt and self-incrimination with him. When he stumbled up the steps of the porch, he felt tired and sick with disgust. He wanted to go to sleep and never have to wake up to face this cruel world again.
Carol was hanging curtains, when she saw her father park the car and go up the steps.
"What's wrong with him? He looks sick."
"He's been on a drunk again. I know what he looks like, and stay away from him."
"But I think he's sick," Carol said, forgetting his actions of the night before in the face of this crisis.
"Yes, dear, he's sick. But take my word for it. He don't need help and don't want it."
Carol turned and looked into Janet's eyes.
"You don't care if he is sick, do you?"
Janet lowered her head in thought, before saying, "Yes, Carol, I care. But I found out a long time ago it doesn't pay to care when he gets like that. It doesn't pay to go near him."
"Why do you say that?" Carol demanded.
"Come here, Carol." Janet led the way to Carol's bedroom. "I've got something to tell you about your father. I'd hoped having you kids here would stop this sort of thing, but if he's going to start again I think you should be warned."
"Warned about what?"
"Carol, let me put it this way. He's a very sick man. I don't mean sick like you and I get sick. He's got something eating away at him and it doesn't let him be for long. He's like a man being taunted by the very world itself. Or terribly upsetting memories. Memories that hurt him badly and make him want to hurt back. He hits back anyway he can and at anyone that gets near enough. This seems to be another of those times. Believe me, I know about this."
"I don't understand," Carol whispered.
"If you'd gone down there when he came in he'd've kicked you out of his way or beat you."
Carol's hands went to her face, still sore from the beating she'd received last night.
"Just because I offered to help?"
"I've seen him kick a dog's brains out because it walked in front of him. I've watched him smile like an angel, seconds before he broke a man's nose for bumping into him on a crowded dance floor. He's come home and beat me until I couldn't stand, because I asked where he'd been. He's got a sick, mean streak and you might as well know about it so you can steer clear of it, Carol."
"If all that's true, why'd you marry him?"
"Because, like I said, he's sick. Not mean because he wants to be. I don't think he can help it, and he needs someone who can understand or overlook these things. I do. In return for this he takes pretty good care of me."
"How can you stay when he beats you?"
"Because just when you decide to leave him, he turns on the old charm and he can be the kindest, most considerate man in the world. All you have to do is ignore his little fits and try to pretend they didn't happen. Never make the mistake of reminding him he was naughty. Never say no when he's in one of these moods. If you remember these two rules you'll probably get along fine with him. If not, he could easily kill you without a thought," Janet said.
Carol remembered last night. How sweet and pathetic he'd been until she'd said no. Then she remembered how he'd beat her and kept hurting her, laughing so hard he never even heard her pleas to stop. She believed Janet for these reasons and became scared.
"What's wrong? You're white as a sheet."
"Nothing. It's just hard to understand."
"You'll never understand it. No one but a doctor for that sort of thing would, but he refuses to see one. Won't even admit he needs one. Just mention the word doctor and he starts all over again. It isn't worth it."
"I'll try to remember," Carol whispered.
"Good girl! Now let's sneak down and feed the kids so we can keep them out of his way."
"Okay," Carol agreed, anxious to keep the kids out of trouble.
They fed the kids and hurried them upstairs to play, just minutes before Eli slouched out of his room. He ran his fingers through his hair and grinned.
"What's for supper, or don't you feel like feeding the old man tonight?"
Carol jumped from her chair and started setting his place. She poured him a cup of coffee and set it in front of him.
"What's this shit?" Eli growled. "A gentle hint that the old man's drunk and might need sobering up?"
"Oh, no!" Carol stammered. "You usually drink coffee with your meals, don't you?"
"Well, this time I want a beer."
"I'll get it for you," Janet offered quickly.
"That's damned sweet of you," Eli grinned, throwing the coffee at her retreating back.
It hit the wall with a splash and sprayed glass and hot coffee all over the room. Carol screamed, her hand frozen at her throat, while Janet cleaned up the mess.
"Are you going to feed me, or do I have to get it myself?" he yelled at Carol.
She hurriedly served him and started to leave the room, when he grabbed her wrist and jerked her back to his side.
"Just where do you think you're going?"
"Upstairs with the kids," she whimpered.
"Sit down and eat! You, too, Janet!"
"We ate with the kids," Janet said.
"Think you're too good to eat with .me now, huh?" Eli yelled, shaking Carol until her teeth rattled. "Well, I'll show the whole damned lot of you who's too good. Just wait and see. I'll show the both of you who's boss around here. Now sit down and eat, like I said."
Carol and Janet sat quietly until Eli's head began to nod and he slumped over, his head resting on the table. Then they left the room.
"Go on up to bed," Janet said kindly.
"What about him?"
"He'll probably sleep right there the rest of the night," Janet said. "If he wakes up he knows the way to his bed. I'm going to get some sleep. Don't worry about him."
"Okay, Janet. Good night."
Eli woke up with a foul taste in his mouth and a kink in his neck.
"Bitches," he muttered, rubbing his neck. "Leave a man here to catch a death of cold sleeping on the table."
He reached for the beer can near his arm and took a deep slug. It was flat and tasted worse than his mouth. He swore and spit it out on the floor. Easing out of his chair, he stretched his stiff muscles and walked past his bedroom to the stairs. On the way out of the bathroom he passed Carol's door and glared at it.
"Sleeping in there like babes, in the beds I worked and sweated to pay for, while they leave me to sleep the night on the table."
Eli spit on the floor, licked his dry lips, and pushed his hair out of his eyes.
"It's my bed she's in, ain't it? I got just as much right in that bed, or any other bed in this house, than she has. Good-for-nothing old lady of mine's sprawled all over my bed."
Wiping his mouth with his shirt sleeve, he hitched up his pants and went in Carol's room.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Carol stood at the bottom of the stairs and watched her father load the rest of their belongings. The trailer was loaded to the brim and the car was being stuffed now.
She was a little over sixteen years old now, but the expression on her face was older. She watched as her younger sister stood talking to her father. She looked carefully into both faces for signs of fear or intimacy in their glances; there seemed to be none. She breathed a sigh of relief. For over two years she'd been a mother and protector to the kids, Lesbian lover for her stepmother, and wifely lover for her father. The weight of the load showed. She'd always been concerned about the kids, first and above all. Their welfare seemed to be in her hands more than anyone knew. She hoped they'd never have to learn about the things she'd been forced to do for their sakes in this house, but she feared they would, sooner or later. She hoped they would not hate her.
The family was now preparing for a move back to Miami where Eli'd just heard of a new job. He'd lost this one because of his increased moods of depression and uncooperative attitude. Carol was silently grateful. It would bring her within range of help from Grandma and Grandpa Jim. She planned to leave behind her the whole sordid memory of the past two years with Eli Tanden and try to find out what normal people did in this world.
Still frowning, she lit a cigarette and watched the entire family-a family she both loved and hated. Her father whom she was forced to know more intimately than a girl had any right. She'd tired of his demands and beatings and tried to put a stop to it. However, he'd only strengthened his hold over her by reminding her that she couldn't report to any authorities, because they'd take her and the kids and put them in homes for delinquent children until they were of age. And if she refused him he'd look to little Jeanette for the comforts she denied him. In the end she kept her mouth shut in return for his promise that he'd keep his filthy hands off the babies. So far she'd kept her end of the bargain and apparently he'd kept his, but she could see his interest in Jeanette was growing.
Janet had made much the same threat when Carol tried to stop their little affair, and they made much the same bargain. However, every day Jeanette grew lovelier, and Carol doubted her own ability to keep things in control much longer.
The move made it possible for her to get the kids away before the atmosphere of degrading sex could reach and harm one of the kids. There was little chance her father'd ever let her get away from him, but she felt it was worth a try. She took a deep breath and went to help with her share of last-minute details. The faster they got going the faster she could get things taken care of. She patted her pocket and smiled when she heard the small crinkle of the envelope she'd hidden there. It was a letter for Grandpa Jim to expect her by taxi as soon as she got in the area. She mailed it with their change-of-address card.
When they arrived in Miami they found a house to rent and Janet and Carol stayed to move in, while Eli headed for the mines to report in. He wouldn't be going to work until Monday, but he liked to look things over first.
"Well, let's get started," Janet said, after Eli'd driven out of sight.
"There's no hurry," Carol said.
"Might as well get started," Janet said, lifting a box of Jeanette's clothes.
"We aren't putting any of the kids' stuff up," Carol remarked bitterly.
"What did you say?" Janet asked, setting the box on a chair.
"I'm taking the kids and their stuff to Grandpa Jim's as soon as I can get a taxi."
"What on earth are you talking about? You didn't mention this to your father or to me."
"I didn't intend to until it was time to go."
"What are you getting at? You haven't asked to go visit your folks."
"I'm not asking now, Janet," Carol said firmly. "I'm telling you that I'm taking the kids and myself to live with Grandpa Jim."
"What's gotten into you?" Janet cried, shocked to see Carol calmly stacking belongings beside the door.
"You have to ask?"
"I think I have a right to know what's going on around here, at least. This is the first thing you've said about being unhappy with your father and I."
"It wouldn't've done me any good before now. It isn't a matter of being unhappy, Janet. I'm sick. Disgusted! Fed up! I'm tired of playing sexy leapfrog with you and Daddy and wondering when one of you'll tire of me and start in on one of those babies out there," Carol said flatly, pointing to the children playing in the yard.
"I promised you I'd leave them alone. You can't leave me now," Janet whined.
"I not only can, but I have to, Janet," Carol tried to be kinder. "But it isn't just you. I can't trust Daddy to keep his promise."
"You haven't had any trouble with him lately. What promise?" Janet asked suspiciously.
Carol laughed nervously.
"That shows how little you know about your husband. It's a wonder you two haven't had a head-on collision some night sneaking in and out of my bedroom."
Janet stopped pacing the floor and whirled.
"What're you getting at? He doesn't know about us, does he?"
"Oh, no, Janet! No more than you know about him and me. When I'm forced to keep a promise I keep it," Carol shrugged.
"I don't believe you," Janet whispered.
"I didn't ask you to. You wanted to know why I'm leaving this sweet family and I told you. It doesn't matter one way or the other to me," Carol said, tired of the argument.
"Carol, he wouldn't do a thing like that. You're his own daughter."
Carol looked at her but didn't speak.
"It's not like me and you. I mean, you're not my own flesh and blood. Nobody'd do a thing like that to their own daughter."
Still Carol didn't answer.
"Wait a minute, Carol," Janet called, when Carol stepped out on the porch.
"What is there to wait for?"
"You were telling the truth, weren't you?"
"Yes, Janet, if you must know. I was telling the godawful truth, as ugly as it is."
"Then I'm going with you," Janet decided.
"Oh, no, you don't! No more of that! I don't care if I ever hear the word sex again. I'm ashamed of the word and sick at the thought."
Janet felt tears rush to her eyes as she looked deeply into Carol's hardened face.
"I didn't mean like that, dear. I love you very much. You must know that, if you know anything. I think I understand a lot of things now. Please, honey, let me help you. I swear I'll not touch you or any of the others."
"I don't know if I should," Carol hesitated.
"Honey, after what I've just learned I don't think I care very much for sex, either. Not for a long while, anyway. But I certainly feel I owe it to you to help what little I can. Let me go?" Janet pleaded, honestly concerned.
"All right," Carol decided. "I'll call the cab if you'll hurry up and gather what you want to take. We're going to Grandpa Jim's first and decide something from there."
Jana came running to the door.
"Carol, come meet my new friend. This is Linda Keller. She lives over there and is ten years old, like me. Can I go to her house and play with her?"
"I'm sorry, Jana," Carol said, hardly looking at the little girl waiting expectantly. "You will have to go with us."
As they got into the cab, Linda stood, looking lost and lonely in the abandoned yard.
"Goodbye, Jana. Can I come play with your new doll when you get back tonight?"
"Sure, you can come back, and we'll play house. Don't forget."
Jana waved as the cab drove out of sight.
"Will your folks be expecting us?" Janet worried.
"Not you, but they're expecting us."
" 'Did you tell them everything?"
"No, and I won't if I can help it." Carol laughed coldly. "They aren't things I can tell with pride, Janet. I'll just tell them how mean and unpredictable he is. They'll understand and help."
Anita and Jim were waiting. They paid for the cab and ushered everyone inside the house.
"What's happened?" Jim demanded.
"Grandpa Jim, we've left Daddy, for good. He's mean and dangerous and not fit to live with," Carol said, burying her head on the familiar shoulder and letting herself cry for the first time in two years.
"There, there, sweetheart," Jim said, patting her on the back. "It can't be that bad."
"It was so that bad, and worse!" Carol sobbed. "You've got to help us get so far away he'll never find us. Please."
"Everything will be all right," Jim said, glancing at Janet for confirmation.
"It may be for now, but it won't be when Eli comes home and finds us gone," Janet said. "He'll kill us all if he ever finds us."
"She's right, Grandpa," Carol said, drying her eyes. "He'll never let us get away with this. He'll beat the hell out of us to prove he's the boss."
Anita gasped at the language Carol used, but even more at the loss of the sweet little girl who used to stand like that. She felt inferior to the wisdom in the child's eyes.
"Not if I have anything to say about it," Jim said, tightening his arm around Carol.
"What can we do?" Anita wrung her hands. "This is the first place he'll look."
Jim drew a long breath and nodded his head.
"We're going to Utah where Caroline is."
"To Utah? When?" Anita asked in surprise.
"Well, we can send them on out today and go as soon as we get rid of this place."
"But what about your job? Our home, everything?" Anita asked frantically.
"Anita," Jim said, drawing her under his other arm, "for seventeen years we've lived under the shadow of Eli Tanden and his cruel ways. Our lives have been pure hell since the first time we heard his name mentioned in this house. If we can't get rid of him any other way, I'd rather find someplace else to live. I'm sick of wondering what meanness he's up to next."
"I suppose you're right as usual, but we'd better hurry. You take them over to Quapaw to catch the train and send Caroline a wire."
Anita planned calmly now, accepting the inevitable as she always had when it couldn't be avoided.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Eli Tanden drove up in front of the house with a grin on his face and a case of beer beside him. He'd found the place where he was to start work and was happy with the men who'd be working with him. They were men he could trust to help and to be careful in their work. It was going to be good to work back down under with men he knew.
"Hey, where is everybody?" he called, as he strode into the house.
There was only silence. A strange sort of silence that felt cold.
"Why the hell don't one of you answer me?" he yelled, stomping through the house, and in the kitchen he found a note Janet had left.
"Eli," it read, "I've taken the kids and left you for good. I know all about what you've been doing to Carol, and even I can't stomach the sight of you after that. Don't bother trying to find us, because if you do I'll raise so much hell you'll find yourself in jail for the rest of your life. And that would be too good for you."
"I'll be goddamned!" Eli swore. "I told that little bitch not to tell anyone! I'll kill that kid when I get my hands on her again. I'll get you, you hear me? I'll get even for this!"
He walked to the icebox and slammed the door shut, when he found it empty except for beer. He opened one and walked around the house, throwing ash trays on the floor and kicking the sides out of boxes waiting to be unpacked. He opened another beer and slouched at the table, drinking angrily. He talked to the growing stack of empty cans beside his chair while he tried to get drunk.
"What the hell made them think they could leave me like that? They know I'll just go out and find them when I get good and ready. And when I do-boy, let me tell you, they'll know they've been found! I'll bet they'll wish they hadn't tried a stupid stunt like that. Janet hasn't got enough sense to dream up something like this on her own. That smarty-pants daughter of mine has a hand in it somewhere. Don't know what's gotten into the world anyways. A man has a wife and kids. They're supposed to do like he wants them to. They're his to do with as he wants. But not that damned smarty family of mine! They have to be different! They think they're too good for me. Hah! A prissy-assed daughter that wasn't even a good lay. A sickly prude of a son that can't hardly stand up to pee! And a bunch of slinky split-tailed females running the whole show behind my back. Ought to mess the batch of 'em up good and proper. I'll show them!"
Eli lurched to his feet and reached for the door. As he stepped onto the porch, he noticed a small girl standing on the steps.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"Is Jana back yet?" Linda asked.
"Back from where?"
"I don't know where. They didn't say when they left, but Jana said I could come and play with her doll when she came back tonight."
"Did she say that? Did you see them leave?" Eli demanded.
"Yes. I was here playing when they left."
"Why don't you come on in and tell me about it while we wait for Jana to come back?"
Eli stepped back and motioned for Linda to follow him into the house.
"What time did she leave?" Eli asked, shutting the door after they entered.
"This morning right after you left."
"She did, did she? Let me think a minute. If I can think where she went I can tell you when she'll be back to play," Eli said, slipping into a chair.
"Can I play with the doll while I wait? Jana said I could," Linda asked, seeing the doll.
"Yeah, sure. Play with the doll," Eli said.
He lit a cigarette and stared at the child playing with the doll. It should be Jana, he thought. They should all be right here where they belong. Would be, too, if that big-mouth brat had kept her trap shut. Why did she always have to go and do the wrong thing after he told her? Some day that girl'd learn that he meant what he said. That's what he needed to do for once! Teach her a lesson. Eli shook his head to clear it a little and tried to remember what it was she was so afraid of. What was it she made me promise? Ah ha! That's it, he remembered, his eyes falling on Linda sitting near the couch with the doll. I promised I wouldn't touch one of her precious little kids if she minded me and kept her mouth shut. Well, she broke her word, and I'll have to show her I do what I say.
"Yes, siree! That'll bring them back to their right minds. They won't mess around with the old man when they learn I mean business when I say something. That's what's wrong with them now. I've been too soft on them," Eli said aloud, as he pulled himself from his chair and stumbled to Linda's side.
"What did you say, Mr. Tanden?"
Eli jerked her to her feet, squinting at her.
"I said I got to make a lesson out of you, that's what I said."
"What's the matter with you?"
"I told that goody-goody sister of yours what would happen if she got smart with me," he muttered, dragging Linda across the room.
"You're hurting my arm, Mr. Tanden. I don't have a sister. Please put me down," Linda begged, kicking her heels.
He picked up the wiggling child and threw her across the unmade bed. Holding her easily with one arm, he tore her clothes off and threw himself on top of her.
"Please let me go!" Linda screamed. "You are hurting me."
Eli clamped his arm across her body and placed one hand over her mouth, letting her breathe only when she stopped screaming.
"Damned women!" he swore. "Always yelling and yapping. Don't stop! You're hurting me! Well, I'll show them. It don't hurt them none," he growled, shaking Linda savagely. "Tell me the truth. It don't hurt, does it? You all just say that to get out of your rightful duties! Too damned lazy to do right, that's all."
Linda saw a chance to kick free, but when she tried, Eli started hitting her in the stomach and chest with his fist. Again and again till she passed out and was still. He hated her with his very being. He hit her again. He hated all women. They just walked around showing themselves to men and teasing a guy till he tried to get what they were trying to force off on him. Then what do they do? They scream and make a big fuss when a guy asks them to give a little. They were all nuts! That's what's wrong with this whole world.
"Why me, cruel world, why me? Why do I have to live with all these nuts?" Eli cried to the unseen sky.
He threw the limp child to the floor, now that he was finished with her. Without another glance in her direction, he fell over the bed and passed out.
Almost an hour later Linda brought herself around enough to drag her aching body a few inches away from the bed. She was bleeding, she saw, and tried to stand but fell in a heap on the floor. She found that she could drag herself if she went slow. She stopped often, because her chest and tummy hurt so awful. She was breathing hard, and it made her cough up blood. She patiently waited until a coughing spell passed and dragged herself closer to the door. It took forever to get out of the hated room. She reached the door and tried to pull herself up enough to reach the knob. She fell and cried, trying not to make any noise. After resting a while, she forced herself to catch hold of a chair by the door and grab for the doorknob. When the door swung open, she fell onto the porch. The pain was too great for her to even move her arms, so she rolled off the steps into the yard.
She came to later and realized she'd have to hurry and keep going before he came out and found her and made her go back in there with him. She reached the street before having to stop and rest again. Her arms and legs were bleeding from the gravel pathway. The coughing seemed to come more often now.
She looked down at her knees, surprised to see that she had no clothes on. She was ashamed and tried to hide her nakedness with her thin arms. Then she remembered she had to use her arms to keep from lying there.
Everything hurt so, she decided surely God would forgive her just this once if she didn't wear clothes. She promised him to put some on again as soon as her mama could help her. Then she crawled on toward home, her little face streaked with blood and tears.
"I've tried so hard, but I can't go no more. Please, Mama, help me. Please. I hurt so awful, Mama. Please, God, tell my mama to come get me. Mama, Mama," Linda cried to the empty darkness, before laying her head on her arms to rest just a little while.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Susan Keller wiped her hands and squinted outside to the darkening yard. She made a futile swipe at the hair falling in her eyes, walked to the door, and called:
"Linda, come on inside, dear."
Then she walked back into the bedroom to check the new baby. She wished Johnny were home instead of still out with the boys. If he were, he could go out and look for Linda. She was worried about her, but she couldn't carry a new baby around in the chill of the night and she certainly couldn't leave him alone.
Susan glanced at the clock. Her blood became something hard and cold in her veins. She'd been calling Linda for over an hour. Still no answer. Linda was such an obedient child and had never strayed far enough away that she couldn't hear. Something was terribly wrong. She felt it in her bones. She made up her mind and picked up the phone. Then she set it back on the hook. Poor Johnny didn't like to be disturbed every time he went out for a couple of beers with the guys. And she'd called him last week to take the little one to the doctor for a cold. She didn't want to do it again, when it probably wasn't important.
She waited a minute, then firmly dialed the number.
"Is Johnny Keller there?" she asked.
"Hey, Keller! It's the old lady," she heard the bartender say with a laugh.
Johnny came to the phone.
"What's the matter, Susan?" he asked.
"Honey, I don't want to bother you, but it's Linda. I'm worried about her. She went out to play with some new neighbor kids, and I can't find her. She won't answer when I call."
"Call her again, Susan. You know she never goes so far she can't hear from the house."
"Johnny, I thought that, too, but I've been calling her for over an hour. She still hasn't answered. Something's happened to her, Johnny, I know it. Please come home and help me look for her," Susan sobbed.
"All right, honey, I'll be right there. Now you stop crying and don't worry. She probably got busy in some game and forgot the time."
"Then why doesn't she answer me when I call? Johnny, I'm scared," Susan sniffed.
"All right, all right! I'll bring a couple of guys with me. We'll find her and you feed us. Is it a deal?"
"It's a deal," Susan promised, relieved now that Johnny was in charge of things.
She hung up and started fixing supper, but not before trying to call Linda once more.
Johnny sat at the phone and looked thoughtfully at the wall in front of him.
"Hey, Johnny, what's it this time? The dog swallow a bone?" Jake teased, knowing Susan's ability to make a mountain out of a mole hill.
"I don't think so this time," Johnny answered seriously. "Linda's disappeared. Susan's frantic, so I told her we'd go out and find her in return for supper. How about it?"
Instantly Jake's face sobered.
" 'Johnny, you know better than to ask a silly question like that. Let's go!"
"Do you think it could be serious?" Don asked, joining his friends.
"I don't want to think so," Johnny waved nervously. "But I don't know. I told Susan that she probably forgot the time."
"But you don't believe it, do you?"
Johnny glanced at his friends.
"No, boys, I don't believe it. Frankly, I don't think they've invented the game that'd keep her from noticing it was getting dark enough for her to go inside. You know she's scared to death of the dark. She won't even go to her room alone, until the lights are on."
"Let's step on it a little," Jake suggested quietly. "She may've fallen and hurt herself or something."
"Yeah, the way the little monkey climbs trees it's a wonder she hasn't broken something long before now," Don grinned.
"That may be what happened. If so, she's probably somewhere near the house. She wouldn't hear if she was hurt like that," Johnny said, speeding the car a little.
"Better slow down a little," Jake said, as they turned onto Johnny's street. "She could be along here anywhere."
"Hey, take it easy. What's that over there in that yard? No, there!" Jake called, pointing to a movement at the side of the road.
Johnny slowed down in time to see the figure turn into a dog in the lights of the car.
"Sorry," Jake mumbled, keeping his eyes on the side of the street.
"There's something," Don called. "Up in the next block, just beyond the corner."
"I don't see anything," Johnny said, pushing the car ahead.
The headlights picked up something white laying beside the street. Johnny eased the car along until they could see the naked figure of Linda trying to crawl forward to her home.
"Oh, my God! It's Linda!"
Jake jumped from the car before Johnny could bring it to a halt.
"Linda!" Johnny called, running toward his daughter. "Linda, it's Daddy. What's happened to you?"
Linda turned her battered face toward the voice, but her eyes refused to focus properly.
"Mama!" she cried, frantically looking about. "I want my mama. Take me to my mama. I hurt," she begged, coughing blood.
"God in heaven! She's been raped, Johnny,"
Jake whispered in shocked tones.
"Who'd do such a thing?" Don cried out, when he was close enough to see the blood-spattered body and the swollen face and legs.
Johnny tenderly picked his daughter up and wrapped her in his jacket, not seeing for the tears that fell from his face to mix with hers.
"I'll kill the man that did this. I'll kill him," Johnny promised his daughter, who was beyond hearing any longer.
"Get her to the hospital, Johnny," Jake said firmly, leading Johnny to the car. "We can take care of him later."
"I'll kill him with my bare hands," Johnny cried in agony.
"Johnny, she's hurt real bad. You take her to the hospital, and we'll see if we can find something here. I promise we'll find him," Don pleaded, wiping tears from his eyes.
"You wait for me, hear?" Johnny yelled, easing Linda full length on the back seat.
Don and Jake watched through tear-dimmed eyes as Johnny sped toward the hospital. They were men who hadn't cried since childhood, but they'd never looked upon such a heartbreaking sight. It would've been bad enough if the child had been a stranger, but little Linda? Sweet little Linda who called them uncle, who played with dolls and climbed trees. Still a baby. Their own baby of sorts. They stood silently in the middle of the dirt street and nourished a hatred that could only lead to the death of someone. And they meant to find that someone soon!
"How in God's name could someone do a thing like that?" Jake struck out with his fist in frustration.
"I don't think the God I know would've allowed such a thing. Maybe he isn't even there any more," Don said.
"What can we do?" Jake asked, looking about him and seeing no answer.
"We've got to find him and quick. Before Johnny gets back," Don tried to think straight.
"Yeah, Johnny'd kill him and with good reason, but he'd hang for it just the same."
"Not if we find him first."
"Yeah, but how're we going to do that?"
"There must be a way," Don mused.
"Hey, yeah," Jake brightened. "That poor child left a trail as wide as she is. We'll see where it leads and go from there."
Wordlessly they followed the grisly trail of blood to Eli's porch and front door.
"It must've happened in there," Jake whispered.
"Well, whoever did it sure didn't stick around," Don said, pointing to the open door.
"Keep your voice down," Jake cautioned. "We're going in and find out."
"We can't just go in someone's house. You just don't do that," Don argued.
"And people don't go around beating and raping ten-year-old girls, but someone in there did."
"All right, but be careful," Don agreed, following Jake into the dark house.
They felt their way along the walls, until they heard the sounds of bedsprings protesting as someone moved. Jake felt his way to the bedroom door and flipped the light switch, flooding the room with light.
"Here, here he is." Jake rushed into the room and grabbed Eli by the ankles as he struggled to sit up in the bed.
"What the hell's going on around here?" Eli yelled.
"That's exactly what we're going to find out, mister," Don said, holding Eli's hands behind his back.
"Let me go! You can't do this to me in my own house!" Eli kicked, trying to free himself from the iron grip that held his feet together.
"Not yet, mister, and when we do we'll be going with you."
"That's all you know. I ain't going anywhere."
"That's what you think," Jake growled. "Look at him! He's got her blood all over him. It's all over the bed and the floor there."
Eli looked at himself and was surprised to see that the front of his clothes was covered with brownish splotches. The bed was sticky with it and it was drying a reddish brown on the wooden floor.
"Whose blood?" he asked shakily.
"Little Linda Keller, if you didn't know her name," Jake said sarcastically. "You do remember her, don't you? She's the little ten-year-old girl you just beat almost to death and raped right here."
At the mention of the crime Don leaped at Eli, but Jake held him back.
"Wait a minute. If Johnny got Linda to the hospital they'll call the police. We have to get him out of here before they find him the same way we did," Jake said thoughtfully.
"How? We don't even have a car here. We sure as hell can't carry him off."
"He's got a car outside. I saw it. Look in his pockets and get the keys."
"Maybe we should just take him to the police. I mean they aren't going to be happy with us taking him off like this," Don suggested.
"Do you know what the police will do?"
"No," Don admitted, "but they'd do something."
"I'll tell you what they'll do," Jake said in disgust. "They'll put him in jail and feed him real good, while they argue back and forth about why and how he maybe did it. Then they'll let him say he was mentally unbalanced and they'll put him in a hospital for a while."
"Well, that's the same as jail, isn't it?"
"Are you nuts? They don't have the room or the money to keep him very long. Besides, he can convince them in a couple of years that he's all well again, and they'll turn him loose so he can do it again if he's a mind to."
"Would they really do that?"
"Not only that. If he had a trial the story'd be spread all over, while she was trying to get free. If poor little Linda lives through this she'll have to live the rest of her life with people thinking she's easy prey. Do you want that to happen to her again?"
In silent answer Don reached over and jerked Eli to his feet. They dragged him to his car and threw him on the floor of the back seat.
"Where are we taking him?" Don asked, when they turned off onto the highway.
"I know a place. Out to the old Dougan place. There's a shack there and nobody ever goes around there any more."
"I still don't know what we're going to do to him when we get him off somewhere," Don worried aloud.
"We'll think of something," Jake promised solemnly.
They drove the rest of the way in silence.
Eli listened to the whine of the tires on the highway and tried to work the gag out of his mouth so he could talk these crazy people into letting him go. He thought if he could stall them for a while the police might come like they said and then he'd be free. These men were obviously mistaken about something he did, but then the police would be able to straighten that out.
The car slowed to go around the curve past the old Dougan mine pit and sped into the dirt road that led to the shack. They parked the car and threw Eli onto the floor of the shack. Jake removed the gag while Don went to the car in search of a light.
"Hey, I found a carbide lamp. That do?"
"It's fine," Jake answered.
Don lit the lamp and set it on the old bench that was nailed around the walls of the shack.
"Don't look like anybody's been here in ages."
"They haven't," Jake said, glancing around.
"This shack used to be the doghouse for the Dougan mine, but it's been deserted since the mine caved in a few years ago."
"Why don't you two just let me go now," Eli asked.
"Are you nuts, man?" Don whirled on Eli. "What did you expect? To get off plumb free after what you did?"
"I had a right to do what I did. She was mine," Eli said, knowing they were talking about the girl.
"Why did you do it?" Jake asked, tears in his eyes again.
"Because I wanted to for a long time. I promised I would," Eli answered, thinking of how long Carol'd kept him from Jeanette.
He wondered how these men knew so much about his family and why they cared, but he was in no position to fight.
"You filthy liar!" Jake said, as he slapped Eli on the mouth.
"What're we going to do with him?" Don whined.
"I don't know, but it'll have to be something that will make him think twice before he does something like that again," Jake pondered. "Or better yet, something that'll make it impossible."
"You can't do that," Eli screamed.
"We going to chop it off?" Don whispered.
"Hey, that gives me an idea!" Jake said, snapping his fingers. "There was this story went around back home. There was this guy got a little uppity and forced himself on a decent woman. You know what they did to him?"
"No, what did they do?" Don asked, ignoring Eli's shouting to be freed.
"Well, they took this here guy out in the woods where nobody could hear him scream and they nailed his smart-aleck pecker to an old tree stump and gave him a knife. Then they set the stump on fire and let him decide which he'd rather do-cut it off or burn to death."
"Well, the way the story goes, he suddenly lost all love for that thing and flat chopped it off," Jake laughed, glancing meaningfully at Eli.
"We can't set fire to this place. It'dhave the whole town here in half an hour," Don protested.
"That's right, but if we left him here like that he'd starve to death before someone came around. If the rats didn't get him first."
"I'll go find a hammer in the car. There's a tool box in the back seat, I saw."
Eli had listened, surprised that they'd joke like that when they seemed so set on doing something, but when Don started out the door he suddenly realized they weren't joking. He started yelling and banging his tied feet on the floor.
"Let me loose. You must be crazy to even talk like that! You won't get away with this, do you hear me? I'll get the police. I'll get even with you, if you try a thing like that!"
"Hear that? He's going to get even with us."
Don laughed, holding a hammer in the glow of the carbide lamp.
"I don't think he'll be getting even with anyone when we finish here," Jake laughed.
"Nope. Somehow, I don't think so, either. Couldn't find a nail. Thought we could pry one loose from the bench there."
"What?" Jake stepped back in mock horror. "Them nails are rusty. He might get blood poisoning and get sick. Real sick!"
"Yeah!" Don chuckled, prying a large nail loose.
"You can't do this," Eli screamed, as they came toward him with the hammer and two nails. "It isn't human. Leave me alone. Stay away from me," Eli's protest blended into one long, incoherent scream.
"It ain't human to do what you did, either," Jake said to the writhing figure on the floor. "You should've thought about it before."
"Here, you hold him down." Jake turned to Eli. "I don't imagine this'll be easy, fella."
He hammered seriously, not hearing the one long, drawn-out scream for help any more than Eli'd heard Linda. With the second blow of the hammer Eli passed out.
"There," Jake said, wiping his hands on a rag. "Let's bring him around before we leave."
They tried to make him come to, but it was useless.
"Well, we'll leave him. Ain't no use in sticking around," Jake said.
"What if he wakes up and starts screaming?"
Jake fumbled in his pocket and came out with a large pocketknife which he threw next to Eli's slumped body.
"It don't matter if he does or not. Nobody'd hear him."
In the car, Don asked:
"Are we really going to leave him there to starve to death?"
"No," Jake laughed, "but we'll leave him there long enough to think. He won't cut it off, unless I'm badly mistaken. People have been known to bleed to death like that."
"Then what're we going to do with him?"
"Well, let's go into town and wait around a while. Then we can call the police and tell them where he is."
"That's a good idea," Don agreed. "He's so scared he won't remember us."
Their mood suddenly became awkward and silent. They'd done a thing they would never be able to face in the daylight. It was difficult to even face the other.
"Oh, hell," Jake said, admitting his feelings. "Let's get the hell out of here and get a beer. This whole thing stinks."
"Good idea!" Don said without much spirit. "Watch out for the curve!" Don cried, as Jake sped off of the dirt road toward the cave-in.
"I can make the curve all right," Jake snarled, pulling the car sharply to the left.
The wheel turned loosely but the car kept right on going until it crashed into the guard rail and then into the icy black waters of the old Dougan mine pit. It wasn't found until several days later, when someone decided to see what had gone through the guard rail.
Jake and Don had underestimated Eli Tanden's ability to get even. The car wouldn't've lost control if he'd had time to fix the faulty steering. It always failed when you turned it to the left, unless you knew how to manage it.
Jake had seriously underestimated Eli in another way, too. When his body was found a week later he had made it as far as the door before bleeding to death, much the same way as little Linda had done only minutes before her father carried her broken body into the hospital emergency room.
