Singing Heart (17 page)

Chastity didn’t return immediately. When the nine-year-old did arrive her eyes were red-rimmed from crying and she was clutching her abdomen. Prudence ran to her sister and they clung to each other fearfully as they spoke in hushed tones. Xzan hurried to the girls a sickening feeling of dread in her stomach. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened. If so it was her fault Chastity had been put in that position and she was devastated by the thought that the child had been hurt even inadvertently by her hand.

She wrapped her arms around both children whispering, “What happened? And don’t try to cover it up. I want the truth.”

Chastity lowered her cornflower blue eyes frightened.

“
I’m afraid to say Mrs. Colby. My Pa…would…kill me.”

“
Then let me guess,” Xzan ventured more gently “he saw you out of school and punished you for playing hookie. Is that it?”

Chastity nodded slightly refusing to elaborate. Xzan saw to the child’s needs. Then she gave the class an assignment that would keep them busy for awhile putting Melissa in charge. She tapped Sean, Jason, Geral, Winston and Lucas on the shoulders as she passed their desks beckoning them to follow her as she left the schoolhouse. The young men all large in stature and strong from working on farms followed their miniscule teacher curiously. Once they were out of earshot from the other students she told them what she wanted them to do. Grins lit up their faces. None of them particularly cared for Kenneth Johnson.

It was a brisk five-minute walk to the Johnson farm. Chastity would have had to pass it to walk Thad home. Xzan knew that the old man would be in the barn near the road to have seen his daughter pass that way. She marched up to the brawny man fired by injustice backed by her small army demanding coldly;

“
Mr. Johnson I want a word with you sir.”

Short with massive shoulders and well developed biceps the farmer turned around belligerently. Pale brown eyes were bloodshot and his nose was red and swollen from years of overindulging in alcohol. He was skunk drunk now reeking of the fowl smell of moonshine. Having been forced by the town’s council to send his daughters to school in the first place he was none too happy to see Xzan on his property. Glaring at the dainty woman whom he loathed for her high and mighty ideas concerning his children’s education he cocked an eyebrow in response lips curled downward sourly.

“
What do you want?”

He leaned toward her spitting out a wad of chewing tobacco close to her skirts. Xzan felt Sean tense beside her ready to spring on the older man for his rudeness. She reached out a restraining arm. She only intended to use force as a last resort.

“
I’ve been to the Sheriff over the way you abuse Chastity and Prudence Mr. Johnson. Evidently the law doesn’t care about women or children. I’ve come to appeal to your heart. Surely you don’t want your daughters to be maimed for life or to die at your hand. No father could be that much of a monster.”

Her words cut like a knife. The old man roared in fury.

“
Get off my land Missy. Don’t you dare interfere twixt me and mine.”

Xzan stepped forward as did the lumbering males behind her refusing to be chased away. Momentarily Mr. Johnson looked unnerved and then renewed his attack.

“
I said get off my land!”

“
I’m not leaving Mr. Johnson until I am damned good and ready.”

She heard Sean’s shocked intake of breath. He’d never heard a lady curse.

“
Just what do you think your doing?” the old man cocked a menacing eyebrow.

Throwing muscular arms across a massive chest he took on the stance of a brick wall. Xzan mimicked him. Folding her own slim arms across her bosom then tapping her tiny boot on the ground as patiently as if she had all day.

“
I’ve had enough. I’m warning you once and only once. If you ever…hurt those children again…you will pay dearly for it.”

Mr. Johnson snickered. “And just how do you expect to do that Missy? With your troop of little boys? I can whip them all with one hand tied behind my back.”

“
Is that why you pick on defenseless little girls a third your size?” she taunted.

That was his last straw. The man lunged towards her, fist swinging wildly bellowing obstreperously in fury. Xzan stepped aside agilely. He landed on his face in the dirt. The boys galvanized into action began giving the monster a dose of his own medicine. They left him alive in a bloody heap, eyes swollen, nose bleeding and rasping for air. Xzan felt no remorse. Only elation. She turned around before departing feeling no pity for the man.

“
If you ever touch those children again this will seem like a love tap Mr. Johnson. I will not sit back silently and allow the helpless to be victimized any further. Do I make myself clear?”

Beaten but not defeated he defied her.

“
No man or woman will tell me how to run my house. You better watch out bitch…I’ll get you back for this. Some night when you’re alone…sleeping in your bed.”

Xzan laughed. “You don’t frighten me. I’ve survived encounters with the devil himself. Don’t underestimate me…Mr. Johnson. From now on you will pay ten fold for every evil act you commit.”

With a swish of blue linen skirt she strode leisurely out of his sight unconcerned by the hate radiating on her back. The young men whooped in delight sore from the brawling but exuberant. Xzan shushed them seriously .

“
I appreciate what you did. I hope none of you are too battered. I’m not promoting violence. I don’t want you to make a habit of handling things this way. I just think it was time for him to feel some of the pain and humiliation he’s inflicted. I pray to God I didn’t make a mistake. Chastity and Prudence still have to go home tonight.”

It was a sobering thought. The boys became subdued. Finally Sean reassured her.

“
I’ll follow them home and stay around where they can’t see me. It anything happens I’ll step in.”

“
Sean…alone in a drunken rage…that man could hurt you too. Men like him feel no pain. They’re too numb. If he didn’t drink he would probably realize what he’s done and hate himself for it. As long as he’s drunk he feels no remorse at all.”

“
I’ll go with him,” Jason volunteered.

The other boys followed suit. Xzan hugged them all proudly relieved that at least for tonight the twins would come to no harm. One day at a time was the best they could do. She wasn’t fearful for her own safety. There was a part of her that had been battered for the last time. She had a handgun and knew how to use it. Sean had taught her on the trail. If Mr. Johnson carried through with his threat he would never harm another soul. She’d see to it that he took his rightful place in hell.

*****

Chastity and Prudence arrived at school the next morning unscathed. Sean had reported that the old man had left the house as soon as the girl’s arrived. They followed him to the saloon in town where he proceeded to drink himself into oblivion and then back home later where he passed out in the barn. Thad didn’t show up. Xzan figured he was still in bed with a fever. Only part of the children attended class that day. Used to their absences Xzan didn’t grow concerned till four days later when only the Fenierre’s appeared when she rang the bell.

She dismissed them feeling an urgency to check on her other students. Sean accompanied her from farm to farm driving the buggy she had borrowed from his parents. She was overwrought when she returned it that evening. Two of her students had died during the night. Sylvia and Cathy. Thad’s sisters. The small boy was hanging on by a thread fighting to live. Considering he had been ill first it was possible that he still might beat it yet. Cathy and Sylvia had succumbed to the fatal illness within only one day of coming down with the fever. All of her remaining students were splotched by the disease. Huge whelps covered their bodies. They burned up with fever and had violent chills. Were delirious, nauseated and unable to eat or drink anything without strangling on it.

It didn’t seem to affect the adults yet. She stopped in to see Doc Berry only to discover the man was out of town delivering a baby some twenty miles away. He wouldn’t be back for a few days. They didn’t have a few days. Whatever this was it had come on fast and furious. Spread like a wildfire. Xzan didn’t know much about medicine but she did know that if you had been in contact with a contagious disease you had to scrub yourself and your clothes with lye soap. She made Sean wash up before he went home. Then took herself home to do the same.

She cried brokenheartedly over the children who had died. Sylvia had been an adorable brunette with long ringlets the boys like to tug at and sparkling green eyes. So bright and full of life. Cathy had been the silent one with mousy lank hair and brown doe eyes, always struggling to keep up with her vivacious sister. It was incomprehensible that the two little girls were gone forever. Drawing on a gray gown as sterile as she could make herself then pinning her long hair in a severe bun at the nape of her slender neck Xzan ran to the Fenierre’s cabin worried sick about the children that she had become so attached to. She prayed they hadn’t come down with it already. Deeply upset she knocked loudly on the door. No one answered. That was odd. There was always someone home. She pushed the heavy door open, calling out.

“
Hello…anybody home?”

Chapter Seven

The sight that greeted her was too horrifying to comprehend. The whole family was huddled around Shauna. Sitting in her rocker in front of the hearth the older woman was wailing like her heart was so deeply broken she couldn’t bear the pain. She clutched three blue bundles desperately in her arms. Robert had his arm around his wife his head buried in his large hand with tears streaming unchecked down his cheeks. Jason was beside him unable to take his eyes off the triplets. He had a look of such profound shock that Xzan wondered if he even comprehended what was going on.

Sean was on the other side of his mother holding Richard in his lap. Hugging each other they clung to their mother’s skirts. Lorena lay at Shauna’s feet shivering her cherubic face flushed with fever. She was either very deeply asleep or unconscious. Xzan rushed over scooping up the small girl in her arms and carried her limp body to bed. The family was oblivious to her presence. Mourning the death of the triplets they were unaware that Lorena was even ill. She couldn’t believe the babies were gone. It was unfathomable. They were so real. Each a precious personality they had all adored. Just learning to sit up and respond to their environment. Full of laughter. Seeing the world through innocent eyes.

There was no time to mourn now. Xzan pushed her struggling emotions down deep. They had to save the living. She undressed Lorena bathing her hot body in tepid water. Tenderly caressing the chubby baby cheeks and making the child as comfortable as possible. Covering her with quilts she fluffed the pillow. This was no ordinary illness. It raged. The child’s teeth chattered uncontrollably. It rattled in her lungs. Xzan could hear the wheezing as Lorena breathed shallowly. She continued her vigil bathing the child for over an hour but to no avail. The fever refused to come down. The family was beginning come back to the present. Robert’s voice was muffled through the bedroom door.

The words weren’t distinct enough for her to hear but she could guess what had been said by the way Shauna cried out pleading with him. There was a scuffle and screaming as he took the babies away. Then all was silent as the front door slammed. Xzan walked into the room spying her friend sitting alone. She cradled her face was in her hands as if she didn’t have the strength to hold up her own head. Xzan patted her shoulder gently.

“
Shauna you must listen to me.”

Shauna stared dazed.

“
Xzan what are you doing here? I didn’t hear you come in.”

Xzan hugged her compassionately.

“
I understand. I know what happened. Shauna,” she insisted firmly “you have to pull yourself together. Lorena is very ill. She needs you. I’ve done everything I know to pull her fever down but it hasn’t worked. Doc Berry is out of town. We’ll have to do the best we can until he comes back.”

New fear clouded the mother’s eyes. She leapt up galvanized into action running into her daughter’s room.

“
Oh my god!”

“
You mustn’t get hysterical.”

“
This is the way it happened with the boys.” Shauna sobbed.

“
They were so young. Lorena has had fevers before. She has a better chance.”