The Girl. (7 page)

Holding her coffee mug tight, Brenda said, “Well my Father’s name was Shilo and my mother
Ama, Indian names”. Ella remarked, “My middle name is Irene very old fashion, it was my
grandmothers name”.

Brenda smiled saying, “I think that’s real pretty”, waving her hand added, “Good lord mines
Gail, southern bell it sounds and is”.
“I like it”, smiles Ella and eyes large Brenda added, “My grandmother’s name was true Indian,
Yona, means bear”, as Ella’s eyes are large saying, “Gee never heard that name before”.

Smiling Brenda said, “Saul has a best friend such a great person that works the weekends only
with my boys, Rodney is his name and they are very close, shoot been friends since the day we
got to Tennessee”.

Ella was smiling as Brenda continued, “At first thought they were enemies and fought each
other, Saul’s brothers all got dragged into the fight”.
“Rodney was with some other boys and they were calling my boys names and poking fun of
them”.
“Wrong move, they all fought for it was one big free for all and Rodney with my boys became
best of friends after that big run in”.

“They have been best pals ever since and for life he became an extra Wiley”.
Ella then told Brenda she seen Rodney, he is African American.
“Yes that’s Rod our family”.

The phone rings and Brenda said, “Excuse me a second dear”, got up from the table walking over
to the phone answered it, “Hello”, “Anyone there, Hello?” Hand on hip.
Brenda hung up the phone really raising her eyebrows told Ella, “Lately we been getting many of
these crank calls”.
Ella shrugged her shoulders saying, “Yes most people do get crank calls”.

“Strange thing is though, I can hear somebody breathing, like they want to say something, but
never do”.

Putting her hands on her hips looking at the rooster clock on the wall, “I better get the dinner
plates out, I hear my old man’s rattling pickup, it’s bad Seth should work on it”, said Brenda
giggling.

Ella smiled again, because Brenda sure had that affect and she reached into the cupboards
grabbing dishes out when Ella got up from the chair saying, “Here I’ll help”, and grabbed some
dishes setting them onto the long wooden table.
Holding a dish Brenda said, “Well thank you sugar”.

Furthermore, she and Ella talked more like two cackling hens setting the table for dinner and
holding the dish smiling Brenda said, “Sure is nice having a girl around”.
Ella helped set a final plate onto the table and replied, “Thanks it is nice just being around a
family”. Curious, “Your mother isn’t with you?” Frowning. Nodding her head, Ella said, “My
folks have busy careers, so I got use to many sandwiches”.
Rose eyebrows high, Brenda gasped and wanted to get to know Ella a bit better.
Later that evening, Ella joined them all for a Wiley dinner and the food was so good and filling.
Ella ate and glanced at Saul a lot, as Paul Gene noticed her looking.
Especially the way she did at his boy and gave a little grin to himself, Saul did not notice though,
he thought she was a nice kid.

The other boys thought she is cool, when dinner was done, near 6:00 pm, the Wiley boys all got
ready quickly with Ella watching Saul’s every move and right out of the kitchen.
Brenda was clearing off the table and Ella asked her, “Where is the bathroom?”
Holding plates, Brenda pointed down a long hallway and Ella went walking off quickly going
down the long hallway.

She walked by many rooms with the door closed except one, and paused peeking into the room.
Ella’s eyes became large looking into Saul’s bedroom, as he was dressing and she just stood there
frozen actually looking at his bare chest that was broad and perfect.

Suddenly, Ella’s eyes almost popped out of her head, when Saul jumped down onto the bedroom
floor immediately started doing pushups, Ella mumbled, “Oh my god!”

 

Stood with a glow watching him go up and down in fast pace, as she started fanning herself
saying, “Oh my, he is hot”.

Dreamy, sighs with eyes glued at Saul and said, “He is the one I want”.
Moving up and down much faster, Saul noticed Ella standing outside of his door, and lifted his
head up and winked towards the door.

Stumbling back against the wall, Ella gasped, “Ah”, and rushed off nervously, as Saul continued,
laughing.
Ella made it back into the kitchen quickly and was still nervous, Brenda asked, “Did you find the
bathroom ok sugar?” Ella just nodded with her eyes very big.
Phone ringing, and Brenda clearing off the table went answering it.
“Hello?”
“Hello, look I can hear you breathing”.
Sour look, Brenda seem to be getting aggravated, as her hand swung and putting the dirty dishes
in the sink Ella rolled her eyes.
Brenda become surprised and her black eyebrows raised high she said, “Seth!”
“Sure hold on girl”.

Holding the receiver, Brenda told Ella, “Can you believe it a darn girl?” Now yelled, “Seth”.
Ella and Brenda giggled when Seth rushed into the kitchen and his maw reached the phone to
him.
“Who is it?” Brenda batted her eyelashes saying, “Woo-wee a girl”.
Ella smiled as she started washing the dishes and Seth took the receiver, “Hello?”
“Hello, are you there?”

Brenda was now helping Ella and they both looked at Seth that said, “Maw no one was there”.
“Boy it was a girl wanting you”, replied Brenda holding the dishtowel he just shook his long curls
and replied, “Big deal”, walking away.
Phone ringing again, as Ella now rose her red eyebrows and Brenda threw the dishrag.

Rambling on with her eyebrows rose as usual, “I’m changing this number for sure”, she said,
annoyed Ella kept scrubbing the big kettle, Brenda said, “Hello?”
Becoming angry now, Brenda yelled again, “Oh Seth boy!”

Coming back into the kitchen fast with one boot on and the other off he said, “Aw not again”.
Brenda grinned reaching him the receiver saying, “The girl again?”
He took it covering the receiver and said, “Heck I wish I knew who this chick is”.
His mother grinned almost snarling saying, “Oh me too boy”.
“Hello?”

Brenda was back helping Ella, as they both listened to him keep asking, “Hello?”
Seth seem to be getting upset, he kept saying, “Woe, hold up here”.
“Hey why are you crying girl?”
“Wait, how you know my name?”
Brenda with Ella were both really looking at him, because he was highly upset and hollering into
the receiver a lot.

His father and three brothers comes into the kitchen when Paul Gene pointing asked,
“What’s up with him, he looks jittery?” Brenda shrugged drying a dish, as everyone looked at
Seth and listen.
Then Seth slammed the receiver down with his family staring at him and Ella too.

Filling his mouth with chewing tobacco, Paul Gene asked, “Seth boy you look like you saw a
ghost”.
Seth was quiet and as he went to walk away, stumbled into the china hutch and almost went
down.

Suddenly, he did go down on the floor and his brothers rushed over to him.

 

His parents both at the same time yelled, “SETH!”

Ella was shocked along with the rest of the family that was all knelt down to him on the kitchen
floor in Saul’s arms.
Paul Gene said, “Boy tell me what that there call was about”.
“She is going to kill herself”.

Everyone looked stunned and froze actually, Paul Gene asked, “Who is boy?”
“Paw I don’t know, because I barely heard her over crying”.
Saul just sat on the kitchen floor holding his youngest brother in his arms tightly and Ella sure
noticed their strong family bond at that moment.
Between brothers definitely that were right at Seth’s side.
Paul Gene asked, “Seth boy was she a girl of yours?”

He shook his head and said, “Nah can’t be, I have not dated any girls yet”.
Looking at his other boys, Paul Gene said, “Boys get over to the bar, heck were running behind”.
“Sorry paw”.
“Nah never mind that your first Seth boy”.
The other three boys rushed out after Saul gently set his brother out from under his secure arms.
Paul Gene said, “Seth let's get you up here boy”, Brenda and Ella watched Paul Gene practically
lifting Seth up.
“Paw I’ll be fine now really because we have work to do”. Paul Gene winked at his youngest boy
showing strength. Then asking, “You sure about working at the bar tonight?”
Standing now Seth replied, “Yeah paw”.

Paul Gene smiled and he and Seth walked out the back kitchen door, Brenda stood by the screen
door and could see her husband really talking to Seth, as he even put his arm around him.
Brenda smiled holding her locket.

Walking down the driveway, “Do not be long Brenda it’s a Friday night”, yelled Paul Gene.
“We will be there just pipe down old man”.

Ella actually laughed out, as she was drying dishes.
“Heck don’t have a cow paw, because I think y’all can handle it”.
Ella laughed harder, “Lord let me catch my breath here after Seth took it away”, said Brenda
patting her chest.

Smiling, “Brenda I think you two are so cool”, said Ella.
Waving her hand, “Oh not that old buzzard”, remarked Brenda smiling.
“Is it okay to ask you something”?
“Sure sugar anything”.
Ella asked, “Paul Gene’s older isn’t he?”
“Oh yes many years older than me doll”.
“Really”, replied, Ella excitedly with a surprised look upon her face, Brenda added, “Over twenty
years older”.
“Wow”, said Ella and thought like her feelings about Saul.

Ella also thought, Brenda was very pretty and cool she was full-blooded Cherokee Indian.
Brenda wore tight blue jeans with flannel shirts it seemed always. She even wore the same black
steel toe boots her four boys did and sometimes will wear Indian Moccasins.
Brenda looked tough in a way thought Ella, she was medium built, probably 125 pounds or 130,
the most and looked good for having four sons.
Young also and a lot like her one boy, Shane, as they resembled a great deal, he was the only one
who looked almost like her out of the boys.
Ella genuinely liked her and they still talked finishing cleaning the kitchen then Brenda said,
“Well Ella come on, I told you it was all right, besides you’re not drinking or I would kill you”.

“Yes I know the Wiley rule”, smiling.

Brenda winked at her and they went over to the bar as it was packed, Ella had a funny feeling
about those phone calls.
Where is her friend Dana also? Did something happen between her and Seth Wiley?
Ella had the best time again and as she became the new dishwasher, she and Brenda become like
mother and daughter.

A few weeks pass.

 

Ella had still not heard from her friend Dana and one day decided to call at Dana’s place.
When Dana’s father answered and told her that Dana had to leave town. Ella was shocked and
wondered why?

Therefore, Ella just let it go, as she had no choice, she also had new friends and Brenda was very
fond of her too.
In addition, glad to have a girl around the house.
The crank calls even stopped and Brenda wondered though if maybe the girl did hurt herself.
Seth was doing better and forgotten about the call.

Chapter 4.

 

Those few weeks seem to fly by and Ella for the first time in her life felt like she had a family that
was around.

Even though owning a bar they were such decent people not as her friend had told her for
owning a bar. Ella really cared for them all and they felt the same, as she became a part of the
Wiley clan. She even played basketball with Seth, Sebastian and Shane, as they paired up on
teams.
It was Ella and Seth then Shane with Sebastian.

Sitting on the back porch watching the game Paul Gene and Brenda smile at Ella having so
much fun, as she even did a cartwheel after making a winning shot.

 

The boys all watched her smirking, as Brenda actually whistled very loudly and they all
cracked up laughing.

Brenda told Paul Gene, “You know look at Seth and Ella, they make a cute couple”.
Rocking on the wooden gliding chair Paul Gene gave a big grin carving a big piece of wood.
Brenda sitting on the wooden bench asked, “I know that look, what is it Paul Gene?”

“Sugar get with it”.

 

“I am that’s why I said they seem cute together”.

Grinning bigger he said, “Heck can't you tell by now”.
“What they have is a good time together that is what I see Paul Gene”.
“Yes maw they do but they are just friends dear, believe me nothing more”, chewing his tobacco.
Brenda put her knitting down to her lap, “How do you know Paul Gene, shoot you don’t know
everything”, sarcastically remarked.

Wiggling his eyebrows, “Yes I do, especially with this one dear”. Brenda waved her hand at her
husband that added, “Just ask Ella, because you picked the wrong boy of ours”.
Putting her hand to her head, “Oh no”, said Brenda looking at them all shooting hoops having
fun.
Paul Gene chewing on his tobacco said, “Yep maw it’s the truth, trust me, because I am always
right about things”.
Brenda really shook her head and said, “Oh lord not that boy of ours”.
“Yep maw, Saul the winner of Ella’s heart”.

Upset, “You know I hate to say this, but he is awful with women”, said Brenda knitting roughly.
“Well maw nothing you can do about it”.

 

Brenda still carried on and said, “I think Saul sleeps with one then dumps her moving on to
another”.

Paul Gene was putting more chew into his mouth as he said, “Maybe with the real thing he
wouldn’t, sooner or later he has to find true love”.
“Says who Paul Gene, you and another Wiley rule”, as he grinned at Brenda who got quiet and
back to her knitting.

Walking up to the porch, Saul said, “Hey y’all”, smiling.
Brenda now saw the way Ella stared at him when he walked by, “Yes Paul Gene your always
right”, said Brenda with an angry look.
With his palest eyebrows high, “Heck what did I do?” Looking at his mother.
“Nothing yet”, said Brenda with such a cocky attitude knitting the yarn roughly and tangling
string.
“What paw?” Cracking chewing gum then blew a bubble.
“Nothing son just go get ready for your night”.
“Okay paw”, as he looked over at his maw almost growling he mumbles, “That’s where Sebastian
gets that attitude from”, and went into the house Ella did watch his every move.

Knitting Brenda said, “Paul Gene maybe I should talk to her or at least Saul”.
“No maw, we don’t get into our boys life like that, no need to tell them how or what with
females”.