The Tender Years (7 page)

“Maybe
you
could talk to him.”

Virginia was already shaking her head even as Jenny broached the suggestion.

“He goes to your church, doesn’t he?”

Virginia nodded. That was true. But what did that have to do with it? Besides, she simply could not understand Jenny’s determination to get Jamison Curtis to be one of her little set. Jamison had been approached a number of times. It was true that he could be as much fun as anyone, but it was also true that he had vetoed Jenny’s plans on more than one occasion. Yet Jenny kept persisting. Virginia could not understand it. She knew that if she had crossed Jenny as many times as Jamison already had, she’d be out. No parole. No forgiveness. No pardon.

“He wouldn’t … he wouldn’t listen to me,” she was mumbling to Jenny.

“’Course he would. I think he likes you,” cut in Ruthie and received a look from Jenny that stopped her rush of words. “Sort of,” she finished lamely.

Virginia again shook her head. Jamison Curtis was a good two years her senior. He sat with the bigger boys in church. He took his faith seriously. Very seriously. The pastor himself had his eye on Jamison for great things. Oh, he’d never really come right out and said so, but Virginia could tell. He always smiled at Jamison in a special way, and he gave him unique little jobs to do with the young people. Every kid in church knew it—and accepted it. Jamison was geared for leadership—not for following. And especially not for following someone like Jenny.

“He’ll never do it—no matter who asks him,” Virginia maintained stoutly, chancing Jenny’s wrath.

“We aren’t going to do anything bad,” insisted Jenny. “Just have a bit of fun. Maybe just … just go for a malt … or soda or something.”

Virginia thought back to that other time they had gone for a soda. It had been fun. She loved sodas. But she sure wondered if yielding to the temptation had been worth it. She still remembered all those nights of dishwashing. She didn’t like doing dishes. And she didn’t like being on the outs with her family.

Her mind hurried on, wondering almost against her will if Freddie might have another nickel that he would be willing to spend so they could share another soda together. That had been fun, too. At the time. But things were changing somehow. She didn’t know how or why, but she didn’t feel the same way about Freddie that she once had. It bothered her when he pushed close up against her side and seemed to think he had a right to be there. Sort of like she was his girl or something. In one way, it made her feel a bit special. In another way, it made her feel cornered. And what if her parents ever saw that? She wanted to back away—or push Freddie back a step.

But Jenny was speaking again.

“Just a quick soda.”

That seemed a rather tame plan after some of the other proposals that Jenny had made. For one moment Virginia considered being Jenny’s messenger. Then she hesitated.

“He has chores,” she said flatly.

“Every night?”

Virginia nodded.

“Well, he can still do his chores. It only takes a few minutes to have a soda.”

“He goes right home.”

“Well surely he doesn’t need—”

“You ask him,” cut in Virginia and was rewarded with a withering glare. She stammered, trying to think of some way to express her thoughts without challenging Jenny.

“I … I just … well …” She shrugged. “What do we need him for anyway? Why bother?”

It was a total mystery to her. What was Jenny’s reason for continuing to pursue Jamison? He had made it quite clear that he had no intention of doing her bidding. Or was that what this was all about? Was it a challenge of wills? Did Jenny feel threatened when she wasn’t in control—of everyone? Yet there were several of the other fellows and girls that Jenny never bothered with at all. So why Jamison? Virginia couldn’t sort it out.

“She thinks he’s cute,” Ruthie offered, giving a titter as she disclosed the information.

Virginia’s eyes opened wide. Never once had she thought of Jenny nursing a crush on Jamison. They were so … so different. So totally unlike each other. Surely Ruthie was teasing.

A quick elbow aimed at Ruthie’s ribs made the girl gasp. “Shut your mouth, Ruth,” Jenny said sharply, but her face was flushed, and there was no denial on her lips.

It was true. It was really true. Jenny had a crush on Jamison. If Virginia had dared, she would have laughed at the very thought. But she did not dare. She only stared, open-mouthed, unable to say a word.

Then she shook her head again.

“He wouldn’t come,” she insisted, her words carefully chosen and hardly above a whisper. “Not for me, he wouldn’t. Not for you, either. He … he never crosses his parents. Never.”

Jenny gave the angry flip of her red mane. “Is he totally boring?”

“No. He’s fun.” Virginia was too quick with her answer. She softened her voice and continued because Jenny was staring at her, waiting for her to go on. “He’s … he’s fun at Youth Group. He … laughs and … everything. Makes us laugh. He—”

But Jenny seemed to have heard enough. She reached out a hand that pushed Virginia aside. “Maybe I’ll just have to go to Youth Group,” she said with another toss of her head. And as she turned to give Virginia a smug look, her green eyes were flashing again.

CHAPTER 6

I
’ve got it!” was Jenny’s greeting to Virginia the next morning when they met at the corner for the last few blocks to school. Her face was flushed with her excitement, and Virginia felt her own pulse quicken.

“Got what?”

She was sure that the answer would have something to do with Jamison Curtis, so she was surprised when Jenny answered, “A way to get ole nosy Parker.”

Virginia blinked. She thought that Jenny had given up on her little plan of revenge. She wanted to ask about the plan, and at the same time she feared to do so. She had a foreboding that she might enter into Jenny’s scheme in some way.

“We’ll give her something to talk about,” Jenny hurried on.

Virginia swallowed. She was right. Jenny was using the word “we.”

“What are you …?”

“We,” Jenny confirmed. “I’ll tell you all about it at recess. I can hardly wait. I sorted it all out last night in bed. Just wait. The whole town will know she’s just a meddlin’ ole fool.”

Virginia’s frown deepened. The whole town already knew about all there was to know concerning Mrs. Parker. Folks just, well, accepted her for the way she was, ignoring most of what she prattled on about. Who paid any mind to Mrs. Parker?

They couldn’t talk as they hurried on to reach the school yard before the bell rang. It was too hard to walk fast and talk at the same time.

Virginia did not know if she wanted recess to arrive or not. In some ways, the very thought of Jenny’s excitement made her heart quicken in similar fashion. Yet it frightened her a little bit, too. It was sure to be something that would get her in more trouble at home—unless they could lay their plan carefully and not get caught at whatever it was Jenny intended for them to do.

When the bell was given a little tinkle to announce the recess break, Virginia looked up to see Jenny’s eyes already upon her. With a nod of her head toward the door, Jenny indicated that Virginia was to leave the room and meet her around the east corner, their usual rendezvous spot.

Wordlessly she slipped her books back in her desk, rose from her seat, and followed Jenny from the room.

Her mouth felt uncomfortably dry. She tried to swallow, but there was nothing there.

Jenny continued walking until she had rounded the corner and turned to lean against the warmth of the brick from the brightness of the early rising sun. A grin spread over her face.

“You know that grove of poplars just down from Parker’s house?” she began.

Virginia nodded.

“Well, we’re gonna give Mrs. Parker something to
really
set her tongue a waggin’.”

“But—”

“We’re gonna meet down there—sort of a secret meeting.”

“She won’t even see us.”

“Oh, yes she will. She’s always watching whatever’s going on.”

“She won’t even know it’s us.”

“That’s just the point. We don’t want her to know. It’s the not-knowing part that will drive her near crazy.”

Virginia frowned. She was not following Jenny’s logic at all.

“She’ll get out her spyglass and try and try to figure out who’s doing the meeting.”

“She has a spyglass?”

“’Course she does. How else do you think she sees everything?”

Virginia shrugged. She had no idea how Mrs. Parker kept track of the goings-on of a whole town.

“If she has a spyglass she
will
know it’s us,” Virginia argued. “We won’t be able to hide that from her. She knows both of us. Has known me since I was born. And you with that red hair. Nobody else in town has hair that color.”

“We’re gonna be in disguise,” Jenny said smugly.

“Disguise?”

It was sounding more and more dangerous to Virginia. What would they be doing that they would need to disguise themselves?

“I have to go right home from school,” she argued defensively. “I don’t want to get in trouble again.”

“We aren’t going to do it after school. We’ll go on Saturday. Your folks let you out on Saturday, don’t they?”

Virginia was angry. Jenny made it sound as though her folks kept her caged up or something. “Of course they let me out Saturday,” she exploded. “I can do whatever I want after I finish my chores.”

“There,” said Jenny with satisfaction, making Virginia wish she hadn’t made the bold statement. “When are you finished with your chores?”

Virginia hedged. She still had not heard the plan. After a bit of hesitation she asked, “What are you planning? I don’t want anyone to get hurt, and I sure don’t want to get in trouble, either.”

“No one will get hurt. It’s just a harmless little gag, that’s all.”

Then Jenny turned defensive and angry. “Boy, are you a soggy day. You can’t see the fun in anything. I’d hate to live in a family of woe-betiders. Is that what your ole church teaches—that no one never ever has any fun in life? First Jamison—now you. Are you all a bunch of ole cloud-hangers over there?”

Virginia’s chin came up. “’Course not,” she responded hotly. “And how would you know a thing about our church? You’ve never been there. You likely wouldn’t know the way if one led you by the hand.”

It was as close as they had ever come to open confrontation. Virginia had never challenged Jenny’s power so directly before. She didn’t really understand why she was bold enough to do so now, but bringing her family and her church into the argument made her upset and ready to stand up to Jenny.

“Maybe I should get Ruthie,” Jenny said hotly.

“Maybe you should,” responded Virginia with a toss of her own head. “Or maybe you should carry out your silly little scheme all by yourself instead of getting someone else in trouble.”

“Nobody’s gonna get in trouble. I already told you. It’s just a little fun, that’s all.”

“That’s what you always say. Just harmless fun. But you always end up getting someone in trouble. Freddie and George had to clean out Mr. Moss’ barns for three weeks after the bull teasing. Sam said he couldn’t sit comfortably for a week after you had him passing those notes in school about Mr. Henkel’s false hairpiece. And Ruthie got in awful trouble for painting those words on Mercer’s fence.”

“This is different,” insisted Jenny. “This is just harmless fun. To teach Mrs. Parker a lesson. Your folks don’t got nothing against teaching people proper lessons, do they?”

“Well … their idea of a lesson and your idea might be a fair bit different,” said Virginia. She couldn’t believe her own boldness now that her back was up.

“Okay, if you don’t want to be friends …” Jenny began, slowly starting to turn away.

The very words brought a chill to Virginia and took the last bit of rigidity from her spine.

“Of course I—I want to be friends,” she stammered. “It’s just …”

“Be there. One thirty, Saturday. Come in from the back way so that no one will see you. I’ll have the disguises.”

And with those words, Jenny walked away before Virginia could even respond.

Virginia was not in a good mood when she arrived home. Clara was stirring about the kitchen. Obviously she was making something. But Clara was always making something. Virginia didn’t bother to try to figure out what. She cast one glance toward the kitchen table. Likely she would have extra baking dishes to wash at supper. Clara had all of the fun of making her fancy foods, and she, Virginia, got the dirty task of washing up after her. It wasn’t fair.

With one doleful look Clara’s way, Virginia started for her bedroom.

“Don’t you want your milk and …”

“No,” answered Virginia shortly. “I don’t need any more dirty dishes to wash than you are already making.”

Clara shrugged and said nothing more. But whatever it was that she was baking did smell awfully good. Virginia’s stomach growled in response.

Jenny did not talk again of the coming Saturday. All week long she seemed to tantalize Virginia with her silence about the plans. In fact, they talked very little through the days that led up to Saturday.

Ruthie hung around like a hornet ’round a water puddle. Her very presence irritated Virginia. She knew that she couldn’t ask any questions with Ruthie hanging around. Jenny had made it clear enough that the little outing, whatever it was to be, should be kept totally secret.

The three of them walked the first few blocks from school on Friday. Just as they separated at their usual corner, Jenny turned and looked directly at Virginia. “Be there” was all she said, but Virginia could hear more than a suggestion in the two words.

Ruthie looked from one to the other and opened her mouth as though to speak but changed her mind after staring at the two faces.

And so the next day, feet dragging and heart thumping wildly, Virginia found herself working around the back way to the little patch of poplar trees at the foot of the Parker horse pasture.

“Over here.” Virginia heard Jenny’s whispery call and swung around to see where the sound was coming from.

Jenny knelt behind a tangled willow bush, her hand resting on a large gunnysack lying on the ground at her side. Virginia cast a nervous look about her, then quickly covered the distance between them.

“What’s that?” she whispered, the words coming out in a raspy, breathless fashion.

“Our disguises.”

From the depths of the gunnysack Jenny began to withdraw bits and pieces of odd-looking clothing.

“I don’t see how putting on funny clothes is going to keep Mrs. Parker from knowing us,” Virginia stated firmly.

“We’ll keep our backs to her,” replied Jenny.

“Then why do we need these silly clothes at all? She doesn’t know …”

But Jenny was holding up to herself a red plaid shirt and a pair of boy’s overalls. “Here’s the plan.” She indicated a crumpled, full-skirted dress that lay in a heap on the ground. “You dress in that. And put that hat on to hide your face. I’m a little taller than you. I’ll be the man.”

“What man?” asked a puzzled Virginia.

“The man you are coming to meet, silly. Your lover.”

Virginia could only stare.

“I’m not coming to meet any lover.”

“Don’t be so dense,” chided Jenny. “We’re just playing a part. Ole lady Parker will
think
you are. That’s part of the joke. She’ll be beside herself trying to figure out who it is that is meeting in her woods.”

“Why should she care?” asked Virginia. The whole scheme was a total puzzle to her. She could not follow Jenny’s reasoning at all.

“Because she’s a snoop, that’s why. She thinks that she needs to know everything. Don’t you see? She’ll nearly go crazy trying to figure it out.”

Virginia, shaking her head, still could not understand.

“Put it on,” Jenny said impatiently. “We don’t have all day.”

Obediently, Virginia picked up the dress and tried to determine which end was which. It was all ruffles and bows. A disgusting piece of workmanship. Her mama would never ask her to wear such a frilly, overdone thing.

She struggled to get it over her head and settled into place. When she raised her head, she noted that Jenny was already in her plaid shirt and overalls and was busy trying to get her mop of red hair carefully tucked under the ample brim of a beat-up brown hat. In spite of her confusion, Virginia could not suppress the giggles. Jenny lifted her head, took one look at Virginia, then fell into peals of laughter of her own. They were a sight. At least that much of it was rather fun.

“Here’s the plan,” Jenny said when they were under control again. “You go first. Stand just toward the house by the poplars. Keep your back to the house. Pace back and forth like you’re waiting for someone. Keep looking toward the trees. After a little bit I will come out, and you will run to meet me. Got it?”

Virginia nodded. It didn’t sound at all complicated.

“Here … here’s your hat,” Jenny called quickly as Virginia turned to go. “You forgot to put it on. You want your face to be hidden—all the time. Don’t forget. Don’t let her see who you are. That’s the point of it.”

Virginia nodded. Maybe it was turning out to be a little bit fun.

Virginia started off again, her yards of billowy skirts flouncing out about her ankles. The dress was too long, and more than once she tripped over it. She had to use both hands to hold it up out of the way of her feet.