The Winds of Autumn (3 page)

Avery and I left Jack’s yard on the run. Willie trotted off the other direction. It was hard to run and talk at the same time, so we didn’t say a whole lot to each other.

“When you gonna ask?” Avery puffed.

“Dunno,” I gasped out.

“Who you gonna ask?” went on Avery.

I shook my head. “Not sure yet,” I admitted.

Truth was, I still wasn’t clear on just which of my kin might make the best ally. I would sort of need to feel my way.

“Well, we can’t wait,” puffed Avery. “That ol’ School Board is likely to go and rustle up a teacher ’fore we even get a chance to enjoy the break.”

Avery was breathing hard after that long speech. I knew he was right, but I also disliked being pressured.

“I’ll ask,” I told him firmly; “don’t you worry none about it.”

We parted company at the end of Cottonwood Street, Avery heading off one direction and me the other. I looked at the sky as I ran on. I was afraid I was going to be late for supper, and though Aunt Lou might not scold, it sure wouldn’t help my cause none.

I pulled into the lane that led past the parsonage and into the backyard just as Uncle Nat was dismounting Dobbin. I came to a halt beside him, struggling some to catch my breath.

“Whoa,” said Nat. “Where you coming from in such a hurry?”

I waited a spell till I could talk a bit more evenly and then answered, “Been over at Jack’s house—thought I might’ve stayed longer’n I intended. ’Fraid I was late for supper.”

“Well, so am I,” stated Nat, but he didn’t seem worried none. “Mrs. Miranda took a bad turn again.”

“Is she okay?” I asked.

“Seems to be fine again now.”

I thought it must be at least once a week Uncle Nat was called to the Willises to say a prayer for “the departing Mrs. Miranda,” as old Grandma Willis was called. She never had needed the final prayer yet, but then, I reckoned, someday she would and who could know just when that day might be?

I took up the reins hanging from Dobbin’s bridle and waited for Uncle Nat to slip the saddle; then I led the horse toward the small barn and the stall that waited for him.

Even though Dobbin had gone about ten miles out to the Willis place and back, he still walked into the barn with a spring in his step. As always, I admired the horse. Gramps had bought him for Uncle Nat and Aunt Lou along with a sharp-looking little one-horse buggy. When Uncle Nat went alone, he usually rode the horse, though, instead of hitching up the rig. It was faster and he figured it saved the horse some too.

When we got to the barn I slipped Dobbin’s bridle off and changed it for a halter. Uncle Nat reached for the currie comb and brush to give the horse a brisk rubdown. Without waiting to be asked, I crawled over the manger and forked in enough hay for the horse’s supper. Then I measured out his chop. I had done this many times, so I knew just how much was needed.

“Hear you’re without a teacher,” commented Uncle Nat as the two of us worked side by side.

“Yeah,” I responded without much emotion.

Nat smiled. “When I was your age I suppose I would’ve been rejoicing over having some free time—making all sorts of plans as to what I would do with it.”

I didn’t answer.

“This is really unusual for you,” Uncle Nat went on reflectively. “No school at a time of year when there is no more farm work to be done. How do you plan to fill in those long, boring days?”

I knew he was funning me some, but I also saw it as a chance—a chance to maybe put in a word for the plans we had been making.

“Well,” I said, real casual-like, “the fellas and me’ve been talkin’. Thought it might be a good time to try that there hike and—and camp-out we’ve been hopin’ to work in.”

I glanced from Dobbin, who was busy cleaning up his oats, to Uncle Nat. He never missed a stroke with the brush.

“Camping? Don’t remember your mentioning camping.”

“Well, no, we haven’t,” I hurried on. “Whenever the weather’s been good enough, there was crops and garden still to be tended. But, just as you said, that work is all done this fall. And—and truth is,” I finished in a rush, “I hadn’t really thought on it before.” I felt I needed to be totally honest with Uncle Nat.

Uncle Nat just nodded his head.

“We thought this might be a real good time,” I pressed my point.

Then I checked myself. I didn’t want to seem too eager— too pushy.

“Who’s doing the planning?” asked Uncle Nat.

“Me n’ Avery, n’ Willie n’ Jack,” I blurted out.

Uncle Nat smiled a soft, teasing smile.

“When you give that list to your aunt Lou,” he said, “I’d advise you to say, ‘Avery, Willie, Jack and I.’ ”

I ducked my head. I’d been corrected on that particular grammatical error many times—especially by Aunt Lou.

“Where’re you going?” asked Uncle Nat next.

My heart sort of skipped a bit. He had said, “Where’re you going?” just like it had already been settled.

“Thought we’d follow the crik up into the hills where it starts at the spring,” I answered, trying to make it sound like it had all been carefully figured out and approved. “Well, I just thought of it now,” I continued in my efforts toward honesty, “but I think the fellas’ll agree.”

Uncle Nat nodded.

He turned then and put the currie comb and brush back up on the peg on the wall, gave Dobbin one more sound pat and nodded for me that we’d better get in to our supper.

I followed, just a bit hesitantly. I wasn’t sure whether I’d won the round or not. Did Uncle Nat understand the need of a boy to get off on his own? Would he support me if it came to convincing the rest of the family?

We were almost to the house before he reached out a hand and let it rest on the top of my shoulder.

“Sounds like a great idea to me,” he commented. “If I didn’t have so many duties here at the church this week, I’d be right tempted to join you.”

I let out my breath in a whoosh. Uncle Nat was on my side! That should count for something, at least. For the first time, I began to hope that I really might get to go.

C
HAPTER
3
A Little Help

A
LL THE WAY OUT
to the farm the next morning, Saturday, I felt my insides squirming a bit. I don’t know why I was so nervous. I guess I wanted that camping trip far more than I supposed I would. I mean, I had never even thought of going camping until the day before when Avery suggested it, and now I was all het up about it. At the time I didn’t even stop to wonder about Avery. He had never been one to care much for the out-of-doors that I was aware of. He didn’t even like to fish, and yet here he throws out this surprise dream of his. But, as I said, I didn’t think about that side of it till later.

I was busy thinking about me. More than anything in the world I wanted that camping trip. I don’t know when I had ever wanted anything so much in my life except maybe when I had wanted a dog. Or when I had wanted to keep Aunt Lou instead of marrying her off to some local fella who wouldn’t even fully appreciate what he was getting.

Well, I had my dog. Gramps had seen to that. I held Pixie closer to my chest and stroked the soft hair under her chin while she wiggled and strained against me. Even she, who loved to be cuddled, didn’t like being held that close.

And as for Aunt Lou’s marrying, when it came right down to it, I highly approved of the fella she had chosen. I felt pretty close to Uncle Nat myself. In fact, I dared to hope he might put in a word for me if it came down to arguing my case with the three menfolk at the farm.

We turned the horse and buggy down the lane, and my stomach did another turn as well. It wouldn’t be long now until I would know one way or the other.

Grandpa met us at the front gate that opened up to the old farm home. He smiled his welcome from ear to ear and reached out to hug Aunt Lou. She had her arms full of baking like she always did when she visited the farm, but she accepted the hug anyway, giving Grandpa a kiss on his weathered cheek. Then Grandpa shook Nat’s hand firmly and turned to me.

“So yer without a teacher, eh, Boy?” he said.

He still called me “boy” even though I felt I had outgrown that name. Still, I didn’t resent it none the way Grandpa said it.

I just nodded my head.

“We heard the news,” Grandpa said to Uncle Nat. “Was plannin’ to come on in an’ pick Josh up this mornin’. Hope it didn’t mean a special trip for ya.”

Uncle Nat just smiled. “Lou was anxious to come out and check on you anyway. I had some time this morning, and we plan to stop in at the Curtises on the way back to town and see that new baby.”

We were met on the porch by Gramps, who patted my shoulder and hugged Aunt Lou. I could hear Uncle Charlie clattering dishes in the kitchen and guessed it was his turn for kitchen duties. He stepped to the door, dish towel in one hand and a pot in the other.

After our hellos Lou moved to set down her baking and put on the coffeepot. It didn’t matter how long it was between visits, she still took over the kitchen whenever she stepped in the door.

We all settled into comfortable spots around the room.

“So what’s this we hear about your school being closed, Joshua?” asked Gramps. Him being from the city and all, he was real interested in my education. The conversation turned to the school and the need for a teacher since Miss Williams up and left to marry her longtime sweetheart.

“Any idea how long it might be before classes resume?” asked Gramps.

He was asking Uncle Nat, not me, and I was willing to let him answer.

“The School Board is already working on it,” Uncle Nat assured him. “They hope they’ll have another teacher in the classroom within a week.”

Gramps cleared his throat.

“It’s not the time factor that bothers me,” he stated. “It’s the quality of the replacement.”

All eyes turned to Gramps.

“Meanin’?” asked Grandpa.

“Well, I don’t want to be borrowing trouble—but any teacher worth his salt would already be placed for this school year, as I see it.”

I hadn’t thought of that, and I guess the others hadn’t either, for I saw a few worried looks flicker across the faces around the room.

“We’ll just have to pray,” stated Aunt Lou. “If there’s a fault in the teacher they find, then we’ll ask the Lord to change her or him,” and she moved to put another stick of wood in the firebox as though everything was now neatly cared for.

“It’ll be nice to have you home for a bit, Boy,” Grandpa said to me.

“Maybe we can get in some fishing,” put in Gramps, his eyes twinkling at the thought.

I nodded. “I’d like that,” I stated honestly.

“Josh has some big plans,” Nat said slowly, his eyes on my face to read if I wanted him to bring up the subject or not.

I nodded slightly so he would know I wanted him to continue. He caught it and cleared his throat to get all the eyes in the room back on him again.

“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Uncle Nat went on. He waited a moment until he was sure everyone was waiting to hear the plan.

“Josh and some of his friends thought this would be a good time for them to take a little hike up along the creek and spend a few days camping at the spring that feeds it.”

Before anyone could even open their mouth to respond, Uncle Nat went on. “Sounds to me like it would be a good experience for the boys. They haven’t had much chance for camping with the usual fall bringing all kinds of farm work right along with the good weather. Now this fall is different. The good weather has managed to stay right on even after the fall work is all done. Good time for a boy to take a trip on his own.”

Uncle Nat stopped then and all eyes turned back to me.

Before anyone was able to make some kind of response, Aunt Lou made a dash for the stove where the coffeepot was just about to boil over. The eyes shifted off my face, and I silently thanked the boiling coffee and squirmed some on my chair.

Aunt Lou filled coffee cups for the menfolk and went about slicing some of her lemon cake.

It seemed much easier to discuss my plans over coffee and cake and my own brimming glass of Bossie’s fresh, cool milk.

“Didn’t realize ya had interests in campin’, Boy,” remarked Grandpa.

“Well, I hadn’t thought much on it, there being no proper time and all, so it just didn’t come to mind. It was Avery who suggested it,” I stated honestly. “Like Uncle Nat said, the time’s been too busy when the weather’s been good enough.”

Grandpa nodded.

“Who ya got to go with ya?” asked Grandpa.

“Avery, Willie and Jack,” I answered.

“I mean for grown folk,” explained Grandpa.

I hesitated. I didn’t know just how to answer. I didn’t want to sound sassy or nothing, but I wanted to let him know that boys of fifteen didn’t need anyone more grown up than that.

“Well—ah—we—“ I started but Gramps cut in.

“I reckon a boy who can pitch bundles like a man and shovel grain to keep up to a threshing machine might be about big enough to care for himself,” he said matter-of-factly with a twinkle in his eye.

It was Aunt Lou whose face showed the most concern, though Grandpa didn’t look convinced yet either.

“Where’ll you eat?” Aunt Lou asked.

“Outdoors,” I answered. “We’ll take along the food and fix it over an open fire.”

Aunt Lou started to speak again, but I saw Uncle Nat quietly reach out and press her hand. No one else noticed. Aunt Lou slowly closed her mouth again and clasped Uncle Nat’s hand firmly.

“What do you think?” Grandpa surprised me by asking the question of Uncle Charlie.

Uncle Charlie took a long swallow of hot coffee, let his chair legs drop to the kitchen floor again, and answered without wavering. “S’pose it’d be all right.”

I was sure then that I had won. I wanted to whoop but I didn’t dare.

“I’ll give you a hand with the food, Josh,” Aunt Lou offered, and then she checked Uncle Nat’s face again to see if he’d consider that interference. A slight flush coloring her cheek, “That is, if you’d like me to,” she finished quickly.

“I’d ’preciate it,” I hastened to inform her. “Me and the boys were hard put to know what to take along, us never havin’ done any campin’ or much cookin’ before an’ all.”