Bent Creek (12 page)

Rachael opened the screen door and yelled to Nevers. “You best get washed up, Nevers.  Supper will be ready in about ten minutes.”

“You come on out here, Girl. I got a horse with a bad shoe. I need some halp. I can’t find yer dumb-ass brother.”

Rachael walked slowly to the barn, wondering if she was making a mistake. She hoped she had given Nevers enough time to cool down and he wasn’t luring her outside to beat on her. She stood at the door of the barn until Nevers led one of the horses to the anvil iron.

“Hold onto this rope while I git his shoe off,” Nevers said to Rachael as he tried to steady the mare.

Rachael grabbed the rope just as the horse reared up knocking Nevers to the ground. “Got damn. What you tryin’ tah do, git me kilt? I told you tah hold on tah it.  Yer just as crazy as yer old man.”

Rachael grabbed the rope again and held on tight. “That’s the second time you called my daddy crazy. Why do you k
eep sayin’ that, Nevers? My daddy ain’t crazy. He’s goin’ through a hard time but that don’t make him crazy. He don’t have work and Ben is still not doin’ so good.”

“Hard time, you betcha. I guess you don’t know about what he’s done? He went up tah Lynch tah cash that check that he got from the Army. It was some money Ben had comin’ tah him fer gettin’ hurt. I reckon it was a couply hundred dollars. It was supposed tah be kept safe fer Ben, but yer pap didn’t care.  He tuk it fer his own. While yer daddy was in town he met some stranger in the bank. He started tellin’ the man about his plan tah open a sawmill and that he had money tah do it.  That man told yer pappy he had a whole bunch of sawmill equipment fer sale real cheap. He took yer pappy over tah an old buildin’ and showed him the machinery. Yer daddy liked it so he went tah the bank with the man and cashed the check. He give that man all of it. When he went tah collect the equipment, he almost got kilt. The fella who sold it tah him didn’t even own it.  The man who owned it almost shot yer pappy when he saw him in his building messin’ with his stuff.”

“Oh no! Did he find the man?  Did he get his money back?”

“Hell no. That shyster was long gone.  He knew yer old man was an easy mark. That’s why I call him crazy.  By the way, yer pappy got another one of them letters from the govern
ment. Thar sendin’ Ben home.  He done come outta that deep sleep. He ain’t no good tah the army anymore.”

Another shock for Rachael. She stomped her foot. “Why don’t you ever tell me about this stuff?  It’s important. What’s wrong with him? What happened?”

“Hell if I know.  Taint my business tah take care of yer family’s business. All’s I know is that he is comin’ in on the train tah Lynch on Thursday and yer daddy don’t have no way tah go up and git hem. Nobody at Mabry’s had a truck that could make it that far. I reckon Ben will jest have tah set up thar until someone comes and fetches him.”

Rachael began to cry. Why, why was all this happenin’ agin?  “Nevers can Jesse and I use…”

Nevers interrupted her. “Don’t be askin’ me tah use my truck.”

“I’m beggin’, Nevers, please.”

“What’d you gonna give me if I let you use it.”  He grinned and licked his lips.

“Forget it. I’ll walk and carry Ben home on my back if I have tah.”

“Aw, go on, use it, but I’m takin’ a dollar outta yer pay for gas and wear on my truck.”

Early the next morning, Jesse and Rachael pulled the truck into their parent’s yard and laid on the horn.  It didn’t take long to rouse everyone out of the hous
e.

With her mother and Emma Jane in the truck cab with Jesse, Rachael and her father climbed into the back.

After a few minutes Rachael spoke.  “Do you know what’s wrong with Ben? Did the letter tell you what happened tah him?”

Roy shook his head. “Nope. It jest said that he had per
manent injuries. I ain’t sure what that means.  But it don’t sound good.”

Rachael wanted to talk to her father about the money. She wanted to tell him she was sorry, but she knew that any
thing she said would only bring back the shame he felt already for falling for a scam. She knew that the old men at Mabry’s had probably already given him a real hard time and called him an old fool. It was better to leave that subject alone.

Standing on the wooden platform in front of the train station, Rachael said a silent prayer that Ben would come bounding off the train and tell them that he was all right. Maybe he had just a little dent in his head or a missing toe.  As the train rattled to a stop and the whistle sounded for the last time, she waited patiently as the passengers filed down the steps. When it seemed like everyone was already off the train, a nurse in a crisp, white uniform pushed a wheel chair down a side ramp. A young soldier followed behind her carrying Ben in his arms.

Ida Mae put her hand to her mouth and let out a small cry as the soldier sat Ben in the chair. A blanket was placed across him to cover up the place where his legs should have been He never looked up. Everyone seemed to be frozen in place until Rachael went to his side.  She put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “Ben, it’s so good to see you.”

Ben did not answer. He just continued to look down. The nurse stepped forward and extended her hand to Roy. “You must be Mr. Riley. Is that correct?”  Roy, still staring at his son, slowly nodded his head.

“Ben had injuries to his head and also severe injuries to his legs. Once out of the coma his head trauma was healed, but he developed infections in both of his legs. We were not really sure that he would recover, but he has made good progress. Unfortunately for Ben, both of his legs had to be amputated. We wanted to tell you, but he refused our request to let you know. I’m afraid at the time he was hoping he would just die. I’m so sorry, Mr. Riley, but with therapy and care your son can live a full and productive life.  Your son is a wonderful young man.”

“How would you know?” Roy spate out. “You don’t know my son. You sent him home without his legs. You jest go on and leave us alone.”

She seemed uncomfortable. “I need to give you some instructions for his care. Can any of you read?”

Before anyone could answer, Rachael stepped forward. “Tell me, I kin read. I’ll take care of him.”  As the nurse talked with Rachael the rest of the family gathered around Ben. Ida Mae gently hugged him and Roy patted him on the shoulder.  It was Jesse who hung back too afraid to open his mouth and say the wrong thing.

Jesse loaded the wheelchair into the back of the truck and lifted Ben into the front seat.  Everyone else climbed into the back. They needed some time to digest what they had just seen and what they were going to say to Ben.

Rachael pulled Jesse aside before they went into this house. “I want you tah tell Nevers that I will be back in a week. I’m gonna stay here with Ben until he gets used tah the house. Momma and daddy don’t know how tah handle him and I’m afraid he is just gonna lay in bed all day.  That’s not good for him. The nurse said he had tah get up and move around.  If Nev
ers gets mad, that’s jest too bad, I can’t leave now.”

Rachael would not leave Ben alone. She sat by his bed and talked nonstop. She told him all about Emma Jane and about the baby that would be coming soon and living at Nevers’ house. She told him about how sad they were that Paul had died and she asked him what it was like living in California.

“Will you stop talkin’, Rachael.  I need tah rest,” Ben said in an irritated voice. “Alls you do is talk.  You talk about everythin’ except my missin’ legs. Is that what you want tah know? Well go on and ask me. Get it over with.”

“Tell me what happened, Ben. Tell me all about it.”

His voice choked and his chest heaved as he began to sob. “They cut them off, Rachael. They cut them off without even askin’ me. They took my legs. They said they were too mangled and if’n they didn’t take them off the infection would kill me. I wished I woulda died.”  His arm went up over eyes. “I was under the jeep,
workin’ on the axle, my legs was stickin’ out. I smelled the gasoline
and saw the fire from the explosion comin’ toward the jeep.  I tried tah get out, but the fire was all around me, so I had tah scoot way under the jeep.  And then I heer’d another loud blast. That’s the last I remember.  I woke up bout four days later with half a body and burns all over me. Then I went into that coma.  I jest want tah die.  Jest go get a gun and shoot me and put me out of my misery.”

Rachael put her arms around him. “Please, Ben. Give it some time. You’ll get better.”

“I ain’t never gonna be better. I can’t grow no new legs.”

Rachael refused to let Ben feel sorry for himself.  When he said he wanted to wash and shave she would not let her mother do it for him. Rachael brought him a basin of water and a razor and set it on the stand next to his bed.  She laid a clean nightshirt next to him. “Now you sit up and wash yerself and shave. Change yer clothes, yer startin’ tah smell.”

“I can’t,” he said.

“Oh, yes you kin. Yer arms ain’t broken.”  She turned around and left the room, pulling the curtain closed behind her.

Rachael knew that she had to get back to Nevers soon. Ben came home with about twenty dollars in his duffel bag, but it may be months before he would begin getting a monthly disability check from the government. He didn’t know about the money the government had sent home and Rachael didn’t want to tell him what her father had done.  It would probably only be enough to take care of his own needs and not much left over. She was beginning to feel a sense of panic coming over her. What would they do when winter came? How would they be able to take care of Ben and Emma Jane and the new baby with no income and no prospects?

After a week, Rachael made her announcement. “I hate tah leave you, Momma, but I got tah go back.” Actually other than filling her time with Ben, she was having a hard time living in the hovel that her parent’s called home.  Going to the privy outside and fighting the bugs that came in through the open windows was not something that she enjoyed. It was time to go and help Lily and Jesse.

“You gotta get Ben tah take care of himself.  He kin do a lot more than you think he kin. Maybe daddy could fix some sort of ramp so that Ben could at least git outside tah the privy. You don’t want tah be havin’ tah empty no bucket.”

“I jest don’t know, Rachael. I don’t think I kin take care of him. I kin hardly git him out of bed and Roy won’t even go near Ben. He acts like he’s scart of him.  We don‘t have much food round here. I’m guessin’ we have no choice but tah take care of him.  Emma Jane is getting’ so heavy in the belly she can’t halp.”

Rachael had no idea that Ben was awake and heard everything that was said.

“I sure wish you could stay here with me, Rachael,” Emma Jane said. I’m so lonely I can hardly stand it.  I can’t wait fer this baby tah git here so I kin see my toes agin.” She gave Rachael a hug. “But I know’d without the money you give daddy things would even be worse.”

Mr. Mabry agreed to take Rachael back to Nevers’ place when she was ready to go. On the day she was to leave, Ben asked her if she would wheel him down to the pond for a few minutes. He wanted to get outside for a little while and do a lit
tle fishing. Struggling with his chair, she shoved and pulled him down the mud path leading to the water. Pushing with all her strength the chair finally bumped across the makeshift dock. Out of breath she lay down on the warm boards, she let out a sigh. “Damn, we have tah get you a lighter chair.”  She rolled over on her stomach and watched the light dance on the water. This used to be one of her favorite places, before the algae took over most of the surface, yet it was still good for fishing. “Remember when we were kids and we used to come down here and swim and catch crawdads?  That was fun. That was before this pond got all scummy.”

“I hate tah ask you, Rachael, but do ya think you could go up tah the pump and get me some water? I’m parched,” Ben asked. “I plumb forget tah bring some with me.”

“Why didn’t you say somethin’ afore we come down here? Now I gotta walk all the way back.” She stood up with a groan, “I’ll be right back.” She brushed off the back of her jeans and started slowly up the path. Climbing the last few feet to the top of the hill, Rachael suddenly heard a loud splash. She let out a scream. Running as fast as her legs would carry her, she passed the empty wheelchair sitting on the dock. Rachael jumped in just as Ben’s body began to sink beneath the water. Holding her breath she dove under the murky, green surface and grabbed the back of his shirt. Struggling to hold on, she gasped as her head broke the surface of the water. Ben pushed at her, thrashing back and forth, he screamed, “Let me go, Rachael, let me go.”

Rachael continued to pull him as she paddled with one arm to the shore. Her feet sinking into the mud, she heaved his body into the shallow water. Dragging him on to the grassy bank she began to pummel him with both fists.  “Damn you, Ben Riley, damn you.”

Ben tried to cover his head with his arms.  “If yer gonna beat me tah death, why don’t you jest let me drown?” he sputtered. “I heard what momma said.  She don’t want me here. I ain’t good fer nothin’. Jest let me die.”

“I want you tah live! You’re not gonna do this ta
h me, Ben Riley. You still have yer eyes and ears and mouth.  Yer brains must have been in yer feet when they cut them off. You ain’t gonna kill yerself and make me mourn fer you.  I done lost two brothers and I ain’t gonna lose you. I’m gonna take you tah Nevers house with me. There’s only one step tah the house and he’s got an indoor toilet. Now sit right thar while I git yer chair. Don’t you dare move.” Pulling his wet body into his chair, she knelt down and put her arms around him.  “I love you, Ben. Please don’t give up. It’s gonna be okay. I promise you.” They clung to each other, crying muddy tears.