The Escape

There was another loud moan of pain and outside the shed Penny and the boys began shouting in fear. Charlotte's blood chilled when she heard Heddy scream and she waved her arms helplessly not knowing what to do.

"Someone has to go for help." John said weakly.

"You should go, Miss Huddie, " Dobbs said. "Maybe you can get your phone working out on the highway. I'll stay here and see what we can do."

Charlotte shook her head and began to protest when Heddy burst out of the house and fell down into the yard.

"He's coming! He's coming!"

"HEDDY!" They all quickly ran to the breathless girl, holding and touching and talking at once.

Now would be a good time to get out of here." Dobbs shouted, dragging the still wobbly John toward the front of the house.

The mob piled into the van, all shouting and yelling for Charlotte to hurry and start driving. From the back of the house they heard the roar of a motor and John yelled out a warning about a motorcycle. Charlotte yanked the van into gear and cranked the wheel, sending dirt and grass spraying in a wide arc as the vehicle tilted to one side and bolted down the drive.

"It's him! He's got a bike," Dobbs warned, watching their pursuer out the back of the van.

"Head for Eldora, it's the closest," John said.

The van careened out onto the highway and the passengers all slid to a heap on one side. "Fasten those belts!" Charlotte shouted, hunching over the wheel and clamping her teeth tight.

The motorbike exploded onto the highway in a cloud of dirt and dust, the wheels skidding left and right before straightening out.

The front wheel came off the ground and Dillard yelled, "Wow! Keen!" Impressed with Haggard's wheelie.

"He's gaining, Miss Huddie," Dobbs sounded understandably worried.

"I can't outrace a motorbike in this," Charlotte said.

"Open the back window," Penny said, climbing over the seat to the storage space.

"What? Why?"

"Just open Miss Huddie, please."

Charlotte pressed the button on the door panel and the rear window slid down allowing the roar of the motorbike to send a shiver down her spine. Penny rooted around in the carton on the floor and grabbed a handful of the contents.

"Slow down a bit and let him get closer."

"What! Slow down! What are you doing, Penny?"

Heddy yelped a laugh and scrambled over the seat with her sister. "I know! Do it Miss Huddie. Do it!"

Reluctantly, Charlotte eased up on the gas and the bike seemed to fly toward the back of the van. She glanced in the mirror and felt her throat tighten.

"NO! Oh no, Penny. Don't . . ."

Counting to three, both Heddy and Penny tossed two armfuls of clothes from Miss Huddie's carton out the rear window. Haggard didn't have a chance. A print skirt caught the wind and billowed through the air, draping itself over his helmet. Frantically he swiped at the garment as several other items landed on his hands, lap and the front fender. A rather pretty leather belt, still in the light pink walking shorts that stuck just under the front fender, whipped around and wedged its buckle in the spokes.

There was a loud screeching sound as the wheel was wrenched from Haggard's grasp and the bike, trailing Miss Huddie's wardrobe, shot across the road, into a ditch and slammed noisily into a tree. Charlotte slammed on the brakes and skidded the van to a rocking halt that gave the passengers a broadside view of the crash and Haggard's trajectory through the trees to a crunching halt against a large boulder.

"Ooooh, I bet that hurt," Dillard winced.

"More than hurt," Dobbs said, turning the boys away from the window. "You and Heddy come over here too," he commanded softly to Penny.

The Discovery

The fattest Robin they had ever seen was hopping about a tuft of grass at the base of a Silver Birch tree and Justin and Dillard squiggled closer and closer for a better look. The bird stopped and its head jerked in short movements, freezing the boys in mid stride. In an instant it gave a short flap of wing and vanished up into the branches and the two hunters moaned a loud complaint.

"You'll never sneak up on a bird, you two." Heddy watched from a distance with undeniable glee.

"Bet you can't either," Dillard said.

"Can too."

"Can't."

"Can too."

"Prove it," Justin dared.

"No." Heddy laughed and led them a chase back to the house.

"Come and wash those filthy hands you guys," Charlotte called. She tilted her head back from the smoke from the barbeque and reached blindly to flip a burger. "And tell your mom I need more buns."

John stood in the upstairs bedroom with his arm around his mother and gave her a squeeze.

"It's all yours, mom," he said.

Alma Glace stifled a sob and began to collapse. John helped her to the bed and sat beside her. A cool breeze lifted the new curtains and the tangy smell of meat cooking sifted into the room.

"C'mon, don't cry. This is a new beginning for us. No debt. No more slaving on that crummy farm." He hugged her harder, feeling the onset of a few tears of his own.

"Oh John . . . the way I behaved . . ."

"Forget it mom. I did a dumb thing and it could have turned out a lot worse. Time you and I had a little good luck." He squeezed her again then urged her back up and led her down to the living room where all their guests were busy getting ready for dinner.

"Here they come. Ta da!" Ken Foster went to the stairs and took Alma's hand and took her to a seat at the head of the large dining room table. "Seat of honour, Mrs. Glace."

"Glassay," Karen whispered.

"Right. Seat of honour . . . Alma." He turned and pinched his face at his wife. "I think Charlotte could use a hand out there, John." He added, pointing the others to their chairs.

"I think I see a romance blooming out there," Mister Dobbs commented, pulling up a chair next to Alma.

"It would certainly have my blessing," she said, tilting her head politely as Dobbs snapped open her napkin and draped it on her lap.

Karen nudged her husband and they shared a secret smile.

"The kids want to eat outside," Aunt Deanna announced.

"Good. Let 'em," her husband said. "They can slop away to their heart's content."

"Ted!"

"What? They don't want to be in here with us."

"I do, Uncle Ted."

"Aah Pudd, I'm sorry. C'mere a sec."

Penny leaned on her uncle's arm and listened to him whisper in her ear. When he was done he sat back and raised his eyebrows. "Well?"

"Deal, Uncle Ted." Penny clapped her hands and dashed out to the yard shouting to the others to get up to the picnic table.

"What deal?" Karen asked uncertainly.

"That's between my niece and I," he smiled.

"Ted, tell Karen what you said." Deanna stood behind him miming a punch to the head.

"Oh for Pete's sake, I told her I would see about getting her one of the new computer monitors they were discarding at the job."

"You can't just take those!" Karen said.

"They're throwing them out, Karen, and I happen to know the guy in charge of disposal."

"Don't argue Karen, you'll never win." Deanna went to the door and held it while Charlotte brought a large tray of grilled buns and burgers.

"You're leaning in the mustard, Dillard," Penny pushed the container out of his reach.

"I want some." Justin complained, crawling up onto the table and grabbing it back.

"What's that awful smell?" Heddy pinched her nose and got up from the table.

"Oh gawd, Justin's stepped in something again." Penny pointed and jumped up next to her sister.

Dillard slapped his head and laughed. "You stepped in farm stuff again Justin."

"Go and find something to scrape it off," Penny said. "Over there somewhere."

Justin climbed down and sulked off toward the yard, looking for a stick or something to scrape his shoe. He saw the door to the metal shed standing ajar and wandered over to take a peek. The police had removed a dead body from in there and he was curious to see inside. Scared but curious.

He pushed the door open and poked his head in, squinting into the darkness. In one corner was the dark outline of the electric pump and Justin stepped closer to see how big it was. On the floor next to the pump he found a piece of tin and stood on one foot while he scraped his shoe.

His hand slipped and he reached out to the wall for balance and knocked open the service door. Jammed into the small space, Justin saw a large suitcase and without a thought, began yanking it out into the shed.

Penny got up from the table and looked toward the yard. Her little cousin was nowhere to be seen and she started to trot, calling his name.

"In here, Penny." Came the tiny voice.

"Where?"

"The shed."

"Justin what are you doing in he . . . oooooh . . ." Penny stepped into the shed and stopped dead. There on the floor was Justin staring with wide eyes at the open suitcase, packets of plastic wrapped bills in each hand.

"Look Penny . . . money."

"Ooooooh, oooh- I think I'd better call dad."

THE END

©lyttlejoe 2002