A Drink with the Deacon

"Mine is Edward everybody calls me Eddie." I was standing across the fire from her, so I was saved from having to make any kind of gesture. She simply smiled as she continued to stare into the fire.

"Edward, I am going to have soup for dinner. If you would like, I can arrange some for you?" I noticed her eyes were still on the fire.

"That would be very nice. I don't think I have had real soup in the past five years." I looked at her when I smiled. She looked up, caught my eye, then looked back into the fire.

She seemed almost embarrassed as she turned to walk to the house. After she had gone I melted snow several more times before I quenched my thirst.

It was after dark, when I saw the figure with the lantern approach the barn. I opened the door for her. When the woman removed the scarf from her face, she appeared to be much younger but with the same features. It took me a few seconds to realize that the figure standing before me was not the woman but her daughter. I took the pail of soup from her before either of us spoke.

"Hello, who might you be?" I asked it holding the soup pail between us.

"Rachel, Mom sent you the soup. She said your name was Eddie?" she made it a question.

"Yes Rachel, my name is Eddie." I had no idea what else I could say to the young woman. I took a really good look at her. Well, as much as I could from the outside of the heavy coat she wore. She was young, I could tell that much from her face.

I took the soup and the spoon she offered me. "You don't mind if I eat this while it is warm, do you?" I asked of the girl.

"Not at all," she replied. "I see you are a soldier. Were you in the War?"

"Yes, lately I haven't been doing much of anything though. I just got discharged. I haven't even had time to buy any clothes."

"You probably shouldn't, you are very handsome in your soldier suit." She flashed a smile at me that belonged to an older woman.

She seemed to be in her teens. Late teens, I would hope with that wicked smile she flashed from time to time. If I hadn't been enjoying her mother's hospitality, I might have made a pass at her. As it was, I had to fight not only myself but the obvious hints from her as well. It was a unique position I found myself in. If I did make love to the teenager, I might find myself literally out in the cold. There just didn't seem to be anyway to have the cake and eat it too.

"That is nice of you to say. Won't your mom be missing you, if you stay too long?" I asked it looking toward the house to see if the middle-aged woman was looking out the window. I could see no light escaping from any of the windows. Every window seemed to have its winter curtain covers intact.

"It's okay, mom likes you." Then after another moment of looking into the fire. "She knows how bored I get in the winter. Now with the snow it can only get worse."

She looked up from the fire and I knew. It was her way of paying for an escape from the farm. For just a second I toyed with the idea of taking her up on it. Instead, I decided to talk it out with her. "So don't you have any family or friends you could stay with till spring? You seem to be old enough to go to work in the city."

"I don't have no family, and no friends who would put me up. I just got Ma and my sister Jolene."

"I hope I can be one of your friends?" Rachel said it looking shyly up at me.

"Rachel honey, what is it you really want from me." I asked giving her a hard look.

"Why nothing Eddie," she replied. When she noted the continuing question in my eyes, she went on. "Well, I guess I want to get away from here."

"Well sweetie, I ain't going no place at the moment."

"Will you take me with you when it stops snowing? That is what I really want."

"Honey, I don't have a job. I can't take care of you." I was trying to be honest and discourage her all at the same time.

She was a quick thinker I will give her that. "I don't need no taking care of. I can work and take care of you." She smiled before she continued. "Waitress jobs are easy to come by."

"What would you momma say about your taking off with a stranger?" I was curious as well as trying to give her excuses.

"Momma won't care, she is going to have enough problems this year just taking care of her and Jolene."

"What about your Pa?" I had a feeling I knew the answer.

"Pa ran off in the spring. This old farm ain't much good. Pa just dropped his plow in the field, got in the car and drove away."

"He didn't even say goodbye?" I asked.

"Nope, just drove off. I must have asked Ma a thousand times, if she knew he was going."

"Well, did she know?" I asked it looking at her with the question in my eyes as well.

"She said, she had no idea. He just up and left. I don't much believe her." All of it was said as she stared into the fire. I was pretty sure she was reliving it.

"Don't your Ma need you to help out?" I asked it trying to convince her to stay. I didn't need a kid tagging along, but I was weakening.

"Eddie, I am just another mouth to feed. I can't farm this place, and I don't know how to do nothing else either."

"How about that waitress thing. You could move into town and send her money."

"This town is too small. There ain't no jobs. I was kinda hopin' you would at least take me to a larger place."

"But how would you live when you did get somewhere? I mean, till you got a job." I didn't plan to get stuck taking care of anyone else.

"Eddie, I got a plan. I know it is going to sound a little crazy to you, but it will work."

"Oh what kind of plan?" I asked it because I was sure a farm girl would have a plan that wouldn't work. I expected it to be a simple girl's dream.

"My daddy has a friend who runs a bootleg club in Cincinnati Ohio. He will pay good money for white liquor."

"Yes, I Expect he would. Any kind of liquor is hard to come by these days." I said it still convinced she was a little touched.

"Well daddy had people in Kentucky who make it. I am pretty sure that is what he took off to do."

"If he did? Why do you reckon he never sent you or your mama any money? Hell, or come back for that matter?"

"I don't know Eddie, but we can make a few dollars doing it, I know. If we do that, then you will have a stake and so will I." She stopped talking. The only sound was the crackling of the fire. The space was so large we were forced to stand over it to stay even a little warm. We were also forced to change positions often to avoid freezing on one side.

"So do you have any money to pay for the liquor?" I asked it expecting more or less the answer I got.

"No, but my kin might let me have it on credit till I can sell it." She looked as though even she knew it was a pipe dream.

"Now Rachel, listen to me carefully. I am not somebody you want to lie too. Do you know how to find these relatives who make the liquor?" I asked it not knowing exactly why I wanted to know.

"We visited my dad's family every fall after the crops were in. We did it for years. I know how to find them. Everybody in that one horse town knows my Uncle Luther." She had her eyes on the fire.

I gave some thought to walking around the fire barrel to see if I could kiss the girl but decided against it. She seemed young standing in the heavy coat. I had no idea of her age, she could have been anywhere from fourteen to twenty dressed as she was. Her nose was red so her face was distorted. The cold seemed to have her hiding inside the over sized coat.

"Well Rachel, I ain't goin' nowhere tonight, so I got time to think it over. Why don't we both just sleep on it?"

"Well Eddie, I'll sleep on it. You give some thought to having enough money so as not to have to try driving in this kind of weather." It was her parting remark. She didn't make me any other offers. I had to laugh as she walked into the cold. I noted that the snow had stopped as I watched her trudge through the foot deep mess.

I figured I might as well get comfortable. The T did not have enough power to get through the foot deep powder. It was far enough off the road so that any newer cars might pass. With that knowledge I laid out my blankets as close to the fire as I dared. I rolled them over me then lay awake thinking about the young woman. The offer was secondary. In my fantasy, she had the body of a goddess and her stringy hair was transposed into long curls down her back. The red nose was gone replaced by a woman of the world's make up. It was no wonder I slept poorly.

I replaced my boots the next morning before I ventured into the snow.It was cold in the barn making the wood gathering trip necessary. I pulled down dead branches since they would burn the easiest. The snow had stopped after depositing enough to reach the top of my foot high boots. I knew once it melted the wet wool pants were going to be very uncomfortable.

The fire did little to heat the open barn. I shouldn't have complained since the openness of the place kept me from choking on the smoke. Not long after the fire was going, Rachel paid me another visit. She brought a small metal pail with her. The pail contained oatmeal. The only good thing about it was that it was hot. It also was filling, so I did not complain about the bland taste of it. At home in Virginia it would have been grits, an equally bland breakfast.

I changed into dry clothing, before I spent the day in the barn looking outside. Rachel arrived that evening with her little pail of beans with a slice of bacon on top. I ate the food as I listened to Rachel.

"So Eddie, what do you think? You want to take me along and get rich or leave me and live hand to mouth?" She was grinning like a wolf when she asked.

"I been giving it some thought and the idea does have some appeal. I don't hardly think we gonna' get rich. We might make a few bucks for us to use till we can get situated though. You could just tell me how to find your kin. I would send you a share of the profit."

"No way, the only reason I am going to share with you is that you got a truck. At least you say you got a truck."

I realized, at that moment, that the girl was pretty worldly to be a kid. "Just how old are you Rachel?"

"Practically an old maid, I am eighteen." She was at least smiling a warm smile. Her smile could change to suit her mood. I wasn't quite sure about it. If it held, I could read her mood easily enough.

"Old Maid, do you mean you have never been with a man. If so, that is okay you know." I said it with a little disappointment. She might be eighteen but she looked younger. The red hair and freckles did that.

"No, I ain't never been with a man." She looked at me smiling. The smile was defiant. I wasn't sure if it was some kind of invitation or not. I decided not to press it. I might have except that I had become interested in her deal.

After a full day of bright sunshine I thought the roads might be in better shape. I returned to the T after the sun had a chance to get high in the sky. There was no sense waiting for all the snow to melt. If I did that, I might be stuck in that barn for months.

As I began my walk down the snow-covered farm road, Rachel emerged from the house running after me. When she got close enough, I waited for her to close the short distance left.

"You aren't trying to leave me are you?" she asked.

"Not hardly, I am going to go dig the T out. Then I am going to come back for my things. You wouldn't happen to know how to drive would you?"

"Sure I can drive. At least I can drive a little." Rachel seemed a little too tentative. She could probably do what I needed done though. It was at least my thinking at the time.

. I had imagined the distance to be farther than it actually was. I expect that it was because the first time I made the trip I had been loaded down with two heavy duffel bags. I found the T within sight of the farm road. It was another thing which I had not realized. It seemed as though I hadn't looked back during my walk to the farmhouse.

Digging the car out was a simple though exhausting task. I set the interior controls then said, "Rachel, don't touch anything. I am going to start the car." I used my stern voice as I did not want her to run over me. Her answer was no more than a nod. It struck me then that Rachel has spoken hardly a word to me. I didn't have time at that moment to ponder it.

I turned the crank. I was extra careful since my footing was not secure. The cold ford caught on the first try. It was a combination of setting the ignition very high and the new plugs I had installed.

I hurried back to readjust the controls. I adjusted them several more times before I gave Rachel very detailed instructions. With her steering the T and me pushing it finally began to inch its way back onto the road. The engine revved and the tires spun but it did make progress.

"Stop," I screamed as the car shot back onto the road. Fortunately there was little traffic as Rachel had a bit of a problem applying the brake in time. She almost ran off the road on the far side.

I reached into the car's open interior to set the controls. I set them so that Rachel could slide over while I took her place on the bench seat. I carefully moved the car around the snow-covered road. I managed to back far enough down the road so that I could pull down the farm road.

I loaded my duffel bags while Rachel walked to the house. I wasn't sure what I should do next. The night before Rachel had expressed a desire to leave with me. She had not mentioned it during our work on the T.

I had my little bundle wrapped in the canvas tarp sitting deep in the extended bed of the T. My brother and I had helped Daddy remove the original bed from the T then construct the six foot bed needed to carry things on the farm. That bed was the reason I had wanted the T. It made sleeping in the truck possible. What other things might be possible I was beginning to wonder.

I walked through the snow to the farm house. Rachel's mother came in response to my knock. "Ma'am I will be leaving now. I do appreciate the use of your barn. Is there anything I can do as payment?" I asked it meaning work or money.

"No Captain, there is nothing." She seemed at least peeved, if not angry. "I expect you to take care of Rachel though. If I were a man, I would horse whip you." With those words she slammed the door.

I knew instantly that Rachel had told her something. What, I had no idea. I was tempted to knock again to ask. Then it occurred to me that I just didn't care at all. I didn't expect to be passing through again, so let her think what she wanted. It was how I justified it in my mind. I found that it still bothered me. Ego, I thought as I began maneuvering the T around the snow-covered yard. I knew I would have to work on my Ego problem. It was either that or an ulcer.

I wasn't really waiting for Rachel. At least I didn't think I was. Still, when she rushed from the house with a cardboard box, I was pleased. I guessed she had her belongings in the box. She threw it into the snow-covered bed of the truck.

"Get the hell out of here Eddie," she said it as I put the truck into gear. I drove from the yard. If her mother had objected, I might have stopped. Especially since I wasn't exactly sure of Rachel's age. I knew there was no law against it, but I still respected a mother's love for her child. Without her objections I continued to inch out of the yard. Getting to the highway proved to be no more than following my own ruts in the snow.

"So Eddie, where are we going first?" Rachel asked it as thought the conversation in the barn had never taken place.

"We are going to Kentucky to buy liquor." I said it taking my attention from the road. I wanted to see her face when she responded.

"Then I guess we need to ask somebody how to get to Lexington Kentucky."

"Is that were the family is?" I asked glancing at her as she answered.

"Small town east of there actually," she replied.

"Okay, but let me tell you something Rachel. If this is your way of getting a ride to you ken folks, I am going to be pissed. Believe me little girl, you will not like me when I am pissed."

"You think I want to run away from one hick town to go to another. Give me some credit Eddie." From her, the sound of my name made me seem like a school kid. The child calling me by my first name did something to me. It made it seem as though I were play acting.

"Listen you might as well call me Deacon." Now why I took my grandfather's name I had no idea. It seemed as though the name fit my new profession.

"Did they call you Deacon in the army?" Rachel asked it seriously.

"Yes," I didn't mind lying to the child. She seemed to believe it without any reservations.

"Then call me Red." As she spoke, she removed the navy watch cap that had hidden her hair. Her hair was cut man short and very red.. I noticed for the first time how pale her skin was. Only after all that did I notice her eyes. Those eyes were as green as the jewels the women in Paris had worn. I wondered to myself how I had missed it all earlier. Maybe in the dark barn I could understand, but when we worked to free the truck, I should have noticed.

"All right, Red it is. So Red, I am going to drive a while before dark. When it starts getting dark, we need to find a place to stop for the night.

"That won't be too much longer. It gets dark by five. I think it is probably around two now.

"Well Red, we might make twenty miles this afternoon. I sure can't make much time in this snow. You got any idea what might be up ahead?"

"The only hotel would be in Harrisburg but we ain't gonna make it there tonight. There will be some small towns between here and there. But none with anything like a hotel."

"Well Red, I didn't figure on a hotel. I plan to save every penny I can to buy liquor. I don't expect your ken folks will trust us without paying for it."

"Well Deacon, I am freezing already. I don't know if I can sleep in the truck."

"It is the wind blowing on you that is making you cold. Take that scarf and put it over your face. It will help."

"How about you," she asked it as she covered her face.

"I have a scarf in the pocket of this horse blanket they call a coat. I will use it when it gets too bad." It was already too bad, but I planned to hold out at least a little while longer. I didn't want to seem soft to her. I have no idea why I cared in the least.

We were probably doing ten miles an hour or less. Still, we were moving steadily onward. My eyes burned from the glare and my fingers and toes were numb. I planed on stopping in the next town, finding a hot meal, and a warm room to eat it in.

The only thing in the town of Priestly of any interest to us was the general store. The store also served as a post office. I parked the truck by the gas pump. I didn't figure we would be blocking it long anyway.

When we entered the front door, I was hit by the hot air inside. Somebody had the old wood stove roaring. It was hard for me to believe the store owner would burn so much wood. Still, I had no plan to complain. Red and I stood by the fire shivering like a couple of wet dogs. I decided that I didn't know how cold I was until I came into a warm building.

"Howdy," I said to the proprietor after I warmed up a little. I shivered as I spoke even then.

"How are you?" he asked without really expecting an answer to the question.

"Cold," I replied trying to smile through chattering teeth. "I need some gas and probably some oil. Most of all we need some hot food. Is there a place we can get some around here?"

"I got gas and oil. I even got as little hot soup, if you want? There is no cafe in town. And none close by either. You surely are not planning to travel after dark are you?"

"No Sir, we are looking for food first then a place to stay." Red suddenly joined the conversation.