Chapter 3: Scarlet (H) – Chapter 3: Better mud than pig muck.

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We haven't been sleeping well this week, so please excuse any errors in this one. We'll go back and fix it if there's anything to fix when we're rested up.

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No matter how much I wanted it to stay hot, eventually, the water began to cool. So I made sure to make the best of it as I scrubbed every last speck of dirt and grime off my now silky-smooth body. At least silky smooth compared to before.

Standing up, I dried myself off and went to look at the clothes that woman laid out for me. We were the same height, sure, but she sure had a lot more meat on her bones than I did. Not that it could get any worse than rags. It didn't take long for me to slip into them and when I looked down at them, a little laugh snuck up on me. A bit baggy, but nothing I couldn't get used to.

Last night I thought I wasn't going to make it, and now look at me. Cleaner than I've been in years with all newish clothes. In the middle of being grateful, a smell hit my nose that made my stomach make noises I never heard before. It was so strong it practically forced me to open the door and peek my head out. There wasn't any sign of them, but the smell got stronger, so I walked out into the living room. The lady stood there as she worked with all kinds of food, and it was hypnotizing.

She turned around and looked at me, "Now you look much better. Why don't you take a seat, breakfast will be done soon."

"Thank you, Mrs…I don't think I ever got your name."

"You can call me Mrs. Becker, and that one there's Emily."

"Thank you Mrs. Becker, but did Mr. Becker tell you about— Well, what I talked with him about."

"He did, but I'm not gonna let you go hungry just so you can eat out of the trash. So you sit your butt down and eat."

The smart thing would still be to say no, but that smell was calling the shots now. I didn't even realize I was drooling until I felt it drip down my mouth. After wiping it off with my thumb, "I guess I can have some…" I sat down at the table across from that girl who'd been eyeing me ever since I stepped foot in here. Brown messy hair, freckles, and enough muscle to probably snap me in half.

Best I could do was block out her stare as I kept my eyes on Mrs. Becker cooking the food, but then Emily started talking. "Why were you covered in mud?"

"Emily, don't be prying into other people's business," Mrs. Becker said as she put a pot of soup in the middle of the table and set four bowls out. "Have as much as you'd like."

Just then, the door opened and Duke came walking in looking about as dead as I was last night.

"How'd they look?" Mrs. Becker asked as he slumped down in his seat. He didn't answer, but instead grabbed his bowl and filled it up with soup as Emily and Mrs. Becker seemed to know what was going on.

 

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"I was on my way to my field when I found ya laying here."

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The massive storm and flooded fields I saw on the way here.

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"They'll be fine, right pa?" Emily asked. Again, he didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed Emily's bowl and filled it up, followed by me, then his wife, then his own. Duke began to eat while the two others gave up on asking and started eating. That rain had to have messed up his fields something fierce. I wish there was something I could do to repay him, but I didn't know the first thing about farming.

The smell took my mind away from worrying about that to the bowl of red soup filled with potatoes, carrots and even some meat. The smell came at me like a train, and I couldn't help myself anymore. I grabbed the spoon and took the first bite. The taste brought me back the moment that flavor spread across my tongue.

 

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Sitting at the table. Eating stew with my mom and dad.

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That memory made me freeze for a split second, and my eyes blurred with tears as I took another spoonful. Quickly followed by another. Each bite was beyond words and forced more tears out until they were rolling down my cheek. I didn't care at all that it was hot, I ate as fast my mouth could keep up, and when the vegetables and meat were gone, I picked up the bowl and drank every drop of it. Only when I put the empty bowl on the table did I realize how wet my cheeks were. The others were looking at me, with Duke smiling. "I appreciate how much you enjoy our food."

Wiping my mouth with my hands, I figured this would be as good a time as any. "Please. Tell me if there's anything I can do to repay you guys. I know your crops probably aren't looking well. I don't know much about farming, but I can be another set of hands if you need them."

"Again, I appreciate it, but I don't even know what I'm going to do. The fields are flooded. If not destroyed outright. As much as I'd love to give you work, right now I just don't have the money, and food's going to be tight enough as it is starting now. Ain't nothing to be done until the water dries up anyways. So just try and make yourself at home for the day, then me and Emily will give you a ride to the capitol in the morning."

"What about something besides the crops? After bringing me in and feeding me, I want to repay you guys."

Emily perked up and looked at her father, "She could help me take care of the animals."

"If you show me what to do, I'd be glad to help."

Duke and his wife shared a look before speaking up. "Are you sure you're up for work? I saw you walking up here. Could barely stand. You even told me yourself."

"I know, but if I don't do something now then I feel I'm not going to be able to repay you guys at all."

"I guess if you're so keen. I'd be happy for the help. Eat up first then you can go help Emily."

"With pleasure." After poured myself another bowl of soup, I ate it just like the first, but with much less crying.

 

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After our food was done, Emily walked off shortly, and came back with two big buckets. "Ready when you are," She said as she led me out of the house with a couple of big buckets and headed back down the road behind the house to a big barn, but she stopped just before the door and turned around with a big smile. "Sorry, that was just an excuse to get to talk to you, since my folks don't much like me asking questions of strangers. But I just always thought you kind of people were always so cool. Someone that can move about wherever they want cause they ain't got no home."

Huffing, I crossed my arms. "Nothing cool about it."

"You get to go all sorts of places though. What isn't there to love about that? 'Specially when I'm stuck here."

"There's plenty not to love about not having a house but that's not what I'm here to talk about. Now you said you wanted help with the animals?"

"Like what?" She asked, completely ignoring me trying to change topics.

"Were you blind when you saw me walk into your house covered head to toe in mud?"

She turned around and opened the big red doors. "Better mud than pig muck."

"That— I mean—" Rubbing the side of my head. "That's the truth I 'spose, but I don't think you quite get what it's like."

"Maybe. I just get sick of staying in one place and all. The closest town is miles away and I'd give anything to be able to move around a little. So yeah, there's gotta be some kinda perks if you get to travel."

Walking inside with her, I saw rows of cows and a bunch of pigs in pens as she set down the buckets of what I assumed was food for the animals.

"You mean the perk of thinking you're going to die out in the middle of nowhere?"

She looked back at me. "I don't mean nothing by it. I just wanna be the kinda person that can go 'round and tell a whole lotta stories."

"You want stories?" Looking down at the pig slop, "I can get you one right now." I grabbed a nice handful of it and held it up to her. "Eat this. That'll get you a story or two."

She started laughing, but it trailed off when she realized I wasn't smiling. "You seriously asking me to eat pig slop?"

"Why not? Put it in a bowl and it looks like a nice cooked meal that'd cost a hell of a lot to me."

"You kidding me?"

"I was picking mold outta bread yesterday morning. If you can't even have this, then you wouldn't last a few days without a house."

She looked away from me and at the animals. "I thought you was kidding 'bout that foodstuff and not wanting to eat ma's cooking…"

Tossing the slop back into the bucket, I shook off my hand. "I wish I could eat like how your mom cooks every day, but I'll be regretting it if I have to go back to how it's been."

"Oh…" she rubbed her shoulder. "I didn't mean to offend or nothin'."

"It's fine." I leaned against the fence as my legs still burned from last night. There was no telling how much help I'd be, but I'd struggle through it for now. "Not like that's the worst I've heard. And I think you'd be plenty done with traveling after that mess I went through last night."

"Maybe," she said as he picked up one of the buckets. "We should get to feeding the animals. Can you bring that hay bale over here," Emily pointed to the other side of the barn.

I walked up to it and braced myself to lift it. As I did, my legs flared up with pain, and I quickly ran out of breath. Before the bale even hit the ground, I broke out into a coughing fit.

"You alright over there?"

"I'm fine." The coughing didn't last long, but I didn't expect it to weigh that much, or take all that air out of me. "Just heavier than it looks is all."

"Really?" Emily asked as she walked past me, and without even trying, picked it up like it was nothing. "You gotta get some muscle on you." She brought it over to the other side of the barn and I followed.

"I don't get a lot of food, so I need to save my energy a lot of the time…"

"Can I at least get you to grab handfuls of this stuff and put it in their food tray?"

"Yeah, I can do that."

From there, I followed her along and did as much as I could do that she asked of me. Feeding the animals, brushing them, and cleaning up after them. All while talking every now and then.

"I know I hit a nerve and all with what I said 'bout your situation," Emily said, "I didn't mean to make you mad."

"It's fine. I wasn't that upset about it."

"Coulda fooled me. You were staring me down earlier."

"I didn't mean anything by that either." I tossed the brush back into the bucket, "Just used to people being certain ways I guess."

"Now that I can understand. If you wanna say what's troubling you. I know I probably ain't much, but I'll listen to it if you want."

I couldn't even remember the last time someone offered that. It caught me out of nowhere, but I wasn't that comfortable enough to go into that stuff. "I'll be fine."

"If you say so. Come on, we're done here." Emily got up and led me out of the barn where she closed the doors. "Just know the offer'll still be on the table."

Dusting myself off and walking back with her to the house, "I'll keep it in mind."

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