Nobody Knows Your Secret

36

"Claire's dead," Maury said.

"Merciful heavens, no!" said Hadley. "This will absolutely crush Virgie!"

"Yeah, I know," said Maury. "But Claire was never the same after the accident."

"You're right," said Hadley. "Virgie said it took something out of her. I don't mean physically. I know she got that flesh-eating bacteria from the cuts she'd gotten. It took drastic measures to save her life. But Virgie said Claire was broken inside, too."

"I don't know how I'd have handled being chopped up so by the doctors. Mutilated, I'd call it. But still, they did save her life."

"I don't think that child ever got over the psychological pain," said Hadley. "I know Virgie and Cleve didn't. Virgie said Cleve took to the bottle even more after that day.

Virgie said Claire was always complaining about being in so much pain after the coaster tragedy. We'd talk about it, sometimes. I just think Virgie needed someone to dump on. 

Anyway, she always said Claire took way too many pills. She'd try to tell Cleve that all that dope wasn't good for Claire, but he'd turn a deaf ear. Virgie said she finally just gave up. Let Claire go to her doctors all over creation and left Cleve to his drinking. Cleve was probably eaten up with guilt."

"I know I would be," said Maury.

"Me, too," said Hadley.

"Bill said it was a mess. He said Claire had been partying with some of Kyle's druggie friends. Some kind of a wake or something. They're looking for the ones who were at the party. Tryin' to get statements. Bill said they scattered like roaches when the light's switched on."

"I'm sure dope is what got Kyle killed," said Hadley. "And now, it's taken Claire."

"Yeah. I want you to be careful, Hadley," Maury said. "Time's are changing. Even here. I know you. You are just as likely to go off on a gallivant with Beanie or something and leave your house wide open."

"Guilty as charged," said Hadley. "I just don't think about locking my doors. Half the time, the keys are in the house. I mean this is Hope Rock County, Maury. Nothing much ever happens in this backwater-no-where, except maybe every once in a while when it does."

* * *

Hadley sent word to Increase asking her if she wanted to help her fix some dishes to carry to Virgie's. Increase agreed to help.

"I know Cleve loves pork. At hawg killin'," Increase said, "I always save the pigs' tails for Cleve. Virgie fries 'em up fer 'im."

"I'm surprised Eucle would let you do that," Hadley said.

"Eucle is a skinflint, that's fer sure," Increase said, "but Cleve is blood. So, it's okay."

"Huh," said Hadley, "one way or another, we're all interrelated."

"You got that right, Sugar," Increase said. "Some 'a them limbs on that fam'ly tree though are rotten to the core."

Hadley thought of Kyle.

"What you fixin," Increase said.

"Well, I ran by Pixies and got some stuff," Hadley said. "Got a pantry full of jars I've canned on the shelves, too. Go in that little room and start pulling things out. We'll work from there."

"Land sakes, chile!" Increase said. "If this ain't just about the purtiest cupboard I ever seed. I always love the colors when the jars are all in rows like you got them."

"I'm thinking," Hadley said, "about making hushpuppies, fried pork steak and gravy, kilt greens, fried apple pies, and anything else you want to make."

"But, Hadley," Increase said, "I feel so guilty. All I brought was this sack 'a flair."

"Increase," Hadley said, "I've got so many irons in the fire that I can't possibly get all these dishes done. I have to have help. If you don't give me a hand, I'll have to end up paying somebody to cook and send it over to Virgie."

"Well," Increase said, "I feel better. Since you put it that way."

***

Increase and Hadley were knee-deep in preparations. They wanted to fix several dishes. The crowds that would show up at Virgie's would be large. Everyone from all around would come to pay their respects, and Virgie had just fed the multitudes that had come for Kyle's wake a few days before.

"You know," Increase said, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "I've never told a soul this. Promise me you won't gossip about it."

"You have my word," said Hadley, "your secret is safe with me."

"Eucle and me wasn't married long. We had a coupla' kids, 'n' I had more work than I could poke a stick at. Eucle's always been one to disappear fer a coupla days at a time. Off into the woods, you know."

Increase laughed.

Oh, don't look at me that way! I knowed what folkses says, Hadley Jane. I don't rightly know myself if Eucle's got a still in 'em woods. We been married so long, if it's so, he's probably wore out several by now. 

Anyways, I was up to my eyeballs in work. Kids were sickly, whining 'n' cryin' to beat the band.

Eucle saunters in after being gone for what felt like a month 'a Sundays. I asks 'im to fetch me some eggs from the hen coop 'n' some water from the well.

'At's womun's work,' he says, all high 'n' mighty, like I had asked 'im to put Lum to his breast to suckle."

Hadley and Increased laughed.

"I was so mad, I could 'a busted a gut," Increase said. "Fergit it, I says. I stomped right out the coop, gathered them eggs. Whilst I was there, I happened to look up, 'n' I spies me the biggest waspers' nest you ever laid eyes on.

It was early mawnin' 'n' still damp 'n' cool. 'Em waspers was movin' awful slow. I got me a big stick 'n' knocked 'at nest down to the ground. Stomped 'em waspers dead. I picked up''at nest 'n' wropped it in my apron 'n' went to the house.

I tramped back out to the well for some water, still so mad I couldn't stand myself. I knowed where there was some nice fat grubs in my flow'r bed. I dug around and found a few.

Eucle had nestled down in a chair by then. He was snoring 'n' sawing logs.

I don't know what come over me, but I just felt the meanest spirit inside. I took 'em wasper eggs 'n' 'em grubs. I mixed up the purtiest bowl 'a mush you ever seed.

Had awl 'em extra 'meaty ingredients' I added in jes' 'cause Eucle deserved 'em."

Hadley kneaded dough.

"Eucle set down at the table, 'n' I give 'im 'at bowl a mush. I nestled myself way back in a far corner, tryin' not to be too noticeable. I was scared white 'n' wantin' to laugh all at the same time."

"I can imagine," said Hadley.

Increase added sugar to the fruit for the pies.

"What did he say?" asked Hadley.

"Nuthin,'" said Increase. "He slopped up 'at mush like it was the best thang he ever et. To this day, I never told a soul what I done but you, Hadley Jane."

"Increase," Hadley said, "sometimes you gotta do what you just gotta do."

"Ain't 'at the gospel," said Increase.

"You know I read something, not long ago," Hadley said, "where wasp larvae may become the new caviar."

"Do say," said Increase. "I don't know nuthin' 'bout 'em 'gour-mets' 'n' 'em fancy chef dishes, Hadley. But I got a feelin' ain't too many 'gour-mets' to be eatin' grub worms."

"Ain't that the gospel," said Hadley.