Oh for Pete's Sake!

[Rabbit]

You're telling a good story, can't wait for more. Thank you.

[223shootersc]

thanks, for a very good storyline, hope the DIL and children can get their act together

[sssarawolf]

Great chapters thank you. Go Evie.

[PacNorWest]

#12
Brett laughed out loud, jerking his thumb in his sister's direction. "Don't get close." he advised Benny. "She'll whack ya when ya least expect it."

Benny cut a quick look at Clora, grinned hugely and nodded his head. Clora took a swipe at Benny, but missed by a mile.

"Good, your up," Evie adressed Patty. "Get your rear up and give us a hand."

"I dont feel so good," Patty stalled, anything to get out of work, "I feel oozy."

"Doesn't make any difference, now get up and help the boys get blankets and a pillow for your dad."

"Well,....what about mom," Patty whined. "She's awake and not doing anything."

Evie had to turn away to hide a smile. The thieves were turning on each other. So soon, she chuckled inwardly.

Evie noticed Betty give Patty a vicious poke in the arm.

"Ooww Mom, what was that for,' Patty whimpered. "It's not fair we have to do things, your faking your ankle most of the time anyhow."

"Shut up," Betty hissed.

Evie sighed deeply. This was a trial from the Lord, she was sure. "Every one, up and ate'm. Peter needs care and he needs it now. Benny, show Brett where the blankets are in our bedroom. Clora please check on Hap. Betty get up and finish cleaning the mess you made with the broken bowl. Sandra and Zander please watch at the windows, we don't want anyone sneaking up on us. Go; now scoot everyone." Orders flew right and left, and kids scattered. Evie watched with amusement as Betty made a great show of scooting along the floor and gasping with the effort of hauling her sorry rear up into the chair.

Peter moaned a bit when they rolled him on a blanket, padding him from the harshness of the floor. From the effort to do that, Evie knew there was no way they could get him up and into a bed, without his full ability to help. Now that he was warm, he settled down and wasn't so restless. It was also noteable that Betty scarcely spared her husband a glance. Hummm, thought Evie. Must be trouble in paradise.

Evie sent Benny to the basement for the pot of rice. It was way past noon, and she could hear the children's stomachs growling. The pan needed more water, and Evie set it to heat.

Working around the mound of belongings the kids had dumped when they first came, exasperated Evie. That many people clogging the kitchen exasperated her, the lack of food exasperated her, and most of all; the attitude of Peter's family down right ticked her off.
This was starting out to be a real difficult trial. Pete, she could walk around. The rest of them, not so much.

"OK, Kids, get your coats on,"Evie instructed. "I need all the dandelion leaves you can find." she handed out a couple of battered bowls.
"Benny, you and Clora know what we picked the other day," the oldest Apperton kids nodded. "Brett, Patty, you know what dandelions are?" Evie questioned her grandchildren. "Get as much as you can."

"You don't mean me also," Patty turned incredulous eyes on her grandmother, "I don't do things like that."

"You do now," Evie assured her brightly. "No work, no eat."

"Well, I don't want to eat that," with a grand sweep of her arm, Patty included the rice and the thought of eating something from outside. "I want to order pizza," she announced. "Mom, let's order pizza for us. The rest of them can have THAT" and she pointed to the pan of bubbling rice that was threatening to boil over.

"If you have the money, be my guest," Evie looked square at Betty. "I have none."

Betty blushed and ducked her head, mumbling something at Patty.

"YOU DONT HAVE ANY MONEY," Patty repeated the improbable conjecture, stunned that her mother was denying her a way to eat what she wanted. "I don't believe it." Betty muttered something more under her breath at Patty, the girl standing stock still, tears welling in her eyes. "Well look in dad's wallet," she temporized; "He has money," she finished confidently.

"Get outside with the rest of the children and pick dandelions," Evie thundered. "Right now!" and she gave Patty a not so gentle shove toward the door.

"Your mean," Patty pouted, slowly inching outside. "I don't like you." and the door closed with a right smart slam.

"Do you have any food in the cultch you brought" Evie adressed Betty, who was studiously looking in the opposite direction. "we are almost out of food here. We don't have enough to feed you all."

Betty hesitated ever so slightly, just enough to tell Evie, that indeed there was food somewhere close. "Ahh, I don't remember," she said sweetly." The kids and Peter loaded the car," Betty's tone of voice daring Evie to locate what they had hidden.

"We lost most of it Ma," Peter spoke from the floor. "I had to steal the car we drove in here; our car ran out of fuel. That's why those guys were so pissed. They shot me for good measure, when I found them and tried to give the car back."

"I'm not surprised," Evie said dryly. "Most folks would object to having their property taken," heavy with meaning, she aimed her words at Peter and Betty.

Pete frowned, not quite understanding what his mother was getting at; but Betty acted totally ignorant of the situtation.

Evie went to stir the rice. It was so unappetizing looking; it would have to do however. That's what there was.

What ever Evie was about to say; was cut off by a scream from outside.

[223shootersc]

thanks for the new chapter, maybe an adder for the snakes

[PacNorWest]

Snort! That's a good one.

[PacNorWest]

#13
"There's a bee, get it away from me! It's going to sting me. Oh, MOTHER! help, it's a bee." Patty was carrying on the most hysterical of demonstrations, gyrating, wildly swatting at the small object. Screaming at the top of her lungs.

That's a mistake, no self respecting bee would repeat twice; Evie pitied the bee, thinking it was in no real danger. Actually, Patty was a bit quicker in finding a reason to abandon the greens hunt than Evie gave her credit for. Creative little stinker, Evie said under her breath, as she watched through the open kitchen door.

The Apperton kids had done a very credable job of finding two large bowlsful of dandlion greens. Even Jane was in the spirit, pulling up handsful of grass and throwing it in the bowl. Clora was fast,tipping the bowl away from the grass Jane was flinging about, but encourgaging her younger sister to work.

Brett worked slowly, often stopping to check what Benny was picking from the yard. "Hey," he softly questioned Benny."Have you guys really eaten these weeds? I mean their not gonna kill us, are they?"

"Not the best," Benny flat out told him, "Better to have something to eat, than nothing. Benny looked at Clora. Between them they decided they had better let Evie and Hap use the small amount of food they had secreted away. Clora got Zander's attention the next time he came with a handful of greens for the bowl, and sent him inside to deliver the packages to Evie.

Zander came inside the kitchen, pointed to the living room and tugged on the old sweater Evie was still wearing. Together they walked into the darkened room. Hap was sleeping, slight snores coming from the couch. Evie smiled at her husband, knowing that rest would make all the difference to him.

Zander pointed under the easy chair slipcover; the flounce hiding the small packages of grains. "Thank you Zander," Evie impulsively gave him a hug and a smooch on the forehead. "Thank you so very much."

The small boy reached up and touched the place where she had kissed him. Wide eyed, he stared at Evie. Then it hit her. Zander was a classic failure to thrive child. He hadn't had the proper amount of touch and stimulation. Happy to have the revalation, Evie hugged him again before scooping up the food and heading to the kitchen. Treat it causally and light, she told herself. Yes, lightly and with humor.

Again, the old cast iron skillet slid on the insert top, this time with 8 tablespoonsful of flour. The Apperton kids came stomping into the kitchen with the freshly washed leaves, and Evie put them on to cook. This time Sandra stood stirring the flour so it would brown, and not burn.

Patty was the last in the door; not having a audience takes all the fun out of a hissy fit, leaving the hissy with no choice but to join the rest of the kids. Patty was not used to being unnoticed. Suddenly, no one was interested in her, and the fact stung a lot. A princess without a court can still act uppity; but it bothers no one but her.

Evie watched the Apperton kids help each other wash and find the plates and spoons. Benny quietly showed Brett what to do. Patty ignored the preparations, looking down her nose at the meal, prefering to not eat THAT STUFF! Betty looked on, her nose going a bit higher with every regal sniff she managed. Pete shuffled himself around so as to be out of the traffic lane in the busy kitchen. Kids had almost tripped over his leg several times; and he couldn't take that stress.

Twenty minutes and Evie had rice with gravy and dandelion greens handed out to those that were hungry. Patty and Betty declined, Pete took a plateful and Brett tried a few cautious mouthfulls. Evie filled a plate for Hap, and went in to help him eat and catch a few moments of peace and quiet. The noisy tension was about to do her in. Her headache throbbed harder, now that she had a moments downtime.

It was quiet. All the members of the household were eating, when there was a huge explosion of noise and the old white clapboard house shook, rattled and rolled.

[223shootersc]

thanks for the new page, good stuff

[PacNorWest]

#14
BOOM! Evie counted to 3 and another window rattling BOOM resounded. All the kids reacted by screeching, even little Jane was crying in fear. Another BOOM, slightly lower in volume, and then torrents of rain. Hard driving, pounding rain, the kind that prevents talking..

Hap looked up, and Evie could see fear in his eyes. Her beloved husband was almost a year into the long road of dementia and alzheimers. It made no difference which it was, the results not unlike each other. The bouts of severe heart angina spasms weakening his body and mind further. True fear and despair gripped Evie; the future in an instant revelation loomed on the horizion. Cold, grey, lonely misery. No color, no respite from body numbing terror and grief. She rubbed Haps hand on her cheek. The small gesture calming him, and he settled back and let her cover him with the warm afgan.

Heavily, she got to her feet and went into the kitchen to calm the uproar. One more job in a day of unimagineable happenings.