Sunday Stories features original fiction every weekend by 91原创 writers.
Bear
Written by Ryan Uytdewilligen
(continued from previous publication on Sunday, Feb. 23. Read last week鈥檚 installment here)
Frank and Ellie were sure to give the truck driver a courteous wave; even a couple vocalized 鈥渢hank-a-millions鈥 and a 鈥渟o-long鈥 as he pulled away. Ellie blew kisses at each hog, waving and shouting as she jumped for joy, reveling in her fortunate hours spent rolling around with them in piles of hay. Both smelled of swine and manure; Ellie was practically covered in it, but the girl had so much fun chasing the animals and pulling their little tails, she didn鈥檛 mind a bit.
Frank took one look at the gates ahead and instantly went for Ellie鈥檚 hair, licking his palm and trying his hardest to straighten what he could.
鈥淗ow do I look?鈥 she asked.
鈥淣ever mind how you look, just mind what you say. We鈥檙e asking for work and they鈥檒l be watching us, so let your Pop do the talking, all right?鈥
Ellie nodded as Frank swept the dust and dirt and hay and excrement off of his clothes. He removed his hat and straightened the thing up as best he could. A quick check of the piece of newsprint in his pocket that read Wanted: Experienced milkers, calvers, and drivers needed for work on large scale dairy operation immediately鈥2240 Hollis Rd鈥$20 a week, and they were good to go. Frank nodded to Ellie and Ellie nodded to Frank.
鈥淵ou got bear?鈥 Frank asked, knowing full well the answer. Ellie grinned and waved bear all throughout the air. 鈥淕ood,鈥 he continued. 鈥淕ood. Good.鈥
With that, Frank cleared his throat and pressed the little green button on the wooden intercom box. He had never seen one before, but he read about them in a magazine. Possessing such a futuristic gizmo told him all he needed to know about Martin Brothers Dairy. A golden sign swaying above spelled that very name in large letters, in case he needed more to go on to form an opinion.
鈥淗ello,鈥 beckoned a flat voice on the end other of the intercom line.
鈥淗i. Yes. This is Frank 鈥淥鈥橬eil. I鈥檓 here鈥 here with my daughter Eleanor O鈥橬eil. We鈥檙e just鈥 I鈥檓 just鈥 I鈥檓 inquiring about the advertisement I saw in the newspaper.鈥 Silence. Frank wondered if he needed to hold down the green button again or if speaking into the contraption actually did the trick. He delivered his entire spiel once more while pressing all of the buttons underneath. 鈥淲e鈥檙e looking for work,鈥 he added.
鈥淚 heard you the first time,鈥 the voice on the other end said. 鈥淚鈥檓 sorry, but all the jobs we got here have been filled.鈥
Frank鈥檚 feet stumbled, but he didn鈥檛 fall down. His throat gulped down a large portion of pain, but he didn鈥檛 choke. He looked back at Ellie, who was still busy watching the truckload of hogs finally disappear out of sight. She was mostly oblivious to the intercom conversation.
鈥淭here must be something that you can do? We came a long way just to find work.鈥
鈥淚鈥檓 sorry, but you should have called ahead,鈥 the voice snapped instantly back.
鈥淲ell鈥︹ Frank mumbled, looking his faded paper up and down, 鈥渢here was no number.鈥
鈥淲丑补迟?鈥
鈥淭here was no telephone number to call. The advertisement only gave the address,鈥 Frank responded.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 鈥榗ause we don鈥檛 have a telephone line running all the way out here 鈥 it was cut last Tuesday. Closest phone鈥檚 in town four miles to the west,鈥 the voice explained.
鈥淭hen it seems to me I did the responsible thing. Look, we鈥檝e been on the road for two days now, just to put our names in for a job. Least you could do is grant me an interview of some sort鈥 seeing as how there was no number and all,鈥 Frank fumbled out of his mouth.
鈥淚 thought you said I didn鈥檛 have to work,鈥 Ellie said, now a full member of the conversation.
鈥淗耻丑?鈥
鈥淵ou said we, but I ain鈥檛 working.鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 just a phrase. Make 鈥榚m think they鈥檒l get two workers for the price of one,鈥 Frank laughed, looking his messy daughter clinging tight to her old ratty bear up and down. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all about making yourself look presentable.鈥
The voice didn鈥檛 return on the intercom box. Instead a loud buzz swung the gate open automatically. Behind it, rows and rows of dairy barns came into view with storage tanks on the side of each one and a fleet of milk trucks parked all down one allotted side.
Both Frank and Ellie鈥檚 eyes were wide open; they couldn鈥檛 believe the automatic gate first of all, but the dairy ahead truly was a spectacle to behold. With one more look at each other, Frank stretched his hand out for Ellie to grab. She did, staring ahead at the sprawling farm she now hoped to call home.
They stepped forward with the gate closing firmly behind them.
# # #
鈥淲ell I wish I could help you two out,鈥 Douglas Martin sighed. 鈥淏ut you鈥檙e just too darn late.鈥 He was a portly fellow who seemed as though he drank nothing but cream. He had a cigar between his lips and overalls that accentuated his sagging belly. He cleaned his spectacles constantly with a filthy handkerchief and wheezed between every third word. He waddled from one end of the room to the other, attempting some movement perhaps to shrink down his weight; whatever his pacing was for, it wasn鈥檛 helping.
鈥淏ut Mr. Martin,鈥 Frank begged.
鈥淣o, no, no, no. I won鈥檛 have any gravelling and whining in this office now,鈥 he interjected with a raised hand. 鈥淲e put that add out more than a week ago now and had folks like yourselves coming from all corners of the country. True, we turned more than a few away because they just didn鈥檛 have the experience, but we鈥檙e all finished hiring now and I鈥檒l have to, I鈥檓 afraid, see you on your way.鈥
Frank and Ellie could barely hear a single word Douglas Martin said. A girl one or two years younger than Ellie ran about the entire office, playing with as many dolls as she could possibly fit in her arms. She had at least twelve scattered all across the floor. Each one seemed to be part of her little production and each one had its own unique voice that she was sure to perform at the top of her lungs. Even Ellie couldn鈥檛 stand the fact that she would run in between them while Mr. Martin tried to talk.
To make matters all the more confusing, a tray of chocolate chip cookies sat atop the desk in the dairy owner鈥檚 office. Between every sentence or so, Douglas Martin would pick a new cookie up and chomp away while he was still spitting out instructions.
鈥淣ow I don鈥檛 like being the bearer of bad news,鈥 he continued, swigging back a glass of milk that he filled from a pitcher placed next to the cookie tray. 鈥淗ow about I gives each of you a cookie before you get on your way, huh? How does that sound? And you, fellow? How about a coffee? Can I get you a coffee?鈥
Frank shuttered at the mention of the word coffee. 鈥淣o, no coffee.鈥
As Douglas smiled at Ellie and turned to retrieve a cookie, the energetic little girl鈥檚 dress caught on the handle of the cookie tray and took the whole think with her. What was left of the treats all when bouncing across the floor, breaking into small pieces and landing in bits of mud tangled in the carpet.
鈥淥h, now look what you did,鈥 Douglas mumbled. 鈥淗ow many times have I told you not to play in my office.鈥 The girl continued to bounce around, throwing her toys all about and creating an absolute racket.
鈥淒o you think there鈥檚 any chance at all that you might be hiring in the near future?鈥 Frank inquired.
鈥淲hat鈥檇鈥檡a say now?鈥 Douglas replied.
鈥淚 said, any chance there might be an opening here in the future?鈥
鈥淗耻丑?鈥 Douglas said again, leaning his right ear towards Frank so he could hear him over all the screams and shouts and giggles and stomps.
鈥淚 need work Mr. Martin. Don鈥檛 you see we鈥檙e desperate here?鈥
鈥淭he whole country is desperate,鈥 the man replied, sucking back a good drag of his cigar and leaving a mouthful of cookie crumbs behind on its soggy end. 鈥淒esperation does not yet call for handouts and an outpouring of pity.鈥
鈥淪ay that again, please,鈥 Frank asked.
鈥淚 said this isn鈥檛 the time for handouts and pity.鈥
鈥淵es, it is a pity.鈥
鈥淲hat鈥檚 a pity?鈥
鈥淚 grew up on a dairy Mr. Martin. I know how to milk a cow just as well as I know how to walk,鈥 Frank assured.
鈥淚 wish I could help you out, but there just ain鈥檛 no space for you. Come back next year, we鈥檒l see what we can do for you then.鈥
鈥淲丑别苍?鈥
鈥淣ext year!鈥
鈥淲hen next year?鈥
鈥淚 said come back and try again next year.鈥
鈥淎gain, please!鈥
鈥淥H FOR THE LOVE OF鈥 JOANNE, WILL YOU PLEASE QUIT THAT RACKET AND PLAY SOMEWHERE ELSE SO THE TWO OF US CAN HOLD A CONVERSATION.鈥
The tears were turned on at full capacity the moment Douglas Martin raised his voice. The little girl 鈥 Joanne 鈥 sobbed as if the world was coming to an absolute end; and that, was even louder than the noises she made while playing. Of course, Douglas whimpered as if he was going to shed a stream of tears himself. He rushed over to the girl and tried his best to rock her back and forth and hold her and hug and shush her 鈥 none of his efforts made a difference.
鈥淚鈥檓 sorry. Uncle didn鈥檛 mean it. You can play. You want to keep playing, right? Play anywhere you like!鈥 Even Douglas holding up a variety of different dolls to sway Joanne鈥檚 attention failed to consul her. She cried so deeply, Frank feared she was going to start to drown in her own tears.
Before he was able to turn to Ellie to tell her they should leave in that moment, Frank found that his daughter had stepped forward and approached the emotional scene.
鈥淗ey, it鈥檚 okay. You don鈥檛 have to cry,鈥 Ellie said to the girl. 鈥淢y name鈥檚 Ellie, what鈥檚 yours?鈥
鈥淛o-Jo-Jo-Joanne,鈥 Joanne sniffled with a quivering voice.
鈥淣ice to meet you Joanne. Would you like to play with my bear,鈥 Ellie asked, holding up the dusty creature. It was that gesture that stopped the flow of tears and actually cast a small smile on Joanne鈥檚 face. She gripped the bear tightly with both hands as she wiped her face with her sleeve.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 its name?鈥 she asked.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know. It doesn鈥檛 have a name. I鈥檝e just been calling him bear. You can give him a name if you like.鈥
鈥淩eally?鈥 Joanne said, regaining the energetic twinkle in her eye. 鈥淗ow about鈥 Timothy?鈥
鈥淭imothy鈥 I like it,鈥 Ellie said.
鈥淐an I keep him?鈥
Ellie could have used that moment to create a scene, even let the tears in her eyes flow like a river. She could have snatched the bear back, or worse yet, entered into a physical fight with Joanne. In fact, all of those scenarios were what Frank was waiting for.
Instead, a single tear formed in the girl鈥檚 eye as she pet bear for the final time. She smiled as she stood up and let out a little sigh. 鈥淵es,鈥 she said. 鈥淥f course you can keep Timothy.鈥
Joanne shrieked as she clutched bear against her chest, laughing and wiggling as she prepared to send him on a loud and chaotic adventure around the room. Frank stared at his daughter while Douglas stared at Frank.
鈥淢aybe鈥 maybe we have some work on the dairy that needs a few extra hands after all. Why don鈥檛 the two of you follow me? I鈥檒l give you a tour.鈥
# # #
鈥淓llie, why? Why did you give bear to that spoiled rotten little girl?鈥 Frank inquired as the two of them slowed their pace to trail far behind Douglas Martin, too immersed in his dairy barn tour to notice his words were falling on deaf ears. Ellie smiled as the dairy cows they passed in the pens, concluding that it was absolutely pigs that she preferred. 鈥淲e went to the ends of the Earth for that thing! I don鈥檛 understand.鈥
鈥淪he was crying Pop. She was crying and she couldn鈥檛 stop no matter what Mr. Martin did. I thought, someone who鈥檇 have themselves a cry like that must have a real rotten life,鈥 Ellie explained. Frank was speechless. He had a thousand words ready in his head to correct Ellie and set her opinions straight, but no word could trickle past his tongue. They kept walking on past the dairy cows in silence. 鈥淚 just wanted to cheer her up. You and I have got it good, haven鈥檛 we Pop? We don鈥檛 have a reason to cry like that鈥 so鈥 so whatever鈥檚 bothering that Joanne, well, I sure hope we鈥檝e helped her a little by giving her bear.鈥
鈥淵eah鈥 we got it good Ellie,鈥 Frank flubbed out past his own trickling tears, placing his hand on Ellie鈥檚 back as they walked along. Frank looked up at all the workers in the distance; the milkers and calvers who were covered head to toe in mud, cream, and sweat. Not one of them stopped to have themselves and conversation with each other. Not one had a smile on their face.
鈥淵ou happy you got the job?鈥 Ellie asked.
鈥淥h鈥 I don鈥檛 know Ellie. I was wonderin鈥 what you鈥檇 think about the two of us sneaking off and getting back on the road?鈥
鈥淏ut we need the money! Pop, all you been sayin鈥 is that you need the job!鈥
鈥淲e need each other Ellie. And as long as we have each other, we got everything the two of us will ever need.鈥
Frank stopped moving. He tipped his hat and turned towards the barn door, ready to bolt straight on out from the dim, dark place. Before he could, Ellie grabbed on to his hand and pulled him close. Frank lowered himself down to the ground so the two of them could meet eye to eye.
In the corner of his vision, Frank saw that Douglas and noticed them stop and began tromping back their way. Beyond all the ruckus his steps made and the cattle mooing, Frank could clearly hear his and Ellie鈥檚 stomachs rumble.
鈥淒inner first,鈥 Ellie suggested.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e right. Fill up. That鈥檚 the smart thing to do. You still feel like milk and cookies?鈥 Frank asked.
鈥淔or desert,鈥 the girl replied. 鈥淲e should ask and see if he鈥檚 willing to cook us up a steak.鈥
Frank laughed, messing up Ellie鈥檚 hair with a rub of his palm. 鈥淵ou? You wouldn鈥檛 even eat a grasshopper and now you鈥檙e talking about eatin鈥 a whole cow.鈥
鈥淓verything all right?鈥 Douglas asked, huffing and puffing from the tour.
鈥淵eah,鈥 Frank said, rising to his feet and grasping his daughter鈥檚 hand, looking back at the illuminating light 鈥 the only light 鈥 from the barn鈥檚 exit. 鈥淓verything鈥檚 going to be all right.鈥
.
This concludes the short story Bear by Ryan Uytdewilligen. Stay tuned for new stories by local authors 鈥 published by the 91原创 Advance Times, Sunday, March 8.
