Part 11 (1/2)
”What you gonna do with all that water?” Jordy asked suspiciously.
”We are going to take a bath, boy.”
”Shhittt!” Jordy said.
While Jordy was bathing, Ben boiled the boy'sclothing and hung it up to dry. ”Have to get him some clothes soon,” he muttered.
”I'm done!” Jordy called from the house.
”Did you wash your hair?” Ben called.
”Shhitt!”
Ben had thought the boy's hair was brown. As it turned out, it was blond. The boy also had scars on his back and legs. Ben asked him about the marks.
”Warlord caught me two seasons ago,”
Jordy explained. ”Wanted me to be his servant-person. He beat me with a whip. I finally got my chance and run off. I'll kill him if I ever see him again.”
Ben suspected the boy had also been s.e.xually abused. But if he did not wish to talk about it, Ben would not force him to relive those memories.
”I ain't got no last name, you know, Mr.
Raines?” Jordy said.
”Call me Ben. I know, Jordy.”
”I thought of one.”
Ben smiled, knowing what was coming. ”Oh?”
”Raines. If you don't mind.”
”I don't mind a bit, Jordy. Jordy Raines. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?”
”Yes, sir-Ben.”
Ben cut north on Highway 101 the next morning, connecting with U.s. 160. He turned west. He stopped at every house along the way, searching for clothing for Jordy. He found a winter jacket in a cedar chest at one house, some jeans packed in a trunk at another, underwear and s.h.i.+rts at another home. At the last house, Ben found a .22-caliber pistol and several boxes of long rifle ammunition for the weapon. There was a holster and belt with loops for the weapon. Ben rubbed oil into the old leather and gave the weapon to Jordy.
”I'll teach you how to use this, Jordy. You're young, but you need to be armed.”
Jordy smiled and stepped out onto the porch of the home. He skillfully loaded the weapon and took aim at a box in the yard. He put all six slugs into the small box.
”Well, now,” Ben said with a smile. ”Looks like I found a backup, partner.”
The next few days pa.s.sed uneventfully, with Ben and Jordy traveling slowly westward, staying on Highway 160 until reaching the junction of State Highway 76. They took that through the Mark Twain National Forest, and it was slow going, for the road was badly deteriorated, with many downed trees and limbs that had to be removed. Ben began playing a game with Jordy, teaching him his ABO'S.
by a.s.sociating each letter with an object. Ben was feeling proud of himself until he pointed out a ”possum.
”Opossum,” Ben said.
”Huh?”
”The letter O.Opossum.”
Jordy looked at him. ”Sir, that there is a plain of 'possum.”
”Get the dictionary, Jordy.”
”What for? I can't read the d.a.m.n thing.”
”Perhaps there will be a picture beside the word and I can point it out to you.”
Jordy reached for the sack on the floorboard.
”That's the Bible, Jordy.”
The boy's eyes took on a funny glint.
”Something the matter, Jordy?”
”The Bible. That sure means something to me. But I can't quite figure it out.”
”I'm sure you went to church with your parents, Jordy.”
”You can say that again. A bunch.”
”Maybe your father was a minister-a preacher?”
”I don't know, Ben. Maybe so. I just can't remember. Let me think about that for a little bit, huh?”
”All right.”
It was almost an hour later when Ben realized with a grin that Jordy had skillfully and smoothly conned him, escaping the task of learning his ABC'S.
”Pretty smooth, Jordy,” Ben complimented the boy.
They were on Highway 90, nearing the Oklahoma line, just south of the Huckleberry Ridge State Forest.
Jordy smiled. ”What do you mean, sir?”
”You know what I mean.” He pointed to the north.
”Pineville is that way. What letter of the alphabet does the word begin with?”
Jordy laughed.
”PI.
Like in Possum!”