DESPERATE TIMES, DESPERATE MEASURES

 

 

            It was early December of the year of Jody's pet fawn, and the three Baxters were visiting Grandma Hutto. Anxiety was clear in their hostess' face.

            "Ezra? I need to ask you somethin'."

            "I could tell you were leadin' up to somethin' for awhiles now today," Penny replied.

            "Well, I been puttin' it off, 'cause it's so hard for a proud woman like me to say. But I must. Ezra, I need to ask a big...huge...favor of you, and I don't ask lightly."

            Penny answered solemnly, "You know I'd do anythin' for you, long's it's in my power to do. What do you need, Olivia?"

            "When you-all go home, I want you to take me with you."

            "Well of course!" He brightened at the thought.

            "And...." She held up a finger to indicate that the worst was yet to come. "Ezra, then I'm askin' you to take me to the Forresters'."

            Penny was thunderstruck. Ory gasped in shock. Jody gaped at her.

            "Wha...uh...! Well, I...kin do that, but...!"

            "I know. It's peculiar, ...but I aim to...beg for the life of my son."

            This time, all three Baxters gasped.

            Olivia sagged miserably. "I know, I know, and it's gonna hurt my pride turrible, but I've studied on this a long time, and I figger I have to do this! You-all know as good as I do, sooner or later Oliver'll sneak back here with that tormented gal, and most likely at Christmas. I got no doubt the Forresters've figgered that out, too. They'll be layin' for him. Iffen I kin git through to 'em...even to some of 'em..., maybe it'll make a diff'rence. I shudder to even think o'...beggin'...them savages...! But I shudder a heap worse to think what they'll do to him, iffen they ketch him agin! So see, iffen I don't try, and they kill my boy, and I ain't done ever'thin' I kin think of to try, and I have to live with knowin' I coulda tried and didn't, on account o' my pride...!"

            "I understand," Penny said grimly.

            "But I ask, please, Ory not to go.... I'd like as few folks as possible to see my shame in front o' them wild men!"

            Ory nodded readily, "I don't go there, whenever I kin he'p it. I don't like Jody goin' there, neither."

            Jody objected, "Oh! Cain't I go?"

            "No!" both women retorted, having a rare moment of agreement between them.

            Olivia added one caveat, "Now, Ezra, this'll not git you in trouble agin with them devils...? 'Cause I'd not wanta cause that. Oliver caused you 'nough trouble with 'em, I know."

            "No," he assured her. "It'll be a mite awkward...for ever'body...but I don't see no reason why they'd git riled."

            "More likely, they'll be amused," Ory muttered ruefully, earning her a glare from Olivia and Penny both.

            "Don't you think I know that?" Olivia was fighting back tears. "But, me puttin' up with that is all the more reason, chance at least, why it might work. And if the death of my pride saves Oliver's life...that's a small price to pay!"

            Penny nodded. "Some of 'em got good hearts; there's a chance you kin reach 'em. But be sure not to call 'em 'savages' and 'wild men' and 'devils' like you jest done." He smiled faintly.

            "Course I'll not!" she semi-scolded. "I got better sense'n Oliver. He's young and hot-headed and...jest don't think ahead to the dangers."

            "I know."

            "But I got to! Somebody has to! And I'd never forgive myself iffen I ain't tried ever'thin' there is to try, and then they kilt my boy!" She gave in and shed a few tears.

            "That's all right," Penny soothed. "We'll go, and try our best."

 

            Penny tried not to look too uncomfortable upon sight of the astonished expressions of the six Forrester men, when they caught sight of who was with him in his wagon. "Uhh, howdy fellers. Please, she says she must speak with you-all."

            Generously, Buck reached up to lift her down. Her dainty hands lingered on his arms, as she said, "Thank you, sir. Which one are you? I cain't allus tell you-all apart."

            He told her his name, and she expertly suppressed any adverse reaction, even though she must've realized that he was one of Oliver's tormentors on that fateful day.

            "I'll not trouble you-all for long. I realize how awkward this is."

            But the men were polite, if quizzical, and bade their two visitors enter.

            Mrs. Forrester was even more astonished than the men to see who had arrived.

            Exceedingly humbly, Mrs. Hutto said, "Howdy, Ma'am. I'm right sorry to trouble you. But please, my mission is urgent."

            Mrs. Forrester was visibly pleased that her former verbal foe, from long ago, had humbly addressed her as "Ma'am": the height of respect from one who had formerly only offered disrespect. She graciously invited her to sit.

            But Mrs. Hutto said, "No need," and startled everyone by dropping to her knees on the hard floor. She clasped her hands together in supplication, and addressed the six burly males, "Please! I've come to beg for the life of my son!"

            It was hard to tell which of the men was most discomfited.

            "You know as good as I do that he has to come home sometime. And I figger I know what'll happen to him, do you-all run across him agin! I swear to you, he'll not start nothin', never agin; he's avoided you-all ever since...." She knew that she didn't need to say it. She began to tear up, as she continued, "He...don't wanta tangle with you-all, never agin! He fears you! You-all hurted him so awful bad! It takened him months to...recover, even a mite, and I kin tell you, he's avoided you-all, right keerful, ever since! And he had sich turrible nightmares whilst he was recoverin'! He'd cry and scream in the night, and I'd go to him and hold him! You've terrified him! And I know I'm hurtin' his pride by tellin' you-all this! But that don't matter, no more'n my own pride do! I'm shamin' myself, too, by beggin' you this-a-way! Nothin' matters but my boy's life! Please don't hurt my baby no more! Please don't kill my son!" Her tears ran freely.  "But I know you feel he wronged you!" She met Lem's somber eyes. "I know you're the one wants him dead. Please...!"

            Lem looked uncomfortable, annoyed, and further annoyed at being made uncomfortable.

            So she addressed that. "I'm powerful sorry! I know you don't have no need to hear this from me! But I have sich a turrible need to say it! I know he's a hot-headed fool! I told him so! But I'll do anythin' to save him! Please!! He's the only one I got!!" She turned her gaze to their mother. "Please, Ma'am, imagine what it's like! You understand, don't you? You have so many!" She swept her hand to indicate the numerous offspring of the other woman. "But please!! Oliver's the only one I got!! Please, Ma'am! Please, help me!!" She well knew of, but did not mention, the recent loss of little Fodder-wing. Ezra had coached her: Mrs. Forrester would comprehend Mrs. Hutto's fear of tragic loss far better now than she ever could have before, and the Forrester matriarch's own pain would make her far more receptive to Mrs. Hutto's plea, but only if she used it carefully, subtly. If she were too overtly manipulative, the ploy would backfire, and anger the volatile Forresters. She saw the expected pained reaction in their mother's face, and instantly dropped that approach, once again turning to face the big men. "Please, sirs! I'll do anythin'! I'll give you anythin'! Whatever it takes! I'll offer myself as sacrifice in Oliver's place! Please!! I'll do anythin' you want iffen you'll jest spare him!!!"

            Mr. Forrester tried to hide his amusement, without much success. "Uh, Mis' Hutto, you best be keerful what you offer my boys. Old's you are, you might jest tempt 'em. I'd not wanta be promisin' 'em anythin' that-a-way, iffen I was you."

            "Oh, Pa!" Mrs. Forrester chided him scornfully.

            Mrs. Hutto boldly looked the father of the clan straight in the eyes, and declared, "I meant it. Any way they keer to take it. They kin use me, abuse me, beat me, kill me: it don't matter! I don't matter! I'm old and near done-for! Only my son matters!"

            "Oh lord!" Penny murmured, looking extremely pained.

            Now, she eyed him. "You think I ain't serious, Ezra?"

            "I know you are." He was grim, miserable for her, for what she was enduring in her shame, and maybe fear.

            Buck appeared somewhat pained, himself, and he stooped down to look her in the eyes. "Mis' Hutto, I truly feel sorry for what you're goin' through. But look: even iffen we was to take it out on you, mistreat you some way or other, that'd only make things worse. 'Cause Oliver'd want revenge for whatever we done to you."

            She burst into tears. "I know! I know you're right! Iffen only he wa'n't sich a hot-headed fool!" She sobbed loudly.

            Mill-wheel apparently shared Buck's pain on her behalf, and he also went close and hunkered down to her level. "Mis' Hutto, do Oliver know you're doin' this??"

            She reddened in humiliation. "Oh no! I don't see as how he'd endure my bein' so shameful! Iffen he'd been home and knowed my plan, he'da sat on me sooner leave me come here! And I'm serious hopin' he'll not find out!" She hesitated helplessly. "And hopin' you-all'll never tell him!" She appeared to reconsider, and then burst, "Or tell him iffen you want! Long's he lives to yell at me later, to rant and rave at me later iffen he needs to! It don't matter! Nothin' else matters! I'd do anythin' to save him!!" Then, she put out a delicate hand to Mill-wheel, as though she needed steadying. He hastily obliged her. She said softly, "You're th'other one, was in that fearsome fight, ain't you?"

            He nodded. "Yes'm, I'm Mill-wheel."

            Her eyes brimmed with tears, and spilled down both cheeks. "Help, please! Spare him! Please!"

            Momentarily, he stroked her cheek, and then self-consciously withdrew, and rose.

            One final thing occurred to her. "I hope I ain't made you-all riled at Ezra for bringin' me here. Please, I pestered him to fetch me! It's my fault! But I don't wanta cause no more trouble betwixt your family and his'n. I know Oliver a'ready done that, and I'm so sorry for that, too, and right glad you've mended."

            Buck waved it away, and straightened as well.

            Penny said quietly, "We should be goin'."

            "Yes. Jest one problem I jest realized: I cain't git up. I been down here too long. I'm stuck. My knees ain't workin'. Oh lord, how much more shame must I endure!"

            Buck smiled down gently at her. "Now that's easy-fixed, Mis' Hutto." With that, he lifted her easily, straight up from the floor, set her on her feet, and steadied her, when it was clear that she might topple over at any moment.

            She looked up at him, in gratitude, but also in frightened awe. "Lord, you're strong! You fellers is all so strong! Oh my poor baby!!" She sobbed hopelessly.

            Mrs. Forrester went close to her, took her hand, and said, "Try not to fret too bad. I'll talk to 'em."

            Overwhelmed with gratitude, Mrs. Hutto  enveloped the other woman in a desperate embrace, thanked her profusely, withdrew, and then leaned heavily on Penny, trembling violently, as he led her, and helped her, through the door.

 

            To Mrs. Forrester's infuriation, Mr. Forrester remained far too tickled regarding Mrs. Hutto's humiliation, even some time after she and Penny Baxter had departed. But it came to a head when he said to his sons, "Fellers, you might wanta study on it a mite, b'fore you turn down her offer. Sure, she's old, but I kin tell you, a ol' gal and a young gal got all the same parts; nothin' goes missin'."

            All six men turned to stare at the only way their father could know that: their mother. They glanced at him, and he winked and chuckled, as her cheeks reddened ferociously.

            "Oh, now you got to shame me in front of our boys?!" she hurled at him.

            "Aw, wife, ease up a mite." His grin remained.

            "What's next, you gonna want I should raise my skirts and show 'em?!!"

            "Go 'head. Don't bother me none."

            Their sons guffawed.

            "You ol' coot!! I'll smash your head in with my skillet!!!" She was well aware of her sons trying not to grin with him at her.

 

            Meanwhile, Penny was telling Mrs. Hutto, "I wish you'd not said that part."

            "I ain't planned it," Olivia snapped at him, as she lay, emotionally drained, on Jody's bed, with a wet compress on her forehead. "I ain't even thought of that. I had only meant, I could pick up after 'em, wait on 'em, do their biddin', whatever. Hit take an ol' masher like their pa to even think on sich a thing! But, once he done so, what was I to do? Deny, and say, 'Oh no, I ain't meant that!' But then, what happens to, 'I'll do anythin' to save my boy?!' Is he to be kilt to save my virtue?! What could I say??!"

            "Oh, I see. I'm sorry. Try not to fret."

            "I had to think fast! And try not to even imagine...!!"

            "I don't figger any of 'em would.... Try not to take it too hard."

            Ory demanded, "What're you two on about? What happened?"

            "Don't ask!" snapped Olivia.

            "Ory, b'lieve me, you don't wanta know," said Penny unhappily.

 

            The next day, Penny took Olivia home. They entered her cozy little house in Volusia to see a forlorn Oliver sitting in the living room. Both ran to him, to both welcome and console him, in his obvious despair.

            "Twink left me. She was jest usin' me to git away from here, so's she could start over in a new town, a new state. She takened advantage o' my travelin' know-how. She didn't love me, and she ain't loved Lem, neither. He and I been a pair o' fools."

 

            Lem, Arch, Pack, and Gabby rode noisily into Baxter's Island, profoundly startling Ory and Jody.

            "Where's Mis' Hutto?"  Lem demanded, with an evil gleam in his eye.

            "Ezra takened her home. What's this about?" Ory's voice quavered.

           

            Meanwhile, Buck and Mill-wheel questioned their parents regarding the whereabouts of their four absent brothers. Their mother was mystified, but their father was amused.

            The patriarch of the clan said, "Oh come on, wife, don't you figger she deserves it? You've allus hated her high-and-mighty, and said she should be brung down. How better to do it?"

            "Oh no!!!" she hurled. "I knowed this'd come to no good!" Her distress increased that of her two present sons, to whom she now turned for help.

            "We'll go he'p her," Buck assured his mother, while shooting an angry glare at his father.

            Mill-wheel agreed. "Pa! I figgered you was jokin' 'bout this! You shoulda been! Come on!" he told Buck.

 

            Buck and Mill-wheel, fueled by alarm, quickly caught up with their brothers, who had taken the time to stop off and worry Ory and Jody, only to leave them with a mystery and a strong sense of unease. The six Forrester brothers then rode, quarreling, all the way to Volusia. The four who meant ill wouldn't stop pursuing their evil intent, and the two who meant well wouldn't stop chasing them.

            Upon reaching the Hutto house and dismounting, the six Forrester brothers broke into a vicious fight right out in front of it.

            Penny and Olivia rushed outside, after forcing the despondent Oliver to hide under his bed. As the two emerged, Lem eyed Mrs. Hutto in unmistakable vile lechery, frightening her to the core.

            Ducking and fighting, Buck and Mill-wheel, between blows, told Penny of their intention to protect her. Instantly, Penny joined the fight on their side, slugging it out with Gabby. Being the shortest Forrester, he was the one whom Penny could most easily handle. Being the stupidest, he was the one Penny could most easily distract.

 

            Meanwhile, a seriously panicked Oliver sneaked a peek at the bizarre fray through his bedroom window. When he saw Penny and two Forresters fighting the other four, and his terrorized mother wringing her hands in anguish and fright, he disobeyed her and Penny's orders, and barreled out to join the fracas. The blond's very presence lit Lem's eyes with hate. Abandoning his unsavory lust, Lem rushed single-mindedly to attack Oliver, now leaving Buck and Mill-wheel free to fight only Arch and Pack.

            Again between blows, Oliver informed Lem, as well as the listening other Forresters, of Twink's treachery and duplicitous actions. Demoralized, losing his energy at the news, and redirecting his rage from the Huttos to Twink, Lem stopped fighting, and sank in dismay to sit in the dirt. Seeing this drained the energy from the other Forresters like deflating a balloon. Penny and Oliver were all too happy to stop fighting.

            Oliver ran to embrace his mother, who was trembling completely out of control.

            In the Forrester wagon, a frantic Mrs. Forrester clattered up to join the mayhem. To Oliver's amazement, she took her turn at desperately embracing his mother, to which Mrs. Hutto enthusiastically responded. He was quite curious at the snatches of whispers that he overheard between them.

            "No, they ain't hurted me!"

            "Thank the heavens!"

            The Baxter wagon next roared in, containing a panicky Ory and Jody.

            Bizarre sets of embraces and handshakes occurred. No one explained, to a baffled,  bewildered Ory, Jody, and Oliver, what had nearly happened.

 

            For a solid week, Mr. Forrester received the silent treatment from his wife.

 

            Three weeks later, at the doin's in Volusia, an exceedingly contrite Arch and Pack were escorted by Buck and Mill-wheel to apologize to Mrs. Hutto. They assured her that they were truly, sincerely sorry for their completely inappropriate behavior, and guaranteed that they were not being coerced by Buck and Mill-wheel to express these genuine regrets, but were accompanied only so that the presence of Buck and Mill-wheel might ease any fright or discomfort that Arch's and Pack's approach might cause her. Keeping her gaze mostly on her two potential protectors, she graciously, if nervously, accepted their apologies. At Penny's urging and chaperoning, Gabby did similarly moments later, if far less impressively. Meanwhile, Oliver and Lem were obliviously busy getting drunk together and commiserating their mutual loss. Ory, after asking everyone and anyone, and being always refused, had finally grouchily given up ever knowing what the big secret was. Jody had only asked once, of his father, who, in an uncharacteristically irritable mood, had cuffed his son lightly, and forbidden him to ever inquire on the subject again. Mrs. Forrester and Mrs. Hutto shared another of their now frequent, urgent embraces, at which point the former reassured the latter that her "hoodlum husband" had been left at home alone to stew.

 

            "So? How was the doin's?" Pa Forrester asked, upon his wife's and sons' return.

            "Jest fine," his wife answered testily, "since you wa'n't there to skeer poor ol' Mis' Hutto."

            "You gonna leave me go with you next year?"

            "Depends. Kin you behave yourself?"

            "Aw, come on, woman, I ain't done nothin' so turrible."

            She turned on him. "You said things, coulda got that poor ol' woman raped! By our own sons!"

            Lem was the only one that was still unrepentant. "Oh, we mighta not raped her. We mighta jest had a look and a feel, to see was ever'thin' still there, like Pa said."

            "See?" he challenged, as if Lem's point had somehow made things better.

            "That woulda still skeered her half to death! 'Sides, Pa, she's a'most as old as we are!"

            "Well, then do like you said b'fore: raise your own skirts and show 'em: ease their cur'osity. Then, they'll not need to bother her."

            Lem's eyes weren't the only ones that glinted unsavorily in response.

            Shame again overcame her. She uttered the foulest curse that she knew, and fled into her and her husband's bedroom.

 

            Buck and Mill-wheel entered to find her crying. They hadn't seen her cry since Fodder-wing's death, and it troubled them. She was generally a tough old gal.

            "Aw, Ma," Buck exclaimed.

            She looked up quickly and reassured herself regarding which of her sons had appeared. Privately, she was greatly relieved that Lem, in particular, wasn't among them. Seldom did she feel the need to fear her own sons - usually only when they fought particularly viciously with each other - but this issue with their father was a disquieting exception.

            They sat down on either side of her and spoke reassuringly that neither they, nor their brothers, would ever even attempt to violate her or Mrs. Hutto, with only the possible exception of Lem, whom they were both more than willing to knock into next week, if he should dare to try it with either old woman. They were quite sure that, at worst, Arch, Pack, and Gabby were only teasing her, even if the teasing were in very poor taste.

            After a while of soothing her, and of letting her cry on them, they dried her tears, smiled encouragingly, and led her back out to the main room.

            Unfortunately, Lem immediately smirked and said, "Well? Did she show you?"

            Buck and Mill-wheel cursed, threatened, and advanced on him.

            He protested, "Well, you goed to the right room for it, with a bed to lay her out on."

            "Come on, Ma, wouldn't you like to jest give us a peek? 'Specially iffen we don't touch nothin'?" suggested Arch.

            Buck and Mill-wheel didn't relocate the two into the subsequent week, but they did give them each something to think about for a while.

 

            Later, in the barn, Buck and Mill-wheel gave Lem, Arch, Pack, and Gabby a serious talking to regarding how badly they had hurt the feelings of their mother, and how they had even broken the trust implicit between her and them. They also lectured the four on how disgracefully they had humiliated her by so horribly intimidating Mrs. Hutto, who had gone to them innocently, humbly, and pleadingly.

 

            The next day, at Buck's and Mill-wheel's insistence, the Forresters gathered everyone at Baxters' Island, because it was as "central" as possible among the three homes of the Huttos, the Baxters, and the Forresters.

            The four offending Forresters apologized rather eloquently to their mother and to Mrs. Hutto, solemnly promising never to harm either of them, and additionally vowing to have a serious talk with their father. Then, they turned to Ory and apologized to her for any embarrassment or discomfort that such a crude topic may have caused her.

            It was only then that all of the men recognized their magnificent gaffe, as a thoroughly bewildered Ory demanded, "What crude topic?!"