COLLATERAL DAMAGE

 

 

            For once, Easy Ozell was not pleased to see the Forresters. And they picked up on his frosty attitude quite quickly.

            "What ails you?" Mill-wheel demanded.

            "Jest don't wanta talk to you-all right now," Easy replied tightly.

            "Now why not?" Buck wondered. "You've allus been friendly afore."

            "I don't wanta talk 'bout it."

            "Well, that's a fine thing," Arch commented. "You don't wanta be friendly and you'll not even tell us why? Whatever it is you're holdin' agin us, we wanta know."

            Easy gave him a dark look and said nothing.

            "We ain't puttin' up with this," Lem declared. "Out with it!"

            Easy's glance at Lem was a mixture of resentment and apprehension.. "I...," he said softly, "I jest cain't tell you."

            Lem disagreed, "Iffen you're riled at us, you can and will tell us why!"

            Easy looked startled at the harshness.

            Pack urged more reasonably, "Mebbe you kin start by tellin' us why you don't wanta tell us."

            Easy eyed Lem again in discomfort, and then turned to Pack. "Hit's 'cause I ain't brave like...like some folks." He trailed off at the end.

            They watched him.

            Buck surmised, "You're afeered to tell us why you're riled. You're scairt we'll...git rough."

            Easy nodded without looking up into their eyes.

            Mill-wheel picked up on another point. "You said you ain't brave like some folks. Do this have somethin' to do with Oliver?"

            Easy nodded, but kept his eyes focused on his lap.

            "You're fond of him," Arch guessed.

            "Yes!" the old man flared. "And you-all mighta been, too, iffen you'd ever got to know him! But it's more than that."

            "Let's have the rest," Lem ordered.

            Easy hesitated again. "Uh...promise you'll not, ...uh...."

            Buck assured him, "We'll not beat you, Easy. Long's you don't git quarrelsome. Since we know you're scairt."

            "Uh..., thanks. Okay. Well." Then he said in a rush, "I loved her! And you-all run her out!" He bumped his withered fist on his knee.

            "Her?!" Lem was startled. "Are you referrin' to Mis' Hutto?"

            "Yes!"

            The Forresters all looked at one another in ominous discomfort.

            Easy realized uneasily that he might've gone too far, in alluding to the fire: the means by which the men had run her out of Volusia. He squirmed.

            Finally, Buck said, "Easy, this ain't a subject we're too keen on discussin', neither."

            Thoroughly intimidated, Easy murmured, "I'm sorry. Please. You promised...uh...."

            "We'll not hurt you," Mill-wheel snapped. "But mind what you say."

            "Yes, sir." Easy slumped low in his seat, seeming to nearly collapse in upon himself.

            That submissive respect surprised Mill-wheel. He softened slightly. "Without talkin' 'bout what we done exactly, you say you loved her?"

            Easy was both relieved and sheepish. "Yes. But I know I was jest bein' a ol' fool. She'd not even look at me."

            "Mebbe she ain't wanted another man," Buck suggested helpfully. "She'd been a widow a long time."

            "Ain't that." Easy sighed. "She wanted somebody a'right, but the man she loved is married, so she cain't have him, and she'll not have another."

            Lem was curious. "Who? Who'd she love?"

            Easy eyed them. "She's allus loved Mr. Baxter."

            "Penny???" they roared.

            "Yes. You didn't know?"

            "No!" Buck thundered.

            "But that explains one whole helluva lot!" Mill-wheel boomed.

            Arch half-smiled. "Do Penny love her?!"

            "Oh yes. But he ain't gonna do nothin' improper," Easy hastened to add. "Course, now he'll never see her agin, neither."

 

            Days later, the Forresters went to see a profoundly saddened Penny. They awkwardly expressed conditional regrets to him.

            He sighed like someone in pure anguish, but replied, "I'm jest grateful no one was kilt. That night was a turrible near thing."