Silence Is Golden

Silence is Golden

Nellie-Rae hustled as quickly as she could away from the grip of her disgusting smelly neighbor, Otis Crawford. Ducking under cover of the woods before slowing to take a breath, she continued to clutch two heavy bags of deer meat she managed to carve off the carcass of the buck she broad-headed on her property before the injured animal crossed the boundary line and died. If Otis's son, Cody, hadn't interrupted him, the greedy man would have taken a piece of her hide for claiming her own game. Nervous energy made her chuckle to herself for narrowly escaping a fate so demeaning she couldn't imagine it.

Oh! I dodged a bullet for sure there! Lordy, Lordy! Thank You for sending Cody in the nick of time to distract his drunken father. No telling what he planned to do to me. It was my arrow that brought the buck down. I offered him more than half of the kill for their winter meat supply. Oh, oh! Too close for comfort! I'm shaking like these autumn leaves around me. I must get my wits about me again so I can lug this bounty home before it gets dark. Take some deep breaths and stop giggling, silly girl.

Think now. I followed that poor injured deer all over these woods. I could follow the same path because it's already broken but that would be cutting back and forth so many times. I need to strike out straight for our cabin and hope I don't disturb any wild boars or wolves. Carrying this carrion I'll be a tasty draw. And my weapon is in the clearing close to home where I zeroed into the kill zone but missed a clean shot due to the wind shifting! Wish I could follow the creek down to the road and come back up the normal route. But I can't chance going back to the stream until those two are done hauling the rest of the carcass to their cabin. What's wrong with me? This is serious. I have nothing to laugh about. This baggage is heavy and I have a long trip!

“Psst! Nellie, is that ya'll? What are ya'll laughing about?”

“Oh, Cody! Nothing's funny but I can't stop chuckling. Your pa scared the senses out o' me. Won't he whip you if you don't help him get that prize buck back up to your place?”

“After he sleeps it off he might do exactly that. He left me to do the job. But I heard ya over this way so thought ya might need some help. Those are mighty heavy. Let me help ya then I can finish gettin' the rest of your gift home. I know ya'll the one that brought it down. Thanks for offering the remainder to us.”

“Thank you. I was wondering if I would get eaten trying to get through these woods. If he is gone could we simply go downstream?”

“Sure. Let me take those bags and let's go.”

They angled back toward the water. “Remember when we were little we used to play in this creek together? Those were some fun times.”

“Yep, they were. You know, sometimes you were the only friend I had.”

“Ya'll still the only friend I have, Nellie. I miss the time we used to hang together. What happened?”

“Oh, I don't know. Guess we grew up.”

They walked on in silence for a while each lost in their own thoughts.

Through his thin shirt she watched as his sinewy muscles bundled under the weight of the burden. In her memory things fell apart between them when she developed into a young woman and he couldn't drag his eyes away from her chest always leaving her feeling uncomfortable.

Even as messy as she looked today, dressed in her pa's rolled up britches and old jacket stained with blood and guts from the dear she butchered, she still made his heart beat faster. She kept getting prettier. Not the Plain Jane backwoods waif she used to think herself to be because other girls at school rejected her. In his eyes she blew them all away. What he wouldn't give to court her like a decent gentleman? But his living conditions with his abusive father made such a dream unrealistic.

“Why don't you let me take one of those bundles? You already rescued me once today. No reason you need to do all the work.”

“It's okay. I got 'em. My pleasure to help a lady in need. Ya'll did the work of shooting and dressing the critter. Even left the bulk for me and Pa. Least I can do is get this home for ya.”

“Thank you, so much. Let's cut over to the little clearing near by. I left a cart and my bow there. If you dump it in the cart I can go the rest of the way myself alone and you can go retrieve your share before your pa knows you're gone. Don't want you takin' a beatin' for a good deed.”

“Well, if ya sure ya can manage okay. Ya folks sure will be proud of ya'll. How's ya pa, anyway?”

“The injury from his fall in our mine is takin' longer to mend than the doctor figured and now he's come down with consumption so it'll take even longer. Winter will be rough on him.”

“With any luck maybe I can get over to help ya'll out once in a while. Would that be okay with them?”

“That's so kindly of you.”

“It's the way neighbors should be. Right?”

“Right. And I wouldn't mind seeing you more once again, Cody.”

“I'd really like that, too, Nellie.”

“Thanks so much for all your help today. I couldn't have done it by myself. Oh, and before you go, I want you to have this.” She pulls a little stone out of her pocket and places it in his hand.

His eyes gazed disbelievingly at the shiny object. “Is this what I think it is?”

“Yes, I found it in the creek today.”

“Then it's ya'll's.”

“Maybe half should be yours. The creek splits our property line. I want you to have it as long as your pa doesn't find it. Maybe one day it could help you escape his control. It won't bring much but I suspect if you pan for more in that area, you may find enough to make a big difference in your life.”

“This leaves me speechless! Thank ya so much.” He shyly gives her a peck on her cheek. She silently gives him a hug then sends him on his way.

Nellie pushes the laden cart along the well beaten path to the large clearing where their homestead is falling into dusky shadows. Excited to share her good fortune with her family she calls out, “Ma! Pa! Come see what I brought home. I've experienced quite the day!”

No one answered. Maybe Pa was too weak to respond but Ma ought to come running with excitement. “Ma? Where are you, Ma?”

Nothing but silence greeted her. Eerie, unnatural silence.