Chapter 13
Sometime during the night, Jeff and Sue slipped out of the house. Both the booze and the passion had gone out of their systems, taking with it the bravado of letting themselves get caught by Maria. Suddenly, it did not seem like such a good idea.
Jeff, of course, had no idea that Maria had observed them in his bedroom. When he returned from taking Sue home, he went directly to his room and went to bed. He had heard nothing from Maria's room. He was exhausted, and fell into a deep sleep almost immediately.
The first word he had from Sue was when he called her Sunday morning. Maria was not home, nor had she come home yet. Sue told him that Arthur had not come home, either.
"Are you sure you still want to go through with it?" Sue asked.
"Of course," he replied. "I have nothing here. I'm waiting for Maria to come home so I can talk to her. She's probably at the Colonel's."
"I'm sure Arthur's there, too," she said softly. "I'm afraid that thing last night is going to blow the whole family apart and I don't want to be around when that happens. I'm going to pack my things right now. I'll leave him a note."
"If Maria doesn't come home, I might do the same thing myself." He was silent for a moment. "Do you suppose she might know what we did last night? Things got a little hectic, you know."
"I have no idea, Jeff. You're not worried, are you?"
"Hell, no."
"Good," she said. "Just one thing, darling, just one more day."
"Right," he said firmly. "Just one more day of hell."
Jeff wandered about the empty house, his frustrations growing with each passing minute. He wanted to see Maria and get it over with. He thought of going to the Colonel's, but decided against it. No doubt a big hassle was going on over there between the old man and Arthur.
His home had always felt strange to him and now, with Maria gone, it felt even more strange. After tomorrow, it would no longer exist. He packed two bags with his personal belongings.
Maria did not show up the following morning, either. Jeff dressed, ate breakfast, then took off for the office. He intended to tender his resignation at once to the Colonel. After that, he would work something out. It was going to be a stormy morning, he realized, as stormy as the sky above. The radio this morning had mentioned the possibility of a tornado. The sky looked it. A sullen, ominous blackness hung overhead. The air was still, the heat oppressive.
Pete Austin's car was the only one in the lot; Jeff parked beside it.
He walked into the office. Austin turned a gloomy face to him. "We're going to get it," Austin said. "They're predicting an alert by this afternoon."
Jeff shrugged indifferently. He was having a tornado all his own inside of him. "When do you expect the Colonel?"
Austin looked at the clock. "He's usually here by now." He then added, "I'm not staying in this flimsy office." He was annoyed at Jeff's indifference. "Haven't you got enough sense to worry about a tornado?"
"Sure I have, but I've got a lot of other things on my mind right now."
An hour passed. Neither the Colonel or Arthur arrived. Jeff took care of some paper work, wandered around the office, and thought about what the Colonel might be doing to Arthur.
The phone rang. Austin answered it. "It's for you."
"Hello," Jeff said.
"Hello, darling." It was Sue.
"I wanted you to know that I've moved," she said. "I'm staying with Trudy." She gave him the address and phone number.
Trudy Compton lived in Floral City, a development some four miles from Indian Bow Retreats. She was a divorcee and lived with her two children.
"Fine, I'll get in touch with you there if anything comes up," he said.
"Arthur never did come home, Jeff. I packed and moved this morning, something I should have done long ago."
He told her he was waiting for the Colonel. After that, he would try to find Maria and let her know that everything was over between them. "I'll see you later today."
Jeff replaced the receiver. He turned to find Austin staring at him.
"I couldn't help but hear," Austin said. "Are you serious?"
"I've never been more serious in my life. I'm going to let the Colonel have his little project and I'm going to let him have his daughter, too. Maybe the Drakes will all be happy then."
The news seemed to depress Austin. He nodded gloomily. But then, that was nothing new; Pete Austin was born gloomy.
Jeff walked to the door and looked out. He studied the sky, frowned. He did not need a tornado thrown into his life, too. He turned to find Austin bent close to a small radio on his desk.
"I knew it," Austin said. "We've got an alert." He put his head closer to the set and turned up the volume. The storm was in the area, the announcer said. People were to take every precaution. Austin's face seemed filled with morbid satisfaction, like an undertaker who has measured the burial box correctly. "I'm getting out of here. One puff of wind, and this place is gone." He paused at the door, nodded to Jeff.
The office was filled with deadly quiet after Austin left. Jeff paced the floor, and found curious reassurance in the sound of his own footsteps. Something, at least, was stirring this dead world. He kept looking up at the sky. The blackness now had an underlying green cast to it. Jeff gazed upward in awe. He wished he had someone to talk to. A low rumble in the distance made him realize that the flimsy office was no place to be in a tornado. Furthermore, if there was danger, he should be with Sue, not in the office.
He ran out the door. He was going to Sue. It was a happy thought. He did not waste any time once he was out of the lot. He had just passed by the little Indian Bow park when he spotted a car at the side of the road with its hood up. Tommy Drake was bent into the motor. Jeff screeched to a stop.
"You'd better get the hell out of here!" Jeff yelled. "That storm could whip your ass into the next county."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Tommy said, turning his head to Jeff from under the hood.
"Come on, Tommy, let's get out of here," Jeff called. "Look over there." He pointed to an ominous sky.
"I'll get this can started in a minute. Don't worry about it."
There was a far-off sound, something like the low rumble of a freight train. The sound increased until it was a deafening roar. A terrifying wind suddenly engulfed the area. The hood of Tommy's car was bent backward, then was torn away. Jeff had felt his car rock with the force and plunged out of the door onto his hands and knees. He looked at the sky. A great elephant's trunk hung low in the southwestern sky, its tip twisting and squirming obscenely along the ground. It swooped up trees, cars, houses and debris into its coiled center.
Tommy seemed paralyzed with fear. His mouth hung open as he clutched at the fender of his car and watched the awesome destruction approach.
Jeff, himself immobilized with fear, thought fast. He looked for a low spot, somewhere to lie flat and let the raging wind pass over him. He decided on a ditch behind the park where a sewer main was being put in. He ran over to Tommy and slapped him across the face three times.
"Come on," he yelled. "Let's get out of here! Follow me!"
Running was an effort. He dared not look behind him to locate the snout of the twister. He was afraid the sight would stop his heart. He knew it was very close. The roar of the tornado's winds battered his ears. He ran for the little ditch in the park. Although he was racing at full speed, he did not think he could make it. He dived headlong into the ditch.
As protection, the ditch was pitiful. It could not have been more than a foot or so deep. Something heavy landed across his legs. It was Tommy. Throwing a protective arm across the boy's shoulders, Jeff dug the fingers of his other hand into the earth. Their bodies pressed against the ground, the two waited in mute terror.
The terrible winds came upon them fully now. Like mighty hands, they sought to pluck the two cowering humans out of the ditch. Jeff heard Tommy scream. He desperately tightened his grip on the lad. He was not sure that he, too, was yelling.
It seemed like an eon but actually it lasted only a few seconds. But in those few seconds, both man and boy lived an eternity. The roar diminished as the winds passed on.
"Is it over?" Tommy asked.
"It sounds like it. At least the worst of it is."
"I didn't think we were going to make it."
"I had some doubts myself."
With that, Tommy pulled himself up and took off running.
Jeff, puzzled, got up and raced after him.
There was desolation everywhere. Women were screaming, and there were children crying. They found his own house intact-or almost intact. Just one corner of the roof had been ripped away. Compared to the other houses, the damage was slight.
When Jeff stood panting in front of his house, Maria came from the back yard. She looked clean, composed. Jeff contrasted her appearance with the other women he had seen along the way. For some reason, her cleanliness seemed almost obscene.
Maria stared at Jeff. "Look what's happened to our lovely house." She seemed angry instead of thankful to be alive.
Jeff shrugged, too numb to speak.
"And you don't even care," she said bitingly. "You didn't even care enough to be here."
Tommy's astonishment turned to anger. "Don't talk to him like that, Sis. He saved my life. You're not even scratched, so what are you complaining about?"
"Tommy! How dare you take up for him?"
Jeff was not surprised at Maria's attitude. He asked, "How are things at the Colonel's? You were there, weren't you?"
"Everything's fine," she clipped.
"And Arthur's?"
"A little damage, not much," she said coldly. "You might have asked about Arthur. He's hurt, you know."
"Hurt? How bad?"
"They think he has a broken back. He may never walk again." She looked at Tommy, who had turned pale. "We'd better go to the hospital." Then her eyes swung back to Jeff. "I don't suppose you're interested. Maybe you'd better check to see how Sue is getting along." She snatched at Tommy's arm and said, "Come on, dear."
Jeff watched them leave. Maria's small car was still in working condition, and the two of them sped off. He shook his head, pursed his lips.
Sue!
He raced into the house and snatched up the telephone. He dug in his pocket for the number she had given him. He was relieved when he heard the dial tone. At least there was still phone service.
"Is Sue Drake there?" he snapped as soon as the party on the other end picked up the phone. "Is she all right?"
"Just a minute, I'll let you talk to her," the female voice said calmly.
A relieved sigh swooshed out of Jeff. Sue was all right. The winds had missed Trudy's house altogether. Quickly, he told her of the damage he had seen and also about Arthur.
"I guess we'd better get up to the hospital," he said.
She was silent for a time, then said softly, "I wish this thing wouldn't have happened. Not now, at least. I'm going to feel terrible when I see him."
"It was all over before this ever happened, Sue. I'm going to have to go through the same thing with Maria, although I don't think she gives a damn one way or the other. She's more worried about the house than she is about me. Besides, I think she knows something. She told me I'd better see how you were."
Sue asked him to pick her up, but when he told her his car had been tipped over, she agreed to drive to his house. Within ten minutes, she was in the driveway. In another five, they were at the hospital.
In the waiting room, they found the Drake clan in a huddle, looking like conspirators from the enemy's camp.
The Colonel was the first to speak. "Arthur's hurt pretty bad. The doctor says he may never walk again." He said it matter-of-factly; sentiment was a sign of weakness.
"That's too bad," Jeff said. His eyes sought Sue's. She looked away. The message was clear to him. She would be the worst kind of human being to divorce a crippled man.
"When can I see him?" Sue asked, her voice flat.
"The doctor said only one at a time," the Colonel replied. "You know how close Maria and Arthur are, so perhaps it would be best if Maria went in first."
Silence fell on the group. Jeff was sorry for the old man. The little tyrant seemed to have aged ten years. His eyes were dull and the stiff lines of his face had crumbled. His hands made vague, plucking motions at his clothing. The Colonel suddenly sighed. "I didn't believe it would ever happen. Indian Bow Retreat is no more. It's flattened."
He turned a haggard face to Jeff. "Jeff, you'll help me rebuild, won't you? With Arthur hurt, it's going to be hard on just the two of us, but we can do it."
Jeff looked at him for a moment, then shot a quick glance at Sue. Gently, he said, "I won't be around to help you, sir. I'm going to Florida."
The Colonel gave him a startled look. His jaw worked several times before the words came out. "You're joking. This is no time to take a vacation. How can you think of taking time off at a time like this?"
"I'm not going for a vacation, Colonel," Jeff said evenly. "I'm going there to live."
The Colonel's jaw sagged. It took him a moment to collect his thoughts. He tried to bluster. "I thought you had more guts than to let a little storm make you run. What do you plan to do down there?"
"Build."
The Colonel sneered. "It takes money to build."
"I think I have enough to get started," Jeff said calmly. "If I don't, I can always work as a carpenter."
"Use your head, man. Stay here. I insist on it."
Jeff smiled. "Colonel, you're not talking to Maria or Arthur or Tommy now. I don't have to take orders from you."
That took most of the fight out of the old man. "Jeff, you wouldn't leave me now, would you? Not when I need you, not after all I've done for you."
There were a lot of things Jeff could have told him after that remark, but he did not. He said simply, "Yes I would."
"Maria won't agree to pulling out. She won't leave here."
Jeff looked at the old man carefully. "I don't recall asking her to come with me, Colonel. In fact, I won't take her. She stays with you. You're going to have your whole family all to yourself again. Maria and I are through. Sue and Arthur are all through. Sue and I are going to start over and live the kind of life you wouldn't let any of us live here. Now, Colonel, I don't like to lay this on you at a time like this but I think you realized you can't run other people's lives. Goddamn it, live your own life and leave everyone else alone. You're no dictator and you're not God, so where do you get off trying to tell everyone else what to do?"
Tommy came to life then. "I'm not staying here," he said sharply. "If Jeff says it's okay, I'll go with him."
"Tommy, you don't know what you're saying. What can he give you?"
"Freedom. I don't have it here, that's for damned sure. I can see what Jeff means. You strangle everybody. You never gave me anything important to do. All I ever did was mow the lawn and take out the garbage. You wouldn't even let me work as a common laborer down at the project."
"I forbid you to leave!" the Colonel snapped.
Tommy's face turned into an angry grimace. "Dad, I don't want to grow up and be like you, to have everybody hate me. And Arthur is going to be the same way if he sticks with you. If you don't let me go, I'll run away. And I'll keep running away until I can be something by myself instead of a puppet with you pulling the strings, without being told what to do and how to do it every minute of the day. You're trying to steal my mind!"
"Yes, you'd like a little more freedom so you could chase all over the streets and do as you please, just like all the other young hoodlums. That would suit you fine, wouldn't it? Now, son, listen to me. I'm trying to do what's best for you. You can't just turn your back on everything I've done for you."
Tommy looked at his father evenly. "Yes, I'd like to be on my own. I'm sorry, Dad, but I just can't take this anymore."
"All right! Go with him! But when you see things aren't the way you think they are, don't come crawling back here because you won't be welcome!"
"That might be his trouble, Colonel," Jeff said. "He's been crawling all his life. Maybe he'd like to stand on his feet and be a man. If he comes with me, I'll give him that chance. All anyone wants is a chance."
The doctor came into the room then. He was holding several sheets of X-rays. He smiled. "Good news," he said. "The X-rays show nothing broken. Arthur is only bruised a little. He can be out of here by tomorrow morning."
"Are ... are you sure?" the Colonel asked.
"Yes, I'm sure," the doctor said. "There's nothing wrong with him that a little rest won't cure."
Sue's eyes brightened. She looked at Jeff and saw a slow smile spread over his face. He went to her then. He took her hand and drew her toward the door.
"Coming, Tommy?" he asked.
"Yes, sir!"
"Tommy! Son!" the Colonel pleaded. "Please!"
The door clicked shut, and a pall of silence fell over the room. That is, all except a shuddering sob. It came from the Colonel.