Chapter 11
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
“Sinful!” Governor Harlan barks, gesturing for me to join him and the three other men gathered around him.
“Yes, Governor?” I don’t know these new men.
He points to a large box truck that’s parked near the meadow. “Unload the folding chairs from the truck and set them up in front of the platform. Then go see if Matron Ruth needs more help in the kitchen.”
“Yes, Governor.”
I hear him say something to the men and all of them laugh once I rush away. Troy is going to have to fill me in on the titles of the new men. The last thing I need is to be punished for addressing a governor as steward.
No one pays much attention to me as I make my way to the meadow.
The whole farm is a madhouse today. The new people have arrived, and in addition to finding them all a place to sleep, Keeper is holding a welcome ceremony and dinner.
Long tables have been set up outside of the playground, and some of the stewards are grilling meat while the matrons work in the kitchen.
New faces are everywhere I look and it feels unsettling. I know what treatment to expect from the people here, but I have no idea what the newcomers have been told about me, if anything.
Steward Hal stands, red faced, at the bottom of the ramp that extends from the box truck.
Sweat soaks his shirt. and I have to bite back a grin at the memory of Troy referring to those stains as his titty smiles.
If he doesn’t lose weight, he’s going to have a heart attack. It’s not even hot out here.
“Governor Harlan sent me to set up the seats.”
“Get to it then,” he barks, and takes one chair with him to take a break in the shade.
I carry the chairs two at a time and set them up in neat rows facing the platform. I’ve already been told to stay away from the dinner and ceremony afterward, so at least I know I won’t be dragged up there again for anything. It’s been six years and that day still haunts me.
Governor Harlan ordered me to go see if Matron Ruth needs help, but she’s already told me not to come back today. I helped her most of the morning. Besides, I have another plan.
Everyone is required to attend the ceremony and dinner. Everyone except me. It occurred to me last night what that meant. Once the crowd gathers and sits for the ceremony, I head toward my trailer as I’ve been told to do, but I detour before I get there.
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about how heartbroken Troy was when he talked about his mom.
I can’t make that pain go away but maybe I can get him something that should’ve been his all along.
The trailer that belongs to Troy’s dad’s wife, Jill, isn’t visible from the meadow or the area where dinner is being served.
The sun sinks and the hum of crickets grows louder as I slip around the corner of Jill’s trailer.
No one locks their doors here. I don’t think stealing has ever been an issue.
I listen outside the door for a long moment before slowly opening it.
The trailer is small, no bigger than mine, but much nicer.
I hurry along through the comfortable living room, complete with an entertainment center, and down the hall that’s scattered with baby toys. The first bedroom belongs to the baby. The second at the end of the hall holds a queen size bed and dresser.
On the dresser sits a wooden jewelry box. My tongue darts out to wet my lips as my mouth dries. I’ve never done anything like this, and I can’t even imagine how severe the punishment will be if I’m caught.
The box is stuffed full of jewelry. Most of it is costume junk like the flea market often sells. Some of it may have even been pulled out of a dumpster by me or Troy. But at the bottom, I find an opal heart on a silver chain. The necklace that belonged to Troy’s mother.
I shove it into my pocket, along with one cheap looking earring and a bracelet.
If only the necklace goes missing, Governor Thomas might suspect him.
This way it looks like random items were stolen or that Jill lost them.
Plus, Troy has the alibi of being at the stewards’ table for the ceremony.
Considering that all the new people arrived today, I doubt I’ll be a suspect either.
When I turn to leave, a bang comes from the living room, followed by Governor Thomas’s booming voice. “Why are you trying to embarrass me?”
For one horrifying second, terror and panic nail my feet to the ground. I whip my head around frantically, looking for a place to hide.
“I’m not. I swear. I was too busy helping with the food, and I lost track of time,” Jill says.
Footsteps grow louder, coming down the hall.
Oh no. Oh shit. If they find me here… They can’t find me here.
I drop down and crawl under the bed, shove a couple of boxes aside, and get as close to the wall as I can.
“Just change your fucking clothes,” Governor Thomas orders, his voice now coming from only a few feet away. I can see his boots and Jill’s sneakers as she walks over to the closet. “And wear a dress.”
A chubby baby is plopped on the floor before she replies, “Okay, how about this one?”
“Whatever. Just hurry. We’re already late.”
I’m barely breathing while Jill changes her clothes as he waits.
It’ll be okay. They’ll leave and it’ll be okay. That’s what I tell myself until the baby spots me. A big smile spreads across his face, and he claps his hands together with a squeal. Then he begins to crawl toward me.
Oh no. I shake my head at him as if he might understand he could get me killed. My heart is beating so hard, I’m afraid Governor Thomas will be able to hear it.
Neither of them pays any attention to the baby as Governor Thomas continues to berate Jill. “Keep embarrassing me like this and you won’t be my first wife when I take another. I’ll make you a second.”
“I’m sorry!” she exclaims, yanking a pair of shoes out of the closet and fumbling to put them on quickly.
The baby giggles and continues to crawl to me.
I press my back against the wall, curling up to hide myself as best I can in the shadows, but if he crawls under the bed and they have to look under to retrieve him, there’s no way they won’t see me.
My next instinct is to make scary and mean faces to frighten him.
Instead, he laughs and sticks his head under the frame.
I’m screwed. I’m so screwed.
He’s under the bed with nothing but his feet sticking out when Governor Thomas notices. “Damn it, Tommy.” I watch in horror as his hand comes down to grab the baby’s ankle. Instead of kneeling down to look, he yanks the kid backward and snatches him up. “Get your ass out of there.”
“I’m ready. I’ll take him,” Jill says as the baby starts wailing.
Both sets of feet leave the room, and I draw in a shuddering breath. That was so close.
Once the front door closes and silence resumes, I force myself to count to three hundred before leaving my hiding spot. There’s no sign of anyone when I make a quick exit and hurry back to my trailer with the stolen jewelry in my pocket.
I scoot my couch over to reveal a cut in the carpet and tuck the jewelry inside. The old carpet is buckled and bubbled in so many places, you can’t tell that anything is hidden beneath, even if they do search my place.
This is the first thing I’ve done to cross the leaders in a long time, other than that ridiculous moment that I tried to take the truck without even knowing how to put it in gear.
I feel good. I feel like that defiant girl who first came here, the one Troy admired for her bravery, before I learned to play along to survive.
I feel like myself again.