Chapter 9
Jack
It’s still early in the morning when I watch a truck pull up to house. Two men get out and they start to off load plants, flowers, bags, pots, tools and a hose.
There’s only one way to find out if anything River has said is true, and that’s by leaving the room.
My body is still tender, but it’s healed mostly. The rage and disgust keeps growing inside of me. It’s becoming a living thing that’s digging its roots deep inside the very core of me. I crave revenge for what’s been done to me. I want to kill every single person.
With a simmering rage, I walk out of the room. When I reach the end of the passage, I take the stairs to the bottom floor. I walk into a kitchen and immediately notice how warm it looks. It’s not clinical and bare like the one at Cameron’s estate.
I walk to the door just as Miss Ella comes in, carrying a basket filled with eggs.
“Morning, Jack,” she greets me with warmly. “It’s good to see you’re up and about. I noticed Colby and Ian drove up with a truckload of plants for you. I hope that means you’ll be adding some color around here now?”
Keeping my eyes on her, I walk to the door and slip outside. Quickly, I take in my surrounding, searching for anything that can be a threat.
The men are still off-loading stuff from the truck. I keep my distance, not trusting a single soul. One of the men places a bag with pebbles on the ground, and when he looks up, his eyes meet mine. My body tenses as I watch him. I won’t hesitate to kill anyone who threatens me. I won’t make that mistake again.
The man nods and then he walks back to the truck. Only after they’ve driven away, do I walk closer to the stuff they left behind. Honestly, I’m surprised they didn’t try anything.
I keep my guard up as I look at everything. Crouching down, I let my fingers brush over the velvet petals of the flowers closest to me.
I grab the shovel and start to work the ground against the wall, all the way to the back door. When I’m done, I realize that there’s no fertilizer.
I wipe my hands on the back of my jeans and cautiously look into the kitchen. Miss Ella is busy mixing something. I clear my throat to get her attention.
When she looks at me, I ask, “Can I get fertilizer somewhere?”
As the old woman walks towards me, I take a few steps back.
“Will cow manure do? There’s plenty of that. Those cows just eat and crap all day long. Let me go show you where.” She walks by me and then calls back, “Bring your shovel and wheelbarrow.”
This feels like a dream. It’s all too surreal. Nothing in life comes this easily. I keep my guard up as I grab the shovel, and placing it in the wheelbarrow, I follow her. We walk quite a distance, and I can feel that my body’s still out of shape, as sweat starts to trickle down my back.
Cows, sheep, and pigs come into view and I stop for a moment. I’ve never seen animals up close.
“Over here, Jack,” Miss Ella calls out.
I walk to where she’s standing near large heaps of manure. I start to shovel some into the wheelbarrow. When I notice that Miss Ella is waiting for me, I pick up the pace even though my body is protesting.
“Morning, Miss E,” a man calls out. Quickly, I hold the shovel in front of me, ready to fight. I was told there won’t be any fucking sex. I’m not sure I can believe a word any of these people say.
“I told you before and I’m telling you for the last time, my momma named me Ella not E.” Her voice sounds harsh but there’s a smile on her face as she looks at the man. “Theo, this is Jack. He’s new here so be kind and not your usual crazy self.”
Theo keeps his distance, which is a good thing.
“Welcome, Jack.”
I just glare at him, not willing to trust a living soul.
“Now run along and go work,” Miss Ella says.
Theo walks back towards a huge building. I watch him disappear inside before I get back to work. When I’m sure the wheelbarrow can’t take anymore, I stick the shovel into the manure, and take hold of the handles. Without a word, Miss Ella starts walking back towards the house. I follow at a safe distance.
When we get back to the house, she goes straight into the kitchen.
I bring the wheelbarrow close to the piece of garden I’m working with, and start to work the manure into the ground. It takes me a long while to get all of the manure nicely worked into the dry earth. I’m thankful for the work as it keeps my mind busy.
I attach the hose to the tap that’s next to the backdoor. Setting the nozzle to a fine spray, I take my time wetting the ground. When I’m satisfied, I grab the first tray of flowers and start to plant them.
I sigh and it feels as if a tiny piece of my cracked soul has been mended today.
I don’t keep track of time as I plant tray after tray, arranging them all over the patch of ground.
Miss Ella calls from the kitchen door, “Come have something to eat and drink. No use in you dying out in the heat. Who’s going to do the gardening then?”
She disappears back inside, not waiting to see if I’ll listen.
Reluctantly, I rinse my hands. I dry them on the back of my pants as I walk into the kitchen.
“You can sit here with me, Jack.” Miss Ella moves around the heavy wooden table and takes a seat. There’s a plate filled with pancakes on the middle of the table. She takes some syrup and pours it over the pancakes.
She places some pancakes on the plate in front of her, and cuts off a piece. When she pops it in her mouth, I move closer to the table. As she takes another bite, I sit down on the opposite side, so the table can act as a barrier between us.
I eat fast, wanting to get back outside. Just as I finish, Adam walks into the kitchen, Sophia following right behind him.
My heart constricts and I watch for any sudden movements from him.
“Morning,” he says, as he glances at his watch. “It’s more afternoon than morning. You two enjoying your brunch?”
“You know I love a snack here and there. At my age there’s no such thing as watching my figure. Who knows what kind of foods they have in paradise. I want to get my fill while I still can.”
“Excuses, excuses,” Adam laughs at Miss Ella. “Nana, do you have two more plates?”
Miss Ella quickly prepares two plates, and I move to get up when Adam sits down in front of me, and says, “Stay a while, Jack.”
The food in my stomach turns sour and I glare at him as my body tenses. He pours two glasses of orange juice for himself and Sophia. She’s quiet where she sits next to him. I haven’t seen much of her in the past three days.
He fills my glass again and then says, “I’ve noticed you’ve started on the garden. I’m glad you’re feeling better. There’s a chapel close to the river. I’d like to go show you. I think you’ll be able to do something with it.”
He meets my stare and for a moment we just look at each other. I try to keep my voice toneless, but it’s hard and even I can hear the suspicion and doubt lacing the single word.
“Okay.” I take a step away from the table, every muscle in my body screams at me to run. But I don’t, and instead I ask, “Why did you call yourselves Master and Mistress Ryland if you claim to be different?”
“That was all a show to fool the fuckers who had you, Jack.”
I’m shocked by the sudden burst of anger and hatred coming from him. It makes me take another step backwards.
“No one has the right to keep another human being as a slave. It’s wrong.”
He shakes his head and gets up so fast that the chair skids over the floor. My heart starts to pound in my chest, my hands fisted at my sides. When he walks by me, I get ready to attack, but instead he heads out the door.
He stops and looks to Sophia and his voice is tight when he says, “Stay with Miss Ella.” Then his angry eyes find mine. “Come, Jack.”
I don’t trust him one fucking bit, but if they are going to show their true colors, then being outside would give me the upper hand in a fight. I follow him out the door, and the further we walk away from the house, the edgier I get.
We cross some sort of bridge, wide and strong enough for a car to drive over. Keeping an eye on Adam for any sudden movements, I still try to take in everything. Even though I’m consumed with anger, I notice the beauty around me.
Adam swerves off to the right and I follow him into a small clearing. On the one side are old trees, reaching high into the skies, and on the other side is the river. I lose my breath from all the beauty around me.
“This is the chapel, at least that’s what we call it.” Adam stops and stands a distance from the small structure.
Vigilantly, I move closer. There’s a brick wall on the one side with two benches. It’s currently shaded by the trees. The bougainvillea they brought this morning would do great here. It can crawl up the back of the wall.
“If you need to get some of your supplies here, just let me know and I’ll help you drive it down. It’s too far to walk up and down with everything.”
I’m really confused. I stare at Adam, not sure what to make of his kindness. To be honest, it makes me feel uncomfortable. I know how to deal with anger and abuse.
“You’re safe here, Jack. River and I will make sure nothing happens to you.”
I’ve been here almost a week, and no one has tried to use me in any way. Could they really be that good?
I feel like a fish out of water, not really sure how to handle all of this.