It was one thing to say I would become a nurse at the new hospital. Another thing to make it happen.
Reverend Sam had loaned me a huge black umbrella for the walk to the bus stop and once I arrived home, I called a taxi to take me out to the camp, four miles away. The driver was an older man with thinning gray hair and a prominent nose.
“Lots of activity out there today, Miz Kraft, even with this rain,” he said. “Gonna hurt my business though.”
“Why will it hurt your business?” I asked.
“No one’s gonna want to come to Hickory with them polio germs here. It’s already bad, since there’s so many cases ’round about.”
“I think people are overreacting,” I said.
“I told my daughter to get my grandkids out of town for the summer,” he went on as though I hadn’t spoken. “They’re heading out to Myrtle Beach. They’ll stay there till this blows over.”
He reminded me of Ruth with his talk about the polio germs, and he kept it up the whole way to the camp.
I could hear the pounding of hammers and the growl of chain saws as soon as we turned onto the muddy red dirt road that led to the stone building. Cars and trucks were parked everywhere on the weedy grass and among the trees. The rain had let up, but the day was still dark and threatening. The taxi driver was correct though: the weather hadn’t deterred the work and the camp was alive with activity. A long wooden structure had already gone up near the original stone building and men were working on the roof, hammering and sawing. I could see that Zeke was one of them, his wet shirt stuck to his back. A line of men, all of them dressed in khaki pants and blue shirts, were digging a trench under the watchful eye of a man with a shotgun. They had to be the prisoners Dr. Whims had mentioned at the meeting the night before. A truck from the phone company was parked near the stone building, and behind me, men cut down trees and cleared brush.
I felt overwhelmed, standing there gawking in wonder, clutching the closed umbrella at my side. I needed to find the person in charge of hiring and wasn’t sure who to ask. I didn’t know where Henry was working, but he must have spotted me because the next thing I knew, I saw him walking toward me. His shirt was soaked, and his hair, darkened by the rain, was plastered to his head.
“What are you doing here?” he asked as he neared me.
“I have to work here, Henry,” I said. “As a nurse.” I held my chin up, daring him to tell me I couldn’t. “I can’t sit home with all this going on, and while I’m happy to gather donations or whatever, I want to help in a more direct way.”
He stared at me as though he couldn’t believe I was defying him.
“You’re helping the way you can.” I filled the silence. “I want to help the way I can.”
I saw the muscles in his jaw tense. “The best way you can help is by getting our house up and running so we can move the hell out of my mother’s home,” he said, his words measured and slow as if he wanted to be certain I understood them. He rarely cursed—it was an indication of how angry he was—but I wasn’t going to back down.
“I need more than that,” I said flatly.
“Why can’t you be satisfied fixing up a house? Making it beautiful? Making it your dream house, for pity’s sake? Most girls would be thrilled.”
Violet, I thought. Violet would love every minute of it.
“I’ll work on the house,” I said. “I promise I will. But this is a more pressing need.”
“You’ll create problems with my mother, Tess,” he said, wiping his hands on the rag hanging from his belt. “I’m sorry, but I can’t allow it. I have enough to deal with as it is without adding the bickering between you and Mama.”
Two men carrying huge coils of black cable over their shoulders walked past us, and we had to take a few steps out of the way to make room for them. I waited until they passed to speak again.
“I’m going to work here.” I spoke quietly to avoid making a scene.
“You sound like a disobedient child.” His cheeks were growing red and I had the feeling I was testing him to see exactly how far his anger could go. “Where’s this sudden willfulness coming from?” he asked.
“I’ve been talking to someone about it,” I admitted. “He’s … a sort of adviser. He knows I’m a nurse and want to help, and he encouraged me. He said I really have to do it. Work here.” To save myself, I thought. Yes.
Henry narrowed his eyes at me. “Who is this ‘adviser’?” he asked.
“He’s a minister,” I said, though I recalled Reverend Sam telling me he was no such thing.
“What church?”
I thought it best to dodge the question. “His name is Reverend Samuel Sparks, and I—”
“That charlatan in Ridgeview?” Henry’s eyes widened. “Have you lost your mind?”
“He’s for real,” I said. “I know that sounds crazy, but I really do think he is.” I felt a pulse of joy shoot through me at the mere memory of sitting with Reverend Sam. “I can’t explain it.” I knew I wore a giddy smile. “You wouldn’t be able to explain it either. I’ve never experienced anything like it before, Henry. I thought it was impossible too, until—”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” he said, and I knew I shouldn’t have mentioned Reverend Sam at all. It was simply that the man seemed like such a part of my life all of a sudden. An important part of my life.
“There’s nothing wrong with me,” I said. “I—”
“You are not working here and you are never to see that quack again, understand?”
“I can’t promise that,” I said stubbornly.
Henry pulled the rag from his belt and dropped it on the ground. Taking me by the elbow, he began leading me away from the new building. “We’re going to go see your ‘adviser’ right now,” he said. “I need to give him a piece of my mind and tell him to stay out of our business. And out of your head!” His grip tightened on my elbow.
“Henry, no!” I said. “He’s an old man. I don’t want you—”
“I think everything that’s happened has left you more vulnerable than I realized,” he said, walking fast across the muddy clearing while I struggled to keep up. “I didn’t think you were the type to fall for something like this,” he added. “I’m worried about you.”
I tried unsuccessfully to yank my arm from his grasp. “I won’t go to him again,” I said. “All right? We don’t have to go see him. Please, Henry.” I didn’t want Reverend Sam to have to deal with my angry husband.
“We’re going,” Henry said. He’d parked the car a good distance from the activity at the camp and I stopped arguing as we picked our way along the muddy road, avoiding the rain-filled ruts as best we could. I felt powerless. I dreaded what lay ahead for us in Ridgeview.
I finally spotted the Cadillac, its yellow paint splattered with mud. Henry opened my door for me and I got in.
“Please don’t make a scene,” I begged as we drove down the rutted lane. “He’s a gentle man. He’s elderly. And he’s very kind. You don’t need to argue with him. Please.” I felt terribly protective of my friend. Henry had never struck me as the violent type, but the way he was talking and behaving right now, his anger filling the car, I worried he might actually try to harm the old man.
Henry said nothing as he pulled onto the main road leading away from the camp. The skies opened up then and rain battered the windshield.
“You know, Tess,” he said, as we headed toward Ridgeview. “I knew all along you were different,” he said, his eyes on the road. “I knew you had ideas that wouldn’t let you fit in very well with my family.” He glanced at me quickly. “But I never realized until now that you’re crazy.”