Page 147 of Hell Hath No Fury
“Ummm, have you seen the vegetable garden? It’s tragic.”
“That’s why you’re gonna pour some love into it. That’s all it needs. Now listen, when things settle down a bit, you ought to get up to the Carvill’s house and see what supplies you can acquire. Firewood, gasoline, food, weapons…. Grab whatever you can use. They’re not there right now and probably won’t be coming.”
“You mean steal?”
“Borrow,” he corrected me. “But not until Ms. McCormick says it’s safe to. I’ve already told her all of this, tried to, at least, but she’s gonna need help, Ashe. So you need to step up. All of you do.”
“Which again brings me to the question … why the hell are you leaving us here like this?”
Malcolm frowned as he dug into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He flipped it open then held it close so I could see it in the dark. He tapped the picture of two adorable little children wearing Mickey Mouse ears and smiling in front of the castle at Magic Kingdom.
“This right here is why. Now let me finish. I don’t have much time. If for whatever reason the water goes out or it’s shut off, or the electricity, whatever, Dr. McCormick is gonna have to take you and a few of the other older children and head north through Lettuce Lake Park, all right? The Hillsborough River is right there, and as long as you boil the water, it’ll be potable.”
“You think it’ll get that bad?”
He looked off into the distance, seeming to be deep in thought. “I don’t know, Ashe, but what have I always told you guys? Preparation breeds readiness, readiness breeds efficiency, efficiency…
“Breeds success,” I finished the last part with him. I had heard him say it more times than I could count. It brought a smile to his face, despite the sour feeling in my stomach.
“All right…” he said as he put a fist up for me to knuckle.
“You promise you’ll come back when all this blows over?”
He looked at me with sincerity in his eyes. “I promise.”
I bypassed his knuckles and gave him a quick hug. He seemed startled and uncomfortable with it but patted me on the back.
“Bye, Ashe.”
“Bye, Mr. Malcolm.”
“Oh, and happy birthday!” he said with a wide smile though his eyes read guilt., sadness. He reached into his pocket and pulled something out.
I feigned my own smile. “It’s tomorrow, Mr. Malcom.”
He nodded. “Well, happy early birthday, then.” He handed over an old flip knife with a carved wooden handle, MHL etched into its surface.
“It was a gift from the best man at my wedding. My old man. I want you to have it.”
I traced the letters with my finger. “MHL?”
He nodded. “Malcolm Henry Little.”
“Awesome! Thank you, Mr. Malcolm. It really means a lot. I’ll hold onto it forever, or maybe give it back to you when you return.”
He shook his head. “Nah, you hold onto that, Ashe. That’s my gift to you. Now listen, you take care of them, you hear? And you come lock this back door after I leave, all right? But do it quietly. Dr. McCormick needs her sleep.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
As he turned and started away, I said, “Mr. Malcolm…”
He cringed and turned back, putting a finger to his lips. “Shhh.” He maneuvered closer, bending down to a knee. “What’s up?”
I bit my bottom lip, my eyes darting to the floor shamefully. “I’m sorry for fighting with Kammie again.” My shoulders slouched. “All the time, I guess. It’s just so frustrating. I hope that’s not why you’re leaving.”
He passed me a genuine smile, resting a hand on my shoulder. “Oh, Ashe, it’s not. I promise. But y’all need to work your stuff out, and quickly. This is the time when Dr. McCormick needs you the most. She’s given so much for y’all. You know that right? She doesn’t have to put as much time, energy, and effort into this place, into y’all, as she does. All right? Remember that. You’re old enough to hear this. The dissolution of her marriage…” he pointed toward the ground. “This place had a lot to do with it. Now, I’m not saying that to make you feel bad. It’s more the politics, Bobby, the state of the place, but the long hours, the stress … it put a lot of pressure on her. On them. Just give her a break, all right? Try to get along.”
“Okay, Mr. Malcolm, I will.”
