An Old-Fashioned Education (11 page)

When she next opened her eyes, the cold light of dawn was filtering through the curtains and Polly could smell the scent of bacon and maple syrup. Rising from the bed, she dressed quickly and exited the bedroom to find Walt cooking breakfast. The kids were already at the table. Kerry ran over to her, the ever-present stuffed dog flapping behind her. Aidan eyed her from the table, his look neither hostile nor friendly.

“Can I help?” she asked.

“Nah,” I’ve got this. Walt turned to offer her a quick wink before turning back to the stove. He was just dishing out pancakes when there was a frantic rap at the door.

Aidan answered and Paul rushed in with little more than a nod to the boy. He eyed both Polly and Walt, his gaze judgmental, before speaking.

“We got problems,” Paul said.

Walt turned. “What kind?”

“Bear,” Paul said.

Walt put the plate he was holding down and went to fireplace, where he reached above the mantle for a gun.

“No need for that,” Paul said. “It’s gone. Must have happened last night. Looks like more than one ripped into the storehouse. The place is trashed. I’m not sure what we can salvage.”

“If it’s a bear we should...”

“I’m not here for your advice,” Paul said. “You gave up leadership, remember? I’m here because I need an extra person to inventory.” He paused. “We need to figure how much we have left and this is woman’s work but Noni’s not feeling well. So I thought of you.”

Polly glanced at Walt to see if he had caught what she knew was meant as an insult. Walt’s former friend was telling him—in his own chauvinistic way—that he was seen as less of a man, and she knew it was because they all thought he was under her influence

But Walt didn’t take the bait.

“In that case, let me grab my notebook.” He walked to a desk and fetched it along with a pencil before looking at Paul. “But like it or not, we have to go after the bear. We can all go together, with you as leader. Or I’ll go alone. But this can’t be allowed to happen again.”

The muscle in Paul’s face twitched. It looked as if he were about to say something, but instead he just nodded.

“Yeah, sure,” he said and then the men were out the door.

“Is the bear going to get us?” Polly was torn from her thoughts by the frightened voice of Kerry. She reached down and patted the girl’s head.

“No, sweetie,” she said. “Your papa’s not going to let that happen. He can handle anything.”

“That’s what mama used to say,” Aidan said. And Polly saw a hint of pained affection in the boy’s eyes before he teared up and turned away.

Walt had talked about a plan—a plan for them and for Pepper’s Hollow, a plan that had started with her arrival. Did things happen for a reason? She never used to think so. Now she wasn’t so sure.

The snow had stopped, at least. By the window, Polly sat clutching a cup of hot cocoa as she watched Walt trudge through the snow to the storehouse. Even from her vantage point she could see the damage. The bear—or bears—had literally torn their way in through the door. Food was spread everywhere.

Kerry and Aidan were occupied with books and cocoa. Polly was glad it was Sunday, because it meant she could stay in the house and not face the members of Pepper’s Hollow. Even with Walt’s touching promise to stay with her, the next few months would be rough. She still wanted to fulfill her contract and to be a productive member of the community. But the community, she knew, resented her. Since she’d arrived, they’d had a blizzard, lost their leader and now a bear had torn into what they’d thought was a secure storehouse. How long before they started looking at her as some sort of curse, like a cat on a ship?

The men were outside the storehouse now, and she could see Paul and Walt engaged in a heated exchange. Paul was jabbing at Walt’s chest with his finger, stopping occasionally to point towards Walt’s cabin. It wasn’t hard to guess what they were arguing about. Her. The other men seemed to hang back as if struggling to remain neutral. She hated to see such uncertainty and confusion in Pepper’s Hollow, especially during a trying time like this.

After a few moments, Walt trudged back towards the house, his mouth fixed in a grim line. Polly didn’t say anything as he entered, sensing that if Walt wanted to tell her what had been said, he’d do so on his own. Instead, she poured him a cup of cocoa as he got the gun down from the mantle and went to the locker for a box of ammo.

As she handed it to him, he sighed. “I really can’t believe that someone I considered a friend for so long...”

Polly knew he was talking about Paul. “Everyone’s under a lot of stress,” she said. “If it will make things easier I can–”

“No,” he said, reading her mind.  “I don’t want you going back to the other cabin. I want you here. At this point, nothing could make things worse. And you know, this whole thing has made me realize Melissa was right. She used to call this community ‘The Other Woman’ and that’s what we’re seeing—the equivalent of an angry wife out there. Paul’s driving it, but he’s just saying what everyone else is afraid to. They were fine with me as long as I put them first. They never cared what it cost me, as long as I was there for every problem, every little dispute. As soon as I figured out that I need to have a life of my own as well, they turned on me.”

Polly swallowed hard, mustering the courage to respond. “I’m sure it seems that way,” she said, choosing her words carefully. “But you know, just as in a relationship, you have to set limits. You did with Melissa, and you have with me. I don’t think you ever figured out how to do it with Pepper’s Hollow.”

Polly held her breath, fearing she’d spoken out of turn and offended him, but he nodded.

“You’re right,” he said. “I thought I was leading, but I was blindly serving. If the people here ever want me back in charge—if I even want it—then things are going to be a lot different.”

He put the box of ammo in his pocket and walked over to kiss his kids.

“Are you going to get the bear, Daddy?” Kerry asked.

“We’re going to try, sweetheart,” he said.

He leaned down and dropped a kiss on Aidan’s head. “Take care of the womenfolk, son,” he said.

Aidan nodded without looking up, but as his dad walked to the door he called out.

“Dad, wait.”

Walt turned and Aidan stood from the table and ran over, catching his father around the waist in a tight grip. It was the first show of affection Polly had seen the child show his father, since she’d arrived. She blinked back tears that now blurred her vision, as Walt looked at her with gratitude in his eyes. Maybe her coming had not been a curse after all.

Walt hugged his son back for several long minutes, whispering to the child as he nodded in reply. Polly did not know what was being said, but she was glad to see further bonding between the two.

He looked at her as he went out and she knew he wanted to come kiss her as well, but she also knew that it was important to Aidan and Kerry to feel like they were number one in his eyes. And for Polly, that was just fine.

“Everyone stays inside, understand?” Walt said as he put his hand on the doorknob. “Everyone.” His eyes fell on Polly. “No exceptions. Disobey and answer to me. We don’t know how many bears there are, or if they’ll double back. We’ve secured the storehouse as best we can. So just sit tight. Hopefully, this won’t take too long.”

He turned and walked over to the mantle where a second gun hung and, taking it down, turned to Polly. “Remember when you asked me about the guns?”

She nodded. It had been several weeks earlier when Walt had been cleaning his on the porch. He’d showed her how to put it back together, explaining all the pieces, and told her how to load, unload and sight before shooting. It had been a short lesson, just to satisfy her curiosity more than anything; Polly had never fired a gun or even thought about it.

“The ammo’s in the safe,” he said. “The combination is 20-4-20. I can’t see you needing to use it, but if you do, then I want you to. Don’t aim towards any people. If it’s an animal, the sound of the blast should scare it off.” When he saw her worried expression, he gave her a reassuring smile. “Mind the kick. And come spring, I’ll teach you how to shoot properly.”

Polly nodded, resisting the urge to protest. He had enough on his mind. He winked at her, smiled at the kids and then was finally out the door.

Outside the men were waiting with a pacing Paul, who turned and stalked after the bear tracks just as Walt walked off his front porch. The other men followed slowly, waiting for Walt to catch up, until Paul barked at them to hurry. They sped forward, hearkening to Paul’s harsh tone. Walt did not. He continued at his own pace, not seeming to mind that the other men were moving ahead. Polly smiled as she watched, proud of him for not letting Paul bully him into rushing. From her perspective, the men reminded her of a wolf pack: Paul, the insecure leader; the other men, the uncertain followers; Walt, the natural alpha biding his time.

“Okay. Who’s up for a game of Jenga?” Polly turned to the kids, deciding the best way to keep them all from worrying was to occupy their minds. The next few hours were spent reading and playing games, but Polly’s mind was never far away from Walt. It made her uneasy that he was out with Paul, who was so openly hostile, and they were here with no way to contact him.

“You want to pick the book this time?” Polly had just finished reading
Blueberries for Sal
for the fourth time and handed it to Aidan, who walked to the shelf. But, as he was passing the window, he stopped.

“Ms. Perkins?” His voice was small and scared, and she stood and walked over, following the child’s gaze. A large brown shape was stalking the edge of the woods, behind a red-roofed cabin. The Criners. And on the back porch, pushing a car along the railing and oblivious to any danger, was Peter, the attention deficit child who’d almost taken the blame for the radio she’d busted.

Polly’s face froze in fear. Willow Criner was likely unaware that her hyperactive son had slipped out of the house to play on the porch. The bear, obviously skinny, slinked from the tree line, its hide hanging from its bony frame like an oversized coat.  How long before it caught the scent of the vulnerable child?

Polly had to think fast. She grasped Aidan by the shoulders and turned him to her.

“Peter,” he said.

“I know,” she replied. “I’m going to go scare the bear off

“But Dad said...”

“I don’t care what your Dad said,” she replied. “But listen. You must stay here with Kerry. Understand?” She gave him a little shake and, wide-eyed, Aidan nodded.

From the nearby table, Kerry began to whimper. Aidan rushed over to comfort her. “It’ll be okay.”

Polly got the gun, undid the safe to fetch the ammo and then, donning her coat, dropped the shells into the pocket. She was quiet opening the door. The wind was still blowing away from the cabins, which was good. Her hands shook slightly as she loaded the shells into the gun.

When she was sure she had one in the chamber, she started down the steps. Polly noted the direction of the wind as she walked. As she made her way towards the Criner’s cabin, she heard a noise to the left. A door had opened and she looked over to see Paul’s wife, Noni, glaring at her. Noni had been her first friend upon arriving at Pepper’s Hollow, but the look she was giving Polly now was anything but friendly.

“What are you doing out with a gun?” She demanded. “You don’t even know how to shoot and let me guess, Walt put you in charge?”

Polly ignored her. The woman was obviously infected with her husband’s spite, but that was a small matter compared to the situation. The wind had shifted, and the bear was turning towards the Criner’s cabin now. It had spied Peter. Without acknowledging Noni’s words, Polly crouched down and leveled the sight at the bear.

Behind the shoulder. That was where Walt had once told her he aimed. Hitting the vulnerable lungs and heart was the surest way to bring an animal down.

She held her breath and pulled the trigger. The report of the gun was ear-splitting. The animal roared and Noni, finally realizing what was going on, screamed as the animal roared again, dropped down and charged towards the child.

Polly felt like she was suddenly on autopilot. Her instincts to protect Peter kicked in and she quickly chambered another bullet, raised the gun and fired again. This time the bear fell, much to her surprise. She could not believe that she’d hit him. The animal had been running and the shot had been against all odds.

Now everyone was pouring out of their cabins and Willow came screaming onto her own back porch, hauling Peter up into her arms as she eyed the carcass of the grizzly in disbelief.

Polly walked over and Willow, glancing from her to the bear and back again, began to sob thank yous and apologies for not realizing her son was on the porch.

She wasn’t the only one apologizing. Noni was now beside her in tears. “Oh, Polly. I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything.” With Peter out of danger, Polly suddenly realized her relief had been replaced by anger. “It would be nice, though, if you’d think for yourself instead of letting your husband decide who you should and shouldn’t like.”

“That’s not fair,” Noni said. “Paul has every right to be upset. Walt–.”

“Walt what?” She asked, realizing she now had an audience of the Pepper Hollow women. “He made a mistake. He did something stupid. He actually thought of himself for a change, and for his family, instead of everyone here. Is that really so wrong? From what I see, he looks after everyone, but no one looks after him. Just when someone wants to, he feels like he has something to be ashamed of.”

She sighed and looked at the other women. “I’m sorry for all the problems I’ve caused. But let me tell you that I do care about the community here. I care about all of you and all your kids. It was hard when I first came, seeing the way you women live, how you obey. But as time has gone on, I’ve come to realize it’s not a bad way to live.” She smiled a little. “It’s even quite attractive.”

Some of the other women nodded.

“But leaders aren’t perfect. Walt’s not. And he admits it, and that’s what makes me want to listen to him. And your husbands aren’t either, and it’s okay to make up your own mind; whether it’s about me or Walt or this community.”

She turned. “I’ve got to go let Aidan and Kerry know I’m okay.”

“I think they already do,” Noni said, nodding towards Walt’s cabin, where Kerry and Aidan were giving her the thumbs up.

Polly waved and turned back to the women. “What should we do about the bear?” She asked.

“Bear meat,” said Greta. “Only seems fitting since the bears took half of ours.” She smiled warmly at Polly. “Thank you. That was very brave, what you did.”

Polly felt her heart give a little twist. She had figured that Greta, more than anyone, would have resented her. After all, Polly had broken the radio the day Greta was going through a problematic labor that could have cost both her and her unborn child their lives.

“I was glad to do it,” Polly said. She looked down at the bear. “I don’t know how much meat is on him, though. He’s awfully skinny.”

“Yeah,” said Penny, another one of the wives. She was as burly as her husband, Rufus, was slight. The two lived on the very edge of the settlement, and while hard workers, said little. “He’d not have lasted much longer. A hungry bear is a dangerous animal, though. He’d surely take a child. We probably need to haul the carcass to the storehouse and skin it if we’re going to salt and dry the meat.”

Polly had never before been involved in the butchering of an animal. Despite its emaciation, it still took ten women working together to pull the carcass through the snow. She was amazed at the skill the women displayed in skinning the huge beast. The shadows were growing long by the time all the meat had been cut away and hung to dry in the smokehouse. During that time, Polly had gone into the house to cook lunch for the children, recounting at least a dozen times how she’d dropped the bear with the second shot.

It was nearly dark when she, again, detected movement from the woods. This time it was the men. They were returning home. On the sled behind them was the  hulking carcass of another bear.