The Girl with Bare Feet, L. Avery Brown [readera ebook reader TXT] 📗

all."

 

"Jesus, Wade. You're exasperating. Let's get inside. Peter might already be awake."

 

The two of them made their way back inside the house. Janelle felt calmer. More focused. They sat on the couch and watched a ridiculous movie and laughed while Peter played away the last bit of energy he had. He fell asleep in Wade's arms.

 

Wade and Janelle walked up the stairs to Peter's room and tucked him into his crib. After giving him a kiss the couple retired to their room where Janelle fell asleep for the first time in quite a while without any sort of pharmaceutical assistance. And she slept all night, without incident.

 

Waking up the next morning, Janelle felt somehow lightened. Wade was already in the shower getting ready to head to the church. She caught a glimpse of him and grinned. Maybe all she needed was a good lay to calm her weary mind. "Well," she said to the air around her, "technically I suppose it was more like a good... press." She giggled. Today was going to be a good day.

 

Janelle made her way into the kitchen and pulled out the carton of eggs from the refrigerator. "Liza, hurry up, honey. Your bus will be here in about thirty minutes and you've got to have your breakfast." She turned on the gas cooktop and placed a skillet on the burner. After five minutes passed and Liza still hadn't made her appearance, Janelle turned off the burner and made her way up the stairs.

 

"Liza." She pushed open the door to Liza's bedroom and found her daughter dressed and sitting in the middle of her room with the shoes that had been lined up in front of the bed now in a circle around her; dress shoes, tennis shoes, sandals, and even her little princess slippers. Liza had her backpack at her side and was talking to one of her dolls. What the hell?

 

"Liza, honey, what are you doing? I've been waiting for you to come down to get your breakfast." Liza didn't acknowledge her mother's presence. "Liza," Janelle reached out pick up Liza, "young lady, you need to come dow--"

 

Before Janelle's hand made contact, Liza turned around and looked at her mother. "I'm coming, Mommy."

 

Janelle stepped away from Liza; startled. Although she wasn't exactly sure why because Liza wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary. She was always talking to her dolls and her various stuffed animals. But there was something about the tone of her voice. It was… odd. The words landed on her ears in a weird way; oppressive almost. "Good. You need to have a real breakfast to get your day going in the right direction."

 

"Sure, Mommy." Liza stood up and hugged her mother around her legs. "Can I have sausage? I like to dunk it in my egg stuff." The weird sensation faded immediately.

 

Janelle laughed trying to sound lighthearted. "Sure. I bought some of the little links you like the other day. Come on." She reached down and picked up Liza. They got to the stairs and Janelle put her down. "Alright, lil' monster. You've got to do the stairs yourself. Mommy's back is sore today."

 

"Sorry, Mommy." Liza took off down the stairs.

 

Janelle groaned when she saw Liza didn't have her backpack with her. "I'll be right down, Sweetie. You forgot your bag." She went back into Liza's room and saw the pink and purple bag sitting in the center of her circle of shoes and grabbed it. Then, by chance, she looked in the direction where Liza had been deep in conversation with her dolls and realized there wasn't a doll there.

 

In fact, all Liza's dolls and stuffed animals were either on her bed, on the shelf, or Janelle assumed, in her toy chest. "Who was she talking… no… don’t even think about Janelle. You have got to get out of this house. You're going to go bat shit crazy if you don't."

 

She made her way to the kitchen with Liza's backpack in her hands. "Here you go. Can't forget this." Janelle went back to the cooktop, turned on the gas burner, and commenced to making a fried egg and two sausage links for her daughter.

 

Wade walked in a minute or so later carrying Peter. "Guess you were too wrapped up in getting someone her breakfast to hear this little fella."

 

"What? Was he crying?"

 

"Well, no. It's more like he was 'la, la, la-ing'. I guess that's his new thing." Wade brought Peter to Janelle and went to hand him over to her. But just as he was about to make the handoff, a burst of blue natural gas fuel flames shot up and nearly got Wade's hand and Peter's back. "Shit! What the hell?"

 

Janelle jumped and grabbed Peter out of Wade's arms. "Oh my God, Peter, are you alright?" She looked at Peter to make sure he'd not been singed by the flame. And when she saw her son was alright, she looked at Wade. "How about you? You ok?"

 

"Yeah, I guess. What was that?"

 

"I don't know. It’s happened a couple of times before. Sometimes it's like the line gets a big shot of gas and it goes poof."

 

"This has happened before? Why didn't you tell me?"

 

"Well, it didn't seem like a big deal. It's only been two maybe three times."

 

"Damn, Janelle, that's one or two times too many. You should've let me know. I'll call the gas company and see if they can send someone out here today or something."

 

"Sure. Oh, wait. I was thinking of asking your mother to watch Peter so I could go to Asheville today. I need to get a few supplies and I think I'm starting to suffer from cabin fever."

 

"All right I'll call and see if someone can come out tomorrow."

 

"Thanks." Janelle finished cooking the sausages for Liza and watched her daughter eat them as quickly as possible. When she was done with her breakfast, Janelle put Liza's plate in the sink and reached into the refrigerator to grab Peter's bottle because he was getting fussy. "Wade can you take Liza to the bus stop? It's too chilly to take him out right now."

 

"Yeah, no problem. Come on, Liza." He put his hand out for his daughter.

 

Liza ran to Janelle and gave her a kiss. "Bye, Mommy. Have a good day."

 

"You, too."

 

Janelle watched Wade walk hand-in-hand up to the bus stop with Liza. Once they were at the top of the drive, he sat down on the giant rock that marked the entrance to their property and put Liza on his lap. Even from so far away, Janelle could tell he and Liza were having fun waiting for the bus to arrive. Wade had his arms around her and was, she assumed, singing one the dorky songs he liked to make up on the spot because the two of them were swaying from side to side on the rock.

 

She smiled and looked at Peter. "Okay, big boy, Mommy is going to feed you then call Grandma so you two can spend some quality time together. And so Mommy can get away from all this damn beautiful solitude."

 

Peter clapped his hands together and reached out for his bottle. "Who's the hungry boy? Hmmm? Peter is that's who." Janelle glanced out the window once again when she caught a glimpse of 'school bus orange' out of the corner of her eye. She watched Liza get on the bus and smiled.

 

But then right after the bus passed by she saw something in the road. It was there and then it was gone. For an instant she thought it was a person. Maybe a child. Maybe a kid had gotten off the bus or something. She looked again and it was gone. "Okay, you are losing your ever loving mind woman. Yeah, you have got to get out of this house for the day."

 

Wade wandered back inside and grabbed his travel mug. "I'm heading in now." He kissed Peter on his forehead and gave Janelle a kiss on her cheek. "I hope you have fun doing whatever it is you're going to do in the city. I assume by 'getting supplies' you really mean you're going to get your nails done or something."

 

"Why, Wade, I'm shocked." Janelle grinned. "Okay, so maybe I'm going to get my nails done, too. After I get some supplies."

 

"Right." He laughed then headed towards the door. "Oh, wait, crap. I forgot I'm supposed to head up to Johnson City this afternoon. The Appalachian Association of Baptists are meeting tonight at six or maybe it's seven and the Deacons want to make sure I'm there to be all social and whatnot."

 

Janelle sighed. "So, no to my day in Asheville?"

 

"No, no. Not that. I don't think I'd have to leave until something like four. Unless you're getting your nails done twice or something. I just wanted to make sure you knew in advance if you were planning a big dinner."

 

"Oh, okay. How long do you think you’ll be?"

 

"About an hour or so to get there. Few hours of schmoozing. Probably dinner. I might come in around midnight maybe one."

 

"Midnight? Geez, Wade. That's really late. I don't like the idea of you driving along all these twisty-winding roads at night. It's just so dark."

 

"Jan, babe, you know I did learn to drive in the mountains? I'm a big boy. I think I can do it."

 

"You know what I mean." Janelle put Peter down in his playpen with his bottle. "I'd rather you stay overnight in Johnson City and come back in the morning. It would just make me feel better to know you're not driving around out there where stupid drunk people might be."

 

Wade sighed and shook his head. "Alright. Even though I've driven these roads thousands of times and I've probably even driven them with stupid drunk people nearby, but I'll stay overnight. I'm sure one of the Deacons knows somebody I can stay with. And if not, I'll just get a hotel room."

 

Janelle smiled. "Good. That makes me feel better. So, why don't you go grab your overnight bag?"

 

"Yes, Mother." Wade laughed, slumped his shoulders forward, and made his way to the bedroom like he'd been scolded. A few minutes later he walked out. "All packed. Got fresh undies. And a shirt. And pants."

 

"Toothbrush?"

 

He rolled his eyes, feigning annoyance. "Yup. Got it. And my floss, too. And now, I've really got to get going. Have fun today, alright."

 

"I will. And you, too. Doing whatever it is you do at those ever so exciting meetings."

 

"I will. Scout's honor. I will do everything in my power to make the most of the evening." Wade smiled then left.

 

Once Wade was on his way, Janelle grabbed her phone and called her mother-in-law to ask if she would mind watching Peter. And, as expected, Doris was beside herself with joy to get to watch him. "Great. You have no idea how much I need a little break. I think I just need to go out and be Janelle for a while. Being 'mommy' every second of the day can wear a girl down." Doris laughed.

 

After she showered Janelle let Dumbo run around the backyard so he could splash about in the lake while she got Peter ready and put him in his car seat. "Oh, shit." She looked back at Peter. "Mommy did not say that. Nope. But, Mommy did forget to bring Dumbo in. You stay right here. I'll be back in a second."

 

She ran through the house, out to the back patio, and called down to Dumbo. "Come on, boy. Time to come in." Dumbo looked up at her and turned back around. "Hey, you. Don't you do that to me. I know you can hear me. Come here now."

 

Dumbo turned once again to look at her then went back to splashing and playing around one of the huge rocks that was on the shore. "Fine. You stupid animal. But no chewies for you, mister." She made her way down the stairs. Once her feet