front yard, a cold shiver ran up his spine. The house was dark and the front door ajar. Had thieves broken in? Jetta and Toddy were fast asleep in the yard. He walked up to the front door and pushed it. The hinges squeaked.
“Hello?” he said tentatively. “Aunt Magda?” He went in, flipped the switch, and the hall came to life. Immediately he heard someone whimpering from one of the bedrooms, and he quickened his pace through the hallway, his heart racing.
There were two bedrooms in the Curds’ home. The first was Corrine’s, the one he saw the other day, and then further down to the right was Uncle Matt and Aunt Magda’s. There was one more room in the back, but it was locked, and no one went in there except Aunt Magda to clean. It was a store room of sorts, full of broken radios, rusty paint cans, Corrine’s baby clothes, and other worthless junk. There was also a toolshed in the backyard where they kept their farming equipment, and that was the place the family raided whenever they needed a tool or some other item.
Corrine’s bedroom was empty, so he crept to the next one. “Aunt Magda,” he said again and heard someone sniffling. “Are you there?”
At long last, he stood in the doorway of Uncle Matt and Aunt Magda’s bedroom. The door was open and the light off, but he made out Aunt Magda’s silhouette in the dark. She sniffled again. Andy reached in, ran his fingers along the wall, and found the switch. He flicked it and Aunt Magda appeared on the bed, crying. She had bruises on her arms and neck, and there was a Band-Aid on her nose.
“Aunt Magda, what happened?” Andy said, rushing to her side as she struggled to sit up. “It’s okay, you don’t have to get up.”
She settled back. “It’s uh… your Uncle Matt.”
“He hit you?”
“He figured your father gave me money when he came to drop you off,” she said, sniffling. She wouldn’t look at Andy’s face. “And he did. Your father…” She paused and smiled weakly. “Your father is a very thoughtful man, always giving me money. But your Uncle Matt...” She closed her eyes and her face contorted. “He beat me up and took it all.”
Andy’s eyes welled as she winced in pain. It was fast becoming the worst day of his life since his mother’s death.
A moment later, she opened her eyes and wiped her cheeks. Andy handed her his handkerchief and she blew her nose. “Did you talk to Corrine? Did she say anything?”
Andy sighed and a dull throb hit his temples. “Yes, we talked. But it’s not important right now. We’ll talk about it when you feel better, okay? I promise.” He remembered the money and reached into his pocket. “Here’s the money from this morning’s sale,” he said, adding a few bills of his own. “Do you want to keep it somewhere he can’t find?”
She took the money and pulled her pillow out from under her. She slid off the pillowcase halfway, and a short zipper appeared on one side. She unzipped it, tucked the money in, zipped it back up, and readjusted the pillowcase.
“Thanks.”
“Why don’t you rest and I’ll come see you in the morning?” She nodded and lay down on the bed. “Can I get you anything before I leave? A glass of water?”
“Water would be fine, Andy.”
Andy went to the kitchen, poured some water in a jug, got an empty glass, and returned to her room. Her eyes were closed now and she rested an arm over her forehead. Andy placed the jug and glass on the nightstand and she opened her eyes.
“You’re such a good boy. I wish my daughter was like you,” she said as he poured her some water. She took a sip, and Andy placed the glass right next to the jug. “Listen, I want you to promise me you won’t tell your father about this.”
“Aunt Mag—”
“No, Andy. You mustn’t. And no going to the police, either. I know how you city kids are fiery and itching for justice, but he has friends in the police. They won’t do anything and he’ll find out. If that happens,
“Hello?” he said tentatively. “Aunt Magda?” He went in, flipped the switch, and the hall came to life. Immediately he heard someone whimpering from one of the bedrooms, and he quickened his pace through the hallway, his heart racing.
There were two bedrooms in the Curds’ home. The first was Corrine’s, the one he saw the other day, and then further down to the right was Uncle Matt and Aunt Magda’s. There was one more room in the back, but it was locked, and no one went in there except Aunt Magda to clean. It was a store room of sorts, full of broken radios, rusty paint cans, Corrine’s baby clothes, and other worthless junk. There was also a toolshed in the backyard where they kept their farming equipment, and that was the place the family raided whenever they needed a tool or some other item.
Corrine’s bedroom was empty, so he crept to the next one. “Aunt Magda,” he said again and heard someone sniffling. “Are you there?”
At long last, he stood in the doorway of Uncle Matt and Aunt Magda’s bedroom. The door was open and the light off, but he made out Aunt Magda’s silhouette in the dark. She sniffled again. Andy reached in, ran his fingers along the wall, and found the switch. He flicked it and Aunt Magda appeared on the bed, crying. She had bruises on her arms and neck, and there was a Band-Aid on her nose.
“Aunt Magda, what happened?” Andy said, rushing to her side as she struggled to sit up. “It’s okay, you don’t have to get up.”
She settled back. “It’s uh… your Uncle Matt.”
“He hit you?”
“He figured your father gave me money when he came to drop you off,” she said, sniffling. She wouldn’t look at Andy’s face. “And he did. Your father…” She paused and smiled weakly. “Your father is a very thoughtful man, always giving me money. But your Uncle Matt...” She closed her eyes and her face contorted. “He beat me up and took it all.”
Andy’s eyes welled as she winced in pain. It was fast becoming the worst day of his life since his mother’s death.
A moment later, she opened her eyes and wiped her cheeks. Andy handed her his handkerchief and she blew her nose. “Did you talk to Corrine? Did she say anything?”
Andy sighed and a dull throb hit his temples. “Yes, we talked. But it’s not important right now. We’ll talk about it when you feel better, okay? I promise.” He remembered the money and reached into his pocket. “Here’s the money from this morning’s sale,” he said, adding a few bills of his own. “Do you want to keep it somewhere he can’t find?”
She took the money and pulled her pillow out from under her. She slid off the pillowcase halfway, and a short zipper appeared on one side. She unzipped it, tucked the money in, zipped it back up, and readjusted the pillowcase.
“Thanks.”
“Why don’t you rest and I’ll come see you in the morning?” She nodded and lay down on the bed. “Can I get you anything before I leave? A glass of water?”
“Water would be fine, Andy.”
Andy went to the kitchen, poured some water in a jug, got an empty glass, and returned to her room. Her eyes were closed now and she rested an arm over her forehead. Andy placed the jug and glass on the nightstand and she opened her eyes.
“You’re such a good boy. I wish my daughter was like you,” she said as he poured her some water. She took a sip, and Andy placed the glass right next to the jug. “Listen, I want you to promise me you won’t tell your father about this.”
“Aunt Mag—”
“No, Andy. You mustn’t. And no going to the police, either. I know how you city kids are fiery and itching for justice, but he has friends in the police. They won’t do anything and he’ll find out. If that happens,
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