Bartle Clunes - Chapter 36
Rose and Ruth's Houseguest
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Rose and Ruth had busied themselves all afternoon to put together a good dinner for their guest. Ruth shelled peas. Rose made a cherry tart with Bisquik. A stewed chicken was bubbling on the stove, ready for the dumplings. Having a visitor was the biggest thing to happen to them since last June, which was when they had attended the baptism of the babies Pearly and Philo at Saint Barbara of the Miners Church.
Rollie Stump stayed with them for three days while his ankle healed. Ruth said to Rose, “You know the folks of Riles Crossing would be scandalized to find out we have taken in a stranger – a single man.”
Rose said, “Ruth, never you mind.” And she took Rollie upstairs to the back bedroom where there was a pile of their father’s old clothes they were sorting out to donate to the Salvation Army. “Rollie, you just take anything here you can use,” she said.
“You will find a lot of good serviceable things. You just help yourself.” Rollie added two pairs of trousers, a couple of shirts and a jacket to his ragged duffle bag.
On his last day, Rollie mended the screen door in back and fixed the latch on the gate with a length of baling wire and added a second hinge. Then he went out to the yard and propped up the sagging clothes line with two long boards he found in the shed. All this under protest from the girls, who thought he should be sitting down resting that ankle.
That evening, the three of them were sitting out on the porch in the moonlight, listening to the crickets and frogs sing a robust Hallelujah chorus. After a while Rollie said, “You know, when I was in jail no one ever come to visit me, I was all alone in this world for seven months. But you girls, even though I was a stranger, you invited me in to your house. I was hurt, and you doctored me up and let me rest. You gave me the best food I have eaten in a long weary time. You even improved my wardrobe. I feel like the most fortunate man in creation.”
“Well, Rollie, Ruth and I, we take our directions from Matthew 25:35”, said Rose. “And your staying here has done as much good for us as it may have done for you. It was a pleasure to have you here, Rollie. Now, are you sure you want to walk that two miles up to Mr. Griggs’ house tomorrow? Because you know you are welcome to stay.
The girls were sorry to see Rollie head out the next morning. They liked the novelty of having a man’s company – or anyone’s company, for that matter. They were hoping he would stay a few more days. But, if truth be told, they were also sad to see him go because now they would have to get back to their work. His visit had given them three days off. Now they’d have no excuse to ignore it. They each had two quilt-tops rolled up on the work table in the sewing room, just waiting to be finished. Waiting to be started.
Rose and Ruth were about the only ones around El Dorado County who had quilting frames, and they made a good deal of their living by hand-quilting other women’s patchwork or appliquéd quilt-tops for them. They needed to add the batting and the backing and roll them onto their old maple frames and start stitching. They were good at it, they were meticulous. It was long, tedious indoor work – perfect for a rainy day, but they would rather read or go for a walk.
Rollie had set out early, right after a breakfast of hot Cream of Wheat and good strong chicory coffee. He was ambling slowly up the muddy track, limping slightly, carrying his bag. It was a little drizzly, and the sky promised more rain. He hadn’t got very far when an old Packard wood-paneled station wagon flew right past him, tires tossing up mud onto his new trousers, and then it came to a quick stop up ahead. A woman got out – a big woman. She said, “Hey, there! You need a ride? Where you going?”
“Oh...I am just headed up to Riles Crossing. It’s not far, thank you, ma’am.”
“Well, I know how far it is, I live there,” she laughed. “Why don’t you just get on in and I’ll take you on up. It’s no trouble at all. Heavens to Betsy! You know, walking up this hill is either going to kill you or make you wish you were dead. Besides, this sky is just about to let loose as all get out!”
Rollie heard the sense in that offer and got in her car, throwing his bag over into the back seat, just as the rain started to fl heavily.
“My name is Vida Lee,” she said, offering her hand. “I am originally from Alameda, but I live up here now, in these hills. I am retired! Now, who are you?”
“My name’s Rollie Stump. I come from over in Auburn. But I spent the last seven months in...ah... Sacramento.” Vida Lee got the car moving again, tires spinning in the mud as she took off a little too fast.
“Aha. Sacramento. Nice town. Working down there were you?”
“Um....something like that. I was working. To be truthful, I was working off time in the Sacramento County jail.”
“Lord almighty! You were? Now how did that happen? You sure don’t look like a criminal to me, Mr Stump.”
“No ma’am, I don’t, and I am not. I made a mistake. I was guilty of a misdemeanor and I paid my debt for being an idiot. I got off easy – I was sentenced to a year, but they let me out five months early. That is all past and done now. I learned my lesson.”
“My oh my,” said Vida Lee, shaking her head. “So why are you coming to Riles Crossing? You have folks up here, Rollie? May I call you Rollie?
“Rollie is fine. I am on my way to see an old friend, Eizer Griggs. I suppose you know him?’
“Good night! Everybody knows everybody in Riles Crossing, and that is a fact. I am going right by Eizer’s house. I am practically his neighbor.”
“How’s he doing these days? I haven’t seen old Eizer in a dog’s age. He still have all those animals?”
“Yes sir, I believe he does – cow, chickens, maybe a few ducks ... and he also has acquired a grandson that has plumb changed that old man’s life. You will meet little Eli soon enough. That boy could talk your leg off. Lord! They are quite a pair those two. They have started a library in Riles Crossing, can you believe it? I volunteer there a couple days a week, and I also teach English to a handful of immigrants. So I’m having fun, keeping busy. My heaven, listen to me! I am talking more than Eli! Sometimes, I don’t have the sense God gave a rock, you know what I mean?
“Yes, I do.” he nodded.
“You planning to stay up here long, Rollie?”
“No idea really. I am sort of ...well...between jobs and thought I would come up here to see what I might find. They taught me how to do some plumbing whilst I was incarcerated and basic carpentry and a little brickwork, too. So maybe I can find something. It will be a good change of scene anyway. It’s so pretty up here ... and I can see an old friend while I am at it.”
“Not many colored people up here, Rollie. Counting you and me there might be, oh, about two,” she laughed. “But you will feel welcome. These are good people. Although ... you might not want to mention that jail time right off.”
Well, well. More serendipity. 🤣
I was surprised when I read that Rose & Ruth are 29!! I had the impression they were old spinsters. Maybe in those days they were!
I remember when we were teaching ESL, you would show your students several pictures & have them tell a story. Wondering if you are using photos as prompts for your story telling.
Which comes first: the story or the photo?
I’m guessing some of both. Love this chapter!