Chapter 5: Lux

Luke helped Hank that morning. First, he helped muck out the barn and store the manure in the compost bin, and then he took hay out to the small herd; it was his first time driving a tractor, but he caught on quickly, learning how to use the levers and hooking up and disconnecting different attachments. It was just regular farm work, but he found he enjoyed it after a fashion; he was accomplishing something, and he was doing a job that he could be proud of. Hank watched him, gave him advice, and was amazed at how fast he picked it up. He didn’t say anything more about what they discussed in the kitchen that morning; he just let Luke have his peace and let the work consume his thoughts.

They got most of the work done around 8 and went to wash up for breakfast. They found Jeannie and Gina inside, making of all things buttermilk biscuits. Luke had stopped and stared at them both.

“Are people just born knowing how to cook this stuff down here?” He looked at the flour and dough they were mixing up. Gina and Jeannie just laughed.

“Your mother told me how much you love biscuits so I told her we’ll need two batches this morning to feed the Men when they get done with chores.” Then she kissed her hubby and squealed when he popped her on the ass.

“That’s my Gina!” He chuckled as he went to the downstairs bathroom to scrub off a bit and Luke went to the upstairs one, taking his time and washing off the smell of the barn and the field.

When they came back, there was the sound of frying bacon and smoked sausage on the stove, both smelled heavenly, and he grinned as he sat down with a cup of coffee. He felt great after working outside and coming back in, the smell of good food cooking and a nice cup of coffee; he just felt really good.

Jeannie noticed him grinning and then looked at Hank, who winked and nodded. She turned back to Luke and smiled, then came over with the coffee pot and refilled his cup, kissing him on the cheek and ruffling his hair.

It was good that they made two pans of biscuits because Luke ate 7 and Hank devoured 6 by himself. Jeannie and Gina just looked at those two as they stuffed golden brown buttered bread past their lips as quickly as they could; they started talking about how at least there was no waste and laughed.

After breakfast, they sat at the table and talked a bit, mostly about local events and little things, the price of feed going up a bit the hay fields they wanted to plant, the old truck Hank needed to fix up at the edge of the drive.

After letting their food settle a bit, Hank took Luke into town using his old Dodge flatbed; he needed to get chicken feed and cow feed, so young, strong backs were always welcome in that type of job.

Getting to Mason’s, the feed store, Luke took a look around while Hank talked with Doug, the owner; he had never been in an Ag store before; the sights and smells were unusual, but not unpleasant. The smell of feed had a grain and earth-type smell, something that tickled the nose as he walked around, he saw a fish tank with yellow chicks recently hatched and ready to be sold to farms, they even had baby goats in the pen out back which he thought were cute, though if anyone ever asked he would deny it. He looked at the fence posts and the large selection, from wood to metal; there was cheap and expensive, quality and quantity; there were axes and hatchets and hoes and post-hole diggers, spades, and shovels; it reminded him of Home Depot, but better.

He helped Hank load up the truck; the 50-pound bags were not that heavy at first. But they got heavy real quick after the 3rd or 4th one; he realized he was out of shape as he was panting when they finished, and Hank hadn’t even needed to take a deep breath. They got back in and headed back to the farm. Along the way, Hank explained a few things about farm work and told him how some of the things got done, like spring planting and sowing, about the cows and when they needed to see the vet and inoculations, just things in general. Luke found it all fascinating; he wouldn’t want to do it his whole life, but farm work was appealing to him for now. It was a new experience, and he intended to make the most of it.

When they got back, Hank pulled around to the barn and opened the feed bin; Luke started helping him unload and check for rats. They didn’t see any but Hank warned him it’s best to keep them cleared out as much as possible, mainly because they ate the grains, but also they attracted snakes when it got warmer. He pointed to a few heads on the fence a few yards away; rattlesnakes, he told him. Luke nodded, understanding then.

“Of course, you have all kinds, especially on the farm, but those are the worst,” He explained. Then, he went on to tell him about other pests and animals that were detrimental to the farm and would usually be killed when spotted; that went for deer, coyotes, chicken hawks, owls, and especially wild boar.

“You know how to shoot a gun?” He asked him when they had finished stocking the bin. Luke just shook his head no.

“Alright, we’ll start on that today then. I got a couple hours before I have to head to work. I’ll show ya a few things.” Hank nodded and went inside, then came back out a few minutes later with a rifle and a leather bag.

He showed him the gun, and as soon as Luke got his face too close to the end of the barrel, Hank slapped him on the side of his head, hard. Luke staggered from it, felt his face turning red, and he got angry.

“WHAT!?!” Gritting his teeth and staring at him, clenching his fists.

Hank just looked at him calmly. Then spoke.

“Now you’ll always remember, never look down a barrel, son; the gun is always loaded, even if the chamber is empty and you checked it yourself, it is ALWAYS loaded, do you understand?” He cocked his head to the side.

Luke took a deep breath and nodded, letting his anger go, understanding then why he got the smack, even if he grumbled in his mind that he could have just told him.

“And never point it at anything you don’t intend to shoot at; that means no waving it around; always keep it pointed away, usually down at the ground or straight up unless you’re ready to fire. A gun is a tool, just like any other, but like all tools, they have only two things that they do. One is the job they are designed to do, the other is to hurt whoever uses it. When you use it, you keep your focus on it, not anything else, you understand?” Hank told him in all seriousness.

Luke nodded.

“Ok, good, now go take that old bucket, the one with the hole in it and no handle and set it up on that fence post over near that pecan tree over there” He waved off at the big tree, it looked pretty damn far away, it took Luke a minute to jog out there and back, feeling the slight twinge in his left leg again.

He went on to explain the caliber of the gun, the iron sights, the safety, and how to aim, how to brace, and how to fire. Hank explained for a good twenty minutes before he handed him some earplugs.

“Now put those in and make sure everything sounds muffled, that’s just a 30.06 but even still, it’s got a loud boom that does take away some hearing over time, so protect it as much as you can.”

Hank then explained how to set his aim using the sights and how to tailor the sights to the one doing the shooting.

“Now that gun is set to how I like it, so don’t get discouraged if you miss a couple of times; when you get your own rifle, you can zero it yourself and get a feel for it, and then you’ll be hitting the target easily with a little practice.”

He stepped back and told him to take aim and fire.

Luke braced himself, feet apart, solid, then tucked the stock to his shoulder and aimed down the sights. He had the tiny red dot from the sights directly on the bucket, then breathed out and held it as his finger slowly squeezed. The gun rocked back, and he felt the hard kick to his shoulder, causing him to groan a moment, but he held the gun steady, pointing it down now and looking into the distance. Hank got out the little scope, looked through it, and then handed it to Luke. Luke saw the bucket jump right up in view. When he put it to his eye, he saw a hole near the lip of the bucket, the round having torn through it and making a decent-sized hole in the wood behind it.

“Not bad for the first time; you’ll get the hang of it the more you practice; like all things, it just takes time.” Hank clapped him on the back and told him to take a few more shots.

Luke shot till the internal mag was empty, just 5 rounds, but his shoulder wasn’t used to the abuse so he was definitely rubbing it when he gave the rifle back to Hank. Hank just chuckled and said he’d get used to it over time. They gathered their stuff up and headed back to the house.

He found his mother and Gina sitting on the porch drinking sweat tea when they got there, just chatting. They looked over at them as they came up the steps.

“So how was your first hunting trip?” Jeannie looked at Luke smiling.

He just laughed and mentioned the bucket didn’t stand a chance.

Gina giggled and left to fix Hank’s lunch before he left; Hank followed her in to put up the gun and get ready for work.

Luke sat down next to his mother in the old rocking chair next to the wrought iron table. He leaned back and rubbed his shoulder a little, then pulled the shirt away and looked at the deep red spot, not quite a bruise, but almost.

“You get used to it after a while,” She told him, seeing it.

“Yeah, that’s what Hank told me; it doesn’t bother me that much; it was just kind of surprising, is all, it kicking that hard.” He gave a little chuckle.

She nodded.

“I think I was six when Daddy first taught me to shoot; I had a little .22. It’s easier when you learn young, you learn to expect the kick, and then you know it’s coming, so it doesn’t bother you as much.”

He rubbed his shoulder a little more then took an empty glass and filled it from the pitcher.

“Why didn’t you and Dad teach us all this stuff?” He asked curiously as he took a sip.

At the mention of his father, she got another look on her face like she had bit a lemon, then sighed.

“Because I listened to him, and he didn’t want you and the girls to grow up with guns in the house. There wasn’t a need for them, really. We lived in a peaceful area, and none of us had an interest in hunting, so we just put it out of our minds even though I did want to share it with you three growing up.”

Luke shrugged.

“It’s no big deal, but it is kind of nice, learning new skills”

She laughed and agreed.

“Looks like Hank is teaching you how to farm”

He nodded.

“Yeah, mostly how it’s hard work, and I am seriously out of shape!” He laughed, his muscles still aching from the heavy lifting earlier.

“You’ll get used to it, baby.” She patted him on the shoulder.

They sat there for a few minutes just enjoying the morning sun and cool temperature; Gina came back out, wrapping her shawl around her shoulders, and rejoined them, Hank a few moments later kissing his wife and heading into work.

“Be back tonight and save me some supper!” He laughed as he got in the truck and backed out.

“I swear that man! Lately, every time, it’s like he thinks I’m gonna eat it all or something!” She gave a shake of her head and chuckled watching him drive off.

Jeannie looked at her and giggled.

“Well, you are eating for two after all.” Gina looked at her and then smiled and shrugged, agreeing maybe that was what her hubby was talking about, just ribbing his wife a little.

They sat there a while, just chatting about things. Then Jeannie asked him how he was feeling.

“I’m feeling fine, my shoulder is sore, but like you said, I’ll get used to it.” His leg still ached a little but that was rapidly diminishing now that he was getting more exercise.

“I mean, well, with how things ... were.” She looked at him with a concerned look and saw that Gina was giving him that same expression.

Luke sighed and thought on it for a moment before answering.

“I talked to Hank this morning, and I guess I feel better. He kinda made me see things, stuff I hadn’t really thought about, and I don’t know, just things don’t seem so dark anymore, ya know?” He looked up at her with a small smile.

His mother smiled brightly at that, her eyes tearing up a little as she hugged him. Whispering.

“I’m glad baby.” Then, kissing his cheek, she sat back down and sipped her tea.

He got up after a few minutes.

“I’m gonna head into town for a bit; I want to look around; I’ll be back in a little while.” He told them as he picked up his glass to take it to the sink.

Jeannie got up quickly.

“Do you want me to come with you?”

“Nah, I’m fine; I just wanted to take a look around, is all.” He explained.

She looked a little apprehensive and he put his arms around her.

“I’m fine, Mom; I think everything is going to be ok now.”

She sniffled a little against his chest then smiled up at him.

“Ok baby, I guess you don’t need your mother holding your hand now.”

He took her hand and held it for a moment.

“Sure feels nice, though, doesn’t it?” He grinned and she giggled, slapping him on the chest.

“Just be back for supper ok baby?”

He nodded then excused himself to go shower and change.

He showered quickly and changed into some regular jeans and his work boots, threw on an old t-shirt, grabbed his jacket, put his green cap on, and then headed out.

He drove out towards town and let his mind drift a little; he told his mother the truth; he thought things might be getting better now; he not only said those things so she wouldn’t worry, but he was starting to believe it himself. He cracked the window and let the smell of the pines and hardwoods drift in on the chill air. The sun was a little brighter in the afternoon sky, and he felt good.

His good mood stayed with him while he drove around; he got some looks at his car when he stopped in the town and parked.

He checked out a few of the stores, the little mom-and-pop places that you see in movies and shows; he never really saw that kind of thing in the city, maybe one or two here and there, but here, it was all there was. He did stop by the little bank that didn’t have a drive-up ATM, so he walked inside and used his bank card to get some walking-around money.

He walked by a couple of ancient-looking old guys, wearing thick long-sleeve shirts, faded overalls and boots; one was chewing tobacco, and the other was smoking a pipe; they both gave him an eye and nodded as he walked past. He wondered for a moment if he should say something, but instead, he just nodded in return; it seemed to be the right thing to do; he just strolled on down the sidewalk. He eventually came to a barbershop, the pole with the twisting colors was well-faded, but the inside looked clean, and there were only a couple of people inside; he decided why not and walked in, the little bell ringing as he let the door close behind him.

“I’m just saying Bill, the damn’d cows didn’t get out by themselves!” One old guy with a craggy face, wearing well-worn work boots, old jeans, a worn-out flannel shirt, and a blue Napa cap, was sitting there, gesturing with one hand while holding a newspaper with the other. The guy he was talking to was a fat guy with a collared t-shirt and some tanned slacks, with white golfing shoes for some strange reason. He had that slick look, both his face, and expression like he had been handsome at one point in time, and it all went away, either by choice or genetics. Luke didn’t like him. He reminded him of a used car salesman.

The barber had looked up from where he was cutting some young boy’s hair; the kid couldn’t have been more than 8 or 9; it looked like he was getting some type of taper fade, at least to Luke’s untrained eye anyway.

“I’ll be wit’ ya in a minute, young man.” He just said and went back to shearing the boy sitting there.

Luke just nodded and sat down in one of the very old round-backed chairs near the door, picking up a Field and Stream magazine 6 years out of date and looking through it. The two other guys gave Luke a curious once-over and then turned back to their conversation.

“So tell me Harry, who do you think did it?” Bill was asking.

“I told ya I don’t know, but if I were to be guessing, it’d be those Jenkins boys, they done got downright mean and everyone knows it!” He groused.

Bill rolled his eyes at that.

“I swear Harry, you been harping ‘bout those boys’ for years now, and yea they ain’t good, the church sure wouldn’t call’em saint’s, but tearing down your fence just because they felt like it don’t make no sense!”

“I never said they did it just ‘cause they felt like it, I put that fence up to keep’em off my field over in the back 20, and they didn’t like it!” He griped.

Bill just shook his head and sighed.

“And what trouble were they causing? What were they doing that was so bad out there you were needin’ to fence it in?”

“I found two spots over there near that treeline on the back 20, they had campfires and they left all kinds of trash and liquor bottles I had to clean up! Not to mention if one of those drunk fools had let the fire get ‘way from’em they’d burn down half the county ‘fore they could put it out!” He finished in a huff.

Bill just shook his head.

“Well it’s moot anyway Harry, you ain’t got no proof and it’s not like the fence can’t be fixed in an hour anyway.”

“That ain’t the point! I shouldn’t have ta’ fix it period, they need to respect private property!” He replied angrily.

Bill sighed and let it go, changing the subject.

Luke listened to them go back and forth for a few more minutes until the Barber got finished with the boy’s hair.

“There ya go Billy, how’s that look?” The old guy in the clean white barber jacket asked him.

“Looks great Mr. Lewis!” He was grinning turning his head this way and that.

They all stopped a minute and watched, Bill and Harry just chuckled. Then Bill stood up and paid the barber with a twenty telling him to keep the change as his son pushed the door open, then he followed him out.

Then the barber looked at Luke.

“What can I do for ya young man?”

“Just need a trim, sir, if you please,” Luke replied, getting up.

He dusted the chair off and motioned for Luke to take a seat. Once seated, he wrapped the tissue around Luke’s neck, and then Luke gripped the chair tight, his neck being constricted even slightly, causing him to breathe a little harder. Then he saw that apron about to descend on him, the collar that could..., he felt it coming into contact with the skin of his neck and ... nothing, the old barber just snicked the Velcro in place and then started using his clippers.

His breathing slowed, and he ... relaxed. He took a deep breath and let it out.

“First time in a barber chair, son?” Mr. Lewis, the Barber, asked him.

“Um, yeah...” Luke responded; apparently, he had picked up on his nervousness.

“Don’t worry, son, I’m a professional.” He nodded in the mirror and then gave a small grin that caused Luke to chuckle a moment; the old barber just chuckled, glad his little joke lightened the atmosphere. Picking up his scissors he got to work.

Harry got up then and said his goodbyes.

“I’ll see ya next time Jake, tell Clara I said hello.” He nodded at Jake and said he would, then Harry left.

He was trimming the edges of the fade when he asked.

“So where ya from young man?”

Luke answered honestly

“I was born in Pennsylvania”

“Ahh so from up north then.”

“Yessir” Luke nodded

Jake didn’t ask more questions; he just chit-chatted a bit about the weather and football and just in general small talk while he clipped and combed.

When he got done, Luke turned his head this way and that, and he decided Jake was telling the truth; he was a professional.

Luke raised his eyebrows and nodded, looking very pleased with the cut. The old man just smiled and nodded, happy to have his work appreciated.

“How much do I owe you?” Luke asked while getting his wallet out.

“Oh, just ten is fine. Wasn’t anything fancy about just a trim” He replied.

Luke handed him the money and then said he’d see him in a few months as he walked out, feeling even better about the day.

He was starting to feel like himself again, the happy-go-lucky teen he had been. Of course, he felt deep down that nothing would ever be the same, but he also knew Hank was right; he couldn’t let them twist him; he had to be himself again; he had to live his own path, the one HE chose, not what someone else chose for him. He whistled an old Ozzy tune, The Road to Nowhere. It was a rather sad song, but he was happy, and it was easy since he had heard it five million times in the backseat when his mother was driving him around through the years.

But nothing lasts forever.

Standing next to his car was his father.

He stopped on the sidewalk; they stared at each other for a minute. Luke walked over to the side to look up at the edge of the awning, then across the street at the rooftops, looking for crows and vultures. Then, finally, back at Rob, who apparently didn’t appreciate the theatrics.

“Luke, where is your mother?” Rob twisted his lips and then asked after a few seconds.

“I’m not sure, have you called and asked her?” He crossed his arms and stood there looking back at him.

Rob sighed and shook his head.

“You know she won’t answer. Hell, I buy new phones every day, and she keeps blocking them!”

“How did you even know we were here?” He was curious.

“That doesn’t matter; you need to talk to your mother and get her to stop all this; it’s tearing the family apart!”

“What is she doing exactly?” He generally wanted to know.

“You know what she is doing! She took your grandmother’s house, she took a lot of their jobs away, she terminated my contract at the company, she made my own daughters hate me, and now she is trying to get you to hate me; I mean, my god! What is she not doing?!” He looked at Luke as if dumbfounded he had to explain it all.

“And what Linda did? To me?” He asked quietly.

Rob just ran a hand over his face and let out a deep breath like he was tired of apologizing for running over the family cat.

“I’ve told her again and again that it was all a big misunderstanding, that things got out of hand, everyone was drinking a lot that night! And that your grandmother was sorry for what she did; Jesus Christ, can’t you and your mother just forgive her? No one is perfect, your grandmother included; she made a mistake, but your mother is destroying lives for God’s sake; there is no comparison!” He finished in an exasperated huff.

“Your mother tried to turn me into a pet Robert,” Luke said softly, looking up at him.

“It wasn’t like that dammnit! You were just so damn clueless you only thought that’s what it was! That’s one of the damn reasons they were doing what they did, so you’d grow the fuck up and learn! If I had known this is the price of bringing you into the family fun, then I would have told them to fucking forget it; it ain’t worth all this! Fuck!” He shook his head angrily.

Luke just shook his head; Rob truly believed it was all just a misunderstanding; he didn’t think they did anything wrong. He understood at that moment that Robert was the type that had to have it happen to him before he could truly understand it. Or he was like Linda, a manipulative bastard who was so used to getting what he wanted he fumed and made excuses when he was told no.

In truth, Luke had never been close to his father; they just didn’t have much in common; Luke was more brainy like his mother, not the jock-type. He just never really knew how far apart they truly were. Luke didn’t waste any more time with him; he just walked around, got in his car, and backed out. Rob just looked at him angrily as he drove away.

He got back home just as Gina and his mother were pulling up. The sun was going down, but it wasn’t dark yet. Jeannie came over and gave him a hug.