Chapter 4: Will the real Kate Koller, please stand up!

When Jodi and I walked into my house, Stephen was sitting at the head of the table reading the Sunday paper.

Looking up he said, "hey little brother, hows it hangin?"

"It's cool Steph."

Winking at Jodi he asked, "You keeping him in line and outa trouble JO?"

"I try Stephen, but you know how hard it is to keep track of him", she said with a nod my direction.

"Ha, Ha!" Laughing Stephen said, "Don't I know it. I'm damn lucky to have you helping me, or Bill would be a wild child." We all laughed at that, each of us knowing it was total bullshit.

"That was pretty funny Steph, but we all know you and William are alike."

"Damn it Jodi you caught us." he said with a grin.

He gave me a look one brother doesn't often see from another -love and admiration. "Mom and Dad would be proud of you Bill, keep doing what you're doing."

Before I had a chance to say anything, Wendy walked in. With that fake plastic smile on her face she bubbled. "I thought I heard talking out here. Hi Billy, Hi tomboy". This last she said with a dig in her voice.

I was getting ready to call her on it when Jodi said "Hi yourself Bitch!"

Wendy gave her the eating lemons, sourpuss look and let the situation defuse.

Putting on her best, I'm a sweetheart, act she said "Bill can I borrow some money?"

"NO!!" I almost yelled

"Come on Bill I'm broke, just a few bucks" she pleaded

"If you're broke, get a job!" I told her.

"A job? I'm too fucking busy raising you.", she replied harshly.

As I unleashed on her Steph took a couple steps back and watched the show.

"Raising ME? Are you fucking kidding me? You ain't raising shit! How the fuck can you say you are raising me? I ain't hardly ever here, and when I am if any one is home it is usually Steph." I yelled at her.

"Fuck you! You little twerp, get the hell out of my house!" she hissed

"Your house? What makes you think it's your house? Just because you live here don't get delusional. Steph pays all the fucking bills around here. The fucking electric bill, the gas bill, groceries, He even pays the fucking phone bill and all YOUR long distance calls."

Pointing my finger back and forth between me and Stephen, I said "WE payed the fucking taxes last year. We! Me and Stephen! NOT! Me, Stephen and Wendy!"

God Damn, Wendy I was 14 years old helping Steph pay taxes because you are to fucking busy, to get off your back!"

Her eyes got huge.

"Thats right Wendy it's no big secret you're a FUCKING WHORE!"

Her hand shot out, slapping me full across the mouth before I even seen it coming. I felt my lip explode, and tears welled up in my left eye.

Lunging I grabbed her by the throat with my left hand while cocking back my right, making a fist. I was just ready to unload it, when Stephen grabbed my arms from behind and pulled me backwards.

" You don't want to do that little brother, you'll hate yourself later."

My anger was suddenly draining away, leaving a very sick feeling in its place. I slumped into my brothers arms as he hugged me to him. Tears started forming in my eyes. "It's alright Billy" my brother said in a soft calming voice."

"What the fuck are you babying that little mother fucker for? If he's such a big boy let him fight his own battles" she screamed.

Stephen glared at her, visibly trying to calm himself.

"Wendy, get a fucking life" Steph replied in a calm even voice...

"Oh fuck off Stephen, you're always sticking up for Daddies little mistake!"

I looked at her in surprise at the words she had said.

"Thats right Billy, you were a fucking mistake!"

Giving me a grin like she had the upper hand.

"Thats right Billy boy, they never wanted..."

Wendy never finished her last dig. I watched as Jodi stepped up and popped her right in the cock sucker. Wendy wasn't used to getting hit, and she went down hard, landing on her ass.

"You little futhking bith you lothened my tooth." Full of rage, Wendy started getting up off the floor.

She was part way up and off balance when Jodi hit her again. This time in the eye.

"Outh You god damn Bith" thath hurths", Wendy cried after setting down hard again.

"If you truly want me to kick your ass, just go ahead and get up. But I'm telling you right now I won't hate myself later and I will loosen more teeth and I will blacken BOTH your fucking eyes." Jodi voice was hard, dripping with venom.

"Futhk you, you lithle bith" Wendy spat back crying, without making a move to get up.

Stephen gave me a squeeze, and turned me lose. "Jodi, take Billy into the bathroom and clean him up please."

She gave him a nod, and gave Wendy the eye of withering death. Taking my hand she guided me toward the bathroom.

Running the cold water Jodi took a soft wash rag and washed the blood off my face. After rinsing the rag she gently dabbed at my split lip. "Ouch! Damn it Jo be careful"

"I'm sorry Sweety, but she really did a number on your lip."

After she finished we went back out to the kitchen. Stephen had Wendy over by the sink helping her clean up. It turned out that she also had bitten her tongue causing it to bleed.

"Rinse your mouth out with salt water, Sweety then suck on small pieces of ice for a while. It will help numb it and and keep it from swelling. You might want to put some on that eye too." Stephen said to her.

"Why don't you guys go for a walk for a bit" Steph said with a wink.

Hand in hand Jodi and I went out the back door. We walked down the lane and down over the edge of the hill to where we had built a small make shift greenhouse. Inside were 50 marijuana plants. Each one was at a hight of about 16-18 inches and was planted in 6 quart pots. I didn't know a lot about the particulars of growing Marijuana, but I was well versed in how to grow most everything else.

Stephen had made a deal with us. If we helped take care of them till planting time he would give us ten plants of our own. He had assured me that these were the same strain as those that Curtis grew, and that they were all female!

When I had asked how he could possibly know that he said he was quite sure as he had taken them himself. When I had asked, unbelieving. if he had stolen them from Curtis. He had said, "No Bill, these are cuttings from one of his plants that were dipped in a rooting hormone."

After that I had understood what he was talking about, if not the exact procedure.

We stood there looking at the plants for a few moments longer. Looking at Jodi I said "well lets go down to the creek and get some water".

This was the same creek that flowed through Koller's property. We were just downstream a couple miles.

We grabbed our buckets and picked our way through the brush, down to the creek. It was only a short distance to a spot where we could easily fill our buckets. I had tall 6 gallon buckets which I filled about 5 inches from the top. Jodi had short 3.5 gallon buckets which I also filled 5 inches from the top.

We trudged back up the hill with our water. Jodi was steadily falling behind. Reaching the top I set down my buckets, after taking a second to work a kink out of my back, I headed back down.

I reached Jodi when she was about 2/3rds of the way up the hill. I reached for her buckets and said, "here let me take those."

"I can carry my own damn buckets Bill", she snapped at me.

Not letting go I said "Were not buddies anymore, remember."

She let go of the buckets with a sigh. "I'm sorry for getting crabby."

As we walked up the hill Jodi tried to explain.

"It's hard Will, not that long ago I didn't even think of myself as a girl. You know like a girlie-girl. I wasn't exactly a boy either" she smiled.

"But the boys more or less treated me as an equal most of the time. You always treated me as one of the guys, but like now you were always the first to give me a hand if I struggled to keep up. I didn't mind so much because that's what best friends do."

We walked on in silence for a few seconds. "I know I'm a woman William, these kind of confirm it", she said as she stroked her breasts.

"But the fact is, that I'm developing hips and breasts, while the lingering tomboy side of me is going crazy watching as you keep getting bigger and stronger."

Giving me a whack on the ass she said, "Of course the woman in me is absolutely delighted with what she sees".

We were both still laughing as we reached the greenhouse. I had no sooner set down the water buckets when Stephen came over the top of the hill. Walking over to where we were he appraised the health and vigor of our plants. "Not bad you guys, They are coming along nicely, should be about 2 foot tall by planting time."

"Yeah, we can't wait to get ours planted", Jodi excitedly bubbled

Pointing at her I said, "She can't wait. I just found out that Ron wants me to start planting corn the third week of May. Hell, I wanted to start planting our plants the third week of May."

"Don't sweat it little brother, as long as you get them in before the middle of June everything will be fine", Steph stated with a grin.

"Of course I'll have mine all in before the end of next week" he said rubbing it in.

We stood around talking about planting and growing pot while watering the plants. Steph gave us advice about everything from fertilizer to harvesting. After three of us finished caring for our future crops we headed back toward the house.

About halfway up the old lane Steph said "Bill I know you are pissed at Wendy."

I turned on him, "what was your first fucking clue Steph?"

Waving his hands in front of him as if to shield himself from my rage.

"Wait a minute Bill. Don't kill the messenger here."

He waited for a few to let me regroup. After I had calmed and the look of bloody murder had left my eyes, he continued.

"All I'm trying to say is, that everything you said is true. I don't like the way she is either, and I refuse to give her money. But there is one thing you have to understand Bill, I'm the oldest. Being the oldest I feel responsible for you two. You, I don't have to worry about." Steph looked at me to see if I was paying attention.

"Bill, Wendy isn't you. Even though she is nineteen years old, she isn't as mature as you are."

Stephen pause for a moment I could see the concentration in his face.

" I think something broke inside her, when mom and dad died something clicked off in her brain"

Looking at me he asked, "do you understand what I'm trying to say"

All I could do was shrug, I really didn't want to understand.

"Look Bill, Wendy is sick. Even if we don't like what we see, we still have to love her. I know you are mad, but at least try to understand. She sees us moving on with our lives. Hell I'm at GM now, and you... Hell Bill, for your age you're knocking down good money."

"Not only that, but whether you realize it or not you have something else she don't have."

I looked at him and said, "like what? A life, a job?"

Looking at me he shook his head.

"No, Bill you have a family, The Kollers have practically taken you in. Wendy needs the security that being part of a family gives. She sees what you have and it's eating at her like a virus. Thats why I take care of her, even though she is a self centered bitch. I still try to give her a semblance of family"

I felt bad, for my nutty sister, and for my brother that had to put up with her, but...

"Look Steph I feel bad because she is a fucking nut job. I feel real bad cuz you're stuck with her. But, I ain't going to feel bad, because I found a place where I'm welcome and the people there genuinely care about me."

"No one expects you to, Bill"

"Steph you'd think by the way she acts that she was an only child when the folks died. How the fuck does she think I felt? I was fucking 13. Steph come on, does she think I didn't hurt? Does she think because you were 20 it just rolled of your back without any affect?"

"I honestly don't know Bill"

"Her problem is she is fucking selfish! She wants all the pity, she wants to be the only one who feels the emptiness, and the only one that suffered."

I was feeling like I might lose it any time.

"Fuck her Steph I don't need her and I don't need her shit!"

"Bill try to understa..."

"Look Steph, I'm staying at Kollers tonight. I... I gotta go, I've got things to do."

I turned and headed for my bike.

"Yeah Bill, see ya" Stephen said. The burden he carried, heavy in his voice.

I kicked my Yamaha to life and waited for Jodi to get settled before taking off.

When we pulled into the drive the pumps weren't running so I figured it must not be 6:00 yet. Pulling my bike up to the milk house, we dismounted and walked in. The clock on the wall read 5:34

Looking at Jodi I said "well we might as well start putting down Silage before the cows come in."

She looked at me long and hard "William are you OK?"

I gave her a tight forced smile, and nodded my head.

"I got some things I need to work through, but yes I'm OK"

"She said some pretty horrible things to you, I just want to make sure you're alright."

"Thanks sweetheart, but yes I am fine."

I jumped onto the bobcat and got a bucket full of silage Throwing large forks of silage into the feed trough in front of the stanchions. By the time Ron and Kate came out to the barn I was almost done, having only about a dozen left.

Jodi must have headed them off and given them the low down. Ron was giving me my space letting me think, and Kate kept giving me the worried mother look. I raced through my chores, working as fast as my brain was racing.

After feeding the heifers and dry cows, I took care of the young stock and then started cleaning calf pens for Jodi. Anything to do with calves was Jodi's job, but since she decided she was a woman she had been doing a good job of talking me into cleaning pens for her.