Chapter Five

The Heart Remembers

Chapter five ©2009

As the summer wore on, we forgot about Tyler Cole, who had stayed away from town since the murder. Nat was spending more and more time down at the ball field, usually with Harvey and I in tow. She had heard rumors of a new boy whose talents with a bat had earned him the moniker, “Woody”. Apparently, Woody not only had a .585 batting average, but was also rumored to be a prospect for the New York Yankees scouting team. Nat had stalked him like a lioness, hoping not only to get a chance to pitch to him, but also hoping to actually spy the Yankee scout so she could show her stuff. I had tried to explain to Nat that the chances of her becoming a New York Yankee were about as good as her chances of flying to the moon, but she wouldn’t listen to reason. She had a long list of reasons of why it would happen including Alma’s prediction that she would one day be famous. To make matters worse, Nat had struck out the entire high school baseball team of a neighboring town when a couple of seniors from our school, who were already aware of her talents, coaxed the gullible ballplayers into betting a little money against the skinny twelve year old girl. Nat won the bet, and became a legend in the high school locker room. But the girls of the town still shunned her. Six weeks of summer, carousing through the fields and woods with Harvey and I had pretty much wrecked her already tattered wardrobe and she refused to wear the few decent outfits she had reserved for school, outfits that even the least fashionable of girls would have hesitated to wear. Nat’s glasses had also bore the wounds of summer, the results of an errant foul ball, and now she had a wad of tape wrapped around one hinge to hold them together. Harvey worshipped Nat. At first I had been jealous, but Nat’s unpredictable behavior, volatile temper, and sense of adventure drew me like a moth to a light, and I accepted the power of her charisma. It was as if she had always been a part of our lives and I couldn’t imagine the three of us ever being apart. One Saturday, I was sitting in my bedroom, miffed because my father had asked me to stay home that day, so he could talk to me about something.

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Nat was supposed to pitch to Woody at the ball field, and I was hoping my father would hurry so I wouldn’t miss it. I was oiling my mitt when he came to my room. “Mr. Preston was asking me about you today.” “Oh yeah?” I replied, mystified as to what my Dad’s boss would even mention me for. Did he know about my secret crush on his daughter, Elise? If that were the case, he would be talking to every father with a son in Easton. “He asked me if you would be interested in a little work; cleaning stables, feeding the horses, that type of thing. It’s only a few days a week, but he’ll pay you a fair wage and most importantly, it will get your foot in the door for the future.” “Heck yeah!” I said enthusiastically. The thought of having my own money was fantastic. And maybe I would get to see Elise Preston, maybe even talk to her before all the other boys swarmed her at school this fall. “I figured you would be agreeable, so I told Mr. Preston you would stop over this morning.” “Do I need to bring anything?” “No. Just follow instructions, work hard, and You’ll do fine. Mr. Preston says you can start today if you like when you go over to meet him. He’ll have lunch for you, so no need to pester your mother with that. You’ll be helping Seth Jones. He takes care of the stables. He’s an older fellow; seems a pretty good sort. You can head over anytime this morning. Just report to Seth at the stables and he’ll fetch Mr. Preston” The two-mile journey to the Preston’s took me right past the ball field so I was really excited to see Nat and Harvey and break them the news. I was hoping that maybe I might make it in time to see Nat strike out Woody, but the baseball team practiced early so I had probably missed it. Sure enough, as I approached the field, the place was deserted except for Nat and Harvey who were sitting in the shade of the dugout. Nat looked really angry. “What’s wrong,” I asked. Harvey made a grimace and lowered his head. “The stupid jerk got a hit off me,” said Nat, throwing her mitt against the dugout wall. “Harvey?” I said, completely confused. 36

The Heart Remembers

Nat rolled her eyes. “No, not Harvey,” she said disgustedly. “The new kid…Woody or Howard, or whatever his stupid name is.” “Howard Webster. It’s Howard Webster,” added Harvey. Nat looked over at Harvey with murder in her eyes. “Sorry Nat,” said Harvey meekly. “Is he that good?” I asked. “NO!” hissed Nat. “I split my pants bending over to get my mitt, so I couldn’t stand right because I didn’t want anyone to see. I had to throw lefthanded. I can throw hard as a leftie, but I don’t have any control.” I was struggling not to laugh at the thought of Nat splitting her britches on the pitcher’s mound Laughing right now would be suicide, or at least earn me a punch in the shoulder from her bony fist. “She had two strikes on him, but he hit a squibbler past the pitcher’s mound,” added Harvey, earning another glare from the furious Nat. “Which I would have grabbed and thrown him out if my pants weren’t split!” shouted Nat, jumping up and kicking the dirt in frustration. We had grown used to Nat’s tirades; in fact we enjoyed them as long as they weren’t directed at us. She could be sweet as candy one moment and like a rabid wolverine the next. “Nat, you can’t expect to get every batter out. Even Lefty Grove gets hit,” I said, matter of factly. Nat looked deflated now. Her anger usually passed quickly, often followed by a period of either self-pity of moroseness, depending on whether she had punched anyone or not. “I could have had him Daniel. He’s good but he’s not that good.” “You’ll get another chance Nat,” said Harvey. He won’t touch you next time.” “Thanks Harvey. I’ve got to get home and change my pants. You guys want to go swimming?” asked Nat. as she walked over to retrieve her mitt. “I can’t,” I replied proudly. “I got a job.” “What job?” asked Nat. “Stable boy for Mr. Preston.” Harvey gave a low whistle. “Dang, you’re lucky! How much is he paying you?” “I don’t know yet, but my dad said it will be fair.” “Maybe you’ll get to see your girlfriend,” said Nat teasingly. Both Nat and Harvey suspected that I had a crush on Elise Preston.

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We had seen Elise in town at various times during the summer and I usually tried to show off when I saw her, but Elise never seemed to notice me. She was usually in a group of kids whose parent’s had more money than ours. Local boys trying to get her attention were as common as houseflies when Elise came to town. Nat claimed that I was setting myself up for heartbreak since she was probably a snobby rich kid. “She’s not my girlfriend,” I said unconvincingly. “I’m never going to have a boyfriend,” added Nat. “I’ll be too busy traveling around the country with the Yankees.” Harvey looked crestfallen at this bit of news. “I’ve got to go. I don’t want to get there too late. I’m supposed to be there this morning.” “How late do you work? Can you come swimming later?” asked Nat. “I don’t know yet. I haven’t even talked to him, but I’ll find you if I get off before dinner time.” “We’ll be at the river or the tree fort,” said Nat. “Good luck, Daniel. Don’t get caught smooching Elise on your first day and get fired.” Nat took off running, before realizing that she had forgotten about splitting her pants. She covered her backside with her mitt and waddled back towards Harvey who was tying his shoe. “Give me your shirt, Harvey,” she ordered. Harvey was wearing a light cotton flannel over a T-shirt and he handed it to Nat who cinched it around her waist. “See you later, Daniel.” I waved and set off towards the edge of town where the Preston’s resided. Presently, I entered the Preston’s estate through the main entrance, which consisted of a small unoccupied stone guard house connected to a stone wall that fronted the road. The wall and guard house were more for decoration than anything since any capable boy could have scampered easily over its’ eight foot height due to the many finger holds in the rough stone. As I made my way up the driveway, lined by perfectly trimmed maples on each side, I saw movement from the corner of my eye. A young girl seemed to be spying on me from behind a tree. I could see part of her white dress and a glimpse of blond hair. My pulse race quickened as I realized it must be Elise Preston. “Hello,” I called out. “I’m here to see your father about a job.” 38

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The girl stepped out and I saw that it wasn’t Elise. This girl was a few years older then myself, maybe fifteen or sixteen. I realized that this had to be Kathleen, Elise’s older sister. Next to Elise, she was positively the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Her hair was long and dark, almost startling against her white dress. She was tall and angular. Her mouth was a bit too wide with full lips, but it suited her face. “My father doesn’t hire boys off the street. You’re wasting your time,” she declared. “I’m Daniel Evans. My father works for your father. Your father asked me to come here today about a job. You must be Kathleen?” I asked. “How would you know who I am when you’ve never been here before?” she asked, drawing nearer. Her eyes were an extraordinary shade of hazel and seemed to pierce right through me. “I’ve…I’ve…everyone knows about your family,” I stammered. “Most of the folks around here work for your father.” “You’re not answering me. How do you know who I am? I could be the gardener’s daughter for all you know.” I remained silent, unable to come up with an answer. She didn’t seem hostile, her questions posed in an aloof manner. “I’m still waiting. What makes you think I’m Kathleen?” “Well, you look a little bit like her, except you have darker hair,” I replied. “So you’ve met my sister Elise already, have you? She’s quite beautiful, isn’t she?” “I haven’t really met her. I’ve just seen her around town.” “Of course you have. Elise draws a boy’s eye like a Monet draws an art collector.” She paused for a moment, examining me closely. “So, everyone in town knows our family, or so you said. What do they say about me, Daniel Evans?” “Nothing really,” I lied. “Just that you’re Elise’s older sister.” “Come now. Don’t lie. Father hates liars. I can see right through you and he’s much more observant than I am. Tell the truth. What do they say?” I paused, contemplating my next words carefully. “They say that you fell of a horse as a child and that sometimes you had spells after that. Some people say that you got sick and had to be put in a hospital for awhile.” She burst out laughing, exposing perfect white teeth. 39

The Heart Remembers

“Ahh. My father is hiring the perfect little diplomat. From a weed, you conjure a rose. Leaning forward, she placed her lips against my ear. I could feel her long hair against my neck, soft like silk. “Did they tell you I’m insane, Daniel?” she whispered. I nodded. “Now we’re getting somewhere. I’m beginning to like you Daniel. Most boys would dance around my questions like they were trying to lead me in a foxtrot, but you’re honest, brutally honest if pressed, or are you trying to impress. Do you have a weakness for pretty things, Daniel? Do you find me pretty?” “Yes, you’re very beautiful.” “Well, thank you, but Elise is the beautiful sister, Daniel. I’m merely the pretty one. You have much to learn if you’re going to be…what is it you’re going to do here, anyhow? Surely you’re too young for the factory.” “A stable boy, I think,” I replied. “Sit down beside me Daniel. I’m tired of standing,” “I really should get going. I’m going to be late and your father is expecting me.” “Nonsense, he’s out riding right now and if he says anything just tell him that I waylaid you and refused to let you go. He’ll love it. Indulge me for a few more minutes and I’ll let you pursue your new career. Sit. Right here next to me,” she added, patting the ground. I sat down next to her and she slid over so close that our legs were touching. I was mesmerized by her beauty; and I was certain that she knew it. “Now Daniel, before I let you go, you have to tell me a secret. Something you’ve never told anyone before. And I’m not talking about a lamp of your mother’s that you broke at age 5 without telling her. I’m talking about something that moved you, or hurt you, maybe something you desired, a girl maybe, perhaps a betrayal or terrible lie. Make it good Daniel. I’ll know if you’re lying to me.” “I don’t have any secrets really. I haven’t had a girlfriend yet.” “Everyone has secrets Daniel. Think hard. Father’s waiting.” I tried as hard as I could to think of something, but sitting so close to Kathleen was intoxicating. My mind refused to work properly as I stared in wonder at this strange and beautiful girl. “I liked the way your hair felt on my neck when you whispered to me,” I said softly. “I liked it a lot.” 40

The Heart Remembers Leaning in so close that I could feel her breath on my face, Kathleen whispered, “I’m going to make a prediction, Daniel. I predict that Elise will fall in love with you before the summer is over. What do you have to say to that?” “I haven’t met Elise yet, so I really don’t know.” Kathleen’s lips were so close to mine that I could almost feel them. I wanted nothing more in the world than to caress her hair. I could actually see her pulse beating at the base of her long elegant neck, pale like ivory where the sun had failed to kiss her. I imagined what it might feel like to softly let my lips touch that mysterious skin. “In a voice so low that I could barely hear her, Kathleen whispered, “She’s going to love you and she doesn’t even know it yet. I’m never wrong about love, Daniel.” She placed her fingers on my mouth and slowly traced the outline of my lips. I shivered with pleasure. “Get ready Daniel. Your life is about to change in ways you never imagined.”

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