Chapter 9: The Farmer's Daughter
Dr. Casey Darden was supposed to be off duty, as far from the bustle of Boston as he could get within a half-day's drive; rolling Hills of Western Mass.; the yoga center down the way where he had had a spectacular massage that morning by a sturdy Chinese woman who spoke almost no English.
Now he sat on the porch of his log cabin on the lake sipping a frozen daiquiri just watching the afternoon turn into evening; listening to the crickets. He felt zero need for companionship.
The growl of an engine rose on the other side of the pine forest and after a while a dusty, battered blue pickup crept up the unpaved road. It pulled up in front of his place and stopped. At first no one got out. Behind the glass of the double windshield Casey could make out a couple arguing with each other. Finally, the passenger door burst open and a woman in her fifties, a bit shop-worn but strong and attractive, lurched out and headed straight for Casey. She stopped in front of him, panting a bit.
"Can I help you? Is there some kind of trouble?"
"Might be. You that sex doctor? Got to be, I figure."
Casey nodded.
"Yes, well. She said you'd be up here."
The woman went silent. Casey just waited, rocking in his chair.
"We think, I think maybe you can help us."
Casey shook his head.
"This is my time off. I really hadn't planned ..."
"Figured you might say that. How about ten thousand dollars?"
The woman pulled a sheaf of bills out of her pocket and started counting. Casey noticed that the man in the truck was pounding the steering wheel.
"No. I couldn't."
"Look, Mister doctor. I can't go higher, but this thing has to be done."
"Are you and your husband ... having troubles?"
"Oh, he's always trouble, randy old goat. But he's fine, and I'm fine too, even if I am getting the change. Makes things easier as it is. Nev'mind. That ain't it. It's her."
"I'm sorry. Has your husband taken up with ..."
"Landsakes no. Least, not that I know of. No, it's not him. It's her."
Casey looked around, but there was no one else in the truck.
"Oh, no, she ain't here. She's back to the farm with her animals. All she ever cares about. I said, "I hear there's a nice lookin' doc down the road a piece. She don't even look up. Debeaking chicks. Waves me away like I was a fly."
"So she's happy. How can I ..."
"Sure she looks happy but I figure she ain't complete. She's most thirty-two and ain't got a fella; don't even have one come round for a 'visit'. An' she don't seem to be the kind with a ken for girls. We got some a them around here. Good people if you don't think about what they's doin'. I'm talkin' too much. Wastin' your time."
She dusted off her skirt and headed back toward the truck. Casey stood.
"I can talk to her."
"How much will that cost me? You figure you can get her sexed up with talk? I've heared a that."
Casey smiled.
"Nothing, to start with, though I'll bet you make a fine apple pie. That would do it."
The woman stopped, her skirt in her hands.
"Well, yeah. I could do that. Why don't you come to supper?"
Casey nodded. The woman came back to him, offered her hand.
"I'm Margaret. Margaret Deacons. That there is Abner in the truck. Our girl is Margaret too, but we call her Maggie. Son Billie died in the war."
"I'm sorry to hear it."
"Yes. Well you take your road out to nine. Go north about sixteen mile to twenty-three. West another 10. Off on Old Oak. Left at the end. On till you see a yalla house and a green barn. That's us. Seven o'clock."
"Seven o'clock."
Casey went for a quick swim, put on long pants and picked some flowers, then headed for the Deacons'.
He only got lost three times. Had to ask directions at a crossroads. There was a man, or a boy standing out in a field stuffing a scarecrow with corn shucks. Casey shouted twice but the boyman didn't even look up. It was getting dark and Casey didn't want to wander dark country lanes. He climbed a fence and walked toward the fellow. It wasn't until he got close that he realize the guy was huge. Towered over him. Had a huge forehead.
"Excuse me. I'm lost and need to find the Deacons' place. Can you help me?"
The boyman shook his head.
You don't know?
"Didn't say that."
"You know the Deacons' place?"
"Mmmhmm."
"But you won't help me?"
"Didn't say that."
"So can you ...?"
"'M not so good at directions. I can do, not so good at tellin'."
"You could show me."
"Nope. gotta do this, 'fore I lose ma corn."
"Try something for me, will you. Close your eyes. Tell me how you would walk there."
"OK. I climb the fence. I go thata way till I hit the crick. Take a drink. Swim if'n it's hot. Along the crick to the covered bridge. Go through the bridge and past those apple trees. Eat some apples if they is any. Go to the red barn on the side where you see the cigarettes is Deacons back pasture road. That bumps into the house near the bull paddock.
Get me some pie. Give 'em the corn."
"Now those were fine directions. Don't let anybody tell you you can't give them. Thank you."
"Sure."
"Your name?"
"Dinnie."
"Thanks again, Dinnie."
"Sure."
Casey followed Dinnie's directions to the letter and soon found himself in a barnyard next to a yellow house surrounded by free-range chickens.
Mrs. Deacons had him wash up even though he was clean. The house was clean. Scrubbed. Time and careworn, but clean.
Abner Deacons came in with a pail of warm milk. He poured it into a crock and set it on a low shelf in the refrigerator. Most of the kitchen was right out of a 1940s Norman Rockwell illustration. The refrigerator was new and huge. Mrs. Deacons saw him looking at it.
"We grow a heapa vegetables. Can't sell them all. Can't eat the rest right away. I blanche 'em and freeze or can 'em. Keep a long time. Where is that girl? I don't knock her in the head and make her eat, she'll stay out in that fancy barn of hers a week.
"Maggeee! You come on in! I got biscuits and gravy and we got company."
Abner came back from washing up.
"That was dumb."
Mrs. Deacons nodded, shook her head."
"You're right. If'n she knows she got to get gussied up for strangers she'll hide or bolt. Eat raw eggs from under the chickens, milk from a teat, apple off the tree. Mebbe she didn't hear."
At that moment loud footsteps came down the stairs. Maggie Deacons stepped into the kitchen. She had to duck her head. She was very big; not fat, not chunky, just big. She wore clean overalls and a checkered shirt opened low enough to reveal some serious cleavage. Otherwise, she was all business. She took one look at Casey and shook her head as though to clear it. But then she smiled and the warmth of it filled the room. She put out a hand.
"Dr. Darden, welcome to our little farm."
Casey stood just short of eye to eye with her. Her handshake enclosed his and her palm was a bit rough.
"My pleasure. I don't know many people around here and that pie smells delicious. Whatever else is cooking, too."
"Mama's real good in the kitchen. Some folks blame her for how big I got. Say she feeds me up like I was a pet steer. Only I ain't much good to eat."
Casey smiled. Maggie offered him the quickest wink, but her parents didn't see it.