Between the Lines (6/17)
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“Dad?” Jason called out as he led Chad into the ranch’s living room. “It’s Jason!”
He turned around to Chad, gesturing. “Come in, come in. Dad!”
An older gentleman walked into the living room, wiping his hands on a towel. “Jason! What are you doing here?”
Jason stepped over to his father, pulling him into a quick embrace. “Sorry for the lack of notice. It was kind of an unplanned trip. Ah, this is Chad Barry.”
“Mr. McCallister,” Chad said, nodding politely as the two men shook hands.
“Call me Evan!”
“Yes, sir.”
Evan shook his head, patting Chad on the back quickly as he stepped away. Turning to Jason again, he placed his arm around his son’s shoulders.
“I just made some lunch if you’re hungry.”
“Oh no. We grabbed something on the way up. We were just hoping to take a look through some of the letters.”
“One of these days you should just take them back with you.”
“But then how would you bribe me into visiting you?”
“Good point,” Evan said, laughing.
Jason turned to Chad. “Have a seat,” he said. “I’ll bring them back here.”
Chad nodded, awkwardly looking around and then sitting on the couch. Jason and Evan disappeared down the hall. Once they were far enough away, Evan asked in a whisper, “So is he your…?”
“No! Dad, just…no,” Jason denied, blushing.
***
Kevin would be the first to admit that, sometimes, a little pain could add to the fun. But he was not a masochist, and any enjoyment he got out of feeling Scotty’s long, flexible fingers sliding over his bare skin disappeared quickly. Perhaps out of mercy, Scotty dealt with his shoulder first, bracing himself and pulling hard. When the joint popped back in, Kevin saw shooting stars and then nothing but blackness. When he woke up again, there were wide bandages wrapped tightly around his chest and his ankle was absolutely freezing. Kevin tried his best to lift his head and look but he was unable to, seeing as how he was weighted down by both men’s coats.
“It’s OK. I just packed some snow around it to reduce the swelling,” Scotty said from a few feet away.
Kevin turned his head to the side. The other man was crouching, coaxing a small fire to life. Scotty, down to a long-sleeved undershirt, turned to look at him.
“I’ll clear it off soon - don’t want frostbite on top of everything else, do you?” Scotty walked over, sitting down closer to Kevin. “Everything seems manageable, but you’ll probably need several days to truly heal before we try going anywhere. I have enough rations to last us, if we’re careful.”
“OK,” Kevin said, his voice sounding raw and harsh.
“I’m sorry; I don’t have any painkillers. I do have some antibiotics though, which is more important.”
“Why am I still naked?” Kevin asked what he felt to be a more pertinent question.
Scotty grinned. “Well, you’re wearing trousers. I just couldn’t get your shirt back on you when you were little more than dead weight. I hung up both our shirts - hopefully they’ll dry some. Do you mind if I - ?”
Scotty leaned over Kevin then, running his fingers lightly over the already mostly-healed cut to Kevin’s forehead.
“Ow,” Kevin mumbled, just for good measure.
“Sorry,” Scotty said, smiling softly.
“Where are you from?” Kevin asked curiously.
“Oxford, Mississippi.”
“You don’t sound like any Mississippi boy I’ve ever met.”
Scotty chuckled. “My father’s Canadian. Every summer, my family spent a few months in Ontario.”
Kevin nodded carefully. “That explains it.”
“Just rest now, Kevin.”
“Don’t let that fire burn too long,” Kevin warned, eyes falling shut as he allowed himself to enjoy Scotty’s touch again. “We shouldn’t give away our position.”
“I know,” Scotty murmured, continuing to run his fingers through Kevin’s hair.
***
Try as they did to refuse, Chad and Jason eventually agreed to lunch. They were munching on sandwiches as they sorted through the box of letters.
“Dad,” Jason observed. “It seems like there are more here than usual.”
“Oh my God, didn’t I tell you? I could have sworn I told you.”
“Told me what?”
“My cousin Elizabeth sent me a whole packet of Uncle Thomas’ belongings. She was tired of them cluttering up her attic and thought you could make some use of them. These letters were in there. Some from Mom, some from my Aunt Sarah and I think one from Uncle Kevin.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, she mailed them last month.”
“Dad!”
“I’m sorry; I thought I told you.”
“Nursing home offense, Dad. Right there.”
“Ah, shut up.”
Jason turned to the pile, searching for letters in Kevin’s writing. Chad looked between the two men, trying not to laugh at their teasing argument. “Did you know him at all?” he asked.
“Uncle Kevin? He died when I was about 9 or so. I met him a few times, but I didn’t know him well. My old man didn’t approve of him, so Mom would only visit him when Dad was preoccupied with campaigns and such. She took me along a few times; he was always very nice to me.”
“Why didn’t - sorry - why didn’t your father approve of him?”
Evan shrugged. “My father was very strict and very conservative. I’m not sure what it was that really bothered him, but they never got along. I heard my father say once that Uncle Kevin didn’t act like a man should, but I never quite knew what he meant by that. I assume he thought writing poetry was too feminine. And then Uncle Kevin made some very public comments about some programs my father tried to implement, and that was the end of even any attempts at civility between the two of them.”
“Huh,” Chad said, picking up another letter and turning it over in his hands. He was about to ask another question when Jason interrupted.
He had found the new letter from Kevin. “Dad, this hasn’t been opened.”
“What?” Evan asked, turning back to Jason.
“This has never been opened! Oh my God, it’s dated April 1948. This is after they fought. Maybe there’s an explanation in here.”
“So, open the letter!” Chad exclaimed.
Jason paused a second. He took a deep breath and turned the envelope over. He picked up a knife and carefully sliced through the now-loose seal. He removed the paper inside, slowly opening it. He skimmed it quickly, then read aloud.
“Tommy,
“I trust this letter finds you well. Kitty told me of the birth of your daughter, and I wanted to congratulate you. Perhaps you would allow me to come see my niece. It’s been several months now, Tommy, and I hope you have been able to - this is scratched out. It looks like “forgive,” maybe. No. It’s forget. Forget. - With Justin and Rebecca gone and Sarah so far away, I miss you terribly. Please, Tommy. I never meant for you to see what you did, or hurt you in any way. Things were said that we can’t take back, but we are brothers. Surely that means more than some minor indiscretion.
“My love to you and Julia and dear little Elizabeth,
Kevin”
Jason looked up, and he and Chad stared at each other.
***
“Is there anything stranger-looking than dead vines?” Kevin mused. “This is giving me unpleasant flashbacks to the orchards back home during winter.”
Scotty, in the middle of preparing dinner, looked at him for a second, then looked around. Some dead, twisted branches still clung to the remaining fragments of wall. He shrugged.
“I think it’s kind of pretty,” he observed.
Kevin looked at him curiously.
“Just…we’re surrounded by all this destruction and this - desolate world, but we can see the remains of what must have been a, just a really beautiful place. It kind of gives me hope that we’ll be able to get back to that someday.” Scotty paused, then looked at Kevin, embarrassed. “That sounds really naïve, doesn’t it?”
Kevin shook his head, smiling lightly. “No.” He sighed. “I guess I can see it now. I’m trying to picture what this building must have been like. The spires and windows and music, the walls covered in vine. And the wine, of course.”
Scotty burst into laughter. “What?”
“That was always my favorite part of church whenever we happened to go. Being able to drink wine even though I was still fairly young. God, I miss wine. I can almost taste it.”
Scotty shook his head, amused. “You have a pretty good imagination, after all.”
Kevin looked at him. “I do,” he agreed. “I’ve just been using it for more delightful fantasies than wondering what a building might have looked like.”
Scotty stared at him for a moment longer. Then he turned away, taking a deep breath. “Dinner’s ready,” he said.
***
“What does it all mean?” Chad asked as they climbed back into his car.
Jason was silent for a moment, staring off into the distance. “We have a letter from Kevin apologizing to Tommy about an indiscretion, but nowhere near what you’d expect if there was something going on with Julia. We have a letter from Sarah telling Tommy that his brother needs him, even if he is - and she apparently was quoting him - finding sympathy and comfort from other arms. And we have a letter from Sarah, dated after Kevin’s death, telling Julia that she received the packet of letters that Kitty sent, that Sarah agreed with Julia that Kitty seemed unaware of what the letters actually were, and that she had no idea yet what she should do with them. So to sum up, it means…I have no freaking clue.”
“We’re missing some key pieces of information,” Chad pointed out.
Jason nodded slowly.
“And it seems like Sarah knew the most about what was going on, even if she was all the way in France.”
“Kevin and Sarah were always very close. Like I said, he visited her a few times after the war,” Jason reminded him.
“I think that the answers are in France. We have to go there.”
Jason turned to look at him incredulously. “What?”
“These letters that Sarah talks about - they might be the key to whatever happened. The crash, Tommy and Kevin’s fight…I just have the feeling that they’re all connected somehow. And the answers are in France.”
“OK, crazy man. I can’t hop on a plane and fly to a foreign country at a moment’s notice. And even if I could, you want me to drop in for a surprise visit to my father’s elderly cousin - a woman I’ve never met, by the way - on the off chance that she might have a pack of letters mailed to her mother 55 years ago!”
“You have spring break next week, right?”
“Yes, but - ”
“Come on, Jason!”
“I can’t afford it. There’s just no way.”
“I’ll buy your ticket.”
Jason paused. “You’re serious?”
“Yes!”
Jason stared at him, mouth open as he tried to find a response. He shook his head lightly. “OK,” he finally said. “Let’s go to France.”
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“Dad?” Jason called out as he led Chad into the ranch’s living room. “It’s Jason!”
He turned around to Chad, gesturing. “Come in, come in. Dad!”
An older gentleman walked into the living room, wiping his hands on a towel. “Jason! What are you doing here?”
Jason stepped over to his father, pulling him into a quick embrace. “Sorry for the lack of notice. It was kind of an unplanned trip. Ah, this is Chad Barry.”
“Mr. McCallister,” Chad said, nodding politely as the two men shook hands.
“Call me Evan!”
“Yes, sir.”
Evan shook his head, patting Chad on the back quickly as he stepped away. Turning to Jason again, he placed his arm around his son’s shoulders.
“I just made some lunch if you’re hungry.”
“Oh no. We grabbed something on the way up. We were just hoping to take a look through some of the letters.”
“One of these days you should just take them back with you.”
“But then how would you bribe me into visiting you?”
“Good point,” Evan said, laughing.
Jason turned to Chad. “Have a seat,” he said. “I’ll bring them back here.”
Chad nodded, awkwardly looking around and then sitting on the couch. Jason and Evan disappeared down the hall. Once they were far enough away, Evan asked in a whisper, “So is he your…?”
“No! Dad, just…no,” Jason denied, blushing.
***
Kevin would be the first to admit that, sometimes, a little pain could add to the fun. But he was not a masochist, and any enjoyment he got out of feeling Scotty’s long, flexible fingers sliding over his bare skin disappeared quickly. Perhaps out of mercy, Scotty dealt with his shoulder first, bracing himself and pulling hard. When the joint popped back in, Kevin saw shooting stars and then nothing but blackness. When he woke up again, there were wide bandages wrapped tightly around his chest and his ankle was absolutely freezing. Kevin tried his best to lift his head and look but he was unable to, seeing as how he was weighted down by both men’s coats.
“It’s OK. I just packed some snow around it to reduce the swelling,” Scotty said from a few feet away.
Kevin turned his head to the side. The other man was crouching, coaxing a small fire to life. Scotty, down to a long-sleeved undershirt, turned to look at him.
“I’ll clear it off soon - don’t want frostbite on top of everything else, do you?” Scotty walked over, sitting down closer to Kevin. “Everything seems manageable, but you’ll probably need several days to truly heal before we try going anywhere. I have enough rations to last us, if we’re careful.”
“OK,” Kevin said, his voice sounding raw and harsh.
“I’m sorry; I don’t have any painkillers. I do have some antibiotics though, which is more important.”
“Why am I still naked?” Kevin asked what he felt to be a more pertinent question.
Scotty grinned. “Well, you’re wearing trousers. I just couldn’t get your shirt back on you when you were little more than dead weight. I hung up both our shirts - hopefully they’ll dry some. Do you mind if I - ?”
Scotty leaned over Kevin then, running his fingers lightly over the already mostly-healed cut to Kevin’s forehead.
“Ow,” Kevin mumbled, just for good measure.
“Sorry,” Scotty said, smiling softly.
“Where are you from?” Kevin asked curiously.
“Oxford, Mississippi.”
“You don’t sound like any Mississippi boy I’ve ever met.”
Scotty chuckled. “My father’s Canadian. Every summer, my family spent a few months in Ontario.”
Kevin nodded carefully. “That explains it.”
“Just rest now, Kevin.”
“Don’t let that fire burn too long,” Kevin warned, eyes falling shut as he allowed himself to enjoy Scotty’s touch again. “We shouldn’t give away our position.”
“I know,” Scotty murmured, continuing to run his fingers through Kevin’s hair.
***
Try as they did to refuse, Chad and Jason eventually agreed to lunch. They were munching on sandwiches as they sorted through the box of letters.
“Dad,” Jason observed. “It seems like there are more here than usual.”
“Oh my God, didn’t I tell you? I could have sworn I told you.”
“Told me what?”
“My cousin Elizabeth sent me a whole packet of Uncle Thomas’ belongings. She was tired of them cluttering up her attic and thought you could make some use of them. These letters were in there. Some from Mom, some from my Aunt Sarah and I think one from Uncle Kevin.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, she mailed them last month.”
“Dad!”
“I’m sorry; I thought I told you.”
“Nursing home offense, Dad. Right there.”
“Ah, shut up.”
Jason turned to the pile, searching for letters in Kevin’s writing. Chad looked between the two men, trying not to laugh at their teasing argument. “Did you know him at all?” he asked.
“Uncle Kevin? He died when I was about 9 or so. I met him a few times, but I didn’t know him well. My old man didn’t approve of him, so Mom would only visit him when Dad was preoccupied with campaigns and such. She took me along a few times; he was always very nice to me.”
“Why didn’t - sorry - why didn’t your father approve of him?”
Evan shrugged. “My father was very strict and very conservative. I’m not sure what it was that really bothered him, but they never got along. I heard my father say once that Uncle Kevin didn’t act like a man should, but I never quite knew what he meant by that. I assume he thought writing poetry was too feminine. And then Uncle Kevin made some very public comments about some programs my father tried to implement, and that was the end of even any attempts at civility between the two of them.”
“Huh,” Chad said, picking up another letter and turning it over in his hands. He was about to ask another question when Jason interrupted.
He had found the new letter from Kevin. “Dad, this hasn’t been opened.”
“What?” Evan asked, turning back to Jason.
“This has never been opened! Oh my God, it’s dated April 1948. This is after they fought. Maybe there’s an explanation in here.”
“So, open the letter!” Chad exclaimed.
Jason paused a second. He took a deep breath and turned the envelope over. He picked up a knife and carefully sliced through the now-loose seal. He removed the paper inside, slowly opening it. He skimmed it quickly, then read aloud.
“Tommy,
“I trust this letter finds you well. Kitty told me of the birth of your daughter, and I wanted to congratulate you. Perhaps you would allow me to come see my niece. It’s been several months now, Tommy, and I hope you have been able to - this is scratched out. It looks like “forgive,” maybe. No. It’s forget. Forget. - With Justin and Rebecca gone and Sarah so far away, I miss you terribly. Please, Tommy. I never meant for you to see what you did, or hurt you in any way. Things were said that we can’t take back, but we are brothers. Surely that means more than some minor indiscretion.
“My love to you and Julia and dear little Elizabeth,
Kevin”
Jason looked up, and he and Chad stared at each other.
***
“Is there anything stranger-looking than dead vines?” Kevin mused. “This is giving me unpleasant flashbacks to the orchards back home during winter.”
Scotty, in the middle of preparing dinner, looked at him for a second, then looked around. Some dead, twisted branches still clung to the remaining fragments of wall. He shrugged.
“I think it’s kind of pretty,” he observed.
Kevin looked at him curiously.
“Just…we’re surrounded by all this destruction and this - desolate world, but we can see the remains of what must have been a, just a really beautiful place. It kind of gives me hope that we’ll be able to get back to that someday.” Scotty paused, then looked at Kevin, embarrassed. “That sounds really naïve, doesn’t it?”
Kevin shook his head, smiling lightly. “No.” He sighed. “I guess I can see it now. I’m trying to picture what this building must have been like. The spires and windows and music, the walls covered in vine. And the wine, of course.”
Scotty burst into laughter. “What?”
“That was always my favorite part of church whenever we happened to go. Being able to drink wine even though I was still fairly young. God, I miss wine. I can almost taste it.”
Scotty shook his head, amused. “You have a pretty good imagination, after all.”
Kevin looked at him. “I do,” he agreed. “I’ve just been using it for more delightful fantasies than wondering what a building might have looked like.”
Scotty stared at him for a moment longer. Then he turned away, taking a deep breath. “Dinner’s ready,” he said.
***
“What does it all mean?” Chad asked as they climbed back into his car.
Jason was silent for a moment, staring off into the distance. “We have a letter from Kevin apologizing to Tommy about an indiscretion, but nowhere near what you’d expect if there was something going on with Julia. We have a letter from Sarah telling Tommy that his brother needs him, even if he is - and she apparently was quoting him - finding sympathy and comfort from other arms. And we have a letter from Sarah, dated after Kevin’s death, telling Julia that she received the packet of letters that Kitty sent, that Sarah agreed with Julia that Kitty seemed unaware of what the letters actually were, and that she had no idea yet what she should do with them. So to sum up, it means…I have no freaking clue.”
“We’re missing some key pieces of information,” Chad pointed out.
Jason nodded slowly.
“And it seems like Sarah knew the most about what was going on, even if she was all the way in France.”
“Kevin and Sarah were always very close. Like I said, he visited her a few times after the war,” Jason reminded him.
“I think that the answers are in France. We have to go there.”
Jason turned to look at him incredulously. “What?”
“These letters that Sarah talks about - they might be the key to whatever happened. The crash, Tommy and Kevin’s fight…I just have the feeling that they’re all connected somehow. And the answers are in France.”
“OK, crazy man. I can’t hop on a plane and fly to a foreign country at a moment’s notice. And even if I could, you want me to drop in for a surprise visit to my father’s elderly cousin - a woman I’ve never met, by the way - on the off chance that she might have a pack of letters mailed to her mother 55 years ago!”
“You have spring break next week, right?”
“Yes, but - ”
“Come on, Jason!”
“I can’t afford it. There’s just no way.”
“I’ll buy your ticket.”
Jason paused. “You’re serious?”
“Yes!”
Jason stared at him, mouth open as he tried to find a response. He shook his head lightly. “OK,” he finally said. “Let’s go to France.”
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