AFTERWARD

The Barnes family felt greatly relieved that the problem had been solved. The cloud that had hung over them from the years of the Painter’s enmity toward them was no longer visible. Jenny personally felt that a burden had been lifted from her. Now she explored the creek on the Painter farm and enjoyed its beauty. She found lovely rocks in the creek bed at a shallow crossing and also explored the little meadow on the other side on higher ground. She found a small brown stone marker with “Buster Airedale” lovingly hand carved on it, a measure of Hank’s feeling and sorrow upon losing his favorite dog. She explored the tiny vacant house which echoed with memories of the Painters. She wondered how so many people had managed to live in such a small space. The row of bricks she had remembered from Twila’s funeral was still there, but the grass had died. As she walked back down the lane, she recalled the day nearly nine years ago when she walked down this lane all by herself, taking the Easter eggs to Betty Ann. How long ago this had been. The next day she returned with a trowel and a box and dug up violets which grew near the creek, and set them out in their own newly fenced yard. and they are growing there today.

Painters had moved to a ramshackle house in the town’s Toonerville. Betty Ann and the youngest child each died when they reached puberty, but Nora lived to a ripe old age.

Sonny didn’t attend high school, but he eventually got a job as a school bus driver, taking considable pride in his driving skill. Hank had let him drive the tractor on the farm, from the time he was eight years old, and he was good with machines and loved vehicles of all kinds. He never did turn into a swan; his ugliness increased as he got older, but only the young are expected to be beautiful. He never married. He cultivated a sharp wit, of sorts, and became a central figure among certain clusters of street side loafers, who admired him for his original snappy retorts.

Years later, after Dad died, and Mother moved to town, she would sometimes see Hank down town and he would always speak with a friendly, “Hello Mae. How are ya?” When Beulah was mortally ill with diabetes, and was in the hospital, Mother went to visit her. Tears filled Beulah’s eyes and she said she sure did appreciate Mae’s coming to see her.