Figuring Out the Howards
Racking her brain to figure out what Mrs. Howard was getting at did Hope little good. She had a few extra moments to think on it as Brady worked her first trunk through the door, cursing and smashing into things, mostly the floor.
“Don’t mind him,” the embarrassed mother said. “He’ll get it up the stairs in one piece.”
“I sure hope that’s the heavy one,” Hope muttered, though she had a feeling it was the smaller of the two. “What other unmentionables are you speaking of?”
“You know—entertainers.” Hope was still drawing a blank. “Women entertainers.” Her eyebrows knit together, but Hope was still completely clueless. Mrs. Howard leaned forward. “Prostitutes, honey.”
“Oh. Oh!” Of course, Hope knew what that word meant, but she’d never imagined she might actually see a woman of ill repute, especially not at a conference with a student’s parent. “I didn’t realize….”
“I hate it for our town, but there ain’t much anyone can do. Anywhere you have so many men and not enough women to marry ‘em all, well, they’re gonna move in. There’s a red light district. Small—just a house or two. It’s awful, and I’m working with the mayor and the city council to try to move ‘em out. Maybe you can help with that.”
Hope nodded, though she had no idea how she could be of any help. “I do hope most of them will send their children to the school.”
“I’m sure they will. Someone to look after their kids for free? Why not?”
Thinking of herself as a nanny didn’t sit well with Hope, but listening to Brady drag her trunk up the stairs was even more unsettling, and she decided just to put the whole idea of what may be going on at night out of her mind. “The school is fairly close by, isn’t it? So I may walk to and from the building during daylight hours without fearing for my safety?”
“Oh, it’s about three-quarters of a mile across town, not too far. Most days, Mr. Howard can likely give you a ride part of the way when he heads to the store. He don’t like to walk, especially in inclement weather. And it’s almost the rainy season. We got two rainy seasons. Spring and fall. Then, winter ain’t so cold most of the time compared to what you’re used to. It’s the summer that’s dreadful hot.”
“I have no doubt.” Hope knew enough about the Texas climate that she had counted on hot summers. “Will I have to pass by the red light district you spoke of to get back here?”
“No, not exactly. It’s about two blocks away from the street you’d likely use. It’s a few blocks behind the saloon that sits on the square. Gotta be close enough for them men folk to stumble over when they’s good and drunk.”
Hope had never actually even tasted any alcohol. Being a Southern Baptist, it was frowned upon, and since her mama didn’t drink spirits, she’d always just abstained herself. She’d seen a few drunk men at get-togethers, and her own daddy had been known to drink a bit, though never past what was proper. Imagining a bunch of drunk men stumbling out of a saloon to head to a brothel made her head feel as if Brady was pounding into it with her trunk instead of the stairs.
“Sounds like he’s got that one up into the hall,” Nita said with a smile. “You finished with your food, honey?”
“Oh, yes, thank you,” Hope replied, sliding her plate away. Nita took it without questioning her lack of appetite and disposed of the scraps in what looked like a slop box and the rinsed the plate. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“No, thank you. I can run the place just fine. One more mouth to feed won’t be too much of an inconvenience when I’m used to cookin’ for two growin’ boys. Now, sometimes Brady comes over for dinner.” They heard his boots on the stairs and then as he passed through the front room, still cursing under his breath. “Doc hires out most of his cookin’ and cleanin’ but he comes over some days. We call him Doc because we’re so proud of him.”
“I’m sure you are,” Hope said with a broad smile. She could imagine how it might feel to have a child who accomplished so much and couldn’t blame the mother for being so pleased with everything her child had accomplished.
Brady had made it to the front door now, and by the commotion, Hope could tell he had the larger trunk this time. She prayed it would fit through the narrow passage, and when she heard a scraping sound and then what sounded like quick steps backward, followed by a thunk, she figured that meant he had it in. His success did not keep him from letting go several swear words.
“Brady didn’t quite take after his folks when it comes to church going and fittin’ into polite society. But he’s a good man. Hard worker. Strong as an ox.”
“Clearly,” Hope replied, meaning the latter. She had no idea if the rest of what Mrs. Howard said was true. “When do you think I might be able to see the school? Classes are to start on Monday, aren’t they? That’s just a few days away.”
“I reckon you can go see it as soon as you’re settled. I can have Brady drive you over, or you can wait till tomorrow, and maybe Bradford will have time to take you, though he’s been awful busy at the store these days.”
“I don’t want to be any trouble,” Hope replied with a small smile. The idea of going anywhere else with Brady was anything but inviting. “Perhaps I can just walk over.”
“I suppose you could if yer good at directions.” The mistress of the house gave a small shrug. “Why don’t you head upstairs and get settled? Sounds like Brady’s got yer things in yer room.”
It did sound as if Brady was done. There was a floor jarring bang and the slamming of a door to accentuate his completion, followed by the shouting of an elderly woman to cut down on all that racket. Hope wondered what had taken the person she assumed must be his grandmother so long to shout. Or maybe she had been yelling the whole time, and it was only now that he was finished that they could hear.
“I think that’s a fine idea,” Hope replied, thinking maybe she could tarry long enough for Brady to clear out. She stood, pushing in her chair, and took her glass to the washbasin, intending to wash it out herself.
“I’ve got it, honey,” Mrs. Howard assured her. “Now yer room’ll be the third door on the right.”
“The third door on the right?” Hope repeated with a nod. She was sure she could find that. While directions weren’t necessarily her strongest suit, she could handle counting to three and knew her right from left, obviously. Perhaps she should just visit the school on her own.
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