The next day, Luke and I followed Ma around helping her with all her chores and, when they were done, asking if there was anything else we could do for her. I’m sure she knew we were trying to keep her buttered so she wouldn’t decide to tell Luke he had to go. I didn’t know it at the time, but she had already decided the night before to allow him to stay, but she figured she would let us two love-birds stew in our worry for most of the day.
Eventually, however, she became annoyed with us being up her butt every time she turned around. “You two best start getting ready for the town dance. We’ll leave in about an hour.”
“Does this mean he can stay?”
“Yes, but don’t make me regret this decision.”
“We won’t,” I promised and hugged her neck tight.
After we changed clothes, Luke and I sat on the front porch with Grandma Viola who was wearing her fancy church dress.
“What are you all dressed up for?” I asked.
Ma came walking out the door just about then.
“Ole man Henry is coming to call on your grandma and take her to the dance.”
“Grandma has a fella?” I couldn’t believe it.
“No, I don’t! I don’t know why that ole coot insists on coming by. He’s so ugly; he could back a buzzard off a gut-wagon.”
“That’s not true,” Ma disagreed. “He’s a handsome gentleman.”
“Sure as heck ain’t. He fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.”
Luke and I chuckled.
“Don’t encourage her,” Ma said.
“Plus, he’s broke. He’s as poor as a church mouse…and his mustache smells like a mildewed saddle blanket after it has been ridden on a sore back horse for three hundred miles in August.”
“Ma, you’re on a roll today. Sebastian Henry is a good man and I believe he shaved his mustache off.”
“Well, I’m just going because I feel sorry for him.”
“Ma, he really likes you a lot. You need to be nice to him when he gets here. You never know, you could end up skinny-dipping with him in the river.”
“Hardly. Your father is the only one I ever bathed with.”
“Before or after you were married?” I had to ask.
“Before and after.”
“You never told me that!” Ma exclaimed. “I knew Lizzy took after you, but not to this extent. You… Jezebels!”
“Grandma Viola, I guess the cats out of the bag now.” I teased.
“You know what they say about that… letting the cat out of the bag is a whole lot easier than putting it back in,” Grandma Viola commented and winked at me.
“Here comes ole man Henry now,” Ma announced.
Sebastian Henry drove his wagon to the front of the porch and climbed out. He was in his late sixties, skinny with a head full of white hair and no mustache. He stepped onto the porch and removed his cowboy hat.
“Good afternoon, Viola. You’re looking lovely today.”
“That smooth talking won’t work on me you ole coot.”
“Sassy as ever, just like I like ‘em”
“How are you doing, Mr. Henry?” Ma asked.
“Gooder than a fox in a chicken pen. You’ve been doing all right?”
“Yes, sir, happier than a pig in mud.”
“That’s pretty darn happy.” He then turned to me. “Hello, little Lizzy. You’re looking pretty.”
“Thanks.”
“And who is your friend?”
Luke stood up and shook Sebastian’s hand.
“I’m Luke, pleased to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
Sebastian turned back towards Grandma Viola and offered his hand.
“Are you ready to go?”
“I reckon, but I don’t need your help to get out of this swing,” she said and swatted his hand away.
Grandma Viola stepped to his wagon and began climbing in. She was having a little difficulty, so Sebastian gently put his hand on her buttocks and pushed her on up.
“Take your hand off my fanny!” Grandma Viola screamed.
“I was just helping you get in the wagon.” Henry said as he suggestively raised his eyebrows up and down rapidly.
“I know what you were doing! You can’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining! Now, you’ll act like a gentleman for the rest of the evening or, heaven help me, I’ll beat you to within an inch of your life, which, at your age, ain’t very long.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Henry said as he climbed into the wagon and gave us a smile and a wink.
“We’ll be right behind you as soon as Billy and Katie get ready,” Ma called after Sebastian and his date.
After a few minutes, we were all ready to go.
“Lizzy, grab the lantern. It’ll be dark on our way back home,” Ma ordered.
I did as she said and we all climbed into the wagon and headed for the town dance.
The dance was being held in the same place as it was held every month, an open field located in a valley next to the river. It was surrounded by steep hills making the festival seem loud as the sounds echoed throughout the valley, like an amphitheater, someone once compared it to.
The place was packed by the time we arrived. A band was on a wooded stage sawing their fiddles and plucking their banjos while many danced on the saw dust covered dance area. Several cloth-draped tables were covered with a huge assortment of foods and drinks and several hogs were roasting in the ground. Badminton nets were set up, horse-shoes were being tossed, and some were target practicing with their pistols a safe distance from the party. The children were engaged in several games of “capture the flag”, “dodge ball”, “kick ball”, and “Red Rover”.
Ma took Billy and Katie over to the kid’s games and then sat with the ladies as they watched the children play. Luke and I walked around the festival taking in all the sights and smells. We watched a man getting dunked in the dunking tank, marveled as Mr. Jackson performed his magic tricks, and applauded as little Johnny Smith played “Little Drummer Boy” on his drums while his sister sang.
Soon, it was announced the hogs were ready for eating and everyone gathered at the tables for the feast. It was obviously there was less food on the tables than last month due to the lack of rain, but everyone seemed to have gotten their fill and, afterwards, they returned to dancing, playing games and socializing. Luke and I continued our walk together. We walked up on Reverend Johnson and Sheriff Johnson in conversation and overheard them talking with several other men.
“The lumber company laid-off ten more men,” Sheriff Johnson said. “Our town’s going to go under if we don’t get some rain soon.”
“That’s a fact,” one of the men said. “I can barely keep my crops alive or my cows watered.”
“Yeah,” another one added.” I heard that Cecile lost fifteen of his herd last month because of this dang drought.”
“Something best change soon or this town will dry up like the river is.”
We continued to walk pass the men and headed down towards the river. The river here was only inches deep, the water skating on top of the pebbled bottom.
“Wow, the river is getting real low,” I commented.
I looked to Luke who was lost in his own thoughts.
“Penny for your thoughts.”
Luke remained in a trance.
“HELLO!” I almost yelled.
“I’m sorry.”
“What had you so wrapped up?”
“This town really needs rain, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, like the sheriff was saying, the lumber yard is about to shut down. If it does, the train will have no reason to come here and this town will swivel up and blow away with the dust.”
Luke looked at me intensely for several seconds and then took a deep breath.
“I can help.”
“How?”
“I can make it rain.”
“What?”
“I can make it rain. I’ve done it before.”
“You m
ade it rain before?”
“Yes.”
“Like a rainmaker?”
“I guess.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
“Because the last time I made it rain, it didn’t go so well. First the town folks were happy that I made it rain, but then their happiness turned into suspicious. They began making claims I must be a servant of the devil to have such powers and they even threatened to hang me. I ran away as fast as I could. I told you before; folks fear what they don’t understand.”
“They wouldn’t do that here. These are good people here. If you can make it rain, you have to do it! This town is dying!”
“I know. Let’s go talk to the sheriff.”
We found the sheriff still engaged in conversation with his brother.
“Sheriff Johnson, can we talk to you?” I asked.
I hesitated for a moment knowing how outrageous what I was about to say would sound, especially to the sheriff. I drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
“I know this is going to sound crazy, but, well… here it goes. Luke can make it rain.”
The Sheriff and Reverend just stared at me like I had lost my mind, puzzled at my comment. Finally, Sheriff Johnson spoke.
“What do you mean, he can make it rain?”
“He’s done it before,” I assured them.
“You mean like those traveling rainmakers claim they can?” Sheriff Johnson asked.
“Yes, but Luke says he really can and I believe him.”
“You believe he can make it rain?” Sheriff Johnson said in shock. “You, Lizzy?”
Reverend Johnson looked at Luke suspiciously.
“Now, son, you know no one can just will it to rain. That power is God’s and His alone. I don’t know why you told Lizzy you could make it rain, maybe you were just trying to impress her, but you shouldn’t go around telling lies like that, especially knowing how desperate all these folks are around here for rain.”
“Sir, I’m not lying.”
“No one can make it rain,” Reverend Johnson insisted becoming a little agitated.
“If Luke says he can then he can!” I insisted. I was beginning to wonder why we brought this to them in the first place. Luke could have just done it without their knowledge. I still wonder why he wanted to talk to the Sheriff first.
“Brother, what would it hurt to let him try? You’re not asking for money, are you, Luke?” Sheriff Johnson asked.
“No, sir, of course not!”
“Then, I don’t see any harm in letting him perform his little rain dance. It might be amusing.”
“These folks are so desperate for rain; they're willing to believe anything.” Reverend Johnson said. “I don’t wish for them to get their hopes up just to have them shattered when this boy doesn’t produce rain. It may devastate them.”
“Oh, I think they can handle it.” Sheriff Johnson said. “They’re stronger than you give them credit for. But to ease your mind, we’ll just tell them it’s a show.”
“It’s your call,” Reverend Johnson said with a shrug of his shoulders.
Sheriff Johnson climbed into a nearby wagon and stood up in the back.
“ATTENTION EVERYONE!” he yelled above the crowd.
Everyone turned and looked towards the sheriff.
“We have a special event planned for this evening. Luke here is going to show us a rainmaking ceremony. Now, don’t none of you be foolish enough to think it will actually rain. This is only for fun. If anyone is interested in watching, meet us down by the river.”
The sheriff jumped down off the wagon.
“The show’s all yours,” he said to Luke.
Luke led all who were interested to the river. On the way, he grabbed little Johnny Smith and his drums. There were nearly thirty people gathered around Luke to watch the show.
“First of all, I need a huge fire built right here,” Luke said as he drug his foot in the sand creating a rather large circle.
Several people left to gather enough wood to fill the sizeable circle Luke had created. After several minutes, the fire was burning, its flames licking ten feet into the sky. He then turned to Johnny Smith with his drums.
“I won’t you and…you,” Luke pointed to another small boy in the crowd. “…to beat on these drums with a constant beat…boom…boom…boom.” The two boys did as they were instructed. “Good… just like that. Don’t let the beat stop for anything. If you get tired, then have someone else take your place, but whatever you do, don’t stop the drums. And you folks keep the fire going. I’m going up yonder on that ridge. I may be up there for quite awhile. You must keep the fire burning. Does everyone understand?”
Everyone nodded their heads that they understood, with a few rolling their eyes.
Luke headed for the ridge and I followed. I looked up into the sky on the way and couldn’t find a single cloud. Once we reached the base of the ridge, Luke turned to me.
“I have to go up there by myself.”
“I can’t go?”
“No, it’s best if you stay down here.”
“Fine, I’ll help keep the fire burning and beat on those drums until you come back.”
“Don’t fret too much about that. The fire and the drums are just for show. They really have nothing to do with making it rain.”
“Then why have them go through all that trouble?”
“If they believe the fire and the beating of the drums have something to do with making it rain, it helps keep some of the accusations off of me because they're participants in the rain making. Plus, the more people who actually believe the rain is coming, the easier it will come. Faith can move mountains.”
“You really believe you can do this, don’t you?”
“I can. Don’t you have faith in me?”
“I’m trying. I know if anyone could do this, it would be you.”
“I’ll show you, Lizzy Cooper. I’ll bring you some rain.”
I watched him walk up the steep ridge and out of sight. The drums in the background were steadily beating…boom…boom…boom. I once again glanced up into the clear sky. I found myself wanting to believe…for Luke’s sake… but I couldn’t. My faith had died with Pa.
Thirty minutes passed and then an hour. The crowd was getting bored quickly and some left. I half heartedly tried to keep people interested in tending the fire and beating the drums, but my lack of enthusiasm was as transparent as my faith it would rain. We had already gone through five drummers and the fire was only half the size it had originally been. I looked up periodically to see if Luke was returning from his seemingly futile attempt at rainmaking.
Another thirty minutes went by. The fire was only a few feet high, the crowd had dwindled down to only a few spectators, and I had lost the last of my drummers to his parent’s calls that they were leaving to go home. The sun was quickly setting to the west and twilight was falling, but no rain.
Sheriff Johnson came by.
“Looks like the shows over. It would have been fantastic if your boyfriend was the real deal, but it was good of him to try.”
He smiled, patted me on my shoulder, and walked away.
A feeling of disappointment began to loom over me. I wanted to believe Luke could actually make it rain, but reality was setting in fast. It was almost dark and not a single drop of rain. I decided to make my way up the ridge and let Luke know I was proud of his efforts, but it was time to go home.
I climbed the ridge and found Luke standing in a small clearing with his back towards me. His hands were outstretched towards the heavens while his whole body gently swayed back and forth, from exhaustion I presumed. I quietly approached from behind and placed a hand on his shoulder. He rapidly swung around in surprise that he was not alone. I took a few steps back in shock at what I saw. The whole of Luke’s eyes were completely white with no trace of the green of his irises or the black of his pupils. He quickly closed his eyes for a few seconds and when he opened them, they were back to norma
l.
“I asked you not to come up here!” Luke said.
“I’m sorry,” I said still a little scared and confused at what I saw. “What was wrong with your eyes?”
“What do you mean?”
“They were all white and scary looking!”
“I didn’t realize they did that. I fall into a trance when I call for rain. You startled me out of it.”
I walked up to Luke and placed my hands on his shoulders and gave him an, “I’m sorry it didn’t work out” look.
“It’s getting dark and we have to get going, but you made a good effort. I’m proud of you for that.”
Luke smiled a chessy cat smile and looked over my shoulder.
“Why the big smile?” I asked.
“If you still don’t believe I can make it rain, then look over yonder, Lizzy…here comes the rain!”
Just then a strong, cool breeze blew against my back. I quickly spun around and was astonished at seeing huge black clouds rolling towards us. Lightening raced through the bellowing clouds as distant thunder echoed across the valley. An electrical charge could be felt in the air while the chilly wind picked up, blowing my hair back and sending a chill down my spine. I turned around and gave Luke a look of surprise and then one of pride. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him.
“You did it! You actually did it! I’m so sorry I ever doubted you. I should have known. I should have trusted you.”
“It’s okay, Lizzy, but we best get down from here and start heading home before the storm hits.”
The wind began blowing harder, the sky quickly turning dark. Everyone at the dance was trying to gather their belongings before the rain started, running to put them in their wagons. The scene looked chaotic except for the fact everyone had smiles on their faces and they were laughing. They were so thrilled to see rain clouds, they didn’t much care about get wet. It was a welcoming sight, so long overdue. However, as Luke and I were making our way though the crowds, I couldn’t help but see fear and apprehension on some of the town folk’s faces when Luke passed by.
When we arrived at our wagon, Ma, Billy, and Katie were already waiting for us. We climbed aboard and Ma hurriedly turned the wagon towards home.
“You did it!” Billy excitedly exclaimed. “You made it rain!”
Chapter 8