***
Frieda was tired. So tired. It had been a busy day at work, and she still had to make dinner and wash and dry a load of laundry so she would have clean work clothes for tomorrow. And invariably, the older boys would have homework, too.
“God give me strength,” she sighed, anxious to get home.
She was just passing Welby’s Grocery and debating whether to stop and get food from the deli, when her phone rang. When she noticed it was her boss, she frowned and answered.
“Hello?”
“Frieda, this is Elton. You left your paycheck behind.”
“Oh crap,” Frieda said. “I’ll be right there.”
“No, no… I’m leaving to make a deposit at the bank right now. I’ll just swing by your house and bring it to you.”
“That would be awesome,” Frieda said. “Thank you so much.”
“No problem. I’ll be there in less than five.”
Frieda hung up. “Good man,” she said, and gave up the deli idea and kept driving. A couple of minutes later, she pulled up into the drive and parked beneath the carport. When she got out, she looked up the street for her boss’s car and paid no attention to the old Ford as it passed.
When she saw Elton’s car, she went to the end of the drive to meet him. He pulled up in it and rolled down his window.
“Here you go, girl. You look beat. Get some rest.”
She reached in the open window, took the check, and then stepped back and waved.
“I wish, and thanks again!” she called out as Elton waved and drove away.
Then Donny came running out, wrapped his arms around her, and gave her a big hug.
“Hi, Mama. I’m glad you’re home!” he said.
Frieda hugged her baby. “Me too, sugar.”
They walked into the house together, unaware that Justin had seen everything and put his own interpretation on the innocence of it all.
***
“Took my boys away from me, and she’s already fuckin’ around,” Justin growled, then gunned the engine and peeled out as he turned the next corner and headed for the bar at the edge of town.
He walked in with his chin up, eyes flashing, ready to get drunk or fight, whichever came first. And as luck would have it, one of his old drinking buddies saw him and waved him over.
Hours later, they dragged him to his car at closing time and put him in the back seat, where he promptly passed out. Then they locked the car doors to keep him safe and tossed his car keys in the floorboard beside him so he’d see them when he woke up.
***
The imminent approach of a favorite holiday had shattered the focus of Katie’s students. Halloween was all about what kind of costumes to wear, and parties, and trick-or-treat time, and all of it had spilled over into everything at school from art classes to what was being served in the lunchroom.
Miss Katie’s bulletin board garden had pumpkins in the patch now, and a pumpkin-head scarecrow to keep away the birds. Every day this week, at least one of her students would bring her a Halloween treat. Sometimes a little piece of candy, sometimes a cupcake with orange frosting. And Evie and Beth had brought her jack-o’-lantern earrings from Arnold’s Antiques and Gifts. She knew because she’d seen them in there when she was buying Halloween treats for her class.
When the earrings arrived, Katie immediately switched out the earrings she was wearing for the jack-o’-lanterns, and everyone in the class had to look and touch because that’s how first graders rolled.
On this morning, Katie was dressed for playground duty, and as soon as the children were finished with their lunches, both of the first- and second-grade classes went out to play.
Katie was glad she’d had the foresight to bring her warmer jacket. Even though the sun was shining, the air was sharp and the wind was brisk.
She and Marcy were talking, but always keeping an eye out for trouble. Kids fussed. Kids fell. Kids came running to tattle on someone. It was just a normal day.
Katie was watching Freddie about to come down the slide, and when she realized he intended to do it on his belly, headfirst, she blew her whistle and pointed at him.
He heard it. Saw Miss Katie shaking her head and pointing, and knew exactly what it meant. He sighed, then came down the slide sitting down.
“Lord. That would have been a headbutt to end all headbutts,” Marcy said.
Katie nodded. “If it hadn’t broken his neck first.”
They looked at each other and grimaced.
And then Katie caught movement from the corner of her eye and saw Justin Tiller sprinting across the playground straight toward Donny. Before she could react, Justin grabbed him by the arm and began dragging him away, with Donny crying and protesting as they went.
Katie grabbed Marcy’s arm.
“Call Susan. Tell her to ring the bell and get the kids inside, then call the police. Justin Tiller is trying to kidnap his son.”
Marcy gasped, then got on their two-way to tell Susan what was happening. Even as the bell was ringing to go inside, Katie was racing across the school grounds.
***
Donny was scared. His daddy was drunk and shouting bad things about his mama, and telling him that he was going to have to live with him instead. Donny kept dragging his feet and pulling hard, trying to get away, but his daddy was holding on too tight.
“Stop, Daddy, stop!” Donny cried. “You’re hurting me! You’re hurting my arm!”
Donny’s cries only angered Justin more, and when his son dug in his heels and leaned backward, Justin yanked him so hard, it lifted him completely off his feet.
The shriek that ensued was heart-stopping. Justin had just broken his little boy’s arm. Bone had torn through the flesh, and blood was everywhere. Just as he was about to pick Donny up and run, Justin heard the sound of footsteps behind him and turned, but it was too late to stop Katie’s attack.
She launched herself at him like a ninja, chopping at his neck, kicking him in the groin, busting his nose with the palm of her hand, and then she did a complete three-sixty on one foot and took him out with a kick to the chin with the other.
He dropped like a poleaxed steer and didn’t move.
Katie ran back to Donny.
He was sobbing and writhing, with his little arm clutched against his chest as she knelt down beside him. The sight of his arm made her sick. Bone was protruding through the skin, and blood was pouring. The injury was so bad that she was afraid to move him. But blood loss from a child this small was dangerous.
She sat down behind him, using her body for a brace, then pulled a bandanna from the pocket of her jacket and held it against the wound, trying to stop the flow of blood.