June shrugged and shook her head. “She’s so hopped up on pain meds, you can’t get a clear thought out of her most days. I don’t know that she’d even realize she was somewhere different. Doesn’t know me most of the time.”
“I’m so sorry,” Gertie said. “That’s hard.”
“The Lord doesn’t give us more than we can handle, right?” June said, and looked over at me.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “We’ve never met. I’m Fortune Redding, a friend of Ida Belle and Gertie’s.”
June’s face brightened. “You’re the lady who saved the girl.” She reached out and grabbed my hand and squeezed it. “I’m so glad to meet you and thank you personally. Lord, that poor child. When I think of what she must have been through.”
“We heard that you’re fostering the girl until her situation is resolved,” I said.
“I guess I should have expected that would get around quickly,” June said. “It’s big news around here, after all. I can’t let you talk to her, though.”
“I understand,” I said. “But I was hoping we could talk to you.”
“Don’t know as I’d have anything relevant to say, but I’m happy to take a break and say nothing important. I put a fresh pitcher of sweet tea in the refrigerator before I came outside to tackle those beds. Head on up to the porch and I’ll bring us out some.”
We stepped onto the large screened porch on the front of the house and June went inside. There was a big patio set with thick cushions on one end, so we took seats there. Her drapes were flapping out of the open windows and I tucked them behind the chair so they wouldn’t blow in my face. June came back out as I was tucking, carrying a tray with glasses and a pitcher of sweet tea.
“Sorry about the drapes,” she said as she poured. “I forgot to tie them off inside when I opened the windows. I love to get that cross-breeze through the house to air it out. Then I know it’s spring.”
“Me too,” Gertie agreed.
“How do you ladies like my new porch?” June asked. “Just had it screened in. Keeps the bugs off in the evening so I can sit out here with my book.”
“It’s really nice,” I said, actually meaning it.
I preferred being outside when the weather was nice but didn’t have a large sitting area like this. Not that it was required, as I mostly sat alone or with Carter, but maybe I should consider an addition to my small back porch area and enclose it.
“Walter keeps wanting to add a big front porch to my house because that’s where all the breeze is in the evening,” Ida Belle said. “Don’t get me wrong, it would improve the looks, but if you sit on the front porch, then people stop and talk to you. That doesn’t sound relaxing to me.”
June waved her hands. “See those screens? You can see out of them but not in.”
I nodded. “I noticed that coming up the walk.”
“Hmmm,” Ida Belle said. “I might consider a porch if I can sit out there without having to talk to random people.”
“Your neighbors aren’t ‘random,’” Gertie said.
“When I’m trying to relax on my porch, everyone’s random but Walter. Sometimes even him.”
We all laughed.
“Fortunately, the breeze is in my backyard,” I said. “I might have to consider adding something like this. It would be nice to read outside without fighting off the mosquitoes.”
“Maybe enclose the hot tub too so people don’t keep coming by and deciding they want to get in with us,” Gertie said. “They never bring their own booze, either, and we always have to share the good stuff.”
June smiled. “I suppose those are called first-world problems, since most don’t get to sit in a hot tub drinking good booze or relax on their porch with a cup of tea and a book. But I can see where it might get crowded if too many catch on.”
“So how is the girl doing?” I asked, figuring I should get to the real purpose of our visit.
“She’s finally asleep again, poor thing,” June said. “I know she can’t remember what happened, but she’s obviously been through it. Wakes up all night thrashing about and hollering in her sleep. Looked pale as a ghost with huge dark circles under her eyes at breakfast. Barely ate a thing, but I managed to get a little in her, then sent her back to bed. I put a television in there, hoping it would take her mind off things.”
“I guess you can’t really let her leave the house,” I said.
“Given the circumstances, the caseworker thought it would be better if she wasn’t seen outdoors. I told her everyone in the parish would know the girl was here within a day, but I don’t think she believed me. She’s from the city.”
Ida Belle nodded. “They don’t understand how small towns work.”
“Well, we’re definitely not here to make things worse for her,” I said. “I just wanted to check and see how she was doing. It was kind of dicey, getting her breathing again, and the hospital can’t give me information, and well, I couldn’t let it go until I knew for sure she was all right.”
June reached over and squeezed my hand. “You’re a good woman, Ms. Redding. And that girl is lucky you were there, and that fisherman. When she’s got a placement or they locate her family, I need to track him down and thank him as well.”
“He was pretty stressed about the whole thing,” Gertie said. “But then I guess I would be too. I’m glad she seems all right—physically at least.”
June sighed. “I suppose she’s as good as she can be, given all that she must have gone through. She’s bruised, of course, and looks a tad bit malnourished to me, but everything’s working right except her mind.”
“Is she verbal?” Ida Belle asked.
“She can talk. She just doesn’t choose to often. Mostly, I get nods or head shakes. It’s fairly common, though. All of the kids I took in were older and had been through trauma or they wouldn’t have been with me in the first place. I was emergency placement, you see. Her behavior is similar to what I’ve seen before.”
“I find it interesting that she still exhibits the signs of trauma even though she can’t remember what happened to her,” I said.
June nodded. “I studied some child psychology years ago, hoping to do a better job with these kids, and Lord knows, I’ve spoken to a therapist or two. They told me that the subconscious mind acts to protect them even if their consciousness isn’t aware of the danger.”
“Which is probably why she has nightmares. Her subconscious is trying to warn her.”
“I think so. And that’s probably part of the reason she’s so cautious when she’s awake. Well, that and she doesn’t know anyone around her, including herself. I can only imagine how unnerving that is.”
“Well, I’m glad she’s with you, June. I’ve been worried about her ever since the paramedics put her in that ambulance. I’m glad she’s all right physically, but I really wish her parents would turn up. I have to say, it concerns me a lot that they haven’t reported her missing.”
June gave me a grave nod. “The implications of that aren’t lost on me, but so far, I’ve not heard anything about recent accidents or homicides. Of course, assuming it happened out in those bayous, they might not ever find anything.”