Chapter Five

The remainder of the drive was uneventful. It was a short trip, distance-wise; because their dad was back driving the truck it did take some time. Jim stayed awake, though he and Abilene said very little to each other. The whole time they just looked to the plant, Abilene keeping her eyes on the road only as much as necessary.

Jim’s eyes were eventually drawn to the foreground by the sudden change from fields to yards. Without so much as a sign the highway turned into road, and empty nothing turned into suburb. But despite the rows and rows of nearly identical homes, all two or so stories, the plant remained constantly visible. You could even see it from their new cul-de-sac, up one hill and down another and pleasantly named Lilac Court; regardless of all the driving they had done in the meantime, the view outside their new home looked the same as the one seen earlier at the side of the road.

“Spooky,” said Abilene, leaning against the driver’s door. Jim sat on the hood, while they both waited as their dad tried valiantly to back the moving truck up the driveway. “Do you think it’s haunted?”

Jim twiddled his fingers in his lap.

After ten or so minutes and a few driver changes, their parents eventually got the truck parked where they wanted it. Everyone stood behind as Henry opened up the rear door exposing all of their stuff.

Looking at it all Abilene immediately dreaded having to unload. “Can’t we wait to do this?”

Mary put an arm around her shoulder. “No, now come on. It’ll be dark soon, and then even harder. We’re all tired, but getting it off the truck now is best.”

Henry nodded agreement and tugged at her shirtsleeve. “Come on, Abby, we’ll stand in the truck and hand boxes to your mom and brother.”

Jim furrowed his eyebrows. “What?”

Henry rolled his eyes. “Then we’ll switch halfway through.”

So the family began unloading their possessions; not a great deal for a family of four, but enough to get them all sweating pretty quickly. Abilene tried to give Jim all the heavy boxes for complaining about the unloading arrangement (and also as light punishment for the cuss in the car, which she wouldn’t tell her parents about.) Henry was also trying to focus the heavier boxes on Mary, as light punishment for the stress caused by her driving. Once inside, though, Mary and Jim both dropped their heavy boxes right by the front door, knowing they were being saddled and totally unwilling to handle it all alone. They would just wait until everything was off the truck and make sure the other two pitched in.

After five minutes of silence on the truck, Henry tried to make small talk.

“Any plans, Abby?”

Abby nudged a box forward with her foot. “Plans?”

Henry grabbed the box and brought it over to a waiting Mary. “Yeah, you know. Any ideas for how you’re going to fill your days. You’re going to have a lot of freedom this year.”

“Yeah. Here, can you take this too? I don’t know…Jim and I were kind of talking about this in the car. I guess I’d like to get a job or something, but I don’t know where. I don’t even know what’s in this town. Is it just that?”

Abilene was pointing into nothing, but Henry knew she meant the plant. “No, they actually have a nice little downtown type area, it’s a mile or so down the road. Maybe when we’re all done with this, or tomorrow when we’re more rested, we can go down there and check it out.”

Abby picked up a chair and brought it to Jim.

“But, you know, you don’t have to work in a shop or anything. They’ve got schools here, maybe you could tutor.” Abby raised her eyebrows like that might actually be a possibility.

Henry paused, crouched to get a hold on a box of books. He sat down on the floor of the truck and rested his elbows on his knees. “Don’t worry,” he said softly. “You’ll find something good.”