Naomi and the Horse-Flavored T-Shirt by Dan Boehl
Chapter 32: Homecoming
Naomi slid off the mare and stood next to her mother, reins in hand. Her heart pounded.
“Do you think he’s okay?” Naomi asked.
“He’s been in there a long time,” her mom said. Her mom took Naomi’s free hand in her own and squeezed. Naomi could feel her mom’s anticipation and fear.
Sammy set down the basket of potatoes and shifted uneasily. Time seemed to slow down and the three of them waited and waited.
After a while two men came through hole in the factory wall carrying a stretcher. Her mom let go of Naomi’s hand and ran through the debris and to the approaching men. Naomi looked at Sammy, dropped the reins, and followed her mom.
“Joseph!” her mom yelled.
“It’s not him,” one of men carrying the stretcher yelled. “But there’s more coming. A lot more.”
The men moved past Naomi as she reached her mom. As soon as she got there another stretcher appeared from the hole.
“Joseph!” her mom yelled and ran to the stretcher.
“It’s not him,” said one of the men. They went past.
Naomi looked at the man on the stretcher. His face was covered in a scruffy beard, his skin was ashen white, and though his cheeks were sunken and withered, Naomi recognized him as Mr. Heller, her disappeared fifth grade teacher. The recognition sent ice through Naomi’s veins. This was the fate of people that spoke against the paste company.
Another stretcher came out of the hole, and again her mom ran to it and yelled, “Joseph!”
Again, it was not Joseph.
Naomi caught up with her mom. She grabbed at her mom’s hand. Her mom turned towards her. Tears ran down her mom’s face, and the expression there, one of complete fear.
“Where is he?” her mom screamed. “Where is he?”
Naomi grabbed her mom around the waist with both arms and squeezed her as hard as she could. Even though she did not know if it were true she said, “He’s coming. Dad’s coming.”
Naomi felt her mom shaking as she cried.
Her mom stopped looking at the stretchers coming by and Naomi just held her.
“Jessica!”
Naomi let go of her mom. They both turned and watched as Matt came from the hole carrying the front of a stretcher.
“Jessica!” Matt shouted. “We have him!”
Her mom ran to the stretcher. She yelled, “Joseph!” and threw herself on top of the man lying there. Matt and the other man holding the stretcher stumbled and almost fell over.
“Jessica,” Matt yelled. “Be careful.”
Her mom let go and Matt and the other man set the stretcher on the ground. Jessica kneeled next to it. Naomi ran up and looked at her father. Naomi barely recognized the man from the dream and could not see the man from the picture reflected in the man that lay before her. The man before her had a huge and tangled beard. His hair was very long and his skin was ash white. Like the white people, he wore all white clothing, but this was torn around the sleeves and legs and was brown with wear.
“Jessica,” her dad croaked. His hand came up and cupped her mom’s face. He was smiling through that huge and tangled beard.
Jessica looked up at Matt. “Where was he?”
Matt said, “They had a prison down there. Deep underground. The prisoners there were on hunger strike. They wouldn’t eat the paste.”
“What did they do to you?” Jessica said to Joseph.
Joseph opened his mouth but then closed it.
Matt said, “Jessica. He’s very weak. He hasn’t eaten much and he needs medical attention.”
Naomi tugged on Jessica’s blouse. “Mom,” she said.
Joseph’s eyes flashed and he looked right at his daughter. He smiled and held out his hand. “Naomi,” he said.
Naomi knelt next to her mother. Joseph’s touched Naomi’s face.
“You’re beautiful,” he said. “Just as I imagined.”
Her tears fell down and splashed on her dad. Her mom lay on her dad’s chest and held him very tight. His other hand came up and stroked Jessica’s hair.
“It’s okay,” he said. “It’s okay.’
Matt said, “Jessica, please. We need to get him to the hospital tents. He needs treatment really bad.”
Then Joseph coughed a deep and wet cough. Joseph’s hands went to his mouth. Jessica shot up, and Joseph doubled over with convulsions.
“Oh no,” Jessica said. “Please, get him help.” Naomi heard the fear in her voice. “Please.”
Matt and the other man lifted the stretcher. They moved toward the wagon. Her mom walked with them, holding Joseph’s hand.
Matt yelled, “Adelaide, we found him!”
Naomi turned and saw her aunt approaching followed by the two horses whose reins she held in her hands.
Adelaide dropped the reins and yelled at Naomi, “Get these hooked to the wagon! Now!” Adelaide ran towards Joseph as Matt and the other man loaded the stretcher in a wagon.
Naomi ran to the waiting horses. She took their reins and led them to the wagon. She let one horse go and moved the other into position. She fumbled as she hooked up the harness. Adelaide appeared at her side.
“Here,” Adelaide said, and she hooked the horse in its harness in no time. “Get the other.”
Naomi brought the other horse next to the first. Adelaide moved around the other side and harnessed the second horse. Then she jumped into the driver’s platform. Her hand came down.
“Come on,” she said to Naomi. Naomi took her hand and Adelaide pulled her up. Adelaide looked back and shouted, “All in?”
Matt yelled, “All in!”
The wagon carried six stretchers. Her mom sat by the one with Joseph and Sammy was in the wagon too. Naomi looked at him. He nodded and gave a thumbs up.
Adelaide whipped the reins and yelled, “Yah!” The horses started to trot.
And then Naomi felt the full weight of the world upon her. Somewhere a woman shouted. A couple of men loaded vegetables into a wagon. White people’s voices floated like whispers as they came out of the factory. The wind blew smoke over the town. Horses whinnied far away. Everybody was thirsty, everybody was hungry, and everybody was scared. Naomi felt everything in that moment: joy, love, and fear. She felt the world tremble with the desire to be remade and there she was to remake it.
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