Lou's Boy

By Winnie Ace

Lou birthed all three of her children out of wedlock. They live in a small, conservative town in the hills of western Pennsylvania, where townspeople hold to traditional values. The oldest child, Derek, is a high school student there, and his mothers shameful past has socially hindered him. Now, shes having an affair with one of the more upright citizens of Alton. The scandal brings out the worstfor a few, the bestin the citizens of Alton and further alienates mother and son.

Calvin, the elderly school janitor, has failed in his own education. A man of exceptional character, he endeavors to keep the school premises neat and safe to encourage the students at Alton High in their learning. But its his wise counsel that brings Derek through this difficult time. This janitor plays a unique role in Dereks life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Dec 14, 2015
• ISBN: 9781512721935

Winnie Ace

Widowed after 52 years of marriage, Winnie purchased her first computer. She was determined to write something, perhaps a magazine article, that would express her thoughts on our society’s struggles in education and marriage. She was surprised that her earliest effort at writing became a novel, Lou’s Boy. Morning For Lou, is the second book in this series. Lou, and subsequently her family, has been damaged by a painful past, poverty, broken relationships. Some of her difficulties are the result of her own bad choices. Some are caused by the sin of others. Their problems are common today. The author believes that, to solve the problems of the home and education, our troubled society can find positive solutions with the help of the Lord, the guidance of His scriptures and a willingness to submit to His principles.

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Lou’s Boy

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WINNIE ACE

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Copyright

© 2015 Winnie Ace.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-2194-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-2193-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015919505

WestBow Press rev. date: 05/25/2016

Contents

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Dedicated to my dear husband, Jim,

who never lost his loyalty to his

childhood hometown.

One

These storms are not rare in the hills of Western Pennsylvania during the winter months. Derek lay here other nights listening to similar creaks and groans as the old house waged its ongoing battle for existence. Tonight, as before, he rather awaited the seemingly inevitable. When the crash came, it was not unexpected. Even so, it caused alarm.

Derek! Lou called earlier, are you sure the animals are all right?"

Yes, Mom, he had answered. I threw extra straw around, and I’m certain I secured the door.

Derek was in his room tonight. That was unusual. Most nights he went to town. But it was a particularly bad storm, so he stayed home. His mother, Lou, was knitting in the family room. His sisters, ten-year-old Rachael and eight-year-old Joy, were there watching a mermaid show on the only television. Derek chose to stay in his room. He was stretched out on his bed reading. Flopping over, he glanced into the full-length mirror across the room. As he considered his reflection, he considered the same old question. Who am I? He had questioned that for years. Lou was his mother, but who was his father?

Rachael had long, thick, dark hair. She had deep brown eyes and a creamy caramel coloring to her skin. Young though she was, Rachael had a sultry disposition. Derek remembered Rachael’s father and knew she had Mexican heritage. Joy, on the other hand, had less bountiful, blond hair, which she tried in vain to coax into the length and abundance of her older sister’s locks. Joy’s blue eyes sparkled, and she smiled easily. Derek remembered Joy’s father, too. He had light hair. But, there was nothing sparkling about his eyes. The girls’ fathers were gone long before either girl could remember them.

What about me? Derek looked at his own dark, curly hair and blue eyes. Mom is beautiful. Everyone says so. She has lovely features, thick, dark hair, gray eyes and that stunning figure. It’s strange that none of her children favor her. We’re all so different. And none of her children know who fathered us. That bothered Derek more and more as he got older.

He and his mother were close in his early years. But, he had been too young to be concerned about his heritage back then. By the time he was old enough to ask questions, he was estranged from her. They lived in the same house. They were sensible and polite, but there was no real communication between them.

He was seventeen-years-old. In the fall, he would be in his last year at Alton High School. Then, he determined he would find some answers.

As Derek lay there musing, he heard the rumble! He leaped from the bed and onto the floor, grabbing his shoes on the run.

Derek! Lou called. Both girls were screaming.

Derek ran down the steps and, with relief, knew the crash had been outside the house. Lou was at the kitchen door looking out on the yard. Their property was bordered by a thicket of trees on the far side nearest the shed.

Was it a tree? Derek slipped on his shoes and grabbed his jacket off the peg.

I can’t see anything. Derek, be careful, she urged as he bolted through the door.

Lou needed several minutes to quiet and reassure the girls. Then, just as she reached for her coat, Derek came to the door.

The weight of the snow has smashed in a corner of the shed.

Are the animals alright? Lou was concerned. The shed housed their pet goat, Gabby, and their five chickens.

They’re frightened but unhurt. They’re huddled down in the far corner. I’ll secure them on that side with lots of straw to keep them warm.

He pulled on his boots as he talked. The light on the corner of the shed had been knocked down. There was still one light hanging from a cord inside the shed. Derek took the flashlight Lou handed him and left the house.

Derek was the man of the house. There had been no one else since Joy’s father left before her birth. He did his best to fill the role. But incidents like this were a cause for concern. Derek’s talents fell short of the hammer and saw. He was not a fixer.

Now what do I do, he wondered as he surveyed the damage. He spent the next half hour making a refuge for the animals. Bales of straw were slid into place to form a barrier from the wind.

Lou had the girls in bed when he returned to the house. Will they be alright, Derek? she asked.

Yes, Mom! He knew he had answered her too curtly. Ridding himself of his outdoor wraps, he took the stairs two at a time up to his bedroom. Derek was angry with himself. I should have knocked the snow off that roof days ago. I’m just not smart about these things.

The wind quieted overnight. Derek always tended the animals before going to school. He arose early and secured a thick sheet of plastic over the broken roof. The girls were already at the breakfast table eating hot cereal, when he came in from outside. Joy ran to him and hugged his neck. Rachael, who was always a bit reserved, was clearly more so than usual. Derek knew she needed his attention every bit as much as her little sister did. Rachael was worried.

Good morning, Rachael, Derek removed his coat, and though he seldom ate breakfast, he slid into place beside her.

Good morning, Derek, Lou offered, as she placed a cup of coffee before him. He only nodded.

Are you gonna fix Gabby’s shed? Rachael asked.

It will get fixed.

But Rachael wanted specifics. How?

We’ll see. Derek gave her a smile. He hoped his demeanor would reassure her. Though, he wasn’t reassured. He finished his coffee and rising, he ruffled her hair to convince her that this was no big problem. As he produced his jacket, Joy jumped down to give him another hug, which he returned sincerely. He much loved his little sisters. Without a word to Lou, he left the house to walk to school.

Derek felt pretty desolate as he walked. He didn’t know how the shed would get fixed. There was no money for these emergencies. And his mother had no friends…no ordinary friends to help…the way others do. Derek certainly didn’t want anything to do with the sort of friends she had chosen in the years past, like the fathers of Rachael and Joy.

He had become at odds with his mother in his early years of school. She’s a beautiful woman, he thought again this morning. Many a decent man would want her for his wife. Why does she choose these low-life men? He had asked himself that question many times. Derek stayed close to home for the sake of his two little sisters, whom he dearly loved.

Ah, he loved his mother, too. He just didn’t understand her. And he was the man of the house. The dilapidated shed was his responsibility. That weighed heavily on him this morning.

Lou watched as her son left without a word to her. Oh, Derek, she thought, there is so much you don’t know, my son. Her heart ached, but she brought her thoughts back to her girls. Helping them with their backpacks, she carefully tucked their lunches inside. Then, she saw her two girls off to school. Rachael didn’t want her mother, or even her brother, to walk them to school. Lou always stood on the porch and watched them until they reached the little station up the road. After that, there were houses along the way and other school children walking to school, too. Their elementary school was much closer than Derek’s school. But, they still have too far to go, she thought.

Lou lived with her family in a tiny house on the western outskirts of town. The simple structure was weathered gray, as if it had never held paint. The school- bus stopped at the very next house on their road. But, because the Metcalf house was just barely within town borders, Lou’s girls were forced to walk more than a quarter of a mile to the elementary school. Derek’s high school was considerably further. That didn’t bother Derek, but the younger siblings often missed school in inclement weather.

Lou was hurting more than usual this morning. She knew the incident with the shed would be an added pressure on Derek. He had too much to bear in life. She was so grieved by the estrangement from this son, whom she loved so dearly. She had made choices that damaged their relationship. Alas, she feared her little girls would be hurt by those choices, too.

When the girls were out of sight, she sighed and went indoors. Lou was a hard worker and a diligent housekeeper. Most days, with the children gone, she would set about her chores. But, this morning, she needed to be comforted. It was Derek for whom she hurt. She went into her bedroom and sat on the bed. Reaching her hand beneath the coverlet, she touched the sturdy, wooden box that was under her bed. Though they’d lived in several places since Derek’s birth, the box had remained under her bed for eighteen years with the lid intact. Lou felt her heart couldn’t bear to look inside. Touching the box today brought back the memories--.

Derek!

Derek’s reverie was interrupted by Artie Burkfeld calling to him from the station door. Step in and get warm, Derek!

Artie ran the little, gasoline station that was situated about half way up town. Derek had stopped here often to get warmth before walking the remainder of his trek to or from home. He wasn’t exactly in the mood to stop today, but Artie was an old friend. He really was old, too. Derek never asked, and it was hard to tell, but the man appeared to be in his seventies. Below his bald pate, a circle of gray locks hugged his ears. An ample mustache helped to conceal teeth stained by ever-present snuff. Derek had never seen him clean shaven. Today, as yesterday and the day before, he wore his wrinkled, faded, nondescript overalls, and in this cold weather, a faded, plaid, flannel shirt. One could see the once-white-now-gray long-johns inching below the shirt sleeves and sticking out near the last button on his collar.

Artie’s wife had died several decades earlier. Artie had little business since the better station up town had modernized. But, Derek knew the old guy got lonely. He figured that was why he kept his station open. He must have had a friend in high places that the big, oil company even permitted that.

I’m early enough this morning, thought Derek. I have time to stop. As he opened the door to step inside, a blast of heat sucked his breath for a moment. The station was heated by a pot-bellied stove that was kindled with wood. Today, the stove was glowing pink, as was the connecting pipe halfway up to the wall outlet.

It’s pretty hot, Artie admitted though Derek had said nothing. I just threw some logs on. It’ll calm down soon.

The heat feels good. Derek made his way through the small enclosure and stepped closer to warm his hands. It’s cold out there. But, it’s not as bad as last night, when the wind was howling.

That was pretty bad, agreed Artie. Are all the trees still standing at your place?

"The trees are OK, but the storm knocked down a corner of our shed roof."

No kidding! It wasn’t a question. That’s tough. Are the animals alright?

They weren’t hurt. But Derek’s reply sounded a bit glum.

Artie quickly assessed his concern. The kid wouldn’t be able to fix this himself.

You need to stop in at the pool hall, Derek. There’s sure to be someone there who will help you fix it.

Actually, Derek had considered that. He hated to have to ask, but he knew those guys well. Maybe someone would offer.

Yeah, that’s an idea,

Let me know how it goes.

Sure, and Derek turned to leave.

He continued his trek through town. But the problem wasn’t really solved. There probably would be someone there who could fix it, but what about payment? Those guys knew the Metcalfs had no extra money. And they all knew his mother…sort of…

Since he was a baby, Derek had lived in Alton, Pennsylvania. His mother moved the family to this side of town just before Joy was born. Artie’s Garage was half-way to the business area. But Derek still had quite a long walk beyond that. His school was on the far, opposite end of town. He walked it in any weather and was rarely absent. He was in eleventh grade now and enjoyed his classes. But his home situation was a burden, and he was anxious to graduate and earn money.

Alton High School is a tan, brick box of a building. Although it isn’t large by today’s standards, the school, with the grounds around it, occupies most of the corner block near the end of the town’s southern boundary. The track field is inconveniently across the highway in back of the school. There is one residence between the highway and the front of the school, and numerous residences on the other sides. The parking area, which is in back, is insufficient. The surrounding homeowners are often disturbed by the parking situation at school events. But the majority of Alton’s citizens, nearly all in the modest income bracket, have a typical, rural-Pennsylvania, small-town acceptance of inconveniences. The townsfolk tend to love and support their school.

When classes changed at Alton High, a few of the kids, anxious to make a quick exit, might bump others. Usually, it wasn’t intentional but just a display of excessive energy. Even so, it meant the weaker students tended to be pushed about.

Derek! Thi-th i-th the bu-th-ie-th hallway in the th-chool.

Derek turned to see who was talking to him and responded with a smile, as he acknowledged the greeting.

Tim! Yeah, it’s easy to get run over in here.

Ye-th. Bobby says he need-th to make me th-ome th-tilt-th,.

Well, Bobby’s creative. He could do that.

They walked only a short ways together before Timothy, who was headed for the cafeteria, said, Th-ee you. He gave Derek a thumbs-up and a big grin.

Timothy was Derek’s good friend. He was one of the ZONCS, the name given to the friends with whom Derek spent his spare time. Timothy had a lisp. He couldn’t say his s’s, hence, I-th thi-th the right room?"

He was quite short and his ears were rather prominent. The other students tended to overlook him. But, Timothy fit in well with the ZONCs. The only requirement they had was that everyone should like to have a good time--within the law, of course, though there were admittedly a few times they straddled the fence.

I have good friends, thought Derek…Timothy, Bobby, Chuck…but Bill most of all. Bill and he had become friends when Derek was in seventh grade. That was nearly-five years ago. They were ringleaders of the ZONCs.

Bill Tonkins was the only child of one of the town’s more respected families. Derek’s family background was held in disdain by the town and by most of his peers. In grade school, a classmate, Carl Cross, had been one of the worst to badger Derek and call him names. Carl’s dad, Bud Cross, was making a name for himself in business. Carl never let anyone forget that Derek was being raised without a father.

In his earliest, school years, Derek had fought back with words. But by seventh grade, Carl was challenging him to fight. C’mon!and he used that word. Show us what you got, he’d say. Chicken! Cackle, cackle!

Somehow Derek kept his cool. But, other boys got involved.

Let’s see you guys fight it out, they challenged. One fight. Winner take all.

Carl readily agreed. Finally, Derek foolishly did so, too. The fight took place one dark, summer night. There were eleven boys in audience. Some of the rowdies relished the fight. But there were a few, quiet ones off to the side.

It was a pitiful match. Carl had no muscle, no finesse. Derek knocked him down with ease four times, while enduring only sorry blows himself. The fifth time, he bloodied Carl’s nose.

Get him, Derek! someone yelled

Hit him again, Derek! was the cry.

Wrestling he enjoyed. Wrestling was honorable. But this? When Derek saw the blood, he felt disgust. This isn’t the kind of person I want to be. Ignoring the cries for more blood, he turned his back and walked away.

Then he realized someone was walking beside him.

Good job, said Bill Tonkins, who was a grade above Derek in school. Derek knew him casually.

I’m no brawler. That’s not what I’m about.

I know. That’s all Carl has going for him. He’s jealous of you.

Bill and Derek quickly became friends. It was the fun-loving friendship of these two that drew others into the group. Bill was a natural leader. Derek’s intelligence, good humor and physical prowess assured him co-leadership in the gang that adopted ZONCs for a title. They had a Zoo-brained, Obnoxious but Not Criminal good time.

As Derek hurried through the school hall this day, he spoke to others and slapped a few hands. But at one point, he was jostled and bumped shoulders with Everett. He and Everett had a history, too, and it went back to those early, school years. Not everyone, who thought to join with the ZONCs, passed the unspoken test. Everett had failed, and this is how it happened. There were seven of them in the group that night. They were in the woods above the waterworks and playing a game of volleyball. Their makeshift net was a rope strung between two trees. Bill’s basketball was their substitute volleyball. Everett had appeared and was invited to make up the eighth man on the teams.

Everyone was having a great time. Everett had played hard in the game. The others on his team let him have more shots than necessary. Then, the gang started the walk back to town. As they passed the waterworks, they noticed a large toolbox setting unattended near the tower. They wandered over to examine it and discovered it was loaded with expensive tools. There was no one around, so it had surely been left there by accident.

While they considered this, Everett bent down and began to grab tools. The others watched in disbelief, as he filled his pockets with wrenches and various tools of all sizes and shapes.

Stop that! was Derek’s command.

Put those back! Bill spoke almost simultaneously.

You’ve got to be kidding? Everett looked at them in disbelief. There’s no one around.

Well, these tools belong to somebody, said Derek, and it’s not you!

Everett was defensive now and getting angry. You can’t tell me what to do, he said belligerently. He was glaring at Derek and had stepped toward him.

Just then, he was pinned in a circle by six other ZONCs.

Put the tools back. Though Bill spoke softly, it was a command, and Everett knew that. He threw the tools on the ground and stomped off.

The boys placed the tools in the tool box. It took two of them to carry it to town, and they traded the burden off on the way. At Pastor Lowe’s house, they knocked at his door and told the surprised pastor where they had found the tool box. No one mentioned Everett.

Everett avoided the ZONCs after that. He aligned with Carl Cross in the years ahead.

Today, as they bumped shoulders, Derek said, Oops, sorry. But Everett only scowled and moved on.

All the ZONCs were reasonably good students. Derek was in eleventh grade now, and Bill was in his senior year. Each had long been in the top ten percent of his class. But, they downplayed that fact. Derek enjoyed school. It hadn’t always been so. My friends are a big reason for that, he thought, as he made his way through the noisy hallway. As this was a school day. Derek could do nothing about repairing the shed. In truth, he still had no idea how he would get that roof fixed. The day in school took his mind off the problem.

At noon, he was headed for the basement, where he often took his lunch with the school custodian, Calvin Carson. The janitor had fashioned his own private den in the boiler room. As Derek started down the top flight of the stairs, three of his female classmates were clustered on the landing below. He would have to pass that way.

Hello, Derek, said the one girl, who was looking his way. The other two turned quickly to face him, and all three smiled.

Hi. He smiled at them in return. He needed to get past these girls, but all three stayed in place.

Whoops! I guess you’re stuck here with us, teased the one.

Worse things could happen, don’t you think, Derek? asked another coyly.

Derek was nonplussed. He was not good at flirting. He liked these three but was reserved around all the girls. Fortunately, there was some traffic on the stairs just then, and the three had to move aside. They did so with giggles.

See you, Derek, said the one. Bye, Derek, the others chorused. As they moved on, first one, and then another of the girls turned to watch Derek hurry down the second flight of stairs. He didn’t look back. He simply couldn’t imagine girls being interested in him, so he brushed the incident on the stairs aside.

As a youngster, Derek had only his mother and two little sisters at home for fellowship. He wasn’t invited into the houses of his classmates. But, he was friendly and curious and so, at an early age, he spent much time up town. He hung around the auto garage; he frequented the pool hall. He talked to the man who repaired shoes and to the barber. His presence became so familiar, he was scarcely noticed. Lou’s boy was comfortable around the laboring men of Alton. Most of them were kind to him.

By the summer before Derek’s eighth grade in school, Bill and Derek had become good friends and things began to change for him. In August that year, Bill said to him, Dad’s plant is holding their company picnic at the Clark’s Field Fair Grounds next weekend. The employees get free passes to all the rides. Can you go with me?

Derek had never been to that well-known recreation spot. Indeed, he had never been to any recreation spot. Free passes! Of course, he wanted to go! But he couldn’t.

Ah, Bill, that’s the Saturday Artie is having a new tank installed at the station. He asked me to please be on-hand in case he needs some help.

He felt as disappointed as Bill looked. Even so, he said, I really can’t let him down, Bill. Artie’s old, and I promised.

Bill took Chuck to the fair instead, and they had a good time. But, Derek’s consideration of Artie registered with Bill’s parents. They encouraged their son’s friendship with Derek and always had an open door for him.

For Derek, those early years of rejection had sharpened his insight. Few of the other students would have mistaken their janitor for a counselor. When Derek entered high school, he quickly became friends with the older man.

Hey, Gov. The janitor had his back to Derek when he entered.

Well, good day, Derek, Cal turned at Derek’s casual greeting. Calvin Carson was fifty-eight years old now and had held the job of janitor at Alton High School through several generations of students. Because the mechanics of the school ran so smoothly under his watchful eye, Cal was regarded as casually as the broom he pushed. But not by Derek, who much respected the older man.

That was some snow storm, wasn’t it? Derek commented.

"It sure was.