The Telling of the Bees: Valley of the Bees #2

Webster/Valley of the Bees: Book 2, last updated 2/2/2023

The Telling of the Bees:

Valley of the Bees #2

By Amanda L. Webster

SMASHWORDS EDITION

* * * * *

Elderfly Press

The Telling of the Bees: Valley of the Bees #2

Copyright © 2016 by Amanda L. Webster

*****

The Bee-Boy’s Song

By Rudyard Kipling 

Bees! Bees! Hark to your bees! 

"Hide from your neighbors as much as you please, 

But all that has happened, to us you must tell, 

Or else we will give you no honey to sell!"

A maiden in her glory, 

Upon her wedding - day, 

Must tell her Bees the story, 

Or else they'll fly away. 

Fly away -- die away --

Dwindle down and leave you! 

But if you don't deceive your Bees, 

Your Bees will not deceive you. 

Marriage, birth or buryin', 

News across the seas, 

All you're sad or merry in, 

You must tell the Bees. 

Tell 'em coming in an' out, 

Where the Fanners fan, 

'Cause the Bees are just about

As curious as a man! 

Don't you wait where the trees are, 

When the lightnings play, 

Nor don't you hate where Bees are, 

Or else they'll pine away. 

Pine away -- dwine away --

Anything to leave you! 

But if you never grieve your Bees, 

Your Bees'll never grieve you.

Chapter 1: Here is the Place; Right Over the Hill

Late August in south-central Illinois can be as hot and sticky as Florida, or so Valley had heard. She’d never been out of Effingham County in her entire life, but her father had visited Disney World once as a child. The old photos he had shown her from the trip were like something out of a fantasy novel. Of course, all of his stories about life before sounded fantastic to Valley. The non-fiction books she read sometimes were difficult to discern from the fantasy stories that she preferred. Ethan’s early childhood may as well have taken place on another planet.

Valley inched her way down a long row of green beans, snapping the pods from their stems with expert efficiency born of years of experience. Sweat trickled down the back of her neck, tickling her as it left damp rivulets on dusty skin. Reyna wasn’t far behind her in the next row, but Joaquin lagged far behind as usual. Valley had never met a kid with such great intentions who somehow managed to mess up everything he did despite himself.

Uh-oh, Joaquin said.

Valley stood up and stretched her aching muscles. She reached her arms toward the cloudless summer sky and breathed in the subtle tang of fresh-picked beans. She lowered her arms and then rolled her shoulders, kneading the stiffness from tight muscles. It didn’t seem to matter how much stamina she built up for picking vegetables. Stooping over the green bean patch still hurt. Her neck cracked when she turned to Joaquin. What’s wrong? she asked.

Nothing. Joaquin hid his hands behind his back. His brown eyes shone with guilt. He chewed his lower lip, a sure sign that it wasn’t nothing.

Reyna stepped across the rows to him and grabbed his arm from behind his back. The long vines of a green bean plant trailed from his fingers. A plump, green pod dangled in the dirt.

Joaquin! Reyna said. What did you do? She shook his arm. The bean vine dropped to the ground.

I didn’t mean to. I was just picking a bean, and the vine snapped off instead of the bean.

You need to be more careful, Reyna said. Her breath had grown ragged, her face red.

It’s okay, Valley said. She stepped across the rows to her recently adopted family members and placed a hand on Reyna’s shoulder in an attempt to calm her down.

No, it’s not okay, Reyna said. Her voice grew frantic, spiraling upward at a panicked pitch. We can’t afford to waste food or the plants they grow on.

Joaquin’s upper lip quivered. His eyes filled with tears that Valley knew he would try very hard not to shed in front of his older sister.

Reyna’s whole body shook. There was anger in her reaction, but also fear. Valley massaged her shoulder, willing her to cool off before she lost control and said something mean that she would later regret.

It’s okay, Valley said. It happens sometimes. We’re not going to starve from the loss of one bean vine. She stooped to retrieve the vine from the ground and popped the bean from it. She tossed the vine away as if to show that it really didn’t matter.

You never know, Reyna said. Her voice cracked. We don’t know what might happen tomorrow.

Joaquin, why don’t you go see if Aunt Abigail needs any water drawn from the river? Valley asked. Reyna and I can finish up here. She shooed him away.

Joaquin nodded his head once, then dashed off before his sister could object.

Let’s take a break and get a drink, Valley said.

Reyna followed her to a shady spot beside the garden shed. She moved like a machine, her whole body stiff and unnatural. She maintained her rigid posture even as she joined Valley in the cool grass.

Valley twisted the lid off her canteen and offered it to Reyna. She shook her head and instead buried her face in her hands. Valley thought Reyna might cry, but she held it together.

Valley wrapped her free arm around Reyna’s shoulders. It’s okay, she said.

Reyna drew a deep breath. She stared across the lush vegetable garden that rolled out in front of them. It’s like a dream, she said. All that food growing right there in front of us. We can take what we want, and no one cares. Not only that, but your Aunt Abigail practically begs us to take second and third helpings at every meal. I just don’t want us to overstay our welcome.

You won’t, Valley said. You’re all family now. You, Joaquin, and Xia. Aunt Abigail already thinks of you as part of the family. Granny has especially taken to your little sister. I’ve even caught her whispering at Xia a couple of times, and she has barely spoken since her stroke. I wish you could get comfortable here and stop worrying so much all the time.

I know, Reyna said. She leaned her head into Valley’s embrace. It’s just—I still have nightmares sometimes. I dream that I haven’t really escaped from Tellarton. I’m still living under a porch watching my brother and sister starve to death, and there’s nothing I can do to save them. In my nightmares, this garden, you, everything that has happened since I met you is a dream. Starvation is still the reality. And then I wake up here and eat a big breakfast, and I feel like I’m just sleepwalking through life, waiting for someone to wake me up to the reality where we’re still starving.

I know how you feel, Valley said. I have nightmares too. Only, when I wake up, my ex-fiancé is there waiting for me to sit down to breakfast with him.

Reyna giggled. She lifted her head and wiped her eyes. Poor Junior, she said. He really has fallen for you.

Valley stuck her finger in her mouth and made a gagging sound.

Reyna giggled so hard she snorted, which sent Valley into a peal of laughter. The two young women leaned against each other for support. Valley wrapped both arms around Reyna and gave her a reassuring squeeze. See, she said. You’re not the only one who is still recovering from Tellarton.

But, you have that other boy, too, Reyna said once she’d had a chance to compose herself. What’s his name again?

Liam?

Yeah, Liam. According to Abigail, either one of those boys would marry you in a minute if you’d just nod your head to them.

Jealous? Valley asked. She elbowed Reyna in the ribs.

Nah. They’re not my type.

Not your type? How do you know? You haven’t even met Liam yet.

I don’t need to meet him. I just know he’s not my type. Reyna jumped to her feet and dusted her pants off. Let’s get those beans picked before it gets any hotter out here. I sure could go for a swim.

Reyna stopped in her tracks as they headed back toward their lean-to to change into swim clothes. She pointed down the dirt road toward a cloud of dust that had gathered just over the next rise. What’s that? she asked.

Someone’s coming, Valley said. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of the ominous haze of dust that grew as she watched. Her heart thumped out a fearful tune, and her blood turned cold. What if it was Uncle Jacob coming for them or for Aunt Abigail?

What do we do? Reyna asked.

Run, Valley said. She dropped her basket of beans on the ground and then grabbed Reyna’s hand. Reyna dropped her own basket and hurried to keep up.

As they ran toward the family’s summer encampment on the banks of the Little Wabash River, the noise of squeaky bicycle tires bumping over hard, rutted dirt approached.

Valley! a voice called. Wait!

Valley glanced over her shoulder at the sound of the familiar voice. When she saw who it was, she let go of Reyna’s hand and stopped running. She bent over, resting her hands on her knees to catch her breath. Liam, she said as he approached. What are you doing here? The blood rushing through her veins took a few extra moments to understand that there was no danger. It rushed by Valley’s eardrums, hushing the summer sounds of the river bottoms. Valley’s whole body flushed warm with embarrassment when she thought how silly she must have looked running away as Liam approached.

Reyna stopped several feet away from the two and watched, wary of this new stranger. Her whole body was strung tight like a cat’s, as though she was ready to run again at the slightest hint of danger from this newcomer.

Liam dismounted the wobbly, creaky bicycle that he was riding and dropped it on the ground. I didn’t mean to scare you, he said. Is everything okay?

Valley straightened. We’re okay now, she said. But we’ve had a hard time of it since you were here last. She eyed the dirt for a moment, suddenly too shy to face Liam. So much had happened since she had last seen him. How would he feel when he found out how close she’d come to marrying someone else just a few weeks prior?

Us too, Liam said. We ended up not being able to stay at home because the plague broke out there while we were gone. We split off from the rest of the traders, and we’ve been camping out and scavenging for food. My mom finally decided she was coming back here regardless of what my dad or Uncle Jacob has to say about it.

Well, you don’t have to worry about Uncle Jacob anymore, Valley said. She straightened up, satisfied to share her next tidbit of news. He’s not welcome here now himself.

It sounds like we have a lot of catching up to do. Liam’s mother, Bree, trudged toward them, carrying a gigantic, green duffle bag on her back and a walking stick in her hand to help her remain upright under its weight. Liam’s brothers trailed behind her on foot, each of them carrying his own burden on his back. At the end of their caravan, Uncle Dan pulled some sort of wheeled contraption behind the bicycle he was riding. The two-wheeled cart was loaded down with boxes and bundles. Several pots and pans dangled from its back, strapped to the cart by a frayed bungee cord that was wound through the holes in their handles.

Bree let the duffle bag slide from her back. It landed on the ground with a thud. She took two steps and snatched Valley up into a tight hug. Valley returned the embrace. She was suddenly overjoyed that Abigail’s sister was there. Once the two of them had gotten their fill of one another, Bree pulled away. She held Valley at arm’s length for a moment to get a good look at her. Then, she tilted her head toward Reyna. Who’s this? she asked.

Oh, Valley said. This is my friend, Reyna. She is living here with us now, along with her little brother and sister. Reyna, this is Aunt Abigail’s sister Bree and her family. That’s Liam. She pointed Bree’s oldest son out to Reyna, then was quickly filled with embarrassment once more for singling him out so obviously.

Liam seemed to have caught on to the source of Valley’s embarrassment. The wide grin he aimed in her direction caused Valley’s cheeks to burn brighter. The warmth in her chest stretched out, sending a pleasant tingle through her lower regions.

Bree pointed to her husband and then to each of her other boys, naming them for Reyna. This is my husband, Dan. That’s Bennett and Aidan. And, the twins here are Mikey and Billy.

It’s nice to meet you, Reyna said. Her voice was almost a whisper. She had curled into herself, wrapping her arms around her torso as if to protect herself.

Don’t mind us, Bree told her. She approached Reyna with her hand outstretched in a gesture of friendship. Reyna didn’t take it. We don’t bite. Bree seemed to give up on the handshake and gave Reyna a hug instead. She didn’t seem to notice that Reyna didn’t return it. Or, if she did notice, it didn’t faze her.

Looks like there’s been some changes since we were here last, Dan said. He surveyed the scene in front of him, and then glanced around as if he, too, were on the lookout for a threat to his safety. Where’d the extra kids come from? And, did I hear you say your Uncle Jacob isn’t welcome here anymore?

It sounds like a long story, Bree said. Let’s hear it over at the camp. I need to see my sister, and these boys need to get some food into their bellies. She took Reyna by the hand as though they had always been close and headed toward the riverbank where Valley’s family kept their hearth and lean-tos.

Reyna glanced back at Valley in bewilderment. It was obvious she was not sure what to make of this friendly lady. Valley gave her what she hoped was a reassuring shrug. Reyna would just have to learn to live with being cared for.

Bree! Abigail ran to meet her sister with tears streaming down her cheeks. She threw herself into her arms. I’m so glad you came back.

Oh, honey, Bree said. What’s happened? Are you okay? She looked her sister over as if to make sure she still had all of her arms and legs.

Better than ever. Abigail smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes. So many horrible things have happened, she said. But good things too, and—Jacob is gone! And I’m not going to be with him ever again! Abigail continued to laugh and cry at the same time as she pulled her older sister to her and hugged her some more.

I don’t know what to say, Bree said. She held on to her sister as though she never wanted to let go of her. She raised a questioning eyebrow at Valley over Abigail’s shoulder, but Valley just shrugged in return.

Say you’ll stay here, Abigail said. She spoke into Bree’s hair, still not letting her go. "You can all live here now. Please,