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CRACKED EGGS

Lazarus awakened the following morning to the gentle sound of pouring water.

He remembered that he hadn't died and was in fact still with this woman and her child deep in the middle of the Appalachian mountain.

Or rather her side of the of the mountain as she put it. The child's name was Simeon but the woman's name remained a mystery. Apparently it was none of his damn business. Her words not his.

"It's bath day here and you need one" the woman said bluntly "smell like road kill"

"Thanks" Lazarus replied sarcastically getting up

"Water's still hot and there's a change of clothes waiting for you too"

Lazarus saw the big copper tin bathtub next to the fireplace with a chair next to it. On the chair was the change of clothes she mentioned. Looked like men's clothes to him.

"I thought you said there were no men around?"

"There aren't" she said firmly "those are my clothes I do my hunting and farming in"

Lazarus was about to question her again but he decided not to and instead began to unbuckle his pants.

As soon as he did that the woman immediately left the room disgusted with him. What was with that woman anyway?

Was she a man hater?

Imagine that a man hating woman raising a little boy who would be a man himself one day. 

Besides she obviously tolerated some man enough if she had gotten pregnant and had a child herself; unless she conceived the same way Mary did Jesus.

Once Lazarus was completely stripped down he carefully stepped in the tub allowing his broken tired body to sink into the hot soapy water.

He had to focus on Faye

He had to focus on his unborn child

He had to focus on getting home

 

Moose gave a low growl and that let Jemima know that Lazarus had entered the room. At least the man was clean now and didn't smell like a dead deer off the road anymore.

"If you're hungry breakfast is on the table" Jem said, "you can help yourself"

"You have plans for the day?"

"I've got some business to attend to yes" Jem replied

"Where are you going?"

"Into town"

"For what?"

"None of your concern"

"Momma has to sell her eggs" Simeon spoke up much to his mother's dismay

"At least I don't have to pull teeth with everyone here" Lazarus replied sitting across from the boy with his food "how much are you selling them for?"

"Three dollars a dozen"

"How many do you have?"

"Ten"

"Thirty dollars for some eggs not bad" Lazarus said "espcially if they taste like this"

"How much I make for my eggs doesn't concern you" Jem said coldly "don't forget after tomorrow you're out of here"

"What if I'm not better?"

"That's not my concern"

Lazarus chuckled a little and turned his attention back to Simeon

"Your momma sure likes the word concern doesn't she?"

"What Momma says goes" the little boy replied

Jem tried really hard not to roll her eyes and kick this damn skinhead out on his ass.

This must be what people meant when they said God has a sense of humor.

"I'm assuming we doesn't include me?" Lazarus asked

"It doesn't" Jem replied "you stay here I don't need folks in town asking questions"

The two of them stared at each other for a moment and for the first time ever the cold and disgusted stare that Lazarus used to give black people was thrown at him.

This woman couldn't stand him but he knew that she was better than him; strictly because she did not let him die.

If the tables were turned Lazarus would have let her die though.

"Simeon help me gather up the eggs we have to get going soon"

"Yes Momma"

 

"...damn skinhead asking too many questions" Jemima huffed as she gently dug under her chickens to gather the eggs.

"Momma you don't like that man do you?" Simeon said following her

"You don't have to worry about that Simeon" Jem said

"But why Momma?" he asked holding out the basket for the eggs

Simeon stumbled a little and much to Jem's disappointment five of the eggs fell out.

All five of the eggs hit the hen house floor and cracked with the yellow yolks seeping into the wood.

 

Lazarus was just putting his dish away when all of the sudden he heard a blood curdling cry. The woman was screaming as if she was being murdered. All of the chickens ran out of the hen house and were spooked running in circles.

Moose burst out barking confused by all the commotion.

Lazarus quickly ran out to catch a scared Simeon with the basket of eggs clutched to his chest. The little boy also looked like he saw a ghost and there was a look of genuine confusion on his face as well. A few tears trailed down his cheeks too

"Hey" Lazarus said kneeling down to get eye level with Simeon "you alright?"

"....I don't know" he replied honestly "Momma just started screaming"

The woman was still screaming and it was very unsettling.

"You wait here okay?"

Simeon simply nodded not wanting to cause any more trouble

Lazarus stepped in the henhouse to see the woman on her knees with her face in her hands and moving back and forth in distress. He stepped on one of egg yolks and got some on the sole of his shoe.

"Are you this upset over a few cracked eggs?"

"Get out!" she spat at him

"No" Lazarus replied  "what the hell got you so upset you scared your son"

"Why the fuck do you care skinhead! I said get out!"

Lazarus tried to move closer to her and she hissed at him like snake in the grass

"DON'T FUCKING COME NEAR ME!"

Lazarus stopped and stepped back; he knew that she very well meant it.

 

Jemima began to tremble violently; she remembered running probably running faster than she ever did in her life. However it wasn't fast enough she should have ran faster. She remembered all the egg yolk on the floor.

The cracked eggs would always and forever be a reminder that she should have ran faster. If only she ran faster.

 

Silence was present between Lazarus and the strange woman for the remainder of the day. He noticed that she had gathered a new basket of eggs and brought it into the house and went about her other chores.

Simeon either played by himself with his little red truck or with Moose seemingly over his mother's rather strange behavior from earlier.

It was long day moving about in the tiny cabin in silence. The silence was finally broken that evening when two of them were alone in front of the fire and the woman was dressing his wound again. Simeon was tucked in for the night fast asleep.

"Looks to be healing up" she said softly "you should be good to leave in the morning"

"Already?"

"Yes" the woman, replied rather coldly "I have to go about my business and you about yours wherever you happen to come from"

Lazarus studied the woman's soft brown face as she refused to give him eye contact and put all her focus on his wound. This woman saved his life yet she seemed so cold and detached from him as well.

"Are you going to tell me your name before I leave?"

"No"

"Why not?" he asked curiously "I told you mine"

"It's none of your concern"

Lazarus was surprised to hear himself chuckle at that then again he should have known that would be the answer he was going to get.

"It's not going to be any concern of mine what will happen to you after I leave?"

"No"

After what he saw today Lazarus had all of the concern in the world for this mysterious nameless woman who saved his life. 

 

 

 

 

 

 












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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.