Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Claybrooks

Chapter 19:

Claybrooks

Mrs. Claybrook was just as Hershel had promised. She was caring, affectionate, and a woman whose sturdy build seemed perfectly built for hugs and hearths. She wore a modest floral dress that complemented her short brown hair, and an apron tied neatly around her waist. Stepping off the porch, she walked right past Hershel’s open arms and pulled her grandson into an all encompassing hug.

“Neil, it’s good to see you, dear. How was your trip? Did you get plenty to eat?” she asked, kissing the top of his head. After taking a quick whiff of his hair, she shooed him away with a frown. “Salt and stone, child..go run a bath for you and your grandfather. Better yet, strip out of those clothes here in the yard; I’m not cleaning up your mess this late in the evening.”

Hershel, still standing with his arms wide, looked on in shock as his wife once again walked past him, and turned to introduce herself to me.

“Hello, dear, I don’t believe we’ve met,” she said, looking me over with an appraising eye. “You look no better than my sweet Neil. Let’s get you inside and cleaned up as well.”

“Thank you, ma’am, I’m sorry to be a bother. My name is Sam Garner, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” I said, giving her a light bow.

A brief look of surprise crossed her features before it softened into a warm smile. “Hello, Sam. My name is Mrs. Claybrook, but you may call me Gran or Granny…whichever you prefer. You’re no bother at all; the more, the merrier, in my opinion. Will you be staying the night with us?”

“Yes, ma’am, if that’s alright.”

“Of course, dear. Now, follow Neil, and he’ll help you get settled. Set your clothes out, and I’ll have them clean by morning,” she said, as she gently nudged me towards the door.

Hershel, still standing with his arms outstretched, gave his wife a pleading look. “My love, my darling wife, could you spare your sweet husband a bit of care?”

Mrs. Claybrook approached her husband, her eyes narrowing into a stern glare. “You’re three days later than you said you’d be, husband. You had me worried sick. What if something had happened to Neil?”

Her sweet, motherly voice turned icy, and Hershel’s usually relaxed face paled with fear. “My darling, I can explain…” He glanced at me, pleading silently for help. “Isn’t that right, Sam?”

Before I could come to his rescue, Mrs. Claybrook raised a hand to stop me, her warm smile returning as she turned my way. “Never you mind, Sam. Go on inside while I have a word with my, dear husband. I’ll have dinner ready soon, I’m sure you’re famished.”

When she looked back at Hershel, her expression hardened once more, that same stony glare firmly in place. Upon seeing Hershel’s unfortunate fate, I hurriedly stepped inside the house.

The inside of the Claybrook residence was roomier and cozier than I had expected. Expertly crafted motifs were carved into the wood of every archway leading throughout the home, their intricate patterns catching the warm light from the lamps lit around the house.

The sitting room to the left of the doorway had several couches and chairs arranged around a cozy unlit fireplace. Colorful rugs and plants filled the room, alongside rough handcrafted mementos that were either displayed on shelves or mounted on the walls, each piece representing stories of the family’s past.

Through a wooden archway to the right of the sitting room waited a kitchen that felt both practical and inviting. Wide countertops framed a great stone hearth, its faintly glowing embers hinting at recent use. Firewood was tucked neatly beneath, and bunches of dried herbs dangled from the rafters, filling the air with the mingled scents of earth and spice.

A sturdy wooden table took up most of the dining area, with mismatched chairs of varying heights arranged neatly around it. It was obvious to me that the Claybrooks were a close knit family, and likely added onto their home as their family grew. As Neil guided me through the rooms beyond, that impression only deepened.

“We all have our own rooms,” Neil said, leading me down the hallway. “The main floor is where Gran and Grandpa sleep, their room’s just over there. My parents, uncles, and aunts have rooms on the main floor too.”

Neil reached the end of the hallway and turned to a set of stone stairs leading down into a basement.

“Down here is the bath and wash room. We have a spring nearby that we siphon water from and keep it filled as needed. Just give me a minute to get a fire going and the water will be warm soon.”

“This must have cost a fortune,” I said, looking around appreciatively at the smooth stonework. “Hershel said he was a damn good at what he did, and now I’m inclined to agree.”

Neil smiled proudly. “Yep, this home’s been in the family for generations. Everyone contributes and adds to it as the family grows. The older it gets, the more each generation gets to enjoy the legacy of love we pass along… at least, that’s what Gran and Grandpa are always saying.”

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“Family first,” I said, the words tinged with a quiet melancholy.

“Exactly, that’s a pretty nice way of putting it,” Neil replied, as the wood began to catch fire. The flames beneath began heating the stone bath, and after a few minutes the surface of the water was already warm to the touch.

“Won’t all this moisture damage the ceiling above?” I asked.

“Well, that used to be a problem but if you look closely, there are vents cut into the rock to let out the steam. Then Grandpa paid to have some runes carved into the stone to help channel the moisture out of the basement. In the winter months, we use it to supplement heat throughout the house, but in the summer, we just send it outside.”

Steam quickly filled the room as the water reached a comfortable temperature. Then, just like I used to do with my brother back home, Neil and I shared the large stone bath, sighing as we sank into the warm water. We took our time, scrubbing thoroughly to get the dirt of the road off our skin.

“I didn’t realize I was so filthy. I thought the rain would’ve cleaned me off plenty,” I said, as I watched my skin shift from a light brown back to a pale white in the water.

Neil laughed in agreement as his brown hair returned back to it’s original blonde after a quick plunge underneath the water.

As we settled back into the relaxing water, Neil took a deep breath, and looked up at the ceiling with teary eyes. “Can I be honest, Sam?”

“Yeah, of course, whats on your mind?”

After taking another moment to collect himself he finally spoke. “I’ve been really scared since that night. I don’t really know how to feel about everything that happened. It was exciting, sure, but now that I’m home, I feel like I’m just holding back tears.”

“Me too,” I said, as I pressed my back against the warm stones, letting their heat ease my sore muscles. “It was a lot to take in, and I’ve had a hard time sleeping since that night.”

I raised my head to look at Neil, who was listening intently to my words. “Neil, it’s okay to cry if that’s what you need to do. This stays between us, alright? Just blame it on the steam and enjoy the time with your family. I think that’ll help a lot. After all, we made it back in one piece.”

As if he had been waiting for someone to give him permission, hot tears began to stream down his face.

Seeing the emotions play out on Neil’s face reminded me of my own little brother back in Wheat Hollow. Seth had always been the more emotional one between the two of us, and watching Neil’s tears stirred a pit of grief in my stomach.

I missed my family in Wheat Hollow. I missed my mother’s love and her constant support. I missed my brother’s high energy and his endless questions. I even missed Dad, despite being grouchy most of the time, he’d always cared for us in his own way. He was the stable anchor I could always rely on.

Leaving them behind had been harder than I’d expected, and I couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt for being accepted into Hershel’s family so easily, as if I’d traded one home for another.

After bathing for the better part of an hour, we finally forced ourselves out of the bath, and began to dry off. Neil then called up the stairs begging for someone to bring us some clothes.

After a minute or so, the door upstairs opened forcefully, as a young woman with long black hair descended carrying two sets of clothes in her arms. “Neil, Gran said you needed extra clothes for some reason, I don’t know why you…”

Her voice trailed off as she reached the bottom of the stairs, her eyes widening at my state of undress. Without thinking, she threw the clothes into the air and let out an embarrassed squeal.

“Why didn’t anyone tell me we had a guest?” she cried, bolting back up the stairs. The door slammed behind her, her indignant protests echoing down the hall.

I looked to Neil, who smiled at me sheepishly.

“Whoops, soooo anyway, thats my sister, Ariel.”

After Neil and I dressed, we returned to the main floor and followed the hall back to the kitchen. A blend of savory aromas drifted toward us, accompanied by the sound of cheerful voices and lively conversation.

I followed Neil into the room and was surprised to see several new faces that had now gathered around the table. Two older men, who looked like younger versions of Hershel, sat beside him as they talked, their voices rising with animated gestures. Three children darted around the table, chasing one another as they rushed past us into the living room. Two women watched the boys with tired eyes, as they placed dishes on the table.

Ariel, the girl who had brought us clothes, was helping Mrs. Claybrook prepare a late dinner. Her earlier embarrassment was now replaced by a focused determination as she chopped vegetables, the rhythmic sound of her knife blending in with the kitchen’s constant noise.

“Neil, Sam, have a seat, supper will be ready in a bit,” Mrs. Claybrook called over, as she fried fish in her pan. The smell immediately caused my mouth to water.

“Thank you, ma’am,” I said, as I sank wearily into the chair closest to me.

“Call me Gran,” she quickly corrected, before turning back to her cooking.

Now that we were freshly bathed and in clean clothes, I couldn’t help but feel the fatigue of the trip settle over my body as I sat at the large table.

“This here’s the young man I was telling you about,” Hershel said, turning the attention of the two men towards me. “Sam, these are two of my sons, William and Theodore. William here is Neil’s father.”

I stood up from my seat and extended my hand to shake both men’s hands. “It’s very nice to meet you both. Thank you for your hospitality.”

William held my hand firmly. “It’s nice to meet you, Sam. Dad was just telling us about your trip here. He said he picked you up in Wheat Hollow? I’ve done some work out that way in the past.”

Before I could respond, I felt a tug on the hem of my shirt, prompting me to turn around.

“Hey, carrot man,” a small voice piped up, “will you play with us?”

Three children stared up at me, their faces bright with mischief. Their mother hovered behind them, smiling apologetically.

“Carrot man?” I asked, laughing. “Are you talking about my hair?”

“Yep, grandpa said if you eat too many carrots, your hair will turn that color. So, are you going to play with us, or get consequences?”

“Consequences?”

“If you don’t play, then we’ll turn into monster rabbits that eat the carrot man!” All three children then charged at me, chomping their teeth with exaggerated growls, until their mothers began shooing them away.

“What have we told you three about biting? Now, back to bed you wild rabbits!” the mothers said, half scolding, half laughing as they ushered the boys toward their room.

“Alright, everyone, dinner’s ready,” Mrs. Claybrook announced as she and Ariel set down bowls of fried fish, mixed vegetables, pickled cabbage, and a few sides of steaming rice. “Sam, don’t be shy, eat as much as you like, we can always cook more.”

After I took my first bite, it was clear Mrs. Claybrook was a far better cook than I could ever hope to be. The fried fish was coated in a sweetened sauce that drew out the richness of the meat, each bite bursting with savory flavor.

“Hershel was always talking about how great your cooking is,” I said after swallowing another mouthful of rice. “Now I know why…this is incredible.”

Mrs. Claybrook smiled at me warmly, her eyes crinkling with pride.

“I was told you were in charge of cooking on the way back home,” she said, as she cast her husband a pointed glare.

“Yep!” Neil interrupted excitedly. “Grandpa burned the stew the first night on the road, so Sam stepped up to help out. Good thing too, if those bandits hadn’t finished us off, I think Grandpa’s cooking would have!”

At Neil’s words, the lively conversation at the table suddenly fell silent. All eyes turned first to him, then to me, and finally to Hershel, who began coughing as he choked on his bite of food.

“Whoops, ummm, sorry grandpa.”