Claire - part 6

This is my submission to Creative Writing- Write Something And Win Some SBD run by @aubreyfox

all photos for this story are courtesy of Pixabay

Jake stood for a long time on the porch thinking. He did see Claire in the garden wearing a ridiculously old robe. He wasn’t imagining it. But she’s not answering the door. He couldn’t just walk in and holler for her. He was too much a gentleman for that.

He would go around and see what Frank was up to. Everyone in the neighbourhood knew that Frank was meaner than a junk yard dog. No one would visit. They had warned him that Frank could and probably would cause problems for the new kid on the block.

For some inexplicable reason, he felt he needed to be here. He pulled his hat further down over his eyes, shoved his hands into the front pockets of his clean but well worn jeans. He reluctantly left the porch with an uneasy feeling in his gut.

He sauntered around the side of the old farm house, down the path passed the well kept gardens. Jake took notice of the large aloe vera plant with two fresh wounds where Claire hurriedly cut the leaves less than five minutes ago.

The tranquillity of the quiet afternoon was broken by Frank’s harsh voice, spilling a tirade of angry words across the barnyard. Perhaps this wasn’t the best time to visit...

Jake called out. “Hello. Anyone here?” Was he crazy? He could hear them clear to the road.

Frank and the boys emerged from the dark interior of the old decapitated barn like a angry swarm of bees. They came so close that they were encroaching on Jakes personal space and he didn’t care for it.

“Whatcha want?”demanded an unwelcoming Frank.

“Hi, I’m your new neighbour, Jake Rogers. I just moved in to the old Eaton place.” Jake didn’t take his eyes off Frank. He felt very uneasy.

“Is that so. Whatcha want? We ain’t got no business with busy bodies!”

“ Just dropped by to be neighbourly, and ask if I could borrow some tools. Mine are being shipped from back east and won’t be here for a while...”

“I ain’t got no tools for ya ta borra. Ya business is all done now!” came the angry and abrupt response.

Jake was taken aback by the rudeness. He was about to try the conversation again when Frank hollerred,

“Boys!”

With that the boys in unison started to move towards Jake. With his hands raised in front of him, palms outward, Jake slowly backed away from the advancing body.

“It’s okay. I’ll find my own way back to my truck...”