Page 8 of Resilience on Canvas

Chapter Four

Henry

Henry froze the second the room went black.

“Christ!” Robert shouted. “I can’t see two feet in front of me!”

Slowly, Henry lifted his hand in front of his face. Forget two feet, he couldn’t even see six inches in front of him. God Almighty, that whole mass of clouds had been enormous. How long would this last? It was blacker than even the blackest night. Heck, it was like a night without stars.

Only slightly louder than the sound of the small pebbles and plumes of powder hitting the window panes was the sound of Robert making his way through the room, his weight causing the floorboards to creak as his shoes made little swish swish sounds like maybe he was shuffling his feet to be extra careful, and then there was a thud.

“Goddamn son-of-a-bitch bastard!” he hollered. “I knocked my knee on somethin’.”

Robert’s temper sure was interesting to witness. He was probably fighting the urge to break whatever had hurt him clean in half.

Carefully, Henry slid one foot forward to try to find his injured companion. How the heck was he supposed to navigate the room like this? If he tripped over something, then they’d both be injured. Or, well, more injured. He still had the splinter. Gosh, if it became infected...

“Hen?” Robert called out. “Come over here and help me with the towel. I’m tryin’ to keep us from chokin’ to death.”

“I’m comin’,” he said, shuffling a couple more steps.

Or, kind of coming. At this rate, he wouldn’t make it before the sky turned clear again.

Inhaling a trembling breath and mustering up the rest of his courage (which, truthfully, there wasn’t that much of), Henry started forward in earnest, moving with slow but purposeful strides.

Along the way, he swept his hands back and forth in front of him, hoping to protect himself from slamming into something.

And then his hand made contact with the back of Robert’s head.

“Ow!” Robert said. “Why’d you smack me?”

“I can’t see!” Henry exclaimed. “Gosh, Robert, I’m sorry. Are you—”

“I’m fine, dammit.” Robert took hold of Henry’s sleeve. “We’re walkin’ together now, though. Don’t need you to keep slappin’ me.”

Maybe it was the nervousness Henry was feeling, but for some reason, that statement was too funny not to react to. He started chuckling.

“Don’t laugh at me, you Goddamn shop boy,” Robert said, though he was starting to laugh himself. “First, you break yer promise to marry my sister, then you hit me when I couldn’t even see you comin’, and now you’re mockin’ me with that little laugh of yers?”

Clutching Henry tighter, Robert started shaking him in a lighthearted manner, and Henry’s face began to burn so hot he couldn’t barely keep himself from melting.

Holy heck, Robert Davis— the Robert Davis, the very handsome and ever-impressive Robert Davis—was being playful with him. It was incredible.

Henry’s foot kicked the wall.

“Alright, I think we’re close now,” Robert said.

Henry reached out one of his hands to try to find the knob, but found Robert’s hand instead, and the moment they connected, Henry recoiled.

“Are you scared I’ll bite you or somethin’?

” Robert said, his tone light and teasing.

“Geez, I think you might even be more skittish than Clara. No wonder you called off the weddin’.

” Henry heard the rattling of what was probably the metal knob.

Robert must have found the door. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but what you need is a strong woman, Hen.

Someone like... oh, hell, I can’t think of no one.

But I’m sure there’s someone out there for you.

” Robert bent low, taking Henry with him, and then Robert’s hand found his.

He pressed the end of the towel into Henry’s palm. “Here, you take this side.”

Together, they stuffed the towel into the little space where the wind was coming in. Robert took hold of Henry’s shirt sleeve once more when they stood and then started walking. Henry figured Robert was taking them to the couch. Lord knew how long they’d have to stay here.

After shuffling forward for a while, the couch was exactly what they found.

Robert let out a long sigh when he sat. Henry settled on one of the old cushions and immediately started twisting his hands in his lap, equal parts elation and nervousness making his entire body hum.

He was sitting right next to the man he fancied.

Even though he couldn’t see Robert right now, he could sense him.

And, God , it was wonderful.

Oh, what a wicked thing it was to be so happy right now. Others were probably out there suffocating, their lungs filling up with earth, and Henry was in here feeling like one of the luckiest men in the world.

Robert cleared his throat and said, “How’s yer finger?”

“Uhm...” Henry curled and uncurled it. “It ain’t botherin’ me no more.”

“When this lets up, you better clean it. I’ve seen people lose their limbs to infection, you know.”

Henry’s eyes blew wide. “From a splinter?”

“Well, no, but from cuts and things.”

“Yeah, I-I’ll clean it,” Henry stammered. “How’s yer, uhm, yer knee?”

“Ah, it’s fine. Just knocked it.” Robert shifted, his movement making the couch creak. “Dammit, I hope Clara took the kids inside. With their little lungs, they really could choke on all of that shit out there.”

Henry’s heart sank. If not for him, Robert would be at home taking care of his family.

“I’m sure she took ’em in,” Henry said, trying to provide some comfort. “Clara’s smart.”

“Yeah, she is. Still, I ought to be there now.”

Guilt pinched Henry’s stomach.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“Not yer fault.”

“Well... it sort of is,” Henry said softly. “I’m sorry, Robert.”

There was a pause.

“Yeah, I suppose it is kind of yer fault,” Robert mumbled. “But it’s mine too. Clara told me to stay home, but I was set on beatin’ some sense into you.”

Henry’s stomach tumbled. Goodness, the thought of Robert being tough with him shouldn’t have been making him feel excited .

But it was . Not really the fact that Robert would be hurting him, exactly, but the fact that Robert was so passionate .

He had the kind of passion that made Henry’s heart stutter, the kind that kept Henry from sleeping sometimes.

And the knowledge that Robert had been feeling such a fiery upset because of him ?

Gosh, why was that so thrilling? Probably because Henry could sense that Robert would be passionate in all kinds of ways.

“Wow, not even a flinch,” Robert said in a mocking voice. “I thought you’d have reacted somehow to me tellin’ you that I came to town to fight you.”

“It wouldn’t have been much of a fight,” Henry said shyly.

“So, what, you’d have let me kill you?”

“If you caught me,” he said, as pathetic as that was.

Robert snorted. “Yeah, you were fast. Real fast. I never thought I’d say this, but thank God for them Hoover hogs. If I hadn’t started laughing like that, you’d have never stopped runnin’, huh? Not ’til you lost me.”

“Probably not, no,” Henry said, smiling, and then his smile faltered a bit when he started thinking of the rabbits. “I feel bad for the, uhm, the Hoover hogs.”

“Yeah?”

“Well, they ain’t doin’ nothin’ wrong. I know they’re eatin’ our crops and such, but they’re only bein’ rabbits. Can’t really fault them for it.”

Robert hummed. “Me and the kids saw a little baby one die today.”

“Goodness,” Henry said, frowning.

He felt kind of silly for thinking that was sad. After all, it was one fewer rabbit for the townsfolk to try to maim later.

“Ain’t that sad?” Robert asked.

“Yeah,” Henry said, his voice low. “I know it shouldn’t be, but it is.”

Robert sighed. “We pet him for a while. I think maybe it was a comfort. I mean, it had to have been, right? ”

Heaviness settled over Henry’s heart. He hadn’t never heard that kind of softness in Robert’s voice before. It was... nice. Real nice.

“I think it was,” Henry confirmed, keeping his voice tender.

Robert shifted positions again, and then the two of them sat in silence for a while.

Henry stared off into nothingness, torn between wishing that the storm would pass and hoping that it would never end.

He never thought he’d spend so much time with Robert.

For years, he had been contented with seeing Robert for a few minutes in the store every once in a while.

Of course, Henry had seen Robert in church plenty, too, but Robert and his family liked to sit in the back of the nave while Henry’s family sat up front, and so, it had been kind of hard for Henry to admire Robert too much that way, at least for more than a couple of seconds here and there.

Eventually, Robert moved some more. He must have spread his legs wide because one of his knees bumped Henry’s, and that tiny bit of contact sent a surge of longing zipping through Henry’s veins so hot and fast that, had he been a lightbulb, it would have probably resulted in enough wattage to light up the entirety of Oklahoma.

“Sorry,” Robert said. “I’m worried about my family.

It has me feelin’ like there’s bugs crawling on me.

I ain’t sure if you know this, but I’m responsible for everyone.

Not my pop. He’s... well, he’s been a real bastard since my ma passed.

Not that he was ever the kindest person before, but it’s even worse now.

And so, I’m the one who takes care of things.

Which is why I wanted to marry Clara off.

See, I wanted to make sure she found someone else who would take care of her.

Someone with more money than the little we have.

Sometimes we barely even have enough food for all of us.

And then I’m stuck eatin’ a couple of sorry bites of salad for supper. ”

Robert went quiet. After a moment, he moved some more, enough to cause the wooden frame of the couch to make a low whining sound. Goodness, the piece of furniture must have been old as sin.

Seconds passed, and then Robert said, “Dammit, I’m sayin’ too much. I think the dust particles must be muddlin’ my brain. Don’t pay me no mind, Hen.”

“It’s okay. I like it. Not, uhm, what you’re sayin’, really, because that sounds.

.. well, it sounds like things are real hard for you, but I like listenin’ to you.

” Henry’s heart was still feeling fluttery, but now it was heavy, too.

He ought to help Robert somehow. Maybe Robert or Clara could work in the store.

Earn some more money for their family. Henry could take on fewer shifts himself.

It wasn’t like he and his family needed the money, really.

Not in the same way. “Say, what if you took up workin’ in the store sometimes? Couple times a week or somethin’?”

“Mr. Sherwood needs more help?” Robert asked. “I can’t remember seeing no advertisements in the Sunday paper.”

“Oh, well, he only realized it yesterday,” Henry said.

It was a miracle how easily the lie had come to him.

He’d have to talk to his folks to make this happen.

And his uncle, too, of course. Maybe he could propose it as a way to repay the Davis family for backing out of the wedding.

“Do you want me to tell him that yer interested?”

Robert was silent for a few seconds, probably contemplating the offer.

“Yeah, Hen, that’d be nice,” Robert said, wonderment in his voice. “Thank you.”

The sweetness in Robert’s tone had Henry swooning.

Gosh, it might have been the loveliest sound in the entire world.

Henry would have loved to tell Robert how much he liked him right then.

Just blurt it out. Because now Henry knew why it was called a crush.

He was feeling such a heavy fondness for Robert that he was finding it hard to breathe.

Henry was still struggling to take a proper breath when Robert said, “Really, Hen. Thanks. Yer one in a million.”

One in a million. Lord Almighty, that was probably the best compliment Henry had ever received. Seconds passed while Henry’s heart hammered and fluttered in his chest, the heavy weight of his long-held crush still so enormous that Henry had trouble figuring out how to be.

Before Henry could find his voice, there were two small thuds, followed by some more movement. Robert’s feet bumped into the side of Henry’s thigh. Henry realized that the thuds had been from Robert’s shoes.

“I think I’ll try to nap,” Robert said. “Gotta pass the time somehow.”

Henry’s heart stuttered. Ain’t no way he’d be able to sleep with Robert right next to him like this, especially not with Robert’s toes touching him.

“Yeah, I ought to try, too,” Henry said, though he knew he wouldn’t.

Only seconds later, Robert started snoring. Henry couldn’t help but smile. Because maybe that was the loveliest sound in the world instead.

Despite knowing that he’d never relax enough to sleep, Henry still closed his eyes, and then he let his mind wander. He wished so much that the world wasn’t what it was, that he could confess his feelings to the man beside him, even if those feelings weren’t returned.

After a while, Robert’s feet found their way atop Henry’s thighs.

And Henry let his hands fall on top of them .

Blanketed in the blackness of the storm, Henry found the courage to pretend that there was something between them. How wonderful it was to be sitting with Robert like this, to be physically close with a man, and to let himself imagine what it would be like for them to be together.

And so, even though God-knows-how-many people were outside there suffocating in the storm, Henry was left feeling like he could finally breathe.