Chapter 4: The Tom

I never returned home again, there was no need to. I couldn't help but occasionally grip at my sleeve that Irene had. It wasn't as if I liked her, I usually felt like an older brother to the kids of the community. I had acted as such, but why was my heart beating so hard in my chest?

I left those thoughts to brew as I sat in a tree awaiting for the sun to rise. I had already made it to the neighborhood that Odis and I would be working in for the day. There was word that we'd be joined by some of our stray friends.

Since the mine claimed many parents, their children became known as the stray. They were so common that the residents of Burnsley occasionally got together to host meals and offered items and shelter for those kids. Nearby towns, such as Swanford and Panshaw, have similar situations where strays run about the streets like cats and dogs.

A sharp pain at my side gained my attention after someone threw an acorn at me. Looking down, I could see it was the stray I had been waiting for. A grin darkened my features, Taylor Lawson.

"Ah, the mighty stray sits up in trees like the tom he is, " crowed Taylor with a dramatic bend of his back with his arms rising up towards me.

"I'm not a stray, " I deadpan as I drop beside Taylor and ruffle his soft caramel hair.

Taylor may be a stray, but he was well kept. He had sun kissed skin from living off the streets and light brown eyes like those of a puppy. He was thin with strength hidden beneath his loose clothing. We had been friends since our childhood when all our parents still breathed on this earth. Since then, both of his parents have died and my father passed from the sickness. He was the current 'tom' of the strays which alluded to him being the leader. He had street smarts but claimed he had learned it all from me. He began insisting I become the tom when my mother fell ill, claiming it was a matter of time. I agreed, but it still wasn't easy to accept.

He ducked beneath my arm to avoid my hand and tried to and push me over, testing my balance. I grabbed his side and pushed him past me with ease, dropping him to the ground beside me.

I peered down at him with a smug smile, "What did you hope to accomplish?"

"Oh, you know. Dusting myself," Taylor hopped back up to his feet and patted the dust away with a mock sigh, "I can never bump you off your feet. You are fit to be tom."

I shook my head, he was quite adamant about the subject.

"I get why you hesitate, but it's for the best," he shrugged and gave a heavy pat to my shoulder, "Where's that sidekick of yours?"

I looked at his face, his disregard of Odis was odd, "Something happen between the two of you?"

Taylor looked up to me with the eyes fitting that of the tom, "Of course not."

I hummed and shrugged his hand off. If he didn't want to share their quarrel, I would just have to ask Odis later. True to Taylor's word though, Odis was late.

As we waited, I thought back to the strays. They worked together as a family of misfits and claimed an abandoned house as a headquarters. The true reason Taylor stands as tom, is due to his cunning nature. The strays have always sabotaged the mine and workers in discrete ways so that the town knew but Commodity Co. did not. There was always talk of taking down the mine among the ranks of strays.

Odis finally jogged up to us, breathless, "Sorry for being late."

"It's fine, " I watched him hunch over his knees to catch his breath, he must have run all the way from home.

I inspected him from afar for any injuries or signs of torment. Strays are known for protecting their own but harassing strays that don't join with them or disagree with their values. He looked fine to me, Taylor knew to keep his strays to themselves when it came to Odis.

"Come on, future strays. Let's get this job done, " Taylor yawned with a stretch, he had already put gloves on.

We followed the tom and began the odd job of helping Mrs. Seals. Today we were called to wash the Seals' residence windows and to clean up the landscaping. Taylor had brought a few other strays with him to help the work, the pay would be split our three ways. Mr. Seals sat on the porch, observing us and our work. The Seals were an older couple who were raised in Burnsley and would live the rest of their life there like anyone who is born in Burnsley. They were like the grandparents of the whole community although they never had children of their own.

Odis and the extra strays went to wash windows while Taylor and I worked at landscaping. We worked diligently as the sun beat down upon our backs. By midday we had stripped away our shirts and jackets to bare our backs. We were both marred with the tell tales of hard work. Mrs. Seals called us for lunch and served cold salads and lemonade. After a refreshing break, we all worked to finish the landscaping.

We finished the job and Mr. Seals paid us our even payments. They thanked us and bid the strays farewell. Odis and I were about to leave when Mrs. Seals stopped me.

"Jinn, I have something for your mother. Could you stay a moment?"

I nodded and told Odis to go home without me, "Yes, Mrs. Seals."

She chuckled and waved a frail hand, "Now now. No need for such formalities, call me Mary or Grandma M. Jefferson, go see that the kids didn't leave anything behind."

Her husband stood from his chair and went to do as she asked, "Of course, sweetheart."

Grandma M watched him go before turning to me with a worried look, "How is your mother doing?"

She rested her thin arm in mine and led me inside, "She is weak from the illness, but I came home yesterday to her all dressed up."

Grandma M nodded along, "That is good to hear. Let me get the medicine and gift."

She patted my hand with her cool ones and disappeared into the house to retrieve the items. I stood in the kitchen where she had led me to, displaced in another kitchen. I looked down to my roughly calloused hands and thought back to the soft flower petals from this morning.

"Here we are, " she returned and handed me a basket, "No need to return anything. It's all for you and your mother. Tell her we are thinking of her for us."

She led me back out to the porch and gave me a hug with her frail from. I returned the gesture.

"Thank you, Grandma M."

-

I took my time on the walk home. The sun had plenty of time to turn to dusk, but I wished it would come faster. Footsteps behind me had me pausing. I turned to see Taylor gaining on me, so I waited patiently for him.

He slowed and walked up to me, "Hey."

"Hey, " I watched him, keeping a secure hold on the basket from Grandma M.

"I forgot to tell you that we're holding a bonfire. You know where, " his brown eyes seemed guarded in some way.

"I do. I'll be there. Can Odis tag along?" the odd look in Taylor's eyes was unsettling.

He nodded, avoiding my gaze, "Of course."

I watched him a moment longer, "You seem distracted."

Brown eyes met mine in a steely glare but soon melted, he would not make himself a threat this night.

"I am. Big plans and a few other things.."

"That's vague," I teased, prying for more.

He shook his head with an exasperated sigh, "I couldn't even form a list for you. Well, I best be getting back. See ya."

With that, he quickly departed. I watched his retreating figure before continuing my way home.