Chapter 4
A large black rat with three white whiskers led the migration towards the lights glimmering across the meadow at the old quarry house. The other rats followed their leader, squealing and jockeying for position.
Meanwhile, Ella finished nursing her two month old son and put him down for the night. When she returned to the parlor, unaware of the approaching hoard, she noticed the lantern was casting distorted shadows. After she adjusted the wick, the flame became stable. Turning to her mother, she said, “Mama, you need new glasses. You’re squinting again."
Francis looked up from her sewing and shrugged. “Yes I know. I’ll get a new pair one of these days."
“That’s what you always say.”
Flanagan began to whimper and scratch the front door. Ella got up and patted his head, saying, “What's up boy? Is there a prowler?"
Frances pushed up her spectacles and rubbed her eyes, saying, “Don't worry, dear; it's always spooky when the men are gone for the night."
"I guess you're right. What do you think Papa's going to find out about the foreclosures?"
Her mother slowly shook her head. “I think it's just a matter of time before we're evicted, but your father said he could salvage a small home by putting it in your brother’s name."
"Mama, that bothers me. I don't trust Kyle. He...."
The baby suddenly screamed. Ella got up quickly and began to walk back up the stairs, frowning. “I wonder what's wrong with Little Rico.”
"Oh, maybe he just had a nightmare," her mother replied.
When Ella entered her bedroom, she failed to see the large black rat jumping off Little Rico’s crib and scurrying under the dresser. She went to her baby and rocked him in her arms, murmuring, "There, there, Little Rico. Everything's all right."
After a few minutes, he stopped crying and fell back to sleep. Gently, she put him back in his crib and returned to the parlor.
Her mother cried out, "Ella! There's blood all over you!"
She Looked down and saw the red smears on her blouse. "Oh my God! The baby!" she gasped, running back up the stairs.
Suddenly the house resounded with Hundreds of rats franticly squealing and scrabbling to get inside their home. Ella dashed into the bedroom with Flanagan at her heels. Frances grabbed the lantern and quickly followed, slamming the door shut behind her.
When she held the lantern aloft, Ella was able to see blood on her baby. “Oh my God! They’ve chewed his face!” she gasped.
“Jesus Ella! We have to put iodine on him right away. There’s a bottle in the dresser."
As she spoke, a rat ran across the floor and leaped at her leg, hanging on by its teeth. “Ow! My leg!” she cried out.
Flannigan instantly seized the rodent and broke its neck with a vicious shake.
Francis grabbed the broom, futilely striking at fleeting shadows. Ella held her baby in one arm and attempted to smash the rats darting across the floor with a hammer, screaming, take that! And that, you bastards!”
Flannigan lunged and snapped, efficiently killing rats.
After a few terrifying minutes, the rats were no longer evident. Ella gasped, “I think they’re gone. Now we need to use that iodine."
Her mother, wheezing for air, replied, "I’ll get it right now.”
After they smeared iodine on Little Rico’s wounds, disregarding his screams, they treated their own bites.
Flanagan began to whine and sniff under the door. Ella patted his head. “Good boy Flanagan, but we’re not leaving this room until we know it’s safe! We can just sit tight until we know it's safe!"
As they listened for suspicious noises, Frances began to snore with her chin on her chest.
Ella remained awake, clutching the hammer, but she eventually fell asleep.
A large black rat with three white whiskers crept from the dresser, furtively looking around the room. With a vicious snarl, it leaped at Ella and slashed her elbow with its fangs. She woke up with a scream and hurled the hammer after the fleeing rodent. The missile struck the rat, crushing its skull causing it to pitch forward in a pool of blood. She looked away when the three white whiskers turned sticky red.
After that attack, the women remained awake, but there were no more incidents.
When daylight broke, they surveyed the devastation. Frances groaned, "Oh, my God, just look at this mess! They’ve eaten all our food, and rat droppings are everywhere!"
"Mama, if you get rid of those dead rats, I’ll get started cleaning up this mess."
Both women vigorously sterilized the house with bleach. When they finished, Ella washed her hands in the sink, saying, "Mama, I’m exhausted. I'm going to take a nap with the baby right after I feed him."
"That's a good idea. I'm going to do the same."
Later that day, Ella woke up when she heard their old Ford rattling up their road. When she came downstairs, her mother already had started a fire for coffee.
Rico burst into the house, saying, “The courts have taken all the ranches. We have to leave in five days or the sheriff will throw us out. Ansel won't get out of the car. He just sits and stares straight ahead."
"Oh my Lord; it’s one thing after the other!" Frances cried as she hurried out the door.
Ella bit her knuckle and asked, "Rico, what's going to happen to us?"
He wearily slumped down on a chair, replying, “We're going to be all right. I saw Mr. Carlini this morning. He said we could work as a husband and wife team on his dairy. It’s near Bodega Bay. Is there any coffee? I'm dead."
"What kind of work would we do?" she asked, pouring the coffee,
"Well, I would milk cows of course, and you would cook for the crew."
"Damn it Rico, I can’t do that! Mama never taught me how to cook for a bunch of men."
"Don't worry It’s easy. I'll show you how. You just add more water to the soup."
Ansel shuffled into the house supported by his wife and sat down without removing his hat. With his face skewed to one side and a muscle twitching in his left cheek, he said in a monotone, "I’m sorry, Mama. I'm sorry I failed you, but you vill have a home."
"Ansel, what are you talking about? You haven't failed me. Everything will be all right. We can grow vegetables and have some chickens and maybe a cow. We'll be just fine."
He ignored her remarks, staring vacantly ahead.
"Papa, last night rats attacked us. They came like a malignant apparition and bit all of us including the baby," Ella reported, hoping to shock him out of his lethargy.
Francis crossed herself. “I just hope they weren’t a black omen.”
Ansel remained disinterested, but Rico dashed upstairs to inspect his son. When he saw the wounds highlighted by iodine, he gently kissed Little Rico’s forehead.
Ella whispered, "He’s all right now, but I don't want to wake him up. Let's go back downstairs."
When she was back in the kitchen, she asked, "Papa, are you all right? Can I get you something, maybe a cup of coffee?"
He ignored her questions and remained silent for the rest of the afternoon. As Black clouds accumulated in the west, he suddenly stood up, saying, "I’m going to take a valk,"
Frances put her hand on his arm. "Ansel, are you all right? Can I come with you?"
"No, Mama. I vant to be alone."
"Well then, go ahead, but don't be too long. There's a big storm coming."
Three hours later, the rain had begun, but Ansel had not returned. Frances opened the door and stared into the dark, muttering, “Where could that old fool be? It’s a cloud-burst out there.”
Rico grabbed his raincoat, saying, “I’m going to take the car to see if I can find him. Maybe he went to Occidental."
As he drove away, peals of thunder exploded over the house causing the baby to cry. Ella picked him up and nursed him to sleep, saying, “There There Honey. Go back to sleep now.” Francis continued to pace, anxious for news.
After an hour, the old car wit
h its feeble headlights barely visible in the rain returned. Rico burst into the house with water cascading from his raincoat, saying, “I couldn't find him anywhere. I drove to Occidental and checked all the saloons. I went to six neighbors, but no one has seen him. Some of the men said they would help search if he doesn't show up."
When Flannigan suddenly began to wail, Ella felt a shudder. Rico studied the agitated dog and snapped his fingers. “Come on boy. Let's see if we can find Ansel," he said and attached the leash.
Quivering with anticipation, Flanagan strained at his chain, pulling Rico outside and into the driving rain. After painful minutes dragged by, Rico returned to the house. Ella’s heart clutched when she saw the horrified look on his face.
Frances grabbed his arm, demanding, "Rico, what's happened to my husband?"
He swallowed, barely whispering, "Flannigan found him. He was at the bottom of the quarry by the old steam shovel with his head split open."
Frances screamed and collapsed on the floor. The baby began to cry. Ella remembered the image of three white whiskers turning red and sobbed. Outside, flashes of lightening illuminated the rain falling like the final curtain.