The note was written in a scrawl

Chapter 22) Joddie comes home
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Joel was panicked, the best day of his life turned nightmare.
Two years worrying about his precious wonderful Joddie, and now she was snatched from within his grasp.

Howard pulled up the alley behind the garage, sliding to a stop in the gravel, almost hitting the gas meter. Joel jumped out and ran through the yard screaming Ruth, Ruth.
He hadn't said his wife's name for years.
Her name was Ruth. But since the death of their boy, he had forgotten her name ... he had forgotten her.

Ruth heard him screaming and ran out the back grabbing his arms as he fell to his knees crying. Something terrible. Joddie ... Joddie ... Joddie's gone.
No no, she's home, she's upstairs.
Joel screamed, she's home?
Yes, she's upstairs. Dr Mason's coming. She's hurt.
Oh my god, both of them hugging and crying.

Howard caught up, and the three of them ran up the stairs to Joddie's room.
Oh Joddie, Joddie. Joel fell to his knees at the side of the bed. I'm so happy you're here. We've worried so much.

Dr Mason knocked at the front door and Ruth ran down to let him in.
Hurry doctor, Joddie's been in a wreck.

Dr Mason raced upstairs, but after assessing that Joddie's color was good and she was lucid, the doctor ushered everybody out, and began examining the poor girl.
She was torn up and down to the toes. He thought this must have been a peculiar accident. Nothing was broken.
He saw Joddie was seeping a bit of blood around her personal area, but she refused to talk.
It looked like something happened a day or two before because the bruises looked at least a day old. It looked like she had been raped and beaten.
One thing Dr Mason did know was Joddie's history in town. He was never party to her favor, nor spread the story, but he knew her comings about, and could see she was a hard case.
I'm going to give you something to help, but Joddie refused. She used the narcotic a few times, and swore she'd never die that way.
The doctor said, ok but it's going to be very sore. You need to get cleaned up real good. Put this ointment on, and I'll send the boy with some medicine. I need to check on you tomorrow, if that's alright.
Joddie nodded, and that's all she gave.

Dr Mason told her family that she was okay for now and needed to be cleaned up and watched for a couple days. Ruth led the group downstairs and motioned out to the screen porch off the side of the house so they could talk.
Joel was first. He shook his head, looking at Ruth and said, Bob's dead.
Ruth wailed, oh no. Poor Joddie.
He was laying by the car.
Howard added, it was bad Ruth.

Dr Mason was thinking Joddie was traumatized, and said, well that might be why she's not talking.
Joel said, I'm sure that's right, but who brought her home?

Ruth was busting out, and started ushering Dr Mason to the front door so she could tell Joel about the Negro.
Before leaving, Dr Mason mentioned that Reverend Diik was found dead in a hotel room.
When was that?
This morning. The police said he committed suicide.

Which might be true if a man who strayed his faith into a Crooks Tail brothel could get beaten and hang himself with hands tied behind his back, but who knows?

Oh my word, that's terrible.
Joel shook his head in disbelief. Where'd this happen?
Somewhere in Lewiston. They say he had a meeting in Fetonsburg and didn't know how he ended up in Lewiston.
Joel said, why would he go there, that's a bad town?
Ruth said, at least his wife didn't find him. All agreed.

Dr Mason said, I guess with Bob and Reverend Diik, there will be quite a fuss around town. Just wanted to let you folks know because it will take attention away from Joddie for a while until things get settled.
Oh my, thank you so much.
Always good seeing you folks, sorry for your loss. I'll be back in the morning.

Dr Mason left, and Ruth half-pushed Howard out the door, thanking him for all he did getting Joel back home.
Howard wanted to share the news about Big Harvester, but with the tragedy and everything, decided that Joel should take care of it, and hurried up the street to his house.

Ruth steered Joel back to the screen porch then grabbed her head and started shaking and crying.
Joel put his arm around her and led her to the seat at the far end of the screened porch where the breeze could still her nerves.

She didn't know where to start. A Negro brought her home.
What? A Negro brought Joddie home? Oh no, that's the one that robbed the bank and stole the car. Howard and I saw him.

Ruth said, I heard them pull up out front and he carried Joddie to the front door and just walked in and asked me where her room was. Joddie told him upstairs. He carried her up and put her in bed. And they were talking.
She knows the Negro? What were they saying?
I don't know. I was afraid of him. He was really big. And they kissed.
She kissed a Negro?
And then he told me to take care of that special girl and said goodbye to Joddie.

Then he went downstairs and out the front door and got in a big car and drove off real fast going to Blacktown, but I don't know where he went.
That's when I called Dr Mason but then when I went back upstairs, she told me she's pregnant with his baby.
Joddie's having a Negro baby?
That's what she said. Ruth began sobbing again.
Joel couldn't believe it. Oh my god, what happened?

Joel decided they would go up and see Joddie, who cried and held out her arms when her parents walked in.
Oh Joddie, oh Joddie.
Maggie came home, hearing the commotion and fearing the worst, ran upstairs and discovered her family hugging and crying.
She joined them.  It felt so good, all of them together.
Both sisters saw their parents hugging for the first time in years.

The sobs turned to happy laughter, only to return to tears.
Ruth finally had her name back.
It was Ruth again. Her husband said it.
He needed her and she needed him.

Joddie was exhausted.
Ruth told Joel, let's go downstairs.
Maggie stayed, squeezing Joddie's hand then looked at the bruises covering her legs. Oh Joddie, oh Joddie.

Joddie said, Bob's dead. Her voice lost the arrogance from a few weeks ago when they came for dinner.
Oh no. Bob's dead? I'm so sorry. Oh Joddie.
Bob ran off the road and somebody hit him in the head.
Who hit him?
No, no, I mean he hit his head when we ran off, and then a friend brought me home.
Oh Joddie, that's horrible, are you okay? Oh my. Poor Bob.
Well, I'm pregnant.
You are? That's great. Now we're going to have two babies in the family. Did you tell mom and dad?
They know.
The sisters hugged and cried. It was really her sister again.
Maybe time would never still what happened, but right now Joddie needed her family.

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