he owned was probably five times the value of Calhoun's holdings.
She had also convinced him to make furniture for them and sell it to them at cost.
The night before they left, lying in bed, Julia said to her husband, "I wish you'd be nicer to Darcie. Can't you see she ain't against us?"
* * * *
The wagon was piled high with everything Julia and Calhoun owned. Calvin came out onto the porch and stood there, half scowling, half smirking, to relish the satisfaction of watching his brother leave. Calhoun ignored him. Julia and Darcie went into the kitchen to say goodbye in private.
"I'm just gonna ask for one thing," Darcie said.
"Don't go into town for Sunday church. Come here to be with us so's the whole county won't know we're feuding. Maybe we can make Sunday lunch for the whole family a tradition. Wouldn't that be nice?"
"Calhoun ain't gonna like it. He hates that church.
Says it was the beginning of the end. We know it wasn't, don't we? It goes further back than that."
"Older than the woodshed," Darcie said.
"But I'll make him come on Sundays, Darcie. That's a promise."
* * * *
Despite the additions that had more than doubled the size of the original Caldwell ranch house, the two families and two single men —six adults and six children ranging from four to thirteen years old— had been living on top of one another. With nearly half of them gone, the house suddenly seemed empty and quiet. Not only did fewer people live there, but they were quieter than they had been before, especially Darcie, saddened to have Julia taken away from her. Caleb and Caliban also felt gloomy.
"I s'pose you two are glad you'll finally be getting bedrooms of your own," Calvin said cheerfully.
Caleb did not respond. He looked uncomfortable
and let his gaze wander about the room.
"I dunno what Caleb's thinking," Caliban said, "but 13as for me, I wanna go on sharing sleeping quarters with 'im if he don't mind. Now that the family's split up like this, right down the middle, me and Caleb in different rooms'd feel like another split-up, like we broke into little pieces.
Wouldn't mind taking over Calhoun and Julia's old room, though. It's bigger."
With its five bedrooms, one of them almost the size of Calvin and Darcie's front room, there was even more space in the Johnson house for Calhoun's family to spread out. The boys were ecstatic. They would each have their own room, and they had a whole house to horse around in without their girl cousins getting in the way. Julia thought the place felt lonely. Calhoun felt relieved that he no longer would have to see or deal with Calvin. When Julia spoke to him about the family getting together on Sundays, Calhoun swore he would not set foot in Calvin's church while he had breath in his body.
"Our kids go to school there."
"I don't mind its being a schoolhouse. I don't like its being a church."
"Then I'll go with the boys and you can stay home or worship in town. I owe it to Darcie. We're both owing to her. Please, Calhoun. If you won't do it for her, then do it for me."
Calhoun went to Calvin's church, but he wouldn't let 13their families sit together. It was two more years before the men would agree to a family lunch Sundays after church for all four brothers, their wives, and the children.
5.
The family fell apart after Calhoun moved to the Johnson house. Caleb said that if he and Caliban went on living at Calvin's it would seem they were siding with him against Calhoun.
"If you set out on your own, people will think you're taking sides against me," Calvin said when Caleb told him their plans.
"No, it will look like we're neutral. And I don't care what people think. I care about what Calhoun thinks."
"So, you wanna build a house."
"Yep, that's just what I was thinking."
"Just for yourself?"
"For me and Caliban."
"Calhoun won't think Caliban's turned against him if he stays here."
"Me and Caleb's sticking together," Caliban said.
"Whose share you gonna build
She had also convinced him to make furniture for them and sell it to them at cost.
The night before they left, lying in bed, Julia said to her husband, "I wish you'd be nicer to Darcie. Can't you see she ain't against us?"
* * * *
The wagon was piled high with everything Julia and Calhoun owned. Calvin came out onto the porch and stood there, half scowling, half smirking, to relish the satisfaction of watching his brother leave. Calhoun ignored him. Julia and Darcie went into the kitchen to say goodbye in private.
"I'm just gonna ask for one thing," Darcie said.
"Don't go into town for Sunday church. Come here to be with us so's the whole county won't know we're feuding. Maybe we can make Sunday lunch for the whole family a tradition. Wouldn't that be nice?"
"Calhoun ain't gonna like it. He hates that church.
Says it was the beginning of the end. We know it wasn't, don't we? It goes further back than that."
"Older than the woodshed," Darcie said.
"But I'll make him come on Sundays, Darcie. That's a promise."
* * * *
Despite the additions that had more than doubled the size of the original Caldwell ranch house, the two families and two single men —six adults and six children ranging from four to thirteen years old— had been living on top of one another. With nearly half of them gone, the house suddenly seemed empty and quiet. Not only did fewer people live there, but they were quieter than they had been before, especially Darcie, saddened to have Julia taken away from her. Caleb and Caliban also felt gloomy.
"I s'pose you two are glad you'll finally be getting bedrooms of your own," Calvin said cheerfully.
Caleb did not respond. He looked uncomfortable
and let his gaze wander about the room.
"I dunno what Caleb's thinking," Caliban said, "but 13as for me, I wanna go on sharing sleeping quarters with 'im if he don't mind. Now that the family's split up like this, right down the middle, me and Caleb in different rooms'd feel like another split-up, like we broke into little pieces.
Wouldn't mind taking over Calhoun and Julia's old room, though. It's bigger."
With its five bedrooms, one of them almost the size of Calvin and Darcie's front room, there was even more space in the Johnson house for Calhoun's family to spread out. The boys were ecstatic. They would each have their own room, and they had a whole house to horse around in without their girl cousins getting in the way. Julia thought the place felt lonely. Calhoun felt relieved that he no longer would have to see or deal with Calvin. When Julia spoke to him about the family getting together on Sundays, Calhoun swore he would not set foot in Calvin's church while he had breath in his body.
"Our kids go to school there."
"I don't mind its being a schoolhouse. I don't like its being a church."
"Then I'll go with the boys and you can stay home or worship in town. I owe it to Darcie. We're both owing to her. Please, Calhoun. If you won't do it for her, then do it for me."
Calhoun went to Calvin's church, but he wouldn't let 13their families sit together. It was two more years before the men would agree to a family lunch Sundays after church for all four brothers, their wives, and the children.
5.
The family fell apart after Calhoun moved to the Johnson house. Caleb said that if he and Caliban went on living at Calvin's it would seem they were siding with him against Calhoun.
"If you set out on your own, people will think you're taking sides against me," Calvin said when Caleb told him their plans.
"No, it will look like we're neutral. And I don't care what people think. I care about what Calhoun thinks."
"So, you wanna build a house."
"Yep, that's just what I was thinking."
"Just for yourself?"
"For me and Caliban."
"Calhoun won't think Caliban's turned against him if he stays here."
"Me and Caleb's sticking together," Caliban said.
"Whose share you gonna build
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