Ruth Silverman was the head librarian at the Brantley Public Library. She was everything that self-respecting Texans in the nineteen-sixties loathed: she was a know-it-all, snobby, New York, liberal, Jew feminist. She was head librarian because she'd been foisted on the long suffering citizens of Brantley as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society initiative. The federal government offered to expand and update the Brantley library and even pay for a head librarian, provided the person was who the Department of Education recommended. The cash-strapped county government jumped at the chance and, viola ... Ruth Silverman shows up on their doorstep, three-year contract firmly in place.
Ruth was no better disposed towards the citizens of McCulloch County than they were of her. When she eschewed the Peace Corp for its domestic equivalent, the VISTA program (Volunteers in Service to America), she thought she would be helping disadvantaged Appalachian children learn to read. Instead, she ended up checking out books to a bunch of hardheaded, strong willed ranchers and farmers.
In the fifteen months Ruth had been in charge of the library, she had done little to improve people's opinion of her. She constantly battled the county council and school board about their restricted books list. She was aloof while performing her duties, and unfriendly when she was not working. For her part, Ruth did not much care what kind of impression she made. Her complete focus was on making her library the best in the state. To that end, she worked tirelessly, sometimes as many as seventy hours a week to cover for not having enough staff.
That particular Saturday afternoon was one of those times she had to work extra hours. Mrs Purdy, the middle-aged woman who normally worked Saturdays from nine to three, was at her daughters wedding. So Ruth was sitting at the circulation desk when a gaggle of young teens came bustling through the door. As the youths were swarming the teen book section, a man she figured to be in his mid to late twenties, the same age as she, walked in. Ruth frowned when she saw the man walk directly towards the youngsters. She frowned because she had just finished reading a cautionary article in The American Library Journal. The article was all about a new type of sexual deviants who used the library as a fishing ground for young boys.
Ruth's suspicions were further heightened when the man seemed to focus on a particular boy. The boy was small in stature and walked with a pronounced limp. Ruth stood up and quickly followed when the man and boy disappeared into the stacks. Ruth did not find the pair right off, because they turned the opposite way she figured they would. Instead of finding them in teen and children's (young adult fiction, alphabetical by author) books, she found them in arts and artists (Dewey decimal classification 700). Ruth knew her instincts were correct when the man appeared to be pointing to a picture in a coffee table art book titled The Sensuous Nudes of Peter Paul Rubens.
Tommy really liked the library, even without the nudie picture book. He couldn't believe it took him so long to agree to go there with Bucky. He would find out where the western story books were located, and maybe check one out as soon as Bucky finished showing him the pictures of naked ladies. The pictures were great; they were making his tallywhacker hard. Bucky was showing him a picture where the woman's naked breasts were really big, when someone suddenly cleared their throat. Both boys looked up quickly, and blanched at the stern looking woman standing in front of them. Bucky dropped the book as if it were radio active. The woman pointed at Bucky.
"Pick that up, put it back on the shelf and go home," she ordered.
Bucky gulped, nodded and with trembling hands, put the book away. As soon as the tome slid into its slot, Bucky hustled out the door.
When the young boy was safely out of the library, Ruth turned her baleful glare on Tommy.
"Okay you, what are you doing here?" Ruth asked in her rudest New York voice.
The mean acting woman had Tommy quaking in his boots. The fear caused Tommy to lose the ability to speak. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. He licked his lips and tried again.
Ruth took the man's discomfort and silence as an admission of guilt.
"Cat got your tongue? Doesn't matter, because I think I had better let the sheriff handle this," she hissed.
Her statement put Tommy in even more of a panic. She was calling the sheriff on him because he was looking at naked pictures. He just knew he was going to prison. He gave a strangled moan and started sobbing. Ruth was nonplussed by the wailing sobs from the grown man, and flinched back a step. The other two kids that came into the library with Bucky were edging towards the entry door, trying to leave unnoticed.
That was the tableau that greeted Betty Lou Grimes when she stormed through the door, Bucky holding tightly to her hand. Betty Lou had been across the street at the Piggly Wiggly. She had been loading her groceries into her car when her distraught son ran up and told her about the librarian. When Betty Lou came in, the other kids hightailed it out the door.
Ruth recognized the woman as one of the tellers at the Brantley bank. She felt a flush of pride that she had probably saved the woman's child from molestation. However, Betty Lou's reaction was anything but grateful.
"What did you do to him?" Betty Lou yelled as she stomped towards Tommy and the librarian.
The angry look the woman was directing at her caused Ruth a few seconds confusion.
"I stopped him from luring your son into who knows what deviant behavior," Ruth primly replied.
Betty Lou stopped dead in her tracts, and if possible, she became even angrier. She gritted her teeth and willed herself to calm down for the boys' sake. She managed to put on a soothing smile and addressed Tommy.
"Everything is alright, Tommy; you are not in any trouble. Why don't you and Bucky go outside and play with Rex."
Tommy's face took on a look of relief so heartfelt, it was almost comical. He still could not control his speech, so he jerked his head up and down and bolted for the door.
As soon as the door swung closed behind Tommy and Bucky, the smile dropped off Betty Lou's face, and she rounded on Ruth. She was still madder than hell, but she had control of herself now.
"Explain yourself, Miss Silverman," she snapped.
Ruth cited the magazine article and regurgitated her suspicions about the grown man's conduct. She even threw in her perception that the man had as much as admitted it by the way he reacted when confronted.
Betty Lou looked at Ruth as if the librarian was insane.
"That man is a highly decorated former Army Officer. He suffered a serious brain injury in Vietnam, and is mentally the same age as my son. Yet, even with that against him, he still has a job and is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. He is also my ward, and my son's very best friend. You have done a cruel and hurtful thing here today."
Betty Lou spun on her heels and stalked out of the library before Ruth could say another word. Ruth could actually feel the color drain from her face as she watched Betty Lou's retreating back. Good Lord, what had she done?
Tommy was over the incident at the library by late Saturday afternoon. He was in the backyard, giving Rex a bath and thinking about supper. It being Saturday meant that Betty Lou was cooking Bucky and Tommy's favorite meal, chicken fried steak, lumpy mashed potatoes, biscuits and gravy. Tommy had just finished rinsing the flea shampoo off the incredible Rex, when Regina came out the back door.
"Someone is here to see you, Creep," she said.
Tommy looked perplexed.
"Who is it?" he asked.
"The woman from the library, she and mom are in the parlor talking. Why are you wasting your time on that mutt? He'll never be anything except ugly and stupid, just like you."
Regina recoiled at the look Tommy shot her and she cringed when he spoke.
"I don't know why I ever thought you were attractive, because you are nothing but a vindictive bitch," he snapped angrily.
Regina turned and fled into the house while Tommy finished toweling Rex. Regina was stunned at Tommy's steely voice and hateful choice of words. Actually, Tommy was stunned too. The words just popped out of his head and into his mouth. As he sat and thought about it, he wasn't even sure what 'vindictive' meant. He knew it was mean to call her the b-word, but she was even meaner for calling Rex ugly and stupid. Tommy sighed and walked into the back door with Rex. He did not know what the library lady wanted, but with Betty Lou in the house, he knew he was safe.
Ruth Silverman was seated on an overstuffed Chesterfield in Betty Lou's parlor, the one room in the house reserved for company. Betty Lou was sitting on the matching sofa. Ruth had come to the house on Spring Street to apologize to Tommy. She had found Betty Lou Grimes's phone number and address in the master card file at the library. Ruth had called Betty Lou an hour ago to apologize, and to ascertain Tommy's last name. Betty Lou accepted the heartfelt apology and agreed completely with what the librarian wanted to do.
Tommy walked into the parlor as the two women were chatting. The room was off limits to Rex, so the yellow dog stopped and sat down in the doorway. Tommy hesitated for a second, and then walked over to where the librarian was sitting. Tommy held out his hand, palm turned slightly to the side like his mama taught him.
"Good evening, ma'am, my name is Tommy Bledsoe," he said.
Tommy's parents had been sticklers on the subject of manners. As a result, politeness was ingrained with Tommy. Ruth Silverman's eyebrows rose in surprise at the gesture, but she lightly pressed her hand into his. Betty Lou beamed in pride from her perch on the sofa.
"Ruth Silverman, and I am pleased to meet you," Ruth formally replied.
Tommy dropped her hand and waved towards Rex.
"This is my dog Rex, he's not allowed in here even when he is clean. Say hello to Miss Silverman, Rex."
Rex gave a woof and thumped his tail on the floor.
Ruth smiled at the dog, her smile an event as rare as snow in July, then turned her attention back to Tommy.
"Mister Bledsoe, I am so sorry about how I acted today, it was rude and it was wrong. Please know that it will never happen again, and that you are welcome at the library anytime. Because you left before you could get your library card, I made one for you," she said as she handed him the card with his name typed on it.
It was Tommy's turn to smile as he took the card and read it.
"You mean I can check out books all by myself?" he asked in disbelief.
When Ruth replied yes, Tommy thanked her profusely and proudly put the card in his wallet with his military retired ID and his social security card. The card meant more to Tommy than the privileges it granted him at the library. To Tommy, the card was another accomplishment that proved he wasn't as stupid as people thought.
As a result of that fateful Saturday, Betty Lou and Ruth became friends; Tommy started to use the library regularly, and Regina started treating Tommy worse than ever. However, the most important result of all was that Tommy came into contact with Ruth Silverman at least two or three times a week.
Tommy loved the library, because it was always peaceful, with no Regina and her mean friends tormenting him, or even worse, making fun of Rex. The library had a great reading room with comfortable chairs, but most important, they had a slew of Louis L'Amour abridged novels for young adults.
The second rebirth of Thomas Bledsoe began unremarkably on a Wednesday evening in September, almost exactly two years after he was wounded. Tommy was at the library, sitting at a table reading, while his best friend Bucky was researching a term paper for his seventh grade Texas History class. Tommy finished his book and stood up to return it to the shelves, when Ruth Silverman came strolling by.
"Didn't enjoy the book Thomas?" she inquired.
Tommy shook his head.
"I enjoyed it just fine, I just finished with it, so I'm going to get another one. Lately, these books aren't as hard to read as they were before," Tommy replied.
Ruth took a look at the book and nodded.
"These books have been heavily edited to make them easy for young people to read. Why don't you grab one from the regular fiction section?"
Tommy looked at her and shook his head again.
"I don't think I can read one of those big books. I'm not smart enough on account of my injury and all," he said softly and sadly.
Ruth nodded that she understood, but something made her not want to give up on the idea so easily.
"That might be, but how will you know for sure if you don't try? Why don't you go pick out a book and bring it to my desk, and we'll see how you do?"
Tommy was nervous about it, but he couldn't figure out a way to avoid the librarian's suggestion. He walked into the fiction section, and found a book by Zane Grey, titled: Lone Star Ranger. He walked up to the circulation desk and sat in the chair next to the desk. Ruth gave him an encouraging smile.
"Read the book for your enjoyment, Tommy. This is not some sort of test and you don't have to read aloud. If you have difficulty with a word or concept, stop and we'll talk about it. Okay?"
Tommy sat down and to his amazement, the book was terrific. It was about Texas Rangers, one of his all time favorite subjects. He quickly read ten pages and had found only one word he was unfamiliar with or couldn't figure out.
"Miss Ruth, what does laconic mean?" he asked.
Ruth smiled and pushed a dictionary towards him. Tommy shot her an embarrassed grin and flipped open the Webster's. Ruth went about her normal duties as Tommy sat beside her, lost in his book. Every once in a while, she'd sneak a peek at him as he read. She hid a small smile as she watched his expression change with the action in the book. He'd smile or frown or look excited, based on the action he was reading. When he finished the first chapter, he asked Ruth if he could check the book out and read it at home.
Ruth took the three by five card out of its sleeve on the inside back cover of the book. She stamped the sleeve with the date the book was due back, and then she filled out and filed the card itself. When she finished the checkout procedure, she asked Tommy about something she was very curious about.
"Tommy, when the doctors tested you to see how much you knew, did they say anything about your ability to learn?"
Tommy squeezed his eyes shut and tried to remember what the doctor had said. When he remembered, he quickly nodded his head.
"Yes ma'am, Doctor Giles, the brain doctor, said the metal thing that went into my head destroyed a bunch of my brains, and that was why I was slow. He said the metal erased everything that I'd learned after the age of twelve, and he said the damage was bad enough that I was probably always going to be stuck there."
Ruth tried to mask her growing excitement. She chose her next words carefully.
"Yet, you have learned many new things since you've lived in Brantley, haven't you?" she prodded.
Tommy thought about the last seven months and had to agree. At work in the feed store, he'd learned all sorts of things.
"Yes ma'am," he said. "I even learned how to drive a forklift."
Ruth nodded happily and patted Tommy's arm.
"Exactly. So if you can learn things, you aren't really retarded, you are just mentally and socially under developed. I think a tutor could help you with the first, and your friends and family can help with the latter."
Tommy thought about what Miss Ruth had said for the rest of that night and all of the next day. As soon as he finished work for the day, he raced over to the library to speak with her again. He had an idea of what he wanted to do and he was excited about it.
The first part, finding a tutor, was very easy, because the best candidate worked right there in the Library three evenings a week. Her name was Becky Deirdorf. Becky had graduated with honors from McCulloch County High School, and was working for a year to earn enough money to enter nursing school the next Fall. Becky also worked four days a week at the Bluebonnet Diner. Becky was almost painfully shy, but jumped at the chance to earn a few extra dollars tutoring Tommy. She quoted him the same rate she made at the library, four-twenty-five an hour. To her surprise, Tommy insisted she take six.
"Mister Fricke told me that you get what you pay for, and I expect a lot," he said.
Tommy and Becky settled on two hours on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Ruth Silverman provided them a reading room for their classes. Ruth also made a visit to the junior high school library and borrowed a couple of copies of some outdated eighth grade text books. On the next Tuesday night, Tommy started school again. Tommy insisted that Ruth and Becky keep secret what he was doing, in case he really was unable to learn anything.
In 1969, not much was known about how the brain operated and there were no MRIs or CAT scans to highlight brain activity. Tommy's case could have shed some light on the subject, had anyone known what was happening to him. They would have learned something about memory for sure.
Tommy was missing the core of his memory that had resided in his frontal lobe, but bits and pieces of information were scattered around in uninjured locations also. It was as if Tommy was a damaged reference book with the index missing. There was still information available, he just couldn't find it.
Sometimes, though, the information just popped out at him. That had been the case when he lost his temper at Regina for calling Rex stupid and ugly. Out of nowhere, his brain dredged up the term 'vindictive bitch'.
While working with Becky, those bits of information came to him more often, especially in the area of mathematics. In his former life, Thomas Bledsoe had been somewhat of a math whiz. He had been a mechanical engineering student in his third year of college when his father died. Thomas had to leave school for a semester to take care of his father's affairs. Dropping out cost him his student deferment from the draft and naturally, his birth date was the third number selected in the next draft lottery.
Tommy breezed through eighth grade pre-algebra in only three sessions. Other subjects were slower moving, but overall he was making excellent progress.
A month of steady progress convinced Tommy that he was indeed capable of learning, and was not the dummy most folks thought him to be. That fact was also apparent to Ruth and Becky. They were simply amazed at his progress. People close to him, people like Harold and Rita Fricke and Bucky and Betty Lou Grimes, saw the difference also, although they didn't know the reason behind it.
Unfortunately, one thing that did not improve was his speech impediment. Even when he spoke slowly and carefully, Tommy stammered and stuttered. If he was excited, he could hardly speak at all. The speech apraxia was not a result of the shrapnel; instead, it was caused by the blunt force trauma from when he hit the ironwood tree. The apraxia was especially galling to Tommy, because he knew exactly what he wanted to say, he just couldn't eject the words from his mouth. His speech still caused most folks to think he was addled.
The other thing that prejudiced some folks was his lack of maturity. That was because no matter how much math and history he learned, or how many books he read, he still had the emotional development of a bright, precocious twelve year old. And nothing except experience and time was going to change that.
So that was the way things stood until Betty Lou Grimes asked Rita Fricke and Ruth Silverman to lunch to discuss their boy. The three women met for a late lunch at the Bluebonnet diner on a brisk late October day. The little crisis that precipitated the meeting was the upcoming Halloween holiday and trick or treating. Betty Lou had to explain to Tommy why he couldn't go trick or treating with Bucky. Tommy understood easily enough, but he had broken her heart with his reply.
"I'm too big for some stuff and too young for everything else. Why can't I be one thing or the other?" he wretchedly moaned.
The talk with Tommy made Betty Lou face what she had been avoiding, the subject of sex. With no man in her life, she needed advice from her friends about how to handle the delicate matter with Tommy. As the women sat there and talked, Rita Fricke had the idea that saved the day. Who better to tell Tommy about the facts of life than her Harold? After all, Tommy considered him a father figure anyway.
Rita passed the word on to Harold, who was overjoyed with the prospect of sharing what he considered his world class knowledge of all things relating to women.
"That will be no sweat, Honey-Bunny. I'll take Tommy down to the VFW Hall with me Thursday night; it's time he joined up anyway. Then we'll have a few beers while me and Ben and Ramon tell the boy the facts of life. Afterwards, we'll take him over to Conchita Delgado's place and have her demonstrate what we discussed. It'll be perfect."
Rita's eyebrows had climbed up into her hairline by the time her husband stopped gushing about his plans. There was no way on Earth that sweet Tommy was going to be exposed to any of that. Just when she was working herself into a good lather, Harold held up his hands and gave her a grin.
"Just kidding, Rita Maude. I'll take him aside at lunch tomorrow, and we'll have a little heart to heart."
Rita whacked Harold on the arm for riling her up, then gave him a smile.
"If I even suspected you of doing something like that, my loving husband, I'd sew you up in the bed sheet while you slept and beat you half to death with my biggest cast iron skillet," she said sweetly.
Harold gulped and nodded contritely. Sweet voice and gentle smile aside, he knew his wife of twenty-five years meant exactly what she said. His buddy Big Ben Crawford was only the toughest person in four counties because Rita Maude Frick did not want the title.