Chapter 1: Introduction
Thomas Travers was not a boy of high expectations. Hard work and honest living was hammered into him at a young age. His father was a third generation farmer and helped build more than just the farmhouse, teaching him the same skills he had now at a sturdy eighteen. But it had been nearly two years since the economy had turned sour, and the land that once fed them was now more of a burden than a blessing. The drought had taken its toll, and the Travers family was clinging to the edge of what little they had left.
Education mattered little. There wasn’t enough money for school supplies, but Thomas made do with old fountain pens and old books. Hardship was just another way to learn how to endure, but with the recent death of his younger sister, Mary Anne, from dust pneumonia, some things were too much to just simply sit through. It wasn’t all bad though. The Federal Government wanted young men or boys to join the Conversation Corps, and in return, they would be paid a steady wage. It was the only way his family’s land could survive the weather and the bank. All he needed to do first was graduate high school this summer.
Thomas wiped his hands on his cotton trousers as he rounded the bend, coming up on the three story schoolhouse. Outside, the other students were either going inside or milling around the schoolyard. However a small group of boys huddled around a younger girl by the tree caught his attention as he got close enough to catch what they were saying. “Ain’t you got more important things to worry about than a stupid book?” One of the boys mocked.
The girl replied in a determined, indignant tone. “Ain’t you got better things to do than pick on girls? You’ll learn one day being coward ain’t gonna get you nothin’.” The boy scoffed. “What do you know about nothin’, Beaty? You ain’t got a clue what the real world’s like.” He retorted.
The girl’s expression turned to an evil, devilish smile. “I know enough, Jimmy Adler. Like how your Daddy can’t hold a job on the account of his drinking. He ain’t even a real man neither, just a no-good drunk.” She exclaimed, smirking proudly at her insult.
Jimmy’s face turned a dark red, and the group of boys split apart, unsure of how to react. Thomas had seen enough. He stepped forward, his voice steady but firm. ”Alright, Jimmy. That’s enough.“ He planted himself between the boy and girl, his posture unwavering.
Jimmy sneered, squaring his shoulders. ”Stay out of this, Travers. It ain’t your fight.“ Around them, the other students paused, watching with bated breath. Thomas clenched his fists. “It ain’t your fight neither, Adler. Bully the dame and you’ll see more than birds around your screwball head.” He replied coolly.
Jimmy twitched before taking a step back, his bravado wavering under Thomas’s unyielding gaze. The other boys shifted awkwardly, their eyes darting between the two. Thomas watched them leave before picking his bag back up. The girl beamed at him. “Hi Tommy,” she said, her voice softening. She brushed a loose strand of dark brown hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. “Ain’t nobody but you can talk a fool out of his own stupidity,” she said, her voice carrying a mix of gratitude and amusement.
Thomas ignored the worshipful praise. “And ain’t nobody like you who knows how to cause trouble, Eleanor Beaty.” He mumbled, adjusting the strap to his school bag. Eleanor rolled her eyes playfully. “He had it coming. Just yesterday he picked on the poor Hoffman boy ‘til he cried.” She shrugged, as if this were a perfectly reasonable justification. Thomas sighed.