Chapter 19
May - Crawfordton
After the long, frigid winter, Phil jumped at the chance to start getting his garden ready. Phil had baby plants already up and growing from seed. Each new season had the potential for a bumper crop, even after following a poor crop like the year before. At least they didn't consume all of their seeds during the winter months. No one was thought to have any extra food stock left, except maybe the Gofinns, who still had a large canned food stockpile.
Phil started the plants the month before and grew them in front of a southern facing window.
Phil taught the Cadets about gardening as well. Angela liked gardening, or doing anything for that matter, as long as Phil was involved.
Phil said, "Napoleon said, 'An army travels on its stomach'".
Hunter asked, "You mean they crawl?"
"No, son. I mean they have to have food to move. So if you have a big army it takes a lot of food to move them."
In spite of what Amy thought, the town started to accept Angela a little more. She was still considered some kind of crazy girl, but she had her place. Phil kept telling Angela that "People know when you like them, so she should start making an effort to like them first." Angela took the advice to heart, and the advice was starting to bear its fruit.
Angela loved gardening, but her true love was military science. She missed her Art of War so she tried to read The Prince, by Machiavelli, but it was too difficult for her to follow. But there were also some other military books in the library, such as ones covering battles in the War Between the States, and WWII.
Hunter and Liam were pulling weeds in the garden. Phil was digging small holes with his hoe and Mike was pouring a couple of dollops of water in the hole. Then Angela put baby plants into the wet holes.
"Phil, do you think I can get my book back." They both knew what book she was asking about.
"I don't know. Do you think you could read it responsibly?"
She sighed, "Yes, but it would be nice if someone would listen to me for a change."
"You gotta remember. Adults don't have to listen to what children say, even incredibly smart ones like you. But I can tell you this much, they will listen better now than the last time. Angela, you have to understand that Sun Tzu talks about doing 'many calculations' before taking an action."
"How do you know I didn't do that?"
Phil said, "I take that to mean that you talk it over with the other brains of the outfit."
"I did talk it over with you."
"But how does that count when I said it was a bad idea. You know the Bible says. 'In the multitude of counselors there is safety.' Just talking to me is not 'multitude'. Before all of our battles you know we would have meetings with all of the leaders. I know you heard them talking."
Hunter said, "Angela said before we went looking for the Hexmen that as long as we were right, no one would say anything."
"Big mouth," Angela said.
"Fine," Phil said, "But there are different amounts of being right. Angela couldn't have been a hundred percent right when she ended up getting an arrow in the back."
Hunter said, "I was more right than her. I didn't get hit."
Mike said to Hunter, "No you were just more scared." Mike looked at Angela. "How come you took Hunter along and not me?"
"I don't know, Mike. I just did."
Mike said, "You should have asked me."
Angela said, "Yea probably, Mike. Because if you were there, you pr'y would have taken my arrow in your back, because you are always following me."
Phil chuckled at the exchange. He thought of how he and Amy must sound at times, so those two must be made for each other.
Mike said, "Don't you like me around you, Angie?"
Angela turned red. "I'm not Angie! I got too many names! I'm not Angela! I'm Ayanna! Mike! Call me Ayanna!"
Phil's jaw dropped. Hooray! He didn't have to keep the secret anymore.
Hunter said, "How come you're Ayanna now?"
"Because that's my name! I never said my name was 'Angela', did I?"
Mike said, "Phil, is her name really 'Ayanna'?"
Phil just shrugged his shoulders. "Welcome to talking to women, Mike. Keep me out of it."
Liam said, "My name's Randy!"
Hunter rolled his eyes.
Mike asked, "Phil, can I go now?"
"I need you here another hour or so. Just kidding. Sure son, go on."
Mike stomped away, clearly not happy with the discussion.
Hunter and Liam ran off to their home across the road.
Phil said, "Are you through being mean now?"
"What?" Ayanna said.
"You know, the reason you were named 'Angela' was because Amy named you that after someone we really think quite a lot of. As I recall, we couldn't get you to say much of anything. Now you want to act mean about it to your best friends. You better make it all right, starting with Amy. You better get into the House and tell Amy before she hears it from someone else, or she will be plenty hurt."
"Yea. I'm going right now. Then I'll talk to Mike, if I have to."
"If I were me, I'd make sure I did it. That 'crazy boy' thinks a lot of you for some dang reason."
Ayanna went into the House and looked around for Amy and didn't find her. Then she heard some clanking around in the back yard and found her there building a fire to make some lunch.
"What's for lunch," Amy?"
"I got some eggs down at Burkett's Store. You want some green onion in them?"
"Yea. Amy I want to tell you something."
"Yes, Baby. I'm all ears."
"Well, I know you named me Angela, which is okay, but I want to go by my real name now."
"Are you finally going to spit that secret out?"
"My name is Ayanna."
"Oh, Angela. . .I mean, A-yanna, that is such a beautiful name."
"Why did you keep it a secret for so long?"
"I thought that if no one knew my name they wouldn't know. . . you know. It didn't really make much sense. We good now?"
"We good now?" Amy gave her a hug. "Oh little darlin', thank you for telling me. I love you."
"I love you too. I told the boys that they should call me 'Ayanna', but you can call me Angela if you want, on account that you are special."
"Okay. . .Ayanna. You know I just love that name. It's a beautiful name for a beautiful young woman."
"Okay Amy, I'll be back for lunch. I gotta go see somebody for a minute."
"All right. You got some time."