Andrew to Andy

Chapter 3

3 weeks later

"Come on men! I've only been doing this for a short while! You've got to be faster than that!", shouted Andrew laughing along with some other men. It had been a few weeks and Andrew had quickly found that he loved the timber-work. His strong frame was perfect for the cutting down trees and he found a sense of camaraderie quickly with the other men. Reginald, the black-haired man who cooked most often turned out to be a kind man with a quick wit. The giant brown-haired man was named John and despite his large frame, he was gentle always willing to help the others. He was second-in-command to Samuel and was in charge of the men when they were out logging. Andrew found himself always trying to please John by always offering to assist John in his duties and always making sure John saw him working hard.
"That's just because you haven't done any real work yet. You'll know soon enough!", said Max, a German man around his age who had come to the U.S. as a child. He had bright blonde hair, a square face and large somber eyes. He was jovial but could get easily annoyed when he felt the others were slacking off too much.
Andrew had never had much in terms of friends, but here among the beautiful hills and trees, he felt at ease in a way he had never been. Every night he would carouse with the lumberjacks and tell stories of his criminal exploits. Most of the men had been honest workers throughout their whole lives so his petty crimes seemed rather bold to them. All day they worked to fell trees and at night they would eat hot meals and joke about each other.
In his bed, Andrew would pick at the countless little splinters he would get. He hardly noticed them due to how roughened his palms were, but they became irritating after a while. He felt fantastic. He had never been so full of energy and excitement. He had no reason to be ashamed because they all knew about his past and didn't seem to care in any way. He enjoyed showing off his strength and would often claim the most timber at the end of the day. His boastfulness seemed to humor them, and they enjoyed having a new addition to their tightly knit crew of men.
One morning, Andrew was trimming his beard before work. He looked down at his handheld mirror while carefully trying to shape his beard without getting rid of the bulk of it. He then noticed something. His skin, which was normally red and blotchy from his days spent homeless on the streets, was looking clearer and was a healthy white-pink hue. His nose and cheeks were still a little red, but they did not seem to be the inflamed state they usually were.
"Must be the regular meals and the good sleep," Andrew thought to himself. It wasn't only his skin that was improving. The normal aches and pains in his body had lessened during his short time at the camp and his anxieties about life hadn't bothered him since he'd arrived. He was sleeping soundly and deeply every night and he actually looked forward to each morning. He couldn't admit it to himself, but he was truly happy.
"Get out here lazy-bones! The supplies came!", said Max, shouting through the open door. Every two weeks a crate of supplies would come by and new clothing, canned goods, and amenities would be parceled out. Andrew giddily got dressed and rushed outside. The courier was standing on the step of his wagon as he passed along boxes of new supplies. Andrew got in line and soon the boxes were neatly stacked on the porch of the big cabin.
Samuel came out with a clipboard and began inspecting all the boxes, making sure everything they had ordered had arrived. Once he was satisfied, he walked over to the courier and gave him the cash for the supplies. Glancing to make sure Andrew wasn't looking, he saw that he was with the other men who were already opening all the crates and organizing all the new supplies that had arrived.
He leaned in close and asked, "Did the extra 'supplies' we ordered arrive as well?"
"Yes, I kept it in the wagon since it seemed to be a personal order," said the courier.
He brought out three boxes and Samuel, along with two other men, quickly took them back to Samuel's private quarters on the back of the cabin. Closing the door, Samuel cracked them open. Inside were young boys clothing, children's books and toys, and parts for smaller children's furniture. He grinned. It was all going according to plan.