Chapter Text
The air was hot, brows were wet, and minds were exhausted. The St. Petersburg sun beat down on the townhall with fists of heat on the summer day. Every adult in the room perspired and fanned themselves off with their handkerchiefs, but let on with the town meeting nonetheless. It wasn’t unusual, Missouri tended to get unbearably hot in the summer, but being cooped up in a town meeting in a small packed room was too much to ask for.
“Judge Thatcher,” Miss Harper spoke,” surely we can reschedule, it’s so uncomfortable”.
The old man sitting at the front of the table simply chuckled. Despite the panting and sweating of everyone else in the room, Judge Thatcher looked as comfortable and calm as ever. How he was able to pull it off, nobody could tell, though it was most likely a façade to make himself look professional.
“Nonsense, we will continue and finish up todays discussion,” he said with a smile.
“Now,” the judge continued,” all of you have submitted suggestions for our dear town, which I am much appreciative of. We all strive for the best for our community”.
“To start, let’s begin with Mr. Dobbins. Go on ahead, sir”.
The man sitting beside Miss Harper sat up straight and adjusted the glasses sitting on the edge of his nose. He was a middle-aged man, with a graying brown mustache and a thinning head of white. Tall and lanky with eyes that pierced, everyone knew that Mr. Dobbins tolerated nothing.
Finally, he spoke up in his tired voice,” the schools are underfunded. Or classrooms are filled to the brim, and children are forced to share books and chalk boards. Now, it’s not that I care whether or not my students are comfortable or not- “
“Mr. Dobbins, please”.
“Right, sorry judge,” Mr. Dobbins cleared his throat and continued,” as I was saying, we are short on supplies. It is affecting my teaching and the students learning. If theirs anything our tax dollars should be directed towards it should be the education of the next generation”.
“What if some of us don’t have children?” an older woman spoke up from the back of the room,” why should my tax dollars be spent towards children who have no concern with me?”
“If that’s the case,” Mr. Dobbins glare pierced through the room like a dagger,” be prepared to leave our country in the hands of a bunch of bumbling fools because you didn’t care enough about their education”.
Judge Thatcher took off his shoe and slammed it on the table, interrupting the debate he had the misfortune of just watching,” Mr. Dobbins, do not make me stop you again”.
“Right,” the teacher rested his elbows on the table,” but to conclude, our town needs to direct its focus on the education of our youth”.
“If anything,” the towns folk looked back to see the origin of the voice, a fuller man by the name of Mr. Rogers,” our tax dollars should go into local businesses, like my general store”.
“Ah, Mr. Rogers, I was just about to refer to you,” Judge Thatcher nodded and pushed his glasses as he spoke,” go on, speak your matter”.
“Thank you, judge,” Mr. Rogers put his hands on his belly and cleared his throat. His voice was hoarse when he began.
“Everyone in this room attends my store for their everyday goods, which I thank you all for. However, my building is old, as is the tailor shop, as is the black smiths workshop, and as is so many of our local businesses. We are a small town, but instead of importing materials and food from St. Louis because of our shabby businesses, you support the townsfolk”.
All the townsfolk in the room looked around for permission to nod and soon collectively agreed, all except for Mr. Dobbins who scowled at the younger man.
“Education is still more important than business,” the teacher argued.
“Aw c’mon old man, Mr. Rogers should be gettin’ a new store,” a young, boyish voice spoke from the corner of the room,” heck, he’d got the best fishin’ hooks in all of Missouri!”
Every head turned to where the voice was coming from, a collective grimace on each one of their faces. The chair the voice sat in should’ve belonged to the old Widow Douglas, the rich woman who helped out every aspect of the town. However, instead of the well known and loved woman was a young man taking off his shoes and picking at the dirt under his toenails. While every body else in the room was well in their adult years, the boy couldn’t have been more than seventeen years old, the boyish glint in his dark blue eyes still prevalent behind his dark shaggy bangs. A ragamuffin at its best.
Huckleberry Finn looked around and raised his eyebrows at those who glared at him, simply shrugging them off and pulling at the tight clothes the servants decked him in earlier that day. He gave Mr. Rogers a nod to keep going, but the man looked down and ignored him, seemingly done with his speech.
“Ah yes…Huckleberry Finn,” Judge Thatcher sighed and tapped his fingers against the wooden table,” I forgot you are taking Miss Douglas’s place from now on”.
“That I am, sir”.
“And I see you- Huck,” the old man put eyes in annoyance,” put your shoes back on”.
Huck groaned, but shoved his feet back in the leather confines nonetheless.
“As I was saying, I’ve seen you left a comment as well. Is that right?”
“Yup”.
“Except that all you’ve said was…’fishin’”, Judge Thatcher sighed in frustration and chuckled erupted around the room,” which you spelt wrong, by the way”.
“No, I didn’t,” Huck protested,” I spelt it F-I-S-H-I-N. That’s how you say it and that’s how you spell it”.
“Huck, it’s spelled F-I-S-H-I-N-G. It has a G at the end”.
“Why would there be a G at the end? It’s not pronounced ‘fishinguh’, that ain’t make no sense- oh forget it”, Huck waved his hand and dismissed the whole argument,” but yes, I am concerned with the town’s fishin’”.
“Care to explain?” Judge Thatcher asked.
“Most of the Widow’s money came from her family fortune, she and Miss Watson had a rich family,” Huck said,” but the Widow’s late husband ran the fishing ex-po-di-tion,” he annunciated the word so he could get it right, “and the Widow took control after his death. Now I’m in control, I guess, and I think the fishingmen should have better boats”.
“That’s your job to take care of, son”.
“I don’t own the boats, you do,” Huck retorted,” and they are as older than you are, old man. Those girls can barely leave the docks without sproutin’ a leak. I’d like better boats”.
Judge Thatcher and ever other adult raised their eyebrows at the boy, unsure whether or not to take him seriously. He was a rapscallion turned heir, how were they supposed to react?
“Honestly,” the voice of Doctor Mitchell piped up from beside Mr. Rogers,” Miss Douglas was much more professional than this delinquent is”.
“Doc,” the judge warned,” now is not the time. Huckleberry is in fact the heir, and he will be taking over for Miss Douglas. May her soul rest in peace”.
“This child does not belong here!” the doctor argued back, getting more and more frustrated,” he’s a dirty, motherless- “
“If I have to repeat myself, I will remove you from this town meeting!” No one dared speak while the judge was going off on the doctor, “he is here from now on, so that is that!”
The room lay still and dead silent as Judge Thatcher sat back down in his chair with a huff, dabbing his forehead with his handkerchief. All eyes were going back to the judge, then to the doctor, and then back to Huck, who looked beyond uncomfortable. A pin could drop and everyone could hear it.
“Alright,” Judge Thatcher sighed out,” due to the success of our recent harvest festival last month, our town profits are able to appeal to one of your needs. We will have to vote, though”.
Huck sat back and watched as the adults in the room decided where the tax money should be headed to, his arms folded across his chest as he wanted to sink into himself. The room had his head swimming with anxiety and annoyance. Every ounce of wanted to get the hell out. Eventually the matter was settled, with Mr. Dobbins being the victor, and all the attendants were relieved to finally get out and enjoy the rest of the sunny day. The most relieved out of everyone was Huck, who almost sprinted to the door until Judge Thatcher caught him by the shoulder.
“Not so fast, boy,” the old man chuckled,” I need to talk to you”.
Huck growned and threw his head back,” am I in trouble?”
“No, no, not at all,” Judge Thatcher patted him on the shoulder and sighed,” just wanted to know how you enjoyed your first meeting”.
“I ain’t fit for it”.
“Hm?”
“I said I ain’t fit for it,” Huck repeated himself, annoyed,” the widow wanted me to carry this stuff out, but it just ain’t me. You heard the folks in there, they don’t like me”.
“Give it time, it’s your age. You’ll come around,” Judge Thatcher gave Huck a smile,” my daughter has been coming around recently. She’s your age, y’know”.
“Yeah, Bessie- Becky, I mean. I know her”.
“She’s working with Doctor Mitchell’s now, ain’t that nice?” the judge said,” I believe, despite how you are, that you’ll be like my daughter. That you’ll come around and take your responsibilities”.
Huck rolled his eyes and made his way towards the door,” fat chance, old man”.
Before leaving, Huck turned his head and left one last word.
“We can all agree that the widow deserved to adopt a better son, one that was fit for this job”.
“Master Huckleberry,” a young servant girl called from behind the young man,” would you like anything to eat”.
Huck sighed,” I told you, you ain’t gotta call me master, for Pete’s sake. And I don’t need anything, Margaret”.
“Oh, is it Master Huckleberry now?”
Huck turned to face the voice’s origin, only to smirk at the young man he faced. Leaning against his bedroom doorway was that face of someone he’d known for years, one with messy russet hair and sun-kissed freckles from hours of being in the sun. The face of pure boyish nature.
“Who the hell let you in?” Huck joked and tried to untie his shoes, with great difficulty, that is.
“Your butler did. Ah, it’s fun just to even say,” Tom Sawyer joked and threw his head back laughing,” Huck Finn’s butler! Oh sorry, I mean Master Huckleberry”.
“Will you quit callin’ me master? It’s weird,” Huck groaned,” if you want to be useful can you help me take off these damn shoes?”
Tom nodded and knelt down to Huck’s feet,” why did you tie them so tight? I can barely get these off”.
“I didn’t, Margaret did”.
“Your servant even ties your own shoes?”
“It’s not like I want her too!” Huck let out an exasperated breath and fell back onto the bed,” but she insists every damn time! When the widow was around they only bothered with her and Miss Watson, but since their gone it’s as if they ain’t got nothin’ better to do than to bug me”.
“To be fair, it is their job, Huck”.
“Shouldn’t be. No one should be passed down through a dead woman’s will, it ain’t right”.
“It ain’t but that’s how it works”.
“Doesn’t justify it,” Huck grumbled and sat up,” but at least I pay ‘em. Some folks don’t”.
“I know, Huck, I know”.
“Why’d you come by anyway?” Huck asked,” I thought you was working at the docks today”.
“We got off early, and since today was the first town meeting since the widows passin’ and you takin’ over, I wanted to see how you did,” Tom smiled and put his hands on his hips,” can’t a friend care?”
Huck shyly smiled,” yeah, he can”.
“So, tell me. How did it go?”
“I ain’t never been in a room with so many uptight adults who so clearly hated the ground I walked on. Tom, they’s all ornery old watchdogs, I tell ya,” Huck looked as if he might punch a hole in the wall,” I swear, every time I open my mouth to propose something it’s as if I slapped someone’s mother and kissed their father!”
Tom scratched the back of his neck and tried to find his words,” that sounds…intense”.
“It is, and then to top it all off Judge Thatcher thinks he has the right to tell me what sort of person I should be, sayin’ I’ll grow up and ‘accept my responsibilities. I nearly died of annoyance, Tom”.
“They only happen once a month, I’m sure you can handle it,” Tom argued.
“Maybe I can, maybe I can’t,” Huck sighed ran a hand through his hair,” it’d be better if I could work on the docks with you”.
“It ain’t a great job, trust me,” Tom said,” I’d much rather be piloting those steam boats than loadin’ ‘em up”.
“Why don’t you then?”
“You know that takes a heck of a lot of training,” Tom jammed his fists in his pockets and let out an exasperated breath,” and besides, I can’t leave you and my family, ‘specially with those nasty colds Aunt Polly has been getting’s recently. The woman can’t go a minute without coughing! Once she’s well, though, I might just get on one of those boats and sail away?”
“Didn’t you just say you wouldn’t leave me,” Huck argued, putting his hands on his hips,” what kind of friend are you, leaving me to suffer the life of wealth by myself?”
“You could come with me! Oh, think of it Huck! The two of us could sail down the waters in a steam boat together,” Tom’s voice was filled with excitement and boyish anticipation,” we would see all the cities, and we could catch ourselves some beautiful girls”.
Huck rolled his eyes and chuckled,” that’s what’s on your mind? Girls?”
“Are you trying to tell me that Huck Finn doesn’t think about girls”.
“It happens to be the last thing on my mind, Tom”.
“That’ll change soon, Hucky,” Tom grinned, and without warning, jumped on top of Huck’s bed and stood valiantly above the room,” when you and me are on the high seas, women will throw themselves at us!”
Huck simply laughed at his friend,” keep dreamin’”.
“Even if we don’t score any princesses or damsels, can you imagine the adventures we’d have together on the river?” Tom knelt down to Huck’s level and placed his hands on his shoulders, his eyes full of glee,” just the two of us against the world”.
“It would be nice,” Huck agreed,” to get away from this life”.
Tom’s grin almost reached his ears as he wrapped an arm around his friend’s shoulder,” Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, together forever”.
Huck smiled and simply repeated.
“Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, together forever”.