Bradyboro's Secrets

He had not been expecting a letter, especially not this one. Suzy Murray, local encyclopedia of everybody's business, snappily handed Tom the letter, along with a package and other pieces of mail. Suzy reared back, gave Tom an"I know what you did last summer" smile, and continued down her mail route. Suzy and the "Pony Express" began delivering mail around the same time. Her first husband had been a mail carrier and since Suzy knew the rural and mostly isolated routes, she was a natural for his replacement.

Tom was an old timer whose family was one of the original settlers in the area. In the 1880's, farming families from Tennessee settled in South Carolina counties for rich farmland and easy waterway access. During the "Great Depression", many left their depleted and dilapidated farms. Try as they may, the boorish weather and the unsettling political climate were visible obstacles. The farmers had endured natural disasters at their worst, everything from severe drought to horrendous hurricanes and two powerful earthquakes. Bradyboro and other southern textile towns became havens for farm families seeking survival.

The family experienced some adjustments, both settling in and fitting in. Young Tom was a small child when the family migrated to town. Feeling safe in numbers and relaxed with their own kind, most families lived in mill housing or low-income housing near the mill. The county built a new schoolhouse for mill village kids, and the mill built a swimming pool. Teasing from the uptown kids was merciless. The up-towners also migrated to Bradyboro, except with college educated parents who ran the mills. Most were quick to parade their status superiority.

When it cam time for high school, all kids, uptown and mill village, went to school together. Not long after Tom entered high school, he received his first lesson on "staying in your place". Upper-classman, Mack Ross, class president and football team captain, demanded Tom take his books to Mack's next class. Knowing he would be late for math class, Tom told Mack he did not have time. Mack, much larger than Tom, grabbed Tom's shirt and threw him against the locker. The message Tom received that day set a lifetime pattern. Mack Ross said, "Listen trash, your dad works for my dad. If you refuse to do anything that we ask, you can guess what the consequences will be for your dad." Tom spent the remainder of his first year hiding in any nook or cranny he could find.

School went on as usual and after graduation, Tom joined the Marines. He completed his stint serving in the European Theater. A couple of rules learned from school served him well. He knew how to take orders and stay under the radar. Away from home for four years was good for Tom. He was anxious to get out of Bradyboro with its rules and plastic people. He knew what he had tolerated in school. He could only imagine how his dad must have suffered working for Mack Ross' father.

While Tom was away, an incident occurred that came close to inciting riots in Bradyboro. His younger brother, Travis, was involved in a fight and beaten badly. Friends confirmed that a group of college kids disrupted their gathering. When they left, Travis was unconscious. They took one of the girls with them. Rumors thrived, but the girl refused to press charges.

Tom returned home and moved to the country. He and his family settled into a beautiful farmhouse on a lake. He married a girl from the old neighborhood who shared his values and lifestyle. He began a successful business. While serving his country, he became a demolition expert. Tom Brady is the largest fireworks manufacturer in the United States. He is probably the wealthiest person in the state. His kids drove fancy sport cars, and the family enjoyed fabulous vacations. Today, he spoils his grandchildren.

Around the same time Tom returned from the war, Mack Ross was brutally beaten. Most thought it was Travis Brady's payback. The crime remains unsolved. Mack swore that Tom Brady was his attacker. Tom says he was on a personnel carrier in the Atlantic and did not dock until two days later.

Tom, 84 years old and in good health, walked from the mailbox, gazing intensely at the letter, opening slowly, as not to tear any paper. A blood stained military handkerchief and a note were in the envelope.

"Tom, while you and I were getting older, someone discovered DNA.
This handkerchief has my DNA and your DNA. The night I was beaten, I took it from my attacker.
Please tell Travis I am sorry for the fight. Tom, I grew to be a better man than I was a boy. " Mack