Glen then began a period in which he submitted a staccato of questions regarding every aspect of what Freddie had learned regarding the business. He was delighted with Freddie’s ability to retain the information despite its complexity and the diversity of the subject matter. Finally convinced, Glen congratulated Freddie then told him that he had yet another component to pass before he introduced him to Sal.
Glen proceeded, “Freddie, you have been a very apt pupil on the subject of making the business run, but now I must determine your capacity to see that the business does not run you. I mean your ability to work with and handle the men is just as important as knowing every aspect of the business.” He looked directly at Freddie to see if he grasped this most basic and useful precept. Once more the light of understanding was in his eyes. He continued, “Now you are ready to meet all of the men for you to run this operation. If there is any one of them that you simply cannot work with then tell me, and we can replace him. I will not accept any empire building on your part, however. Do you understand all of this Freddie?”
Freddie looked at Glen and said, “I understand that the empire is yours and Mr. Palermo’s, and I pledge myself to making it survive and thrive.”
Glen simply said, “Good.” Then he continued, “I am going to meet the men with you tomorrow to tell them that you are going to be working here in my place after tomorrow. I then want you to stand up and take command of the meeting. What you say and do then will determine the amount of responsibility that I will delegate to you, and when you meet Sal. I wish you God speed in your execution of this assignment, Freddie, because I would like very much to tell my father that this chapter is closed.”
With that, Glen said, “I think you should go someplace where you can be alone and work out an outline of what you intend to say. In the meantime, I will contact the men about the meeting tomorrow.”
After Freddie was gone, Glen picked up the telephone and called Sal. He related everything that he had done, told him of Freddie and his aptitude in grasping the elements of the business and what he intended to do the next morning. He finished by telling Sal that he would call him after the meeting and report to him regarding Freddie’s outcome. He asked Sal if he would like for him to postpone the meeting to give Sal an opportunity to attend.
Sal said, “Glen, you know that I trust your judgment in this completely, so no, if this young man is going to replace you then go ahead. Just keep me advised.”
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
THE MEETING
At 11:45 the following day, Glen stood at the podium and announced, “I have already told you about my physical condition. In keeping with our policy of hiring from within our own ranks, I have decided to appoint Freddie Bartholomew to act in my stead while I continue to mend. If you have a problem, then contact Petrous Porter and he will work with Freddie to resolve the issue. With that understood then I think it is time for you to meet my new face that will bear the brunt of your gripes and bellyaches plus any real problems or issues that you may have. Be nice to him because he will be countersigning your checks.” He then called Freddie to come forward and conduct the meeting.
Freddie strode to the dais with a new air of confidence. He said, “How are y’all? I didn’t know for certain that I would be up here until last night. I didn’t have time to brown nose, or apple polish, or even ask; the boss just told me to be here and say something to you guys. I asked him what he wanted me to say and he said say to them ‘hi, how are y’all.’ I’m going to be your straw boss for the foreseeable future while Glen is away getting well.” He continued. “He told me that I would have full authority to do whatever was needed to see that this place ran smoothly and that he didn’t want to hear any backbiting from you in the process.” With that, he placed a colored pad on the table that was situated on the rostrum for all to see.
He said emphatically, “Our big boss, Mr. Palermo reminded me that he wanted me to keep you all happy, after I made him happy. I think you get my drift here. For that reason and for convenience I brought a bunch of pink slips so that anyone who wants to take issue with his decision, just raise your hand, and I will accommodate you and you can be on your way.”
A small voice that came someplace within the congregation said, “You know Freddie you could take one of those yourself if you really wanted us to be happy.”
That was met with uproarious laughter then a resounding round of applause. Without a moment’s hesitation Freddie said, “Now that I know how you guys feel about me, I think that it would be better to stick with the rules and just make the boss happy.”
It immediately broke the tension and Glen’s apprehensions of how Freddie was going to do were dispelled.
After the meeting, he called Sal and said, “Freddie did very, very well in all phases of my crash course in management, and he did equally well today at the meeting. Sal, I believe I have honestly done what I can for you. Now I must go home and rest. I will be available any time that Freddie, Petrous Porter, and you need me because I have my telephone at home for you all to call. I have greatly enjoyed working with you and for you.”
Sal said, “You sound as though everything is so final. Do you know something that I don’t?”
Glen cryptically said, “I know that you don’t need me anymore except to hold the horse still while Freddie climbs up on its back. You know that I will do that. Goodbye, Sal, I will see you in New Orleans as soon I am able.”
He left Dothan that afternoon never to return again. Driving home his words kept ringing in his mind, “I know that you don’t need me anymore. He thought of Sybil and the same words echoed in his brain, “You don’t need me anymore.” He thought of his parents, “They don’t need a cripple anymore. As a matter of fact, I don’t need me anymore in my condition, and it’s bent, and not ever going to straighten out, either.”
This haunted him all the way back to Hale. As soon as he arrived, he put on his work clothes and went to the barn. He had a stash of white lightening in a remote corner. He retrieved it and took a large swig. He sat down on Mama’s milk stool and welcomed the onset of the dispelling of the depression that had engulfed him on the way from Dothan. He wanted to be alone. He returned to the house and told Papa that he was going to the woods for a couple of days and not to look for him for supper that night. He took some meager rations which included coffee, meat, light bread, two tomatoes, pork and beans, potatoes, grease for frying, mayonnaise, coca-colas, drinking water and a skillet. He also took coal oil and matches for the lamps at the cabin, and of course, the whiskey.
The cabin was closed just as he had left it. He unlocked the door and went inside. He took his supplies in and put them down on the kitchen table. He started a fire in the tiny stove in the living area and its warmth filled the room and felt good to his chilled body. He took an opener from the cabinet by the sink and popped the cap on a bottle of coke. He retrieved a glass from the overhead drawer above the counter and poured himself a generous drink from the whiskey bottle and topped it off with the coke. He drank it down in huge gulps, poured another, then another. He did not stop throughout the afternoon until he was very inebriated.
The afternoon wore on and the windows began to show the approaching night. He lay down upon the tiny single bed and soon was asleep. He slept throughout the night and was awakened by the morning daylight. His senses were greeted with a fire within and a pulsing, pounding head. He had never experienced this level of hangover before and, for the “hair of the dog,” he instinctively reached for the very instrument that had delivered him such torture, the bottle of whiskey. He almost immediately felt better.
He got up from the bed, went to the kitchen, took a long and satisfying draught of water and retrieved a basin from the cabinet. He washed his hands and face then removed his clothes and took the basin with more water outside and stood shivering as he poured the water onto his head and felt a mixture of agony and ecstasy as it streamed down him. He took a towel and dried the water from his shaking body. He went b
ack inside and stirred the ashes in the stove, found enough embers among the coals and replenished them with wood. He felt almost human again. He started a fire in the kitchen stove as well, and as soon as it was warm enough made coffee, eggs, bacon, hash brown potatoes, and toast. He ate in silence then he lay back down again. He thought of Sybil. He had missed her so much since that day on the first of January when they parted, and wondered if she were happy with her new life or just secure. Unfortunately, for some, the latter is more important than the former. He didn’t want to see her again because the old wound in his heart would be rent asunder once more and it had been damaged enough that day, seemingly so long ago.
He remained at the cabin four more days, drinking and brooding, but the depression would not leave him. He finally closed the cabin and went home looking terrible and feeling even worse.
Papa could not help noticing his son’s condition but decided not to chastise him.
He simply said, “You look out of sorts, you must have had a real good time out there in the woods.”
Glen didn’t answer him. He returned to the cabin more and more frequently over the subsequent weeks as his despondency increased. He had to do something to get out of this terrible situation. He decided to go into Quitman to get a little diversion. He bathed and dressed in his nicest suit, climbed in the Studebaker, and drove to town. He went straight away to his cousin to find out all the happenings in the county seat since his stroke. He knew that Tom was running for sheriff of Clarke County and Glen wanted to know how the campaign was proceeding.
Tom said, “It is going well, as a matter of fact a little too well for an opponent of mine in the race.”
Glen said, "”What do you mean?”
“Well, one of them told me that if I continued to run and won that I could be sworn in, and I could become sheriff, but that I would never be the sheriff, because they will see to it that I don’t live to wear the badge.”
“Who is this opponent?” Glen asked.
Tom said, “I can’t tell you, but he has been a peace officer in one capacity or another in Clarke County for many years."
With that Tom had told Glen all he needed to know. Glen remembered the day when he was at Tom’s store in Harmony when he and Papa were so desperate to obtain the essentials for planting the crop. How Tom had extended them credit when credit didn’t exist, not only for planting the crop, but also for enough food to subsist through that terrible time during the depression.
He said, “I’ll take care of it.”
Tom didn’t know exactly by what Glen meant when he said that he “would do it,” but he knew Glen and that his word was his sacred obligation. He merely said “Thank you, Glen.” He added, “I was going out to the fairgrounds today. The Lions Club is having a turkey shoot to raise money. Would you like to come along with me? All the opponents will be there to campaign.”
Glen said, “I would love to go. I have my rifle with the octagonal barrel in the truck.”
Tom had a few things to complete before they departed. Glen went to the truck, got the gun from the rack behind the seat and returned to the store just as Tom was finishing his chores.
They drove to the fairgrounds in Tom’s car and they arrived to find the place teeming with people. Tom pulled the car into a parking lot that was densely populated with vehicles even though the terrain was very rough. They had difficulty finding a spot, but finally found one on the edge of the lot.
Glen got the gun with plenty of ammunition and they set out to find the turkey shoot. They found it near the end of the midway in an area away from the main action. Glen put down five one dollar bills and received five tickets to shoot at a bird. They proceeded to the queue where other contestants waited their turn to try their luck or skill as the case might be.
Glen knew that he would need both in order to pull off what he had in mind. He wanted to create a furor to attract a crowd. He knew that the candidates for sheriff were politicians who would like to be where large groups could be found.
When his predecessors had finished their turn, he stepped up to the firing line and loaded the rifle as his first turkey was placed down range. As soon as the attendant was away from the target area, Glen raised the butt of the rifle to his shoulder and took painstakingly careful aim at the bird’s head. He squeezed off his first shot and struck the hapless creature dead center in the eye. The attendant retrieved the dead bird, and placed another in its place. Glen got off another shot and again hit the target exactly where he wanted to strike it. He repeated this feat three more times in succession and by the time he had killed the third, a crowd of interested spectators had assembled to see how many he could take. By the time he had killed his fifth, a large congregation of people had assembled.
Glen spotted the candidate for sheriff in the audience that had threatened Tom.
This was his real target. Before he collected his prizes he stepped away from the firing line and walked over to the man. He knew him very well. He said, “It is good to see you here so that you get an idea of my prowess with a rifle. I must collect my birds right now, but as soon as I have this done, I want to talk with you about something.”
The man was fascinated and wanted to know what it was that Glen wanted to talk to him about.
Glen said, “What I have to say must be in private so if you will wait about five minutes I can get my business finished here and we can talk.”
The man agreed to wait and Glen went to the manager of the turkey shoot. He made arrangements with him to have the birds cleaned and to pick them up in about an hour.
Glen promptly returned to his last turkey of the day. As soon as they found a quiet spot Glen told him, “I want you to do me a favor. I understand that you have threatened one of the candidates in the coming Sheriff’s election. This person that you have threatened is a favorite cousin of mine. I want you to apologize to him, and tell him that the threat is removed. I further want you to stay as far away from him as you can until the election is over.” Glen watched the man’s face to know if he appreciated the import of what he was being told. He knew by what he saw that he had accomplished everything he wanted in the man. He finished with the admonition, “People think that I am crazy, and you of all people should know that it is true. It is a very dangerous thing to have a crazy man who develops a vendetta for you, especially one who has demonstrated that he can use a rifle as well as I can, and with just one shot.” He continued, “You also know that I have been at the Mississippi State Hospital for the criminally insane. If I am provoked into killing you, and I surely will if you do not follow my advisements in this matter, and I shall return to the hospital for another while for my crime, but you will not be on this earth to determine for how long,” He ended the conversation with, “I will take my leave from you now, but I shall be watching you very carefully over the next few weeks until this election is over. I will know where you are every minute and where Tom Hailes is every minute. If your paths should meet and if something happens to Tom Hailes, then I shall affect my diabolical plan to see that you join him forthwith. I now bid you farewell.”
As he was leaving he noticed that the man’s jaw was slack and his mouth was wide open. He returned to Tom, retrieved his birds and they drove back to his truck. He put the rifle in its place in the cab along with the birds, said goodbye to Tom, and was soon back home.
In the following weeks he went to Meridian and had hired a private detective to shadow the candidate wherever he went and to report his whereabouts every day. Glen told him that he was not under any circumstances to be identified by the candidate. He knew that all his admonitions worked the first week after the detective was on the case. He learned that the candidate meticulously followed his instructions. When Tom was in the north of the county campaigning the candidate was in the south. If Tom went to the east he would go immediately to the west, often in the middle of his own campaign, if Tom suddenly brought them in close proximity.
Finally, Election Day arrived and Glen was
with Tom throughout the entire day just to be sure that nothing happened to him at the polling places he attended. After the race had finally ended and the votes were tallied, Tom had won by a very substantial, healthy margin. Glen had settled an old score in more ways than one.
Glen now felt that all of his debts had been settled. He hated to leave his father and mother, but he knew that his father was a very resourceful man and that he was perfectly capable of taking the farm and the household and running them without him.
On the following Sunday, Papa and Mama were about to go to church, and a church dinner on the ground. They wouldn’t be home before 3:00. When they were dressed in their finest for the service, Glen took his mother in his arms and held her close then looked into her eyes. She looked back into his and saw something there that caused her to draw back from him a bit and to ask, “Is there anything wrong, son?”
Glen said, “No, mother, I just want you to know how much I have loved and honored you and father all of my life. I am sorry that I could not go with you to church right now, but I’ll be going in just a few days.”
His mother didn’t understand the import of this statement but didn’t consider it further because if they didn’t leave, they would not get to the service on time.
His father entered the room, and Glen thought what a fine man he looked like.
He then grasped him and pulled him close. When he released him Papa could see a tear welling up in Glen’s left eye and he too asked his son, “What’s wrong?”
Glen answered, “I’m just terribly proud to have you as my father, that’s all.”
Asylum Heights Page 30