by Chris Vaughn
The Hands rarely enjoyed the treat of eating out at a restaurant, but tonight was different; Buddy Hand had swooped into home like a fresh storm on a hot day, with orders to Mary and Joy to bathe, change clothes, and get dressed up!
"Tonight we are eating out! Let's go to the diner in town. Let me get cleaned up and we'll go."
Mary didn't argue with her husband but took Joy and told her to put on her best dress. Buddy went to the bathroom and quickly wiped himself off and changed clothes, what is called a washcloth shower. Men always get ready quicker than women especially in the South.
"I'm ready, ladies, I'll be outside on the porch." Buddy walked to the porch and sat on the steps. He pulled out his tobacco pouch and papers and with the hands of a master craftsman, rolled a perfect cigarette. Cigarettes were always a great time killer and Buddy stared at it for a moment before lighting it. Movement caught his eyes and he quickly looked at the barn to see a shadow of movement through the window. The shadow disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. "Tonight, Frank, you better sleep it off, because tomorrow your tail is mine," Buddy told the cigarette more than anyone else and then lit the cigarette.
Buddy had only taken a few puffs before he yelled back at the women to hurry up. "Come on, ladies! Time is wastin'." Mary and Joy finally stepped with a bit more speed and came storming out the front door.
"Well, it’s about time, ladies. Now let's go have a good meal in some high fashion," and with a glance at Mary, "but not as good as Mama's. Ain't that right, Joy?" Daddy and daughter both smiled at each other and then Mary Hand.
Joy never heard her daddy but was already in the old truck sitting in the middle of the bench seat. Joy played with rear view mirror and looked at her mouth and hair as she waited with big blues eyes that couldn't wait for the truck to start. Buddy and Mary finally got in the truck, and with a quick start they were on their way.
"Buddy…." Mary said with a hesitant tone.
"What is it, Mary?" Buddy finished his cigarette and tossed it out the window.
"How can we afford this tonight?"
"I'll explain that later. Right now, let's just enjoy it. I'll tell you after dessert."
"Dessert too, Daddy?" Joy was excited to have a dessert that wasn't just Mama's quick icing.
"Yep, baby girl, dessert too." Joy and her daddy locked eyes and he patted her leg then wrapped his big arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him, then patted Mary's shoulder. His arm reached out and played with the small hair on Mary's neck as he drove down the road. "Dinner and dessert with the two women in my life. Who knows, maybe dancing?" Buddy let out a big chuckle.
"Oh, Buddy." Mary acted embarrassed but held onto Buddy's hand on her neck. Joy never saw her mama and daddy's hand holding which was something she wasn't used to seeing anyway.
"Joy, find us something to listen to on the radio," Buddy told her.
Joy found a staticky AM station that played a cross of farm news and country music. Her mama and daddy hummed along as they finished the ride into Chester.
The Chester Diner was more of a glorified old restaurant that had more of the look of a grill, store, and flea market for all the items for sell in the store. Few people in Chester could afford to eat out during the middle of the week like this, with it not being a holiday or payday from the pulpwood mill the Diner's patrons were sparse. A cook and a waitress were all that were needed in the small diner that had six tables and a counter where you could order from. Only one other person sat at a table with one person at the counter. The sound of a family with a loud child coming in the diner made all four heads turn. The two that were eating went back to their business, but the cook and waitress walked over to talk.
"Well, lookie here who we have tonight, Doris," the cook yelled out loud enough for people outside the diner to hear. "Buddy and Mary, and little Joy."
The ladies hugged and the men shook hands. Like most enterprises in Chester, this was a mom and pop operation and Mike and Doris were the mom and pop of the Chester Diner. The couples chatted a few minutes about life and the weather, before the subject of children and work came up. The same pleasantries that every couple would share when they hadn't seen each other much but have the good fortune of an unexpected visit.
"Well, we don't come to town much, you know, the fire and farm and working dusk to dawn." Buddy told Mike.
"Well, it’s good to have yall tonight. Let me get yall something to drink and yall find a table."
Mary and Buddy sat at the closest table before they realized they had no idea where Joy was. They both looked around and realized Joy was watching the bubbles in the Wurlitzer jukebox. The two parents looked at each other and smiled.
"Joy, come here." Buddy watched as Joy turned and backed toward them not wanting to look away from the jukebox.
"Yes, Daddy?"
Buddy pulled a quarter and gave it Joy. "Why don't you take this and find us some good music?" He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "And pick something good that we can dance to." Joy giggled and skipped back to the jukebox. In a moment the sounds of Hank Williams began to fill the diner.
"Daddy, I picked one that you'd like." Joy turned to say, but never left the jukebox.
"Mary, you order for us, Lord you know what we all eat, but don't look at the prices. Let's enjoy tonight."
"Buddy, you've got to explain where all this money is coming from."
Buddy winked at Mary and walked over to Joy, "Young lady, may I have this dance?" Buddy bowed to Joy and took her hand. Both daddy and daughter didn't know much dancing, but the box step that was performed was enjoyed by both in this moment.
"Why don't you just stand on my feet, Joy? Don't want to step on those feet," Buddy said and with a slight pull upward helped her to place her feet on his. They danced and hummed as Mary watched from the table. All three songs played and just like the magic of the night, their food was ready when the last song had finished.
Buddy pulled his hat off, and looked at Mary. His next words shocked her and Joy both, and their faces showed their shock. "Mary, I want to pray." Both Mary and Joy never bowed their heads. "Thank you, good Lord, for this meal and for helping us through these hard days. Um, thank you for protecting us, and, um, amen." Buddy's voice cracked a little at the last sentence and the ‘amen’. Buddy had eaten two mouthfuls of the dinner before Mary and Joy stopped staring.
The stress and heaviness of the last several weeks was lifted off of Buddy and Mary as they laughed and chatted. Mike and Doris came over and joined them as they ate. The dinner of meat and three vegetables with bread followed by apple or peach cobbler filled them all. Mike and Doris brought over a pot of coffee and they continued to talk as Joy played song after song on the jukebox, but now she was playing the music she liked, not Hank Williams.
"Mike, how much for tonight?"
"Nothing, Buddy. Let me treat yall tonight."
"Nothing doing. I've had a good week, and yall were good to us after the fire, besides you've got to eat too."
Doris laughed, poked Mike's big round belly and said, "Mike doesn't need to eat for some time." Everyone laughed and continued the talking well into the evening. All the stores and businesses in Chestnut were closed by now, and Joy had started to tire as she sat in a chair with her head on her mother's lap.
The door opened up and a voice spoke out, "I ought to arrest you all for illegal assembly and several other things I can think of." The statement was followed by the chuckles of the friends at the table. "I'm not kidding now, when you've got this many people havin' this much fun it can't be legal, and it's probably immoral...."
"But it is fattening." Buddy snorted out, followed by laughter from everyone in the room.
Sheriff Billy Waters shut the door and walked over to the table, pulled a chair over and sat on it with the back of the chair facing forward. He'd barely sat down before Doris had gotten up to head over to get an extra coffee cup and a slice of pie.
"Billy, I've got your regular...." Doris wink
ed as she headed back towards the table, placed the pie, fork and spoon, as well as the coffee cup down and started pouring the coffee.
Billy Waters had been the Sheriff of Chester County for a few years having won the election right after the War. He was still a good looking man although the hum drum of County policing had put a few pounds on him, as well as the free pie Doris was always willing to give him. He looked more like he should have been a sheriff in a western town as he carried his revolver in a western holster and wore a Stetson cowboy hat. When he walked up to a stranger the look almost gave him the look of an evident hero, who was either Randolph Scott or John Wayne. He'd always been a stickler for the law but also realized that it was the people of Chester County and Chester who paid his salary and he served. The winks he received he often returned to those he considered his friends and those in need. Billy was a good man and a good sheriff, but his winks only had so much patience.
"What you doing out so late, Sheriff?" Mary asked.
"Well, I'm just getting back from working with some sheriffs a few counties over."
"Dangerous work?" Mike asked as he checked and poured more coffee for everyone.
"Nah, not really. There's always some illegal moonshinin' or something, but there was gambling houses around that always need breakin' up." Billy interrupted his words with a bite of pie and some coffee. With a mouth still partially filled with pie he continued, "Anyway, we had a raid, chased and frolicked after men all over the country, a real fun time."
"Well, I'm glad you're back home, Billy. We always feel safe when you are here." Buddy said as he sipped his coffee.
Billy laughed too and coffee shot out of mouth a bit, "Well, Buddy, it has been a while since you've had a problem with the law. We are all thankful you take your business out of the County." Billy finished the bite he almost spit out and began to tell the story of his last few days. After he finished his piece of pie, he asked Doris for another and pulled out some money. The first slice of pie was free, but he always paid for anything extra.
Small towns have a unique relationship of people and power; Buddy and Billy had known each other for years as friends and a few times in a strictly professional and legal manner. They both knew that when their relationships went from friends and their business became professional. On several occasions their paths crossed and for Billy it was strictly business, Buddy was a friend from his youth; what Buddy didn't know was the times Billy had looked the other way on account of his friend. There was a history between the two that only time and a small town can build or tear apart, and while Billy had the appearance of everything that a man could want in the South: position, political influence, and a steady paycheck, he didn't have two things that Buddy Hand did have: a loving wife, nor a daughter. Billy respected a man with family that they loved.
Buddy threw a quick wink at Mary, "Come on, Mama. Let's leave Bill, Mike and Doris and get back home." Buddy roused Joy up, "Come on, baby girl, let's go home."
Groggily Joy said with a begging in her voice, "Let's stay a while longer, Daddy."
"Nope, we got to get home. Work comes early tomorrow morning."
Buddy paid Mike for the meal and gave him another five dollars to Mike's objections. Buddy was a calm man but could be forceful when his tone went dry, and Mike soon realized he had to take the money or insult Buddy. "You fed us several times after the fire, and I didn't have a penny to pay. Thanks, Mike." Buddy pushed the bill in Mike's hand and made Mike's fingers wrap around it, so that the argument was settled, and the payment was unseen.
The ladies hugged each other and walked together outside to the old truck. Buddy placed Joy in the middle of the seat again, as Buddy and Mary said their goodbyes for multiple times again until Buddy finally started the truck and drove a short distance. Buddy stopped to roll a cigarette, and before he could finish, Mary started in on him.
"Buddy you never did tell me where you got the money for all this. Tell me now."
Buddy laughed and licked the paper to seal up the cigarette. "Well, I don't want you to tell anyone about this, you understand." Buddy looked to see if Joy was asleep and her head was in Mary's lap. Their eyes connected and Buddy made a motion towards Joy with a question in his face.
"She's asleep, and I promise I won't tell."
"Mary, I know you. There's the mail, ma bell and go tell Mary Hand." A chuckle leaked out of the last words of Buddy's voice.
Mary bristled a bit at the insult of her being quick to tell her secrets, but she reassured Buddy she wouldn't break this confidence.
"I know what you say, Mary, and God knows I love you, but I could get in trouble with this, so I'm not telling you everything okay?" Buddy pulled out his Zippo lighter and lit the cigarette. He took a long draw and blew it out the window and turned the truck off so as to not waste the gas.
The sound of the truck as it was shut off woke Joy slightly and her eyes blinked, but she never gave it away that she was awake. Mary stroked her hair and played with the curls around Joy's ear.
"I ain't tellin' you where I was, so don't ask, but I found out about a poker game a long ways off from here. And that is all you need to know about that. Anyway I talked my way into it, and was barely holding my own." Buddy started the truck again, and headed off to home.
"You were gambling with what little money we had?" The tone in Mary's voice struck Buddy like a whip and he winced.
"I know that, Mary, but we didn't have enough to make it either way. Making the living is my job, so just listen. Well, I'm playing and this is in an old deserted house out in the middle of nowhere. I rode with someone and didn't have my truck there and we'd been playing poker for about a day straight." Buddy took a long draw and blew it out the window. "Anyway, I know this game is illegal, heck all of them are, Mary."
Mary whispered under her breath, "Jesus. Jesus. Jesus."
"I know, Mary... So I'm down to my last ten dollars, and I don't have a hand that will win anything but the poor house, so I fold. All of a sudden out of nowhere a loud speaker yells out, 'This is the police! This is a raid! Stay in the house!'"
Mary again whispered, "Dear Lord."
Buddy had a chuckle in his voice, "Mary, men are running everywhere. It's late, about dusk and dark is settin' in, and men start jumping out the windows and running. You remember the old house your mama had, with that real big chimney and fireplace."
"Oh Lord, Buddy. I dreamed about that fireplace last night. I had a dream about a chimney with smoke coming out of it, but no fire." Mary said with a shiver.
"Your dreams, Mary." Buddy said with disbelief, "Well, that fireplace would remind you of that one. Huge fireplace with a large chimney. I stand there a moment and before I know it, I'm all alone in that old house, and for some reason I got the idea to climb up in that chimney and stand on the shelf. After a moment I hear shuffles and sounds around the house but no one comes inside other than one person who runs in and yells back, 'No one is here', and he runs back out and I can hear tires in the gravel taking off through the fields. Loud speakers are blaring, "Stop in the name of the law. Stop." It goes on and starts to die off in the distance and, Mary, I don't know what to do, so I stay in the chimney for a while. I can't see my pocket watch so I'm not real sure how long it was, but seemed like forever." Buddy threw the cigarette out and grinned a big grin.
"Mary, when I climbed back out, there was no one around, and every table had every dollar on it. No one took their money, they were too scared; so I went to every table, took every dollar and stuck it in my hat, and walked as fast as I could away from that house."
"Buddy, you can't be serious."
"Hand to God, Mary." Buddy said as he held his left hand up with another chuckle. "Mary, I didn't know how much it was and I didn't look until I got close to home. I walked away from the house for a while, waited and found my truck, and took my time. I didn't want anyone to stop me or ask questions where I came from. I didn't know until earlier today how much."
"Well, how much, Buddy?
"
By this time they had gotten home and the truck was sitting in front of the house still running. Buddy didn't want to turn off yet and wake up Joy.
"I ain't gonna say, I'm not real sure, but I know we can get caught up and have a little left over."
"Dear Jesus!" Mary shouted and now they were both certain that Joy was awake as she jerked and banged her head on the dash.
"Joy, we're home." Buddy said.
"Oh, baby, I'm sorry," Mary said as she kissed Joy.
Buddy and Mary had to help the sleepy Joy walk in the house, and they decided to both help her to her bedroom. They walked up the stairs to the small bedroom and turned on the lone light in the room. The light somewhat blinded them for a moment as they realized the chair in the room was on its side.
"You think that chair had fallen over before we left, Mama."
"No, Buddy, that chair wasn't over when we left. I came up here and got Joy and then we came out."
Buddy asked to make sure, "You sure about that?"
"No question."
"Let's let Joy sleep with us tonight." Buddy walked over and turned the chair back upright and placed it under the table. "Let's leave the chair where it should be."
Mary didn't argue. "Joy's told me about that chair and I thought I've heard something at night, but dear Jesus," Mary said.
The whole family slept in the downstairs bed together. The weight on Buddy to grow a good crop this year had been removed from his poker trip, but a new weight had come upon his mind. The small weight of chair. He smoked one last cigarette in the quiet of the bedroom as Mary and Joy both snored a bit. After seeing what he saw in Joy's bedroom, he shouldn't have been startled by the sound upstairs; but he was startled by the sound of a bump anyway.
Chapter 11
The windfall Buddy hand come into had taken the stress off of the Joy's family for this summer. Tobacco farming was hard work and Buddy had remembered his promise to Uncle Frank to make him work hard. He had in fact made him work hard every day all day for the rest of the summer, usually taking him with him when he helped Rudy Fryar farm his land too.