by Joy Redmond
“Where’s Mr. Tom?” Will asked.
“He’ll be down by the time the food gets cold,” Berta said. “He knows what time to be here, but lately he acts like he can’t tell time no more.” She bowed her head and said the blessing. Then she reached for the bowl of mashed potatoes. “Might as well get started,” she said, as she passed the bowl to Jim Bob.
“I’ll go check on him,” Will said. Just as he reached the parlor, he saw Mr. Tom holding on to the banister and struggling to make his way down the stairs. “Here. Let me give you a shoulder to lean on.”
“Thank ya, son. My rheumtis is gettin’ the best of me. And this confounded arthritis has got every bone in my body all crooked. I’ll make it though. Ya gotta let me keep my independence as long as I can. I appreciate the offer. How ‘bout ya just stand at the bottom of the stairs and if’n I come tumblin’, ya can break my fall.” Mr. Tom laughed.
Will admired Mr. Tom’s determination and his sense of humor. “I don’t have on my mitt but I think I can catch you, unless you come down like a fast ball.”
Mr. Tom stood on the bottom step and took Will’s arm. They walked into the dining room, and Will pulled out the chair for him. “Have a seat, old timer. I’ll throw a roll across the table to you.”
“Ya might as well throw the rest of the food. Ain’t nobody waitin’ on me, I see.”
“Well, it takes ya forever to get down here. The food gets cold,” Berta said. “Gimme your plate – I’ll fill it up for ya.”
“Thank ya, Berta.” Mr. Tom looked at Will. “How’s the book learnin’ comin’ along? When ya gonna be a lawyer?”
“That’s a long way off. I’ve been slacking off on my studies, and learning the law is nothing like my other school years. Miss Marylee can’t teach me this stuff, and it’s hard studying. I’ve just about taken all the courses I can by correspondence. One more year, then I’ll have to go to a university to finish up.”
“How old are ya? I can’t keep up with the years.”
“The best we can figure, I was seventeen this past July. Since it’s almost October, I’ll be studying more and playing less.” Mr. Tom looked at Will over the rim of his glasses. “I know. I don’t play much already. Well, this summer I’ve done a lot. I’ve been walking around town, trying to mingle with kids my own age. I take Red and go fishing. I throw balls and Red fetches. I still shadow box. I read when I go to bed though.”
Miss Marylee said, “I’m glad he’s making friends. It’s not good for a boy his age to spend so much time with us. Will, you can invite your friends to come visit the boarding house, unless it would embarrass you. How many friends do you have?”
“I said I was trying to mingle, Miss Marylee. I just don’t seem to fit in. They want to talk about the cowboys they see in the movies, and fighting, and doing things with girls. I’ve got nothing to say that they’re interested in. I mostly just listen, then come on back home. I can talk to Red better than I can them.”
“Maybe I’ve sheltered you too much,” Miss Marylee said.
Jim Bob snorted. “He be better off sheltered than makin’ friends with that kind. They’s nothin’ but trouble. But ain’t none of my never mind.”
Mr. Tom said, “Have ya got a girl yet? Boys yer age need a girlfriend. Ya could take one to the movies and learn about them cowboys.”
“I’m working on that, Mr. Tom. Becky Moore kind of strikes my fancy, but she doesn’t seem to take a shine to me. I guess I need to get more aggressive, but I get all nervous when I’m around her and I lose control of my tongue. Nothing comes out right.”
They all laughed, and Will joined in. “I’ve got plenty of time. Girls are a distraction from my studies.”
“That be the truth,” Jim Bob said.
“Just how would you know about that?” Berta asked with a snort. “I’m the only girl you ever had.” She laughed. “But ya did take a shine to me and I don’t know why.”
Will couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw Berta reach over and pat Jim Bob on the knee.
Jim Bob grinned. “Well, I like it when you get that fat body all up under me and hug me while I sleep. Other than that, I don’t know niether.”
Will suppressed his urge to laugh out loud.
After supper, Will helped Mr. Tom outside to the front porch, and held his arm as he eased his old body down into the wicker rocker. “I really like watchin’ you and Red romp around together like two kids. That dog sure does love ya. He’s good company for ya, too. Probably better than a silly girl.”
Will looked over and saw Jim Bob was making his way to the elm with his banjo. He and Red went over and sat beside him. “What are you going to play for us?”
“I wanna have a talk with ya a’fore I start my pickin’. Miss Marylee won’t tell ya ‘bout some things ‘cause women just can’t bring it upon ’em to do it. But I gotta tell ya about girls. Ya gotta be careful, son. They’s got diseases, and if’n ya catch one from’ em, it’ll rot yer pecker right off. It mostly happens with the girls at the whorehouse, but some of the nicest girls ya least ‘spect it from, can give it to ya. That’s all I got ta say.”
Rot my pecker off? No way! I’m not going to let that happen.
Will got up and headed to the front porch. Mr. Tom’s head had fallen to the side. Will gently touched his arm. “Mr. Tom. We need to talk.”
Mr. Tom jumped. “What? Is it time for breakfast?”
“We just had supper. You fell asleep. Are you awake enough to have a talk? This is important.”
“Sure, I’m awake. What’s yer problem?”
Will told him about his conversation with Jim Bob. Mr. Tom laughed so hard it sent him into a coughing spell. “Ah, Will. I forgot to tell ya that part when we had our first talk, but it ain’t as bad as that ol’ cuss makes it out to be. There is diseases out there, but there’s treatment. Ain’t nothin’ gonna rot yer pecker off. Well, syphilis might if’n ya don’t get it treated. But the most easy one to get is the clap. That stuff is common and you’ll know ya got it when—”
Will covered his ears with his hands. “I don’t want to hear anymore! I won’t be going to a whorehouse and I won’t be doing the nasty with any girl. I’m keeping my pecker!”
Mr. Tom managed to get Will to take his hands down and let him finish what he was saying. “Ya can prevent gettin’ them diseases by wearin’ a rubber. Now mind ya, sometimes they break, but they’s as safe as ya can get. You be too young to buy’ em, but I’ll get ya some the next time I go to the drugstore.”
“I don’t want any. I’m never going to have sex!” Will ran inside and left Mr. Tom laughing. There isn’t anything funny about getting a disease and my pecker rotting off. He’s as crazy as Jim Bob. Oh, shit. I need to ask him one more thing.
Will rushed back to Mr. Tom’s side. “I need a straight answer, and don’t laugh at me. Can you get a disease from kissing?”
Mr. Tom answered seriously, “No, son. Ya only get a disease when ya dip yer wick. Ya know what I mean?”
“Yeah. I know what you mean! Is it okay to feel their breasts?”
“That’s okay. Just don’t touch anything under the patch of hair and ya’ll be fine.”
Just as Will was about to go inside, a pickup stopped in the middle of the street. “Hey, Will. Ya wanna go with me and the boys down to the river? We’re gonna build us a bonfire, and fish.”
Will scratched his head. The Brown boys had always called him names. Now they wanted to be friends? He was leery of them, but a bonfire and fishing sure sounded like a good idea. “Hang on a minute. Let me tell Miss Marylee where I’m going and get my fishing gear.”
“We got all the fishing gear ya gonna need. Are ya comin’ or not?” Hughie yelled.
“Mr. Tom. Tell Miss Marylee I’ve gone fishing with my friends.”
“Okay.” He was asleep before Will had made it across the front yard.
“It won’t take but a minute for me to get my gear, Hughie. Are you sure you’ve got enough?”
&n
bsp; “Sure as shit! Hop in the back. Those two back there is my cousins, Luther and Joe. Ben, my brother is up front with me. But ya know him.”
Will hopped over the side of the truck and sat on an old tire. “Hi, I’m Will. Which one is Luther and which one is Joe?”
“We know who ya are. I’m Luther. This here is Joe,” he said, pointing to a smaller boy.
Hughie squealed the tires as he took off.
Hot damn. My first time out with the boys. This is gonna be fun. He looked around the truck bed. He saw rods and reels and tackle boxes. It looked like there was plenty of fishing gear. There was a large wash tub that splashed water every time Hughie hit a bump in the road. Will realized that Hughie was taking a different route to the river as he drove down a gravel road then took a dirt road. Hughie was driving like a maniac, but that was fun, too.
Will noticed that Luther and Joe were using pocket knives on two sticks, whittling the ends into sharp points. “What are you making?”
“We’s making us some gigs. Gonna gig us some frogs when it gets dark. We’ve got our caps with carbide lights fixed on the bills. When the light hits the frog’s eyes, they go blind, then we stick the gig right through the middle of ’em. We gonna gig us a whole burlap sack full,” Luther said.
“Did you bring yer pocket knife?” Joe asked.
“No. I don’t have a pocket knife. I’ve never found a need for one,” Will answered.
The boys laughed. Luther said, “Hughie said you was a big pussy. No need fer a knife? We don’t go nowhere without our knives. Sometimes we cut people.” He held the knife up and pointed it toward Will.
Will ignored the comment and gesture. Two little smart-asses. Will stared the boys in the eyes, his own eyes as hard as steel.
Joe said, “Do you carry any rubbers? Do ya even know what they are?”
Will leaned in on the boys. “I didn’t know I’d need any rubbers. Do you think I’m gonna need ‘em with you two?”
Luther jumped up. “Why, you sumbitch, we ain’t no queers, like you.”
“Well, you sure ask queer questions,” Will answered, never breaking eye contact.
Joe jumped up and Will stood, too.
Hughie threw on the brakes as if he were trying to throw them over the cab, turned off the engine, then jumped out of the truck. “We’re here! Let the fun begin!” He walked to the back of the truck and let the tailgate down. “You’s boys push that worsh tub over to the end.”
Luther and Joe jumped over the side of the truck. “Let that pussy push it.”
“I think I can manage it,” Will said. “You two little boys go take a piss.” As Will pushed the heavy tub he saw it contained a large block of ice, and several brown bottles were floating in water. Damn! A whole tub full of pop!
Hughie reached into the tub and took out a bottle. “Did ya bring yer church key, Will? I need to open my beer.”
Beer? Church key? Will patted his pant pockets. “I didn’t have time to grab it. You were in a hurry.”
Ben laughed. “Hughie you’s got yer own church key, and ya know Pa is gonna whoop the shit outta us when he wakes up and finds we stoled his beer and truck. But so what? We gonna have so much fun, it’s gonna be worth a good whoopin’. It ain’t like we ain’t used to ’em.”
“Grab ya a beer, Will. You can use my church key,” Hughie said.
Will didn’t want to drink a beer, but he wanted to fit in. He took a bottle out of the tub and wiped the water on his shirttail. He was still confused about a church key, until he saw Hughie take a metal object from his pocket. One end was pointed. The other end was flat with a small hole in it.
He watched Hughie slide the flat end under the bottle cap, then popped off the top. Hughie handed the opener to Will. He popped off the top, turned up the bottle and took two long swigs. He didn’t like it. It tasted like rotten apples. But he kept drinking. Miss Marylee is going to kill me. But she wanted me to make friends. This seems the only way to do it.
The other boys finished off the first bottle and reached for another one. Will took one more. By the time he finished the second one, he was lightheaded. Then he noticed the boys were forming a circle.
“Drink up, Will. It’ll help the pain,” Hughie yelled.
The boys laughed.
“Yep. Shore will. You’s about to get yer sissy bookworm ass whooped,” Ben said. “Get him, Hughie!”
Hughie walked to the middle of the circle. “Come on, pussy. Or, are ya gonna run home and hide behind Miss Marylee’s skirt?”
Will walked up to Hughie, only inches from his face. “Give me your best shot, you crazy sumbitch!”
“Put up your dukes, stupid!” Hughie said, as he put his fists in the air.
Will put up his fists and began to move his feet, fast.
The boys started laughing. “That little fairy thinks ya wanna dance with’ im ,” Ben said.
Hughie drew back.
Mr. Tom’s words echoed in Will’s head. Left hook. Right upper cut.
Hughie hit the ground.
“Why you sumbitch—” That was the last words Ben said before he, too, hit the ground.
Luther and Joe rushed him. Oh, shit. Mr. Tom didn’t tell me what to do with two at a time. When the boys were close enough, Will landed a punch under Luther’s chin, then crossed over and landed a punch in the middle of Joe’s face. Blood shot from Joe’s nose. I guess that’s how it’s done.
As all four boys lay on the ground. Will walked over to the truck and got another beer. The beer was beginning to taste good.
Luther sat up and pushed on his chin as if he was wondering if his jaw was broken. Joe grabbed his shirttail and wiped his bloody nose. Will turned up the bottle and drained it. Just as he went for another one, Hughie and Ben were coming around. They managed to stand up but they were staggering as they walked toward Will. Luther and Joe just sat on the ground.
Will set the beer bottle on the tailgate. “Do you want to go another round?”
Hughie stuck out his hand. “Hell no, man. I sure misjudged ya. You’s one helluva man and I’ve got all respect fer ya. Anybody who can land a punch like that, I want as a friend.”
Will shook Hughie’s hand.
The other boys followed suit. Will shook their hands.
Joe said, “Hughie, we need him when we go down to Sikeston. Them bad-asses won’t know what hit ’em when he’s done with ’em. Whatchya say, Will? You wanna head on down to Sikeston?”
“No, thank you. I don’t fight for fun. I fight when it’s necessary. I thought we were going to fish.”
“Whatever ya say, man.” Hughie said. “C’mon boys, let’s get the fishin’ gear and head on down the river bank. Joe, you and Luther gather wood and get us a fire goin’. It’s gonna get cold down by that water. Ben, you and Will drag the beer tub down there.”
“You boys go on. I’ve got to take a piss, then I’ll come on down,” Will said. Just before Hughie and Ben took the beer tub by the handles, Will grabbed another beer. He quickly popped the top and handed the church key to Hughie. “I’ll see you in a few.”
Will watched the boys head off. He could hear them laughing, and each of them were talking about what a lickin’ they just took from the sissy bookworm.
Will laughed. He went behind a tree and set his beer bottle on the ground, peed, picked up his bottle and headed up the dirt path. He finished the beer and threw the bottle into the bushes.
The dirt path ended and he found himself on a gravel road. His instincts told him to take a right. Will figured he’d walked a good mile or so by the time the gravel road ended. He stood looking at a paved road. His instincts told him to take a left.
As he walked, he felt like doing a jig. Occasionally, he looked up at the twinkling stars. It was as if they were winking at him. He winked back. He was finally a man!
He couldn’t believe that once again he found himself walking a gravel road that ended at a paved road. That was a repeat I never thought I’d take. But tonight I don’t
need a hitch. I know where I’m going. I’m going home. Home to people who love me. Me, Will Hennie!
Chapter Twelve
Will finally made it to Lewis Street, and his heart warmed when he saw the boarding house. Almost there. He kept looking behind him, hoping the Brown boys wouldn’t come barreling down the street in the noisy truck and start yelling. He was a bit unsteady as he started up the porch steps. He looked behind him one more time. Nobody in sight. As he turned, ready to take the last step, he ran into the porch post. Shit! He grabbed his eye, wondering if it was still in the socket.
He regained his balance then fumbled as he tried to find the house key in his jeans pocket. It took three times before he managed to hit the key hole and unlock the door. He quietly shut the door, hoping the rusty hinges wouldn’t wake anybody. He stood for a minute. No lights came on. Now to get up the creaking steps. He leaned against the wall and eased his feet up the steps. When he reached the landing, he saw a light under Miss Marylee’s door.
Holy shit! I’m caught. She’s going to come out of her room to make sure I’m home safe and sound, then she’ll smell beer on my breath and she’s going to cry like a baby. He was about to turn and run back down the stairs when he saw the light go out. Okay. Now make it down the hallway without stepping on a loose floorboard.
He slithered his body against the wall. He reached his door. He knew it was going to squeak, so he opened it quickly. He waited. He didn’t hear any sounds. He stepped inside. He stood with his back against the closed door. Please, Miss Marylee. Don’t hear me. Don’t come to my room to ask me what I did and if I had a good time.
He crept across the floor, undressed and slid into bed. Safe! He closed his eyes and was recapping the night in his mind when suddenly the bed starting spinning. He opened his eyes and felt his stomach churn. No! He ran over to the bed chamber and made it just in time to heave. He held his head over the pot and heaved until he thought his guts were going to come out.