The Daughters of Julian Dane

by Lucile McCluskey

  Addie gasped. “How can he do that?”

  “The house is all his. He inherited it from his folks. When it sells, we’ll have to move.”

  “But houses aren’t selling in Riverbend, according to Mr. Cutler.”

  “It will. He’s practically giving it away. Thirty-seven thousand and five hundred. It’s worth at least twice that much. But that’ll buy him a lot of liquor. I’m surprised the real estate agent hasn’t already bought it.”

  Addie didn’t know anything about the price of real estate, so she asked, “And that’s a real good price for the house?”

  “Like I said, it’s a give away price. It’s an older house, but it was built by my grandfather, who was a first class carpenter. And it’s in a good neighborhood. I wish I had a job and could buy it for my mom and us. I had hoped to go to Nashville to a mechanic school, but now I’ll have to help mom. There’s no way her paycheck will cover rent for us a place to live.”

  “We’ll have to think of something,” Addie said, as they drove up beside the old fire hall. “It sure is big,” she remarked.

  “And in the worse neighborhood in town,” Mooney said, looking at the most dilapidated, makeshift houses a person could possibly imagine – a whole square block of them known as the slums, and just one block from the town’s square, and across the street from the old fire hall. “What on earth are you doing here, Addie? We shouldn’t even be in this neighborhood. It’s not safe.”

  She had the keys in her hand that she figured belong to this building. And she needed it. It looked big enough to hold all the trolleys. “Let’s see what kind of condition it’s in?”

  “How come you have the keys to this place? And all those other keys? What are they for?”

  “I’ll tell you all about it when I can. Just trust me.” She really needed to talk to her mother about what to tell people.

  “He shrugged his shoulders. “I guess it’s none of my business.”

  “I didn’t say that, and I’m wondering how safe it will be to store anything in this neighborhood?”

  “What are you storing, if I may ask?”

  He would know soon enough, she thought. “Some trolley cars.”

  “Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

  He didn’t believe her. Reluctantly, they got out of the car. “This is a have-to matter,” she said as they approached the huge, red brick building. It had two tall, roll up, metal doors with handles with key holes, and a regular door beside them. She inserted a key in one handle. It clicked. She turned the handle. Mooney took it from her, and they were both surprised when the door began a smooth slide upward as Mooney put pressure on it.

  “I didn’t really expect it to work,” she admitted as they looked inside the voluminous building. The place was littered with trash and dirt. No way, were her new trolley cars going into this dirty place until it was cleaned up. But how? How would she ever get it cleaned up?

  There were matching doors on the backside of the building. She wondered if the four big doors opened with the same key? And then there were two more keys. One had to be for the regular doors, and there were rooms or something up a flight of stairs on the back wall. Perhaps there was a door up there that locked.

  They picked their way through the littered concrete floor to the two big metal doors in the back. There was a lever on the inside of each door. Mooney tried one. It was a little slow taking off, but it finally rose up. Addie tried both the other keys on the regular door. One opened it. She looked around again. This would be perfect if it could hold all four cars, but getting it cleaned ... There were voices from the front. Addie and Mooney turned.

  “What are you doing in here?” Wylene Mitchell demanded. Wylene was the biggest black girl in school. Everyone was a bit afraid of her, but Addie wasn’t. The two of them had become friends recently.

  Maybe Wylene could help her. “Hey, Wylene! It’s me, Addie, and Mooney,” she called back to the other side of the building. They started toward Wylene and the biggest black man Addie had ever seen. He must be seven feet tall, she thought. That would be Wylene’s Bud.

  “I saw the Junk Yard Dog,” Wylene said, but what are you two doing in here? And Addie, Mooney, this is my Bud, Bud Andrews.”

  Introductions and hand shaking over, Addie said, “I’ve got to get this place cleaned up before it gets dark since there’s no electricity. I need help. Do you have any ideas?”

  “That’s a tall order, Girlfriend,” Wylene said taking in all the trash and dirt.

  “I know, but I’ll pay real good to get it done just as quick as possible.”

  “You talking money? Addie.”

  “Of course. Do you know anybody who’d do it for me? And what are you doing here?”

  “I live across the street.”

  Addie was surprised, but tried not to show it. Wylene lived in the slums. That was hard to believe.

  “I can get you all kinds of help when there’s money involved. Everybody in this neighborhood is always looking for some way to earn some money – me included. And it’s going to take a truck to haul off all this trash.” She looked up at Bud. “Think you could do that before you have to leave for work? We could put the money away for that wedding dress.”

  “My truck and I belong to you, Baby. Anything you say do, I’ll do it.”

  Addie smiled at him as she dug into her shoulder bag where she had stored the other ten thousand pack of one hundred dollar bills. She pulled out one bill. “Are you saying you’ll get it done for me, Wylene?”

  “I don’t see anyone else but you and Mooney, Girlfriend. When you said you’d pay well to get the job done, how well are we talking, because I’ll be asked?”

  A young teenage boy had joined them, and behind him was Cooter, the town’s derelict. Addie didn’t want to bring the one hundred-dollar bill out of her bag with all these people around, but it was all she had. She tried to fold it up inside her hand. “I’ll pay everybody whatever you say, Wylene, and this is for any supplies you might need,” she said holding her hand out to the girl with it turned down. “Get all the help you can that will get the job done as soon as possible. Mooney and I have to attend to some other business, but I’ll be back in a couple of hours, or so.”

  “Will do,” Wylene said. “And this is my brother, Billy. Billy, you go get mom and dad, then go tell Aunt Ruby and Adam to come running.” She looked at her brother real stern. “Will you work, not loaf, for a twenty?”

  “Yeah. Sure. I need some money in the worse way.”

  “Can I help too?” Cooter, an over weight, balding, dirty, short man in rumpled overalls and a torn plaid shirt, asked.

  “Okay, Cooter. I’ll find something for you to do,” Wylene assured him.

  The man looked at Addie. “You got any chewing gum for me?”

  “Why, I think so,” she answered. She took out an open package of Dentyne from her pocket and offered it to him.

  “I don’t like red. I only like yellow,” he said belligerently.

  “Okay, Cooter,” Wylene said. “I’ll get you some yellow gum. Right now, you go with Billy, and the two of you find some buckets for hauling water after Billy goes to get everybody.” Then to Addie, “I’ll take it from here, Girlfriend.”

  Addie was amazed that Cooter obeyed Wylene like a child. A child in a man’s body, she thought.

  As she and Mooney were returning to the Dog, she asked, “Does Cooter live in one of those shacks too?”

  “Naw. He has it better that that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, when old Cooter showed up in Riverbend about five years ago, the good ladies of the Chamber of Commerce decided they didn’t want even one homeless person in our town.” Mooney explained as they were moving out of the neighborhood in the little car.

  “I have to go to the shopping center now,” Addie said, and waited for him to continue.

  “So they got busy and fixed him up a small bedroom and a shower bath on the ground floor of the Chamber of Co
mmerce building. It’s warm in the winter and cool in the summer, but Cooter prefers sleeping on the benches around the square. The good ladies tried changing Cooter until they realized it was hopeless and gave up.”

  “Who feeds him?”

  “He eats at the City Cafe when he remembers to. Rosie never turns him away. Besides, folks are always leaving her a little money for feeding him.”

  He looked at Addie. “Did you win the lottery?”

  She had to tell him something. “No, Mooney, but I did come into some money, an inheritance.”

  “Wow! A lot, I hope.”

  “Not to some people, but to people like us it’s a lot. Just don’t say anything about it to anyone right now, please.”

  “Sure, Addie. Whatever you say.”

  She thought of all that money in the desk. “And, Mooney, about that house of yours. Call the real estate agent and tell him you’ll give him thirty-five thousand cash for it.”

  “What?” he exclaimed, and turned to Addie.

  “You heard me right. Just do it.” That would only be three and a half of the bundles, she thought.

  “You’re serious?”

  “As a heart attack. Mooney, if you want that house, it’s yours. You’re old enough to own property in your own name.”

  “Addie, I can’t let you buy me a house! How would I ever repay you for it?”

  “You said it was a steal of a buy. I don’t know anything about houses, but could you ever get another house like it for that amount of money?

  “No way! Not ever, but ...”

  “You can start paying me back after you go to mechanic school and get a job. Can’t you?”

  “Well sure. I should be able to. But that’s a couple of years from now at least.”

  “You and your family have to have a place to live until then. Let’s do it, Mooney.”

  “You can actually buy our house for us?”

  “Yep.”

  “My mom is never going to believe this. I don’t believe it. Lord, Addie, nobody has ever done anything like this for us before.”

  “Then, it’s time you and your mom had some good luck too.”

  “All right, Addie. I’ll take you up on it, and I swear to you that you’ll get every penny of it back with interest. You don’t know what a load this will be off my mom’s shoulders – mine too. I haven’t been able to sleep nights for worrying about us. I know my mom hasn’t either. How can I ever thank you?”

  “Just by being my friend. And I’m glad I can do it. If it makes you feel better, you can have it put in writing – make you feel real grown up.” They both chuckled,

  They had reached the parking lot of the shopping center. “See those four trucks there? Drive down to them.”

  “Where those men are? Wonder what’s on those flatbeds?”

  “Trolley cars. I wasn’t kidding you. And that’s what we’re storing in the fire hall, I hope.”

  It was obvious that the Caldwells were anxiously waiting for her as she and Mooney got out of the Dog. All four men were looking at the vehicle with awe.

  Addie introduced Mooney and the Dog to the four men and then asked, “Before we move the trolleys to their storage place, how would all of you like to go up to that building there,” she said pointing to Stonegate, “freshen up and have an early, man size dinner by the best cook there is?”

  Brian and Mitch laughed. “You must be reading our minds,” Brian said. “We just realized we forgot to eat lunch because we were so worried. We’re starving. We’d like nothing better.”

  “Sounds like heaven to me,” Ernest said

  “Lead me to it,” Joey said.

  “I don’t know what we’ve done to deserve you,” Ernest Caldwell said to Addie, “but I’m sure glad we did it. We’ve already given thanks for you, but we’ll do it again Sunday.”

  Addie thanked him. “We have to go up there to get my mother’s car, to get all of you up there. We’ll be back very soon, I hope.”

  She wasn’t at all sure her mother was going to go along with her suggestion that Mooney drive the Lincoln down to pick up the four men. If not, then she’d have to get him to make four trips, since the Dog only held two people. But then, she felt she would owe Mooney more than the fifty dollars. There were a couple of other things she needed him to help her with.

  However, she found her mother more interested in who the men were, and what her dealings were with them? And as soon as Mooney had left to pick up the Caldwells, Addie steered her mother to Eli’s room, seated her on the blue sofa at the windows and tried to explain about buying four trolley cars, without mentioning Grandpa Eli’s involvement. She found it very hard to do.

  “Trolley Cars!” Della exclaimed. “You have to be kidding! What are you going to do with trolley cars? And where on earth did you get the money?” For a few moments, Addie just sat there in the matching blue side chair in front of her mother. She hadn’t had time to think about it, but she should have known it wasn’t going to be easy.

  “I have the money, Mama,” she confessed. “I found the rest of the one million dollars that Miss Willy didn’t give to that Ryker. But I’d just as soon no one knew about it except us until daddy gets home.” Since her mother was looking at her too stunned to speak, she guessed she didn’t have to worry about her talking to anyone.

  “I’m hoping the trolleys can be used for public transportation for Riverbend like they are in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge,” she continued. “Don’t you think the people will love them? I know I will,” she added with some excitement.

  “Oh, Addie,” Della moaned. “How could you do a thing like this? Why didn’t you wait until Mr. Cutler came back, or at least until Ben gets home?”

  “Daddy always says ‘strike while the iron is hot’. If I hadn’t bought them, they would have been sold to someone else at such a give-away price. And we wanted them for Riverbend.”

  “We! Just who is we? Certainly not me! You didn’t say a thing to me about doing this before you did it!”

  Oops! she thought. “I, uh, Mama, I don’t have time right now, but there is someone else I want you to meet. I hear the car coming, and I want you to come and meet the Caldwell men, and if you don’t mind, show them to the rooms upstairs, that Miss Mattie says they are to use. Mooney and I will have to go, in his car, down to the shopping center to watch the trolleys while the men are here having dinner.” Then she rushed out the door before her mother could object, hoping she was coming along behind her.

  It was mid-afternoon, and there was something else she had to do. There was Miss Lettie to see on Monday. Surely, the trolleys would be safe long enough for them to stop at the super market.

  Before they got out of the Dog, Addie gave Mooney two crisp one hundred dollar bills. She held up one of them. “Get me a loaf of bread and a large jar of peanut butter with one, and with this one,” she added, “a jar of grape jelly, a large box of tea bags, and some powdered creamer. Ask for change in fives and tens mostly from each bill.”

  “In other words, you need change for these bills,” Mooney said.

  “Right. I’ll be spending a couple also.” She needed a few school supplies that she had been hesitating to tell her mother about. And she would get new toothbrushes and a few personal items that she needed. Then to the fruit isle where she would fill up a bag with fruit, especially lemons, for Miss Lettie.

  Their shopping finished, Addie stuffed the small bills into an outside pocket of her shoulder bag. She could now pay Wylene. They drove down to the trolleys and sat in the Dog. Few people were still milling about, and Addie was deep in thought. There were things she had to do and places she had to go. How would she get to Miss Lettie’s on Monday? She couldn’t ask her mother to take her. She wasn’t very pleased with her right now. She really needed transportation of her own. She turned to Mooney.

  He knew more about cars than anyone she could even think of. “Mooney, how much would a good, reliable, used car cost?”

  He sort of shrugged. “Yo
u could get one for almost any price, but a reliable one would depend on the person you bought it from. Why?”

  “You’re saying you have to be able to trust the person you buy it from?”

  “Right.”

  She looked in the direction of the used cars parked on the left side of Westmore’s lot. “Would you be able to trust one to be reliable from Westmore’s?”

  “About as reliable as you could get,” he answered. “You thinking of buying one?”

  “Yes. I need a car. I have a driver’s license. And you know all about cars. If I stay here and watch the trolleys, would you go over there and choose me one for around six or seven thousand dollars? Ask for Jake Mobley. Tell him you’re getting it for me.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “I can’t keep bumming rides from you, or bugging my mother to let me drive that Lincoln. I know you’ll choose me a good car, and I’ll pay you to do it.”

  “Pretty gal, you’re sure full of surprises today. You want me to go now?”

  “Yes. I don’t need anything fancy, but I’d like a radio that works, a heater and air conditioner. And I need insurance,” and she told him the name of their insurance agent as she got out of the Dog.

  “I should be able to get you a good serviceable car for that much,” he said as he drove off.

  Transportation of her own would be heaven, she thought as she walked around and peeping under the tarpaulins at her trolley cars. It excited her to think of them running on the streets of her town. And the Fire hall? She wondered how the cleaning was coming. The place sure looked big enough to hold all of them. She hoped it would.

  The Caldwells had been absolutely awed by Stonegate, even though she had to take them in the back door. And her mother seemed happy to be escorting them upstairs to the bedrooms they were to occupy, and the bathrooms where they could freshen up for dinner. She hoped Miss Mattie remembered to save her and Mooney some food. Oh, well, there was the Log House. She had money now. They could always eat there. It was a good feeling to have money. Mooney! He was heading back to her. Was that not enough money? She really didn’t want to spend much more than seven thousand at least.