Something Old, Something New

by Beverly Jenkins

  Amari hopped up and came back with a piece of lined paper and a pen. While Trent looked on, Amari wrote down his quote about cars and girls.

  “Now sign your name at the bottom and add today’s date.”

  Once it was done, Trent had him place the paper on the fridge with a magnet. He figured in a year or so, Amari would be snatching it down. For the moment, though, he’d let his son think he knew what he was talking about. Trent took a lot of pleasure in raising Amari and in finding his flute. After the trip to the music store, he’d start practicing.

  The next day, Trent drove over to Franklin and left the flute with the clerk at the music store. She told him it would take a few days to restore it, and that they’d give him a call when it was ready to be picked up. On the way back to his truck, he passed the building where Leo was leasing office space and decided to pay him a call.

  The receptionist greeted him with a smile. “Mr. Brown is on a conference call. He’ll be done in a few minutes. Do you want to wait?”

  “Sure.”

  Ten minutes later, Leo came out. Upon seeing Trent, he smiled and shook his hand. “What brings you here?”

  “Your pipeline.”

  Leo paused and scanned Trent silently, then gestured him toward the inner office. “Come on in and let’s talk.”

  Trent took a seat. The space was sparsely furnished and lacked the personal touches one might expect in an executive’s office. There were no pictures of loved ones on his desk or any framed documents of achievements on the walls, which made Trent wonder how long Leo planned to stick around.

  “So what would you like to know?”

  “As much as you can tell me.”

  Leo pushed back in his chair. “My company wants to run a pipeline from the Canadian border to the Gulf Coast. It’s almost complete, but a part of the line has to be in this area, so we’re making very generous offers to some of the locals.”

  “I’m told you’ve threatened people who’ve turned you down.”

  “Threatened? I don’t remember threatening anyone.”

  “You didn’t say ‘eminent domain’?”

  Leo didn’t respond at first as if maybe trying to determine how much Trent really knew. “I believe I did mention that, but we’d only go that route as a last resort.”

  “Some of the families in this area have been on their land for a century or more. They don’t take kindly to being told you may take it whether they want you to or not.”

  “This pipeline is in the national interest, and we think the courts will agree. And it isn’t as if the thing will be disruptive. We’ll pay the owners market value. The strips of land we need will only be one hundred and two feet wide. We’ll pay compensation for crop loss and any soil damage. The circumference of the pipe is only thirty-six inches, and it’ll be buried five feet below the surface, so if they want to plant or graze their herds on top, no problem.”

  “What about ruptures and spills?”

  He studied Trent again. “We don’t anticipate any such problems.”

  “Neither did BP, but we all saw how that turned out.”

  “That was an extreme case.”

  “Which can be duplicated anywhere, am I right?”

  Leo didn’t reply.

  “So what will the pipe be carrying, and how much?”

  “Bitumen oil sand. About four hundred thousand barrels a day, and a capacity for double that once we get a few pumping stations built.”

  “That’s some nasty gooey stuff.”

  Leo appeared surprised. “You know about it?”

  “Worked in the Oklahoma oil fields when I was young, as have a lot of other folks around here. Makes us more knowledgeable about the industry than you might think.” He could tell Leo was assessing that information, too. Trent decided he’d learned enough for the moment and that he’d put Leo on notice that acquiring the land for the pipeline was not going to be a cakewalk. “How’s the build going on your new place?”

  “Almost done. Marie and I should be moving in around Christmas.”

  “That’s great news. She talking about selling her land?”

  “I’m talking to her about it. She hasn’t said yes, but hasn’t said no, either.”

  Trent had no idea if Marie would be moving, but believed that Ms. Agnes would haunt Marie for the rest of her life if she sold even an inch of the Jefferson ancestral land, let alone the entire parcel. Trent stood. “Thanks for your time. I need to get back. Good talking to you.”

  They shook hands.

  “Same here,” Leo said. “If you run into anybody with any questions about the pipeline, have them stop by or give me a call.”

  “Will do.”

  Trent left the office and walked back to his truck. The conversation had put him on notice as well; Leo Brown and his pipeline would have to be watched closely.

  Before heading to the office he spent some time riding around the countryside, talking to landowners and farmers to see how many of them had received Leo’s letter. That a few had already signed on the dotted line didn’t surprise him. Times were hard. Some farmers were desperately in need of cash to pay off debts for seed and equipment, and to prepare for planting in the spring. If they had to lease a swath of their land to the devil himself in order to keep title to their land, they would.

  There were others who wouldn’t sign, like Mike Freewater, one of Bing’s neighbors.

  “I worked forty-five years building track for the railroad, and bought this acreage with my sweat, my hands, and my back. I’ll be damned if I sell any of it to a bunch of suits who never got their hands dirty. Told Leo if his people even look like they’re coming on my land, I’ll fill them so full of holes he’ll be able to use them to strain spaghetti.”

  Trent laughed so hard he almost fell off Mike’s porch. “Then I guess I can put you in the no column.”

  “You can put me in the hell no column.”

  Trent drove away still laughing.

  At the Power Plant Trent found Lily and Bernadine in Bernadine’s office. “Morning, ladies. Just got back from talking to folks about the pipeline. Talked with Leo, too.” He filled them in on what he’d learned.

  When he was done, Bernadine asked, “Did you ask him about the threats he made?”

  “The ones he denied at first, yes. I’m pretty sure the locals are going to wind up fighting him in court. He thinks he’s got it all figured out. Said the pipeline was needed for national security.” He turned to Lily. “Also told me that Marie’s going to be moving into that monstrosity he’s building. He’s says he’s trying to convince her to sell.”

  “What? She hasn’t said anything to me.”

  “Maybe Leo is just wishing,” Bernadine replied.

  “Either way, I think he’s trying to get a foothold here, and what better way to put folks at ease than to buy the land of one of the town’s oldest families?”

  “If you’re right, that stinks,” Lily declared.

  “To high heaven, but it’s Marie’s decision. Any luck on the search you were going to do on his company?”

  “Not much. The company is a shell within a shell within a shell, so after an hour of looking and not finding the parent, I quit. Bernadine’s people are going to take over now, but what I did find wasn’t pretty. The subsidiary Leo’s representing tried eminent domain in Illinois back in ’ninety-seven and lost in court. They have a spotty safety record, too. Two years ago, a fire along a pipeline in Wisconsin killed two welders, and three years ago in Minnesota, one of their lines ruptured and caused a hundred-thousand-gallon spill. According to an EPA report, the water table is still contaminated.”

  “Great.”

  “My legal people advise that we wait and see what Leo’s company does. If they file for eminent domain, then the opposing landowners can cross-file as interveners with whoever the state’s licensing body will be.”

  “Do you want me to put the word out on that?” he asked her.

  “Please, and let Bing know, just in
case we’re not the only county being targeted. If he can spread the word across the state about what’s going on through his ties to the Black Farmers Association, more people will know what Leo’s up to when he comes knocking. I promised myself I’d ignore Leo when he started hitting on Marie, but on this, I’ll fight him with everything I have. The last thing we need is a bunch of oil spills and fires just so he can turn more profit.”

  Trent agreed.

  “In the meantime, we’ll wait and see what my people turn up.”

  Lily said, “Sounds like a plan.”

  With that, they all went back to their offices and tried not to worry about what the future and Leo Brown might hold for them, their neighbors, and their town.

  Chapter 20

  At the conclusion of the workday, the town’s managing triumvirate left their offices and worries behind and drove over to the field behind Tamar’s place to watch the football team practice. The hastily put-together team would be defending their home turf against the Oklahoma July team during the traditional prewedding game. Bing Shepard, the high school football coach back in Trent’s day, was on the field with his clipboard and whistle. For a man in his early eighties he was moving pretty good, but the team was a motley crew.

  This was Lily and Bernadine’s first look at practice, and as they walked over to the part of the field that had been designated as the sidelines, they joined a large group of onlookers. Lily was surprised to see Leah out on the field, too.

  “They let Leah play.”

  Tamar said, “Bing knows they can’t win, so he and Trent decided to just have fun with it and open up the team to anyone who wanted to play.”

  Leah came running off the field to grab a few sips of water. Lily couldn’t remember seeing her sweatier or happier.

  “Leah, I didn’t know you liked football.”

  “Almost as much as physics. It’s a really beautiful game if you know how to watch, and I’ve always wanted to play on a team. Daddy and I throw the ball around all the time.”

  “I’m impressed.”

  “Dad said you used to be a great athlete. You should join us. We could really use you. Eli can’t catch a ball to save his life.”

  Bing was yelling, “Where’s my receiver!”

  Leah called back, “Right here, Mr. Shepard!”

  “Excuse me,” she said politely to Lily and the others before running quickly back onto the field.

  Lily scanned the team members. Trent was quarterback, of course, and Gary was lined up as the running back. Barrett and Reg were blocking, and on the wings were Leah and Eli. Holding down the other wing were Preston and Siz, whose navy blue hair matched his hoodie and sweats.

  She searched the area for Devon and found him sitting on the ground, watching Crystal, Zoey, and Tiffany Adele rehearse cheerleader routines. Seeing Devon made her smile, as it always did, but her smiles these days poured from her heart even more. The timid little boy who’d been afraid to change his life was making slow but steady progress. The suits had been replaced with regular kids’ clothes like jeans, tees, and sweatshirts. He seemed to take pleasure in picking out what he would be wearing each day. Some of the clothes she’d purchased when he first came to town no longer fit, but they’d gone shopping after school earlier in the week, so now everything he had in his dresser and closet was the right size.

  As she continued to watch the Henry Adams cheerleaders, an argument broke out among the girls. Zoey slapped her hand on her hip in a move reminiscent of her mama, Roni, or maybe her mother, Bonnie, and said something to Tiffany that made Crystal double over with laughter. Zoey stormed off with Devon on her heels. The howling Crystal took one last look at Tiffany’s plainly angry face and, still laughing, left her standing alone.

  Lily said to Bernadine, “I’ll be back.”

  She had no idea what had transpired, but seeing the mad Zoey, the laughing Crystal, and Devon all talking to Roni, she made her way through the crowd and joined them.

  She walked up just in time to hear Roni say to her daughter, “Zoey, that was not a nice thing to say. Don’t say anything like that to her again. You hear me?”

  Zoey looked mutinous. “But, Mama Roni—”

  “No discussion. Now go with Crys and Devon and get something to drink and cool off. I want to talk to Lily.”

  The still smiling Crystal led them away. Roni’s attention was focused on Reg for a moment as he blocked an imaginary opponent while Trent dropped back to throw the ball downfield to Eli, who promptly dropped it. “Reg hasn’t played football since college. If he goes down during the game, who’s going to patch up everybody else?”

  “No idea. Is the CD finished?”

  “Hallelujah, yes. I’m home until after the new year, I hope.”

  “What happened with Tiffany?”

  Roni rolled her eyes. “She didn’t want to do any of the cheer routines Crystal worked up.”

  “Why not?” Lily could see Tiff sitting alone, looking mad.

  “She said they were ghetto girl cheers.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “And Zoey told her?”

  Roni chuckled and said, “That the reason she didn’t want to do them was because Tiff couldn’t dance. Zoey said she knew pigeons in Miami that had more rhythm than Tiffany.”

  Lily immediately clamped her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing aloud. “No, she didn’t.”

  “What am I going to do with this child of mine? I thought Crys was going to have a heart attack, she laughed so hard.”

  Lily’s smile peeked out. “I suppose you heard what Zoey told Trent and Marie about painting the fence?”

  “That tradition needed to get a clue? Yep, Reg told me. Now that Zoey’s talking, raising her is turning out to be even more than a notion.”

  “She’s a tough little girl.”

  “And I wouldn’t want her any other way, but being with her makes me remember to take my blood pressure meds every morning.”

  Eli dropped another ball, and Roni cracked, “Would somebody please go out and drag that boy off the field? He can’t catch a cold.”

  “You like football?”

  “Love it. Big Jets fan.”

  Lily liked football, too, and yes, their team was bad. She watched Bing yell at Amari for running the wrong pattern.

  “Cut to the left, boy! No, not that way! Your other left!”

  “Reg must be glad to have you home again.”

  Roni shrugged.

  Lily saw that Roni wouldn’t meet her eyes for some reason, and as her friend, Lily found that a cause for concern. She asked gently, “You okay?”

  “Not really. This is the first CD I’ve done since he and I have been together. He had no idea of the time involved. My being away from home for so long got real old for him, real quick. We’re trying to rekindle the magic, but he’s been flat-out mad at me for the last month or so. Not sure how to deal with it.”

  “But you two love each other so much.”

  “True, but music is my lover, too. He’s having issues with that.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  She shrugged again. “We’ll figure it out. Maybe being able to record here at home next time won’t be so hard on him.”

  “If you need anything, let me know. I’m here for you, girl.”

  “I know.”

  Leah ran downfield, cut left, glanced back over her shoulder, and caught a long spiraling pass from Trent that made her look like Jerry Rice catching one from Joe Montana. The sidelines erupted. She was doing a funky victory dance in the end zone when Trent ran down and gave her a hug that lifted her off her feet while the other team members mobbed her with congratulations.

  Roni drawled, “We really ought to see if we can play the Oklahoma folks with just Trent and Leah. If the rest of our team goes anywhere near the field, we’re going to get creamed.”

  On that note, practice ended for the day, and a smiling Lily went to find Devon so she could drive them home. />
  The first day of November dawned with two inches of beautiful white snow. That evening Trent came out of the basement after finishing his flute practice.

  Amari was working on homework at the kitchen table. “Sounding much better, Dad.”

  “Is that why you’ve stopped wearing headphones when I practice?”

  “You were making my ears burn.”

  “Thank you,” Trent offered with affectionate sarcasm and walked to the table to see what Amari was working on. He was drawing the United States. Trent also noticed their small egg timer sitting in the center of the table. “What are you doing?”

  “We’re having a geography contest at school. The person who can draw a map of the United States the fastest doesn’t have to take the test on Friday.”

  “What’s your best time so far?”

  “I finally got it to under three minutes, but I know Leah and Preston can do it in under a minute and a half because they were bragging about it at lunch.”

  “That’s a great way to learn the states, and it’ll be something you’ll know how to do for the rest of your life. Win you a lot of bets at the bar when you’re old enough to go. And girls like great parlor tricks.”

  Amari rolled his eyes.

  Trent laughed. “Just teasing.”

  Not looking up from his drawing, Amari asked, “When do you start playing the flute for Mom?”

  “Ten nights before the wedding, and I do it every night until the night before we get married.”

  “I still think it’s dumb.”

  “That’s okay, love is dumb.”

  “I guess.”

  “I’m going to turn on the TV. You finish practicing. Almost time for bed. And good luck on getting your time down. Keep me posted on how you do.”

  “I will. Oh, by the way,” he said nonchalantly, “I beat Preston in chess today.”

  Trent had been on his way out of the kitchen, but hearing that caused him to stop and turn back. “You did?”

  Amari beamed. “Took his pawns, his rooks, his queen. Took everything from him but the pencils in his backpack.”

  “Congratulations. I didn’t know you two were playing.”