South River Incident

by Ann Mullen

  The roads were almost clear. The only signs left of the last snowfall were patches here and there. However, the closer we got to Stanardsville, the stronger the winds became, and the more snow we saw. As I stepped out of Cole’s Jeep, the temperature felt much colder than it had been back on the other side of Charlottesville. Good, I thought to myself. I guess I won’t have to worry about Mom being flooded out.

  Our visit to see the sheriff turned out to be a waste of time. All he had on me was a watch that had been reported lost and an eyewitness that had given a vague description of me and my car. I agreed to stand in a lineup if everybody in it had a long, red ponytail. However, that wasn’t feasible at the time, but the sheriff said he would get back to me on it. My lawyer got a good laugh out of that one. After several cups of coffee and a cinnamon bun that tasted like paper, Billy and I, along with my new best friend, Russ Shank, left the police station.

  “Ha! Ha! Those jerks! I guess we showed them!” I yelled as the three of us walked out to the parking lot. “They ain’t got nothing on me!” I flipped them the bird.

  “Jesse!” Billy grabbed me by the arm. “What’s the matter with you? Stop acting like an idiot!”

  “Hey, it’s dark outside. Nobody saw me.”

  Russ slipped me his card. He made it no secret that he understood why Billy thought so much of me. “You are the most delightful woman I have ever met. If you need me, all you have to do is call, and I’ll be there.”

  “Is he single?” I asked Billy as we pulled out of the parking lot. “He sure did take a liking to me.”

  “Don’t let it go to your head. He’s gay.”

  “What a slap in the face,” I whined. “You could have let me go on with my fantasies. It would have done my ego a world of good.”

  “I think your ego is doing just fine as it is,” he barked. “In the past two days you’ve flirted with every man in sight. You act desperate.”

  That hurt my feelings. Tears began to surface. “Maybe I am desperate. I just endured the loss of the man I love.”

  “You haven’t lost Cole.” Billy tried to stop the ensuing flow of my tears. “I know him. He loves you and will continue to love you, but only on his own terms. You just have to decide if you can handle his ways.”

  “You mean I have to let him run my life? I have to let him tell me what to do all the time? He’s a jerk, and it ain’t going to happen! Besides, he has some anger issues I don’t think I like.”

  “How many times have I told you that he’s not the right man for you, huh? But you just can’t seem to get that through your thick skull. Cole needs a woman who is submissive. Believe me, honey, you’re not that gal. What do you mean by anger issues? You can’t be serious. Cole never loses his temper, especially when it comes to women. He’s a lover boy. ”

  “I guess that means you didn’t see him grab my arm back at the house, did you? No, you probably missed that scene. It wasn’t a pretty sight.”

  “Maybe you misunderstood.”

  “I don’t think so, but I’ll be able to tell by tomorrow, when the bruise shows up. I’ll show it to you then.”

  “You’re a tiny person. I bet you bruise easily. I’m sure he didn’t realize that he had such a grip on you. Cole’s a good man. He would never deliberately hurt you.”

  “You keep saying all this nice stuff about him. Does that mean that you’re not mad at him anymore?”

  “I didn’t say that. I’m still mad, but it’s hard to give up a friendship that’s been around for so long.”

  “What’s on the agenda?” I asked, changing the subject.

  We had just gotten out onto Rt. 33 and were about to make the left turn onto Rt. 230.

  “First, we’re going to your mom’s house and check on her, and then we’ll get some groceries. After that, I’ll take you back to your place. Maybe between the two of us, we can whip up something to eat. Are we taking the dogs back with us?”

  “They’re my responsibility. I can’t expect Mom to take care of them. That wouldn’t be right.”

  “Maybe she wants to have them around. Perhaps she doesn’t mind taking care of them. Why don’t you ask her what she wants?”

  “I’ll talk to her,” I said.

  “Once we get back, I want to do some research on your computer,” he said. “We need some answers.”

  “I just want this to be over.”

  The South River was running high and flowing at racing speed, but had yet to cause any serious damage. The air temperature had dropped down to thirty-one degrees and would eventually slow the rushing water once it began to freeze. The high winds had caused a few trees to topple over, but from what Billy had said, that was to be expected. The ground had turned into a soggy mess.

  Mom was in the kitchen preparing a ham to be put in the oven.

  “Oh, Jesse,” she rushed over to the front door and gave me a hug. “I’m so glad you’re here. How did the interrogation go? I was worried.” She reached over and wrapped her arms around Billy’s waist. “I see you took care of my girl!”

  “I’m not going to let anything happen to her.” He smiled and gave her a peck on the cheek. “Smells like you’ve been cooking all day.”

  Athena and Thor came down the stairs barking and carrying on like they hadn’t seen me in days. They are such silly willies.

  “Hello, monsters,” I said. I reached down and patted their heads and rubbed behind each one’s ears.

  Dogs love that kind of attention and these two were no exception. They fell all over themselves.

  “You two are crazy dogs. Okay, enough is enough. You’re slobbering all over me. You know that drives me crazy.”

  “Oh, honey, they’re just glad to see you,” Mom said. “You probably don’t know this, but every time you leave they go up to the front window and howl. They miss you.”

  “They do?”

  After what Mom had just said, I was embarrassed at how little attention I’d paid to them. I’d been so self-involved that I’d forgotten the one promise I made to myself when I moved here. I would worry less about how I feel and more about the people around me. Unfortunately, I haven’t been living up to that one. But that was going to end. I would take my dogs with me, give them a good home, and love them the way they deserved to be loved. Athena and Thor were family, too.

  “We just came by to let you know everything was fine,” I said as we made our way to the kitchen. “The police wanted to ask me a few questions. It was no big deal.”

  “We also wanted to make sure everybody was all right,” Billy added.

  “We’re doing fine,” Mom replied. “Cole stopped by earlier and helped Claire and I fortify the house.” She let out a little giggle and went back to her kitchen work. “He and Claire stacked enough firewood over there by the fireplace to last for days, and then they went out and checked all around the house. Cole even checked the propane. He says we have plenty. I told him we have a guy that comes out every month to check on it, but he insisted. Anyway, between the two of them, we’re as snug as a bug in a rug. Besides, Cole said that our house was so high off the ground we shouldn’t have anything to worry about. You know there’s a flash flood warning out, don’t you?”

  “Yes, that’s why we came to check on you,” Billy said. “I know how things get out here when snow melts and runs down the mountain.”

  “We’re going to be just fine,” Mom repeated. “What’s your plan?”

  “I guess I’ll take the dogs and we’ll go spend our first night in our new home. We’ll be back tomorrow for Thanksgiving dinner. How does that sound to you?”

  I waited for the fallout. I knew Mom had become attached to the dogs, but I also knew she would do what she thought was best, whether she liked it or not. She always did the right thing.

  “I’ve been thinking about that, Jesse. Why don’t you leave them here tonight, since tomorrow’s Thanksgiving? Then, after dinner, we can all ride over to your place and take the dogs. You know, just to help them get settled. Moving t
o a new place can be traumatic, even for a dog.”

  I had to laugh. Mom was such an old softy.

  “If you think that’s what we should do, then that’s what we’ll do,” I agreed. “Hey, where are Claire and the kids?”

  I just realized that I didn’t hear any noise upstairs, and Claire had yet to show her face.

  “Ah, the kids are in bed for the night and Claire went up to Cole’s house for a little while. He’s going to teach her how to use a computer.”

  I could tell Mom was trying to hide something from me, but I didn’t say a word. I would wait for her to come clean.

  “You know, Jesse,” Mom said, softly, “ever since you got me interested in that computer of yours, I’ve learned a few things. And now that you’re going to be gone, I think Claire and I should get one of our own. Cole has even offered to help us hook it up and get online.”

  I smelled something funny. She had worked too hard to spare my feelings, not to be hiding something.

  “Honey, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about Cole.” She hesitated a minute. “I ...”

  “Mom, it’s over between me and Cole. Don’t worry about it.”

  The strange part about the whole situation was that my pain over losing the trust I once had in Cole was no longer so intense. It didn’t take long for me to wonder if the love I had felt for him might have just been lust. I didn’t care about Cole. He could do what he wanted. We were done. I kept telling myself that.

  “Maybe we’d better get moving. We still have to stop at the grocery store,” Billy said.

  “If you’re hungry, I can fix you something real quick,” Mom offered.

  “No, but thank you anyway. I need to go get some groceries. We’ll pick up something to eat while we’re at the store. We still have some work to do. We’ll be back in the morning.”

  “Then I guess we’ll see you around noon. Bring your appetites!”

  As we waved to Mom, I couldn’t help but wonder what Mom really thought about this whole situation. She probably thought we were all nuts.

  We were almost ready to make our turn at the end of South River Road before Billy or I had spoken a word.

  “That was a strange conversation,” Billy finally said. “Did I miss something? What’s going on?”

  “Cole just got over me real fast, that’s all.” I whispered under my breath, “He’s such a loser. What did I ever see in him?”

  “I tried to warn you, but would you listen to me?”

  “Yes, you did. But that doesn’t help the empty feeling I have inside. How could I have been so wrong?” I wanted to blast myself for being such an idiot, but it was too late for that. Things change, and I had to change with them.

  “We all make mistakes. Don’t let it get you down. You’ll find someone else. He wasn’t good for you, Jesse.”

  “I don’t know about you sometimes, Billy. One minute you’re telling me that Cole’s not the right man for me, and in the next breath, you tell me that he loves me. Make up your mind. You can’t have it both ways.”

  “Look, you have to make your own decision. Don’t listen to me. If you want to be with Cole, go be with him. If you don’t want to be with him, there are plenty of other guys out there that would love to be your boyfriend. It’s up to you.”

  “Remember that old saying about there being plenty of fish in the sea? Well, it isn’t true—the best ones are married, the good ones are taken, and the rest you don’t want to go near. Believe me, I’ve been there.”

  “Just give it time.”

  “I don’t need time. I need someone who cares about me! He dumped me and tonight he’s with my sister. The thought of it makes my blood boil. He sure has some nerve! She can have him. My poor sister doesn’t have a clue as to what she’s getting into.”

  Billy tried to change the subject by saying, “Forget it. Let’s talk about something else. We don’t need to drag on and on about Cole.”

  “What do you want to talk about—the late Mary Keen? How about murder and mayhem? Let me tell you, I’m up to my eyeballs in it, and I don’t even know how I got there.”

  When we reached Ruckersville, Billy turned off Rt. 29 and pulled into the Food Lion parking lot.

  “We’re going to get some food and fix us something good to eat.”

  “Then I hope you’re cooking,” I said with a smile.

  The roads were slick from the melted snow and the freezing temperature. Once Billy and I left Food Lion, I gritted my teeth all the way to Bear Mountain Road. It was a scary trip.

  “I thought we’d never make it back,” I said. “That was the worst ride I’ve had in a long time. Is it going to be like this in the morning?”

  “It depends on the weather,” Billy said, making the turn onto the gravel road. “We’ll check the weather channel later. That reminds me, last week I had the phone turned back on and the satellite system reactivated.”

  “Good, you know I have to have my television.”

  We finally made it to the turn leading to my place. By the time we pulled up to the driveway, I was so excited that I had forgotten all about Cole. He was a thing of the past.

  “This is so nice,” I said, getting out of the truck. “I have a place all to myself! This is my very first home in the mountains that I can truly call mine. I mean, I know it’s a rental and the house really belongs to you, but... well... you know what I mean. It’s my very first place... oh, never mind.”

  “I know what you mean, Jesse.”

  I grabbed a couple of bags of groceries out of the back of the truck and headed inside. I was excited about living on my own again.

  Billy followed behind me and was mumbling something about the bottom of the bags being wet because he took the camper shell off the truck. He had just gotten the words out of his mouth about the ground being slick, when I slipped on a patch of ice. Groceries flew everywhere. My feet went back and I fell on both knees. I heard something crack. I hoped it was the sound of a broken fingernail and not my leg.

  I let out a yell, rolled over on my butt and grabbed my knees. “Ouch! That really hurt!”

  “Jesse, are you all right?” Billy asked as he rushed to my aid. “Don’t move. Let me check you out.” He gently ran his hands up and down my legs. Once satisfied that nothing was broken, he picked me up in his arms and carried me into the house. He was strong as an ox.

  “I figured you’d be a-huffing and a-puffing,” I joked as he sat me down on the couch.

  “Why, because you think I’m so old?”

  “Well...” I chuckled.

  “You just sit here while I get the groceries in. Then we’ll have a look at those knees.” He turned to leave.

  “I’m fine,” I said, rising up from the couch. “I’m just a little... oops.” I sank back down. “Maybe I’ll sit here for a few more minutes.”

  Billy left the bags of groceries on the kitchen counter.

  “Let me have a look at your knees,” he said as he sat on the coffee table and started taking off my boots.

  “Don’t you think you should put the food in the refrigerator first?”

  “It can wait.” He tried to push up my pant legs. “A little tight, huh?”

  “It ain’t going to happen, pal. These are straight leg jeans. They’re a little snug. They’re supposed to fit that way.”

  “I noticed they were a little tight,” Billy said and lifted his eyebrows.

  “You dirty old man,” I hissed. “Go get me a towel or something to wrap around me and I’ll pull down my jeans.”

  Billy jumped up and ran out of the room and returned holding a washcloth in his hand.

  “You’re such a joker. You’re not funny. Besides, I’ve seen that trick before.” I laughed at his silliness.

  He handed me the towel he had been holding behind his back.

  “I thought you’d get a kick out of it.”

  I made him turn around while I unzipped my jeans and slid them down to my feet. I sat back on the couch and covered my private
parts with the towel. Sometimes I could be a little shy.

  “You can turn around.”

  My knees were red and I could see a hint of bruising below the kneecaps. They felt cold.

  “Other than being a little knobby, I think they’ll be all right. See if you can get up and walk around.”

  I made him turn his back again so I could pull up my pants. I walked toward the kitchen and felt a dull pain in my back shoot down my leg.

  “It’s my back,” I cried. “I think it’s messed up. I have this pain running down my leg, and my back hurts right here.” I pointed to the lower part of my back. “I sure hope I didn’t break a bone.”

  “I don’t think that’s the case, but you might have slipped a disk. How bad is the pain?”

  “Well, let’s see,” I said as I walked from the kitchen back to the living room. “It hurts in my lower back, but the pain in my leg comes and goes.”

  “Go lay back down on the couch. I’ll get some ice for your back and call the chief. He’ll fix you right up.”

  “Is the chief also a back-care specialist? I should have guessed,” I mumbled, walking over to the couch. “He does everything else.”

  Billy had the groceries put away and hamburger frying on the stove by the time Sarah and the chief arrived.

  “Something smells good,” Sarah said. “Where’s Jesse?”

  “I’m on the couch,” I yelled across the room. “Billy pushed me down and broke my back. He’s trying to suck up to me by fixing dinner.”

  Sarah came over, sat on the coffee table and asked, “Can I get you anything, dear? You look like you’re in such pain, you poor thing.”

  “I am, and it’s his fault!” I pointed to Billy and laughed.

  “She’s nuts, Mom. Don’t listen to her. She slipped on the ice.” Billy turned to his father. “I think she threw her back out.”

  “No problem,” the chief said. “I’ll have her better in no time.”

  The chief came over to me and told me to go lay down on the floor on my stomach. He said he would fix me right up.

  “Be careful with her, Sam,” Sarah told her husband. “She’s a tiny thing.”