What Happens in Texas

by Carolyn Brown

  “Agnes is always on the ticket. And don’t hold it against Marty. She didn’t vote against you. She voted against Agnes.”

  “But why? Agnes wants it so bad.”

  Janie smiled, but the light in her eyes was fading fast. “Clawdy says that if Agnes gets in the club, Violet is a dead woman. Can I please have the pink now?”

  Janie’s eyes went blank.

  “Yes, ma’am. But remember we were coloring the princesses and you were telling me Agnes and Claudia.”

  “I changed my mind. Black. Prince Charming’s hair is black. I don’t have daughters. You must have me mistaken with one of the other girls here at the school. Some of them have daughters.”

  Black always meant that she’d retreated back into that dark world where she didn’t know Trixie. Not once in the past had she come out of the dark shadows once she had the black crayon in her hand.

  Trixie cried all the way back to Cadillac. Some of the tears were grateful ones for the tiny moment that her mother had been lucid; the rest were out of sheer frustration.

  * * *

  One of the two old rocking chairs on the front porch at Clawdy’s creaked out a song as Cathy kept the motion going with one foot. The night air was stinking hot, but she felt cooped up in the house. Cadillac was experiencing an Indian summer, the warm days just before real fall pushed summer out of the way. She wanted to plant something, but the pansies for the winter months were in the ground already and everything was in gorgeous repair.

  She missed a living room where family and friends congregated at the end of the day to watch television, play games, read, or just talk to each other. These days she felt like she lived in a hotel and worked in the hotel kitchen.

  The three upstairs bedrooms were equal in size and spacious enough for Cathy to have a love seat and a recliner as well as her bed and dresser, but she missed the way things used to be.

  She would have gladly shut her eyes to the clutter in Trixie’s room to have someone to talk to that evening. She would have even helped glue hearts and lace around pictures in Janie’s scrapbook. She wished she’d gone with her to the nursing home to see her mother. Cathy didn’t mind the nursing home. It reminded her of the reference section at the library. So much information and no one even bothered knocking the dust off the books. But she was in a cranky mood and Trixie’s sweet little mother picked up on the strangest vibes.

  Marty had gone to the Dairy Queen for ice cream. Agnes was watching NCIS on television and nobody had better call, drop by, or even whisper during that time. She and Leroy Jethro Gibbs had a standing date, and death would have to stand in line until the credits rolled. If Agnes ever did commit homicide, they’d never find enough forensic evidence to convict her after all she’d learned from watching that show for almost a decade. Violet was lucky she got away with only two black eyes.

  The squeal of car wheels coming to an abrupt stop put an end to the rocking chair solo. Cathy leaned forward and peered out through the crape myrtle bushes to see Anna Ruth get out of her little red car, slam the door, and stomp toward the house. Everything about her said this was not a visit to forgive Trixie but to pick another fight.

  “Evening,” Cathy said.

  Anna Ruth came to an abrupt halt on her way to the back of the house and stormed up onto the porch. “You are not my friend. One of us has got to resign from the club, because I refuse to be in it with you.”

  What a wonderful idea! No more meetings with Violet, especially after the breakup with Ethan. Anna Ruth could have it. Maybe she could sponsor someone else into the club.

  “I mean it, Catherine,” Anna Ruth said.

  “What did I do to get called by my formal name?” Cathy asked.

  “You are sleeping with Andy! I thought it was Trixie and then I thought it was the dispatcher, but it was you! How could one club sister do that to another? You are worse than Marty. At least what she does, she does in public and not behind a club sister’s back.”

  “Where did you hear that?” Cathy asked.

  “Don’t play dumb with me. Violet told Beulah who told Aunt Annabel. That’s why you broke up with Ethan. Not because he was in love with me. But you stood by and let me make a fool out of myself with him. I’ve always had a crush on him and then you went after him with your prissy ways. And that wasn’t enough, was it? You had to have Andy too. You are horrible.” Anna Ruth sat down on the top step, put her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands, and wept like a child who couldn’t have a favorite box of cereal in the grocery store.

  “I did not sleep with Andy. I would never do that to Trixie.”

  “She’s not even in the club and you have more respect for her than you do me.” The wails got loud enough that a dog down the street joined her.

  “Anna Ruth, you know about gossip and rumors in a small town. Wake up, girl. If you love Ethan, go tell him.”

  “I did!” She cried and the dog howled louder.

  “And?”

  She pulled a tissue from her pocket and blew her nose loudly. “He said that he’d never thought of me as anything but a younger sister and a good friend. Can you even begin to imagine how humiliated I was?”

  “Sorry,” Cathy said.

  “You could have had it all. Why did you break it off with him? The wedding was going to be beautiful and Aunt Annabel was so excited about making that cake. And he doesn’t looove me,” she moaned.

  “Hush that carrying on. The neighbors are going to call the police to come see if I’m killing you. Truth is, I figured out that I didn’t love him enough to sign the prenup and that I’d rather be reading a book as spending time with him. It didn’t seem fair to marry a man that I wouldn’t give up my job and my car for. But I didn’t love him enough to do it. He’s a good man and he deserves someone who’d love him that much.”

  “I’d give up my soul for him.” The weeping stopped as if on cue, and Anna Ruth sighed loudly. “And you really did not sleep with Andy?”

  “I really did not and I really will not. I can’t stand the man after what he did to Trixie, and he did it with you.”

  Anna Ruth managed a weak smile. “But he told me they were as good as divorced and he would have already left her if he could. I’m glad that you didn’t sleep with him. But I still think you need to resign from the club after what your aunt did to Violet.”

  “Is that legal? I thought a person had to die or move out of the county to get their name taken from the books.”

  Anna Ruth stood and tilted up her chin, said “Then do one of those things,” then pranced out to her car.

  At least she didn’t burn a thousand miles off her tires. And the dog had stopped howling. Cathy started rocking again. Why hadn’t she thought of resigning from the club? Bless Anna Ruth’s heart. She’d come up with an ingenious idea even if it had come from a wailing tantrum.

  * * *

  Teenagers were the reason that Marty never taught high school. Everything adults said to them slid off like fried eggs out of a coated skillet.

  The Dairy Queen was filled with them that night. Life was good at that age. The world revolved around them. Too bad that once they graduated, reality was going to hit them smack between the eyes.

  She sat in a back booth alone and imagined her mother sitting across from her.

  Mamma, I would have promised you anything that day and I’ve kept my word. But it’s killing me to see the pain in Trixie’s eyes. I don’t think you realized that keeping my word would hurt our friendship.

  “Mind if I join you? The kids have taken over the place tonight. Jack is off to work, and I didn’t want to cook,” Beulah said.

  Marty motioned for her to sit down across the booth from her. “Guess this warmish weather has got us all wanting to hang on to fall and not let winter come around.”

  “Jack is moving out in the next few days. What did I do wrong?” Beulah blurted out.

  She was a large woman with short gray hair that she had permed into a curly-do popular thirty years a
go. Her pantsuit was bright red and her lipstick matched it. Other than the extra bit of weight around his middle, Jack had gotten nothing from his mother. He was the image of his father, who had died right after Marty’s mother.

  “I know he is moving, Beulah, but it has nothing to do with you.”

  “It’s the house that Cathy wanted. Do you think Jack is in love with her? Is he buying that place just so he can ask her to marry him when she gets over the Ethan thing? I’m just scared to death he will.”

  Marty dipped into her hot fudge sundae. “Would that be a bad thing?”

  Beulah nodded. “Yes, it would. Violet would have a conniption if Ethan got thrown over for Jack.”

  “Violet has too much power,” Marty said.

  Beulah leaned forward and whispered, “Maybe so, but there’s no way to take it away from her.”

  Marty reached across the table and patted Beulah’s hand. “Jack, Cathy, Trixie, and I are best friends, darlin’. Jack might get married someday, but it won’t be to one of us three, so don’t worry your sweet head about it. Just be happy for him.”

  * * *

  Trixie drove into the driveway and sat in her car. Darla Jean was either going over her sermon or else she was cleaning. God might strike Trixie graveyard dead if she interrupted the sermon process.

  She had to talk to someone and right now she was mad at Marty. She dug around in her purse for her cell phone and called Darla Jean. When she answered she blurted out, “Can you come over to Clawdy’s? I’ve got to talk to someone and…”

  “And you are still angry with Marty over that club stuff and no one is home.”

  “You got it.”

  “Be right there.”

  She waited until Darla Jean was crossing the yard to get out of her car. Trixie opened the door and flipped the light switch. Darla Jean sat down at the table.

  She took a deep breath. “Were you busy?”

  Darla Jean shook her head. “I’m never too busy for friends. I wanted to talk to you anyway.”

  Trixie sat down beside Darla Jean. “Your news first.”

  “I went to see Lindsey. Betty got her a job at the school. She’s on the maintenance crew this summer but come fall she’ll be a teacher’s aide to the kindergarten teacher. She’s so happy that I could just shout. I wanted someone to tell all about it, but everyone was gone. I’m thinking that God sent this child to me as a test to see if I could help more abused women. It’s drawing me and my sister closer together than we’ve been in years and it’s a good feeling to get someone out of a hopeless mess. Now your news.”

  “I saw Mamma.” Trixie wiped a fresh batch of tears from her cheeks. “It’s getting worse.”

  Darla Jean put her arm around her shoulders. “That’s the way it happens. You are going mostly for you now, Trixie, not for her. She’s locked away in the fog. Just spend time with her so there won’t be regrets when the end comes.”

  The front door opened and Cathy yelled, “Trixie?”

  “Looks like it’s a group session.” Darla Jean raised her voice. “We’re in the kitchen.”

  “I’m so glad you are home. Anna Ruth came and the rumors…” Cathy stopped in the middle of the sentence. “Did Janie die?”

  “No, but it’s getting worse and worse and she asked for the black crayon right away today,” Trixie said.

  “Well, I’m sleeping with Andy,” Cathy said bluntly.

  Trixie shook her head slightly. Was she truly hearing voices? “Would you repeat that?”

  Cathy told the story of sitting on the porch and wishing they had a living room and Anna Ruth coming and what all she’d said.

  By the time she finished her tale, Trixie was laughing harder than she had when Anna Ruth had burst into the kitchen wanting to forgive her. “That is the funniest thing I’ve ever heard.”

  “And you are quitting the club? I can’t believe it,” Darla Jean said.

  “You will make history by being the first woman to quit,” Trixie said.

  Marty opened the kitchen door. “Hey, am I the last one at the party?”

  “Group session,” Darla Jean said. “Come in and bare your soul.”

  “I just found out that Jack bought his house so he can ask Cathy to marry him. And Violet is going to be furious because you threw over Ethan for Jack,” Marty said.

  “Jack is our friend. Who said that?”

  “His mamma. Are you keeping secrets other than reading sexy books?”

  “I am not! Is there not one thing sacred in this town? Gossip flows like a raging river,” Cathy moaned.

  “Couple of things must be secrets, like why you’d vote for Anna Ruth, right, Marty?” Trixie asked.

  “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Mamma had about fifteen seconds of lucid tonight. She said I’m not supposed to hold it against you that you voted for Anna Ruth because you were voting against Agnes, not for Anna Ruth. But she went dark again before she could tell me why.”

  Marty slowly shook her head. “I cannot say a word.”

  “Why?” Cathy asked.

  “Agnes would kill Violet and that’s all I can say.”

  “That is exactly what Mamma said.”

  Darla Jean held up a palm. “We are not going to think about this problem between you two this night. Marty has her reasons, and you have a hurt in your heart. You both need time to work it out. And now we are changing the subject. I still can’t believe that you are writing hot romance and Cathy and Trixie are reading it. I’m not totally sure St. Peter is going to unlock the doors for any of you.”

  “Funny as hell, ain’t it?” Trixie said.

  “Hell ain’t funny,” Darla Jean declared.

  Cathy snickered and pretty soon they were all laughing so hard that it echoed off the walls in Miss Clawdy’s Café.

  Trixie wondered how she’d ever survive without her three friends. Divorce, PMS, teenagers, crazy people who thought they were your friend—all of it wouldn’t be bearable without friendship.

  Chapter 16

  Janie didn’t want to color that day and she turned up her nose at the beans and greens. She did eat every bite of the pecan cobbler but she wouldn’t even touch the fish. She wanted to watch reruns of I Dream of Jeannie so Trixie sat beside her and laughed with her at all the right places. If she had a genie of her very own, what would she ask for?

  That was easy.

  Number one: that her mother was lucid and living in her own little house again.

  Number two: that Andy hadn’t cheated on her and her marriage hadn’t fallen apart.

  And number three: that the awkward feeling between her and Marty would go away.

  But genies didn’t exist and Janie proved it when she leaned over and whispered, “You must go home now. My mamma will be calling me in to supper soon, but you can come back and play again another day. Maybe we’ll cut out paper dolls. I have a friend named Clawdy and sometimes we play in her room. She has amazing things in her room. There’s an old trunk in the attic and we play dress-up.”

  “I’d like that. I have a book that hasn’t been cut out yet. Can you cut good?” Trixie asked.

  “Of course, I’m not a baby!” Janie huffed.

  Trixie was on her way to her car when one of the girls that kept her mother’s room clean stepped out from behind a tree. She had a baby on her hip and a diaper bag thrown over her shoulder.

  “Miss Trixie, I need help. And…”

  “What is it, Misty?” Trixie remembered her name because the girl was a sweetheart and never agitated Janie.

  The girl hung her head and wouldn’t look up.

  “Are you in trouble, honey?” Trixie asked. “Can I help?”

  “He got mad at Layla and lit into her with a belt. She’s gonna have bruises and I could go to the police but last time he broke the restrainin’ order and beat me hard with that belt. I’m afraid of him and he’s lookin’ for us.”

  “How long have you been gone from the house?”

 
“Thirty minutes. He’s already driven past here two times, but I hid in the backseat of your car. I hope that’s all right.”

  “Get back in my car. I know just exactly where to take you.” Trixie removed the scarf she’d worn to church that morning. “Put this on your head to cover up that red hair and keep Layla in your lap.”

  “Where are we going? He’s real mean and he’ll be mad. I took Layla away from him after he hit her and then he whooped me.”

  “And then he left?”

  “Went for more beer,” Misty said. “I’m scared of him. Payday was Friday. He’s always mean on the weekends after I get paid.”

  Trixie backed out of the parking lot and drove away. “You got family?”

  “Mamma died two years ago, and Daddy went to California. Last I heard he’s married again. He’s got a new baby of his own.”

  “How old are you?”

  “Twenty last month.”

  “And Layla?”

  “She’s two. We never did marry. We was just living together. I don’t care where you take me. I just want to get away.”

  “You will. I’ve got a friend who’ll help you. She’s a preacher and she knows exactly what to do. You’ll have to promise her that you won’t make phone calls to him or anyone that knows him.”

  “I’d promise anything.”

  Trixie found Darla Jean in the kitchen at Clawdy’s with Agnes and told her the story while Misty and Layla waited in the car.

  “Sorry sumbitch. Men like that ought to be shot down like rabid skunks,” Agnes said. “You takin’ her to Betty?”

  Darla Jean nodded. “You want to come along?”

  Agnes shook her head. “Girl don’t need so many people all around her tonight. I’ll go with you next Thursday. Looks like you just fell into runnin’ an underground for abused girls. Maybe God will learn to like you after all.”

  Darla Jean smiled. “I hope so. Bring her around to the back door of the church and put her in my truck. It’s still light so that’ll keep things simple. I’ll call Betty on the way. Lindsey will be glad for the company and Betty is going to dance a jig over having a baby in the house. I’m wonderin’ if God ain’t called me for something even more important than bringin’ sinners to their knees.”