Last Bus to Coffeeville

by J. Paul Henderson

‘I was startin’ to b’lieve she were a figment o’ the boy’s mind,’ Bob said. ‘Wonder if we’ll ever get to meet the girl?’

  Doc shrugged. ‘At my time of life, I don’t need to meet any new people. The main thing is they’ve found her and Eric’s no longer our responsibility. I wonder what they’ll do.’

  ‘By the sounds o’ things they’ll be tourin’ the country with a one-song repertoire. What is it they suppose’ to be learnin’?’

  ‘It’s a song from Jack’s rock band days, one that his friend wrote. He and Eric are going to perform it Wednesday night.’

  ‘You gonna sing somethin’, Gene?’

  ‘What song would I sing?’

  ‘How ’bout “What a Won’erful Worl’”? Steada doin’ the straight version, you could do yo’ own ironic renderin’. Ha!’

  Doc smiled. ‘Do you ever regret not being Bob Crenshaw anymore and having to live life as T-Bone Tribble?’

  ‘Depends on what you mean. The man still me – jus’ got to call his’self by a diff’rent name, is all. Sometimes I get sad he’s dead, an’ cain’t take credit fo’ what I done with my life, but I’da prob’ly never done those things had he not been dead – if you see what I mean. You think ’bout it, Gene, when Bob Crenshaw was alive all he did was kill people fo’ a livin’, an’ now he’s dead, the killin’s ended. In that respec’ I don’t min’ him being dead. Why you aksin’ me this?’

  ‘It’s just that there are times when I think it’s my fault he’s dead. When we were arrested in Jackson, you got us out of jail by making a pact with the Devil – with Fogerty. And what happened after that? My life continued as normal and yours came to an end; I became a doctor and you became a fugitive, living under an assumed name and having to look over your shoulder the whole time. It doesn’t seem right.’

  ‘Figure it this way, Gene. If you hadn’ta pulled me from the bus in Anniston when it was burnin’, Bob Crenshaw woulda been dead already. It was my fault we got arrested in Jackson, an’ so I did what was necessary. You’da done the same if you’d been me. I ain’t got no regrets. Sure, there was bad times ’long the way, but I met some good people. They weren’t exactly members o’ the Chamber o’ Commerce or the Rotary Club – an’ most o’ what they did wasn’t exac’ly legal neither – but even so, they was still salt o’ the earth. An’ I met Marsha! My life’s good, Gene. I ain’t got no complaints. Man on the run sometimes ends up with mo’ freedoms ’n a man that ain’t.’

  Doc thought about what Bob had said. ‘I think you could be right there. A week ago I shot a dog and kidnapped Nancy, and ever since I’ve been on the run. It’s the first time I’ve ever been on the wrong side of the law and, to tell you the truth, it’s been the most exhilarating week of my life. I’m almost sorry it’s ending. All considered, I think it’s been a damn fine time! Maybe I will sing that song!’

  Halloween

  The day of the party arrived. ‘We need to get ourselfs organised,’ Bob said. ‘Know who’s doin’ what.’

  ‘I’ll drive to the Piggly Wiggly and buy the groceries and a couple of pumpkins,’ Jack said. ‘You want to come with me, Eric?’

  ‘You might wanna buy him some Valium while yo’ there,’ Bob said. ‘Kid’s goin’ roun’ like he’s on amphetamine or somethin’.’

  This was true. Since returning from Memphis the previous day, Eric had been living on Cloud Nine. He’d talked more in these hours than in the entirety of the days he’d travelled with them. He ran rather than walked places, chattered endlessly about Susan and of returning to California with her and Jack. He joined in every activity and insisted on helping with all the chores: he served food, cleared plates, washed dishes, tidied his room and tidied the house. It was tiring just to watch him, even more tiring to be with him. He no longer read the Bible, and explained that he’d finished the Old Testament and was going to take a break before starting the New.

  ‘I’ll come with you, Jack. Just let me get my helmet.’

  ‘We need to make a list of the food and drink we’ll need for tonight, and another list for the food and drink Nancy and I will need after you’ve gone,’ Doc said. ‘Remember, we won’t have a car. Let me check what we have in the kitchen and then write down what I tell you, Jack.’

  ‘I can write it down, Doctor Gene. I’ll follow you into the kitchen,’ Eric said. He went to his room and tore a clean sheet of paper from his notebook and grabbed his pen. ‘I’m ready, Doctor Gene. You can start calling things out.’

  ‘What you gonna do, Nance?’ Bob asked her.

  ‘I think I’ll just sit here and wait for my parents,’ Nancy said. ‘I feel tired today.’

  ‘You do that, Nance. If you need me, I’ll be outside checkin’ the bus, makin’ sure the oil an’ water levels are okay. You wanna give me a hand, Gene?’

  ‘Sure. I’ll look through the compartments and make sure we haven’t left anything. Just let me finish off these lists and I’ll be with you.’

  ‘I ain’t in no rush. I’ll sit here with Nance and chat fo’ a while. You wanna chat, Nance?’

  ‘No, not today, thank you, Bob.’

  ‘In that case, I’ll sit here an’ say nothin’ then.’

  Jack and Eric left for Coffeeville, and Doc and Bob went to the bus. ‘When I first saw this thing in the church car park, I thought you’d gone and lost your mind,’ Doc said to Bob, ‘but I have to admit, it was an inspired choice.’

  ‘It weren’t so much inspired as what they had, Gene. It was either this bus or a large van with no seats in it. I’da been okay, but it woulda been distractin’ havin’ an old guy like you rollin’ round in the back. Them scratches we got up at Three Top Mountain ain’t so bad as I thought; what you think?’

  ‘They’ll need touching up but it shouldn’t cost too much. That reminds me, I need to settle up with you.’

  ‘What you mean you need to settle up with me? I ain’t takin’ no money from you, Gene. Man who hired me this vehicle owed me a favour; he ain’t chargin’.’

  ‘I don’t care – just take it. Nancy set it aside for the journey. It’s yours: you can do with it as you please.’

  ‘How you gonna manage without money?’

  ‘I’ve got money and we’ve got food. It’s not as if I’m going to be here forever.’

  ‘Where you gonna be, then? You ever plannin’ on goin’ home?’

  ‘Where else am I going to go?’

  ‘You could come stay with me an’ Marsha. You an’ Nance could live in the cabin if you like. No one’d go lookin’ fo’ you there.’

  ‘I appreciate the offer, Bob, but I’m not risking your well-being for the sake of ours. Nancy and I will stand or fall on our own terms.’

  ‘It the fallin’ that worries me,’ Bob said.

  Doc looked at him.

  ‘It’s okay, Gene, I ain’t gonna say no mo’. I figure I ain’t gonna see you again though, am I?’

  ‘Of course you are. Now for God’s sake take the money and let’s go and see how Nancy’s doing.’

  ‘I’ll follow you in. Jus’ need to finish checkin’ the oil.’ He opened the hood of the engine, pulled out the dipstick and wiped it clean with a cloth. The oil level was fine. He replaced the dipstick and spoke to himself: ‘You lying to me, ol’ man. I ain’t gonna see you again, an’ you knows it.’

  ‘Jack taught me this trick for when I start learning to drive, Mrs Skidmore.’

  ‘What trick is that, Eric?’ Nancy asked.

  ‘When you pull up at a stop light and there’s only one car in front of you, as soon as the light changes you honk your horn at him and…’

  ‘Why would you want to do that, dear?’

  ‘Because he won’t have had a chance to move forward and he’ll get annoyed.’

  ‘That doesn’t sound like a good idea. Why did you tell him this, Jack? What would have happened if the man in front had got out of his car and shot you both in the head?’

  ‘We didn’t do it, Nancy. I just thought it was a good scenario f
or a joke. I wasn’t suggesting Eric do this.’

  ‘I thought you said I could. Does this mean I can’t?’

  ‘Of course you can’t, Eric. And before you even think about learning how to drive, you first need to learn how to keep your lip buttoned. Now let’s go and carve the pumpkins. Do you want to help us, Nancy?’

  ‘Yes – and thank you for asking, Jack. I used to be good at carving pumpkins.’

  Jack and Eric carried the pumpkins outside, while Nancy went into the kitchen to look for a serrated knife and scoop. She joined them on the porch and they set to work. Nancy took a lipstick from her purse and drew a circle around the pumpkin’s top, and asked Jack to cut it out and clean the underside of what would become the lid. She then handed the scoop to Eric and told him to scrape out the seeds and soft flesh from the inside, and dump them in the bucket.

  ‘Now what do we do, Mrs Skidmore?’

  ‘I’ll draw a face on the side and then one of you can cut it out,’ Nancy replied.

  They finished the first pumpkin and started on the second. This time Nancy drew a different face on its side, and Jack carved out triangular rather than square holes for the eyes and nose. The mouth took longer, as Nancy had insisted on jagged teeth. Once finished, they took a step backward and viewed their handiwork.

  ‘We’ve done well, haven’t we?’ Eric said. ‘We could become professionals.’

  ‘If we did turn professional, we’d only have one day’s work a year,’ Jack said.

  ‘That’s one more day than you have at present,’ Doc said. ‘You should consider it.’ He smiled contentedly to himself and then lit the cigarette he was holding.

  It was dark, and the stars glistened in the night sky. Eric lit the white candles inside the gourds and Nancy replaced their lids. She stared silently at the flickering lights and watched the shadows dance. ‘I’m going to die, Eric. Did you know that?’

  ‘Don’t talk like that, Mrs Skidmore! You’re not going to die – I don’t want you to.’

  ‘Don’t want me to what, Eric?’

  ‘Die – I don’t want you to die.’

  ‘Whatever put that idea into your head? This is the night of the year when the dead come back to life. I’m expecting all kinds of visitors tonight.’

  Eric was spooked by Nancy’s conversation and went inside to tell Doc. ‘Doctor Gene, Mrs Skidmore says she’s going to die and that dead people are coming to visit tonight. Can you go and talk to her?’

  Doc put down his beer and was about to step outside when the door opened, and Nancy came into the room with Wanda, George and B’shara Byrd in tow. ‘Look who’s come to visit us, Gene. It’s Wanda and George and they’ve brought the cutest little girl with them.’

  B’shara Byrd was dressed in a pink rabbit suit, and had white whiskers painted on the sides of her face. ‘She don’ do scary stuff,’ George said by way of explanation. ‘I bought her a witch face an’ hat to wear, but she won’ go near ’em. Jus’ wan’s to be a rabbit.’

  George was carrying a case of beer and Wanda two pies – one pumpkin, the other chocolate. ‘Where you want these put?’ she asked.

  ‘Give ’em to me Wanda an’ I’ll put ’em in the refrig’rator,’ Bob said. ‘We got pizza an’ hot dogs to start with. Go sit down an’ I’ll bring some drinks through. What you want – wine, beer, or juice?’

  ‘Wine fo’ me, juice fo’ B’shara an’ beer fo’ George, if you will.’

  Without looking, Doc slotted a CD into the player and pushed the play button. A cacophony of noise exploded into the room, followed a few bars later by a voice tailor-made for Halloween.

  Nancy came running into the room with her panties halfway between her knees and ankles. ‘Arnold, turn that damned racket off!’ she shouted. ‘You know the rules!’

  ‘Who Arnold?’ George asked Wanda.

  ‘Arnold her husband what died,’ Wanda replied.

  ‘Then why she talkin’ to Gene?’

  ‘I’ll explain later. I need to go he’p Ms Nancy.’

  It took a while for Doc to find the eject button, but when he did and the music stopped, Nancy quietened. Wanda took her by the arm and guided her back to the bathroom, while Doc tried to make out the name on the CD.

  ‘Jack, what’s this CD I’ve just played?’

  Jack took it from his hand and held it to the light. ‘Lick My Decals Off, Baby by Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band. What’s Nancy doing with this in her collection?’

  ‘It’s one of Arnold’s,’ Gene replied. ‘I’m surprised she still has it.’

  The evening recovered and the party gathered ground. To a background of Beatles music, the revellers filled their glasses with alcohol and their plates with hot dogs and pizza. Eric and B’shara Byrd huddled together on the porch, and Eric brought her a pair of his washing-up gloves to wear. Wanda, Nancy and Doc sat by the fire reminiscing about Oaklands, Dora and the Travis family; while George, Bob and Jack swapped stories and told jokes.

  Doc whispered something to Wanda and she called over to George. ‘Hey, George, come give me a han’, will you?’

  ‘What you wan’, Wanda?’

  ‘Gene wan’s to toast Ms Nancy with champagne.’

  ‘Why cain’t he do it his self? He hurt his han’ or somethin’?’

  ‘Ms Nancy all clingy with him an’ he wan’s it to be a surprise. She’d wanna know what he doin’ if he got up an’ left.’

  Wanda took champagne glasses from the cupboard and George got busy with the corkscrew. ‘What in the name o’ Sweet Jesus you doin’, George? You don’ open a champagne bottle with a corkscrew, you use yo’ damned thumbs. If only my mamma could see you now. Ha!’

  ‘How I suppose to know that? I ain’t never drunk champagne b’fore.’

  ‘Sure you has. Sometimes I think you got shit fo’ brains, George – an’ fo’ the love of God, stop shakin’ the bottle!’

  There were two loud pops and Wanda came into the room holding a tray. George walked slowly behind her, looking at his thumbs and rubbing them with his fingers. Doc took the glasses from the tray and handed them around. He lifted his glass. ‘To Nancy,’ he said. ‘A belated Happy Birthday. We’re glad we know you, and we’re glad to be your friends.’

  ‘Nancy,’ everyone replied – including Nancy.

  ‘Let’s play our song now, Jack,’ Eric said. He settled at the piano they’d moved into the room earlier in the day, and waited for Jack to bring the guitar.

  ‘This is a song a friend of ours wrote…’ Jack began.

  ‘I didn’t know him,’ Eric said.

  ‘Okay, wise guy, this is a song a friend of mine wrote. We were going to change the words to make it more appropriate, but in the end we decided not to. It’s appropriate enough.’

  He looked at Eric, and Eric started to play the opening bars.

  If I had to live my life again I’d want to be with you

  sharing every second of each day

  For the love that you have given me is more than I deserved

  a love no man could ever hope repay

  Take my love as read, there are no words inside my head

  to make you realise I’m dead without you by my side

  I’ll maybe smile or simply nod, play the fool or act the sod

  I never felt a need for God when you were by my side

  I hope I die before you dear, I couldn’t bear to live

  in shadows cast by your not being there

  There’d be no meaning left to life, no place to hide my soul

  just years and feelings no one else could share

  Take my love as read, there are no words inside my head

  to make you realise I’m dead without you by my side

  I’ll maybe smile or simply nod, play the fool or act the sod

  I never felt a need for God when you were by my side

  They then played the first verse again, and afterwards Jack explained the reason for singing the song.

  ‘What Eric and I are saying is tha
t we’ve enjoyed travelling with you this past week, and that if we ever have to make another trip like this, you’d be the people we’d want to make it with. Thanks Doc, thanks Bob, and a special thanks to you, Nancy, for making it possible.’

  Everyone applauded. The two boys had played well together and Jack’s words had been unexpected – especially to Nancy. ‘What trip is he talking about, Gene?’

  Before Doc had time to answer, Jack was introducing him as the next act on the bill. ‘Doc’s now going to sing What a Won’erful World, so let’s give the old guy a big hand.’

  ‘Whoa, I’m not singing anything!’ Doc protested.

  ‘I knew you’d try squirm outta it, Gene, so I wrote down the words fo’ us all to sing. We’ll sing it together – you included. You ain’t not singin’ it!’

  Bob handed out his homemade lyric sheets, and Jack and Eric started to play the music. Doc sang the words as best he could from memory – he couldn’t see any words written on the paper Bob had given him.

  Eric’s unbroken voice rang out from behind the piano. For him, the world really was starting to reclaim its wonder. He knew he would never stop missing his parents or wishing they were still alive, but he now no longer felt like the orphan who’d been enrolled at Talbot Academy. He had friends – true, many of them also old enough to be his grandparents – and now the promise of a new family life with Susan. And maybe even Jack. He’d always known that Jack would like Susan.

  For Jack, too, life was looking up. The longer his hair grew, the more distant the memory of Laura and Conrad became. A new career in hairdressing beckoned, as well as a possible future with the most beautiful girl in the world and the most naive boy in the universe. He sang the words of the song with gusto and smiled at Eric, who smiled right back at his older brother.

  Bob, Doc and Nancy stood together like a trio from light entertainment’s yesteryear; three old friends reunited after decades of separation, soon to be torn apart for the final time. Doc knew this and Bob knew this, but neither acknowledged the truth on this perfect evening. The wonder of the world for Bob was having Marsha and a life in Seattle to return to; for Doc, the wonder remained in the moment – this one glorious and unforgettable moment.