The three looked around at each other. “That is very interesting. She doesn’t sound like the Bonnie that left 8 years ago,” Ben said. Ginny cleared her throat and began to read again.
“I have the first home I have had since I left home. I wake eagerly looking forward to each new day. I have a husband, ranch with cows, a horse and the biggest dog I have ever seen with puppies everywhere. These are the things that are important to me now. All the things I once thought had value was just “misery wrapped in a pink ribbon.”
Ben began to grin. How many times had he told her that the thing of life she was craving was just, ‘misery wrapped in a pink ribbon’?
“I kept nothing from the past from my husband. Dad, I need your help with this ranch. My husband and I know nothing about ranching and every animal here is multiplying, including me.”
Ginny looked over the letter at the two sitting on the porch and asked, “What does she mean including me?”
“I suspect you are going to be a grandmother,” Cotton said.
“This ranch has given me a home I never thought I would have again. The Lord has given me a new direction and a way to direct my energy in a positive direction. I will never be fully happy until I have my family back in my life. I will be checking my mailbox every day eager to hear from you. Come soon, if you can. We will all have a new start together!”
All my love
Bonnie
Cotton broke the silence as the three sat almost in tears. He stated, “Well, I’m headed back to the Post Office. I’m late for my rounds and I need to stop by my house before the rumor weed starts blowing in the wind.”
C44 - No End to Misery
Billy and Alice had lived their lives on the lower east side of Chicago, which was a place where the down and out seldom got a break. The two had never been far from the bottom until Willy came into their lives. His help earned Willy their undying devotion. Now he was gone, and life was slowly taking a downward spiral. Then came the evening Smitty came looking for Willy. Smitty had been cruel and had enjoyed beating Billy. But the abuse that Billy took had convinced Smitty he did not know the whereabouts of Willy and Bonnie. A knock on the door brought Billy up with a start. He asked, “Alice, arrre you expecting anybbbody?” They had been so busy packing their meager possessions and deciding what they would leave behind they had not been cautious. Shaking her head no, she quickly shoved the suitcases under the bed to conceal the evidence of their leaving.
“Just a mmminute, I’m cccomming,” he stuttered. Billy opened the door a small crack to see a very large detective.
“Are you Billy Parks?” asked the large detective.
“Who wwwants to know?” stuttered Billy.
“Just answer the question, Dummy,” the big man said. Shoving the door open and pushing Billy aside, he said aggressively, “May we come in?”
“Yyyou’re already in! Wwwhat yyyou wwwant?” Billy asked.
“I’m Detective Hadley, this is Detective Baxter,” he said pulling his badge out of his pocket and shoved it back in the same instance.
“Yyyouu don’t have to shshshow me your shield. I know who you are,” Billy said.
“You received a phone call today from down Texas way. Want to tell me what that conversation was about?” Getting no response from Billy, Hadley pushed him into a chair. “Now listen, the both of you. I don’t have a lot of patience or time. Why not make it easy on yourself? Besides, from the look of your face, someone’s done stepped on you recently. I hope you don’t want more of the same,” Hadley said.
“The phone call was for me.” The two detectives turned to see the petite woman standing behind them. Her tattered house coat gave the appearance of years of use. Pointing to her husband in the chair she said, “He doesn’t know about the phone call. He wasn’t even home.”
“Ok, why don’t you tell me what the call was about?” Hadley demanded.
Alice looked at her husband and pulled the knot tighter on the house coat. Looking at the floor she moved her barefoot slowly across the worn wooden planks.
The big detective removed the cigar from his mouth and with a gruff tone said, “Let’s cut the crap lady! We know who was on the other end of that line. Now why would a slick like Baker call a loser like you?” Hadley asked.
“We were friends once and he wanted to see how I was doing,” she said. Billy looked at Alice with a hurt look. For years they had dealt with cops like Hadley.
With his head down Billy said, “Youuuu been seeing him again, haven’t youuuu? I aught ttto beat the devil outtaaa you,” Billy said standing up suddenly.
“Shut up, Loser, and sit back down! I’m doing the talking here. Now lady, what makes you think I buy that line? You think I was born yesterday?” Hadley asked.
Alice lifted her eyes defiantly to the detectives and said, “Look around you. What do you think he would possibly want here?”
“I could drag you both downtown and make your lives a living hell; but you are right. What could he possibly want here? We will be back! You can bank on it! Don’t plan on going anywhere! Let’s get out of here, Baxter,” he said.
Leaving the boarding house, the detectives looked at each other. “They would never tell the truth if we killed them. You could question them till doomsday and all you would get would be a headache,” Hadley stated.
“Do you think we should follow them for a few days?” Baxter asked.
Hadley replied, “Naw…let the Texas Rangers figure out their problems! It’s quitting time; let the next shift look after them if they want to! I’ll drop you off at your car and we will take this up with the chief tomorrow.”
Hadley dropped Detective Baxter off and headed for a local bar he frequented. A few minutes later Detective Hadley leaned over the bar and lifted the phone onto the bar. Dialing a number he knew by heart, he said, “Hey Val, is McDonald around? This is Hadley from the 3rd precinct.”
“He is out of town,” a gruff voice on the other end of the line said.
Hadley retorted, “Well! I have a question for you then, Bozo. Is McDonald still interested in finding this Baker character?” There was silence on the other end of the line.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Val said.
“Okay, Mr. ‘I don’t know what you are talking about’, get hold of McDonald. Tell him it will cost him plenty and I can’t guarantee the offer will last past tomorrow, because there are some other folks looking for Baker. I will call you tomorrow and you better have an answer. Tell McDonald to think big, because this information will be expensive.” Hadley hung up the phone and grinned to himself. He needed a large sum to boost up his retirement account and just maybe he would be able to retire early.
The visit from Detective Hadley made it easier for Billy and Alice to decide what to leave behind. Billy stood in the dark room watching the street for better than an hour. “We need to llleave sssoon. It’s almmmost shift change at the precinct and ifff they are going to wwwatch us they wwwill be coming bbback sssoon!” Billy said.
“Are we going to leave tonight?” Alice asked.
“We arrre going ttto llleave rrright now,” Billy said.
“Walking through these streets in this part of Chicago at night is not a good thing to do Billy, but I guess we have no choice,” Alice said. Leaving the small apartment, they looked around cautiously. The long dark street stretched endlessly before them. Each side of the street was lined with cars and containers full of trash. Occasionally a cat would run across the street in front of the old shopping cart they pushed. Pushing the cart in the center of the deserted street the squeaking wheels let all know they were coming.
“How much further is the bus station?” Alice asked.
“At least another mile,” Billy whispered as though he could be heard over the unsettling squeaking of the wheels along the cold and empty streets. Neither of them had eaten all day and now they moved on hope from the phone call from Willy.
The last snow of the season had begun t
o thaw, and a misting rain made the dark streets shimmer under the dim streetlights. Their breaths came as frosty puffs of white rising in the cold night. Alice anxiously watched the darkened doorways along the street. Occasionally a cold breath or the glint of a cigarette could be seen. She wrapped her coat tightly around her as waves of fear gripped her heart. The squeaking wheels sent alarm through her mind. An occasional streetlight cast eerie light from the foggy mist that blew along the rain-soaked street. To quiet her fears, she softly hummed a song she remembered her mother had sung to her as a child. ‘Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.’
As they rounded a street corner where a streetlamp hung lifeless and dark, Billy sighed. Ahead in the distance the lights from the Bus Station threw giant rings of light in the misty rain. Just as safety seemed obtainable, a large figure moved out to block their way. A heavy voice said, “Got a light?”
Billy turned the buggy and tried to sidestep the dark figure.
“I have done ask you nice! You hard of hearing?” the heavy voice asked.
Billy pushed by the stranger and said, “Wwwe dddon’t smoke!”
“Hold up there! I didn’t say you could leave!” the heavy voice stated angrily.
“Mister, we haven’t got nothing you would want. Leave us be,” Alice said.
“I will be the judge of that.” The smell of whisky permeated the night air as the swaying figure pushed up against Billy. Grabbing Billy by the collar the larger man began to run his hands through Billy’s pockets. Bringing out the locker key, he held it to the front of his face trying to determine what he had and said, “What’s this here? Why it’s a locker key!” Turning the key around in his hand he slowly turned and looked at the distant terminal and a slow recognition began to show in his eyes. Pushing Billy back he stood eying the two of them and yelled, “You got any money? I need some money!”
Billy stood looking at what had terrorized him all his life. This beast was a predator that preyed on the weak living on these streets. How many times had men like these hurt him or Alice? They were prisoners at night, because of such men. Now the beast of darkness threatened to take their future away. This was too much for Billy and without warning he struck out with all the strength that he could muster. The sound of bone crunching and the gasp of the big man as he fell backwards broke the night silence. Standing over the man laying cold and still, Billy waited for the beast to rise and dispense the beating he expected to get. As big and scary as he had been moments before, the predator lay quiet and still in the wet street. Reaching down Billy took the key from the fallen man’s grasp and said, “Alice, inccccase there is any more trtrtrouble you cccarry this kkkey.”
Looking down at the prostrate figure Alice asked, “Do you suppose you broke his nose?”
“I hhhope so,” Billy replied.
Alice fished through the cart until she found a heavy bag and small box. She said, “Billy, take this we will leave the rest with the cart.” A few minutes later they stood in front of the Greyhound terminal and with a sigh of relief they both sat down on a cold bench outside the station. Clinching Billy’s hand tightly Alice looked as scared as a wild animal. Looking back the way they came Alice half expected to see the man coming for them from the darkness.
“Billy, before we enter this bus station, I want you to know something. One way or another we are leaving this place tonight; I will not let this opportunity pass us by. If we don’t leave, we will die in this place. Now Billy, let’s just relax. We can’t walk in there like a couple of scared rabbits the hounds of hell are after.” Laying her head on his shoulder, Alice said, “Billy, I will always love you, no matter what. You have been good to me all these years. We haven’t had much, but you have been there for me.” Raising her head from his shoulder she asked, “Why do you suppose Willy left us the money?”
“I don’t knnnow, Babe, but he wwwas alwwways generous.” Taking the key from Alice, Billy walked over to the lockers not looking to the left or right. His eyes scanned the lockers until he came to the one that had the same number as the key. Sighing deeply, Billy stopped in front of the locker. His heart was pounding so hard he was afraid someone could hear it. A heavy black bag was the only item in the locker, and it took a bit of doing to get it out of the small doorway. Walking back to where Alice was seated, he neither looked to the right nor left; his eyes staring at hers. Alice sat knitting and for a long time neither of them said a word. Billy just sat with the bag in his lap. In a few minutes they began to slowly look around and to their surprise no one in the terminal appeared to be interested in them. Billy unzipped the bag and gasped. In the bag was a stack of money of all denominations. On the top of the money was an envelope that had their names on it. Handing the envelope to Alice and removing a $20.00 bill he zipped up the bag. Swallowing hard he turned to Alice who sat staring back at him. “Dddid you sssee wwwhat I saw?” he whispered. Nodding her head, she began to open the letter with shaky hands.
Billy stood looking over Alice’s shoulder as if he could read while she opened the letter, “The letter is addressed to us and it gives instructions as to where we are to go. There are also two bus tickets with open dates to Houston, Texas,” she said.
Taking the money out of his hand, Alice said, “I will go and get us a sandwich and coke and see when the next bus will leave. You sit here with the bag.” Before she walked away, she turned and said, “Now, Billy, don’t go nowhere and don’t take your hand off that bag.” When she returned, they sat eating the sandwiches. Alice said, “Our bus leaves in two hours.” For a long time, she sat quietly reading the rest of the letter to Billy.
“Looks like you will get your wish, Billy. This letter says we are to go to a place called Conroe, Texas, and on the main highway headed north there is a service station called the Highway 45 Oasis.” Included in the letter was a picture of the station and a small house. Alice looked at the pictures then continued with the letter. “The man running the service station is waiting for you to take over the business before he retires,” she said. Billy sat looking at the pictures almost in shock. His eyes ebbed with tears and his lower lip quivered. “Willy bought the service station for you, Billy. Do you remember all the times you would tell Willy how you liked the looks of the different automobiles that passed on the street? How you planned to work in a service station someday? Willy never forgot, and now you own your own service station. The man that runs the place is going to work with you until you know all there is to know about the business.” Alice wiped tears from her eyes and her voice quivered. Alice read the next paragraph and taking the picture back from Willy, she wiped her eyes trying to clear the tears so she could see. “Billy, this letter says the house behind the station is mine.” Quietly she examined the picture again and for a long time sat looking at the house memorizing every detail. “Why…it’s lovely.” She said it so softly it was almost a whisper. “We have our very own home,” she said shaking her head in disbelief. “There are curtains in the windows! Billy, will you paint it white for me?” she asked softly.
Choked with emotion, he nodded a yes and said, “III’ll do anythththing for you, Alice.” For a long time, nothing was said. They had forgotten how hungry they were. Overcome with emotion they just sat still, Alice never taking her eyes from the picture of the small house and Billy looking over her shoulder at the picture. Alice was the first to break the silence.
“Yesterday, all was hopeless and now everything has changed,” she said.
Billy gasped and took her hand squeezing it tightly. Fear shot through her body as she looked in the direction he was looking. Coming through the door they watched two policemen walk into the station.
“Thththey are loooking for us, arrrren’t thththey?” Billy asked.
“Settle down Billy, you don’t know that. Maybe they are just making their rounds,” Alice said. Taking up her knitting she worked the needles feverishly as they looked at each other for support.
The two officers walked around the station t
heir eyes taking in everyone, one stopped at the sandwich counter and the other started over to where Billy and Alice sat. Billy looked down at his hand and saw he still hadn’t finished his sandwich.
“Hey, Frank, what kind of sandwich do you want?” Turning abruptly the policeman headed for the counter. His sudden interest in Billy and Alice was just as suddenly forgotten. A few minutes later they left, and Billy gave a sigh of relief.
The bus left Chicago on time and Alice and Billy watched the station disappear in the darkness. “Yyyou know, Alice, I cccan’t do numbers vvvery well. You will have to handle the cash rrregister and I will service the cccars!” Billy laughed and said under his breath, ‘Yyyou want yyyour windshield washed?’… ‘yyyour oil checked?’… ‘lovely mmmorning isn’t it!’ Getting no response, he looked over at Alice. She had drifted off to a peaceful sleep. The stress had been too much for her. Together he knew they complimented one another. He had his strengths and weaknesses and Alice always filled in his weak areas. He knew that without her he could always live on the edge of society just getting by. Billy leaned his head against the seat and choked back the tears. Leaving their meager existence on the east side had been a dream come true. He was not afraid to face the unknown. Settling back, he knew that without his friend Willy, they would have been doomed to a life on the streets of Chicago. Tears flooded his eyes and a peace flooded his soul. He was overcome with emotion and he prayed.
Doing Time In Texas, Book 2 Page 16