by Casey Peeler
“So, y’all hiring?” I ask Darren, and he and Logan look at me like I’ve lost my mind.
Walker
Waking up, I hear this god-awful beeping noise. As my eyes flicker open, it takes a minute for them to focus. Where the hell am I? I try to recall the events at Mayville’s. There is no way that happened. There is no way my dad actually shot his own son. As I try to sit up, a sharp, stabbing pain attacks my shoulder, and I cry out.
Within seconds, a nurse is at my side asking about my pain level. I know it hurts, but I want answers. I want to know if my parents have been caught, and if Chauna’s dad is okay. Just as I’m about to ask the nurse for details, she informs me that there is an officer waiting to see me. I give her my pain level, and she tells me she’ll get me some pain medication while I talk to the officer.
“I’m Officer Tucker,” he says as he enters.
“Did you get them?” I ask.
“No, but we got Troy. I believe you might have some answers we have been looking for,” he says.
“I don’t know about that,” I say as I try to make myself more comfortable.
“What can you tell us about Mayville’s?” he asks as he takes out his pen and paper.
“Honestly, that was the first time I’d been there. I heard that my parents might show up there.”
“Okay, and why were you looking for your parents?” he asks.
Unsure of what the cop knows or why he is actually here, I think about my response before I answer. “I didn’t know where they were. So when someone told me they might be there, I decided to see if I could find them,” I say as pain shoots through my shoulder.
“We’ve been watching Mayville’s for a while. We got a tip that there’s been some illegal things going on there, but it wasn’t until we ran your dad’s fingerprints that we realized who we were messing with. There’s a warrant for his arrest in Barber, North Carolina. What can you tell me about their connection to Mike Jackson?” When he mentions his name, I feel as if I’m going to be sick.
“Mike Jackson is my girlfriend’s dad. I don’t know for sure, but I think he must have tried to stop my dad from doing something,” I say, hoping that’s enough.
“Do you know what they were going there to do?” he asks, and that is a loaded question. I know if I reveal the truth a lot of people will get hurt.
“My parents are bad people, sir. For as long as I can remember, they’d find trouble, and we would up and move. I don’t know why they were at Boondocks. I just know that my parents hurt someone I love, and they need to be brought to justice,” I say.
“Your parents? Only Troy Bentley has a warrant.”
“What about my mom?” I question.
“Let’s hold off on that subject for a minute. Would you like to press charges against your father?”
“If it’s what you need to put him behind bars, then yes, I would, but if he’s already in custody and going to serve enough time for his other charges, just let it go.”
“He was transported back to North Carolina this morning for the murder of Mike Jackson, but I still need your official answer for his charges down here,” states the officer. He said murder. Dear God in Heaven, please let that be wrong.
“Did you say murder?” I question, and he confirms it. “Would I have to come back here for the court stuff?” I ask.
“Yes.”
“Just let it go. I want to get back to normal, and if he’s already in trouble, that’s one less thing for me to worry about.”
“Do you know when you are going to be discharged?” Unsure, I press the call button for the nurse, and she informs me I’ll be here at least three more days. The officer looks back to me and says, “Your mother informed me that she will be taking you back to Barber when you are discharged.”
“My mom? Isn’t she getting locked up, too?” I question.
“No, your mom has no warrants at this time.” I am unsure of how I feel about this information. “What is a good number for you in case we need to be in contact?” he asks. I give him my cell number, and he walks out the door.
After the officer leaves, I look at my phone and know I have to call Chauna. I have to tell her how sorry I am for not being there and how much I miss her. Most important, I want her to know they have my dad in custody, and I didn’t leave her without good reason.
Chapter 32
Chauna
Tonight is the night Darren is reopening Boondocks. I get butterflies in my stomach when I think about how much my life is going to change after this night. I get to live out my childhood dream. The only difference is that Daddy won’t be here to see me.
As I look in the mirror, I pull my dark hair back into a messy ponytail and smile as I get ready to work my first night at Boondocks. Darren wasn’t sure about hiring me because he thought it was too soon, but when I mentioned I needed a way to make a living, he couldn’t argue with that. Tonight, I will officially be a waitress at Boondocks, and I can’t wait. I will be working there until I’m done with school and can take over Daddy’s half of the business. The moment I walked into Boondocks, I knew that one day I would take over the business, and tonight is the first step to making my dream a reality.
Grabbing my keys, I lock up the house and hop into my truck. As I drive toward Main Street, I turn up the country music and sing along. When I arrive at Boondocks, I park around back like the other employees. I enter through the back door and feel completely at home. Stopping by Darren’s office, I let him know I’m here, and he gives me a rundown of my duties and lets me know that Krista will be training me tonight. I change into a Boondock tank that shows a little cleavage and walk into the bar area to see if Krista is here yet.
Paige is stocking a cooler of Bud Lights. “Hey, Darren, can you grab another case of Bud Lights?” she asks.
“I can,” I say as I surprise her with a female voice. Standing quickly, she looks at me.
“Chauna! How are ya, girl?” she asks as she grabs a few more beers.
“Okay, I guess. Glad to be here tonight. I can promise you that.”
“Well, we’re glad to have you here. Hold on, and I’ll be back. I gotta run downstairs for more beer,” she says.
“I got it. No worries,” I say as I hurry to the stairs. Just as I grab the case of beer, my phone begins to ring. Like Logan doesn’t know I’m already here. I quickly grab my phone from my back pocket, but when I see the name on the screen, I freeze… Walker. Suddenly, my body won’t move. At the last minute, I hit accept, and as I say hello, there’s no one on the other line. Should I call him back? Why now? At least he’s alive, I think to myself. I hit call back and wait… nothing. He doesn’t answer. I try one more time… nothing.
As I stand there in shock, I hear someone come down the steps. I look to see Darren. He walks toward me, and I cry in his arms.
Walker
The moment I hit send on the phone my heart starts to beat out of my chest. I’m terrified that it’s going to cause my lung to tear apart. I wait and wait until it goes to voicemail. Just as I begin to leave her a message, the doctor walks in. I quickly hang up the phone and give him my attention.
“Mr. Bentley, you’ve made great progress this week for a wound like yours. How do you feel overall?” he questions.
“I feel a lot better than earlier this week,” I say.
“I’m sure you do. If you have a good night, and you’ve got someone that can change your dressing, I’ll discharge you tomorrow.”
“That sounds great,” I say, wondering who I’ll get to do that for me. He examines my wound, and then the nurse comes in to add a new dressing when he leaves. I hope I can leave and see Chauna tomorrow.
As I start to call her again, there is a knock at the door. I’m shocked when I look up and see my mom. Are you freakin’ kidding me? Guess that cop was right. I toss my head back on the pillow and just wait for what’s next because this isn’t going to go well, and I’m pretty sure my plans are going to change.
“Walker,
are you okay?” she asks with concern.
“Are you kiddin’ me right now?” I say as she smiles and takes a seat near me. “What do you want?” I ask.
“I just came to check on my baby boy. That’s all.”
“Right. You weren’t concerned when Dad decided to shoot me to try to save his own skin.”
“I didn’t have a choice,” she says.
I feel my blood pressure rise, and the nurse returns to my room to ask if everything is okay.
“She was just leaving,” I say, but Mom begins to cry, and in all of my years of living I’ve only seen her cry when her mom passed away, and this breaks me. I can’t push my mom away. She’s not the best person, but she’s still my mom. Maybe, just maybe, this will make her see that life can be better even if it’s just the two of us.
Chauna
As I dry the tears from my eyes, Darren pulls away and looks down at me.
“You don’t have to start working tonight. You know that, right?” If it’s too soon, take some time for yourself,” he says, searching my face for answers.
“I’m fine. I just didn’t expect that. I haven’t heard from Walker in a week, and I missed his call.” Taking my phone, I look at it again. “What’s strange is there is no voicemail, and he didn’t answer when I tried to return the call. That’s not like him. I just hope he’s okay,” I say as tears start to form in my eyes again.
“Chauna, I know you don’t want to hear this, but with everything that happened with your daddy he might have had no choice but to move,” he says, and it’s as if my world stops. Oh. My. Gosh. Anger flares, and I don’t know what to do. I look at my phone and know I have a little bit of time. Did Walker know? There’s no way he’d hurt me. I tell Darren I’ll be back, and I drive to Ivan’s Imports because I need answers.
I drive down Main Street, turn onto Barber Mill Road, pass the mill, and turn into Ivan’s. As I look around, everything looks as it always does. I open the door and know that business hours are over, but I hope that someone here can give me the answers I need.
As the bell rings against the door, I hear people talking in the shop. With Suzy missing from the welcome desk, I slowly walk into the shop area. Nothing seems to be going on, but I notice Jimmy washing his hands in the sink.
“Jimmy, you got a minute?” I ask him.
“Sure, Chauna. What’s up?” he asks.
“I was wondering if Ivan was around. I need to ask him something.” His face goes blank, and I know that he knows something, and I’m going to find out what it is.
“He’s in a meeting,” he says.
“I’ll wait,” I say.
“It could be a while. Hold on a second, and I’ll check for ya.” He walks toward the door, knocks, and then waits for an okay to enter. Within a few minutes, he returns with Ivan.
“Chauna, I’m so sorry about Mike. He was a good guy,” Ivan says and almost sounds sincere.
“Thanks,” I say as my body wants to tremble, but I refuse to let it. “You don’t happen to know where Walker is, do you?”
“I haven’t seen him since last week.”
“What about his parents?” I question.
“Haven’t seen them either. Those people don’t stay in one place too long from what I’ve heard. Guess they just decided to move on,” he says as if it’s no big deal. It might not be to him, but it is to me.
“You don’t think they had something to do with what happened to Daddy, do you?” I ask.
“Chauna, I have no idea,” he says, and I know he is lying.
“Really, Ivan? I’ve grown up in this town. I know who you are, and that the stuff you do around here isn’t always legal. Why do you think I came here? I came to see if you knew anything. I don’t want to know details. I just want to find Walker and make sure that he’s okay. I need to know where he is and why he left. That’s it!”
Out of the quiet, Jimmy speaks. “Chauna, he’s okay. I saw him late Saturday night.”
“Thanks, Jimmy. That’s all I needed to hear,” I say as I try to keep myself in check before I crumble yet again. Walking outside, I hurry to my truck as tears stream down my face. He’s gone and left without saying goodbye. I don’t know the reason, but I know that I will not answer another call from him, and I will not forgive him for this. How could he leave without saying goodbye? More importantly, how could he hang out with Jimmy while he knew something was going on in town? He didn’t answer my calls or text, and we had just had the best night ever.
Logan is waiting for me when I get back to Boondocks. I step out of the truck and know that Darren has filled him in. He stands there and opens his arms. I walk to them, and he folds them around me. He tells me everything will be all right and asks me if I want to go home. I shake my head. I push Walker and everything else away and decide that tonight I start over as a new Chauna. One that focuses on herself and surviving with only the people she can truly count on in life.
After we turn on the open sign, my friends and classmates enter Boondocks ready for another teen night. As the band takes the stage, they look at me and question whether I want to start the night off. There’s no way I wouldn’t start the night off like any other Friday night. Walking to the stage, I hear a few hoots and hollers, and I know one of them is Logan. I laugh and take the microphone in my hand as the band begins to play. I feel at home for the first time in a week. One week ago I turned eighteen, one week ago I sang on this stage with my daddy for the last time, six days ago my daddy left this world, six days ago the guy who stole my heart shattered it, and today I start a new chapter.
Walker
“Walker, I called your Aunt Mary. She’s agreed to come and get us,” Mom says confidently.
“Seriously? We’ve been in Barber for how long, and haven’t even talked to her. She’s just going to take us in like that? I thought y’all didn’t get along,” I say.
“She hated your father,” she says.
“Understandable,” I say as a twinge of pain shoots through my side.
“Look, I didn’t want to call her, but what choice do we have? We have nowhere to go, you’re hurt, and we need a truck, not a motorcycle. They are coming tomorrow and will be here about the time you should be discharged.”
“Mom, thank you,” I say.
“For what?”
“Not following him this time.” She walks to my bedside and takes my hand as she takes a seat.
“Walker, I love your father, but when I saw how far he’d go to save himself, I couldn’t stay by his side. You’re a part of me, my baby boy, and I love you.”
Speechless. I’m absolutely speechless. For the remainder of the evening, Mom never leaves my side and ends up sleeping in the recliner beside my bed. I doze off and dream of returning to Chauna.
Chapter 33
Chauna
Looking into the crowd, I feel at home, but there is something missing. Daddy. It’s strange that I feel him in this place, and he’s not on stage with the band and me. I sing a song or two each set during teen night, but when the younger crowd leaves, it’s time to show Darren I can do my job.
As people enter, I stay with Krista and help her take orders. I watch closely at how she never writes anything down, but yet gets their orders correct. After about forty minutes, she stands back and watches. I can tell she’s listening closely to ensure the customers’ orders are perfect.
“Okay, so Paige we need two High Lifes, a Bud Light, and a Soco and lime,” I say.
Krista interrupts me, “Chauna, that’s High Life Lites,” she says with a smile.
“There’s a difference?” I say.
“Oh yeah, there’s a difference. Just remember little details like that, and you’ll be fine. I’ll stay with you until closing tonight, and tomorrow with the earlier crowd we won’t have to worry about much. You can make sure you have it down pat, and then I’m letting you do your thing,” she says. As excited as I am, it still makes me a little nervous.
As Paige places the beers onto a tray,
I take the tray, slide it on one hand, and walk toward the table. Please don’t fall off this tray. I make my way back to the bar once I finish taking another order.
“Dang, Chauna, I’d thought you’d been waitressing for years the way you just carried that tray!” Krista says.
“You know I’ve been around here long enough to get the hang of it, and maybe I used to practice as a little girl,” I say with a slight laugh.
As the night progresses, I feel at ease with the job. It’s almost as if it’s second nature. I fall even more in love with Boondocks. It’s as if a piece of me comes alive every moment that I’m here. As last call is announced, I check the tables with Krista one last time. After a few songs, the house lights rise, and people begin to make their way to the parking lot.
Krista and I clear tables, and this is where Boondocks is new to me. I can’t just walk out the door. I have to take time to make sure everything is back in order. Krista grabs a white bucket filled with a bleach solution and two towels. We each grab one and begin to wipe down the tables then place the chairs perfectly underneath.
As we are finishing up, the guys from the band take a seat at the bar, and Darren brings out food for them. He and Paige take a seat and call for Krista and me to join them.
“Have a seat, ladies,” Darren says.
Looking to the end, I see that there’s a seat left open. “Who’s that for?” I question.
They look to each other. “Your dad,” Paige says. “It’s only right.”
I smile, and without another word, we enjoy the silence in Boondocks.
Going home tonight, I feel okay for the first time in a week. I know that Daddy won’t be walking in the door behind me, but I know he’s with me. Walking inside, I flip on the lights and make my way to my room. I pull my Boondocks tank off and jump into the shower. After drying my hair with a towel, I pull it into a messy bun, slide on my pajamas, and crawl into bed.
