by Jessie Cox
“It’s kinda’ small, don’t you think?” Toby said.
“Not everyone lives in big fancy houses, Toby.” Ted said. “It may be small to you, but I like it. You kids bring your bags and come in. We’ll worry about eating after you are settled.”
Ted showed Toby and Sarah to their rooms. Other than a complaint about the only television being in the living room, the children settled in quickly.
Regrouping in the kitchen where Ted was making sandwiches, Ted said, “We’ll just have a snack to hold us over until our dinner date tonight.”
“Dinner date?” Sarah asked. “What dinner date?”
“My friend, Amos is bringing Timmy and Naomi over to meet you,” Ted replied. “I thought it would be nice if we all went for pizza together.”
“I’m not eating dog pizza!” Toby yelled.
“Oh! Yuck!” Sarah replied. “Me neither!”
“Kids! I’m telling you there is no dog eating, nor head lice with these people!” Ted said.
Toby jumped behind Sarah and made his hand a spider to run softly in her hair.
Sarah shrieked, then both children laughed.
Chapter 22
Amos had just slipped into his boots in order to take the short walk to Timmy’s when there was a knock on his door. Amos frowned as he pulled the pant leg down over the upper part of the boot. He was not expecting company. “I bet it’s those good Christian folk, come to shove Jaysus’ down the throats of old heathens, like me,” he muttered. Going to the door, he opened it to find Grayson on his front porch.
“Brother,” Amos said. “It is good to see you. Come in. Will you eat?”
“Thank you. No,” Grayson replied. “I have come to ask if you heard anything about two hunters of U’ tiun’ ta’, one Creek and one Cherokee.”
“I have heard nothing,” Amos said. “What do you think happened?”
“I do not know for certain, but I fear the worst,” Grayson replied. Two teams of hunters went out. One team was Creek and the other Cherokee. Against my advice to stay together and not go anywhere alone, each team split up. Only two have returned.”
“Perhaps they are lost or have decided to go elsewhere,” Amos said.
“Perhaps, but I can no longer see their faces in the sacred flames,” Grayson replied. “When I try to search for them, all I see is U’tiun’ ta’.”
“If they have gone to the place of No Return, I wish them a warm lodge, choice meats and a good woman,” Amos said.
Amos glanced at the clock that was hanging on his wall.
“I do not want to be rude, brother, but I am almost late for an appointment,” Amos said. “I must go, but you are welcome to stay here until I return.”
“Thank you, but no,” Grayson replied, as he walked toward the door. “I, too, must make my rounds. Should you hear of the two who did not return, please come and tell me.”
“I will,” Amos said, following Grayson out the door and closing it behind them.
Timmy was playing cars in his bedroom when he heard a knock at the door. His mother answered the knock. At first, he thought that someone was upsetting her. Jumping to his feet, he walked quietly by the room where Naomi was taking a nap. Just as he entered the living room, he heard his mother say, “Yes. This is the correct address. Yes, that is my name, but I didn’t order it.”
A man’s gruff voice said something that Timmy couldn’t hear, but then his mother said, “Oh! That sweet old man! Yes. Bring it in, please!”
Glancing around the door, she saw Timmy in the hallway.
“Go to your room,” she said. “A surprise has been sent to you and Naomi, but I don’t want you to see it until it is set up.”
Timmy was disappointed, but did as his mother said.
After what seemed an eternity, his mother called for him to wake his sister and come into the living room.
The new television was on, but with the sound off, when Timmy and a half asleep Naomi hurried into the room. Just as they entered, their mother turned off the mute button and yelled, “Surprise!”
“Oh, thank you, Mommy!” both children cried, as they hugged their mother, without taking their eyes off the screen.
“Don’t thank me,” their mother said. “Thank your Uncle Amos, when he gets here.”
At that moment there was another knock at the door. After the formalities were over, Timmy took Amos by the hand and half led, half dragged him to a recliner that only leaked stuffing in a few places, to seat him. Once seated, both Timmy and Naomi climbed into his lap where Naomi gave the lined leather skin of his cheek sweet kisses, while Timmy tried to hug the stuffing out of Amos, as well.
Chapter 23
U’ tiun ta’ opened her eyes in the semidarkness wondering what had dared disturb her sleep. Her first thought was that the foolish old woman had come back with her Jesus, hoping to take her by surprise. Or perhaps it was the big ugly man, returning to check the house more carefully. Listening, she heard nothing more and gradually fell back to sleep, safe in the knowledge that even should her hiding place between the chimney and the wall be found, nothing could hurt her.
“...so, I sneaked back into the US by swimming five miles out to sea, then let the tide push me ashore,” John said, from the front seat of the patrol car, as Ray drove away from the hospital.
“You should have obeyed the doctor’s orders and let them keep you in the hospital for a few days,” Ray said.
“I couldn’t let that happen,” John replied. “I stopped and saw Grayson when I first got to town. He told me about U’ tiun’ta’ returning and asked me to help. I can’t do that from a hospital bed.”
Ray glanced at John, then turning his eyes back to the road, said, “It doesn’t look to me like you are in good enough shape to fight monsters. Just from the way you look, I could probably take you, myself.”
“Would you care to try?” John asked.
“No.”
The two men rode in silence, Ray driving and John looking out the window.
John broke the silence when he asked, “Do you still have my motorcycle?”
“Yes,” Ray replied. “It’s in a storage shed behind double-locked doors.”
“Can we stop? I’d like to see it,” John said. “Sharon and I always had such a good time on it.”
Ray glanced at his watch. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m already three hours late turning in this car and by the time I drop you by my place, I’ll be even later getting the car turned back in.”
Disappointed, John sat back in the seat. “Maybe you could drop me off at the shed before you go to work in the morning,” he said.
“Maybe. It depends on how you are feeling in the morning,” Ray replied.
Arriving at Ray’s house, Ray handed John the center piece of the hubcap as they went inside.
After a quick tour of the house, Ray left to turn in the patrol car and drive his pickup home.
John was asleep on the couch when Ray returned. Going in to get a beer, Ray decided that he would watch the little television in the kitchen, instead of taking the chance of disturbing John with the one in the living room.
Amos, Timmy and Naomi arrived at Ted’s on time. Once seated in the living room and introductions made, Ted told the kids to go out and play. He would call them when it was time to go eat.
After the children were outside, Ted turned to Amos and said, “Do you think the children will become friends?”
“Children, no matter what color, always find common ground,” Amos said.
“You are right,” Ted replied with a small laugh. “Too bad that adults cannot learn from their children.”
At that moment, outside, Sarah told Naomi, “You don’t look like a filthy savage with bugs in your hair.”
Naomi, a year younger than Sarah, turned to hide her face in Timmy’s shoulder.
“That is because she is not a filthy savage with bugs in her hair,” Timmy said angrily. “And you do not look like a biscuit that has been soaked in milk.”
/>
“Don’t talk to my sister like that, Indian Joe,” Toby told Timmy.
“Oh?” Timmy replied. “Look who’s talking, Tubby.”
“Maybe I will kick your butt,” Toby said.
“Maybe you can try,” Timmy told the larger boy.
“Maybe we can go fishing tomorrow,” Sarah said.
Naomi moved to stand closer to Sarah and took her hand.
Toby and Timmy looked at the girls.
“Wanna’ call a truce, Indian Joe?” Toby asked.
“Sure, Tubby,” Timmy replied. “If the fish aren’t biting, we can fight instead.”
“Sounds like a plan, Stan,” Toby said. “Wanna’ see a really cool video game my mom got me?”
“You bet,” Timmy said. “Can we play it outside?”
“It’s a VIDEO game,” Toby said. “You play it on TV.”
“Oh yeah. Sure. Now I remember,” Timmy said, having no idea what Toby was talking about, but not wanting to look stupid in front of his new friends and sister. “A friend of mine has one. I didn’t much care for the one he has.”
“Let’s go see if dad will let us play before we go eat,” Toby said.
Chapter 24
Nettie sat in her rocker on her front porch. Holding the Bible in one hand, as she read, her other hand lightly stroked the balding grey ears of an old hound, who lay on the floor twitching, as he chased rabbits in his dreams.
“Look here, Potlicker,” Nettie said.
Potlicker moved the tip of one ear at the sound of his name.
“It says right here in the Book,” Nettie continued. “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.”
Potlicker snored loudly. Coughed and snored again.
“Well, what do you think of that?” Nettie asked.
As if in answer, Potlicker let go a long, loud fart.
“You ain’t no gentleman, to fart in front of a lady!” Nettie said. Then slightly lifting her leg, she farted too. “Lucky for us both, I ain’t no lady.”
Potlicker stood on shaky legs and walked down the steps to find a tree to lie under. Not only for the quiet, but also for the considerably fresher air.
Back on the porch, Nettie prayed over the scripture. “Is that what you want me to do, Lord? Not suffer a witch to live?” She asked. “Can you get me one of them permanently loaded, fast shootin’ guns. Like they got on ‘The A Team’? Only I want one that shoots straight. Those boys can’t hit nuthin’ with theirs. And a knife! A big bladed knife with a saw edge on one side, a compass in the end of the handle and a fishin’ line with hooks and all, stored inside the handle! Yup. I can surely see a need for one of those, in case I gotta’ lop off her head.”
Thirsty after so long a prayer, Nettie took a long drink from the tall glass of iced tea that sat on the floor on the other side of the chair from where the dog had been. Setting the glass back down, she closed her Bible and lay it on her more than ample lap.
“Just tell me what to do, Lord,” she muttered, just before drifting off to sleep.
Amos and Ted sat at a booth, sipping coffee and chatting. In the booth behind them, the four children devoured pizza and planned their strategy for the days ahead. Ted listened to them with a half an ear.
“It sounds like there is going to be a lot of fish dinners, much ball playing, many video games and scads of playing, that is going to be done in the next month,” Ted told Amos.
“Would it be okay if I make each of them a small bow and a few arrows?” Amos asked.
Ted looked doubtful. “If you mean real arrows with stone or metal tips, No,” he said. “I don’t want to chance someone getting hurt.”
“The arrows I speak of have blunt tips made of empty .22 cases,” Amos replied. “The local children play with those all of the time.”
“I suppose that would be okay,” Ted said. “At least it would help keep them busy.”
“Bows and arrows?” Timmy said, having overheard. “That would be great, Uncle!”
“Okay, kids. It’s time to go. I have to work tomorrow,” Ted said.
Ted drove Timmy and Naomi home, after dropping Amos off. He, Toby and Sarah went inside to meet Marlene, the children’s mother.
“Hello,” Ted said at the door. “I’m Ted Watts, Toby and Sarah’s dad.”
“Hello,” Marlene replied. “Won’t you come in?”
“Okay, but we can’t stay,” Ted said. “I have work tomorrow and the kids are tired after their trip.”
Two hours later, he and Marlene were still talking.
It was midnight before Ted turned into his driveway. Waking Toby and Sarah to come inside, he had them brush their teeth and go to bed. Then deciding to wait until morning for his own shower, Ted fell into bed. His last thought before sleep overcame him was the way Marlene smiled at him.
Chapter 25
U’tiun’ ta’ slid silently from shadow to shadow on the dark streets of Slick, searching on vain for her next meal. She didn’t know, nor care that her last victim was named ‘Grady’. The only thing that mattered was his body had been found too soon. Now her prey was gone to other, safer places, and the thirst that drove her grew more demanding with each passing hour. Finally, using a rancid scrap of meat from a trashcan, she coaxed a mongrel into an alley and clubbed it in the head so she could eat. Returning to her nest just before dawn, she would sleep the long hours until the dark returned.
John’s rummaging in the kitchen awakened Ray.
“Whatcha’ lookin’ for?” Ray asked, as he stumbled into the kitchen.
“I found the coffee grounds, but not the filters,” John replied. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“Look in that canister beside the coffee grounds,” Ray said. “That’s okay. I wanted us to go have breakfast before we went to the bike, anyway.”
“Should I make a pot of coffee or not?” John asked.
“Go ahead,” Ray replied. “I want a shower before we go. How is the leg?”
“I took one earlier,” John said. “It’s a dull ache this morning. Nothing I can’t handle.”
Barrowing a shirt and a pair of loose fitting pants from Ray, John waited outside for Ray to come out.
Ray was surprised to see Trudy waiting tables when he and John came in the door at Maggie’s.
“Hi, handsome,” she said, as he and John walked to a corner table. Not knowing who she was talking to, John did a quick glance around.
“Is she talking to you?” he asked Ray.
“Hi Trudy,” Ray said. “I’d like you to meet John. John, this is Trudy.”
Trudy took her hand from where it rested on Ray’s shoulder and held it out to John.
“Nice to meet you,” she said. “Are you two related? If so, I can see where good looking men run in the family.”
“No, dear,” Ray said. “John and I are just good friends.”
Trudy went to turn in their order. As soon as she was out of hearing, John looked at Ray. “That poor gal is so blind, I’m surprised she can see to keep from running into a table,” he said. “But it is good of Maggie to hire the handicapped.”
The two men made small talk until their order came, then dug into the plates heaping with home fries, biscuits, sausage and eggs, all covered with white gravy.
When they had finished eating, Ray looked at John. “Feel like a motorcycle ride?” he asked.
“You bet. Never felt better,” John replied, though his limp as he walked out the door gave lie to his words.
Arriving at the storage shed, Ray unlocked the door and slid it up into the rafters.
John removed the cover and admired the 1948 Indian Chief that sat gleaming in the dim light.
“I’ve kept the plates up to date,” Ray said. “The oil and gas have been drained. The battery has been disconnected, and charged once a month. You’ll find tools, fresh gasoline and oil next to that wall. Is there anything else you need?”
“No,” John replied. “Thank you, my brother. You are a good friend.”
With Ray’
s help, they soon had the motorcycle road ready. John got on the bike and, bending over, rolled the pant leg up past the bandaged wound in his thigh.
“What are you doing?” Ray asked.
“Watch,” John said, as he removed the bandage from the still swollen limb.
