by Ryan Green
We don't if Becky made her second attempt at leaving during this window of unemployment, but tracing the patterns Ronald's of domineering behaviour, it's possible. We know that Becky made several attempts to break away from Ronald during these years. The incident in Cloudcroft and the long period of chaos that followed had clearly shaken her faith in what must have been seemed a near-godlike ability to predict and control all of the elements in his life.
With their newfound sense of security, the children were settling comfortably into new schools, quickly catching up on the work that they had missed and resuming their positions in the middle of the pack. Also, with Ronald now frequently out of the house at work, they began to develop social lives without his constant interference. The younger children made friends for the first time. The older children could now make evening trips into the nearby towns, where most teenage matchmaking took place, for the first time. None of the children were ever so foolish as to bring a friend home to Mockingbird Hill. Despite Ronald's downward spiral, his intellect remained as sharp as ever and his paranoia had certainly not waned. Any evidence of outside interference within his domain would have resulted in a massive tantrum and an ultimately futile attempt to crack down on his rebellious children.
Following his firing at the oil company, it took Ronald a little longer to find another job. But eventually, Russellville once again proved accommodating. It seemed that patriotism was a contributing factor to his landing so many comfortable jobs. In the post-Vietnam era, there was a lot of sympathy towards veterans who were having trouble adjusting to civilian life, and most of his eccentricities were written off as shell shock. He took a new position as a clerk at the Woodline Motor Freight Company. Ronald's twisted attitude towards women had cost him two jobs in Russellville so far, and he had no intention of losing a third in the same way. Psychopaths may not be capable of changing their core behaviours, but they are absolute experts at disguising them. None of the female staff in the freight company ever had cause to complain about his inappropriate advances. In fact, he seemed to get on rather well with his co-workers, indulging in small talk and blending in with the other employees, up to a point. Ronald still harboured all of his instinctive misogyny, and he still had massive problems dealing with any sort of civilian authority. These two issues came to vex him simultaneously in the person of Joyce Elaine Butts, his new supervisor.
To say that Ronald and Joyce did not get along would be something of an understatement. He could not comprehend a world in which a woman was his superior, and she could not deal with an employee who completely ignored her very basic requests. Ronald frequently went over her head to the owner of the company whenever they were in even minor disputes, and the constant irritation of an insubordinate entry-level clerk soon outweighed any benefits that his marked competence in the role might have granted the company. On top of this, Joyce constantly admonished Ronald when it was discovered that he had resumed his attempts at courting Kathy Kendricks, showing up at her house with flowers and sending her little notes in an attempt to gain her forgiveness and favour despite the almost 30-year age gap. When he was let go, it was without any recriminations from the company, but it seemed obvious to Ronald that he had lost this latest job thanks to some sort of conspiracy between the women of Arkansas to do harm to him.
At some point, Ronald became aware that his children had cultivated social lives, but by this time he was so caught up in his paranoid vendettas that he could not spare the energy to intervene. At the same time, it is possible that he recognised any further attempts to block his children from interacting with society was going to draw unwanted attention to them. After all, it was already widely commented on by the children's friends that they were never allowed to visit the Simmons' home. When it came to his attention that one of the older boys, Billy, was not only dating but was seriously considering settling down with a girl, Ronald took the news stoically. For all his struggles with his work life at that moment, he felt like his home was secure and he could afford to take a few risks in the pursuit of appearing normal. While the revelation that their father was finally relaxing his rules a little might have brought relief to the rest of the family, none of them was foolish enough to mention that one of the other older children was dating. They were hopeful, but they weren't ready to abandon the safety of lies just yet.
This time, Ronald showed no hesitation before diving back into the job hunt. While he was growing more desperate each time he had to go looking for work again, he was also becoming pickier. This time, he scouted out his potential employers as though he were planning a mission in enemy territory. He selected a business where he would be working with fellow veterans and would not be answering to any women. His new position as a convenience store clerk did not pay nearly as well as his previous roles, the hours were much less consistent, and instead of dealing with only the odd customer over the telephone he was now on the front lines against the general public every single day.
He was miserable in the job, he absolutely loathed the work, he loathed customer service, and he considered the paltry amount of pay that he received for his suffering to be a grievous insult. While Ronald had looked on the people around him at his previous jobs as his inferiors due to their lack of discipline and service to the country he loved, he had some respect for his co-workers at the convenience store, one of whom had served as a marine in the Vietnam War. He had so much respect for the man, Bill Mason, that he didn't even bother to paste on a mask of false civility, coming as close to being honest with Bill as he had ever been with anyone in his life. Bill considered Ronald to be a gruff, angry man, but he wasn't any different from most of the veterans that he had met through the years. He was actually quietly impressed with Ronald sometimes, particularly when he helped out during a charity drive to collect Christmas presents for needy children in the area.
*
The rumours had reached Ronald through his working days—a stray comment from some housewife here or a wink and a nod from some chubby football coach there, all adding fuel to the flames of suspicion. He wouldn't confront her though. Not yet. He couldn't go to her half-cocked with hints and whispers. He needed proof before he could toss that treacherous bitch to the curb. He had given her the best years of his life, and this was how she repaid him? He had done everything for her. Provided everything for her. And now, when things got difficult, she was off fucking some other man? Ronald had stood for a lot in his time, disrespect and snide comments, conspiracies and spite. But adultery was a step too far. The ultimate disrespect. He was going to destroy her for this. Not just hurt her, not just kill her, he was going to burn her down and salt the earth. Just as soon as he could prove that she had strayed from his side. It was hardly the first time that the bitch had stabbed him in the back. He had been too soft with her then, accepting her lies and forgiving everything without a second thought. Well, he wasn't going to be fooled again. All of the tricksters and jezebels and liars were going to get their comeuppance, and that bitch was going to get hers first. He was going to fix her real good. He wouldn't even need his hands. Just the power of his words would be enough to tear her down and make her obedient again.
Bill passed him by in the aisle as he brushed out the store. Bill was a good man. He didn't even comment on the cans still clenched tight in Ronald's hands. He didn't ask what was wrong or try to force conversation with people that didn't want it. Ronald placed the cans down carefully on the shelf and went back to restocking. His shift would be over soon, and he needed to get things ship-shape before he drove home or he knew that it would bug him all night.
In the end, he left a half hour late, not that he would get paid for the extra time, of course. No point in paying a fair wage to a war hero. No point in paying people what they are worth. You could slump in through the door a minute before your timecard asked you to and disappear without even saying goodbye and nobody seemed to care. You got paid the same if you were good, bad, or indifferent. God help you if you took pride in your work
and cared about things being done right, because there was no way that anybody else was going to give a damn.
He gave Bill a salute as he locked up and then clambered into his car. The radio crackled to life and a preacher started his ranting and raving. Damning all the sinners. It suited his mood perfectly. They were all sinners. Every one of them was damned. He was the last righteous man in all of Arkansas. A modern day Job surrounded on all sides by betrayers and tormenters. It was a wonder that he could tolerate even a moment longer. It wasn't like he hadn't told them. It wasn't like he hadn't showed them how everything needed to be done. Still they defied him. He was just trying to make everything right and they went against him for no better reason than being too damned lazy to learn. Well, that bitch would learn now. Oh yes, she would learn. He had done some bad things in his days. He was penitent, but not perfect. But adultery? He would never stoop so low. A car overtook him as he came out of town, its headlights flashing in his rear-view mirror as he growled. For a moment he caught a glimpse of Kathy's pretty green eyes in the light and he felt a tug in his guts.
That didn't count. That wasn't his fault. He had been led astray by that temptress. Swishing around in her short skirts. Fluttering those eyelashes every time he passed her by and then acting disgusted when he smiled back at her. It was a trap, a setup. She was trying to lead him astray from his one true love with that body of hers. She was a bitch, too. All of them were good for nothing except that one thing that the Lord put them on this earth to do. It wasn't like anything had even happened. Just because you are tempted doesn't mean you sinned. Besides, even if the bitch did know about Kathy, which she most certainly did not, it wouldn't justify stabbing him in the back like this. He was a good man, he took good care of his family, he deserved a woman who he could trust. Just one woman in all his life who wouldn't try to worm her way out of his arms while he was sleeping. One woman who wouldn't abandon him. Just one.
The drive back to Mockingbird Hill seemed to fly by that night, or maybe what happened afterwards just burned all the other memories away. When Ronald came up the drive in the waning twilight, he could see the gate sitting open ahead of him. That set him off grumbling before he even had time to ponder it. The kids knew better than to let the dog run loose. By the time he had made it over the top of the hill, he could see the other car parked in his yard, and it was all that he could do to keep from screaming. Someone was on his property. Someone was in his house. With his kids. With his girls. Without his permission. He slammed his foot on the brake. He smashed the palms of his hands against the wheel. His head spun as he tried to make sense of it. Police would have come in a marked car, probably. Military police, if they had ever gotten involved, would have been even more obvious. Could be a social worker. Those scum latched onto families like ticks on a dog's belly. The car looked too new, though. Social workers didn't have two pennies to rub together. Ronald gathered up all of his rage and bile, everything that had boiled up when he saw some stranger's car parked in his driveway, and he pushed it back down. He swallowed it all and put on his mask of civility in case it was just some damned fool who got lost on their way out into the middle of nowhere.
When he stepped in through the sliding windows of the living room, he realised rapidly that even if he didn't know who the visitor was, the rest of the family knew the boy damned well. There was tension hanging in the air like they were all about ten minutes away from the start of a bar brawl, and the second that he stepped inside, all eyes were on him. That wasn't so unusual. The kids knew to watch their father for guidance, and Becky was a good and attentive wife when she wasn't too busy with her head in the clouds. Becky had squirrelled the kids away in their rooms, which was unusual, but Sheila was missing, too. This boy must have been about her age. He was a local kid, the owner of the car outside. He probably knew her from school. So why wasn't she here? More importantly, what was this little shit doing sitting in the middle of his house as if he owned the place.
The boy got up from his seat, from Ronald's seat, that he bought and paid for, and lumbered over with a hand held out, like the damned dog begging for food. Ronald stared at it for a long moment, and he could see Becky shaking her head slowly from the periphery of his vision. He forced a smile and shook the boy's hand with a soft groan. He hissed out, ‘Pleasure to meet you son.'
The boy smiled back, gregarious and bright without a care in the world. He gripped Ronald's hand as tight as he dared and squeezed until the older man could feel his bones grinding together.
‘It is good to meet you, sir. My name is Dennis McNulty, and I wonder if I could trouble you and your wife for a few minutes to discuss some important matters.'
Ronald had to swallow back a sneer, as if this child would know important if it bit him on the ass. Dennis wandered back over and settled into that seat as if he belonged, even giving Becky a wink as he passed. Cocky little shit. Ronald went to the fridge to fetch himself a beer before perching himself at the far end of the sofa. He knew that he was scowling at the boy, but if this Dennis insisted on invading good people's homes uninvited then he deserved more than a dirty look or two. Eventually Ronald growled, ‘What do you want boy?'
Dennis' smile never wavered. ‘Right to the point. I like that. Well, Mr. Simmons, I have intentions to ask your daughter to marry me, already sort of did if the truth be told, but I wanted to speak to you about a few things before that went any further.'
Ronald's frown deepened as the whispers and rumours connected with the reality sitting in front of him. The bitch. It was true. He murmured, ‘Sheila...'
For a moment it must have looked like he was going to cry at this irrefutable evidence that his love was straying from his side, but he swallowed that down, too, and tried to overwhelm the boy with bluster. ‘Son, I love my daughter dearly, and I'm sure that she has been whispering all sorts of sweet nothings in your ears, but I don't think that you want to spend the rest of your life raising some other man's bastard, do you?'
Dennis' smile twitched a little. ‘With all due respect sir, I love your daughter and I have spent some time with little Sylvia, too. I would be happy to call that little girl my daughter and raise her as my own.'
Ronald bit back a growl, ‘Ain't you a little bit too young to be making big decisions like this? A child is a big responsibility. It ain't like a pet dog.'
Dennis carefully met his gaze. ‘I would take my responsibilities very seriously, sir. I would take good care of your daughter and I would never abuse the trust that Sheila has put in me.'
Ronald narrowed his eyes. ‘I'm not sure what you are getting at here, son. So let me cut to the chase. There ain't no way that I am letting you walk out of here with my daughter and that baby. Not tonight. Not ever.'
Becky made a little-strangled noise, but Ronald silenced her with a glance and a tut. Dennis smiled again. ‘Sheila is already gone. Her and Sylvia were gone before you even arrived. They are in my apartment right now, getting themselves settled in. If it was up to her we would have just up and left without ever saying a word to you, but I believe in doing things right. I believe in talking straight with people, and I hope that they will do the same with me.'
Ronald was out of his chair before he even knew it and had crossed half of the floor before the next words out of Dennis' mouth stopped him dead in his tracks.
‘Sheila told me all about you Mr. Simmons. She told me all about who her baby's daddy is. Like I said, I like honesty.'
Ronald slid to a halt, fists clenched at his sides and chest heaving. The boy stood up and closed the distance. He stared Ronald down every step of the way. His voice was only a little above a whisper when he finally said, ‘She told me exactly what you did to her, sir. I know everything. That is why I wanted to speak to you tonight instead of just vanishing like a coward. So that you would know what I know and so that I could tell you this…' They were nose to nose. Ronald was shaking with barely restrained fury. Dennis finished. ‘If you ever come near her or Sylvia again, if you lay a f
inger on either one of them, from now until the end of your miserable life. I will kill you. So help me god. I will kill you, sir.'
Then Dennis nodded politely to Becky and left without another word.
Over the days following Sheila's departure, when everyone expected that Ronald was going to explode, he instead fell completely silent. For a few weeks he went through his routine as usual, but when he got home, instead of assuming his place in the centre of the household to bark out orders, he collected a few bottles of beer from the fridge and withdrew to a darkened bedroom for the rest of the evening. He did not speak to anyone that he did not have to speak to, and he did not demand anything from his family. Out of habit, they maintained their usual routines, but all sense of urgency was gone. It seemed that his control over the family was finally broken. Along with him.
*
Without their father dominating every moment of their lives, the children began to experience normal lives for the first time. Their friendships were allowed to continue outside of school hours, and they were allowed to develop interests beyond serving their father's every demand. The changes were not limited to the children. Becky finally began to pull together the courage to leave her husband. Gene junior had re-established communication with his mother as soon as possible after fleeing, setting up a secret post box for her in town so that she could communicate without Ronald interfering with her mail. In her letters, Becky talked at great length about her fears and desires regarding starting a new life. Fear still dominated her, but it was a fear of the unknown, a fear of the uncertain circumstances that life away from Ronald would force her into. The fear of Ronald himself seemed to have faded as she saw him as the sad, bitter old man that he had become.
