The grounds sloped away more steeply as they neared the river. In a matter of a few minutes they were out of the thick of the garden, and Lee could see the mound of earth he'd dug on last week.
Phoebe kept her head swiveling left and right, taking in everything and talking the whole while.
"This place would be really beautiful if it wasn't for what they did to the trees.” She shook her head as they passed under another twisted shadow. “Look at the wisteria,” she fingered a few of the dangling purple petals as they passed by, “and the jasmine and the honeysuckle. I bet when the roses were in bloom this place was a Garden of Eden. I can imagine back in the old days they had parties back in here, balls and cotillions.” That grin came back. “Probably lots of champagne, too.” She looked up at one of the mangled cherry trees and the grin disappeared. “Tsk, Tsk, Tsk. What a shame."
They came up on mound of earth with its weeds and saplings on top and the freshly dug out section in its side.
Phoebe suddenly ran over it from one side and quickly back down the other squealing like she was going to fall. Breathing hard, she faced Lee. “That's a big hole. Did you dig all that, just you?"
Lee held up his hands displaying the blisters and scratches.
"That's a heck of a lot of work, hon.” She stepped up closer to Lee. Reaching out she squeezed his left arm. “You must be a really strong guy."
Lee stomach flipped as she squeezed once, then twice.
"Next time I'm going to be digging for buried treasure,” she added letting go of him, “I'll remember to bring you along."
"I found some treasure,” he blurted out.
She gave him that suspicious look again.
"No really. I mean not really treasure like gold or stuff like that, but something really cool, an eye."
"An eye?"
"A glass eye. You should see it."
"Where is it?
"I left it at home."
"Oh, I see.” She again had him by the shoulder. “One of those ghost's glass eyes."
A curious grin he hadn't seen before pulled up at the edge of Phoebe's mouth, then she lightly took her hand away. To Lee it seemed the air had suddenly grown still again.
Phoebe cocked her head. “What's that?"
A hint of a laughing voice could be heard. It was like it was there, then it wasn't. They both held still. Then there it was again, echoing off the high bluffs on the other side of the river. The moment broken, Phoebe led the way around the mound running down to the entrance to an overgrown dirt path that passed through the high cattails and thick brush, which obscured the view of the river below. The sounds grew louder, and it was obvious there were more than one person.
Phoebe was already standing in the path when Lee came up behind. “Can we get down to the river from here?"
"Sure.” Lee's voice was a little sticky.
Again, Phoebe didn't wait for Lee to lead the way. She set off, pushing the tall weeds and stalks aside with her hands as she followed the trail down. The stuff got thicker as they neared the bottom. He kept up right behind her, fending off the plants when the stalks snapped back as they closed in behind her.
Suddenly, they were through. They were standing on a ridge of the gravelly bank about ten feet above the steadily flowing river. Three boys in cut-offs were languishing in big, black inner tubes as they floated along through the ripples and little waves. One of them Lee recognized as Daryl Willis. The other two Lee didn't know. They were about fifty yards downstream having already passed by the vantage where Lee and Phoebe stood. The boys couldn't have possibly noticed they were being watched by Phoebe and Lee high up on the bank, as they were occupied in a water fight, splashing back and forth in the green water with their hands and feet.
"That looks like fun.” Phoebe turned in to face Lee. They were terribly close to each other, standing together on the little cranny of bank not choked out by the thick growth. “Do you ever do that? Do you go tubing?"
"Yeah. Sure. Sometimes. We get in under the highway 57 bridge, and it's a couple of miles down to where we get out above the Falls."
"There's a water fall? Really?” Phoebe had turned back to watch the three boys. She cupped her hand over her eyes, peering off like a scout in the Westerns.
"Well, not like Niagara,” Lee replied. “But it's maybe about ten or fifteen feet with all kinds of rocks and junk at the bottom. You definitely don't want to go over."
She turned back to look him eye to eye. She was only just slightly taller than he was. It was only just noticeable with the two of them forced together so close up.
"Do you think you could take me sometime? I know how to swim. And I brought my swimsuit. My Mom said I shouldn't, that there wasn't any place to swim around here. But, she was wrong wasn't she? This is great! I can't wait!"
"I guess we could go some time,” Lee broke in.
"Oh that'd be great!” Phoebe tugged at his arm. “I hope we can go soon. Too bad we can't do it today. I imagine it's too late though. I'd have to go home and change.” Her wry little grin reappeared. “You'd like my swimsuit. It's a two piece."
Phoebe turned back to look downstream putting her hand back over her eyes. “That's a big bridge way off down there. Is that the main highway?"
Lee didn't need to shield his eyes to know which bridge she was referring to. “That's the old railroad trestle. A long time ago it was the only way into the valley from the south. But now a days they don't use it anymore."
She turned back into face him, and grabbed him by each shoulder. “Do you think we could just hop right in?
Despite the heat and the sweat she still smelled like a trace of baby powder. He looked away to the water, and her eyes followed his. “Getting in's not the problem. The water's so low and the banks are high here through this stretch. It'd be tough to get back out. You've got the cliffs on the other side and the bank is just mud all through here on this side. We'd have to go down a half-mile or so to even try to find a place we could get out."
"It's real pretty through here, though,” she said shifting her gaze over to the high bluffs. “I love rocks and stuff like that. Nature's great. I wonder what kind of rocks those are that make up those stone walls? I imagine you know, Mr. Valencia marble?"
Lee shook his head. He wasn't going to be called a smarty-pants again, even though he knew they were granite. “Maybe we should head back,” he suggested.
"Lead on, Mr. Tour Guide,” she replied, swinging her arm out to push back the reeds.
Lee led the way back up the path.
When they got to the spot where the brush cleared she jumped up from behind and pushed off of his shoulders, then began dancing, her feet stamping, jumping up and down, her pigtails flopping. When the display stopped, she let loose. “That looked sooo good. I mean, sooo good. We've just gotta come back. I bet it's really cool down in the water. You could tell that water was beautiful. Rivers are always cool. I was in one once in the Smoky Mountains just outside of Gatlinburg; that water was as cold as ice. I'm telling you just like ice. And it was summer, too. It about froze my toes off. And guess what? It was full of trout. I just love trout. Do you like fish?"
Lee was beginning to sense a pattern here. When she's excited that's when the flood let's loose.
Lee seized his chance. “Yeah, I like fish."
She paused and ran her hands up along the back of her neck, pulling her pigtails up as she reached skyward. “You know, I'd almost be ready to go for a swim right now if you knew of some way we could get out without having to climb up through the mud."
Lee hadn't expected this. “We don't have any swimsuits,” was all he could think of to say.
"Silly,” she said leaning in again and giving him her limp-wristed pat on the shoulder; this time it was almost like a little push. “We don't have to have swimsuits."
Lee's stomach did the flip-flop thing again.
She let her hands down, passing in front to stop at the bottoms of her shorts. “I don't mind if these cloth
es get wet."
"Oh,” Lee echoed.
Her cute grin crept back and her eyes flashed suspiciously. “What were you thinkin'?"
"Nothing,” Lee fired back. He hoped his cheeks wouldn't give him away. Luckily, his face was so flushed by the heat he didn't have a thing to worry about.
"Come on.” She pressed on, absently fingering the button she had undone earlier. “What were you thinkin'?"
"Nothing.” Lee felt almost panicked. “Honest!"
"Yeah. Right.” Her squint came back. “I just bet. I know boys."
Then, she turned away and bounded up about ten feet in three long strides and turned back. Her grin had grown to a full smile. “Where to next, Mr. Tour Guide?"
Lee thought fast. “Would you like to go get a soda?"
"Oh. That'd be great.” She stuck out her arms back up above her head, stretching out to full length. “Just lead on. Where do we go? I'll follow you anywhere for something cold."
"Little's Ice House. It's just up the road."
"Then what are we standin’ here for."
She put her hands down and reached behind her back thrusting out her hips as she stretched. He couldn't help but look. She was without a doubt the prettiest girl.
She caught him. “What you lookin’ at?"
"Nuthing,” he came back, startled.
She gave him that squint. “Yeah, I bet."
CHAPTER SIX: RED X's
Lee started up the path and Phoebe ran up and stayed right with him.
They walked down the other side of the grounds under the cherry trees giving the little house and its lonely occupant a wide berth. The shadows cast off by the severed limbs made a mumblety-peg jumble across the grass. Phoebe hopped in an out, almost like she was playing a game of hopscotch. Eventually her enthusiasm was too contagious, and Lee joined in.
"Come on, follow me,” he called back.
"Step on a crack break your mother's back,” Phoebe replied from behind.
Making a game of it, in a surprisingly short time, they were back out on Seminole Road.
Phoebe pointed out towards the stands of cypress and bald oak looming gloomily under its load of Spanish moss and dead limbs. “Now that's an ugly place."
"That's Broaddus Marsh,” Lee answered. “It stretches in west from the highway to spit creek and north from here for a couple of miles towards town."
"What that?” She waved her finger around to illustrate where she was pointing. “It looks like a chimney?"
They were standing at the edge of the Ballard drive where the red caliche dust mixed with Seminole road's gray gravel. The sun was at its zenith and glimmering off the pools of brackish water that stood out here and there exposed amongst the beds of pine needles and saw grass.
"It is,” Lee came back. “A hundred years ago this was a fine place; the richest people in the county lived here. All the houses were like the Ballard house."
"Haunted,” Phoebe interjected.
"No, at least I don't think so. But I've seen a picture taken from the Ballard estate during the civil war. This was a grand place.” Anticipating her next question he said: “A sink hole opened up and swallowed up the whole place."
"Like out of the bible? Like wrath of God? People screamin’ and gettin’ sucked down?"
"No,” Lee had to laugh. “It took a couple of years. They tried pumps and bringing in sand and rock, even dynamiting the riverbed upstream. It didn't do any good. It's a mess back in there now. We don't ever go back in there. Only an idiot would. There's lots of quick sand, thorn briars, snakes, leaches..."
"I get the picture,” Phoebe broke in. “Disneyland for the ghosts."
"Pretty much,” Lee agreed.
"Come on. Let's go get a soda.” Lee began walking again. “I'm about dry."
"Me too,” Phoebe replied. “I could almost run over there and scoop me out a handful of swamp water."
The gravel road was hot and dusty. Lee could feel the heat through his shoes. They talked as they walked, but now it was more of a two-way conversation, and Lee had been able to tell her a little about himself and his family. He told her about his mom, Darva Anne, and Maggie. And he told her about his dad and how he'd played football, won two championships, fought in one of the bloodiest battles in Korea, and knew everything about cars. He told her about his little sister Patty, and Ronnie, and a few of the pranks he and Ronnie had pulled.
"Okay, so what's the craziest thing you and Ronnie have ever done?” Phoebe stopped and faced Lee down. She then added, “I imagine y'all think you're a couple of real JD's."
"JD's?"
"Yeah, you know, juvenile delinquents, bad boys."
Lee had to think about it. There wasn't anything that he could think of that he thought would fall into the Juvenile Delinquent category. After all they didn't rob gas stations or break into houses. He had, a couple of times, borrowed a comic book from the drug store, but that was about it.
"See,” she said, “I figured you for a good kid, right off. You've got that tainted look of honesty about you. Lee Coombs All-American boy."
All-American boy, that's what reminded him. “Okay,” he came back suddenly warming up, “I got one for you. Summer before last, Ronnie and I were at the Fourth of July concert down at the town square. It's great. They got all kinds of food: ice cream, snow-cones, watermelon slices, hot dogs, you name it, rides for the little kids, a dunking booth, all kinds of stuff, and a big fireworks show, biggest in the county."
Phoebe had settled in balancing her weight on one leg and hitching each of her hands up on her hips. “Yeah?” she said breaking in. “So what'd ya'll do?"
"I'm getting to it. Give me a chance."
She just stared back at him.
"Well some people might not think this was all too bad, but you should've been there. They always have a band in the gazebo, they play patriotic songs, you know, like the Star Spangled Banner and America the Beautiful. Year before last they had a bluegrass band. Let's see.” He began pulling back a finger as he counted. “They had two guitars, a big base fiddle, a banjo, an accordion, a fiddle, and a mandolin player. After playing for a while they took a little break. They'd left all the instruments by their chairs and went off to get something to drink. So Ronnie and I snuck around the back. There's these thick bushes behind the north corner. When no one was looking we squeezed in and ended up right in back of the stage. And I know this may not sound like much, but we managed to get a good couple of twists in on each string on every one of those instruments, getting ‘em real good and tight. There was one of those tuning forks they musicians use to get the tuning notes just right left sitting beside a chair. We'd seen the guys using it before they got started. Ronnie confiscated it."
Phoebe didn't look impressed.
"Hey, it was tough,” Lee complained. “There were people all around."
"Yeah? So, what happened?"
"The guys came back, and the singer, he also did the announcing, he says over the microphone that they're going to do their version of ‘Hail to the Red White and Blue’ or something like that.” Lee slapped his knee. “You should have heard it when they started up. It sounded like a couple of Chinese cats fighting. Those guys tuned and tuned the rest of the night and never could get it sounding right. It was great!"
Phoebe looked entirely nonplussed. “That's the best you got?"
"Hey,” he shot back defensively, “it was funny!"
With Phoebe taking the lead they began walking again.
"I guess you had to be there,” Lee offered.
Phoebe nodded. “I guess so."
A moment later Lee added, “We didn't get caught."
Again, Phoebe just looked at him, entirely nonplussed.
"Well, that's the most important part of any gag,” Lee pressed. “Don't—Get—Caught!” Lee took a page out of Phoebe's book saying each last word slowly and individually.
Lee wasn't all that sure if he like how Phoebe had just looked at him. It was as if he could sens
e she was thinking, "What a wimp." But when he thought about it probably messing up the tuning of some band instruments wasn't really such a wild stunt. Racking his brain he suddenly was reminded of something else.
"How’ bout this!” he reached over to tap her shoulder. “This one was pretty good. Last summer, Ronnie and I set all the alarm clocks at Patterson's Department Store. We walked around like we weren't really doing anything, like we were shopping and just checking them out, but really we were winding ‘em up. We set some to go off an hour later and the others for right at their closing time. Then we waited around, and it was keen-o when about thirty clocks all went off at once, about scaring a couple people half to death. It was too bad we weren't around to hear the one's that went off at closing. I can imagine they were just about to lock up, and they must have thought their burglar alarm must have gone off."
Phoebe stopped and nodded. “Now that's not bad. Actually, I may try that one when I get back home. But, do you want to hear what I call a really good joke?"
Lee stopped and hooked his thumbs in his pocket. “I'm all ears."
The most diabolical glint passed momentarily across Phoebe's eyes, followed by a cagey leer. She looked back and forth as though there might be someone close enough to overhear. Lee, not knowing why, followed suit.
"Now you have to promise not to tell anyone,” Phoebe said.
Lee looked around for effect, then back to Phoebe. “Who would I tell?"
She put her hands on her hips, glaring back at him impatiently. “I don't know who you'd tell. But you've got to promise me."
Lee shrugged and then held up his scout's hand sign. “Okay, I promise. I won't say a word."
She stepped in a little closer and lowered her voice. “Last year, I had this wild idea. I got it, in all places, during this evangelical bible meeting my mom dragged me to.” She giggled nefariously, moving in even closer. “It was one of those things in a tent, just outside of town. It was a Saturday night, and the place was packed. Must have been a thousand degrees in there. Everybody was waving fans they'd folded up out of the programs. The preacher, he was going on and on about the plagues of Egypt, and how the Israelites marked on their doors with a red X so the angel of death would pass their houses when he went to kill all the first born children of Egypt. You know about all that, don't you?"
Evil Heights, Book II: Monster in the House Page 12
