The Women of Jacob’s Mountain Boxed Set

by Hining, Deborah;

  Sally Beth wished a hole would open up in the floor of the bus and swallow up both Lilly and herself, but she steeled herself and did what she felt she ought to do: she marched to the back of the bus and stood over Lilly until she came up for air, then she said, keeping her face and voice as pleasant as possible to keep from embarrassing everybody too much, “Lilly, I thought maybe you’d want to come up to the front of the bus and spend some time with Elvis Chuck and me, and some of the others. You won’t have this chance again, and they are real interesting. Elvis Chuck is from Utah.” She couldn’t think of anything else to say, so she just stood there and smiled at Lilly until she was sure her face would crack, then she sat down beside her and nudged her with her elbow.

  “Sally Beth,” I am doing just fine here, thank you,” said Lilly, her face a mask of smiling ice. You can go on back to the front of the bus and enjoy yourself there.”

  She leaned in and spoke more softly, “Lilly, as your older sister, I think you need to behave a little better in public.” Sally Beth’s eyes narrowed, but she kept the smile in both her face and voice. Lilly kept no such pretentions.

  “Sally Beth, you leave me alone!” she hissed into her ear, searing the air around it with fiery disdain. “I am not doing anything wrong, and you just need to stop being such a prude if I want to kiss somebody. I happen to like Elvis Tommy, and I might not ever see him again, and so you shouldn’t begrudge me a few little kisses, thank you very much!”

  “Well, does Elvis Tommy like you?” She kept her voice barely above a whisper so no one other than Lilly could hear her. “If he does, then maybe he’ll go to the trouble to see you again, and so this wouldn’t be the last time you see him. Otherwise this is just a you-know-what!” She mouthed the last three words rather than saying them. It wouldn’t do for anybody to hear what she was thinking about Lilly at that moment.

  Elvis Tommy, looking decidedly uncomfortable, began to edge away from Lilly, casting nervous glances at Sally Beth. She smiled at him over Lilly’s head. “I am sorry if I am embarrassing you, Elvis Tommy, but my sister doesn’t have good sense sometimes when it comes to men. I don’t mean to blame you or anything.”

  “Why, Sally Beth Lenoir! You’re making me out to be a regular slut—and I am not. I just happen to really, really like Elvis Tommy, and so what if I want to kiss him? You aren’t my mama, and you just need to back off!”

  Sally Beth felt like knocking some sense into Lilly. It just about broke her heart that her baby sister was wantonly giving away her precious kisses to a virtual stranger, and to know that she had not listened to Mama about how important it is to guard your heart and save it for the one man who would treasure you above all others. She wanted to make Lilly understand that she was making a mistake here that might follow her all the rest of her days, that throwing her love around to just any good-looking guy who paid attention to her would hollow out her soul and change her in ways that she could not fathom, but she was acutely aware of a few pairs of eyes on her, and she suddenly felt very small and vulnerable and in the most uncomfortable position she had ever been. She wanted to drag Lilly out of the back seat and make her behave herself, but it was obvious Lilly wasn’t going anywhere. She was very grateful when she looked up to see Elvis Chuck standing before her, guitar in hand.

  “Sally Beth? Do you play guitar? I’ve been working on a ballad, and I’d like for you to hear it and maybe sing it. It’s perfect for your voice, I think.”

  Sally Beth felt a rush of thankfulness for his rescue. Although all the Elvises were politely looking in other directions, she knew she was on the brink of making a fool of both herself and Lilly, and maybe she had already stepped over the line. She wanted to get away, but then, again, she didn’t want to walk all the way back down the aisle of the bus past all these men, not when she was already embarrassed to death by Lilly and their argument. She turned back to Elvis Chuck with grateful appreciation. “Why, I’d love to, Elvis Chuck. But Lilly here has the best voice for ballads. Would you like for her to join us? She smiled demurely at Lilly and scooted closer to her, making room for Elvis Chuck.

  Lilly sighed heavily, rolling her eyes. Elvis Chuck sat down beside Sally Beth and began strumming and singing.

  My darling has hair like summer wheat, and skin as pale as pearl

  Her heart’s as big as the harvest moon, as big as the wind when it starts to unfurl

  But she doesn’t know how lovely she is, how kind or gentle her ways

  Nor does she know how she lights the path of all she holds in her sway

  My darling has hair like summer wheat, and lips that beckon like wine

  Her voice rings out and touches me, and how I long to make her mine!

  But the burden she carries she carries alone, too high, too far to address

  She dances away as lightly as wind, not knowing I yearn for her caress.

  My darling has hair like summer wheat, and a smile that glows from her heart.

  She cannot know how my own heart thirsts, how it dreads the moment we part.

  My darling has hair like summer wheat; her eyes are blue, as blue as a song.

  I cannot but wonder what else they hold. Do they cry sometimes when she is alone?

  My darling has hair like summer wheat, like summer wheat, like summer wheat.

  My darling has hair like summer wheat, and I long to make her my own.

  Although Lilly was still miffed at Sally Beth, she couldn’t help but smile after just a few lines. “Why, Elvis Chuck, that doesn’t sound like a song for a woman!” she teased. “At least for a woman to sing. Are you sure you wanted Sally Beth to sing it—or to hear it?” He didn’t answer, but continued to strum, while Sally Beth blinked and wondered if he had just made up the song or if he had been working on it before they met. She felt a little flattered, but also a little uncomfortable. She knew she was just a simple girl from the mountains and that some men might try to play on her unsophistication and use flattery for the wrong purposes, but she surely hoped Elvis Chuck was not capable of it. He remained silent, trying out a few new chords before he suddenly stood.

  “Sally Beth, let’s go back up front and you can help me work out a harmony for this, okay?”

  She didn’t know how to answer, she was so confused by the way Elvis Chuck was acting. But she was glad for the opportunity to get away from Lilly, now that they had publically argued and Lilly had acted so awful, so she made her way back down the aisle and spent the rest of the afternoon making sure Elvis Chuck knew that she was not going to be seduced by a song, although when she really thought about it, it was a song worthy of seduction. If she had been that sort of girl.

  They didn’t feel dressed enough for church in their slightly sooty summer dresses and sandals, but Jimmy Lee and Edna Mae were not due to pick them up until after the concert, and besides, all the Elvises cajoled them until they finally agreed to sit in the sanctuary with all the well-dressed people who had come to see the performance. As soon as the concert began, they were glad they had been persuaded. Sally Beth closed her eyes, trying hard not to sing along while the Elvis voices filled the church with the sacred gospel songs. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard.

  Halfway through the concert, Elvis Sam stepped forward and announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, we have a very special guest with us tonight. Elvis Jesse has driven over from Hot Springs and is going to perform with us.” To Sally Beth’s complete astonishment, someone who looked exactly like the real Elvis strode out onto the stage and took his place with the other singers. She studied him closely. He looked better than the real Elvis did; at least he looked better than he did in the months before he died. He looked like Elvis did back when he was healthy and happy, before he got so fat and strung out on pills, back when he looked like he liked living, and when he stepped forward to sing a solo of “Amazing Grace”, she began to believe that Elvis was not dead, but stood before her in the sanctuary of the Sugar Creek Baptist Church of Fort Worth, singing like an angel. Sh
e wept softly and took Lilly’s hand. Lilly squeezed it and joined her in the weeping.

  Oh Lord, if You’re listening to this, and I hope You are, would You please get Mama and Daddy to come listen too? I know You probably have angels that sing as good as this, but I think this is about the closest thing we have to angels down here on earth, and I want Mama and Daddy to know what a good time we are having, and although we miss them very much, we are grateful for the life we still have in us.

  When it was over, it was hard to say goodbye, but the Elvises packed up quickly, and before she had a chance to seek out Elvis Jesse to tell him how much she appreciated his singing, he had disappeared through the back door and the Elvises of the Love Me Tender Gospel Choir were filing onto the bus, waving at them. Lilly ran up to give Elvis Tommy one last kiss, and Sally Beth was wistfully hoping she would be able to say goodbye to Elvis Chuck, when he suddenly materialized beside her.

  “Sally Beth, here is my address, and my phone number. Can I have yours?” He pressed a piece of paper into her hand. She managed to stammer out, “Okay, but I’m not good at writing. I’m not sure how often you’ll hear from me.” She suddenly felt like crying again. Elvis Chuck had been so nice to her, and they had had such a good time together. She began to regret her suspicion that he had been playing games with her. She didn’t want him to leave. She wanted to throw her arms around him and kiss him the way Lilly had kissed Elvis Tommy, but she didn’t want to give Elvis Chuck the wrong idea, and she certainly didn’t want to compromise her heart. On top of that, she was afraid she would embarrass them both if she did. So she stuck out her hand and mumbled something about how nice it was to have met him, and sadly watched as he took the steps into the bus. He hung out in the doorway for a moment, waved at her, looking very sweet and sad, and disappeared.

  Jimmy Lee and Edna Mae were waiting in the parking lot. Edna Mae wore a new dress. It was about the ugliest thing Sally Beth had ever seen, but it did cover her up well, with yards and yards of brown splotchy fabric billowing around her from her neck to the tops of Jimmy Lee’s white socks and scuffed brown shoes. “Where did you get it on a Sunday?” Sally Beth wanted to know.

  Edna Mae beamed. “Jimmy Lee and me, we drove around the shopping areas, and we found a place. It wasn’t open, but the owner had just come in to do some work, and Jimmy Lee talked him into letting us in! I was feeling so dirty and ragged, and Jimmy Lee was determined to find me something to wear. He knocked on the door for a long time, and the man kept waving him away, and finally, Jimmy Lee slapped a fifty dollar bill up against the window, and the man came over and let us in! I found this dress on the sale rack, and isn’t it just perfect?”

  “Perfect” was not how Sally Beth would have described it, but she was glad to see Edna Mae happy. “Yes, it’s perfect, Edna Mae. I bet you feel real relieved to have it on.”

  “Oh, I am!” breathed Edna Mae, looking at Jimmy Lee as if he was just perfect, too.

  Jimmy Lee stepped up and almost put his arm around Edna Mae but stopped himself just before he touched her, then waved his arm around a little as if he didn’t know what do to with it, finally bringing his hand up and scratching his head. “We’ve found a motel just around the corner, and we’ve already checked in, so let’s get on over there and get some rest. Tomorrow we can replace all your things and head to Dallas to find a car for Lilly. We took the liberty of getting you a few things for the night.” He blushed and looked away, making Sally Beth feel somehow worldly in the face of his bashful gallantry.

  Sally Beth insisted on riding with Lamentations in the back of the truck the two miles to the motel Jimmy Lee and Edna Mae had found, and she enjoyed the breeze and the warm Texas night, even though the mosquitoes were pretty bad until they got up some speed. She couldn’t see the stars very well because there was so much light all around, but just looking heavenward and dwelling on the music of the day made her think of her mountains and how happy she was to have a home under the glorious heavens, so close to the sky and these stars, and how happy she was to be on this adventure. Even though Lilly had upset her earlier in the day, the bad feeling between them had dissolved, and once again, she felt glad just to be alive in this beautiful world, and she stopped worrying about Lilly or what pain her recklessness may cause.

  Lord, this is changing me. I don’t know how, and I don’t know if it’s all for the good, but I ask You make it work together for good. Use me, changed or not. Whatever happens, show me a way to serve You better.

  Jimmy Lee and Edna Mae had food for all of them back at the hotel, and they had managed to find new toothbrushes and some big T-shirts to sleep in, as well as clean clothes for tomorrow, which were especially welcome. Sally Beth noticed that while Edna Mae had chosen an ugly and shapeless dress for herself, she had picked out bright and beautiful ones for Lilly and her. Her heart swelled for Edna Mae and her kindness as she and Lilly held the dresses up against themselves and twirled around in front of the mirror.

  Jimmy Lee stood awkwardly in the doorway while they exclaimed over their new things, then mumbled something about how late it was as he opened the door to slip out. Edna Mae jumped up to walk outside with him, returning half an hour later, smiling. Sally Beth had to smile, too, but when Lilly opened her mouth to tease, she shot her a warning glance to silence her. It was easy to change the subject; they all had plenty to say about their day’s adventures.

  It was pure luxury to wash their faces and brush their teeth, shower, and climb into the clean T-shirts. When they finally snuggled down into the soft beds, tired and happy, sleep came slowly, dragging its feet and lingering at the foot of the beds for a long time. They all had a lot to contemplate, and all of their contemplations were about men. Sally Beth thought about three: Elvis Chuck, her daddy, and Jesus.

  Nine

  August 14, 1978, Fort Worth, Texas

  Lilly had only a few hours to buy an entire wardrobe, so she didn’t want to waste a minute. They went to the shopping mall around the corner, where she ran straight into The Gap and launched into a buying frenzy. Within two hours she had visited four stores, bought six new outfits, three pairs of shoes, and a set of matching luggage, and it looked like she was just getting warmed up. Sally Beth set aside the minimum she would need to get home, and then enjoyed helping Lilly. She tried to mostly steer her toward the sales rack.

  Edna Mae quietly headed to JC Penney’s alone, mumbling something about finding things that fit, and Jimmy Lee managed to do some shopping of his own, saying that if he was going to hang out with three beautiful women, he might as well start looking like a man about town. Lilly laughed, “Be sure you buy yourself an ascot, Jimmy Lee!” He grinned at her, but Sally Beth could tell he didn’t have a clue as to what she was talking about.

  They all joined up for lunch at the Woolworth’s. Edna Mae was sporting a new pair of sandals and a surprisingly soft, light green muumuu that looked more like a casual, comfortable dress than a camouflage tent. The color brought out the honey in her hair and eyes. She also was sporting a smile as wide as Texas every time she looked at Jimmy Lee. He looked at her like—well, Sally Beth tried not to think about it. She felt like she was getting a little too close to their personal feelings.

  “How much more shopping do you all need to do?” Jimmy Lee spoke to the three of them in general.

  “I’m done,” answered Edna Mae.

  “Me, too,” said Sally Beth.

  “I just have a little more to do,” said Lilly, “but I’m anxious to look for a car this afternoon, so I can finish up later. I still want to get some cowboy boots, and I’m dying to buy something at the Galleria in Dallas.”

  Jimmy Lee nodded. “My cousin’s dealership ain’t far, just this side of Dallas, so we can head over there any time you’re ready.”

  Edna Mae looked thoughtful. “Well, then, you all go on. I’ll stay here and hang out a while, maybe catch a movie.”

  Sally Beth knew Edna Mae was just being considerate about how little room there was in Ji
mmy Lee’s truck, and she thought she would bow out gracefully, too. “I’ll stay here, too, and keep you company.” But her apprehensions about Lilly’s extravagance forced her to pull her sister aside. “Now listen, Lilly,” she said firmly. “You can spend exactly the blue book value of your old car, and not a penny more, you hear? Jimmy Lee’s already spending a fortune on us, and I don’t want you taking advantage of him just because he’s nice enough to let you.”

  Lilly sighed, rolling her eyes. “Sally Beth, I wish you would just trust me!” This irritated Sally Beth a little. Lilly had a way of making people feel guilty while she got away with murder, and she couldn’t come back with any more admonishments without making herself out to be a suspicious old curmudgeon.

  “We’ll be back in a couple of hours,” said Jimmy Lee. He said this to Edna Mae, as if he were wishing the time already gone. He almost forgot to look at Sally Beth.

  When Sally Beth and Edna Mae emerged from the movie theatre, they found Jimmy Lee just outside, lounging beside a nearly new, bright green Chevy truck. “Lilly’s still shopping,” he grinned. “We got her a real nice car, probably the best deal on the lot, and, well…” He suddenly went red in the face. “I figured I needed a new truck, too. That old one could only be patched up so many times.” His eyes slid over to Edna Mae, seeking her approval. “My cousin gave us a real good deal.”

  “It’s nice, Jimmy Lee.” She dropped her eyes, smiling, but she could not let them remain away from his face for long. They kept flickering back and forth between the man and his new truck. He couldn’t stop grinning. Sally Beth reckoned she had better intervene before they embarrassed themselves any more with their surreptitious yearning for one another.