On the Corner of Hope and Main

by Beverly Jenkins

  Quelp said, “Okay, Leo. Keep me posted on the happenings there, and make sure you get that seed distributed the way we need it to be. Salem Oil fired you once. I can make it twice. Good night.”

  The screen went black and Leo tossed back bitterly, “And good night to you too, you treacherous old bastard.”

  ON SATURDAY MORNING, Bernadine awakened to rays of sunlight spilling into her room. Leaving the bed, she walked to the patio door and moved aside the snow white gossamer curtains so she could see out. The sky was the clear frosty blue that seemed to go with autumn, and the grasses on the plains swayed in the wind. Seeing that made her think about her kite. It looked to be a perfect day to send Mimi the dragon up to test her wings; however, the Julys were still at Tamar’s. With each day’s sunrise bringing winter ever closer, she didn’t know how much longer she had before the weather brought snow and she had to store the kite until spring. Sighing, she put the kite out of her mind and began what she envisioned to be a nice, slow, easy day. She’d left all her work at the office, so she could dive into a couple of new books and check out the movies on Netflix she’d been anxious to see.

  Dressed in her sweats, she went to the kitchen and took Crystal’s latest smoothie creation out of the fridge. The few she’d made before had been fruit based and fairly tasty. This one was dark green, and according to Crys all veggie. In it was kale—which Bernadine detested—spinach which she loved, carrots, and a few other ingredients she couldn’t remember. She poured the thick mixture into a glass and had to admit it didn’t look very appealing. Raising the glass, she gave it a quick sniff and took a swallow. Yelling at the awful taste, she forced herself to take another swallow, then poured the rest down the garbage disposal and made herself some bacon, eggs, grits, and toast.

  She’d just sat down to eat when her phone pinged. It was a text from Mal. I’m going out to fly my kite. You want to come along?

  Beset with all kinds of thoughts and emotions, she hesitated then responded, Where? Tamar’s?

  No. Too many people.

  She looked out at the beautiful day. The offer was so tempting. But it was Mal. A voice inside countered: So what! Smiling, she sent back her reply. I’m in. Where should I meet you?

  Clay and Bing’s. 10 ok?

  It was now 8:30. Yes.

  See you there. Wear your boots. Probably muddy.

  Spending the morning with Mal was definitely not something she’d planned on doing. But? She told herself this was only about her kite. Period. Setting the phone aside, she started on her breakfast.

  Bernadine arrived at Clay and Bing’s farm at ten sharp. Mal’s souped-up red Ford truck was parked out front. Seeing it gave her a slight case of the nerves, which made no sense so she drew in a deep calming breath. The large wooden pens that held the hogs and cattle were empty. She assumed the livestock was either chilling in the barn or a butcher’s freezer. Leaving Baby, she carried her kite to the front door and rang the bell.

  She was met by Clay. “Morning. Come on in. Hand me the kite. I’ll put it here on the chair.” Thanking him, she followed him through the front room with its comfortable-looking sofa and chairs, then past the nice-size dining room with its large polished table and four pushed-in chairs, and into the kitchen. It was as homey as the rest of the place. Mal was at the table sipping coffee. His dark eyes met hers. He gave her a slight nod. Heart thumping, she returned the gesture similarly and forced her attention to Bing, seated on his left. A large manila envelope stuffed with papers was in the center of the table near his coffee mug. His cane rested on the back of the chair. “Morning, Bernadine.”

  “Morning, Bing.”

  He gestured her to a chair. Clay took the empty one to her right.

  “How’s everyone?” she asked, hoping small talk would help calm her nervousness.

  They chatted for a moment about the upcoming Halloween party and how much fun it would be and then the election.

  Bing said to Mal, “No offense, Malachi, but everyone I’ve talked to is voting for Sheila Payne.”

  “No offense taken. So am I.”

  They laughed.

  Mal continued, “Thad is just in this for the fun. If he did win, he’d be back in Oklahoma by nightfall. He’s still real mad at Riley for calling him a dumb Okie, and for messing with his signs. Riley might want to keep an eye out, because I guarantee, Thad’s going to pay him back before the last vote’s counted one way or another.”

  Bernadine knew from the town’s legends that the Julys were serious about retribution and often took revenge in comical ways.

  “Speaking of Riley,” Clay said. “He and Leo passed out seed from Mega Seed the other night, along with more cash. I also saw a farmer at the feed store yesterday wearing a button that said: Vote for Curry. The only man for the job. And the word man is in capital letters.”

  Bernadine responded, “I’ve heard that a few men who won’t vote for a woman have gotten on his bandwagon. In a way I know he can’t possibly win, but can he?”

  Bing shook his head. “I think not. Anybody voting for him has a couple of screws loose.”

  Bernadine blew out a breath. “I can’t wait for the election to be over, so he can lose and go back to just being a local annoyance, and Leo can leave town.”

  Bing asked her, “Did you read up on the lawsuit against his company?”

  “I did. Glad the case is going forward, but I don’t get why Mega Seed would sell those farmers dead seed.”

  “For their land.”

  Bing must have seen the confusion on her face, so he explained, “If you sell farmers seeds that fail to germinate, nothing grows. If nothing grows, you have nothing to sell. Nothing to sell means you can’t pay bills, what’s owed on equipment, storage, or your taxes. Land is the only collateral for the most part so, the land goes into foreclosure. Guess who buys the land from the bank?”

  She went still.

  Bing said, “There were almost two million black farmers in the 1920s. Now, there’s fewer than fifty thousand. What bad weather didn’t wipe out, the government’s Agriculture Department did by refusing loans, and making black farmers jump through hoops for aid and resources white farmers received with no problem.”

  Clay added, “The way farming works now, you can only plant Big Agriculture’s seeds. Plant your own and companies like Mega Seed will see you in court. Tractor manufacturers have built their new machines so farmers can’t service them when they break down. Only the manufacturer can do repairs.”

  “That doesn’t sound fair.”

  “No, it doesn’t, which is why some farmers in California took Big Tractor to court.”

  “Do they have a good case?”

  Clay shrugged. “We’ll see.”

  Bernadine thought this over for a moment and asked, “So is the seed Riley’s giving away sterile, too?”

  Bing said, “No, according to what he told the farmers the other night, but I sent some samples to a friend in the KU agriculture department. He’s going to see if it germinates and let me know.”

  Bernadine had trouble understanding Mega Seed’s motives. “But why here? Are they trying to steal our farmland, too?”

  Bing picked up the manila folder, removed a large piece of paper, and unfolded it. On it was a map of Graham County. He said, “We pinpointed the farms owned by the first set of farmers Leo invited the night he talked about the corporations wanting to buy land.”

  Bernadine eyed the blue dots. They marched in a fairly straight line between the county’s northern and southern borders. She studied it, and realized she’d seen something similar before, but couldn’t remember where. After wrestling with the question, the light came on and her jaw dropped. “The pipeline,” she said.

  Eyes wide, she looked from Clay to Bing, and to Mal, who raised his coffee cup to her in tribute. “I told them it wouldn’t take you but a minute or two to figure it out.”

  Bernadine viewed the map again. “They’re trying to take the land so they can put in that damned
pipeline.” Leo, you dirty dog!

  “We don’t know that for sure,” Bing said. “We do know Leo was fired from Salem Oil and now works for Mega Seed. If you were going to run a play like this, wouldn’t you send in someone who already has an in with the people you’re trying to bamboozle?”

  Bernadine anger rose. “Hold on, I need to make a quick call.”

  They waited while she pulled her phone from her purse and hit speed dial. “Tina, hey, girl. Question. Salem Oil and Mega Seed. Are they owned by the same multinational?”

  It only took Tina a second to reply, yes.

  Telling Tina she’d explain later, Bernadine ended the call and relayed the answer to the men. She viewed the map again and wanted to punch Leo’s lights out. “Have you shared this map with anyone else?”

  “Only Mike Freewater. We’re going to wait until the seed report comes back. And if it’s sterile like we think it is, we’ll call the newspapers and let the publicity bust Leo’s and the corporations’ chops.”

  She thought that a good plan. “Thanks for showing me this. I’ll keep it under my hat for now, too. Great work, gentlemen.”

  They nodded.

  Bing added, “And maybe the courts will be more inclined to do something now that white farmers are being targeted, too.”

  Bernadine said, “Hopefully, inclined enough to send everybody from both companies straight to jail. How long do you think it’ll be before your friend knows if the seed’s viable?”

  “Two, maybe three weeks. No longer than that.”

  Although she’d said she’d keep the info under her hat, she knew her legal people would want a heads-up regardless of the outcome of the seed testing. “I’ll be having my legal people reach out to the Black Farmers Coalition to see if we can offer any assistance with their suit, because this stinks.” And it did. How dare they conspire to bulldoze the livelihood of farmers for their own greedy gain. “Do they lack a conscience?”

  They talked for a few more minutes, and when they were done, Mal asked, “You ready to go kite flying?”

  “Yes. Otherwise I may march over to Leo’s and set fire to what little hair he has left.”

  Mal chuckled. “Then come on. Where’s your kite?”

  Outside, as they walked away from the back of the house, Bernadine was glad she’d worn her Wellies. The ground was soft from the rain of a few days ago and the mud would’ve ruined a good pair of shoes. It was still a beautiful sunny day. The air was a bit chilly but it was October and she knew they were lucky it wasn’t straight-up cold. Wearing a lightweight parka and with her gloves in a pocket, she carried her kite and walked silently beside Mal. She had no idea where they were going, but she was content being outside and knowing she’d soon be sending Mimi up for her first dance.

  They’d been walking for about twenty minutes when he looked over and asked, “You okay?”

  “I am.”

  “Still mad at Leo?”

  “I think I’ll always be mad at Leo.”

  “Still mad at me?”

  She glanced up, and after weighing her feelings, replied truthfully, “No.”

  He studied her for a moment, then nodded.

  They walked on in silence.

  She realized she really wasn’t mad at him anymore. Whether it was due to the passage of time or having gained closure from blasting him that day in the parking lot of Dog, she didn’t know. What was certain was that being with him no longer made her feel like there was a gallon of battery acid in her stomach.

  They came to a halt a few yards away from a stand of trees. Behind them Clay’s farmhouse seemed miles away across the open field of grasses.

  “There’s a table in the trees where we can sit.”

  She followed and saw the weathered picnic table and a firepit encircled by large stones positioned a few yards away from a wide stretch of water. “Is this the same creek that runs behind Tamar’s place?”

  “It is, but it’s deeper and wider at this point. Great for the whitetail deer and turkeys. Gives them a place to drink. We hunt out here sometimes.”

  She looked up at the trees, most of which had already shed their leaves, and at the steep bank on the far side of the water. Mal shucked free of his camo-designed backpack and set his kite down.

  It was so quiet she could hear the water. The breeze was still high, the sun still bright, and all the tension brought on by Leo and his mess was forgotten. “Thanks for bringing me out here.”

  “You’re welcome. Didn’t know if you’d agree, but it was such a nice day, figured I’d take a chance and ask.”

  “I’m glad you did. I’ve been wanting to take Mimi out.”

  “Mimi?”

  “It’s what I named the kite—after Tina’s mom.”

  “Ah.”

  Time seemed to stand still in that moment. Memories of them being together this way in the past washed over her. The intensity in his eyes made her believe he was thinking along the same lines, and not sure what might become of it, she broke the contact. “Let me get my line tied on and send this lady up.”

  Bernadine sat, and after tying a lark’s head knot, attached her Dacron line to the kite. She was reminded that he’d taught her the knot. It had taken her a few times to learn how to make it, even while she’d fumed at her failed attempts, he’d been his ever-patient self, encouraging her, until she mastered it.

  They were now ready. Separating herself from him by a few yards so their kite lines wouldn’t cross, she let Mimi catch the wind and fed her the line as she climbed. The kite soared quickly and smoothly. The gold diamonds on her belly caught the sunlight and glowed like Zoey’s coins. Her happiness showed itself in her wide smile. Looking Mal’s way, she saw him smiling back. A second later, his black dragon took flight. The big kite sported accents of red and silver, and like Mimi, caught the sunlight as it climbed and soared against the bright blue sky overhead.

  Once Bernadine was certain Mimi could probably see to Milwaukee from her spot in the sky, she stopped giving her line and let her dance. The kite swayed and frolicked in the steady breeze, and her owner swore this was the best gift she’d ever received. Mal had two lines on his kite, so he could make it rise and fall like she imagined a real dragon might move. It was fascinating. Made her a little envious too, but also determined to one day be equally as skilled.

  “Watch this!” he called. Expertly handling the twin lines, he made his kite undulate more precisely.

  “Show-off!” she yelled.

  “That’s my name! Don’t wear it out.”

  She laughed.

  After an hour, Bernadine’s arms began to tire and the constant looking up had her neck and shoulders complaining. Time for a break. She fished the staplelike stake out of her pocket, fed it through the holes of the oblong disc holding her line, and pushed the staple firmly into the rain-softened ground. Mal did the same, and for a moment they stood and watched their kites dance unassisted in the wind.

  “I have a thermos of coffee if you want to take the chill off.”

  “I do.”

  Leaving the staked kites, they walked back to the table. Mal fished the thermos and two go-cups out of his backpack. The coffee poured out steaming hot. After helping herself to the small packets of sweetener and creamer, she sat and sipped. Content, she watched the kites. This outing was the most fun she had with Mal since their split.

  “Penny for your thoughts.”

  “Just thinking it’s been a while since I had this much fun.” She chose not to tell him everything on her mind.

  “Ditto.”

  “Thanks again for the kite and invitation.”

  “You’re welcome, again.”

  And because her hand was the one that turned the world, Bing’s map came to mind, bringing with it thoughts of Leo. “I hope we can find a way to send Leo to jail.”

  He gave her a look.

  Confused, she asked, “What?”

  “You’re supposed to be relaxing and enjoying yourself. Not working and tu
rning the world. Remember?”

  She started to protest but thought better of it because she had come out here for fun. “You’re right. Thanks for the reminder.”

  “Here to serve.”

  She grinned ruefully. He’d always provided the balance her often too full life and mind needed.

  “Hungry?”

  “A little.”

  “Good. Let’s have lunch.”

  While she watched, Mal reached into the backpack and withdrew two foil-wrapped packages and two canned sodas. “Be right back.”

  He walked into the trees, and a moment later returned carrying a large black tote wrapped by a heavy chain that fed into a padlock. As if sensing her unasked questions, he explained as he set the tote on the ground. “Like I said, we sometimes hunt out this way. We stash supplies inside so we don’t have to drag stuff back and forth.” He pulled a ring of keys from his pocket and fit a small silver one into the lock. “It’s chained up to keep out varmints and thieves.”

  He pulled the chain free and removed the tote’s top. Out came a small bag of charcoal, a rectangular box of kitchen matches, paper plates, plastic utensils, wet wipes, paper towels, and napkins, which he placed on the table.

  “What are we having for lunch?”

  “An outdoor gourmet delight.”

  She laughed. “What?”

  He didn’t elaborate so she watched as he poured charcoal into the pit, added some newspaper from the tote and started a fire.

  “We need to find a couple of sticks.”

  She gave Mal a side-eye but followed him over to the trees. He picked out two thin but sturdy branches, and using a wicked-looking hunting knife he withdrew from a sheath around his waist, he cut them down, peeled away some of the outer bark, and whittled the ends to a sharp point.

  “Is this gourmet delight hot dogs?”

  “You are one smart cookie, Cookie.”

  Amused by all that he was, she trailed him back to the table.

  The branches were the perfect length to roast the hot dogs at a distance that kept her parka from going up in flames. The dogs had come from Clay’s freezer, and although they’d thawed a bit, it took a while before they actually started to cook. She’d never done this before, and because she was Bernadine Brown, and Bernadine Brown didn’t like lengthy processes, she complained, “Next time can we just bring carryout?”