A love story you have not heard before.
Ecclesiastes 1:18
For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
Chapter Twenty-Two
"Home"
Harry took his time walking in, stopping at the back screen-door to watch his chickens scratch and peck through the pine straw.
"Earth to Harry!"
Harry heard Janey say: "I'm getting tired of that, Perry!"
"Fuck you!"
Some swatting, then whack! -- one of Annie's good slaps.
Harry sat down at his place at the table. "Bacon, eggs, grits, and toast.... For lunch! Beautiful!"
"I knew you'd like that!"
"Annie, I wouldn't trade you for two, golden Cubans."
"Dad, we need to go to town after lunch," Janey said. "Maybe we could all go together!"
"Okay.... But I have to un-hitch the tow-bar from the new truck first."
"The new truck," Annie said. "Just what we all needed."
"I think it's neat!" Perry said. "Can I have it?"
"When I'm dead, Son."
"May I have it, Perry!"
Two more slices of toast popped up from the machine on the counter. Janey got up to butter it.
"Chick work."
Harry sighed. "Depends on the chick, Perry."
"White-chick work," Annie said.
Perry laughed, and Harry slammed his fist down, rattling the dishes. For a few minutes there was peace while everyone shoveled in their food. Harry remembered he had wanted to smoke a joint before lunch, well, too late now.... Maybe he should clean out his system, anyway, so he could pass a piss test anytime. Fucking bunch of shit!
"Janey told me about the piss test, Harry."
"Good guess, Annie," Harry said, wiping his mouth. Annie and her ESP. Does everybody have it? Or was it him – his brain bleeding out all over the room. "Its a bummer, Annie. What you have to do to work. Where are the piss cups at the welfare office? Huh?"
"Ronnie Alford drives a truck, Harry, and I don't see him ever giving up pot."
"Is he still around?"
"Nope," Janey said. "He's always on the road."
"I've seen his semi parked in their yard, Pop! It's neat. It's a monster!"
"We could take my pickup this afternoon, Harry, take the long way to town – past their place just in case – ask him about it.
"Pop? Do we really have to ride in Annie's dinky-little Jap truck? Breathe all that perfume she sprayed on?"
"Yeah, Mom," Janey said. "Aren't we a little heavy on the buck-lure this morning? Anyway, I want to go in the new truck. And Perry, if anybody gets it, it's me! I'm the oldest."
Harry narrowed his eyes. "It doesn't have a radio." He looked at Annie. "You in a hurry to get rid of me, Annie? Get me gone, out on the road?"
"No, but I know you. You'll be getting itchy feet soon enough. We need to get rid of that flat in Miami first, though. It's unnecessary if you're going to be driving for a living."
...unnecessary....
My beautiful flat....
"Is the rent paid up, Harry?"
"Yes!"
"I know you don't want to give it up."
"I love that place, Annie."
"I know you do, husband."
"This is sickening!" Perry got up from the table, still chewing his last mouthful of food.
"Clear your plate!" Janey yelled. "Little asshole!"
As soon as Perry was out of the room, Annie told Harry he needed to speak with Janey about her work at school, soon, while she still had a chance to pass tenth grade. "If she flunks she won't want to take it over, and I will not have any of my children dropping out!"
"That bad, huh Janey?"
"Talk to you later, Dad. Alone. Outside." Janey got up and took her and Perry's dishes to the sink. "Don't worry, I'll wash the dishes later." The screen door slammed behind her.
"Some parents would kill for kids like ours, Annie."
"Kill themselves."
"So what's with school?"
"She makes fun of everything. Every assignment. You started it with that religion class business with Perry – now they're both into it. The only homework either of them does now is their Bible study, which they do together. Can you believe that? The school calls about once a week to complain."
Harry was leaning back in his chair, hands locked behind his head. He was smiling.
"Can we take this seriously, Harry!"
"Yeah, yeah, sure!"
"Like now?"
"Okay!" Harry got up and went outside. Janey was back in the swing seat and he sat with her.
"It's okay, Dad, I'm going to pass."
"For sure?"
"Yes. I promise."
"Okay. But I want you to get rid of those crabs. Like right now."
"That's why I have to go to town. To the drugstore."
"Okay. And While Perry and I are unhitching the truck, you go and put the clothes you're wearing, and all of your bedding, in the washer. Hot water, a little extra detergent. Bleach...."
"Mmmm - hmmmm."
Harry's heart speeded up. "And I want you to start worrying about AIDS. Like now, Janey."
Janey got up. "I know what to do."
"I love you, Daughter."
"I love you, too, Dad."
"And Janey? I need a favor."
"Okay."
I'm giving Ivory the Lincoln. Only I'm putting a new stereo in it first, and good speakers, a new battery, you know, so she can sit in it and power the windows down, and.... You know what I mean?"
Janey's eyes lit up. "Neat, Dad! She'll love it!"
"There's a problem."
"Annie."
"No, well, you don't need to tell her. Hurt her feelings.... The problem is, I need to know if Mister Clearson is pissed at me. I'll need to drive the car over there in a couple days and I need you to sort of break the ice first. Okay?"
"Couple days?"
"I'd like to go right now!"
"Oh, Dad, I can just see her in it! She'll be so happy!"
"Janey, I could see her in it before I ever met her."
"You're a neat father, Harry."
"Thanks, Janey."
They saw Perry coming their way, carrying his new model plane. Janey was about to get up, but stopped. "Dad? I'll be old enough to get my driver license soon. I need a car, too."
"Now Janey.... You know what I've always told you kids. When you're old enough to drive you're old enough to work. At least work enough to pay for your insurance. Car insurance for teenagers is high."
Janey looked him in the eye. "Ivory gets a car and your daughter doesn't?"
"Ivory's getting a car, Pop?"
"You weren't supposed to hear. But you'd find out anyway since you go over there, too. The Lincoln. You tell Annie and you're dead. I do not want your mother's feelings hurt. I want your word and a handshake on that."
"Is that why we're getting the nigger car down from the barn before I fly my airplane?"
"After you take me to town, right Dad?"
"Annie changed her mind, Dad," Perry said. "She's not going. So what about flying my plane?"
"I could go to town myself, Dad – I know how to drive a stick. And you guys can have fun with the plane."
"Annie let's her drive her trucklet when you're not here, Pop. I told her you'd get mad, but she won't listen!"
"Just dirt roads," Janey said. "I even found a way to get to town using just dirt roads, and park at the feed mill. I could take the new pickup!"
Harry sighed. He looked at the two of them. "I always wanted an old Ford F-1," he said, for lack of anything better to say.
"Me, too!" Janey said. "I always wanted one of those!"
"I asked for it first, bitch!"
"Yes, but I want it while he's still alive, so he can fix stuff on it when it goes bad!"
"He's not going to give you his brand-new truck, stupid! You're the wrong color!"
"Perry, you're not old enough. When you're as old as Janey, well, we'll hunt up something neat for you to drive." Harry looked over toward Janey but she had gotten up without his realizing it. He spotted her over where Love Jones was parked, sitting behind the wheel of the F-1.
"Well, Crabmeat can help get the tow-bar off if you're going to let her have it – fuck it, Pop!"
Janey came running back up. "Where are the keys?"
They heard the screen-door slam and saw Annie walking up. "Dad," Perry said, lowering his voice. "I don't think you should let Ivory drive."
"I know, Perry. She'll be so happy just to own it. I think. I'll teach her how to crank it up once in a while to keep the battery charged, and to put it in gear, just to move it a hair, keep the tires from getting flat on one side."
Harry reached out a hand and Perry shook it. "Annie will never know," Perry whispered. "Pop? When I'm fifteen, I want a Porsche."
"A Porsche?" Janey burst out laughing. "Oh, Dad, this is funny. Perry thought of it first but we both worked it out. For religion class. You know, Mister Preston, the teacher? Well, he tried to get us both suspended for one day but the principal wouldn't let him 'cause religion class isn't legal, so..."
"Oh, Pop! Let me tell, Janey! Pop! You know where it says that when the Virgin Mary got pregnant the Holy Ghost did it? Well, where it says..."
"Luke Chapter 1, verse 35," Janey said.
"Jeez, you guys have the book memorized?"
"It was last week, Pop. Let me finish, Janey! So anyway, I have religion in the morning, before Janey does, but before I could even open my mouth, Mister Preston made me leave the room and stand out in the hall for the whole class! So when it was Janey's turn, she says, uh..."
"I said, Mister Preston, that's not fair what you did to my brother. He's been learning Hebrew and Greek just so he can study the Bible better. And he says: Oh? Like, of course he didn't believe me but he wasn't real sure – he's that dumb – about the Hebrew and Greek. So he says: Like what? And I say: Well, in Luke, where he says the Holy Ghost overshadowed Mary to get her pregnant, Perry looked up the Greek word and he found out that overshadow was just a common expression back then for fucking in the missionary position. Ha ha! Get it? The whole class just roared!"
"Mary got fucked with God on top," Perry said. "She was in his shade!"
Annie screamed, "See what I mean, Harry!"
Harry reached out and pulled the two kids in and hugged them together. "Beautiful! Beautiful! Shit, do you guys have a Greek dictionary now? I love it, love it, love it!"
"No, but it was a good guess."
"Yeah, Dad, I'm sure that's what the word meant when it was written – when you think about it, it had to mean that."
"Yeah, Pop!"
"Harry!"
"Forget it, Annie. They're supposed to be teaching the religions of the world. Fuck 'em!"
"Okay, then you go to the school next time they call."
"My pleasure!"
"Anyway," Annie said, "I called the Alfords. He's on the road but his wife said he's home usually every third weekend and that the company he drives for is looking for somebody with a good record. And Ronnie's clearing around four-hundred a week with them. She said."
"So what about the piss test?"
"I wasn't going to ask her that! On the phone! But I know those people – they're all dope smokers."
"Yeah, Dad, the Alfords been cutting our price at school, too. But ours is better shit."
"Hey! What did I say about selling our reefer at school!?"
"Well, we won't have to now – now that you're home and we'll be getting our allowance. Right?"
Both children were looking Harry in the eye. "Besides," Janey said, "we're not into meth or crack or any of that stuff."
"You said you wanted to drive a flatbed, Harry. That's what they need. A flatbed driver, she said."
"Boat-hauler. Flatbed's okay, I guess...."
"All states east of the rockies. And you can take a family member along." Annie grinned. "Or whomever," she said, still grinning, looking Harry in the eye. They send the checks home every week."
"Wonderful."
"She goes along sometimes but it's too much hassle finding somebody to stay with the kids. She said the sleepers are on the small side, but that's okay because..."
"Older trucks?"
"The oldest truck they have is two years. I asked because I don't want you wrecked or killed somewhere. I'd rather have you home and alive and working behind the counter at the gas station on I-10 but you don't want that."
"You're real comforting, Annie."
Janey had disappeared, and came back with a cold can of Busch. "I took the beer out of your cooler when you came home, Dad, and put it in the fridge. "Can we get the tow-bar off my truck now?"
"Busch?" Perry said. "Since when?"
pschttt! Harry tilted his head back and sucked down a couple of good swallows.
"I don't see how that poor girl can drink beer," Annie said, "and stay so thin."
Harry looked over to Janey. "Okay, the tow-bar – we'll get if off so you can go to town. And then the airplane, Perry."
Annie sat down on the swing seat and the kids followed Harry to the tool shed. "She knows," Perry whispered.
"Well, I didn't tell, Perry!"
"Annie's not even mad!" Perry said.
"I thought we had a deal, Son? Huh?"
"That's now! This was while you were gone!"
"She's not mad because you always come back," Janey said.
"And because she doesn't want to go to work herself," Perry said. "She told me."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yes, Dad," Janey said. "Annie told me she'd rather die than go look for a job again. Ever since she moved to the country. You know when she writes checks for bills and stuff? Well, she showed me how to do it one time, in case she ever gets sick or something and you're not at home? And she said to always make sure the insurance company gets paid on time – to send that one first every month."
"Insurance company?"
"Your life insurance. It's a fair deal, when you think about it."
"You've thought about it, huh?"
Janey laughed. "Yeah!"
"What happened to Perry?"
"Oh, he'll disappear until we're done. 'Cause it's not his truck. Anyway, thanks, Dad. Will you sign the title for it over to me when I'm sixteen? Now would be even better. Does it have a title?"
"Chicks."
"No, huh?"
"When you get up the insurance for it, I'll get it legal for you."
"Okay. Deal. Thanks. I'll go over to the Clearsons tomorrow. I'll go over today! In my new truck!"
"Crab control today. Clearsons tomorrow."
"Oh, yeah."
"And when you see her, tell her I'll bring her car over on her birthday. It's the twenty-second."
"Okay, great!"
"And tell her I love her."
"Oh, for sure!"
"You like her, don't you."
"Yeah. She's weird, but.... And we're shroom sisters now, too. Ooops! I wasn't supposed to mention that!"
"I know about the mushroom trips. About hers, anyway. Janey, I don't..."
"It's cool, Dad! I'll finish high-school. I'll have a couple kids of my own one day, like you and Annie. I'll get old, and then I'll get sick. Then I'll die. So what's a couple of mushrooms?"
"Janey...."
"No big deal, Dad! I won't burn out my brain. I won't stab my lips with my fork at the dinner table like I've seen you do, ha ha!"
"Yeah, well...."
"And I'll always be straight when I'm driving. I promise."
"Oh, yeah!" Harry smiled, and gave his daughter a long, warm hug.
It took them ten minutes to get the tow-bar off. Janey did the work while Harry sat on a crate and directed.
And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
DON'T BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU, HARRY!
Just soften up her father for me, okay?
...overshadowing.... Harry tried to picture Ivory under his shadow, but with his white body and hers so black....
He remembered the first time with her – every time – how divine it felt, his white animal entering her black animal.
Oh, Ivory!
"Where do you want this contraption, Dad?"
"Just leave it there – I'll put it up."
"Thanks, Dad!" Janey jumped in and the engine cranked immediately. Harry walked up to the rolled-down window.
"You were going to change clothes first, remember?"
"Soon as I score the bug shampoo."
"Dirt roads only. Till you get insurance. And I want you to check the tires, 35 pounds, and the water and oil every day before you go somewhere."
"Okay. Dirt roads only. What about the Clearsons? How do I get there without using the highway?"
"Uhhh...."
"Gotchya!"
She was gone. Harry stood out there in the drive and watched her take the first curve – so slowly and carefully. He wondered how long that would last. In a minute he could no longer hear her. He turned and looked over the place. The children had been so young when he first brought them up from Miami to see it. Now it was home. It would be time to plant the spring reefer soon – but not before he fixed up the Lincoln for Ivory. Then....
He spotted the can of Busch where he had set it next to the tow-bar. Harry checked it for ants and finished it off. Humping himself up on Love Jones' tail-gate, he turned the empty can around in his hands. What happened to Perry? Well, good, it would be nice to have a few minutes to think. He pictured Ivory's face peering into the empty can – pictured her running up to meet him when he drove into their yard with her new car.
RUNNING UP?
GET REAL, HARRY!
He'd wash the chicken shit off the car before bringing it over, vacuum it out (although it had been cleaned the week he winched it up under the barn roof). He would put a new battery in. Check the air in the tires.... Harry remembered that it had been a long time since he'd checked anything on Annie's little pickup. She had a tendency to let mechanical things go.
Annie....
Harry pictured Ivory standing at the side of the road, waiting beside their mailbox, her knapsack at her feet. Her face expressionless as his big tractor-trailer rig pulled up, air-brakes hissing, Ivory clambering up on her side quick as a cat, tossing the heavy knapsack into the sleeper with the flip of a wrist. He could hear them go through the gears, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth – the turbo whining – the trailer loaded. Eighty-thousand pounds hurtling down the narrow ribbon of blacktop of Highway 81. A hint of a smile on Ivory's face.
Easing up on the throttle and steering over the center-line to pass Auntie Indigo's albino girlfriend, her pale legs pumping, the bicycle wobbling and veering off onto the shoulder even though he was giving her plenty of room. The albino's alien eyes glowing with heat. Ivory giving her a little wave of the hand. Ivory.... A real smile on her face now.
"Earth to Harry!"
Perry looked so happy. He was waving a small booklet in the air as he walked up. "The instruction book! It has everything in it! Even how to fly a real airplane!"
"Yeah, we'll have to get one of those."
"Harry!" Annie hollering from the back door.
"Till death do you part," Perry said.
"What, Perry? Where do you get stuff like that! Ha ha!"
"That's what people have to promise when they get married, right? That's why I'm never getting married. Janey, either."
"You kids always amaze me."
"It's because you assumed we were dumb, Dad. Anyway, no life sentence for me!"
"Some people want to stay together...."
"Harry! Perry!"
They watched Annie standing there, hands on her hips. They watched her give up and go back inside.
Till death do you part.... Harry sighed.
"She's not pissed, Pop. She even did the dishes after Janey left them sitting there, as usual."
"Yeah...."
"Annie's being real nice to me all of a sudden, Pop. I think it's because Janey's already down the tubes and I'm all she has left. She let me read this instruction book instead of bugging me to do the dishes. Boy! She can do dishes in five minutes!"
"So what does she want?"
"Oh, I'm supposed to tell you to come in. She made this peach cobbler yesterday – and it's so good! Anyway, she has some in the microwave for us and she said to get you. Then we'll fly the plane, right?"
Annie....
"Right? Pop? Annie said she'll come out and watch! We can take it off behind the barn – the ground is real smooth there. The book says to find a long, smooth place."
In sickness and in health.... Harry saw Annie's face. It was their wedding day. They were both so happy! He turned and watched Annie as she said I do and hers was the happiest, prettiest face he'd seen in his life.
"Dad! I want to eat my cobbler before it gets cold!"
Harry slid down off the tail-gate and the two of them headed for the trailer.
"I put the new batteries for the radio controls in already, Pop. The ones that were in the plane looked old. And I found the can of fuel you bought. You left it outside."
Annie – I broke my promise.
When the first, hot spoonful of cobbler entered Harry's mouth he looked surprised.
"Is it okay, Harry?"
"Oh, yeah, it's great! This is a real treat, Annie!"
"Yeah, Mom, this is good!"
Harry took a sip of coffee. He did not remember coming in, washing his hands, sitting down – yet here he was, at the table.
"And ice-cream on the side," he said. "Thanks, wife!"
He saw Ivory, sitting in the big Lincoln Continental, Special Edition – midnight-blue, gold pin-striping.... The electric window rolling down as he walked up. Her face so serene, so elegant, so perfect and beautiful. Her cool eyes looking into him.
"I'll be leaving soon," he said. "I'll let you know when I can come and get you. Big, big truck! We'll be running it all over – Atlanta, New York City, Boston, Chicago.... Through the mountains in West Virginia. Would you like that?"
"Mmmm - hmmmm. It be okay...."
Her voice was Heaven.
"Will you be a good girl while I'm gone?"
"Mmmm - hmmmm...."
<end chapter-22>
Copyright 1979, 2005 John Aalborg
All rights reserved.
Email: aalborg@jbaal.com
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Rev: 10 April 2005