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#Post#: 3122--------------------------------------------------
Coming Home
DIR By: Maggie Flannery
Date: November 22, 2015, 8:49 pm
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HTML https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/664/22599289193_22fdf27ea4.jpg
Tagline: There's nothing like a family to make you feel so
damned alone.
Summary: Neither was in it for the 'long haul.' so to speak.
Their time together was spent knocking around from town to town
closing down bars and hustling shady characters in games of
cards and pool. Neither thought their full tilt life style would
come to a halt until Jimmy got a call from his Mama back home in
Oklahoma saying that his Daddy passed away. So, MaryLou wasn't
about to let him go alone and in the course of a mini road trip
and meeting his family she sees what kind of man hides behind
that facade he's so carefully built. Together they find that
they've got more in common than they first thought. Oh, and did
I mention their chosen vehicle is a slightly stolen 1960
Bonneville with a surprise or two in the backseat? Will they
finally set down roots together or will they get the hell out of
dodge when questions start coming at them left and right?
[u]Playlist:[b][u]
HTML https://open.spotify.com/user/highlandfling22/playlist/3OZATTeMqBnenGsouzGnTX
[b][u]Polyvore: [u]
HTML http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/collection?id=4818217
#Post#: 3123--------------------------------------------------
Re: Coming Home
DIR By: Wolfy
Date: November 23, 2015, 6:26 am
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OH !! really looking forward to reading where you'll be taking
this one. The playlist just makes me all the more impatient for
it to begin, though. You have such wonderful taste in music; and
the polyvore sets [ complete with dialogue! ], also add to the
excitement here. I look forward to reading the first update!
#Post#: 3126--------------------------------------------------
Re: Coming Home
DIR By: Maggie Flannery
Date: November 28, 2015, 5:32 pm
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New Orleans LA French Quarter { The Bombay Club 11 PM }
Life’s got a strange way of biting people in the ass, one moment
you’re on top of the world ready to take anything head on and
the next you’re flat on your back wondering how in the hell it
all went wrong. Two people that learned this fact early in life
were sitting at the bar speaking in hushed tones over mixed
drinks. Jimmy Riggs had lived all over the place these past
twenty years but in his heart he was and would always be just a
boy from Bell Oklahoma. His long open face and slow way of
speaking were testament to his Okie breeding. MaryLou O’Brien on
the other hand hailed from the tiny town of Threadwell Alabama -
a tiny burg on the county seat of Dekalb and managed to get out
by the time she was 17, she still thanked her lucky stars she’d
graduated high school early. At times her “inner Bamian” popped
out but she tried her damnedest to keep her hilly lilt in check.
They were quite the pair, he in his untucked button-down,
blazer with slightly wrinkled chinos and dark wingtips. She in
her figure hugging dark capris and modest slightly cropped top
tied in nicely with her choice of red leather flats. To look at
them you wouldn’t think they lived and thrived on the fringes of
society. Hustling those that deserved it at games of chance,
cards, and pool. They had principles though, cash only nothing
above a fifty dollar bill, and no women or children. Just the
common bar fly that usually itched to get taken. Their last
“client” grumbled something under his breathe before slapping
their hard earned winnings on the bar to Jimmy’s left.
“What’s that make, Lou?”
Jimmy enquired as he took a sip of his bourbon and looked at his
dark haired partner in crime as she calculated their total.
These past two months had been something else, four major cities
from Georgia to their current location of Louisiana alone had
paid off it seemed.
“At this moment we’re at…”
She dug through her purse for a paper and pen as to not
broadcast exactly how much they were sitting on and wrote it
down in her looping dainty script that he secretly adored yet
busted her chops over. His eyes bugged slightly and he almost
dropped his tumbler of Wild Turkey into his lap.
Twenty-five thousand dollars in cold hard American cash. God
himself seemed to be smiling down on them. In the back of his
mind he knew it was too good to be true. It always was. He knew
that MaryLou knew it too.
“That’s not counting what we’ve got in savings and in bullion
and stocks.”
Jimmy’s eyes bugged again as he looked at her his mouth slightly
agape.
“Not countin’? Lou what’d I tell you ‘bout playing with stocks
and bullion?”
He started but was shushed with a slight wave of her pretty
little hand as she sipped on what he assumed to be her usual
Jack and Coke.
“Not to do it but honestly have I ever steered you wrong with it
before? I bought a few shares here a few there. It’s mostly just
Apple, Disney, and Footlocker but there are a few in Abbot
Laboratories oh! and one or two in Natural Resource Partners.”
She noticed his blank look for a moment, he was probably still
in shock over the cash total. She smiled sweetly and patted his
hand.
“Coal, honey. We’ve got stocks in entertainment, footwear, a
medical company and coal fields. That alright with you? Jimmy?
Jim.”
She gave his shoulder a gently shake before running a hand down
his cheek. His hazel eyes refocusing on her face as he flashed
her a toothy grin.
“How’d I end up with you, Lou?”
“Just that luck of yours I suppose. You sure you’re alright?
You’re looking a little pale.”
Jimmy gave her a curt nod before patting the back of her hand to
reassure her that he was fine. In reality his stomach was in
knots and a sense of impending doom washed over him. Something
was wrong but he couldn’t put his finger on what it was. His
chest was tight and he’d broken out in a cold sweat. Oh Good
lord now he was hotter than Hell Fire…and back to cold again.
Was he having a heart attack? Sweet Jesus he was only 40. Had
someone spiked his drink? His mouth went dry and the room
started to reel. This was not good, not good at all.
“I’m fine, Lou.”
Was all he said in a strangled tone before his legs gave out and
MaryLou caught him before he hit the hardwood floor of the
barroom as the other patrons looked on with mild concern.
MaryLou had never seen him in such a state but she hefted his
arm over her shoulder bearing most of his weight as she paid
their tab and told a few gawkers to mind their own business as
she helped him stagger out into the muggy night air that the
French Quarter. To passers by they seemed like a typical tipsy
tourist couple and nothing more. But neither of them had had
more than a few sips of their drinks all evening.
“Jimmy..Jimmy..stay with me. Jim! Can you hear me? Do you know
what day it is? Tell me your name, Hun.”
Once upon a time and many moons ago you probably would have seen
MaryLou asking these types of questions to injured crash victims
or those that had been injured in a stabbing all the while
looking quite baby faced in her nurse’s scrubs. Eight years as
an RN and she’d pretty much seen it all. But for someone as
healthy as Jimmy to drop like a ton of bricks, something was up.
She felt for his pulse and noted it in the back of her mind. She
checked his ocular reflexes and found that he was fine. He
batted her hand away as she checked his pulse again.
“ ‘M fine, Lou. Just…just tight in the chest ’s all and shaky.”
“Does the pain go down your arm or up into your jaw? Do feel
queasy?”
Jimmy looked at her like she’d grown a second head and shook his
head.
“What’s with the third degree?”
“How quickly you forget that I was a nurse. Your pulse is
racing, have you got cotton mouth? Feels like everything’s
closing in on you and that something’s wrong but you don’t know
what?”
Jimmy could only nod as he looked at her amazed that he'd
forgotten how he’d met her all those years ago just outside of
Bowling Green when he’d managed to get the crap knocked out of
himself over a card game. She’d patched him up and he ended up
getting her phone number. Her eyes, he noted were still the same
pretty shade of emerald they’d always been. Somehow they stood
out more and more these days. Like she glowed, if that was even
possible.
“You didn’t hear a word I just said did you?”
“I’d be lynin’ if I said yes. What’d ya say, Lou?”
MaryLou sighed as she helped him into a standing position and
took his pulse once more.
“I said that you had a panic attack. It wasn’t the worst I’ve
ever seen…or had but it’s hell on you. Come on, I’m taking you
back to the hotel room. You probably feel like you ran a
marathon, huh?”
Jimmy found that he could only nod as she walked along with him
to where the rental car was parked. It never failed to amaze him
how she could hone in on how he was feeling. She always chalked
it up to her sun sign, she was a Cancer after all. He just shook
his head and knew that she cared for him. He being the true
Scorpio that he was liked to wall off his feelings she’d said
one night as they drove through her home state. She’d opened
his world up to new things and he still couldn’t understand why
she enjoyed his company but there was one thing he knew, he’d be
nothing without her. While they were there she had shown him a
few spots she had played in as a child, mostly field land now
choked with weeds but she’d pointed out the Dogwood tree her
older brother had showed her how to climb and where she had
carved her initials with his buck knife. Right before they left
in the hazy light of the twilight she had added his own initials
beside hers with the date. When he had asked her why she just
smiled that same sweet smile of hers and said ‘Just ‘cause you
look like you needed roots to somewhere. Here's as good as any.’
before racing him back to where he’d parked the car. He would
forever associate the smell of the final summer peaches and the
mellow golden light with Lou and that was just the way he wanted
it. As they were driving through a tiny town on the way to the
state line she pointed to a rusted out tin sign that proclaimed
that Threadwell was thirty miles to the east. MaryLou hadn’t
been quite ready to show him where she came from just then and
he was just fine with it. She never pushed him into
uncomfortable territory but was there to tell him to get himself
together when it was warranted.
Ever the careful driver MaryLou pulled out into traffic and
pointed them toward the the hotel they called home at the
moment. Life on the road was an endless array of hotels and
motels and diners and late night drives and they thrived on it.
He must have dozed off because the next thing he knew he was
waking up slightly bleary eyed with Lou curled up by his side,
her breathing even and light. How she had managed to get him up
to their room and changed into a pair of PJ bottoms was beyond
him. She was small but mighty that one. Somewhere something was
ringing and he had no idea what or where it was. Then, like a
knife cutting through his sleep addled brain it hit him. His
cell phone. Not many people had that particular number so who it
was calling him at ten in the morning was mind boggling. A
swift swipe of the night side table and he came up empty handed.
He groaned and carefully reached over Lou’s sleeping form, ever
so careful not to crush her he grabbed his phone.
“ ‘Lo?”
A shuddering breath on the other end of the line made his jolt
for a moment.
“Jimmy..It’s Mama You know I don’t call you unless it’s really
important.”
He hadn’t spoken to his Mother in months. He usually called or
sent a post card of his travels to his folks back home but
things had gotten so busy it was a bit of a whirl wind. His
Daddy was the one to usually call him because they both knew if
his Mama did it she’d talk his ear off. Something was very very
wrong.
“What’s goin’ on, Mama?”
“It’s your Daddy…his heart. Oh Lord..”
He heard her set the phone down for a moment as she sobbed. In
the back of his mind he’d always worried about these sorts of
calls. Especially since he knew his father’s heart wasn’t the
best of tickers out there. It was certainly no Timex but after
four heart attacks it still somehow kept ticking away.
“Jimmy your Daddy’s dead. He was out fishing with your uncle
Delmer and it just went out on him…it would mean the world if
you…c-came home to see him - o-off. The funeral’s set for the
day after tomorrow down at Piney Ridge. He’ll be next to your
Uncle Hank..”
Jimmy’s world stopped for a moment and he wasn’t he even sure
what he had said but to his ears it sure sounded a hell of a lot
like a yes. In a way he was screwed before he’d even left the
state of Louisiana.
“We’ll be there before supper, Mama. We had a stop over in
Louisiana.”
Had he seriously just said we? He wasn’t even sure if Lou would
even want to meet his family. Sure, they’d been together for
what…eight years now but this wasn’t the sort of thing you just
sprang on someone. Maybe he could slip out and leave her a note?
No, there was no way he could ever do that to her. He said a
quick goodbye to his Mama and ended the call just as Lou roused
into the waking world. She gave him that same sweet sleepy smile
she always did. It was only when the look of concern crossed her
face did he realize that his mask slipped a bit.
“What’s wrong?”
She asked as she sat up and tossed her long dark hair over her
shoulder and looked deep into his eyes before moving closer.
“My..uh..My Daddy’s dead, Lou. My Mama just called. Said it was
sudden, he was out fishin’ yesterday with my uncle Delmer and it
just sort of gave out on him.”
His own voice sounded foreign to him, dazed almost as he sat
there for a moment and then looked back at her. She was gone.
The light was on in the bathroom and then she came into view
again with her makeup kit and arm load of her lacy underthings.
He watched as she grabbed one of the suitcases they always
traveled with and started getting her things together then moved
onto his shirts and pants, making sure to lay a clean set out
for him.
“What are you doin’, Lou?”
He asked, his voice slow like molasses in the winter time. Even
to his own ears it sounded like he was stone stupid.
“Packin’. I’m not lettin’ you go alone, Jimmy.”
Tears slipped down his face as he looked up at her. Fresh
sadness washed over him and the next thing he knew she by his
side again holding him just like his Mama used to when he got
hurt as a child. Stroking his hair and rocking him slightly
telling him it was going to be okay. He was never one to ever
let his sensitive side show, with his it was usually sarcasm and
jokes with a flashy smile but now, he was broken and she was
helping him make sense of the world.
“You’d go with me?”
“Of course I would.”
She said as she gave him a kiss on his stubbled cheek and went
about packing again.
“I’ll tell you what you go on and take a shower, shave and get
yourself together and I’ll order some room service. I’ll do a
once over to see if I’ve missed anything and then I’ll call and
see if the car’s ready, alright?”
Jimmy had all he could to nod as he looked at her. She was
always full of surprises, never in a million years would he have
thought he’d end up with a girl like her but here she was.
Living breathing proof that angels existed. She helped him up
from the bed, noting that he was stiff from sleeping on his back
most of the night and told him that everything was going to be
alright.
He closed the door to the tiny bathroom and went about scrubbing
off the sleep and worry while she took care of loose ends.
Within ten minutes the room service was ordered, just a standard
coffee and a continental for the two of them and a phone call
was going through to the local auto body place where Jimmy had
entrusted his ancient Pontiac. They’d been having issues with
the Bonneville since Valdosta but it seemed that once they got
into the French Quarter it chose to finally conk out. Steam
unfurling and winding toward the hot summer sun two weeks ago.
“Hi there, this is MaryLou O’Brien. I’m calling in regards to a
1960 Pontiac Bonneville? A Mr. James Riggs had it taken in last
week for a total work over, is it by any chance ready?”
To her astonishment the phone went dead with a solid thunk of
the mechanic on the other end hanging up. If it was one thing
MaryLou could not or would not stand for it was being hung up
on. It was bad enough Jimmy had just lost his Father but not
having his car, that might just push him over the edge. She
hurriedly slipped into a pair of jeans and shirt and pulled her
hair up before slipping her shoes on and knocking on the
bathroom door.
“I’m headed out to take care of the bill and pick up the car.
I’ll be back in about thirty minutes, alright? Breakfast should
be here before I get on back.”
Jimmy’s mind spun at her words as he answered her from over the
noise of the shower.
“A’right. Just be careful and don’t get a ticket, huh?”
“Noted. Now, just pick up those towels when you get out and
we’ll call it even, huh?”
She said she quietly closed the hotel room door behind her and
went down to the lobby to take care of business. The bill was
tallied up and she slipped an extra twenty for the maid, she
always felt hard work should always be rewarded and she told the
concierge to have a wonderful day before she set her sites on
Phil’s Auto body down on Lafayette on the outskirts of the
quarter. A ten minute drive from the hotel but with traffic it
probably wouldn’t take long. The sheer tenacity of that mechanic
to hang up on her after they’d taken the liberty to rent the
hunk of junk of wheels from them. She settled in and willed the
engine to start and listened as it sputtered to life.
“Come on you damn hunk of crap! Just let me return you and I
swear I’ll never drive you again. Maybe you’ll go to Chevy
heaven or somethin’. Just get me where I need to go.”
She bargained as she finally inched along and made it to Phil’s.
Just as she pulled in the car gave out in an oily thick black
cloud of acrid smoke. It’s engine had up and died. After body
checking the door she was finally free of the metal scrap heap
and marching toward the front office.
“Hi there, I just called here to check up on the 1960 cherry red
Bonneville that’s in for repairs. Is it ready? I was told last
week that it’d be ready first thing Monday morning.”
The mechanic whose coveralls proclaimed that his name was
Budford gave her a heavy lidded once over and stared at her
chest for a moment.
“I dunno. Might be, let me go and ask for ya. Sit tight pretty
lil’ lady.”
MaryLou sighed and waited as he disappeared into the back in a
swell of noise. It took him ten minutes to get back to her and
he was followed by a taller lankier mechanic, aptly named Junior
who ogled her just as hard.
“Well, what’s a purdy lil’ thing like you doin’ in a place like
this?”
“I’m here to pick up the 1960 Bonneville.”
“Ain’t ready yet.”
“I was told last week that it’d be ready first thing Monday and
I called earlier today and was quite rudely hung up on by one of
your associates. All it needed was an oil change. Now, kindly
point me toward my vehicle I’ll pay cash and I’ll be on out of
you hair, sir.”
Both mechanics shook their heads, the shorter one took a dip
from his pouch of Beechnut chaw stowed in the left pocket of his
coveralls and looked at her as if she were a prime rib in a
butcher’s window.
“We said it ain’t ready and if it ain’t ready then it ain’t
goin’ nowhere darlin’.”
MaryLou fixed a cold stare at the two of them before reaching
over the counter and grabbing the keys she knew so well from the
hook just over the Budford’s shoulder.
“Well, I’ll be the judge of that.”
She said as she stalked out of the office and slammed the door
shut. It was bad enough being given the run around but to be
stared at like she was nothing but a piece of meat just standing
there for their pleasure made her blood boil. She didn’t need
this, not now anyway. She found bay four and sure enough there
was Jimmy’s baby looking as pristine as when they’d left it.
Plates matched and everything. She popped the hood and checked
the oil, it was good to go. She slid behind the wheel and the
entire purred to life and she couldn’t help but smile. She
checked her review and eased out into the parking lot seeing
Junior and Buford pop along side the driver’s side. She threw
two hundred at them and gave them a polite honk before burning
rubber out of the lot.
“Sorry about the junk heap, looks like it’s gone to Chevy heaven
on ya’ll.”
She called before taking off back toward the hotel not hitting a
single red light the entire way. It was actually nice be in the
driver’s seat for a change. She’d cranked the window’s down and
the radio was up she spotted Jimmy out front under the canopy
puffing away on a Marlboro looking a little better, still a
little lost but better than when she’d woken up. The bags were
at his feet so it was the usual sign for the ‘let’s get the hell
out of here.’ She never thought she could ever get sick of
seeing the sights in New Orleans but it was time to go.
“Hop on in, Hun. Point me toward the interstate and we’ll get to
gettin’.”
Jimmy motioned for her to slide over and she obliged. She’d let
him go halfway but if she noticed that he lagging she’d put her
foot down and pick up the slack.
“I wonder what the hell they were doin’ this entire time. An oil
change doesn’t take two weeks.”
“Well, maybe they worked for the tourist board? We got to see
some interesting sites while we were here. Not to mention make
some pretty damn good money. You’ve got to admit you had a
little fun, Jimmy.”
MaryLou said as she moved a bit closer to him on the bench seat.
She could have kicked herself for saying that.
“Oh damn it, I’m sorry. I- I’ve gone and put my foot in my
mouth.”
“Nah, Lou. I know what ya meant and you’re right. I think that
was one of the best stop overs we’ve ever had.”
They drove in silence for a while, the radio turning out an old
Lyle Lovett song that filled the void for a moment. He was first
to break the silence.
“Thanks Lou…for everthin’. No one’s ever uh..I’ve never had…just
thanks, sugar.”
MaryLou gave him a small smile and nodded before resting her
head on his shoulder.
“Anytime, Jimmy, anytime. I ain’t gonna lie there are going to
be days when you think you’ve healed and there’s goin’ to be
days when you just want to dig a hole and curl up. It get a
little easier if you remember the good times though.”
Jimmy thought for a moment, it sounded like she was speaking
from experience. Had she lost a parent? God, he’d never even
thought to ask her about her family back in Alabama. She surely
must have kin back there. He felt like such an ass for never
having asked about her life back there.
“If you’re wonderin’ I lost my Daddy right before I graduated
high school. He was working the night shift down in the number
10 mine up at Sandmountain and it caved in. He was one of the
ones that was in the back of the mine, died on his belly with
ten other men. It weren’t nothin’ but a damn crawl space with a
twenty foot ceilin’. He was supposed to be working as a powder
man that night - they’re the ones that are in charge of lightin’
the charges to blast and go on yellin’ ‘fire in the hole.’ but
he was coverin’ some young kid’s shift. Said we needed the
money. He’s still down there, Mama goes and visits him every
year and on the cave in anniversary and Christmas and on his
Birthday. It was a weird funeral service because the only thing
that we could bury in that church yard was his spare helmet and
his worn out pair of work boots. I ain’t been back to Threadwell
since. 'Cept when we drove past the sign. He’s still with me
though, in my heart.”
He wasn’t even sure what he could possibly say to what she’d
just told him. He knew she’d left home at seventeen after she’d
graduated and he knew that she still called her Mama every
Wednesday night but he’d never known Lou’s Daddy had never
gotten to see her graduate. His own father had been a roughneck
out in the oil fields in Oklahoma, that had it’s own dangers but
coal mining, that was a whole other animal completely. Something
about being down in a deep dark hole in the ground creeped him
the hell out.
“I’m..I’m so sorry Lou, I didn’t know.”
“It’s alright, Jim, really. I thought about goin’ back but the
more I think about it the more I don’t wanna. It means coming to
terms with what I left.”
Lou had done so much for him these past few years, made him get
his crap together that he was never sure how he could thank her
good and proper.
“If ya wanna go back I’ll go with you. ’S only right, you’re
going with me..’sides it’d be nice to see where you did your
growin’ up.”
She couldn’t help but laugh as she gave him a peck on the cheek.
“There ain’t a whole lot to see. I grew up in Blackbird Holler,
not much ‘cept woods and hills. I could show you how to brew
‘shine. Or show you the family homestead with a tin roof. I grew
up backwoods, Hun. Single wide trailer paid for courtesy of the
Mountainside Mining corporation. Three bedrooms for six people.
Company store was only up the road a piece so I suppose we had
it lucky being the first house out by the dirt road. Though it
sucked having to walk back and forth carrying grocery sacks.
‘Specially in the summer.”
Jimmy couldn’t help but notice that ‘wash’ was coming out
‘warsh’ and he had no damn idea how far ‘ a piece’ was and he
was itching to ask but it was if she could read his mind.
“By the way, a piece is about three miles give or take.”
“Three miles on foot for groceries?”
“Yup, now enough about little old backwoods me, tell me about
your formative years as an Okie.”
Traffic slowed to a halt as road flaggers directed a brand
spanking new paver along the right hand lane. Once upon a time
and into the ether Jimmy’s job was driving one of those beasts.
He never could stand the smell of hot tarmac and rolling it out
was gruesome work. He still had the tan lines on his arms to
prove it.
“Ain’t much to tell, sugar. Born in Oklahoma City and raised in
Bell just outside of it. It was nice enough growin’ up there but
there wasn’t a whole hell of a lot to do. Did my time at school,
graduated and then tried roughneckin’ like my Daddy I wasn’t cut
out for it so I took up a job with the city. Doin’ that.”
He pointed out to the right as one of the pavers rolled on out a
new stretch of road.
“And it sucked. All ya do is sweat and sweat some more and you
come home smellin’ of that crap. I can’t tell you how many times
I was tempted to walk off the job but I knew if it wasn’t me
doin’ it they’d pull some other poor sap off the flagger crew
and that’s even worse than pavin’. You just stand there and hope
to God you don’t get hit.”
“But you got decent benefits for all that…right? I’ve seen what
can happen to a flagger that gets hit. A car going between 40 to
50 and chances are they’ll never walk again…60 and they’re
dead.”
Jimmy shook his head. Medical coverage from the state wasn’t
much and Lord help you if you did get hurt.
“Damn right, but they’d just as soon see you keel over than keep
payin’ to keep you on one of them breathin’ machines. Find
someone else to fill your work boots. I much prefer life on the
road to be honest.”
Lou chewed her lip and then furrowed her brow before setting her
gaze on him.
“You ever think about settin’ down roots? Someday? Maybe a small
house at the edge of town with a garden in the back and a dog or
two?”
“ You mean besides the ones you honorarily gave me back in
Alabama courtesy of that Dogwood tree? Well, yeah but what if
the economy tanks?”
“That’s why you’ve got investments, hun. Especially that
bullion.”
“This is why you’re the one to save my sorry ass. You’ve always
got a plan.”
She just smiled shook her head and rolled her eyes as the
traffic picked up the pace again. They only had another five
hours to go on the road and they’d be in Jimmy’s home town. She
didn’t dare admit it but she was terrified. So was he. He’d
never bothered to bring anyone on home to meet his family.
A stop over about three hours in was needed. The continental
breakfast MaryLou had ordered just wasn’t cutting it and the gas
tank had dipped below half way. The tank filled and on the look
out for a quick bite they settled on what looked like a local
greasy spoon and parked out in front of the large picture
windows by the booths. Jimmy as usual was the first out of the
car and opened MaryLou’s door. She shifted a bit to her feet and
stumbled a bit.
“Well…that’ll teach me to get up quick, huh? I’m fine. It’s the
heat and low blood sugar.”
Jimmy was seemingly lost in his own thoughts as they took their
seats at nearest window to keep their eyes on the car. Lou was
engrossed in the menu and had surprised the hell out of him when
she ordered what surely had to be the largest burger he’d ever
seen in his life. With fries and a shake to wash it down. Jimmy
noticed that she was watching something over his shoulder and he
turned slightly to see a worn out looking young couple, just
kids really, trying to scrounge up change so they could order
something. As soon as he’d turned back to face her Lou had her
purse out and had flagged down their waitress again. She
instructed her to give the couple at the table their money’s
worth and tell them that bill had been taken care of.
“Why ya gotta go and do that, Lou?”
He asked as he reached over and tried to snag one of her fries.
Jimmy had assumed she’d share but was surprised when she slapped
his hand away. Dejected he went on back to his own place of ribs
and dug into his coleslaw. He tried in vain to sneak a fry but
she spotted his and gave him a small slap to the back of his
hand.
“Because I can. They’re kids, Jimmy and look at’em they could
use a good meal.
“You didn’t have to, Lou. Jesus that damn burger’s almost as big
as your head, there’s no way that’s legal to serve somethin’
like that to folks. Twenty bucks says you don’t finish that and
your shake.”
“I know I didn’t have to. I don’t have to do a lot of things but
I do them anyway. It’s just how I am. Don’t give a damn if it’s
legal or not it’s about the best thing I’ve had in weeks. Game
on, Hun.”
MaryLou groaned as she bite into the remnants of her burger and
polished off the rest of her fries. Content that her plate was
officially clean she looked up to see Jimmy staring at her utter
astonishment as she flagged down the waitress and ordered a
slice of lemon meringue pie. He noticed the young couple had
finished their meal and were scanning the diner to see who had
paid for their meal, their eyes settled right on him and Lou and
he almost turned beet red before giving them a slight wave
before turning back to Lou and ogled the size of the slice of
pie in front of her. Much like the burger it was gargantuan and
she was happy as a pig in slop.
“There’s no way you’ve got room for that. Your stomach’s gonna
explode.”
Four minutes later MaryLou was thirty dollars richer and Jimmy
was mumbling to himself about her having a wooden leg.
“What? I was hungry, it’s not the end of the whole damn world.”
She said as they stretched a bit and ambled back toward the car.
Jimmy stopping to fish out his cigarettes always keeping an eye
on the Pontiac. Something fishy was going on. He was on it in a
flash as he spotted the same young couple from the diner poking
their heads into the back seat through the rolled down window.
The last time someone that young had been around his baby on
wheels he’d ended up with a scratch down the entire driver’s
side. The thought made his stomach turn over. Damn Lou and that
sweet do-gooder attitude of hers.
“Hey there! Can I help ya’ll with somethin’?”
He called and they scattered faster than water doused alley
cats. Jimmy and MaryLou exchanged looks and did a once over of
the outside of the car for scratches. Nothing was seen so they
went on their way back toward the interstate. In the pit of his
stomach Jimmy had a feeling today was just going to be one of
those kinds of days.
#Post#: 3127--------------------------------------------------
Re: Coming Home
DIR By: Maggie Flannery
Date: December 4, 2015, 3:58 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Gimme my purse!”
MaryLou grimaced as she tried to keep her legs crossed as Jimmy
reached over onto the passenger side and handed her the shoulder
bag that weighed a ton compared to his wallet. He should have
known it was a paying customers only sort of place. What the
hell did she have in that thing boulders?
“If you’re going in can you get me a new book of matches? I’m
almost out.”
“Why can’t you just be normal and use a damn lighter?”
She called over her shoulder before sprinting in and coming back
out a few minutes later with a bag and sprinted toward the
restrooms off to the left f the pumps. As he waited he couldn’t
help but notice an older woman staring at him and making the
dumbest faces. Maybe she couldn’t help it. But soon she spoke to
him and Lord how he wished she hadn’t.
“Well isn’t that just the cutest thing. How old is it, son?”
Jimmy looked at her momentarily confused and chose his words
carefully.
“Uh thank you ma’am. It’ll be 55 in July.”
Now it was woman’s turn to be confused and shake her head.
“I’m talking about the infant in your backseat.”
Jimmy’s eyes bugged and he swilled around faster than greased
lightning and sure enough there was an infant no more than a few
weeks old fastened into a beat up looking second hand carseat
carrier combo sleeping soundly.
“Wha…”
“So..how old?”
The older woman enquired patiently.
“I..uh…uh…”
His mind raced, his heart raced. He was pretty sure both were
going to explode until he spotted Lou coming back toward the car
looking like she was about ready to cry or maybe it a smile? At
this point in time he would have believed the ocean was green
and the sky was purple if you told him.
“Jimmy I think I’ve got to lay down.”
Was all Lou could manage as she opened the passenger side door
and threw her purse in first followed shortly by the white
plastic gas station bag.
“No! Uh…let’s just. Don’t. Oh Jesus. Get in the car and don’t
look back until I tell you too.”
MaryLou’s face contorted into a mixture of concern and worry.
“What in the hell is going on with you Jimmy?”
“I’ll explain when we’re on the open road. Too many witnesses
here.”
They swung out onto the highway just as the sun was setting and
now it was MaryLou’s turn to worry.
“What the hell are you talkin’ about? What did you mean too many
witnesses?”
Jimmy drove a little further out then pulled over onto the
shoulder of the road and turned the car off before looking Lou
deep in the eye.
“We have a little tag along, Lou. I just found out back at the
gas station.”
MaryLou’s face contorted again into one of shock and what looked
pretty strongly like embarrassment. She opened her mouth and
then closed it three or four times until Jimmy shifted his head
toward the backseat, a mewling sound something akin to a kitten
squeak and gurgle, sounded and made his heart pound. Lou’s eye’s
went as large as dinner plates and her mouth dropped open as she
bolted out the passenger side and went to investigate their
little traveler. He watched as she gently lifted the baby out of
the carrier and checked it over. He could almost hear the wheels
in her pretty little head turning and he shook his head.
“We ain’t keepin’ it, Lou. We hit the next town we’re droppin’
it off at a safe haven. Churches still take them, right? Or
Firehouses?”
A scowl set onto her face she set her jaw. Aww, hell here it
came, he prepared himself for a tongue lashing like only Lou
could give him. She didn’t disappoint.
“Firehouses and hospitals still take them in but we most
certainly are not dropping this poor sweet little thing off. It
can’t be more than a four or five days old at the very least.
You know what’ll happen if we drop it off? It’ll get put into
the foster system and then Lord knows what’ll happen to it. I
will not sit by see the system fail another child. You know how
many abuse cases I saw when I was workin’ in Bowling Green? Ten.
A day my first two years. Broken bones and bruises and cigarette
burns, don’t even get me started on Shaken Baby Syndrome. Half
the people I saw taking in little ones used as meal tickets.”
He heard the disgust in her voice and then he looked back to see
that her eyes had welled up with tears. In their time together
he had never once seen Lou cry and it broke his heart to see it
now. Something about that scrawny looking little bundle of
blankets had stopped Lou in her tracks and who was he to deny
her anything?
“A’right. A’right…just please don’t..cry. I can’t take it.
Dammit Lou, what the hell are we gonna do with a -a baby? Where
the hell are we gonna get…I don’t even know what it needs. Or
where the hell it came from..”
Then it hit him, the couple back at that diner. He should have
known, did they think they could barter a meal for a baby? Dear
sweet Jesus in Heaven what in the world had they gotten
themselves into by taking this child into their lives?
Lou wiped her eyes before giving him a soft smile. That glow of
hers came back and damn near made his heart stop. He had a weird
warm feeling in his chest and a fuzzy feeling down in his gut.
Oh lord is this a what a heart attack feels like? He wondered
before shaking his head as he watched her readjusted what looked
like a hospital blanket around the still slumbering infant.
“You best close that mouth of yours or else you’ll catch flies.
We’re bound to hit on of those super center store things along
the way. They did leave a diaper bag but it’s just about empty.”
Content that their little hitcher was settled once again and
strapped in she buckled her own seatbelt and gave him an
expectant look. Her mind was already made up and she expected
him to go along with it. Now, Jimmy liked kids, he really did
but he had little to no experience with them what so ever and
terrified him. But he knew Lou had all the faith in the world in
him. They rambled down the highway while the farm report
filtered through the car’s speakers. It was then that Lou
decided to make her observations known.
“You’ve got a look painted ‘cross your face like a gun shy bird
dog. I’ll show you the ropes. Oh! Pull in here, it’s open
twenty-four hours.”
She gestured as Jimmy merged into the right hand lane toward the
ramp indicating where the nearest shopping center was. Here it
was nearly six and they were stopping off to pick up baby
supplies. This was not how he thought his day was going to go.
He woke up this morning to find out his father was dead and gone
and now he was one. No, he couldn’t think that way. Maybe Lou
would come to her senses and they could turn this baby over to
the police when they reached Oklahoma, yes, that was exactly
what they were going to do. He pondered if he should just run
it past Lou to see how she would react but the words formed a
lump in his throat. They circled the parking lot of a no name
big box store that sold everything under the sun and finally
found a spot close to the front. He was so lost in his thoughts
that he failed to hear what Lou had said. He noticed she had
moved from the front to the back and was unbuckling the carrier
but that was pretty much it. She shifted it up front and turned
it to face him before grabbing her purse from the floorboard as
she took note of which formula to buy and what brand of diapers
had been included. Clucking her tongue much like a mother hen
she shook her head.
“This poor baby. Ain’t nothin’ in here but some dirty second
hand clothes, two diapers and a half empty can of milk powder.
Poor little thing’s ‘bout to starve. I won’t be too long. Just
keep an eye on the baby.”
Jimmy’s eyes snapped open wide and he looked at the baby and
back to Lou.
“What? Take her with you. I..can’t. I’ve never. Lou this just
ain’t fair. It's gonna look...weird. A grown man sittin' in a
car in broad daylight with a baby.”
Lou gave him a bemused look and couldn’t help but shake her
head. She noticed that he had referred to the baby as a ‘her’
instead of an ‘it’ or as ‘ their little tag along.’ She hadn’t
told him what the baby was when she’d snuck a peek before
wrapping the baby back up when they had stopped along side the
road.
“Too small, Little one’s this young are meant to be home safe
and sound. You’re going to be fine. Just remember to support the
neck and head and keep’em close to your chest. Baby’s love to
hear a heartbeat. I’ll only be ‘bout ten minutes twenty tops.
'Sides if anyone asks you're one of those new age types. Very
hands on. If that don't scare'em off smile at, those bleach
strips you've been usin' are down right blindin' hun.”
Jimmy still sat there stalk still and wide eyed. Almost like a
cagey cat, she had single handedly solved his insecurity issue
and offended him in the same breath.
“A baby this small ain’t got no business being traded for a
meal, Lou! Let alone riding along across state lines in an
unreliable car!”
He whispered in a slightly angry tone but ever careful as to not
wake the sleeping baby. Lou’s eyes widened and she repressed a
soft smile. Jimmy’s own eyes widened as his mouth gapped a bit.
His own words had shocked even him. Had he really just referred
to his own car, one of his most prized possessions as
unreliable? No. It was the stress of everything. Oh if his Daddy
could see him now.
“In and out in twenty or me and Baby Oil here comin’ in after
you.”
Lou gave him a small salute and winked.
“Aye Aye Popeye. Want me to pick you up some spinach while I’m
at it?”
Jimmy glowered and shooed her on.
“You still haven’t told me what she is, Lou.”
“It’s a surprise but if you’ve got your heart set on it we’ll
just call it Sue. Although I dare say that this child’s goin’ to
be mighty pissed off if it’s a boy. Tell ya what, I’ll do a
grand reveal when I come on back out with the bags, how’s that?”
MaryLou called over her shoulder before disappearing into the
store.
“Aww hush up smart ass!”
Jimmy called after her chuckling softly when she turned and
stuck her tongue out at him before she was completely out of his
sight.
Ten minutes turned to fifteen then to twenty and soon an hour
had gone by. Given the type of store it didn’t surprise him, Lou
was always a quick shopper for as long as he’d known her. She
liked to get in and out and this was probably driving her
bonkers. None of this phased Jimmy though because he was
seemingly enamored with the car seat’s tiny occupant. Ten tiny
fingers with perfect little nails. The sheer size of her hands
were a marvel to him. Compared to her he was a giant. The tiny
chest rising and falling ever so softly boggled his mind. Dusky
wisps of hair soft as duck’s down beckoned him to gently touch
but he was terrified that he’d hurt her. Why was he referring to
the baby a girl? Hell if he knew but it seemed to work. Given
the green and blue striped blanket, plain white romper and socks
that the child was in it’s gender was anyone’s guess. It was at
that moment the infant started to fuss a bit and his heart
flipped. Where was Lou when he really really needed her?
“H-holy sh..oh no. Now please don’t cry. I’m new to this whole
baby thing. I don’t have a dam - darn clue what I’m supposed to
be doin’…”
He rambled as he fumbled to unbuckle the straps and support the
baby’s head and neck while trying to shift it toward his chest.
Almost like a football, she was certainly small enough.
“There now that ain’t so bad, is it?”
The infant looked up at him with a squinty cross eyed stare that
was filled with a sleepy sort of wonder. Jimmy stared right on
back just as curious. He kept talking, it was almost like he had
to keep talking.
“I don’t know how we’re gonna do this but I know you know that
you’re as safe as safe can be with me and Lou. Oh you’re gonna
like her. She’s a real nice lady - don’t tell her I told ya this
but I happen to think she’s an angel sent to watch over me and
my misguided attempts at life. I don’t know how you’re gonna
like me, it’s a’right if ya don’t. I understand.
He took a breath before he continued, his eyes were watering.
Holy smoke and high water, he’d be damned if he wasn’t crying.
Just know that I’ll do my very damned best to do right for you.
Like - like my Daddy did for me. You’d have liked him, his name
was William but everybody called him Will. He was a real real
good man, give a person the shirt right off his back. Don’t know
how the hell I turned out like I did but here I am. But your
Mama and me we’ll make sure you stay on the straight and narrow.
Then there’s my Mama, well she’d be your Granny Riggs. I have no
idea what she’s gonna think ‘bout this but she’ll come around.
She makes some of the best chicken you’ve ever eaten. Then
there’s your uncle Bobby, he’s a carpenter. Then there’s your
other uncle, Ray, he’s a mechanic. You don’t have cousins yet
but knowin' I’m not even sure on your Mama’s side..did I just
call her your Mama again? I’m ramblin’…”
Jimmy shook his head slightly his day just couldn’t get any
weirder. Then his phone rang. Checking the number his heart
skipped a beat for the umpteenth time that day. If any more
surprised crept up on him he was pretty damn sure he’d be
meeting his Father and good Lord at any given second. He shifted
for a moment ever so careful not to jostle the sleeping infant.
“Hey there Mama. Yeah, we’re on the way we just uh- stopped off
for a few things. Oh nothin’ big…”
Jimmy tried ever so slightly to dodge his mother’s questions but
the woman was like a hound on a scent. She knew her son and
something was definitely up. Despite her grief she had to know,
it was just her nature.
“James Christopher Hyland Riggs I am your Mama and as your Mama
I know when you’re lyin’ to me and you sir are full of it. Now,
spill it.”
Jimmy swallowed hard and looked down at his little hitch hiker.
This was big, no, this was huge news and he’d be damned if he
was going to tell his mother over the phone from a parking lot
when he was only about a half hour away from showing up on her
doorstep.
“You’ll just have to wait until MaryLou and I get there, it’s
too big a surprise to share over the phone. Just promise me that
you won’t kill us.”
Flora Jean Riggs was not one to be bargained with but at the
moment what else could she do but accept his reason. Whatever it
was it was big and she hoped with all her heart that it was
something worth while. Lord knew that the Riggs clan could use a
little sunlight in their lives right now. Maybe Jimmy and this
lady friend were finally getting married rather than living
together in sin like they had been for the past eight years.
Sure, they sent Christmas cards and all that but it just wasn’t
the same as telling the ladies down at the Piney Ridge Baptist
Church that her eldest son was finally a respectable married
man.
“Alright, but don’t you dare ring the bell. Doorbell ringin’s
for salesmen and the police. You’re family so you just come
right on in, supper’ll be on the table for you two. Now, this
MaryLou girl she go to church?”
“Before you start in on Lou and her faith I’m tellin’ you right
now she does in fact go to church anything else you can talk to
her about it when we get there. Alright Mama, I love you but
I’ve really got to go.”
Sure as the sunshines every morning there came Lou back toward
the car with a buggy full of assorted items. The look on Lou’s
face was one that would stick out in is memory for as long as
he’d walk the earth. It was a comical mixture of annoyance,
pride, and triumph. She motioned for him to pop the trunk for
her as she wheeled around the back end of the Bonneville and
sighed as she pulled the lid of the trunk up and popped bag
after bag on top of their luggage. Thankfully she’d made quick
work of it. He watched as she trudged back from the buggy return
casually swinging a bag along with her. Her face though, was
slightly painted with worry for a slept second until she saw him
looking. Jimmy couldn’t help but notice the cheshire cat grin
that seemed to spread across Lou’s face as she settled into the
passenger seat and buckled her seatbelt.
“Well, aren’t you the very picture of contentment over there.
How’d you fair while I was off on that supplies run?”
Jimmy sighed as he shifted the now sleeping babe into the crook
of his arm while trying to wrangle the straps into going the
right way.
“Just fine. We had a chat and then she fell asleep, why? Were
you worried?”
“No, not at all. See, I know you could do it. Now, do you want
to know what we’ve got ourselves here or do you just want to
keep referring to it as simply ‘she’? “
Jimmy’s heart hammered again as his stomach flipped. If he found
out what this little one was he was bound to become even more
attached. He was screwed, oh so screwed. Just like when he’d
seen Lou for the first time. But maybe that’s what you want. A
little voice that sounded quite a bit like his father said
inside his head, more so the back of his mind but it rang loud
enough.
“Well, g’on and tell me. I can see that you’re itchin’ to, Lou.”
Lou could barely contain her joy, that glow of hers was back
again and seemingly brighter than ever. He watched as her eyes
danced and her normally peaches and cream complexion turned an
excited light pink as she reached into the shopping bag and
pulled out the tiniest little pink outfit he had ever seen in
his entire life. His world spun for a moment, the cosmos seemed
to align and right itself as the revelation dawned upon him.
“So, Popeye what do you reckon we should call this little girl
of ours?”
Lou enquired as she reached for the still slumbering infant,
this child might not be theirs biologically but somehow she had
meshed. The Riggs/O’Brien trait of being a heavy sleeper seemed
strong in this little thing. Considering she was just a mere
four days or so old. He thought for a moment.
“Katie Belle.”
He murmured as he gently put her back into her carrier and Lou
looked at him once again bemused. He didn't dare tell her he'd
been inspired by a song he'd always had a soft spot for. Jimmy
was not a man to have "soft spots" unless he counted Lou of
course, and now the little one.
“Very fitting and very lovely. Who’d have thought that you had a
knack for names?”
Lou watched as Jimmy’s facade went up for a split second and
then crumbled all over again. He gave her an embarrassed smile
as she slipped into the backseat to change the newly dubbed
Katie into her newly acquired outfit and a fresh diaper. Lord
she’s fast at that. He thought to himself and as quick as he had
thought Lou was done with the task at hand and Katie was buckled
back in. Lou had stowed the old clothes and ditched the diaper
and was now back up front rummaging for her hand sanitizer and
looking at him with wide green eyes.
“What are we going to tell your family, Jim?”
She rarely if ever called him Jim unless something was really
weighing on her mind. This, among a few other things was, at the
moment. He thought for a second as he started the car and they
started back on course and merged onto the highway once again.
“The truth, ain’t much else we can tell them, Lou. My Aunt
Annette works down at the department of health, I’m sure she can
file the necessary paperwork. I doubt Katie was born in a proper
hospital. By the looks of them clothes her parents weren’t none
too worried about a birth certificate.”
“What do we do if…”
Jimmy reached over and covered her rapidly jabbering mouth with
his hand and shook his head.
“Don’t worry ‘bout the if’s, Lou. What’s the worse the state
does? ‘Tween the two of us we’re clear. Neither of us has a
record or so much a speeding ticket so I think it’s safe to say
that she’d in good hands.”
Lou chewed her lip for a moment, her dark brows slowly knit
themselves together. Oh dear lord, she was about to explode with
what if scenarios Jimmy thought as they merged onto the I 95’s
left lane. Only about half an hour and they’d be back to the
place he had called home for the first twenty-two years of his
life.
“But what if they want her back, Jimmy?”
He hadn’t thought of that but Lou had, she was always three
steps ahead when it came to planning things.
“They were a couple of kids that traded their only child for a
warm meal. I really don’t think they wanted her in the first
place, Lou.”
“They were hungry and they were probably scared and that’s just
it, Jimmy - they were kids.”
“Kids that didn’t weigh the consequences of their actions and
left their baby girl with a very nice set of loving parents.
Now, just calm down, please? Everything’s going to be okay. I
promise. From here on out the only thing you’ve got to worry
about is how hard my Mama’s gonna grill you about your church
back in Alabama.”
Lou’s face relaxed and she sighed, somehow the knot in her
stomach eased a bit. How the hell did he always manage to do
that? She had no clue but she knew deep down that he was right.
She just prayed that his family thought that she was worthy of
his time. Something told her that Mrs. Riggs was a card.
{ felt I should include the song that inspired Jimmy's name
choice. }
HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0rICKoRPfI
#Post#: 3128--------------------------------------------------
Re: Coming Home
DIR By: Wolfy
Date: December 5, 2015, 5:21 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
I am so, so sorry for how long it's taken me to read this piece.
I've actually gone and fallen in love with it and these two, as
a pair, are beautiful. I was definitely not expecting a baby in
the back of the car when they chased off the younger couple!
that was a surprise, but the moment between Jimmy & said baby
melted my heart. I have such love for rough + tumble men who
turn to mush around little one's. Also, I know I tell you the
same thing in like a million different ways whenever I review
each chapter of your fics, but you put so much depth into your
writing that it's like I've picked a book up off the shelf. I
really love how descriptive you are and how easy it seems to be
for you to tell the story exactly how you want it. I'm really
looking forward to the next update because, of course, I'm dying
to know how it all goes down when they finally reach his
hometown!
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