Creepers (6 page)

Jack returned her smile and said, “Your turn.  How’s school going?”

“Well,” Terri started, “my story is kind of boring.”

“Don’t even try that on me,” Jack scolded, “I wore my heart on my sleeve for you, the least you can do is wear yours there as well.”

Terri huffed and said, “Oh really?”

“Yes, really,” Jack demanded playfully.

“Okay,” Terri relented, “you asked for it.”  She thought for a moment then began, “You know I had a crush on you?”

“And why wouldn’t you,” Jack kidded.

“All through middle school and high school,” Terri continued, “and you never even gave me the time of day.”

“Oh, I noticed you,” Jack acknowledged, “but after your mother died and Ricky turned so mean…”  Jack’s voice trailed off.  Damn, he thought.

“Yeah, my mom died,” Terri said from far off.  “After mom had died a lot of people didn’t seem to notice me anymore,” she added.  Terri took a sip of her tea then continued, “Except for Jesse that is.  Jesse was there for me.  He became the father I had seemingly lost.  Like you I made it my mission to get out of this town, get away from them.”

Jack knew who ‘them’ was, her family.  He said, “That must have been about the time I headed off to the service.”

Terri shrugged, “About a year or so before that,” she said.  “You were in high school and I was still in middle school.  Anyway, I worked hard and with Jesse’s help I managed to get into the University of Memphis.  I started there right after high school, and now I’m getting ready to graduate with my Masters.  I just need to finish my thesis and a couple of electives.  With working and all, it has taken me a little longer than I would have liked.”

“What are you majoring in,” Jack asked.

“Earth Science and Environmental Studies,” Terri replied.  She half laughed and added, “As much as I wanted out of this place I’m studying ways to help it.”

“What do you mean?” Jack asked intrigued.

“My thesis,” Terri said, “has to do with invasive plant species and their impact on the local ecology.”

Jack was fascinated, “Like what?  What plants?” he asked.

“The biggest issue,” Terri said enthusiastically, “is the kudzu vine.  It’s not native to the United States.  It was brought over from Japan in the late 1800’s as ground cover to help with erosion.  The problem is it doesn’t have any of its natural controls in this country, so it has grown unchecked.  They have even tried some defoliants on it, and it only seemed to do better.  In fact, some studies have shown that most herbicides are not very effective against it and can take up to ten years to work.  It grows more than a foot a day in the summer months, and for that reason it’s often referred to as ‘the vine that ate the South’.  It grows all along the roadsides, and it will smother and suffocate trees and native plants, power lines, buildings  and anything that stands in its way.  You’ve seen it in the winter, when the kudzu drops its leaves; the trees and bushes underneath are all dead.”

“I never realized,” Jack said amazed, “It seems like it’s just always been there.”

“There’s more,” Terri continued, “It also changes the ecosystem.  It changes topsoil mineral nutrient concentrations and soil microbial concentrations so that other plant species can’t survive even after it’s gone.  There has also been some research indicating that changes to non-native soil types may cause mutations in the invasive plant as well.”  Terri paused to collect her thoughts and continued, “It’s not just kudzu either.  There’s Japanese honeysuckle, purple loosestrife, water hyacinth, tropical soda apple, and the list goes on.”

Terri stopped to take a breath and noticed the somewhat glazed look in Jack’s eyes.  He was staring at her and smiling.  She had lost him somewhere along the way, and he never interrupted.  She had his full attention, and Terri liked that.  He cared about what she had to say, even if he didn’t understand it all.  Terri smiled.

“Sorry Jack,” she finally said, “I guess I just get so carried away.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jack said, “it just shows how passionate you are about it.  I only wish I had a tenth of that passion for my job or anything for that matter.  It sounds like Mississippi is worse than we thought.”

Terri smiled at that.  “Yes it is,” she agreed.

Jack and Terri sat on the porch talking for a couple of more hours.  It was nothing as intense as before, but none the less interesting to each other.  They laughed and joked, discussed dreams and fears, and likes and dislikes.  There was conversation of discovery and reminiscing.  It was a pleasant surprise for both of them, and it seemed that neither one really wanted the evening to end.  It was a simple matter of enjoying each other’s company.

Eventually, the hour grew very late, and the tea was long gone.  Jack stood up from the rocker and stretched.  He glanced at his watch and frowned.  “I need to go,” he said.

Terri stood as well and said, “Yeah, I’m tired too.  A lot has happened today.  Tonight was fun Jack; I’m glad I got to see you today.”

“So am I Terri,” Jack replied, “the way today started I sure never expected it to end up like this.”

“Like what?” Terri asked with a devious grin.

“With me and you,” Jack said.  He moved in close just then and Terri fell against him.  She put her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her.  Jack kissed Terri softly on the lips and started to pull away.  Terri held him firmly and reached up to kiss him.  Longer this time, more tightly.  Jack returned the kiss in kind and then hugged her.  He held her tightly and felt her heart beating against his chest.  Finally, he let her go and asked, “Can I see you tomorrow?”

“You’d better,” Terri warned and turned to walk into the house.

Jack waited on the porch until he heard Terri lock the door.  He walked back to his cruiser, floating a little as he did so.  What a strange day this had been, he thought.   Jack sat in his cruiser mulling over the last couple of hours, smiling.  Finally, he started the car and headed back down the driveway.   Driving back to his house, Jack was in heady daze thinking about the evening he’d just had.   Everything was so unexpected, and yet so perfect he decided.  His thoughts on Terri as he drove past the few homes in the area, he never noticed the truck that was parked just off the road in Evvie White’s driveway.

The lazy cat never returned.

While Terri and Jack were enjoying iced tea, Yancy was pissed.  Donald Dixon had kept him there all night talking, and now he’d missed his chance to go and see Terri.   It wasn’t as if old man Dixon had said anything new either; he just kept repeating how the blacks had up and done something to Ricky.  He blamed Reverend Johns and his church, but mostly the Reverend.  He blamed the Sheriff’s office for hiring black officers.  He blamed Sheila.  He even blamed his daughter.

By the time the evening was over, old man Dixon had drank most of the beer that Yancy had brought him.  He made Yancy promise that he would bring some more tomorrow.  Damn.  Yancy didn’t want to come back over here.  He just couldn’t say no to the old man.  It was partly because he was too polite, but mostly because he feared the old man.  With good reason Yancy decided.  Old man Dixon was insane.

His insanity, it seemed to Yancy, was born of hatred.  He had never met anyone who hated blacks as much as Donald Dixon.  In particular, Donald hated that preacher, Jesse Johns.  Yancy never had a problem with the preacher and even kind of liked him.  He was always pleasant and caring, and he never got in your face about anything.  However, Yancy figured it had more to do with how Terri had run to the preacher than it did with his being black.

Donald also had a lot of friends in the Klan, friends that didn’t have any problems doing awful things when it came to the blacks.  They didn’t seem to have any problems doing awful things to anyone; Yancy thought, much like Ricky.  Either way, Donald was determined to use this to take out his hatred on the preacher.  Yancy believed that whole heartedly.  He also thought the old man would take it out anybody that got in his way.

Yancy sat in his car for a long time, thinking.  He didn’t have any love for the blacks, but he didn’t have any hatred for them either.  They were just people, trying to survive, same as him.  He rolled down the driver side window and started his old Chevy.  He pushed his hair back with both hands then lit a cigarette.  Yancy puffed on it a couple of times, and as he held it to his lips, he noticed his hand was trembling.  He exhaled the pungent smoke, and a gentle breeze pulled it from his window.  He took one more puff then flicked the half smoked butt out onto the driveway.

Yancy pulled out of the driveway and headed to meet the Ungers.  He glanced at the pack of condoms in the front seat and shrugged.  Tonight sure ended in a piss poor way he mused.  As Yancy drove toward the other side of town, he almost turned off to go see Terri anyway.  However, it was late, and he still had to see Toby and Tom, so he thought better of it.  Tomorrow, he thought.  Tomorrow would be the start of his new life.  Tomorrow everything would be different.

***

Donald Dixon watched with mild amusement as Yancy sat out in his driveway.  Donald figured he was thinking over everything they had talked about this evening.  To his surprise, it had been a pleasant evening for Donald.  It had been a long time since anyone just came over and talked with him, although Donald did most of the talking.  That’s the way he preferred it anyway.  Donald felt that he was the only one that truly had anything interesting to say.

Yancy just sat and listened, and drank a can of beer or two with Donald.  That was nice too, and Yancy had brought over much better brew than his son ever had.  Donald was even looking forward to tomorrow night’s visit, and not just for the beer Yancy would bring him.  Donald decided that Yancy wasn’t that bad after all.  He was still a pussy and probably a faggot, Donald thought, but at least he could tolerate him.  That was more than he could say for those Unger brothers.

Donald figured Toby Unger was just as worthless as his son, and Tom was just a moron.  Hell, they wouldn’t even come and bring him any beer or anything.  Part of it may have been that the Ungers didn’t fear him the way Yancy did.  At least Toby didn’t fear him.  Tom was just too stupid.  To Donald, fear equated to respect.  In his mind, Toby didn’t respect him any more than Ricky did.  That was the real reason Yancy didn’t bother him so much; he guessed.

Either way, Donald knew he needed all of them.  He had seen this whole thing with Ricky and the skank as an opportunity.  It was the catalyst Donald needed to finally take care of Jesse Johns.  Donald had always hated Jesse; he was a real uppity nigger.  Walking around like he was better than you.  Making like everything was beautiful when Donald knew how ugly it was.  Jesse made you think there was hope.  Hope that things could get better.

Donald was angry at himself too.  He let himself believe there was hope and beauty in this world.  He let himself believe in someone other than himself.   Donald allowed himself to be happy, only to have that happiness ripped away.   Again the world had shown its true nature to Donald, and he hated Jesse for making him think it could be anything else.  Then, in his deepest despair, Jesse had committed the ultimate betrayal.

Jesse had stolen Donald’s daughter.  He took Terri when Donald needed her the most, after Sarah had died.   Jesse had turned Terri against her family, against Donald.  Jesse had filled her head with ideas and the notion that she was better than Donald too.  Jesse made it okay for Terri to leave.  He gave Terri a place to go, a place away from Donald.  Instead of staying home and taking care of Donald like she was supposed to do, Jesse had told Terri that she didn’t have to.  Donald hated Jesse even more than he already had because of it. 

Donald’s hatred simmered in his belly like a good stew.  It kept him warm on cold nights, and fed him when he was empty.  It became all that Donald knew and filled his days.  He knew the right time would present itself, and that time was now.  Donald needed something to set his plans in motion, and that something had become Ricky of all things.  Now he just needed to work on those feeble minded Ungers and Yancy.

Donald figured he knew the things to say and the correct buttons to push to get those boys all riled up.  Donald had a knack for that, and it had worked for Donald in the past.  He figured it would work this time too.  He figured he could get these boys to do just about anything, same as he did with them fella’s back in ’56.  The beauty was they would think it was their idea too.   That thought made Donald smile.  It was not a happy smile either.  He licked his cracked lips at the idea and only wished he could be there to see it all.  That was okay though, and Donald would be happy just knowing it had happened.

***

Toby had left Yancy to go and take his ‘supplies’ to old man Dixon, and walked back to his truck with his brother Tom.  Toby had no desire to go and see the old man any more than Yancy did; he was just smart enough to make up an excuse.  Besides, he had other things to take care of tonight.  Sure he had to look for Ricky and Sheila, but he also had lessons to teach.  Tom needed to start teaching those blacks just who they were messing with.  Old man Dixon had said so.

Not that Toby minded that so much, he and Ricky had been doing that for years.  This time, however, the ‘lessons’ would be more direct and more brutal.  Toby smiled at that and thought, “It’s about fucking time.”  He hoped this might just get him into the Klan; the way old man Dixon said it would. The truth was that Toby had never thought about joining the Klan, but to hear old man Dixon talk about it; it sounded pretty good.  They looked out for their own and even helped you out when you were in trouble.  Kind of like them Mormons, Toby figured.

Toby wondered then if his brother had the stomach for what they were going to need to do.  “Fuck him,” he thought to himself.  Stomach or not, Toby would make Tom do it.  That boy had to learn sometime.  Toby just wouldn’t let him know everything until it was too late.  After all, Tom might balk if he knew they were going to beat and rape some nigger girl.  Before they could do that though, Toby had to get some supplies and then get a report back from Yancy.

Toby hoped it would be good news about Ricky, but he doubted it.  Yancy’s heart just didn’t seem to be in this as much as Toby would have liked.  To Toby, Yancy almost looked like he was happy Ricky wasn’t around.  He was sure nosing around that nigger loving sister of Ricky’s.  Toby quickly pushed those thoughts aside.  He had things to do.  Tonight was going to be a wild one, and he was excited.