Being Diane Read online

  Chapter 9

  Mom and Ralph came in that night late and were beat. I was asleep in the bed and Smokey was next to me. He woke up and met them at the door. When Mom tried to put him out he came back to my bedroom and jumped up on the bed on the other side of me. Mom just looked at him and muttered, “I give up. You can stay.” and she went to bed.

  The next morning I got up and found them asleep, I left them alone and got ready for school. Smokey didn't want to leave the bed but I had to make it up so the fight was on. I got him by the collar and started pulling. He retaliated by nipping me on the arm. I grabbed him around the middle and tried to lift him and he wiggled around and managed to slip out of my hold then he jumped on me and pushed me back away from the bed and in the process, he fell off the bed and knocked me to the floor. I quickly got up and rushed to the bed to block him. He countered by jumping on the end of the bed and going around me. I jumped on the bed trying to tackle him but he dodged me and got on top of me and pinned me. How mortifying to be pinned in a wrestling match by your own dog. That was when Mom came in and cleared her throat.

  I turned slowly and saw her standing in the door with her pj's on with a very confused look on her face. Then she just turned and walked back down the hall to her bedroom. I looked at Smokey and said, “See what you have done. Now we are in trouble all because I needed to make up the bed. Okay get off. Get off I said.” needless to say he just laid there on top of me like yeah right. I finally got out from under him and did my best at making up the bed around him. Then I left for school.

  On the way out of the house I saw Uncle Will, “Hey, Uncle Will, Mom and Ralph are back, but Mom isn't acting the way she was. I was trying to make up the bed this morning and well Smokey and I kind of had a wrestling match and Mom came and saw us but she didn't say anything at all to us. It was weird.”

  “Well don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Maybe she is going to do better from now on. I saw the sign was torn down. I think that is a positive thing. Anyway have you seen those two thugs that shot you since the other night?” he said.

  “No sir. I haven't and I have been careful about looking for them. I guess that they are long gone by now. Or I hope they are.” I said.

  “Well get on to school.”

  The attempted robbery had made him see that he needed to put up a gate and lock it to keep riff raff like that out. In the back of his truck he had two big railroad ties and the post hole diggers with some concrete mix. I figured that he was going to put up the post today. And probably build the gate tomorrow. I guessed that it was way overdue but better late than never.

  The day was great. Sally met me at the bus and took my hand and led me over to where Annie and some of the other girls were standing talking. Sally looked great again. She had on a pink and blue plaid skirt with a white blouse and a pair of black and white saddle oxfords and she had a gray sweater on. She had some kind of perfume on that made me seem to be floating. The group that she was with was the school's most beautiful and smartest. I felt a little out of place but Sally whispered in my ear to relax they wouldn't bite.

  Carey the Junior High cheerleader captain took the lead and walked up to me and said, “ we have heard that you and Sally had become great friends and we would like it if you would be ours too. Please.”

  “You bet. I mean I would love to have you all as friends.” I stammered. I seem to be doing that a lot lately. I really need to work on the confidence issues I have.

  “Did you really get shot the other night stopping a robbery?” Amy, another of the girls asked.

  I looked at Sally and she said. “I didn't say anything, her boyfriend told her about it. And he heard it from someone else.”

  “Yes I got shot in the leg. It's not that bad. But it still stings a little. So how did your boyfriend hear about it?” I asked.

  “He heard the guy that did it talking about it at a small country store in the next county. He said his name was Don or Dan or something like that. I don't remember, sorry.” she said.

  “That's alright. I have a hard time with names too. It seems as though it is my biggest failing. By the way, I love what you have done with your hair. You have beautiful auburn hair and it really looks great cut that way.” I said and immediately regretted it because it sounded so gay.

  “Thanks, I have been having trouble getting some of the others around here to see it that way. They just don't have as good a sense of style as you do. So do you roll your hair because I could have sworn that I noticed some curls and body in it the other day and it looked great.” Said Amy.

  “Oh, Lord you have just opened Pandora's box Dennis. She got her haircut the other day and that is all we have heard about from her. It’s so easy to clean and so easy to fix now. Gosh, you would like think that is all she does is take care of her hair. Amy I can't wait until you let it grow out again.” Said Carey.

  “Well it is pretty and I can't help but notice that all of you seem to have adopted the best style for each one of you. I wish I could find a style that would accentuate my looks like yours do you. Sally here has very fine hair and being longish it is absolutely gorgeous especially when the light shines through it.” I said.

  “I think that he is taken with you Sally. Just listen to how he talks about you. And when he looks at you, his eyes light up, they are already the most beautiful in the school and now they really shine. And look at those eyelashes they are to die for. I have never seen anyone with natural eyelashes that long. You really are lucky you know. I wonder what they would look like with a little mascara on them?” said Carey.

  “Oh I'll bet they would be absolutely beautiful.” said Amy. “Have you ever had any mascara on them? I'll bet you have, haven't you?”

  About that, time two of the star junior high football players came up to us. One of them was one of my main tormentors. “Hey what are you hot chicks doing hanging out with the little fag here? Why don't you come on over here and hang with some real men. Not a little boy.”

  Carey was the first to speak. “I don't see any real men over there only little insecure boys that are pretending to be men. Tell me are you still measuring your penises with a 'SHORT' ruler.” and with that all of the girls started giggling.

  “At least we have dicks not like him. He only has a nub and probably has bigger boobs than you do.” Said the jerk.

  “Well, the good thing is you won't ever know about either one of us.” Said Carey.

  “Yeah, so go on back over there and pat each other on the butt and leave us alone.” Said Sally. Then she turned to Amy and said, “You know I have always wanted to know if the quarterback practices playing with the centers balls between games so they look good on the field.”

  Amy giggled along with the other girls and suddenly the Jerk grabbed at me in frustration because he couldn’t do anything to the girls. I dodged his attempt to grab my shirt and dropped my books and moved into a defensive posture. He started to attack but his buddy stopped him. Then he said, “I'll get you. You cost us our three best players you little fag.”

  “No they did it themselves when they lied to get a better grade and the rest of you had better understand that you are being watched now.” I said.

  The two jerks moved away at that and went back to their group. I walked over and picked up my books, I hung my head and said, “I am so sorry that you had to see and hear that. Listen I appreciate your attention, but for your sakes I think that I had better not hang around you. I'm sorry. I really am.”

  Amy looked at me and said, “I can handle those two jerks and when my boyfriend hears that they were trying to put the move on me the only thing they will be able to do is drink soup with a straw and I think you were great. You didn't back down from them and you had better not back away from me. Period.”

  “That goes for the rest of us also. So you are stuck with us.” said Carey. “Hey we need another cheerleader for the basketball season coming up. How about it?”

  I was shocked, they actually did want to
be friends with me. “I'll think about it seriously. I really don't know how to do all of the cheers but I would love to learn.” I said.

  Amy was looking at me funny and I finally asked, “Amy is there anything wrong?”

  “Weelllll...I uh just uh, Oh what the heck. Do you really have big boobs like mine.” She asked.

  “I am a 32-25-31 is that what you wanted to know.” I said.

  “I love it we are about the same size. I can't wait to get you where I can play dress up with you and we have got to do something about your clothes you are a mess. Oh darn that's the bell. Well come on or we'll be late for class.” exclaimed Amy.

  The rest of the day was a breeze. I seemed to have acquired a new set of 'friends'. People who wouldn't have even given me the time of day before now spoke to me like I was an old friend. I didn't know whether to be insulted or elated. Anyway, I wasn't as Uncle Will said, going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I was rather interested in what Amy had said about playing “dress up”, that was something that I wasn't ready for at all. Heck, I wasn't ready for any of this. I had gone from a plain farm boy to a social butterfly overnight literally and learning all of the in's and out's and little nuances was going to be difficult for me. I just hope I didn't blow it.

  I heard that all of the Junior High Football players were interviewed one at a time by the principal and the Coach to see if there was anyone else that had been compromised. They all had to sit in the gym while the principal and the coach gave them a lecture on honesty and integrity and how it was everything in football. I understand that the two jerks had to stand up in front of the entire team and apologize for their actions that morning. I was beginning to wonder who the secret angel was that was looking out for me.

  During lunch I sat down outside in the sun to write my poem. Writing had always been a difficult thing for me. I tried and failed several times so I guessed this wasn't going to be any different.

  Let's see how do you write a poem? Do you make a lot of vague references to something that it would be a lot easier to just say what you wanted to say or do you become wordy and nerdy in saying something obvious. What should the subject be, damn, I was totally lost in this. I didn't have a clue about what to write about nor how to do it. I tried several times and none worked. Finally, Sally came out and sat down in front of me. I couldn't get over how smooth her skin was and how her hair shined in the sunlight. “Hi, Sally.”

  “So are you sitting out here hiding from me?” she asked.

  “No, I have to write a poem for Ms. Givens, you knew that and I was just sitting out here trying to get an inspiration. You know writing isn't my forte in life at all. I would rather be doing something.” I said.

  “You have to do it so just do it.” she said.

  “Yeah, I guess so. Hey, let me change the subject for a minute. I've noticed that people are speaking to me that had never even given me the time of day before. What's up with that?” I asked and for the first time I wasn't stammering or stuttering.

  “I hear that it's all over school that you backed one of the biggest jerks in school down this morning. People are starting to take notice of you and the fact that you are not going to take being peed on anymore.” She declared.

  “You mean that jerk this morning?”

  “Yep, that's him.” she replied.

  “I didn't do anything. You all made him go away, all I did was wait on him to make a move.”

  “You didn't back down and that caught somebodies attention. I don't think you understand that underneath that shy retiring exterior is a tiger that is ready to be released. I want to meet that tiger in you.” and then she got up held out her hand in invitation to go with her. I took it and we walked hand in hand into the building.

  In English, I found out why Ms. Givens had assigned a poem to be written. We were going to have to do one in regular class. We studied the different types of rhythms and meters involved with the poems and had to figure out which was which. I absolutely sucked at it. I had a lot of difficulty figuring out the rhythms and the names of them and I'll just tell you Ms. Givens wasn't making things easier for the guys. She was dressed to the nines in a silk lavender dress that really showed off her curves.

  Finally, she decided to have us all write a poem for the class the next day and she wanted it to be at least two stanza's long. It couldn't be one word per line, she wanted us to show some initiative. It had to be clean and readable in class. Argh, I was having enough trouble with the one she had assigned why was I being tortured by having to do two. Well such was my luck and I was going to have to live with it.

  That evening I was using the Cub to disc up the garden. We had planted turnip greens next to the garden and they needed to be pulled so they wouldn't go bad. I had already pulled all of the green tomatoes to be made into my favorite fried green tomatoes. Ralph wasn't home yet and Mom was gone even though I knew she hadn't gone into work. Smokey was running around chasing a rabbit that I had scared up with the disc. I happened to be turned toward the road when I saw and heard a Fairlaine with a six cylinder and a straight pipe ease by. I jumped off the tractor and ran inside and got the shotgun out again only this time I loaded it with double ought buck shot and stuffed about five more shells in my pocket. I started to go out and face them again but this time I stopped and called Uncle Will and told him they were back.

  This time they pulled around behind the house and got out and looked around. It was then that I figured out why they came here instead of somewhere else. It was fairly secluded with little traffic on our road and you could see all the way to the highway from the back yard. And the one thing that made this such an attractive target was that there wasn't a car in the drive so it looked like no one was home.

  Smokey was in the house with me thank goodness or he would be out there where they could easily kill him. He was still barking his head off though and it had them spooked enough that I had time to lock the back door and then go and lock the front door. The only thing about this house was that it was built in a time when everyone left their doors unlocked and nobody stole from one another and both the front and the back door had these big picture windows in them so you could see who was coming up to the door. I locked it and got back in the hall and waited for one of them to break the glass and come on in. This time I didn't make a big John Wayne move by noisily racking a shell into the chamber instead I quietly slid the pump back and then forward putting a shell in the chamber.

  I could hear them talking outside. “Say hey man, let's get on with this, she gets off at five thirty and he wants all of his guns and tools brought to him on the interstate by eight.”

  “Alright but something don't add up, why is the dog in the house instead of out here running around? And where are those two kids. I have a bad feeling about this.”

  About that time, Earl came walking down the turn row and saw them there. “Hey what's y'all doing here, ain’t nobody home so you better git!”

  “Beat it you crazy old nigger or I'll put so many holes in you people will think you're a screen door.” hollered the big one. I came out onto the back porch then with the shot gun.”

  Earl wasn't afraid of him though. “I said git and I meant git. I see you got a gun, it had better be a big one cause you going to need it and he started to walk up into the yard, something he wasn’t allowed to do. He walked with a big stick and he wasn't afraid to use it on anything that tried to get in his way. I heard Uncle Will's truck on the road and he wasn't letting any grass grow under his tires.

  “Hey wait someone is coming up from the other way hard.” said the big guy. “Shit it's that dude that owns the farm let's go,” and they jumped in the car and started it up. I came out the door with the shotgun and as the rear of the car presented itself, I popped the back of the car. I didn't realize that buckshot would do that much damage but I managed to blow out the back glass and tear a hole in the trunk deck. But they only poured the coal to it and hauled ass out of there.

  Uncle Will came u
p and saw them making an escape down the turn road and took off after them but they got away. When he came back, I was sitting on the back steps with Smokey and I had the shotgun leaning against the house next to me. Earl was right there with me and strangely enough, Smokey wasn't barking at him like he usually did.

 

  “Are you alright? They didn't get another shot at you did they?” He asked as he came up to me.

  “I'm fine I was hiding in the house with Smokey and they didn't see me. The big one thought something was wrong and hesitated to come in. I did hear them say that they were doing this for someone. Someone who wants his guns and tools and would meet them on the interstate at eight tonight.” I said. “I marked the car real well this time so it shouldn't be hard to find. Earl here came up and added to their need to leave in a hurry. He wasn't going to let them do anything.” I said.

  “I appreciate it Earl.” said Uncle Will, who was kind of amazed that Earl even got involved. “Well, let me use the phone to call the Sheriff.” he said and started in the house. “By the way where is your Mother? I thought she was going to be here today?”

  “She and Ralph came in late this morning. I don't know where she is right now.” I said and got up and unloaded the shotgun and took it and put it back in the case. I stood there thinking that if it was the guns that they were after and apparently, they knew exactly where they were. I probably needed to move them to a more secure spot. Like up in the attic. Well I would work on that tonight.

  The Sheriff didn't come out that time especially since it was the same two guys and he knew what to look for. I hoped that he would catch them and put them in jail. Then it hit me the one that they were going to meet was my Dad. He ran up and down the interstate in his big rig, but why would he want his guns and tools stolen and then brought to him? Something didn't smell right about this.

  Uncle Will came out of the house and looked at Earl, “Earl what are you doing with that sack anyway?”

  “I's going down to the store to get the deposit on these here pop bottles. I figure I got about twenty or so here. That ought to be enough to get me some bread and baloney.” said Earl.

  “Earl when was the last time you had anything to eat?” inquired Uncle Will.

  “Well, Mr. Will, I had me a rabbit yesterday and today.... well I don't think I had anything today.” said Earl and he grinned a big grin.

  “Earl, give me those bottles.” and Earl handed them over and he was looking a little scared, but Uncle Will counted them out and found that he had twenty-two bottles in there. Then he did something I never will forget. He pulled out his billfold and gave Earl two dollars for them. They were only worth a dollar and ten cents, and Uncle Will overpaid him. “Earl, I know you have trouble staying with a job but that ain’t no reason for you to go hungry. The next time you come, see me when you get in this shape. You understand?”

  “Ya sir, Mr. Will I sure will. I didn't mean to cause you no trouble.” said Earl.

  “You haven't so go on over to the store and get something to eat and I thank you for watching out for Dennis here.” stated Uncle Will.

  “You're welcome, Dennis here, comes by and talks to me and he seems to want to hear what I have to say so I'll always do what I can for him.” he said and took off walking to the store.

  “I don't think the Sheriff will come out tonight so I want you to keep that shotgun loaded and ready and if they come back call me first. Oh and don't say anything to your mother about shooting at them. I want to talk to her before you do. So don't say anything about what you heard. Now get back inside and take care of Smokey, is he sick? He didn't bark at Earl like usually does.” he said.

  “I think that Smokey knows that Earl was trying to help. That's why he didn't bark like he usually does. As far how he feels I think that he feels fine. I know that he is sleeping like a rock because he keeps sliding me off the bed.” and I looked down at him and he seemed to be smiling. “Yeah just keep grinning tonight I'm going to throw you off the bed.” and he shook his head.

  “I don't think that he agrees with that.” said Uncle Will as he turned and got in his truck to leave.

  Later that night after Mom and Ralph came back the phone rang and she answered it and then she came and told the two of us to go outside. We could still hear part of the conversation and it didn't seem to be pleasant. Apparently, Uncle Will was wanting to know what was going on with her and Dad. Mom wasn't wanting to tell him and tried to avoid telling him, but he persisted. Finally, she relented and we could hear that she was going to ask for a divorce and she was worried about surviving on what she made. Ralph and I looked at each other in shock.

  “You know we went to Texas to a little town in the panhandle to look at a new house.” Ralph said. “But Mom left one day to talk to the house owner and when she came back she told me to pack my bags we were leaving. Then we went to the bus stop and caught a bus back. I didn't know what to think about that.”

  Then Mom told Uncle Will that Dad had gotten in with some bad people and needed the farm to sell to pay off a debt. When the farm wasn't divided up, he knew he was in trouble and started hiding out but she had caught him hiding out with another woman. They talked a little more and then she hung up the phone and called for us.

  “Listen, y'all had better hear this from me. Your Daddy and I are split up, and I don't want him around here anymore. Dennis I understand that you had a run in with a couple of guys this afternoon and that they were here to steal his guns and his tools. Is that right?”

  “Yes mam, they came up and Earl and Uncle Will ran them off.” I replied.

  “Let's keep the house locked from now on and I guess that someone needs to be here as much as we can. Dennis are you back in school and are you doing the extra work in the afternoons?” she asked.

  “Yes mam. I have to go twice a week. It's part of the deal.” I said not wanting to say a lot about it.

  “What deal?” she asked.

  “I got into a fight and to stay in school I have to get my grades up.” I said.

  “What did you get into a fight over?” she persisted.

  “I found out that a teacher, Mrs. Johnson, got three of the football players to say that I was gay to get me kicked out of school.”

  “Cindy Johnson did that? I always knew she was a mean hardhearted woman. I didn't know she would carry a grudge as long as this. I'll take care of this.” she said.

  “Ralph I need you to come on home on the days that Dennis is having to work extra. Did you know about Johnson?” Mom Asked.

  “I had heard that someone had made a wild complaint, but that the principal had ignored it because he didn't believe it.” answered Ralph.

  “Well the two of you go to bed and don't worry we are going to make it.” She said but she didn't sound very convincing.

  I gathered up all of the guns and put them up in the attic and covered them with insulation. I left the twelve gauge and the .410 out but hid them underneath one of the beds in the box mattress. I would have to put the tools up on the weekend. This has turned out to be a shitty day.