Bent Creek (11 page)

Leaving the gun, Jesse rolled over two more times, scrambling to his he feet he ran for his life. He shimmied up the trunk of the first pine tree he came to.  He knew he wouldn’t be safe for long. The bear would probably follow after him, but Jesse prayed the beast’s heavy weight would break the slender branches and keep him from reaching the upper branches.  Half way up the tree, Jesse stopped for a moment and looked down. The bear seemed to have lost interest in him.  He was licking at the barrel of the gun. He must have smelled the grease from Jesse’s hand that was left on the rifle. Picking the gun up in his teeth, he splintered the heavy wooden stock as if it were a tooth
pick. It was a big mistake. One of his canines hit the trigger and with an ear-splitting blast, the bear fell backward, blood spewing from his chest. Jesse let out a scream. He didn’t know why but it just came out, at the same time a stream of yellow pee trickled down his leg. Holding on tight to the tree branch, his hands and knees bleeding from the climb, he waited to see what would happen next. He was shaking so hard that the branches of the tree were moving. The bear’s body jerked three or four times and then lay still. Deciding to wait a few more minutes before he came down from the tree, he didn’t see Nevers running down the hill. Nevers suddenly stopped.  Taking aim at the bear, the crackle of the tree branches made him spin around, his gun still in firing position.  “Don’t shoot, Nevers, it’s me! Don’t shoot!” Jesse slid down the tree, catching more splinters and cuts on his hands.

“What in the Sam hell is goin’ on? I hear’d a shot.  Did you shoot that bar?” Nevers asked in a stunned voice.

“Yeah…I sure did. I shot him once, but he charged at me and grabbed the gun. He just went crazy, bitin’ and chewin’ on it and I run for the tree, but when I got up thar he just keeled over dead.”

“Well, I’ll be damn. You done got you a bar.  It’s a big-gin, too. That pelt will fetch a pretty penny.”

Beginning to settle down, Jesse asked, “Kin I keep the money from the skin?”

“Hell no, boy, you done owe me a new rifle.  We may jest break even. Now let’s git him down the hill
before the coyotes come round.”

As the day turned into evening, Lily and Rachael began to get more and more nervous over what they had done. They should have never accepted a ride from Billy Tate. Why didn’t they just tell Billy that they were out for a walk.  If Billy told Nevers about them going to the picture show, they had no idea what would happen to them. When they heard the sound of the truck coming down the road they both ran to the window.  “Oh, Lordy, he said he’d be gone for two nights and here he is back already,” Rachael groaned.

“Hurry, Lily, git in the bed. Now try tah act sick,” Rachael said. “You stay in that bed and don’t move. We jest got here by the skin of our teeth.  I wonder what thar doin’ home so soon?”

“I ain’t sorry, Rachael.  I’ll take whatever Nevers does tah me. I got tah see a movie and he can’t take that away from me. I jest hate the idea that he may hurt you, too.”

“Don’t you worry any about me.  There ain’t no way that Nevers is gonna touch me.”

Rachael went outside as soon as the truck stopped. Before she could say anything, Nevers opened the door and jumped down. “Yer brother done shot himself a bar.  Come see, it’s in the back of the truck. We had tah come home before the varmints came sniffin’ round and tried to take it away from us. I got tah go in the shed and take care of it.  You ever eat bear meat, little girl?”

Rachael shook her head. He hadn’t even asked about Lily. Jesse followed Rachael into the house after Nevers went into the shed. “I can’t believe you shot a bar,” she said.

Jesse’s face turned pale and he began to shake all over. “Oh, God, Rachael, I ain’t never been so scart in my whole life. I had a bar lookin’me straight in the eye.  He was standin’ right over me and I thought I was gonna die.” He began to sob and Rachael let him fall into her arms before he hit the floor.  “It was plumb awful. I ain’t never goin’ up that mountain again.  I ain’t cut out for this kind of work.” He wiped his nose with his sleeve and continued to cry. “I’m still scart.  That bar meant business.” He pointed to his torn shirt and the scratches on his side.

“You’ll be all right, Jesse.  Wait till daddy hears about this. He’s gonna be real proud of you.  In a fortnight every
body in the holler will know you done kilt a bar. Ain’t many who live tah tell the tale when they get that close tah a bar. Now why don’t you go lay down for a while and I’ll fix you somethin’ tah eat.”

“Where’s Lily,” Nevers said as he came into the kitchen.

“She’s in the bed. She’s feelin’ real poorly. I had tah take her into the doctor today in Lynch.  She was in real bad pain,” Rachael said, trying to sound convincing.

“What do you mean? How’d you get tah Lynch? Didn’t I tell ya not tah leave this house?”

She could see the anger in his face. Rachael began to talk fast. She didn’t want him to interrupt her lie. “We had tah go, Nevers. I thought Lily was gonna die. She was wailin’and doubled over in pain. I had tah almost carry her. A real nice man and lady took us there and they waited till the doctor saw her and brought us home. She’s gonna be okay. The doctor said it was the bug got into her belly. He done gave her a shot and told her to stay in bed the rest of the day.”

“I ain’t cotton to you takin’ her out of this house without me knowin’ about it. Was she really that sick?” he asked in an irritated voice. “What’d you think yer doin’ ridin’ with strangers?”

“I didn’t have no choice, Nevers, she was real sick.  She was doubled over in pain and her face was green and she was throwin’ up everywhars. We barely made it to the road and she jest keeled over.”

Nevers opened his bedroom door and looked in on Lily. She lay in the bed with a cloth on her head and the covers pulled up around her neck. “Well, she must be ailin’.  She ain’t one to stay in the bed. I still ain’t likin’ the idée of you all goin’ tah Lynch but I guess you done what you had to.  I’m gonna go gut that bar.”

Rachael waited until he was out of sight before she went in to see Lily. “Now you heard my story.  You better stick tah it or we’re gonna be in big trouble. Lucky for us he didn’t ask how we got down tah the road with you being so sick and he didn’t ask who the people were. We got tah make sure he stays away from this subject. If’n it twernt fer that bar he’d be really riled and proba
bly ask a lot more questions.”

Lily stayed in bed for three days afraid to get up.  When she realized what she and Rachael had done, she knew that if Nevers found out he would probably beat her to death.  What was she thinking? She got to see a movie, but was all this worry worth it. She just hoped Billy Tate kept his mouth shut.  Espe
cially since Nevers said he was making a trip to Lynch.  Oh Lordy, she could be in such big trouble.

Nevers came into the bedroom. “Lissen, girl, I’m goin’ off tah Lynch to pick up some supplies.  Do ya want me tah stop in at that doctor’s office and see if’n he can give you some medicine tah git you out of that bed?”

Lily rolled over and slowly sat up.  She pretended to yawn. She stood up and smiled.  Pointing to herself she mouthed the words, “I feel better,” very slowly.

“Yer sayin’ yer better?”  he asked.

She shook her head up and down as fast as she could.

“Well, alrighty then. You git back in that bed, I kin git supplies tomarra.” Nevers pulled his suspenders off his shoulders and let his pants fall to the floor.  He climbed in next to her. Lily closed her eyes and cringed.

In the morning Nevers pulled Jesse out of bed and they headed into Lynch.  The streets of the town were busy with Saturday shoppers. Nevers pulled the truck up in front of the livery stable. “You see that man standin’ over thar, Jesse.  That’s Rooster. He’s a mean sumbitch.  Him and me don’t cotton tah each other. He ever comes anywhars near you, you jest walk away. Don’t talk tah him. He won’t mess with me. He knows better. You stay here and I’ll be right back.”

Jesse watched the man leaning against the building for a few minutes and then slipped down in the seat and closed his eyes. He opened them with a start when something hit the truck with a loud thud. Rooster was standing at the window with a stick in his hand. “Wake up
, boy. What are you and Nevers up tah?”

“We ain’t up tah nothin’. You better stop beatin’ on this truck fore Nevers catches you.”

Rooster threw his head back and let out a loud cackle. “You think I’m afeared of Nevers.  That’s a real good one. I reckon you ain’t gonna tell me nothin’ cause I kin see he’s done got you scart tah death of him. Well, he ain’t so tough.” He turned and sauntered away.

Nevers put the bags in the
back of the truck and got in. “I seed Rooster talkin’ tah ya. What’d he want?  You tell him anythang?”

“Nope, didn’t tell him a thang.”

“That’s the best answer you gave me all day.  Now let’s git on home.”

Chapter Fourteen

Billy Tate sat on the wooden bench outside of the Lynch Drugstore. He was waiting for his mother to get her medicine. He
watched as Nevers Bains pulled his truck into the alleyway between
the livery stable and Orby’s General Store. His truck was loaded with skins. Fifteen minutes later, Nevers pulled out on to the street and got out.  He began loading cardboard boxes that Clyde Orby had set on the sidewalk.  Billy sauntered across the street and stopped next to the truck.  “Ya need any halp?” Billy asked.

“Got damn, you scart me. Why’d you sneak up on me?” Nevers said.

“Sorry, Mr. Bains. I thought you seed me comin’. Do you want me tah halp you? Them look like heavy boxes.”

“No! I don’t need no halp.  Now step back.” He pushed in front of Billy and heaved another box into the truck.

“I like tah ask you a question. I was just wonderin’ if’n you need any halp out at yer place, Mr. Bains?  I got some free time before the next tobaccy crop comes in.  I’m a hard worker and I kin work cheap. What’d ya think about that?”

“Seems tah me you already asked me two questions. 
Don’t need no halp,” he growled.  “Now step aside.” He climbed into the truck and chugged down the street.

Billy stood looking after the truck.  He best not ever tan
gle with Nevers Bains but he sure would like tah see what was going on out at his place. It would be nice to have a chance to be around Rachael.

Nevers truck bumped down the rutted road leaving Lynch behind. He hated coming into town every week. He always ran into some ass that wanted to talk to him.  He never bothered them townspeople, why wouldn’t they just leave him alone. Maybe he should hire Billy Tate and tell Jesse to hit the road. He was tired of Jesse’s whining all the time.  But he may as well leave things as they were.  He liked Rachael’s cooking
… he was just in a bad mood today.

When he turned off the road into his yard, Nevers was surprised to see Lily in the yard hanging clothes on the line. She was finally out of the bed for good. It had been a week and she was still acting puny.  He slid across the seat and yelled to her. “Git me a cup of coffee, I’ll be right in.”  He stopped by the side of the steps and took off his boots and smelly socks. Lily was still hanging clothes. “Well, I’ll be damn,” Nevers said as he hobbled across the yard.  “Didn’t you hear what I said? You deef as well as mute?”  He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up the stairs and into the kitchen.  Tossing her across the floor, she landed against the wall like a rag doll. He was over her, his calloused hand already in the air ready to swoop down and hit her across the face. Without warning a wooden spoon came sailing across the room and hit him in the head. Nevers grabbed his head. “Got damn,” he said, turning around.

“Don’t you hit her again, Nevers Bains.  What’s wrong with you? People don’t treat their cur dogs as bad as you treat her.” Rachael reached down and helped Lily up.  “Look at her, Nevers! She don’t weigh a hundred pounds drippin’ wet.  Yer three times her size. Yer nothin’ but a mean, old bully.” Rachael stomped her foot with conviction.

“Oh yeah, well let me tell you somethin’.  Lily is mah wife and I kin …”

Rachael took the boning knife that she was using to cut up the chicken and jammed it down into the wooden sink drain. “Don’t you even say it. I’m tellin’ you right now if’n you don’t stop hittin’ her you may go tah bed some night and it could be yer last night on this earth.”  She clenched her fingers around the knife.

“You tellin’ me you’re gonna do me in.” He threw his head back and laughed.

“That’s what I’m sayin’. So maybe you better start sleepin’ with one eye open.”

“Well, I jest outta send yer skinny ass on down the road; better yet I outta show ya ta mind yer manners.”

“Go ahead and when I leave I’m takin’ Lily with me and then I’m goin’ tah call the sheriff and make up
a whole bunch of lies about ya.”

Nevers squinted his eyes. “Aw go on. Yer as nutty as yer old man.” He rose from his chair and went outside. Rachael had gotten the best of him for once.

Lily moved behind Rachael and whispered, “Thank you,” in her ear.

Quietly Rachael answered. “That’s okay. Oh, you should feel my heart.  It’s about ready tah jump out of my chest. I was so scart. Whew, I hope that settles him for a little while.”