NaNoWriMo: Day 10

Buckley had been driving around Palatka for a bit looking for something that looked like it would appeal to his mother’s sensibilities. A building, a house, anything. There was  very interesting junk store at 726 St. Johns Avenue, but sadly it was not for sale.

            Buckley looked might have looked like some kid without much capital to throw around, but his trapping and hunting exploits in south Florida had gained him quite a bit of notoriety and with it a fair amount of money which he had wisely invested. He was not hurting for money, that was for certain. Not to mention his father had left him and his mother a considerable sum upon his death which Buckley tried not to touch if he could help it.

            Buckley prided himself of being his own, self-made man. Sure, he was doing what his father had taught him to do, but he was making a name for himself and making his own way. The height of disgrace for him would have been to ask his mother for help. In fact it was his hope to buy her a house and a business and move her up here with his own funds. It would make him feel proud to be able to do this for her. Furthermore, she would be a lot less likely to balk if he made her an offer she couldn’t easily refuse.

            As he drove around looking for something he couldn’t define, he wondered when things had gone so wrong with him and his mother. They had never been particularly close, as she had always been harsh with a sharp tongue, but things had gotten so much more out of control since his father had passed away. It was as though she’d lost her tenuous grasp on reality. What had begun as a pleasant hobby to get her out of the house after the old man died had turned into an all-consuming obsession with preserving the things other people had discarded because “someone could use that” or “that’s too nice to throw away”. Or, his absolute favorite, “that’s a collectable!” It had become an obsession.

            As Buckley drove Rhodes’ truck around the North Historic District he noticed a small wooden church. St. Mark’s Episcopal. Across the street was a small house that was for sale. He thought he might park in the church parking lot and have a look at the house. When he parked the truck, the parson came out and said “Why hello there young man. Have you come for confession?”

            “No, sir. I’m sorry, I was just parking the truck here while I took a look at the house over there.”

            “Ah, I see. That’s fine, son. Well, should you like to have a chat, I’ll be inside.”

            Buckley thought for a moment. “Am I allowed to do that? I’m not an Episcopal.”

            “You could be.” The priest said with a smile.

            “But I –“

            “Listen, you just look like you could use someone to talk to is all. I’d be happy to listen.”

            “Well, I’m not so sure, father. Maybe another time?”

            “Certainly son. Our doors are always open.”

            Buckley shook the priest’s hand and then walked over to the house and gave it a quick look. He hadn’t thought about going to church since he’d been dating Stella. Church wasn’t really his scene, but maybe he would give it another go. Just not today. He was on a mission. A mission that was getting him nowhere.

           

            It was while Buckley was gone on this fact finding mission that the second gator made its presence known. Rhodes and Emery were in the kitchen of Herlin Hall having a heated discussion about the propriety of Selena’s staying over at Herlin Hall while Buckley was a guest.

            “It isn’t right Rhodes, and you know it.”

            “Mama, I don’t think Buckley minds.”

            “I’m sure he doesn’t mind. A pretty girl like that, flouncing around here, wearing Lord knows what. He is a man Rhodes. What would you expect from him. If you want her around, have her stay up at the house with me. Or, better yet, have her stay at her own blessed house until the boy leaves.”

            “Mama, I don’t understand why you’re making such a big deal about this. We’ve had plenty of people stay the night here with us and you never made a big fuss about it.”

            “Well, maybe I should have. And now Harley Quitman’s dead. You ever think that gator might have been God’s way of punishing you for your sinful living?”

            “Mama, you can’t be serious.”

            “Aren’t I?”

            She stared daggers at him from across the island and he knew she was serious.

            “When was the last time you set foot inside of a church, son?”

            “Aw, mama, don’t start in on that.”

            “When was it?”

            “Christmas.”

            “Of what year?”

            Rhodes though for a moment. “1986, maybe?”

            “You need to get right and get to church.”

            “Fine mama, I promise. I’ll go with you to church on Sunday.”

            “Now, don’t you go making promises you have no intention of keeping. You better believe I’ll be here on this doorstep at 9 AM with bells on to pick you up on Sunday morning.”

            “Fine mama. I’ll be ready.’

            It was then that Rhodes heard the rattling and the scratching on the porch outside the Florida Room. He’d already had the door replaced, and when he entered the room he could clearly see a new, larger gator scratching and pawing at the new door as though begging to be allowed into the house.

            “What the hell?”

            “Language, Rhodes!”
            “Well, Mama look! It’s another gator!”

            “Mercy! It’s trying to get into the house.”

            “I can see that.”

            “What’ll we do?”

            “Go upstairs and call Leland. Lock the door.”

            Emery ran upstairs to the guest bedroom and locked the door behind her. Meanwhile, Rhodes went for the shotgun. He was loath to shoot through his brand new door, but he also didn’t want to be fooling with opening the door and risk winding up in the hospital with Jerry, or worse. For the moment he would watch the gator and wait.

            He could clearly see the beast from the stairs so that is where he perched with his firearm and watched as the gator paced and pawed at the door. After about half an hour, just as the sun was beginning to set, the gator very calmly wandered away.

            “Mama, you can come down now.”

            “Did you get it.”
            “No. It left. Where’s Leland?”

            “He didn’t answer.”

            “Mama, I think maybe I will go with you to church.”

            Selena was less than pleased to be banished when she found out that she once again temporarily banished from Herlin Hall.

            “It’s only for a little while, baby.”

            “I’m beginning to think that you just don’t want to have me around, Rhodes.”

            “That’s not it at all, Selena. Mama, think’s it’s improper to have you around while Buckley’s staying here-“

            “Mama says-“

            “-And there’s another gator wandering around. I don’t want you getting hurt. What if it got ahold of you. You’re a tasty morsel. It could just gobble you right up in one gulp.”

            And with that he rather disgustingly started nibbling on her neck.

            Selena’s real reason for wanting to hang around Herlin Hall had nothing to do with Rhodes though – she wanted to spend more time with Buckley. Over the past few days she had grown increasingly fascinated with him. Her interest in him was bordering on obsession, although she wouldn’t tell Rhodes – he would have surely been jealous.

            Why shouldn’t he have been jealous? Here she was wanting to slum it with a 21 year old gator trapper. She was almost 30. She was dating the wealthiest, most successful man in the county. What the hell was wrong with her? Since when was she that superficial?

            But then again, she was a woman and she couldn’t deny that Buckley was a handsom example of the male of the species. He was tall, muscular, but what appealed most to her was that she knew nothing about him. He was a mystery that she wanted to solve.

            But Rhodes was so good to her – she couldn’t – she mustn’t be unfaithful to him. After all, she was a good woman. Her mother didn’t raiser her this way. Maybe Miss Emery was right. Maybe it would be better if she stayed at her own apartment for a while.

            “Fine Rhodes, I’ll go stay at my place, but you’ll come see me, alright?”

            Rhodes kissed her “Sure thing, darlin’. You know I’ll starve if you don’t cook for me.”

            “Alright then. I’ll take my things and be gone by tonight. Be sure and tell your mama.”

            “I will.”

            “You wanna come over on Sunday morning and I’ll make you breakfast?”

            “Well baby, about that. Mama wants me to go to church with her.”

            “Uh huh. Okay. That’s alright. I’ve been meaning to have brunch with my girlfriend Noel anyway.”

            “When am I going to see you?”

            “I don’t know Rhodes. It sounds like that’s really up to you and mama.”

            “Don’t be like that, baby.”

            “Rhodes Shield, you are a grown man. Why don’t you act like one and stand up for yourself. If you want to go to church, go to church. If you want me to stay at my own apartment, tell me to stay at my own apartment. If you need some time to yourself, take some time to yourself. But whatever you do, please stop using you’re mama as your reason for everything you do. Be your own man and make your own damn decisions.”

            With that, she turned on her heel and walked out of the room to gather her things and go home to her own apartment.

           

            Selena’s apartment overlooked St. Johns Avenue in Downtown Palatka, and while it was small, it was cozy. In all honesty, she preferred it to Herlin Hall, but Rhodes’ love of parties and entertaining necessitated her presence at his home more often than at her own. When she arrived home, she was happy to unwind in her full bed and just relax. While Rhodes was fond of country music, Selena was a New Wave fan. She put on a Depeche Mode record, lit some incense and a few candles, and just enjoyed being at home. To hell with Rhodes and Herlin Hall.

            At around 6 PM she called Noel to make plans for brunch on Sunday morning, then she ran a bath in her clawfoot tub and soaked. There was a time many years ago when Rhodes used to come over to her apartment and make love to her on her full sized bed, and lay with her in the claw foot tub. Back then she thought he enjoyed the simple pleasures that her life afforded him. They would dance around her tiny apartment to Motown records, the only thing they seemed to be able to agree on musically, and she would laugh at his bad jokes. This was before his father had died and he’d taken over the farm.

            Now he was all about appearances and his image. He wanted to appear to be the big man like his father had been. He wanted everyone to like him. He was buying his friends and in many ways he was trying to buy her. She looked at the myriad jewelry he had given her over the years. It was all beautiful, but she had loved the flowers he used to bring her when they first started dating just as much as the expensive jewelry he showered on her now, and in truth, she missed the sweet and spontaneous offerings of roadside violets and irises. She appreciated the jewelry, but it was heavy and cold and the burden of wearing it was sometimes too great, especially if it was heirloom jewelry from his mother.

            He said that he intended to marry her, but he’d been saying that for nearly 10 years and still no ring.

            “Mama won’t give it to me.”

            Well, here’s a thought, he could buy her one that she wanted instead of the one that Mama won’t give you. The fact that he didn’t do exactly that was evidence that he wasn’t serious about his intentions to make a good woman out of her precisely because Mama didn’t want him to.

            She wondered why she’d been wasting her time with him all these years. She loved him, but there was more to life than loving someone. She wanted to build a life and start a family. She always thought she would get out of Palatka. With a degree in social work she could be doing more than working for Child and Family Services. She could be a counselor somewhere else. She could be making a lot more money and have a lot more than some lousy one room apartment above St. Johns Avenue.

            She had grown too comfortable. Without knowing it, Mama had given her an opportunity to get uncomfortable. This might just be the paradigm shift she needed. Maybe this was why Buckley had been occupying her mind so much since she had met him. He represented change. The key would be to figure out whether or not she should stay with Rhodes and how to make things work or not without making a mistake with Buckley. She would have to stay away from him whatever she did.

            Rhodes was a cad and he was glad to be rid of Selena for a spell. While he was concerned for her safety and the gator was an issue he was also thrilled to be able to get back to the partying he had been accustomed to and more than happy to invite over the girls that he could never have around with Selena by his side.

            Since Selena had left he hadn’t seen the gator anymore and he really wasn’t worried about it. It had been days. Buckley still had not made a decision about whether or not he was going to stay on and take the job and Rhodes wanted to give him a reason to stay. He was going to throw a party to entice him to make the right decision.

            The night of the party, Herlin Hall was packed with close to 30 of Rhodes’ “closest” friends. There was country music blaring from the stereo. There were girls all over the place in various stages of undress. There was beer flowing and everyone was having a good time. Everyone except Buckley that is.

            He was in a dark corner of the deck outside the Florida Room looking at the moon shining on the surface of the river. Parties like these were not his idea of a good time. He was far happier out there in the dark with the fish and the moon. The party was allegedly for him to celebrate the dispatch of the gator – he wondered if anyone in there even missed him.

            Evidently, they did, for it wasn’t long before Leland and Rhodes stumbled outside looking for him.

            “Buckley, what are you doing out here – all the fun’s in here.”

            “Oh sorry, I was just catching some fresh air. I’ll be inside in a minute.”

            “Alright.” Rhodes said. “I got some girls I want you to meet.”
            “Oh no” thought Buckley. He had absolutely no interest in meeting any of the girls at this party, but he knew that he’d better do what Rhodes wanted. He was a guest in this house after all.

            After another couple of minutes in the cool night air, Buckley re-entered Herlin Hall and was immediately introducted to Brandy and Deanna, two buxom blondes in tight fitting t-shirts and cut-off shirts. They were all smiles and twirling hair as they each took one of Buckley’s hands. “Why don’t you girls show Buckley here a good time, okay?” Rhodes said as he walked back toward the bar.

            Buckley was mortified.

            “Hey Buckley,” said Brandy. Or was it Deanna? “Why don’t you tell us about how you killed that gator?”

            “Um . . .” Buckley stuttered.

            “Shut up Dee. Why don’t we just take him upstairs. He don’t look like the kind of guy who likes to talk much.”

            “Fine. Let’s go.”

            They led him, each one holding one of his massive hands, up the stairs. Buckley knew what was about to happen, but it was like he was watching it on television and he was almost powerless to stop it.

            They arrived at the top of the stairs, led him into one of the rooms, and closed the door. Then, they led him to the bed and pushed him down onto it. He sat there, slack jawed, waiting to see what they were going to do. Maybe they would lose interest when they figured out that he wasn’t an active participant. They just looked at one another, giggled, and took his shirt off.

            “Wait Brandy,” said that one that must’ve been Deanna. “Why don’t we put on some music?”

            Brandy walked over to the radio and found a station with something upbeat. The girls looked at one another and then, as though they could read each other’s minds they began to dance out of their clothes. Buckley wanted to laugh. They were drunk and the looked ridiculous. But he was so terrified of where this was eventually heading that he couldn’t laugh. The girls were soon standing there topless, wearing nothing but barely there panties and they were inexplicably fighting over who got to take off the rest of Buckley’s clothes. Deanna eventually won.

             She walked over to the bed, straddled his hips, and began to unbuckle his belt. When she Un zipped his jeans her face fell with disappointment. He was completely uninterested.

            She looked him in the eye. “What are you, drunk?”

            “No.”

            “Fag?”

            “No.”

            “Then what? Are we not good enough for you or something?”

            What was he supposed to say? “No, it’s just that I don’t love you.”

            “I’ve never been with anyone before.” He lied.

            “Aww,” Brandy cooed. “That’s so sweet. Let us be your first then.”

            “No,” he said. “I always wanted it to be with someone I loved,” he said.

            “Let’s leave him alone,” Deanna said. “He’s got a good point. Let’s go.”

            And with that they put their clothes back on and left.

            Meanwhile, in truth, he had been with someone before – it had been someone he had loved – and he still did love her.

           

            When Buckley returned to the party he felt like everyone was staring at him and he wondered if the girls had told everyone what happened, but in truth he really didn’t care. He wasn’t going to have sex with them just because Rhodes thought he should – job or no job. The party and the incident with the girls was making Buckley think that maybe the job at Cypress Estates wasn’t for him after all. Still the idea  of making his own way was an appealing on and he did like the area.

            Buckley didn’t really dislike Rhodes, he just wished that he were more comfortable with himself. The man seemed to have to put on airs. When it was just the two of them he was downright agreeable. But when you got him around all of his so called friends he became nearly intolerable.

            Buckley wondered how Rhodes was going to be able to justify this party to his mother, considering that it had been his mother who had made Selena go away on Buckley’s account. It wasn’t like these women weren’t going to be spending the night. Maybe it was different since they were “accompanied” and they wouldn’t be sleeping in Rhodes’ room. At least, not as far as Miss Emery was concerned. Still, Buckley would be by her side in church come Sunday morning.

            Stella, Paige, Lottie, and Brad arrived in Putnam County late on a Saturday afternoon and went immediately to Lottie’s mama’s house in Crescent City which was south of East Palatka where the gator incidents had been happening. Being as late as it was they decided that they would get to work on the interviews early on Monday morning and spend all week on the project. In the meantime, Lottie was going to spend Sunday showing her friends around her small hometown.

            When they got to Lottie’s house her mama had a full dinner of fried chicken, potato salad, green beans, fried squash, fried green tomatoes, and collard greens waiting for them. The four of them ate like kings. Lottie’s mama was a warm and loving southern woman who doted on her only daughter and Stella couldn’t help being a little jealous. Her relationship with her own mother was a little contentious. She was an anxious and terse woman who demanded perfection. Lottie’s mother was delightfully messy. It was refreshing.

            The three girls slept in Lottie’s large upstairs bedroom while Brad slept on the livingroom couch. Brad couldn’t believe his luck. He was still enamored with Stella, but he would have been content with any of the girls that would have given him the time of day.

            “So, where are you going to take us tomorrow?” Paige asked Lottie.
            “I think I’ll just take you driving around. The landscape around here is beautiful.”

            And it was. The trees in that part of Florida were greener, it seemed. The air was cleaner, the sky was bluer. While there wasn’t much in the way of jobs or opportunity, there was natural beauty in spades.

            Lottie took them driving down old 17 past the orange groves and out Junction Road through the ferneries.

            “What’s a fernery?” Stella asked.

            “You know that green stuff that comes with flowers? That’s fern. We grow that here. It’s one of our major and only industries.”

“Oh. I didn’t know you could make so much money on something that was an embellishment.”

            “People pay a lot of money for fern, so I guess so.”

            Lottie drove them out of Crescent City through Georgetown toward the river.

            “Is this where the man was eaten by the gator?” Paige asked.

            “No, that’s farther north. This is technically Lake George, I think, but you can get to the river from here.* (Is this true, dear reader? I have no idea!)”

            The sun was beginning to sink in the sky as the turned back toward Crescent City and by the time they reached the orange groves it had bathed them in orange and gold. Stella looked at the houses that faced the groves and imagined living in one of them and getting to have that view for the rest of her life.