NaNoWriMo: Day 4

As Leland and Rhodes led Buckley around Cypress Estates they couldn’t help but wonder at both the size and the youth of their guest. They were half tempted to call down south and check out his story but there seemed no reason for him to lie about his credentials. What sort of halfcocked thrill seeker comes with that sort of equipment and anyway?

Rhodes was more interested in engaging the young man than was Leland who was more embarrassed at the possibility of being shown up by a kid. “So, how’s your daddy?”

“Oh, he’s fine. Been stayin’ out of trouble.”

Rhodes laughed. “Yeah he was something of a hell raiser in his day, wasn’t he?”

“That he was, sir. As I understand it, he even got himself into a little trouble not too far from here. I believe it was your father who helped him out of that tight spot.”

“Oh?”

“Yes.”

Rhodes scratched his head, perplexed. He had no idea what the boy could be talking about.

“I believe the town is called Micanopy?”

The light went on in Rhodes’ head.

“Oh my goodness. It was your daddy that my daddy bailed out of jail in Micanopy?

Buckley hung his head a little, but still he smiled a downright charming smile. “Yes sir, that was him.”

Leland became interested in the story at this point. “What happened, Rhodes?”

“Buckley, you mind if I tell him?” Rhodes asked.

Smiling, Buckley nodded his approval.

“See, Hansford and Daddy was out in Micanopy at the same time getting some shoes put on some horses and the furrier put a shoe on one of Daddy’s horses wrong. Hansford called the furrier out on it and one thing led to another until punches were thrown. Of course, bein’ that Hansford was an Indian from down south, they hauled him to jail. It wasn’t an hour later that Daddy’s horse threw the shoe and the furrier looked like a right ass. So of course Daddy had to do the right thing and bail him out and apologize. The damn furrier never did drop the charges, but somehow Daddy made it all go away. Never went back to Micanopy neither.

Leland looked impressed. “Rhodes’ daddy was a hell of a man. Did you ever meet him, Buckley?”

“No. I can’t say as I did. I heard a whole lot about him growing up though. My daddy said he owed him a lot. He seemed to think that if Mr. Shield hadn’t bailed him out when he did that he wouldn’t have left that jail cell.”

“I’d like to think that’s not true,” Rhodes said, “but times were different back then, and some folks were more than a little unwelcoming to people who weren’t their kind.”'

“I don’t know how much that’s changed.” Buckley said eyeing Leland.

This did not go unnoticed by Leland, but he chose to ignore it. By this time the three men had walked nearly to the old farm house. Buckley began to check all around the perimeter of the house for evidence of the gator’s presence. Buckley had been hunting gators with his daddy since he could hold a gun as was his want. As was the need of the tribe. He knew how tell if a gator had been there or not.

“No gator has been to this place. Why don’t you just stay here tonight? I will stay at the place where the gator comes. And when if comes, I will kill it.”

Leland couldn’t help but laugh. “You sound very sure of yourself.”

“I am sure. I will kill it,” Buckley said with a perfectly straight face.

Rhodes was standing by, staring at his mother’s house, slack jawed. “You mean that thing hasn’t been up here at all?"

Leland looked at his agog. “Why does that matter?”

“Then why is it laying siege to Herlin Hall!” Rhodes cried. “What’s the difference?”

Leland laid a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Herlin Hall is closer to the water for one thing. Maybe it doesn’t like all the light and the noise so close to its den. I don’t know.”

“I’ve started to feel like the thing is waging war on me personally. It’s attacking my house. Killing my friends. There are hundreds of people who have houses along this river. Why me?”