like teenagers and holding hands as they went up the outside stairs to a room on the second floor. The door closing behind them was like a kick in the gut.
Aunt Kay pointed at the door. “That’s your father, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, that’s him all right.”
“And the woman, do you know her?”
“Oh, yeah, too well.”
I’d married Jimmy Travis before I was twenty and in the end the whole sorry experience was a good reason to weep. Don’t get me wrong, it started out great but my bliss was short-lived. My idea of marriage didn’t include the groom having sex with a friend of the family after the rehearsal dinner.
And Jimmy hadn’t been the only source of my tears. Bernice Travis, my former mother-in-law, had done her bit. Our hate for each other was deep and everlasting, growing like a cancer throughout my life with Jimmy. And even after Jimmy’s death our wars went on. Now my old man was feeling her up in public.
Aunt Kay said, “Oh,” with shock and surprise in her voice. “I remember her from your wedding; I know who she is.”
“The bitch is just doing this to get back at me.”
“Maybe this has nothing to do with you.”
“You mean I’m having delusions? They didn’t just walk up those stairs and into a motel room?”
“Whatever you believe about her, however much she may wish to hurt you, why is your father with her? He doesn’t want to upset you, does he?”
“My dad never needs any reason to sleep with a woman beyond availability.”
I opened the door of the truck.
Aunt Kay grabbed my arm, holding me back. “Where are you going?”
I jerked my arm away. “I’m going to say hello to my father.” Aunt Kay threw her hands in the air with frustration, or maybedisgust, as I slammed the door.
CHAPTER 21
Bernice opened the door to the motel room but I looked past her to Tully. He was naked to the waist and barefoot.
I looked up from the gray hairs on his chest and I asked, “Why Bernice, why choose her? There are lots of nice ladies about.”
“Oh, honey, whatever would I want with a nice lady?” He laughed a deep belly laugh and came to stand beside Bernice, putting his right arm around her and pulling her close to his side. “We’ll all be in a grave soon enough; there’s no use being bored to death first, and one thing about Bernice, she ain’t never boring.”
I had to agree with him there. She was so interesting, I’d spent many an hour dreaming of her lying in a casket while I smiled down at her.
But my dad wasn’t done with his own joke. He patted Bernice’s rump and said, “She’s like that old pickup of Jimmy’s that you like so well—seen a lot of use but she’s got a few miles left in her yet.” He laughed again. “Now was there something you wanted, sugar?”
Aunt Kay didn’t offer any sympathy, quite the opposite. “You have no one to blame but yourself. What they do isn’t any of your business.”
“You don’t know what I’ve been through with that woman.”
“I remember. You and Bernice Travis were like two scorpions dropped in a paper bag, ready to fight to the death and not once thinking of joining forces to break through the sack.”
“I’m not in the mood for philosophy.”
“Well, here’s a little more. If you don’t change your ways, it won’t be over until one of you is dead.”
“As long as it’s Bernice, it works for me.”
“That’s a long useless time to hate.”
I jammed the gearshift into drive. “Bernice is doing this to get at me.”
“Everything isn’t about you.”
My childhood view of Aunt Kay was undergoing a rapid change. Where was the kind, understanding woman who was always on my side? “You don’t understand.”
Aunt Kay laughed. “The thing is I understand too well. You and Bernice both loved Jimmy and you couldn’t bear sharing.”
My anger shifted from Bernice to Aunt Kay. “I’ll take you home.”
“But we have to see the lawyer.”
“We’ll do it tomorrow.”
“Look here, I’m
Aunt Kay pointed at the door. “That’s your father, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, that’s him all right.”
“And the woman, do you know her?”
“Oh, yeah, too well.”
I’d married Jimmy Travis before I was twenty and in the end the whole sorry experience was a good reason to weep. Don’t get me wrong, it started out great but my bliss was short-lived. My idea of marriage didn’t include the groom having sex with a friend of the family after the rehearsal dinner.
And Jimmy hadn’t been the only source of my tears. Bernice Travis, my former mother-in-law, had done her bit. Our hate for each other was deep and everlasting, growing like a cancer throughout my life with Jimmy. And even after Jimmy’s death our wars went on. Now my old man was feeling her up in public.
Aunt Kay said, “Oh,” with shock and surprise in her voice. “I remember her from your wedding; I know who she is.”
“The bitch is just doing this to get back at me.”
“Maybe this has nothing to do with you.”
“You mean I’m having delusions? They didn’t just walk up those stairs and into a motel room?”
“Whatever you believe about her, however much she may wish to hurt you, why is your father with her? He doesn’t want to upset you, does he?”
“My dad never needs any reason to sleep with a woman beyond availability.”
I opened the door of the truck.
Aunt Kay grabbed my arm, holding me back. “Where are you going?”
I jerked my arm away. “I’m going to say hello to my father.” Aunt Kay threw her hands in the air with frustration, or maybedisgust, as I slammed the door.
CHAPTER 21
Bernice opened the door to the motel room but I looked past her to Tully. He was naked to the waist and barefoot.
I looked up from the gray hairs on his chest and I asked, “Why Bernice, why choose her? There are lots of nice ladies about.”
“Oh, honey, whatever would I want with a nice lady?” He laughed a deep belly laugh and came to stand beside Bernice, putting his right arm around her and pulling her close to his side. “We’ll all be in a grave soon enough; there’s no use being bored to death first, and one thing about Bernice, she ain’t never boring.”
I had to agree with him there. She was so interesting, I’d spent many an hour dreaming of her lying in a casket while I smiled down at her.
But my dad wasn’t done with his own joke. He patted Bernice’s rump and said, “She’s like that old pickup of Jimmy’s that you like so well—seen a lot of use but she’s got a few miles left in her yet.” He laughed again. “Now was there something you wanted, sugar?”
Aunt Kay didn’t offer any sympathy, quite the opposite. “You have no one to blame but yourself. What they do isn’t any of your business.”
“You don’t know what I’ve been through with that woman.”
“I remember. You and Bernice Travis were like two scorpions dropped in a paper bag, ready to fight to the death and not once thinking of joining forces to break through the sack.”
“I’m not in the mood for philosophy.”
“Well, here’s a little more. If you don’t change your ways, it won’t be over until one of you is dead.”
“As long as it’s Bernice, it works for me.”
“That’s a long useless time to hate.”
I jammed the gearshift into drive. “Bernice is doing this to get at me.”
“Everything isn’t about you.”
My childhood view of Aunt Kay was undergoing a rapid change. Where was the kind, understanding woman who was always on my side? “You don’t understand.”
Aunt Kay laughed. “The thing is I understand too well. You and Bernice both loved Jimmy and you couldn’t bear sharing.”
My anger shifted from Bernice to Aunt Kay. “I’ll take you home.”
“But we have to see the lawyer.”
“We’ll do it tomorrow.”
“Look here, I’m
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