Pampers box, I knocked on the door of Jennie’s double-wide.
“Come on in, whoever it is,” she yelled.
I stuck my head in, saying, “It’s just me. Are you up?”
“Lord, yes,” Jennie said, walking out from a bedroom, a cigarette and a coffee mug in one hand, and a
Cosmo
magazine in the other. She had on a seersucker robe that came to her knees over a long nightgown with the hem out.
Jennie was about my age, but after four kids she didn’t look it. She’d put on weight with each baby before she’d had a chance to lose what she’d put on from the previous one. Her hair hadn’t been combed, but from the state of her kitchen with dishes piled up and cereal spilled on the counter and the floor, I could see why. Two kids in underpants lay on the floor, glued to the television, and I could hear the other two somewhere in the back, jumping up and down on a bed.
“Come on in, hon, and have a seat.” Jennie waved at a chair. “I swear, every morning about this time I’m about ready to beat the hell outta these young ’uns.”
She flopped down on the daybed she used as a couch, reached over, turned off the television, and swatted the backside of a child who screamed that he was watching Nickelodeon. “Go get dressed,” she screamed back. Then lifting her voice even more, she yelled at another child in the back of the trailer, “If I have to come in there, you’ll be sorry.” Then, smiling at me, she said, “Don’t you look nice. Take a load off and tell me all about last night.”
“I’ll have to tell you later, Jennie,” I said, perching on the edge of a chair. There was something that looked like jelly on the back of it. “I just wanted to thank you for all you did. I really appreciate how you straightened my trailer and everything. But listen, I wanted to ask you, did you hear anything over there last night? I mean, somebody broke in, and I can’t figure out who or why.”
“Honey, I didn’t hear a thing. A deputy asked me that, too, but you know what it’s like over here.” An ear-piercing scream came from the bedroom, and she yelled,
“Cut it out, whatever you’re doing!”
She leaned toward me and said, “Was that really
the
Junior Connard in your trailer?”
“Yeah, it sure was, but I don’t know what he was doing there.”
“Oh, now, don’t give me that.” Her smile was almost a smirk, but a nice, teasing one. “Honey, if I had a thing going with Junior Connard, I’d be proud of it. He’s loaded, you know, or at least his daddy is.”
“Believe me, Jennie, I don’t have anything going with Junior Connard. I haven’t even seen him in years, and there he was coldcocked on my living room couch. I don’t have a clue what he was doing there. Besides, he’s married.”
“When has that ever stopped anybody? Just ask that idiot I’m married to.” She drank from her mug, then jumped up. “You want some coffee? God, I’m sorry, I should’ve offered you some before this. Where’s my mind?
All right, you kids, I’m coming in there!
”
“No, no, I don’t have time. I’ve got to get downtown and pay Mr. Sitton for keeping me out of jail last night. I swear, I ought to make Clyde Maybry pay that bill. There was no need to take me in for questioning, but you can’t tell him a thing.”
“Oh, yeah, tell me about it.” She sat down again and pushed the hair off her face. “Clyde was dumb when we were in school and he hasn’t improved any. Remember how he used to say, ‘I don’t get it’ all the time? Well, he still don’t, but it looks like you’re okay now, all dolled up like that. Got a big day today?”
“Pretty big, I guess. Going to a lawyer’s office and . . . lots of errands.” I wanted to tell Jennie all my plans for the day—she’d’ve been thrilled for me—but I had to play my cards close to my chest until everything was said and done. Especially done.
“Well, I’ve got to get up from here and go,” I said. “Mr. Sitton will be after
“Come on in, whoever it is,” she yelled.
I stuck my head in, saying, “It’s just me. Are you up?”
“Lord, yes,” Jennie said, walking out from a bedroom, a cigarette and a coffee mug in one hand, and a
Cosmo
magazine in the other. She had on a seersucker robe that came to her knees over a long nightgown with the hem out.
Jennie was about my age, but after four kids she didn’t look it. She’d put on weight with each baby before she’d had a chance to lose what she’d put on from the previous one. Her hair hadn’t been combed, but from the state of her kitchen with dishes piled up and cereal spilled on the counter and the floor, I could see why. Two kids in underpants lay on the floor, glued to the television, and I could hear the other two somewhere in the back, jumping up and down on a bed.
“Come on in, hon, and have a seat.” Jennie waved at a chair. “I swear, every morning about this time I’m about ready to beat the hell outta these young ’uns.”
She flopped down on the daybed she used as a couch, reached over, turned off the television, and swatted the backside of a child who screamed that he was watching Nickelodeon. “Go get dressed,” she screamed back. Then lifting her voice even more, she yelled at another child in the back of the trailer, “If I have to come in there, you’ll be sorry.” Then, smiling at me, she said, “Don’t you look nice. Take a load off and tell me all about last night.”
“I’ll have to tell you later, Jennie,” I said, perching on the edge of a chair. There was something that looked like jelly on the back of it. “I just wanted to thank you for all you did. I really appreciate how you straightened my trailer and everything. But listen, I wanted to ask you, did you hear anything over there last night? I mean, somebody broke in, and I can’t figure out who or why.”
“Honey, I didn’t hear a thing. A deputy asked me that, too, but you know what it’s like over here.” An ear-piercing scream came from the bedroom, and she yelled,
“Cut it out, whatever you’re doing!”
She leaned toward me and said, “Was that really
the
Junior Connard in your trailer?”
“Yeah, it sure was, but I don’t know what he was doing there.”
“Oh, now, don’t give me that.” Her smile was almost a smirk, but a nice, teasing one. “Honey, if I had a thing going with Junior Connard, I’d be proud of it. He’s loaded, you know, or at least his daddy is.”
“Believe me, Jennie, I don’t have anything going with Junior Connard. I haven’t even seen him in years, and there he was coldcocked on my living room couch. I don’t have a clue what he was doing there. Besides, he’s married.”
“When has that ever stopped anybody? Just ask that idiot I’m married to.” She drank from her mug, then jumped up. “You want some coffee? God, I’m sorry, I should’ve offered you some before this. Where’s my mind?
All right, you kids, I’m coming in there!
”
“No, no, I don’t have time. I’ve got to get downtown and pay Mr. Sitton for keeping me out of jail last night. I swear, I ought to make Clyde Maybry pay that bill. There was no need to take me in for questioning, but you can’t tell him a thing.”
“Oh, yeah, tell me about it.” She sat down again and pushed the hair off her face. “Clyde was dumb when we were in school and he hasn’t improved any. Remember how he used to say, ‘I don’t get it’ all the time? Well, he still don’t, but it looks like you’re okay now, all dolled up like that. Got a big day today?”
“Pretty big, I guess. Going to a lawyer’s office and . . . lots of errands.” I wanted to tell Jennie all my plans for the day—she’d’ve been thrilled for me—but I had to play my cards close to my chest until everything was said and done. Especially done.
“Well, I’ve got to get up from here and go,” I said. “Mr. Sitton will be after
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