doing
swirled through her mind. Then a smidgen of worry came and went like the flickering light from a candle sitting in a gentle breeze. A simple idea had made life a bit complicated—once again. What was Brandi up to—really?
The slosh of the dishwasher pulled her back to the present as a sudden sense of loss washed over her. She missed Michelle’s family more than she missed her own. Her father had the “Midas touch,” but his real magic making to make sure his oldest daughter kept his dirty secrets. Even darker magic had made his youngest daughter disappear and turn up dead during his trial.
What he actually had was a sly charisma that reeled people in. What he had was the foresight to scope out the young women who were heirs to fortunes that would make even the Kennedy clan raise an eyebrow. What he had was the smarts to take Margaret Van Oy’s virginity in the backseat of an old Chevy.
The pregnancy came after weeks of daily romps out in the fields, in the car—or behind the McCumbers’ barn. When Margaret said she was getting an abortion, Wilbur demanded that she keep the child. When she refused, he told her that if she got rid of his child, he would tell the world how much of a whore she really was. He would describe exactly what he’d made her do to him—sick, perverse things—which would force her family to disown her. Tanya, growing just under her mother’s hardening heart, was well past the “planning” stages and Margaret had no choice but to comply with his wishes. She gave in and they eloped, sealing her fate with him for better or worse.
The family demanded an annulment, but Margaret, fearing the worst from her quick-tempered husband, held fast. To Wilbur’s dismay, the family disowned her anyway, leaving her at the mercy of a cold, calculating man.One who had no time for the wife or child who were supposed to have been his link to a fortune. So Wilbur figured out another way.
A dropout from Social Circle High School, Wilbur vowed that the Van Oy family would rue the day they shunned him. And he would strike back by taking the thing they loved most—money.
The Van Oys owned all the factories in and around Social Circle. Many Southern towns were established around such businesses, since people moved to be near their jobs. One by one, Wilbur Jaunal shrewdly scouted out and purchased the railroad right-of-ways that connected one Van Oy factory to the next. Then he expanded to those that connected the surrounding towns.
While Margaret’s family members still had their heads up their butts trying to figure out what was happening, Wilbur ended up owning all the ways to bring supplies into and out of Social Circle. Now the Van Oys had to pay premiums in order for their railcars to cross his land.
Then one day during peak production time he shut them down completely by denying access across his land, effectively putting them out of business.
A year later, Jaunal purchased the factories from his in-laws and enemies for pennies on the dollar. He put all of the people who were loyal to the former employers out on their collective asses, and hired Blacks from Social Circle and Monroe to take their place. That move almost caused a race riot that made Watts look like child’s play.
In an even more clever move, Jaunal Industries directed the white population toward the factories it owned in the surrounding counties—meaning the people left in town were Blacks he counted on to be loyal to their employer: Wilbur Jaunal.
As whites moved closer to the other factories to avoid long drives to and from work, the Social Circle voting base became more and more Black. The remaining whites were rich and scattered. Wilbur’s bid to become mayor was a lock. A power structure tied to a crafty but greedy hand that ruled by fear, intimidation and violence, if necessary, began as soon as he took office.
By the time Tanya turned twelve that fear had become part of her everydayreality. Sometimes going to school
swirled through her mind. Then a smidgen of worry came and went like the flickering light from a candle sitting in a gentle breeze. A simple idea had made life a bit complicated—once again. What was Brandi up to—really?
The slosh of the dishwasher pulled her back to the present as a sudden sense of loss washed over her. She missed Michelle’s family more than she missed her own. Her father had the “Midas touch,” but his real magic making to make sure his oldest daughter kept his dirty secrets. Even darker magic had made his youngest daughter disappear and turn up dead during his trial.
What he actually had was a sly charisma that reeled people in. What he had was the foresight to scope out the young women who were heirs to fortunes that would make even the Kennedy clan raise an eyebrow. What he had was the smarts to take Margaret Van Oy’s virginity in the backseat of an old Chevy.
The pregnancy came after weeks of daily romps out in the fields, in the car—or behind the McCumbers’ barn. When Margaret said she was getting an abortion, Wilbur demanded that she keep the child. When she refused, he told her that if she got rid of his child, he would tell the world how much of a whore she really was. He would describe exactly what he’d made her do to him—sick, perverse things—which would force her family to disown her. Tanya, growing just under her mother’s hardening heart, was well past the “planning” stages and Margaret had no choice but to comply with his wishes. She gave in and they eloped, sealing her fate with him for better or worse.
The family demanded an annulment, but Margaret, fearing the worst from her quick-tempered husband, held fast. To Wilbur’s dismay, the family disowned her anyway, leaving her at the mercy of a cold, calculating man.One who had no time for the wife or child who were supposed to have been his link to a fortune. So Wilbur figured out another way.
A dropout from Social Circle High School, Wilbur vowed that the Van Oy family would rue the day they shunned him. And he would strike back by taking the thing they loved most—money.
The Van Oys owned all the factories in and around Social Circle. Many Southern towns were established around such businesses, since people moved to be near their jobs. One by one, Wilbur Jaunal shrewdly scouted out and purchased the railroad right-of-ways that connected one Van Oy factory to the next. Then he expanded to those that connected the surrounding towns.
While Margaret’s family members still had their heads up their butts trying to figure out what was happening, Wilbur ended up owning all the ways to bring supplies into and out of Social Circle. Now the Van Oys had to pay premiums in order for their railcars to cross his land.
Then one day during peak production time he shut them down completely by denying access across his land, effectively putting them out of business.
A year later, Jaunal purchased the factories from his in-laws and enemies for pennies on the dollar. He put all of the people who were loyal to the former employers out on their collective asses, and hired Blacks from Social Circle and Monroe to take their place. That move almost caused a race riot that made Watts look like child’s play.
In an even more clever move, Jaunal Industries directed the white population toward the factories it owned in the surrounding counties—meaning the people left in town were Blacks he counted on to be loyal to their employer: Wilbur Jaunal.
As whites moved closer to the other factories to avoid long drives to and from work, the Social Circle voting base became more and more Black. The remaining whites were rich and scattered. Wilbur’s bid to become mayor was a lock. A power structure tied to a crafty but greedy hand that ruled by fear, intimidation and violence, if necessary, began as soon as he took office.
By the time Tanya turned twelve that fear had become part of her everydayreality. Sometimes going to school
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