don’t rightly know either, Ma’am.” She unfolded one arm and pointed her thumb toward Billy Joe. “That would be a question for this big lug here, I don’t know where he got this notion.”
Shelly looked directly at Billy Joe who was standing with his hands in the pockets of his ragged jeans, his head hanging low like a scolded child. “Mr. Thompson, would you care to explain this to me please?” She asked.
Billy Joe looked up at Shelly and shrugged his shoulders, “Me and my boy, well, we lost our jobs a few weeks back, and when we come home, Dot here, she was a lookin’ at this magazine that had your picture on the front of it. I noticed that it looked a lot like her when she gets all dolled up. My boy, BJ, well, he done thought the same thing, so since her big sister runned off when Dorothy weren’t nothin’ more than a little girl, I figgered that you must be her sister what runned off, so I wrote the letter. I never figgered you would come here.”
Shelly wanted to hear more, but didn’t want to give herself away, “I really don’t understand what you’re talking about, Mr. Thompson, and how that concerns me?”
Dorothy spoke up, “Oh you idiot, is that what this is about, I done told you, Mayelynn run off when I was just a wee bitty little thing, I don’t even remember what she looked like. Ain’t no way this fine lady here is Mayelynn Taylor.” She slapped at his head again for good measure. “You really are a fool, Billy Joe Thompson. Now, apologize to these folks for whatever it was you said in your ‘letter’ so they can get on their way and you can get back to lookin’ for a job.”
Dorothy was obviously steaming, but Shelly needed to hear more, just to know that her siblings were okay if nothing else. She held up her hands, “Please, let’s get this misunderstanding all cleared up now, so it doesn’t happen again. Mr. Thompson, why do you think this has anything to do with me?”
Billy Joe swallowed, and then looked up at Shelly. “Dottie, er, Dorothy here is my wife, she has a older sister named Mayelynn who ran away, and then two other sisters, younger than her, Kate and Mandy. The boys are Eric, Harry and Seth. Eric died when he was a little feller, about four maybe, but the rest of ‘em are all livin’ hereabouts with their families.”
“And th is involves me…. How exactly?” Shelly questioned. “You mentioned in your letter that you were taking care of my mother? Sir, my mother died in childbirth, and I was raised by my Mother’s Aunt in Nashville, so you can see why I would be so concerned when I read that you have been taking care of my mother. Where is your mother, Dorothy? What is her name?”
Dottie answered in bewilderment. “Maye Taylor, but we ain’t seen her in years and don’ know where she is. Last heard, she was workin’ takin’ care o’ some ole lady that was housebound, down in Fayetteville.”
“I thought you was her.” Billy Joe mumbled as his head hung even lower. “I’m sorry Ma’am, I was desperate, and I truly thought you was her.”
“You thought I was who, Mr. Thompson, your wife’s mother?”
Billy Joe shook his head, “Oh no, Ma’am, you ain’t nothin’ like that ole snake, I thought you was Dottie’s sister what runned off, Mayelynn.”
Dorothy just shook her head in amazement, “Oh Billy Joe. How could you be such a fool?”
Billy Joe just shrugged.
“Of course, Mr. Thompson, I’m sure that you understand that you are not the first person to claim to be my relative s, expecting to get some money, nor will you be the last. It’s just one of the problems that come with being famous.” She nodded toward Derek, who spoke next.
“Mr. Thompson, do you realize that in writing this letter and sending it through the United States Mail, you have committed mail fraud? That combined with your attempt to extort Mrs. Shepard, could put you in jail for a very long time, possibly
Shelly looked directly at Billy Joe who was standing with his hands in the pockets of his ragged jeans, his head hanging low like a scolded child. “Mr. Thompson, would you care to explain this to me please?” She asked.
Billy Joe looked up at Shelly and shrugged his shoulders, “Me and my boy, well, we lost our jobs a few weeks back, and when we come home, Dot here, she was a lookin’ at this magazine that had your picture on the front of it. I noticed that it looked a lot like her when she gets all dolled up. My boy, BJ, well, he done thought the same thing, so since her big sister runned off when Dorothy weren’t nothin’ more than a little girl, I figgered that you must be her sister what runned off, so I wrote the letter. I never figgered you would come here.”
Shelly wanted to hear more, but didn’t want to give herself away, “I really don’t understand what you’re talking about, Mr. Thompson, and how that concerns me?”
Dorothy spoke up, “Oh you idiot, is that what this is about, I done told you, Mayelynn run off when I was just a wee bitty little thing, I don’t even remember what she looked like. Ain’t no way this fine lady here is Mayelynn Taylor.” She slapped at his head again for good measure. “You really are a fool, Billy Joe Thompson. Now, apologize to these folks for whatever it was you said in your ‘letter’ so they can get on their way and you can get back to lookin’ for a job.”
Dorothy was obviously steaming, but Shelly needed to hear more, just to know that her siblings were okay if nothing else. She held up her hands, “Please, let’s get this misunderstanding all cleared up now, so it doesn’t happen again. Mr. Thompson, why do you think this has anything to do with me?”
Billy Joe swallowed, and then looked up at Shelly. “Dottie, er, Dorothy here is my wife, she has a older sister named Mayelynn who ran away, and then two other sisters, younger than her, Kate and Mandy. The boys are Eric, Harry and Seth. Eric died when he was a little feller, about four maybe, but the rest of ‘em are all livin’ hereabouts with their families.”
“And th is involves me…. How exactly?” Shelly questioned. “You mentioned in your letter that you were taking care of my mother? Sir, my mother died in childbirth, and I was raised by my Mother’s Aunt in Nashville, so you can see why I would be so concerned when I read that you have been taking care of my mother. Where is your mother, Dorothy? What is her name?”
Dottie answered in bewilderment. “Maye Taylor, but we ain’t seen her in years and don’ know where she is. Last heard, she was workin’ takin’ care o’ some ole lady that was housebound, down in Fayetteville.”
“I thought you was her.” Billy Joe mumbled as his head hung even lower. “I’m sorry Ma’am, I was desperate, and I truly thought you was her.”
“You thought I was who, Mr. Thompson, your wife’s mother?”
Billy Joe shook his head, “Oh no, Ma’am, you ain’t nothin’ like that ole snake, I thought you was Dottie’s sister what runned off, Mayelynn.”
Dorothy just shook her head in amazement, “Oh Billy Joe. How could you be such a fool?”
Billy Joe just shrugged.
“Of course, Mr. Thompson, I’m sure that you understand that you are not the first person to claim to be my relative s, expecting to get some money, nor will you be the last. It’s just one of the problems that come with being famous.” She nodded toward Derek, who spoke next.
“Mr. Thompson, do you realize that in writing this letter and sending it through the United States Mail, you have committed mail fraud? That combined with your attempt to extort Mrs. Shepard, could put you in jail for a very long time, possibly
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