A Good Read for Adults

Taking the Wrong Road

?Although I had plenty of time left before sundown, I wanted to impress Mama by getting back early. I didn’t want her to lose trust in me, so I drove down those dirt roads as fast as possible. I hit a big bump and ended up in a muddy ditch, causing the car to spin and get stuck. I didn’t remember that big bump coming in. I walked over a mile back to Ms. Queenie’s house. There was no way to call Mama and tell her what had happened because Ms. Queenie did not have a telephone.

Raymond was standing on the front porch when I arrived back.

“What happened to you?”

“My car got stuck.”

Raymond called for the girls to help clean me up. They brought me a towel and a foot tub of water.

He started up the family’s old truck to take me back to my car. Just as we were about to take off, Ms. Queenie came running with a pair of tall, black rubber boots.

“Here, Ray, take these boots. You are going to need them. I am familiar with that old road. These boots belong to Mr. Coot. I don’t think he remembered leaving them here,” She placed the boots on the back of the truck with the other junk. She then stood on the driver’s side, talking as she rested her arms on the truck’s door, and asked, “baby girl, how did you miss that bump on your way here?”

“As I walked back, I realized; I had made a wrong turn.”

“Don’t worry, Paula. Ray will take care of you,” she said, patting him on his shoulder. I felt Ms. Queenie thought the wrong road scheme was planned.

She walked back inside the house as we drove off. At the end of the driveway, Raymond stopped the truck, put it in reverse, and drove back to the house. I thought he had forgotten something. Georgia and Joyce were sitting on the porch. He called them over to the truck and asked, “who in the hell is Mr. Coot?”

Georgia replied, “he works for Mama on the farm and takes her into town sometimes.”

Joyce added, “you want to know the truth. I think he’s her boyfriend because he’s here sometimes when he’s not working or on a rainy day. Mr. Coot always asks her if she needs anything. He brings her stuff from town. He brings us stuff too. Raymond, when you get back, I want to show you the gorgeous high heels shoes he bought us for Christmas last year. We got our very own pair. When he works for Mama, I don’t think she pays him, at least, not with money.”

“What kind of stuff does he bring her from town?”

“He brings her all sorts of things. I know he brings her some liquor. He buys all her clothes. He even bought Mama a beautiful black hat with real diamond trimmings and a real pearl necklace set. I don’t know when she’ll wear those things. Mama never goes anywhere. She only goes to church when there’s a funeral. He bought her a fancy refrigerator and keeps the freezer full of food for us. That new living room set we got; he bought it. Whenever something goes wrong with the house, he fixes it. Ray, I don’t think you have to worry about getting Mama a phone because Mr. Coot said he would have one put in for us. We need another camera.”

“It’s okay, girls, for him to buy her things as long as he’s nice to her. She can wear her hat to the next funeral. Thanks for filling me in. I won’t let Mama know you told me her business. Y’all go on back in the house and don’t eat up all the dinner. I’ll be right back.”

“Ray! Can we go with you and Paula? We want to help you get her car out of the ditch.” Georgia asked with pleading eyes.

“Not this time! You girls go inside and pick out something pretty to wear to the August Meeting tomorrow.”

As we drove along, Raymond said, “You know those aren’t real diamonds on Mama’s hat. They are fake rhinestones. Before I leave, I’ve got to meet Mr. Coot. She needs a phone. I’ve got to keep a check on her more often. Mr. Coot coming around doing all those nice things for her. There’s no telling what he’s up to.”

“She’s a grown woman, you know.”

“I know that. She’s also my Mama. I don’t want her marrying some old lazy, sorry man, and I have to kick his ass for mistreating her.”

“He doesn’t appear to be lazy. Your mama’s house looks good. Besides, the girls like him.”

In my mind, I compared her to Ms. Savannah, but on a different level.

“Every day, I see men living off women,” Raymond shook his head. “They appear to be all this and that until they get with them. Then they turn into Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The same thing goes for my sisters. I don’t want anybody hurting them, either.”

It got quiet. Our eyes met. I gave Raymond a sweet smile. Gently he grabbed me by the chin, moving toward my face as if he were going to place a kiss on my lips. His quick reflexes caused him to align the swirling truck back in position on the road.

“Got to be more careful. If I keep this up, I will need somebody to pull me out of a ditch.”

We made it back to my car. I was more afraid than sad seeing the car stuck in all that mud. I knew Mama would be angry when she saw how I got the car all muddied up. She should understand. What are you supposed to do when traveling down old dirt roads? Daddy will be in my corner. I hoped he’d be home when I arrived. I knew Daddy wouldn’t leave Union Baptist church until he was sure the workers had everything under control for the August Meeting.

Raymond slipped his feet into the tall boots. He tied a rope to the back of the Cadillac. I stood by, watching him pull the car out of the ditch.

“Get farther out of the way. I don’t want you getting those pretty legs wet up again.”

Hearing his concerned, sexy voice made me want him more. He pulled my car to safety, pointing it in the direction I should go. I noticed him rolling the windows down to let in the cool air. My psychology knowledge kicked in, or was it plain old common sense? I knew exactly what he was planning. That was why he wouldn’t let Georgia and Joyce ride back with us.

I was standing at the back of the truck when he slowly walked toward me. I noticed his eyes were keyed in on the ground behind me. He ordered me not to move. Raymond carefully grabbed a shovel off the truck and gently placed his arm on my back, causing me to fall to the ground. He then began to beat the head of a snake. The sneaky snake was dead silent, not curled up but just lying there, waiting to make his move. After he finished killing the snake, he cut the head from the rest of his body. I thought about my dog, Zack. I could have gotten bitten by a snake, as he did.

He raised the headless creature in the air with the shovel, demonstrating his victory. The same way Mama did to the snake that killed Zack. Raymond said it was a long black water moccasin. I was so scared my heart was pounding, my teeth were chattering, and I was shaking fiercely.

“This notorious boy has got to be at least four feet long,” he stated with a single shake of his head and a smirk on his face.

“OOH WEE! He was going to have a feast with your pretty, yellow legs,” Raymond boasted, looking at my legs. “Don’t be afraid, baby. He can’t hurt you now.”

I had never been so scared in my life. I was shaking and trying to talk at the same time. “Thank you, Raymond, for saving my life,” I said with trembling lips as tears rolled from my eyes.

He saw how frightened I was and held me in his arms to calm me down. I felt safe the moment he touched me. He rubbed his hands up and down my back and whispered his sexy voice in my ear, “I won’t let anything hurt you.” Then he picked me up in his arms. The sound of his voice made all my fear disappear entirely.

It Was Perfect?

As he carried me to the Cadillac, the screaming feeling inside became stronger. I rested my head on his shoulder, wanting to stay there forever. When we arrived at the car’s back door, I knew what would happen. I didn’t care. I wanted him to take me to where I had never gone before.