22
Re-Introduction

As we pulled into what appeared to be an excessively large parking lot that surrounded a small concrete block structure, Tammy recognized two females approaching the entrance. My observant cousin motioned at the larger woman who was first through the door. “You r’member her?” She asked.

I responded, while trying to find a parking space, “No, didn’t get a good look. I’m the one behind the wheel, remember?”

As the female turned to face the girl directly behind her, Tammy stated, “When ya sees her, ya’ll gone know.”

I was completely caught off guard at the sight of someone I’d known before leaving Georgia years ago, “My goodness. Is that…?”

“Ya gots it,” Tammy said, “Queen Bee in the flesh… Yo prec’ous ex, Kimb’ly Will’ams”

“What the hell happened to her?” I gasped. “She used to be two winks from perfect.”

There was no sympathy in Tammy’s voice. “That what birth’n chillens do if’n ya ain’t care ‘nough fo yo’self to take care o’ yo body.”

“She’s got children?” I asked.

My cousin seemed rather pleased to update, “Three of ‘em the past two years; set o’ twins…’an a l’il girl, gotta be ‘bout eight or nine months by now.”

I blurted out, without thinking, “Damn, she done got big as a barn.”

Kimberly and her friend were still in the foyer when Tammy and I entered the lounge through the glass door. The friend obviously, recognized me though I didn’t know her.

“Well, hey stranger. Kim, look what the buzzards dropped at the city limits,” she said.

“Oh my gosh! Nancy, can you believe your eyes? If it ain’t the walkin dead!” Kimberly acknowledged.

I simply nodded in recognition while attempting to pass between them and the wall. “Ladies,” I said.

Both Kimberly and Nancy immediately peered at Tammy and simultaneously questioned, “And who might this lucky lady be?”

I opened my mouth to answer but Tammy cut in, “A ver’y good friend o’ his.”

Kimberly responded, “Well, pardon my frankness, but you don’t sound like no Northerner I done e’er heard.” Before directing her attention back to me, “Willie, we’s all told you went up to New York or someplace like that.”

I began to explain, “You’re right about that part, but only half right in the assumption that Tammy’s my girl. She is with me, but actually lives here…in the county. She stays several miles outside of town.”

“I been what they calls, homeschooled,” Tammy interjected.

“That’s the reason you don’t look familiar,” Kimberly said. “This place ain’t so big I don’t know e’rybody in town.”

“Yeah, ‘an e’rybody knows you, from what I hears,” Tammy responded.

Nancy extended a hand, simply disregarding her friend’s inquiry, summoning Kimberly’s attention to the far corner of the lounge. “Well it was certainly nice to see you agin, Willie. We gotta be going,” she said.

The women hurried toward a table where two gentlemen were seated. “You and yo…friend…have a good time,” Kimberly called back.

“Nice to see you too, ladies,” I said.

“Now, ain’t you glad ya ain’t stay tied up wit that?” Tammy asked.

I commented in defense of my ego, already poised for the attack I knew was coming as she watched them cross the small opening on their way to meet the guys. “Well, when I was with her, she didn’t look like that,” I said.

“Ain’t make no ne’er mind,” Tammy replied. “If’n ya was still wit her, that what she look like now….’an ya’d be catch’n hell.”

“You’re going to be catching hell if…” I started.

“If what?” Tammy presssed.

“Never mind, it was just a thought,” I said.

“Well, if’n it worth thank’n, it gotta be worth say’n,” she urged.

I attempted to dismiss the abandoned remark, “No, I shouldn’t.”

My cousin continued to prod, “Maybe I’s wont’n ya to.”

Realizing where the conversation could be headed, I said, “That’s part of the problem.”

“What pro’lem?” she continued.

“I might want to as well.” I tried to withdraw and steer clear of the temptation, “Maybe this would be a good time to change the subject, talk about something a little less intrusive.”

“Intr-u-sive?” Tammy questioned.

“It means…never mind,” I dismissed again, before reasoning, “I just think we’d better find another topic of discussion.”

She continued in pursuit of the issue, “What’s the mat’er? Ya ain’t skerd is ya?”

As realization of the fact she was intentionally tempting me registered, I asked, “Scared of what?”

“Of li’l ole in’ocent me?” Tammy poked.

“Something tells me you aren’t as innocent as you want people to believe,” I challenged.

With the look of a chesshire cat, she responded, “I knows ya’d likes to know.”

“Like I said, this would be a good time to change the subject,” I concluded.

Reluctantly, “Well, if’n we’s gotta,” she agreed.

“Yes, we better,” I insisted. “Before we get too far gone.”

She continued playing, “Where’s we go’n?”

Tammy was being down right mischievous by this point. I knew the edge was a little closer than I was comfortable walking. There was a sneaky suspicion she had intentionally played the role to get me off from the house where we’d be alone. Sneaky suspicion, hell, I thought, You know damn well that’s what you were hoping for all along. Then, I spoke aloud and engaged in an all-out debate with myself. In a tone more stern than I realized, I said, “Now, all that isn’t any of your damn business.”

From behind a mask of perplexity, “What all ain’t my bidness?” Tammy questioned. “I’s jest say’n how good it is to be out wit ya.”

“Doesn’t matter. I was someplace else,” I offered.

“Where, back in New Yurk City?” she questioned. “I knows ya prob’ly gots someb’dy there… One o’ them gorg’ous model types, I bet. I means, who can blame ‘em? It won’t make no sense none a’tall ta leave a good cut o’ meat on the chopp’n block….’an you’s a sirlo’n in my book.”

I was desperately trying to avoid yielding to the temptation and scratching that itch my cousin had. It was one thing to reminisce about days long gone and the adolescent things we did but, at our ages now, foolish choices are often accompanied by dire consequences.

“Okay Tammy, that’s enough. I think maybe it’s time we get back. Mom and Dad will wonder what happened to us,” I said.

She addressed my fictitious concern, “Well, they knows I’s out wit ya,” she said. “I ain’t gone ne’er be much mo safe than what I is now.”

I continued to debate with myself: If they know like I know, we’d all realize you’re not all that safe…not as safe as you’d want to believe.

“We can’t stay jest a li’l while longer?” Tammy pleaded. “I ain’t ev’n had my first glass. Ya knows, ladies drank fo free ‘til one o’clock in da aft’rnoon on Sundays.”

“Well, you could probably finish the drink a lot faster if you actually ordered one. All this time we’ve been sitting here jawing, you could’ve finished one for you and me both,” I said.

“What, ya in a hur’y to git back out to the house?” she asked. “Ya got someth’n in mind ta do?”

I reconsidered, and suggested while standing to my feet, “On second thought, I guess it wouldn’t hurt for us to stick around a little longer. Get me one of those, will you?”

Tammy stated, “Well, they brangs ‘em only one at the time…’an they’s fo the ladies,” before inquiring, “Where’s ya go’n?”

She was so attractive when pursing her lips in apparent disappointment. My mind traveled a thousand miles to places I knew it shouldn’t as I placed a ten-dollar bill on the table at my seat. “To the men’s room…do you mind?”

She half-jokingly offered, “Not a’tall; ya need some help?”

Logical reasoning pushed the words of my libido aside just before they jumped from already parted lips and I simply laughed, turning and walking away from the table. “No, I think it’s manageable. Besides, you don’t have any business lifting such heavy objects,” I said.

Several minutes later, I returned from the bathroom to notice one fellow sitting in my seat which he had moved within inches of Tammy’s. There was another man standing to the left of him. They both looked like hungry hounds sneaking up on an unsuspecting rabbit.

I announced approaching the table, “Excuse me, fellas.”

Tammy squealed as she pointed in my direction, “That’s him right yonder,” she said. “That’s my man. Will, this Todd ‘an stand’n up is Ter’y…they’s brothers.”

“What’s up?” I nodded. “Mind if I get back to my chair and my drink?”

In the process of standing, “Not a’tall,” Todd said. “We’s jest keepin ya lady comp’ny. Someb’dy look good as dis li’l filly gots no bidness bein left by theyself.”

“Actually, she’s not…” I felt a sharp pain in my leg, “Ouch! What the hell…?” When I cut my eyes at Tammy the look on her face told me I’d get worse than that if I didn’t play along. “She’s actually not by herself with guys like the two of you around,” I said.

As he hoisted his pants, “Well, we’s jest holdin ya place man,” Todd said. “So nobody come ‘an desturb da li’l lady.”

Suddenly, I was getting an uneasy feeling, “And I appreciate that…more than you realize.”

“What he say’n is,” Tammy interjected, “I’s got this thang ‘bout be’n left by m’self fo more ‘n a few minutes. But he back now…I be’s a’ight.”

“Okay sweetness, but if ya thanks ya might…” Todd began to insist.

At first, the situation was a bit humorous, but now it was borderline disrespectful. Never mind who the girl is; they don’t know if she’s my girlfriend, my wife, or my daughter, I was thinking to myself. Standing back to my feet, I said, “All right boy scouts, the babysitting job’s over. She already told you; the two of you can ease on up and go find somebody else to play with.”

Terry, the larger of the two, finally spoke up, “Seem ta me the li’l fella gots a pro’lem wit you ‘n me bro. He ain’t too pleased wit us protect’n this li’l pearl o’ his.”

Todd nodded in agreement as he moved to a position opposite Terry while I noticed he’d grabbed a pool stick. Sensing what was about to transpire, I moved slightly to my left and turned to the point that they were both more to the front of me than one in front and the other behind but Tammy was still oblivious to the storm brewing.

“Baby, ya mind run’n o’er ‘an git’n me ‘nother drank whiles ya up? Jest car’y my glass ‘an tell Hal b’hind the bar I’s want’n ‘nother fuzzy navel...he be know’n who it fo,” she asked.

I said without taking my eyes off the brothers, “Maybe you should go over and get it yourself.”

Her words trailed off as she began to realize what was happening, “Aaww baby, I thought ya said t’night gone…be…my…night.” She eased through the already small space separating Terry and me, “On sec’nd thought, maybe I’s be bet’er to go ‘an sees Hal fo myself. Want me to git someth’n fo ya h-o-n…? Guess not.”

Todd stepped closer, “Maybe I should jest go help the li’l lady wit huh drank.”

I sidestepped and slid into his path before suggesting, “Maybe she doesn’t need your help.”

“Now see Terry, that right there what done hap’ned ta all da good colored folk in da South. Dey takes a trip to da city ‘an next thang ya knows, dey comes back thankin dey good as us wit one o’ our women hangin off dey arm.”

It was then that the whole situation fell into perspective. The chivalrous redneck brothers had made the same incorrect assumption about Tammy as was most often the case with strangers who assumed she was Caucasian. As I wondered whether Tammy had been close enough to hear Todd’s feeble attempt at identifying what he felt was a problem, the question was answered.

Suddenly, Tammy rested her hand back on my shoulder. “Ex-cuse me! What did ya jest say, mister? I have ya know they’s folk in my fam’ly blacker ‘n yo belt! Hell, if’n most o’ ya ofay Whites from the South dig far ‘nough thru the roots o’ them fam’ly trees, I’m sho they’ll be some com’on sprouts in both our o’chards.”

I spoke without allowing my attention to be taken off the two sorry excuses for men standing in front of me. “Tammy, calm down. Nothing you say at this point is going to make a bit of difference. Especially now that they’re embarrassed to know you’re not one of them,” I said.

From behind me, Tammy snapped, “Heck, ‘an I thanks the Lord I ain’t! I’s better ‘n the both o’ dem put t’gether.”

Just then Todd, the closer of the two, stretched out his hand to grab at Tammy over my right shoulder. “Why ya li’l bitch! I oughtta…”

“The worst thang ya can e’er do,” my old man used to always say, “Is let someb’dy git c’ntrol o’ yo space.” I reached across with my left hand to swat Todd’s arm while cocking and clocking him with a good stiff right. He fell back like a sack of mud.

A lady who looked too young to be dating yelled, “Oh my goodness!”

The guy across the table clutched his date’s purse to keep it from falling to the floor and exclaimed, “Fight…fight!”

From the corner of my eye, I could make out a large form rushing in the general direction of where I now stood. I dipped at the waist to avoid Terry’s wild swing and simultaneously scooped the pool cue Todd never had an opportunity to use from the floor near where he’d fallen. As I stood erect, Terry caught me in a most unaffectionate bear hug with arms that looked like small saplings. The pool stick flopped to the concrete floor. His death grip had me fighting to maintain consciousness when I saw what amounted to nothing more than a blur over his left shoulder. Suddenly, my lungs filled with air again and the room slowly stopped spinning. When I finally regained focus, Tammy was already at the table gathering our things while still clenching the pool cue transformed into a battering ram she’d used to get Terry’s attention.

“Tammy…you all right?” I asked.

“I’s do’n bet’er ‘n yo butt,” she said before commanding, “Let’s git outta this place ‘fore somebody gits it in they head we done took a’vantage o’ the fact these two’s so stupid. I got the keys. I’ll drive.”

“Just one second,” I cautioned. “You did good to clock that clown over the head, but let’s not get carried away, now.”

“Ya ain’t in no shape ta drive,” she said.

“I’m fine,” I debated.

Given her response, my cousin seemed to have gotten a grip on more than just the pool stick. “No…ya ain’t…This no time to fuss ‘bout it. We gotta go…now!”

About then, I noticed the bartender and several of the regular patrons gearing up for a frontal attack. As they gathered at one end of the bar, Tammy pulled me in the opposite direction toward the exit. “Willie, this def’nitely ain’t no time to be try’n to prove yo manhood. We gots ta git outta here b’fore the real trouble show up!” Tammy warned.

One of the patrons questioned, “Did somebody call da po-lice?”

Another shouted, “Block da doe. Don’t let ‘em git out!”

Tammy was practically dragging me to the door while I was more concerned about the beer we’d left behind. “You’re leaving the drinks,” I protested.

“Ya bet’er git movin or I’mma leave yo ass too!” She shouted. “Them beers ain’t gone save yo ass…’an I ain’t wait’n fo ya.”

As my cousin and I came around the corner in the area leading to the exit, it was as if someone had constructed a wall behind us after we’d entered the building. Only this wall was wearing Wrangler jeans and boots. Suddenly the man’s eyes showed as bright as the headlights on a half-ton Chevy pick-up truck and he appeared to be looking right past me with people in his general vicinity screaming and running for cover.

The woman collecting money at the door shouted, “Look out!”

One of the bouncers yelled, “Dis bitch done gone crazy!”

When I paused long enough to glance to my left I almost broke to run my damn self. Tammy was there waving a stainless piece of iron that bore a strange resemblance to a .380 cal. handgun I’d once owned.

“What the hell are you doing?” I coughed. “Never mind, I see what you’re doing. The question is, where in hell did you get that thing? Do Mom and Dad know you’ve got that?”

She ordered, “Will, this ain’t e’xactly no time to play twenty fuckin questions! Now git yo ass out that doe!”

Without another word, I dashed out the exit trying to keep Tammy from running me over. We turned the corner and hurriedly scampered to the Impala, crouching down in the seat as several police cars made their way into the lot.

Tammy urged, reaching for the keys, “We gotta gets ta go’n!”

While still clutching her hand on the ignition key to prevent the car from starting, I said, “Hold on, they don’t know we’re in here. Nobody in the place knows what we’re driving and if we move now, that would be reason enough for the police to stop us,” I explained. “Besides, with the tint on the windows, they can’t see inside anyway…long as you hold still.”

“Sound like ya done this b’fore,” Tammy discerned.

“I read something about a situation like this in a book once,” I dismissed.

While sucking her teeth, “Yeah, right,” she remarked, “That yo story ‘an ya stick’n to it, huh?”

“Yep, something like that,” I dismissed. Checking to be sure the coast was clear before directing her to start the car, I commented, “Now, we can go.”

“Where we’s off to?” Tammy asked.

“You’re the one who wanted to drive,” I said. “Any place has to be better than being caught here. Now let’s move!”

She posed again, in an elevated tone, “But where we’s go’n?”

“Someplace other than here, if you’re as smart as you pretend to be!” I said.

She scowled, while simultaneously slapping me on the shoulder, “Hey! What the hell that’s s’pose to mean?”

I finally demanded with a degree of intensity, “It means drive the damn car Tammy!”

Startled, she slammed down on the gas and the Impala’s rear tires began singing a high-pitched tune that would carry us out the parking lot and onto the main street. Tammy drove straight to the country without ever looking in my direction for the entire ride home. Except for the melodious taunting of Coltrane resuming his duties from inside the CD player, it was like sitting beside granny in church every Sunday morning…without a sound.

I directed Tammy, as she arrived at the house, “You can pull up on the left…around the pump house to the back.”

“Well, Uncle Ed don’t take too kindly to folk park’n back o’ the house,” she informed.

“How so? His truck was just back there yesterday,” I said. “I can park outside my room window to remove things from the car…and put all the shit back that you just threw all over the place.”

While simultaneously opening the driver’s door, “That’s ‘cause he say it’s his house, his truck…’an his grass,” Tammy concluded, exiting the car and leaving the engine idling, “Ya can moves it ‘round there yo’self if’n ya wants; I’s done,” she stated.

Without looking at her, I simply eased over behind the wheel, adjusted the volume on the sound while repositioning the seat, and dropped the car into Drive to park it outside my bedroom window.