Buddies (9 page)

“My Lordy Ernie, I didn’t thank that you ever forgot nothin’. Do you mean to tell me that you don’t remember me a-goin an’ astin’ Banker Tolbert why him an’ Miss Rene went an’ buried that baby out in them woods? I just don’t know how you could forgit sech a thang myself.”

“Joey Frank Cooper, that ain’t nothin’, an’ I wudn’t been skeered to a-done a little thang like that. Heck, if Banker Tolbert wuz alive today, I’d march myself right to that bank, an’ I’d ast him why he buried that baby in them woods? Doin’ sech wudn’t skeer me a bit.”

“Well, Miss Rene ain’t dead, so why don’t you just march yoreself to the bank an’ ast her why they buried the baby in the woods since yore so brave, or do you have chicken blood a-runnin’ through them veins of yores?”

Both the boys had rather be accused of horse stealing than be accused of having such cowardice running through their veins. Ernie spit out a long stream of tobacco juice, threw back his shoulders and said, “Well, Joey Frank Cooper, I’ll have you know that I ain’t got sech stuff in these here veins of mine. I’ll go an’ ast Miss Rene why her an’ Banker Tolbert went an’ buried that baby in them woods, an’ I’ll go right now. I ain’t a-skeered to do sech.”

“Oh, yore just sayin’ sech. You won’t go ast Miss Rene, an’ you know dang well that you won’t.”

“I’ll bet you a doller that I will.”

“You ain’t gotta doller.”

“Well, I’ll have one when Pa sells the cotton crop, thank you. I’ll have you to know that I’ll have five of’m then. Come on, I’ll go ast her. I’ll show you that I’ll do sech. I ain’t a-skeered to.”

“You ain’t a-foolin’, Ernie?” Joey Frank’s voice was on the mellow side now.

“Heck, no, I ain’t a-foolin’. You can go with me an’ see if I won’t.”

“Well, I reckin it wudn’t be fair if I didn’t go with you ‘cause you went with me when I asted Banker Tolbert.”

“Well, don’t you commence a-feelin’ that you gotta go with me just ‘cause I went with you to ast Banker Tolbert. You can go or not go; it don’t matter to me. I ain’t a-skeered to face Miss Rene all by myself.”

Joey Frank felt like kicking himself. He wished he had never flown off the handle and mentioned the name Tolbert andespecially the words “chicken blood.” He would like to try and talk Ernie out of going to Ruby Creek, but he knew if he attempted, it would only make him more determined.

There was no backing down for Ernie Brown. Joey Frank knew him well enough to know there was nothing that could stand in his way now, to keep him from going to Ruby Creek. He had to prove that he wasn’t frightened to ask Rene Tolbert the question. Joey Frank didn’t want to go to Ruby Creek; he had rather take a beating first. Rene Tolbert could be just as mean as her late husband could, or maybe worse. There was no telling what she might try to do to Ernie and him, when she learned they knew about the baby being buried in the woods.

At this moment Joey Frank wished he hated Ernie, and didn’t care if he went to Ruby Creek all by himself to face Miss Rene and the consequences that might follow. He wished that he didn’t care that they had always stuck together through everything. Whether it was good or bad, and neither of them had ever broken that bond. Joey Frank wanted the nerve to yell at Ernie right now and tell him to go on to Ruby Creek, that he didn’t care what happened to him. His wishful thinking came to an end when his buddy picked up his fishing pole, lunch pail and went walking away without a word. Joey Frank couldn’t help but say, “Wait for me, Ernie; I’m gonna go with you.”

When the boys arrived at the bank, Miss Rene wasn’t in the places she normally could be seen working. She was usually with the tellers or just standing around being friendly, chatting with the customers.

Joey Frank was relieved not to see her there. He felt sure Ernie would want to leave now and forget about the whole silly mess of proving he was so brave.

Ernie was stubborn as a wild mule, and didn’t give up easily. Joey Frank’s relief was short-lived when Ernie walked away, went over to a teller and asked where he might find Miss Rene. The teller told him that Miss Rene was probably at her home where she spent most of her time since her husband’s death.

Ernie thanked the gentleman and went over to Joey Frank, waiting for him near the door. He told Joey Frank what the teller had said, and they both exited the bank.

Joey Frank didn’t like the idea of their going to Rene Tolbert’s home. He told Ernie it would be foolish to go there to ask her about the baby. Ernie said he was going, and he saw nothing foolish about doing it. He said there wouldn’t be any difference in asking her about the baby at her home or anyplace else. Joey Frank replied, “I’ve heard my Pa say before, that you wuz s’pose to show respect for folks that wuz a-mournin’. We don’t need to go over there an’ bother her, while she’s a-doin’ sech.”

“Heck, she oughta be over that stuff by now. When my Gran’ma died, my Gran’pa got over it in no time. He wuz back at work, takin’ warts off folks in less’n a week; takin’m off the women folks too; I’m here to tell you.”

The boys walked down Main Street toward the Tolbert home, which was only a short distance from the bank. Everyone knew who lived in the big white two-story house, with its massive columns reaching to the balcony. The house was the most spacious and expensive home in Ruby Creek, having enough space that three families could easily live there and not be overcrowded.

It was twenty years earlier when George Tolbert and his wife Rene built their home. The couple was traveling around the country seeking a suitable place in a warmer climate to gratify the desire of the dissatisfied Miss Rene. Both natives of Minnesota and of great wealth, the couple fell in love with Ruby Creek, Georgia. That same year in 1892, the couple built the bank on Main Street that had furnished many loans to further the little town’s expansion. The extension of credit relieved the painof many striving farmers, whom to this day lauded their name to the fullest extent as being the perfect couple.

When the boys arrived in front of the Tolbert home, which sat only a few feet from the street, Joey Frank was amazed at what he saw. He said, “Ernie, look over yonder. They got Banker Tolbert’s ole tore up surrey out there with a big re-ward poster on it. Reckin why they went an’ done sech?”

“Wantin’ folks to keep on a-thankin that somebody killed the ole fool; that’s why they done sech.”

“Ernie, I thank that we oughta git out from here right now. I don’t like it a bit, what we’re a-fixin’ to do. I ain’t never liked this big ole house, an’ ever’time I pass it, I go an’ says to myself that it looks like it might have ghosts roamin’ around in it.”

“Well, if it didn’t have’m when you wuz a-passin by them times an’ sayin’ sech to yoreself, then I guess it’s got one in it now for shore.”

“You talkin’ about Banker Tolbert’s Ghost?”

“Yeah, but don’t commence a-gittin’ all skeered up ‘cause ghosts don’t show up in the daytime. They just come out at night.”

“Are you shore?”

“Yeah, I’m shore. Now put yore stuff down here with mine, an’ hush up about sech an’ come on.”

The boys stepped upon the brick walk that was lined with red and white petunias. They walked through the well-kept yard with its big magnolia trees loaded with sweet smelling-blossoms. As they approached the porch, a large squirrel scurried across the banister and leaped over to a nearby oak tree covered with ivy. As he scrambled toward the top, his sharp claws tore away some of the leaves from the trailing vines. Before the leaves had time to fall to the ground, a light breeze carried them over to rest at the end of the immaculate porch.

The boys had never before set foot on a porch this big and nice. The floor was built with tongue-and-groove lumber that made it free of any cracks. It was painted a pale gray that matched the shutters on the windows. The surface was so smooth that a person would be comfortable as he walked on this beauty in his bear feet. One could run, slide, and jump from one side of the big porch to the other and never have to worry about picking up “a mean ole splinter” in one’s heel!

The boys went up the steps, and side-by-side they walked slowly toward the door of the big house. Suddenly Ernie stopped, looked at Joey Frank and in a loud whisper, he asked, “What’s wrong with you? What’cha pickin’ up yore feet so high for?”

“’Cause the tacks are workin’ outta the soles of these shoes of yores, an’ I’m afraid I’ll skin up the porch. Miss Rene might not like sech doin’s.”

“Well, you look down-right crazy doin’ sech. Why didn’t you take a rock an’ knock the dang thangs back-in before we got here?”

“’Cause I didn’t thank of sech, that’s why.”

Ernie shook his head in disgust at Joey Frank and urged him to proceed. When they came to the front door, Joey Frank looked back at where he had walked across the shiny porch. He was glad to see that he hadn’t left any scratches that Miss Rene might resent. He then looked at Ernie and whispered for him to do something with the wad of tobacco in his mouth. Ernie obeyed, not because he wanted to, but only to satisfy Joey Frank. He rolled the wad around in his mouth and fixed it so it wouldn’t be noticed; then asked, “Are you ready now?”

Joey Frank nodded accordingly, then Ernie knocked on the door. In a few moments an attractive dark-haired young ladyopened the door. Ernie spoke politely, introducing himself and Joey Frank, “Howdy, Ma’am, my name is Ernie Brown, an’ this here fella with me is my buddy Joey Frank Cooper.”

The pretty lady smiled, as Ernie went on to state his business there. “Ma’am, if it won’t be no bother to her, I would like to speak with Miss Rene.”

“I’m sorry, but Mother isn’t in at the moment,” the young lady replied. “She went out to visit my father, but she shouldn’t be gone very long. Would you like to come in a wait?”

Joey Frank wanted to run as he thought about what he had just heard. The young lady had led him to believe that Banker Tolbert, her father, was still alive, and that they had buried the wrong fellow at the church. The thought came to him that maybe the banker had only gotten bummed up somewhat in the surrey accident. He was probably recuperating at Doctor Black’s clinic and Miss Rene had gone there to visit him. Ernie Brown was thinking likewise and wasn’t feeling so brave right now either. He forgot his manners, letting the wad of tobacco slip to his jaw, and it stuck out like a baseball.

As long as Joey Frank had known Ernie, he had never in his life, seen him try as hard to say what he wanted to say. Ernie usually spoke quickly, to say what he wanted to say. Now he was having an awful time as he was confused; trying to talk to the young lady, “Uh scuse me, ma’am. You said uh–Miss Rene was out uh, a-visitin’ yore father. If Miss Rene is yore fa—I mean yore Mother, then Banker Tolbert must be yore Pa. Uh, uh, I heard that he had, uh, passed on.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” the young lady apologized. “I suppose I should have explained myself. Things have been very perplexing lately. Yes, my Father has passed away, but my Mother goes to his grave everyday. Some days she will go there, three and four times. She misses him so very much.”

Joey Frank felt better now that the young lady had made it clear about Miss Rene’s visit. He let out a sigh of relief, and to himself, thanked the Lord it was Banker Tolbert after all and not some other fellow put to rest back at the church.

Ernie was relieved, too. The wad of tobacco in his mouth was now rolled back into its hiding place. He spoke calmly, with no “uhs”, when he said to the young lady, “Ma’am, I thank you for yore time, an’ we’ll be on our way now. We’ll come back some other time to see Miss Rene.”

“You’re welcome to come in and wait if you would like to. Mother should be here anytime now.”

Ernie looked at Joey Frank standing quietly beside him and wondered what he might be thinking. Could he be thinking that he had changed his mind on facing Rene Tolbert and wasn’t going to accept the gracious lady’s offer to go inside and wait for her? If that was what he was thinking, he was dead wrong. He meant Joey Frank Cooper wasn’t going to get another chance to throw in his face that he had “chicken blood in his veins”.

Ernie looked at the young lady and said, “Thank you, ma’am, I reckin we can come in an’ wait, if we won’t be no burden to you.”

“It’s no bother; please come on in,” she replied.

The nice lady stepped aside for the boys to come in. She showed them to a large well-furnished living room, like they had never seen before. A large brass chandelier hung from the high ceiling overlooking a beautiful oriental rug that lay spread over a portion of the shiny stained wood floor. None of the furnishings in the huge room were homemade as the boys were used to. They were all beautifully factory built, probably from England or France, both of them were thinking. Miss Lester had told her students at school, the finest things made were from those two countries.

Joey Frank was thinking the colorful designed fabric couch looked too nice for two country boys with soiled breeches to sit themselves down on. He was going to wait to see what Ernie did. If Ernie saw fit to sit down on the lovely sofa, he would sit down also.

“Please make yourselves comfortable,” the courteous young lady smiled and said.

Ernie went over, took a seat on the beautiful couch, while Joey Frank followed to sit down beside him. The pretty lady asked, “Would you boys care for a glass of lemonade while you’re waiting?”

“Thank you, ma’am, we’ll take a glass, if you got it to spare,” Ernie spoke up.

“Sure, I’ll be back in a moment,” She said as she left theroom.

The boys looked around at the many porcelain figurines in the spacious room. Joey Frank particularly admired a statuette of a white horse reared up on it back legs. He would like to go over to touch its smooth surface, but he wouldn’t dare, fearing that it wouldn’t be mannerly.

When finally he stopped looking at the beautiful object, he turned his head and looked toward the fireplace. Above the mantel there was a large portrait of Banker Tolbert that made him, want to jump up and run. He nudged Ernie with his elbow and whispered for him to look up over the fireplace. Ernie looked at the big portrait of the banker that he hadn’t noticed previously. He whispered, “It looks just like’m, don’t it?”