Justification For Killing (17 page)

“
Sorry Clem, no I did not
escape from a mental sanitarium. I was out in the backcountry, and
my vehicle got caught up on a... a... well, just say it stopped
working. That’s why I am walking. Please, what about the time, date
and place?”

“
Well Mister
Doess...”

“
Same with my Papa Clem,
he was the Mister of my family too, John is fine for
me.”

“
Well... John I can’t help
you with the time. I don’t own me a watch. I reckon time by the
sun.” Leaning over he looked at the sky through the truck’s cracked
windshield with its accumulation of splattered bugs and dirt, “It’s
a couple hours afore sundown, so I’m a thinkin’ it’s ‘round three
o’clock. Oh yeah John, yer about a couple miles out of
Celina.”

“
Celina,” the Captain
asked cautiously, “Tex... Tex... Texas?”

“
Why shore Texas, where’d
you think you wuz?”

Looking at Clem in
bewilderment Captain Scarburg could offer no reply.

Clem continued to study
the sky - he noticed a large black thunderhead developing off
toward the southwestern horizon. “Storms a brewin’, you got a place
to put yer head tonight John?”

“
No Clem that’s why I was
trying to get to Dallas before dark.”

“
Well you ain’t goin’ to
make it before that there storm gits here. Yer comin’ home with me.
You can git to Dallas tomarrey.”

‘
Tomar... tomar... oh...
tomorrow.... thanks Clem, I believe I’ll take you up on the
invitation, but you never did tell me the day and year.”

“
Now John I ain’t got me
no watch like I said, but I do got me a calender. They give’em out
free at the drugstore, you know. Today is Wensdee.”

“
Wednesday? Are you sure
Clem? What is the date”?

“
Shore nuff I’m sure... we
go to prayer meetin’ on Wensdee nite and tonites the nite. The day
of the month is the 20th in the year nineteen hundred and sixty
three.”

“
By-ned,” the Captain said
softly to himself, “someone put twenty in the guidance computer
instead of twenty-two. That could not have been by accident - they
did this on purpose. But, right now it’s not all bad. Now I’ve got
nearly two days before my rendezvous on that rooftop in Dallas...
that’s good.”

“
John what in the heck ere
you goin’ on about?”

“
Nothing Clem, nothing,
just thinking out loud about something that happened back on my
job.”

“
What kinda job you got
John?”

“
Well, uh, I guess you
could call me a... a... uh... uh... a repairman – yeah a repairman.
Right now I’m trying to fix some things.”

“
Well laws-a-mighty! I’m a
fixer too. Mostly frigerdares, stoves, well pumps, cars sometimes,
and thangs like that. Why shucks, I even worked on me one of them
oil well pumps one time, I guess I’m a repair man too, but people
call me mostly a handyman and theys right John, I shore am handy.
Oh, and yeah, on the weekends I sometimes work for the Reverend
Junior Pickett with weddins’. You know, he got hisself one of them
big ole long, black, Cadilack cars, and I drive it fer
him.”

“
So... you’re a handyman,
limousine driver? Nice to meet you Clem.”

“
Well here’s my turning
off road we’ll be to my place in a couple of minutes
John.”

The time was 5:05 p.m.,
Wednesday November 20, 1963.

THE PONDEROSA

A similar type of dusty,
dirt road that had led from the farmer’s house to the main road was
now taking Captain Scarburg from the main road to Clem’s place. It
was beginning to rain. Every second or two the flash of a jagged
bolt of lightning could be seen streaking across the threatening
sky followed closely by the crashing peal of thunder. The dust and
dirt of the road quickly became red, Texas mud. The Captain kept
thinking how lucky he was that Clem happened by and had given him a
ride, but judging from the looks of the old Ford wrecker, and Clem
himself, the Captain cringed when he thought of Clem’s house, and
what it must look like; however, sleeping in a run-down dump of a
house was better than huddling up against a tree on the side of the
road in this approaching storm.

After a couple of miles,
the road rounded a large stand of Leyland Cypress intermingled with
an abundance of Tulip Poplars and one magnificent hundred year old
Texas Red Oak tree. Looking past the beautiful dark green branches
of the Leylands Clem’s place finally came into view. The rain was
coming down in buckets and the wind caused Clem difficulty keeping
the truck on the narrow road.

“
Thar she is John my
Ponderosa. Love Hoss, Little Joe, Adam and Pa. Never miss ‘em.
Watch ‘em ever Mondee nite at seven o’clock.”

It had been a long
time since the Captain had watched the TV show
Bonanza
, but he responded, “I see
Clem you’re a fan of the Cartwrights, so you have a television?
What about a telephone?”

‘
Sure
John, we got’em both. I shore would like me one of them new color
RCAs tho’. Cousin Billy Bobs got one, and he sez
‘Bonanza’
looks like a
rainbow, all in color - all I gots me is a black and white Philco.
And my tellephone is a eight party line. Sometimes, dadburn, them
ole wimmen jest won’t git off the line, so I can use
it!”

“
Who would you want to
call Clem?”

“
Well nobody John - I
ain’t got me nobody to call to, but I jest sure nuff like to listen
to it buzz when you stick it up to yer ear. You can’t hear it if’en
them ole hens won’t hush talkin’ and git off of the
line.”

They slipped and slid
through the muck and mire of the mud as they neared the house. As
the truck passed the stand of cypress and hardwood trees the
Captain saw an astonishing sight. There must be something wrong
with his eyes, he thought. Surely this wasn’t Clem’s place, but it
was, and he was now plainly looking at Clem’s Ponderosa - the
ramshackle, dilapidated house he imagined Clem to live in was...
was... well it was quite charming. It was a quaint, wood and brick,
ranch style house with a well-manicured yard surrounded by a white
picket fence. Ornamental bushes and shrubs were placed in a
pleasing arrangement all around the exterior. The roof was in
perfect repair, the widows were shuttered, and the paint on the
house looked fresh. Scattered around the front, sides and back were
a number of large, full-grown, water oaks complimenting the house.
Clem’s Ponderosa looked as if it belonged in the suburbs back home.
It was very lovely.

“
The Ponderosa looks like
a fine place Clem, but you do not strike me as the homebody, green
thumb, type person.”

“
Dadburn
you got me pegged John, it’s my danged ole sister Penelope. She’s
all the time, ‘
Come here Clem, dig me uh
hole, come here Clem, trim me that there bush, come here Clem,
water them flairs.
’

“
Flairs? Flairs
Clem?”

“
You know them purty
colored plants that smell good. Fer goodness sakes where’d you come
from John?”

“
Oh, yes ‘flairs’, I see
Clem,” the Captain replied, smiling as he thought of Penelope’s
flowers.

“
I’m telling you John it’s
enough to make a man think real serrius ‘bout gettin’ married. You
ain’t married ere you John?”

“
Yes I am Clem - in fact,
I have a son Robert and five grown grand -children - Forrest, Bud,
Lou, Gabrielle and Olive. Bud, Lou and Gabrielle, Gabby as we call
her, are triplets. Well I’m sorry I only have four living. Bud got
killed in a war.”

“
Sorry John bout your
Bud... but the others... theys sound real nice - Penelope’s like
me, she wern’t the marryin’ kind neither. Nobody would put up with
all that yardy flairs and bush nonsense of hers.”

Parking the truck Clem
turned to John, “Come on John git yourself out and lets git into
the Ponderosa afore we drown, come on Girl... I mean, come on
Lady.” Jumping from the truck Lady took her place beside the
Captain as they ran through the rain up the walkway to the
porch.

On entering Clem’s house,
Captain Scarburg was as surprised with the inside as he was the
outside. Everything was neat, clean and arranged in an attractive
manner and style. Before the Captain could make a remark Clem
hollered, “Penelope git yerself in here we got company.”

Coming through the
door from the kitchen was an attractive looking woman he guessed to
be in her mid-twenties. John thought,
a
dab of make-up and a trip to the beauty salon she could be quite
beautiful
. She was drying her hands on a
delicately, embroidered white apron she wore. “Penelope this here’s
John. He got broke down, and the rain caught ’em. I offered him our
place to stay the night.” Motioning with his finger he said, “John
this here’s Penelope.”

“
Nice to meet you Miss...
uh, Mrs... Penelope. Sorry, Clem never told me his last name... but
my name is John... uh... Doe... uh... Doess... John
Doess.”

“
I’m sorry Mr. Doess...”
she began to say as Grandpa interrupted.

“
No, just John... John is
fine.”

“
I’m sorry John I’m
Penelope, Miss Penelope Ruby. You have already met my brother
Clemson.”

The Captain noticed the
frown on Clem’s face at the mention of ‘Clemson’ but Clem knew
better than to say anything to Penelope.

“
Ruby! Did you say Ruby?
Any relationship to the Jack Ruby who owns the Carousel Club on the
corner of Field and Commerce Street in downtown Dallas?”

“
Sparky? You mean
“Sparky?” Yeah, he’s Pap’s brother. That’d make him
my...my...

Captain Scarburg finished
Clem’s sentence, “Uncle?”

“
I’s just gonna say
that... yeah uncle, but we ain’t seed nor heerd from him in a quite
a long spell,” Clem answered. “He fell in with the wrong crowd
that’s so crooked you can't tell from their tracks if their comin’
or goin’. I wouldn't trust’em any futher than I could
fling’em.”

The Captain felt terrible
about lying to them about his name, but he knew it was better if
Clem and Penelope Ruby did not know his true identity. The days
following the assassination would see all the family of Jack Ruby
questioned and re-questioned about the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald
and the President too. Captain Scarburg thought it would be wise if
Clem and Penelope did not have to disclose his real name - and he
did not want them to lie for him either.

“
How’d you no about
Sparky?”

“
That’s a long story.” The
Captain remarked trying to change the subject, “there’s a mighty
delicious, inviting smell coming from your kitchen, is it your
dinner Miss Ruby?”

“
Longs you’re in my house,
name’s Penelope. No, it ain’t dinner we et dinner a while back,
this here is supper. It’s about done cookin’, yer welcome to have
supper with us.”

“
Thank you, uh...
Penelope... it sure has a mouth-watering smell. I haven’t eaten a
bite since breakfast.”

“
What about it Penelope?
Get them vittals on the table! Me and John done got us a pairfull
hunger, right John Doess?”

THE IPHONE

The food was delicious, in
fact, scrumptious. “Penelope,” said the Captain, “I believe these
chicken and dumplings are as good as the ones my Mama used to make.
I thought no one could make them as tasty as she did, but I have to
admit these are really good!”

“
Thank ya John, I learnt
from my Mama too. The secret is to use a good ole fat hen. Not one
of them frying chickens. Me and Clem raise our on chickens out thar
in the coop, in the back yard.”

“
Well, all I can say these
are mighty good. And how did you know I ate cornbread with my
chicken and dumplings? Next to dumplings my favorite food is
rutabaga turnips with pieces of pork chops cooked in them along
with a big old piece of cornbread. Now dumplings and rutabagas -
that is fine eating.”

“
John, you must be from
the south... we’s the only ones that eat cornpone with
dumplings.

“
Yes, Penelope I’m
originally from Alabama.”

I knew it! I bet you like
to eat ‘maters with yours too like I do. What about it?”

“
Penelope, I can’t believe
you, cornbread and tomatoes with chicken and dumpling, and served
just like I was in a fancy restaurant. You’re a woman after my own
heart. Clem you better not ever let Penelope find her a
man!”

“
Ah, shucks, John - hush
up!” Penelope muttered holding her head down pretending to be
embarrassed.

“
Funny you should talk
about Penelope and her servin’ vittals, she works part-time
waitressin’ down at the Texas Steakhouse on Main Street in Celina,”
Clem offered.

“
Why, no wonder Miss
Penelope you put on such a fine supper... you are... are... a
professional,” Captain Scarburg said grinning.

Enjoying the chicken and
dumplings and pleasant conversation everything seemed to be going
well until a noise was heard emanating from the front of the
Captain’s bib overalls. It was his Iphone smart phone! He had
forgotten to leave it behind, and it had been in his flight suit
pocket when he changed clothes. At 6 p.m., it was programmed to
remind him of the next day’s events. It did! A soothing female
voice said, “Reminder... meet with all department heads tomorrow to
finalize 2012 budgets.”