Jerry and I walked on, not saying anything until we were where the road sloped down to the parking lot. I could hear men’s voices arguing at the far end of the big parking lot. Jerry spoke extra soft. “Viola, will you listen to me?” I nodded. When I realized he couldn’t see me, I whispered “Yes.” “Okay, we’re lucky that those boys are at the far end of the parking lot and your car is near this other.” he said quietly. “You’ve made good time keeping up with me but that road downhill is rough. Are you sure you can get down and up that thing in a hurry if you have to?” “No, I might fall.” I said. There was something in his voice that made me tell the truth, even if it went against me. “And I might make a noise.” Jerry nodded. “Okay, I’ve got another question: Can you shoot a gun, a 357?” “Yes, I can.” I said. “That, I’m good at.” I wasn’t bragging. My daddy gave me my first shooting lessons and Ponder kept them up through our married life. “Good.” Jerry said and…
Well, the Dixons wanted to me to stay with them at their motel until morning. I didn’t want to, couldn’t afford it and didn’t mind saying so. But while I was arguing, Jerry was moving my plates and cups from the Mule to the back of their van and Gennine said they wouldn’t feel right leaving me here alone in the dark. I finally climbed in between the kids and we started up the hill leaving the Mule behind. I know we weren’t on the road long. I’d smelled the paper mill when Casey said “Peyton stink”. I started to say that wasn’t Peyton but trees being turned into school tablets when Peyton threw up onto the back of her mama’s seat. “Jerry, stop the car.” I said and he pulled the van half way into a ditch. When the car light came on, you could see the baby wasn’t well at all. Whatever fried snacks her sister had fed her were scattered over the backseat, me, and the edges of her mama’s hair. I felt Peyton’s forehead and that baby’s temperature was too high. Gennine was looking for wipes and baby aspirin while I…
I looked up to see a child with a long pony-tails on each side of her head and her membership card hanging clear down to her shorts. “Do you need some help?” she said. “I believe I’ll be all right once I can get on my feet. What’s your name, child?” “I’m Casey” she said, pointing to her membership card. “Where’s your name card?” “In my wallet, Casey, which is in Hazard Pay, which is underneath me. Sugar, can you get some help? I may need to be lifted some.” She squeaked “My Daddy can help” and bolted back into the fried sample crowd, leaving me with Hazard Pay between me and the floor. I had enough time to call myself a few names before I heard Casey’s voice again and saw her with a man who must have been her father. They shared the same eye shape. Casey said, “This lady’s card is in Hazard Pay.” and started to laugh like this was the funniest thing in the world. The poor man looked confused so I decided to take matters into my own hands. “Mister, my name is Viola Sprayberry.” I said trying to sound as dignified as I…
Viola’s found her way to The Big Store at last. Is it what she hoped it would be? Washing powders were my first problem. They was selling my brand by the bucket load for 7 cents an ounce! Problem is, I had no place to keep that bucket. Then I got to thinking: I can get a two pound box at the Dollar Store with a newspaper coupon which fits on my shelf and costs me (I had to do some figuring here) six and a half cents for the same ounce, and that didn’t even count the cost of the gas! Well, I learned Helen Riley couldn’t do math and washing powders weren’t cheaper at the Big Store. Another thing was sheets. I needed some new top sheets for my bed, time and toe nails having worn out the others. The sheets they sold weren’t too expensive – if they had been willing to sell those a sheet at a time instead of in sets with two pillowcases! I nearly bought one set until I realized I would be paying fifty dollars a set to get just one new sheet. I’ve got too much of Ponder in my memory,…
Of course, Eufaula is a good thirty five miles from my house and the Big Store is eight miles past that but a summer evening is a good time for a drive. Ponder and I always liked to drive with the windows down catching the smells from whatever grew beside the highway. That evening, the smell was mostly honeysuckle. I caught a stink of paper mill once or twice and a big whiff of skunk as I passed a motel, but mostly it was honeysuckle. It was honeysuckle when I turned toward onto the short road that ends in the Big Store parking lot. Now, no one told me about that road. It was dirt and chert rock for half a mile before it dropped so steep, the chert rolled off the road. It drop was full of gullies from rainstorms and I had to shift down and ride the brakes to get to the bottom. I hated to think about how I’d get up on the way back. Once it bottomed out, the road just fanned out into a parking lot without any lights or pavement. I didn’t guess there would be so many cars! It looked like a…