Strange Awakening by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview
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Chapter 13
I woke up the next morning before sunrise and I was again completely confused about everything. The dark was still ominous and I realized that anyone could sneak up to my house on foot and shoot me right through the screened window. The morning’s silence is eerie when you’re alone, isolated and in trouble. I took some solace from the thought that since nothing happened yet; it was probably not going to be my final exit today. That thought prompted some brave independent feelings in me. My confusion ended. I had one immediate problem, the people in the house next door and probably Joe Mason. I couldn’t count on the police or Butch, so fuck them both. I take better care of things myself anyway. Other people just ask a lot of stupid questions and then proceed to fuck up the job.
I got some coffee, sausage and eggs and then returned to sit in front of the television. I really didn’t even notice what was on, as I thought about what I could accomplish alone in the dark. No immediate answer came, but with the slow grudging rise of the sun, various options appeared in the brighter and brighter sky. There was one thing I knew for sure; that I had to remove the tenants from next door, or try to live with perennial fear, which was out of the question. I already had my quota of troubles with memory, being disabled, not being taken
seriously, an absentee wife, a lack of money, isolation and possibly a drinking problem. So no more problems can be tolerated. I had my quota.
I decided to perform surveillance. My property is L shaped and cuts behind the yellow house and I thought it was safer to try from that position. It’s heavily wooded and I can probably sit out there unnoticed. I made breakfast first. I didn’t want to sit out there all day on an empty stomach.
I put on a light green jacket, crossed the bridge over the stream and would soon find a good seat in the woods behind Mason’s house. No cars were yet in the driveway. It was probably around 8AM. I sat there for an hour not seeing any activity. Then my old friend’s red Toyota hatchback pulled into the gravel driveway. She was with a girl of about 13 and they were talking animatedly, though inaudible to me. They weren’t arguing. There was something said that made them both laugh and then they went inside.
About 5 minutes later another car appeared. The big guy with a rifle exited accompanied by a boy of about 13. They didn’t speak and also went directly in the house.
“I’m about as sure as one can be about what’s going on,” I thought to myself. “All we need now is the cameraman.” My prediction became accurate in about 30 seconds. “I ought to try predicting things a few years in the future. It would be more
of a challenge.” I didn’t realize it, but I was stupidly starting to feel cocky. As I watched the scraggly looking guy carry his camera to the house, I must have thought that he was walking too slow or something, because I stood up rustling some small broken branches lying on the ground, before he quite got to the door. In the morning silence, he heard the noise, turned his head back in my direction and saw me standing there like a jerk.
He quickly went in and I instinctively started to move, but I had no particular destination in mind. I couldn’t go back to my house. I’ll go to Butch’s through the woods.
My favorite marksman soon came out and apparently saw me about 300 feet away. He took the rifle to his shoulder and fired two shots. I was always amazed hearing gunshots. Most sound so innocuous, like the closing of a hard covered book. I quickly remembered that it was more important to think about the bullets. Fortunately, I didn’t feel any pain and I had no idea where the bullets went. Maybe he was shooting blanks. I found my way to one of the deer trails and with the sun in my face I hightailed it in Butch’s direction. I didn’t imagine fat boy doing too well in the woods. I also hoped not to run into the guy I saw last time out here. I didn’t have time for a chat right now. I was lucky on all counts, zigzagging through various paths following the sun.
In about half an hour I got to Butch’s house. I knocked on the front door and Butch answered it quickly.
He said; “What can I do for you today, pal?” He didn’t look like he was in great shape, holding onto the door for support.
“Can I come in?”
“Sure, come on.” As he moved away from the door I could see him stagger and laugh at himself for it. “Watch out for that hole in the ground, it’s dangerous.”
“I’ll tell you what’s dangerous. That guy next door to me just took two shots at me.”
“No shit,” he said half surprised and half concerned. We went into the kitchen and sat at the table.
“I can’t go back to my house. I need a place to stay.”
“He didn’t follow you here?”
“No, I went through the woods.”
“You sure?”
“Yes!”
“Fine. You can stay here. I’ll just have to think of something to tell my folks other than you’re here to stay out of gunfire. What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to accompany you back there and you’re going to shoot him, most likely.”
“You’ve got to be out of your mind. If you haven’t noticed I’m in no condition to accurately hit a barn.”
“I didn’t mean right now.”
Butch laughed and said; “I’m never in condition anymore.
And besides, that’s a lot to ask of a new acquaintance.”
“You’re saying you won’t.”
“I’m saying I won’t.”
“Fine, but I can stay here a while.”
“I already said sure.”
“Thanks. Then just teach me how to use your gun. I’ll take it and get him myself.”
“This isn’t 1870 Dodge City, man. This is work for the cops. Didn’t you call them?”
“I spoke to them yesterday and I have no credibility whatsoever. I’m not going back with this story.”
“There’s a lot to learn about shooting a gun. It will take more than 5 minutes to make sure you don’t get killed yourself.”
“We have plenty of time. I’m not going back until tomorrow.”
“Your brain must be in worse shape than mine.”
“So, you tell me, what am I supposed to do? Sit in my house unarmed.”
Butch didn’t have an answer to that one, so there was a few seconds of silence. He finally said; “Okay, I’ll go with you, but I can’t shoot him, just like that.”
“Fine! Show me how!”
“That’s not possible. And I don’t want a murder weapon traced to me. Look, I’ll go with you tomorrow, but we’ll be looking for evidence to bring to the cops, not a dead body.”
“What kind of evidence?”
“You say they’re doing kiddie porn. Maybe there are some pictures around.”
“That sounds like the best idea I’ve heard all day. You’ll bring your gun, just in case, right.”
“Damn right. I’ll be fine in the morning and we can head out before we start any drinking.”
We could hear Butch’s parents enter the front door.
Loretta and Sam Walker walked in carrying grocery bags. They were in their late fifties and looked to be in good shape. She was wearing baggy blue jeans, a purple blouse and a blue windbreaker. He had tighter jeans, a button up green shirt and an armless brown jacket.
Loretta: “Butch, introduce me to your new friend.”
Butch: “Oh sorry, this is Ed.” He pondered what he should say next for a few seconds. “He’s in town to do some hunting.”
Sam: “I’ve been seeing a lot of deer recently. You came at the right time. I’m Sam and this is Loretta.”
Ed: “Glad to meet you both.”
Butch: “Is it all right if Ed stays here one or two nights?”
Loretta: “I’m surprised that you even had to ask that. Of course he can.”
Sam: “Just let us put away all this stuff and Loretta will fix us all some lunch.”
Loretta and Sam went back to the kitchen. I was again alone with Butch.
Ed: “Does your father hunt?”
Butch: “Yes.”
Ed: “I never have. If he asks me anything about hunting, I’ll blow it.”
Butch: “Ah, it really doesn’t matter. If the conversation gets too specific, I’ll say you’re really here to be taught hunting.”
Ed: “Why don’t I have any luggage?”
Butch: “That’s a good one. I don’t know. Got it. You already put it in my room.”
Ed: “They might look there.”
Butch: “No, that would be very unusual. Don’t worry about it.”
Ed: “All right, let’s go get something to eat.”
We walked into the kitchen and took seats at the table.
Loretta had already put some ham sandwiches on paper plates and served them.
Ed: “Perfect. I could eat a hundred of them.”
Sam: smiled; “We’ll start charging you when you pass ten.”
Loretta: “So, Ed, where did you meet my baby boy?”
Butch: interjected: “He was hunting at the reservoir last year.”
Ed: “Yes, your baby boy has quite a presence. I couldn’t miss him if I wanted to.”
Sam: “How was the hunting last year?”
Ed: “Well, I didn’t get anything, but I didn’t care. I use the gun as an excuse to be out in the beautiful country.”
Sam: “I know a number of people who live in the hills over the reservoir who do the same thing. Loretta, you know Sean and Dennis. I’ve seen them walking back home with their guns and dogs for years and I’ve never seen them with any carcasses.”
Loretta: “Good for them. And Sam, I can’t remember the last time you brought anything back, either.”
Sam: “What do you shoot, Ed?”
Butch: “He’s going to use one of my guns. We haven’t decided which yet.”
Ed: “I am very much a novice and Butch shows me a lot of things.”
Loretta: “What part of the state are you from?”
Ed: remembering his prior house: “Lakewood, do you know where that is?”
Sam: “That’s by the shore, isn’t it?”
Ed: “Yes. The first few years we were there my wife and I went to the beach every day we could.”
Loretta: “That must be nice.”
Ed: “It is or maybe I should say it was. I think I’d rather live out here.”
I had finished three sandwiches and had my fill. I finished off the tea given me and everyone else seemed to be doing the same. Sam got up from the table and extended his hand to me saying, “Nice meeting you, Ed. Don’t let Butch teach you anything about the right beverages to bring with you.”
I shook his hand and smiled as Butch said; “You know, you don’t always have to bring up that subject.”
Loretta: “Your father was trying to make a joke.
Sometimes he’s not funny.”
Butch: “All right. Sorry.”
Sam: “Your mother and I are going to go about our usual routine, so you two have a good time.” Everyone got up and went their ways. I followed Butch back to the family room.
Butch said; “Let’s play the video game again. When they get out of the kitchen I’ll get something good for us to drink.”
I think he was quite happy to keep winning and when the coast was clear he brought back some beer and wine.
We killed the day like that, not conversing much. When it started to get dark, he showed me his brother’s old room and said I could stay there. He said he’d be up very early in the morning and that so should I, so that we could get to Mason’s house before sunrise. I went to my room and lay down on the bed. Presumably, Butch did the same thing. I stared at the ceiling as the darkness deepened. Despite being a potential murder victim, for the moment the warmth of the wine and the blankets soothed me and I didn’t worry about anything.