We’s Back

  “Willey, go on into Maria’s and get us another cold drink, and bring some of them chips.” Jack said.

  “Why me?”

  “Cause I went last time.” Bob said.

  Grumbling, Willey gets up from the picnic table, they are sitting on. He walks the short distance to the store. The door creaks as he opens it, and slams behind him. Grabbing a large bag of chips, then going to cooler to pull out three cold drinks, taking them all to the counter.

  “It’s sure good to have you three paying for your own things for a change,” Maria says. I’d still like to know where you three bums got all that money.”

  “We ain’t no bums, and it’s for me to know and you to find out. If’n you’s going to keep giving me grief, we can be spending that money some other place.”

  “That you, Willey?” A voice ask behind him.

    Willey, turns to see who’s talking. “Sally Franklin Christie, is that really you girl?”

  “Yes, it’s me.”

  “What you doing all the way down here?”

  “A little snow birding. Visiting a friend.” Sally says.

  “Well come on out and meet the boys. You wont you a cold drink?”

  “I’m alright.” Sally says.

  “The boys is going to flip, to meet a celebrity.”

  “Willey, I’m not a celebrity.”

  “You done got a book published, and another on the way, ain’t that right?”

  “Yes, but.”

  “I done read, If I should Die. That be one good book. Got to have me, Milk Carton People when it come out. You know I keep looking at them pictures on them milk cartons to see if’n I knows any of them peoples. Come on out and meet the guys.” Willey holds the door open for Sally.

  As soon as Willey’s back outside, “guys lookey here who I found.”

  Bob, and Jack look at Sally, not recognizing her.

  “It be Sally. I done told you all about her, how she writes books and all.”

  Jack and Bob get up to shack Sally’s hand. “Hi Miss Sally, how in the world did you meet Willey?” Jack asked.

  “I done told you, she be one of the nice people in the Writers Chat Room, I been going to on Sunday, and Wednesday.”

  “Like I keep asking ya, Willey, why is you going to a writers chat room? You can barely read let alone write.” Jack asked.

  “They’s nice people in the room, that be why.” Willey says.

  “Willey’s been telling me all about your adventures. You boys certainly live a rich life.” Sally says.

  “That be all over. We done got us some money. Don’t got no reason to go off getting ourselves kilt.” Jack said.

  “That’s a shame. You boys have a knack for adventure. So you’re going to just sit around here and grow old?” Sally asked.

  “We got us a long time, before we be growing old,” Jack insisted.

  “I ain’t so sure of that,” Willey said, and walking up to Jack, raises his hand toward Jack’s head.

  “OOuch!”

  Willey stands there with one of Jack’s hairs in his hand.

  “Why’d you go and do that fer?” Jack asked.

  Willey hands Jack the hair.

  “Where’d you get that from?” Jack asked.

  “I just took it from your head dummy.”

  “That hair be gray, I don’t got no gray hair!”

  “Maybe looking from down there you ain’t, but from up here, you done got a bunch.” Willey said, and Bob nods in agreement.

  “Well if’n I does, they ain’t nothing I can be doing about it.” Jack says.

  “You could find the fountain of youth.” Sally says.

  “They ain’t no such thing.” Jack says.

  “Yes they is, I done read about this fella, Ponce de something. He done said it be in Florida. They’s even a place there they call the fountain of youth.” Bob chimed in.

  Jack looks at the gray hair in his hand. “We’s off to Florida!”

  Sally, makes a fist, and pulls it downward, “Yes!”

Advertisement