War Creek

You cringe from the heat of the night on your face is what some will tell you around these parts of the country, but not me or my friend Chloe. We usually hang down at the creek on the hot nights. There’s a place that all the younger folks go to, it’s an old cabin near War Creek. It’s been there for years, nobody knows who it belongs too, but we been told not to go there. So we just say we don’t. Mama says it’s not safe. She says two young girls could get into a lot a trouble being out at night. Hell, ain’t nobody gonna mess with me, and War Creek is no place for anybody to be ‘cept me, Chloe and the boys.

Chloe, she’s real nice but sometimes I think she’s not got a lot of stuff up there. I mean she’s real pretty an all and wears nicer clothes than me, but the boys nearby play on her as dumb as a rock. She goes along with it because she told me once she could get more that a way. I don’t understand that, but then maybe I shouldn’t, maybe that’s what makes me smarter than her, I think. One thing though, it sure is hot. Now that the sun is down, all you can hear is the bullfrogs and crickets and once in awhile you can even hear the farmer’s coon dog howling at the full moon from a few miles down the way. The night air is warm, there’s no coolin’ off less you go down to the swimming hole and get wet.

It’s a clear night and ain’t so bad walkin’ to Chloe’s; I just wished she’d meet me half way to War Creek. The creek is down on the other side of the hill and just below the holler the cabin sits, the boys brought one of those record playin’ things that has music comin’ out from the top that looks like a giant bull horn. Chloe said she’d seen them in Spires Five and Dime in the city once, her daddy is a salesman and he travels to different parts of the countryside. While back, mama and me was talkin’ about Chloe and her kin, she said her daddy was doin’, “God knows whatever”, shaking her bright white sheet out in the sun. Mama had the whitest whites you ever saw. She said the secret was the sun down here, bein’ so hot an all. But that day she was foldin’ it like she was mad at the darn cotton, stretchin’ and a pullin’ so tight. Finally I said to mama, “That sheet ain’t gonna have no more wrinkles when you’re done that’s for sure.” Then mama threw the sheet down in the basket and stomped off into the kitchen.

Chloe’s daddy has a might more money than most of us around here and her mama is home alone doin’ chores. Mama told me once, that’s what he was meanin’ to do, was to keep her here in the holler so she don’t know what the hell’s fire goes on. Well, I don’t know what that is s’pose to mean either but I know I don’t wanna ask too much about Chloe’s daddy no more. Lately seems everybody’s mad at somethin’, not me though. I just want to go down to the creek and have me a sip of corn and jump into the creek. One of the boys always brings corn, you can’t drink that stuff without gettin’ wet. It sure makes you hotter than hell. Me and Chloe take a couple sips and get a little giggly every now an then.

The night weren’t gettin’ any cooler walkin’ in the dusty path, I am a might sure glad to reach the old gate. Looks like it needs lots of work around here, I can see why my house is run down, cause there ain’t no man around no more. The sweat is runnin’ down my face and my hair is soaked. These here bugs are gonna eat me alive ‘for I get in Chloe’s house. I’m already itchin’ an a scratchin’. I wonder if Chloe’s mama will have some of that stinkin ass horse liniment, sometimes it helps the itchin’. I’m just gonna be in the water soon anyway, then you can’t smell it no more.

“Hey, Mrs. Worley, how’s ever thing tonight?”

“Fine as sugar, Louie, and how’s everything your way?”

“Doin’ mighty well, thank you. I just am heated up from the walk, would you have any lemonade? And any liniment? For my legs are on fire, I itch so bad ain’t no telling why I might go plum crazy.” Hell, I ain’t never went crazy, but I won’t tell ‘em that. But my mama says so a lot. She says I’d drive her up the dang wall, she says sometimes I drive her plum crazy. So I might well be goin’ there too, cuz my mama she’s pretty darn smart. I think that’s how I get so smart, from mama.

“Chloe, where’s your manners? Get your friend something to drink.” Mrs. Worley snaps at Chloe never looking up from her ironing board. Her hankie is tied around her head to catch the sweat and keep her neck dry. She’s a pretty woman too; I think she’s too smart to be here. She ain’t really from these parts and I don’t know where she really comes from. Never bothered to asked, so I just talk neighborly not to get into other affairs, mama says that’s rude.

Chloe gave a huff and I laughed when she stomped into the kitchen, “Ain’t like Louie’s never been here before mama! She’s comes over every day for Christ’s sakes. Louie you get up off your ass and get the liniment yourself.” That’s what Chloe said to me. Why I wonder what the cotton pickin hell is up her ass.

“And you watch your tongue Miss Worley, or you’ll not be going to the swimming hole tonight or any other night.” Her mama looked up at her without raising her head, just her eyeballs moved. Mean sort of, but she had a sad look on her face too and her eyes were red. Well, I didn’t laugh no more, I could tell something was wrong with the two of them but I figured Chloe would tell me later.

“Damn time you started meetin’ me at the Y in the road Chloe, I ain’t gonna come after your ass no more. You can’t even get me somethin’ to drink.” I grabbed the glass out of her hand sort of changing the subject. Chloe walked straight to the door and walked onto the porch, the screen door slammed a little louder than it usually does. I knew Chloe had somethin’ else botheren her, it was not even close to be gettin’ my lemonade.

“Looks like you better be changin’ your prissy ass clothes if you’re comin’ to War Creek with me.” Chloe had on a white dress for Christ’s sakes with a pink ribbon in the front. It looked to me like she’d been to church, if it weren’t for it being a Saturday night I wouldn’t wonder so much. She stomped back in the house just as fast as she went out and went to her room. I could hear her throwin’ and slammin’ things, so I just sat there and waited til she came out.

“That more like it, Louie?” She had on a pair of cut off dungarees and a cut up undershirt it looked like must have been her daddy’s.

“Well, yeah, looks like a good idea, I mean the undershirt. But well, I don’t think mama’s got anything of daddy’s I could cut up.” My daddy had died several years back, some say it was a fever he had, then others say it was a the curse of the devil the way he carried on so. He drank too much, cussed up a midnight storm and worked hard though. He worked at the mines and farmed the tobacco in these parts. The whole barn was full of it dryin’ in the summer. Smelled sweet in the air like some kind of a flower, I always liked that smell. Every time I pass the neighbor’s house on the way to Chloe’s, I can smell the tobacco dryin’ in his barn now, it makes me think of my daddy. I say there weren’t a whole hell of a lot that I understand about these parts anymore. People are sayin’ things out of the mouth that ain’t ever made a lick a sense. Now it’s Chloe too. I just wonder what the hell’s goin’ on.

“Are you ready? We should get goin’. Mama don’t want me out all night again.” I said to Chloe. There she stood in pig tails and the ragged old cut up shirt, her titty’s were half hangin’ out and I didn’t care if she didn’t. The boys would sure get to hollerin’ if she went out like that. Guess it really never minded, she wasn’t a full woman yet, they’s weren’t too much there, like mine. Mama says I was goin’ to be a full developed woman someday. I think I already am.

“Yep, Louise, I’m ready.”

“What the hell, you callin’ me by that name? You must really be pissed off.” I wondered after I said that, if I should have ever even come over. It weren’t no tellin’ what had been goin’ on. But then me and Chloe never missed a night at the swimming hole and I don’t know if things go bad or not. A Saturday night was a big one too. Chloe knew the boy she liked would be there. Maybe that’s why the dress, but she ain’t never did that before. Maybe that’s why her titty’s were hangin’ out, I’ll be damned if I know. We stepped off the porch and Chloe was walkin’ fast as hound dog on scent

“Wait the hell up Chloe! I ain’t gonna chase you down. What the sam hell is goin’ on? I wan’t gonna ask but I can’t take it. Mama’s been pissed, your mama’s pissed and yer not too damned perky.” I ran to catch up and the heat made it hard for me to breath. I grabbed her arm and stopped her. She was cryin’ so I asked her again, “What’s goin’ on?”

Chloe kept on walkin’ but she slowed down some. She was tellin’ me her daddy had come home and told her mama that he was gonna live in the city. He gave her that there white dress with the pink ribbon and wanted her to try it on. She said she hated the damn thing and didn’t want nothin’ from nobody. She said he told her mama it weren’t for Chloe he wouldn’t have even made the trip back to the holler. She was so mad she told me she never wanted to see her daddy no more. I guess then that’s what mama had been talkin’ about cause Chloe told me her mama had talked to my mama. Well, I’m always the last to know. Didn’t never mind we were off to the swimming hole and it would be better soon as Chloe seen the boy she was liken, a sip of corn, and jumpin’ in the warm water would loosen her up good.

Seemed like me and Chloe got to the creek a little earlier than anybody else so we just went skinny dippin’ til the boys came walkin’ down the road. You could hear ‘em talkin’ and whistlin’. I hurried and put on my underpants and shirt. Chloe had went to the cabin before she jumped in and fetch the corn from last week and before I know it there she stood naked as a jay bird.

“Good God oh mighty, Chloe, get down for the boys see ya.” Here they come around the corner. One of ‘em hollers and says somethin’ about Chloe bein’ a slice a pie. “Well what the hell does that mean?” I hollered, then Jimmy just shoved my head and said, “You’ll be findin’ out soon enough.” One of the other boys hollered and said to come on over there and he’d show me. Well that makes Jimmy mad when they don’t treat me like a lady. He went over there and flogged the hell out of that boy. I laughed up a blue streak. Jimmy was always nice to me. He was nice to everybody, who didn’t piss ‘em off.

Chloe looked up sayin’ to me, “Louie, I think I had a little too much corn, my eyes are seein’ two of everything.”

“Wha’d ya do that for? You are gonna get both of us in trouble. Dang, Chloe. Shit.”

Now I was pissed off at Chloe, she walked off into the woods and said she was gonna lay down for a spell. So I kept on swimmin’ and playin’ chicken off the cliff into the water with the boys. I looked around and there was one of ‘em missin’. I wasn’t surprised; it was that new boy that Chloe liked.

I yelled, “Hell’s fire! Chloe, damn you better not be messin’ with him and you shit hole, you better keep your hands off her! I’m comin’ an taken her home. Where the hell are ya? Chloe! Chloe, answer me god damn it!”

 I couldn’t find her nowhere. So I headed toward the cabin carryin’ our clothes.

“God damn briar’s cuttin’ my ass, Chloe I’m gonna wring your fuckin’ neck when I find you.” I am so mad, it’s a good thing the moon is bright tonight to see where the hell I’m steppin’. My ass is getting’ sore and my feet are hurtin’ steppin’ on the sharp thistles every now and then.

I saw a lantern lit in the cabin so I knew they were in there doin’ who knows what, like mama says, and the shape Chloe was in, the bastard could be doin’ anything to her and she wouldna cared. I swung the door open and threw her clothes at her and stumbled tryin’ to get my cut off’s on. “Get the fuck off her you shit hole! Chloe get up, put yur clothes on.” Chloe sat up as he was tryin’ to get his pants back on. “No need in hurrin’ I already seen yur dumb lookin’ ass. I seen it in the creek, that thang ain’t nothin’ to worry ‘bout coverin’” I threw a jug at him and he dodged it, good thing too cause it would have hit him square in the head.

“Damn it Louie! Knock it off,” he yelled at me, “Ain’t none of your business anyways. Now go on get!” I walked up to him an looked him square in the eye just two more inches an our eyeballs would have stuck together. I wasn’t blinken and he was lookin at me like he was meaner than rabid’ dog. I knew I could have whooped his ass good. There weren’t two many boys I ain’t whooped in these parts, except Jimmy. I ain’t never laid a hand on Jimmy. But this kid bein’ new an all I thought I’d lay off. All of ‘em woulda laughed him til his dick was in the dirt. That’s what they all say when I whoop ‘em. “Louie got your dick in the dirt!” and laugh til thay’s pissin down ther dang legs. Well, I thought I just wanted to get Chloe outta there and I can get him any ol day.

“Louie! Come over here and sit down, he’s makin everything alright, just like you said.” She laughed and fell over. I’m wonderen how the hell I’m gonna get her home if we can’t stay out late tonight and it’s gonna be mornin’ before she’ll have half her wits. I’m taken her to my house and get her to my room, before mama starts talkin’. Shit she’s gonna kill me and her both. We ain’t supposed to be at the cabin, never drinkin’ corn and no boys were ever supposed to be at War Creek. I always told mama that’s why we liked to go there at night, cus we were alone. Now she ain’t never gonna believe me again. Good damn God.

I got us to the room and Chloe was passed out cold, good thing cus mama poked her head in.

“You girls have fun tonight?”

“Yeah, mama we liked our swim, Chloe’s real tired, she’s stayin’ over night. She’s been cryin’ all night over her daddy.”

“I heard all about it, Louie. You okay dear? Such a shame for her, poor girl. Well, let her sleep then.”

I gave mama a nod and told her I was doin’ mighty fine. I didn’t want to get too close fear she’d smell the corn. For some reason mama’s eyebrow went up and she gave a nod back. Then she came back with a bucket, rags and a mop.

“You’ll be needen this, Louie, and make sure you take the mess out to the far pasture. Then put a cool rag on Chloe’s head, it’ll be hurtin’ pretty good in the mornin’.” I thought I was dead right then. Deader than a door nail. But I don’t know how dead a door nail really is. I sure woulda been though. Dead, dead, dead.

“God damn, Chloe, yur dumb ass is gonna get me killed.” I think the only one in these here parts to fear is my mama and when she gets mad there ain’t no tellin’ what the hell might blow.

Mama never said a word to either of us all day about the night before, but she worked us to death. I thought Chloe was gonna die at about noon when the sun was the hottest. She was real sick. Her face turned white as one of my mama’s sheets, then she had to go behind the barn and upchuck a mess. She came round the corner and mama was standin’ there with a glass a cool water. She never give me any, well Chloe drank it straight down and mama walked away smilin’ with her head up. Like she was real pleased. Weren’t minutes later Chloe was a heven up all over again. I was wondern if mama put somthin’ in the water to make her sick, cuz she never gave me shit. But then I don’t even think mama was that mean. Mama just kept on workin’ us til night came and then called us in for supper. Chloe didn’t want to eat neither. But I was hungry so I ate some for her.

Later that night I told her, “If you ever put me through this again, Chloe I kick yur dumb ass.” She knew I wasn’t kiddin’ neither. She swore she was never gonna touch corn no more. I believe her to, but if she does I will kick her square in the ass. I sure will.