Buddies Read online

  Mr. McGraw picked up his pipe from the counter that he had laid aside while he waited on Miss Mattie. He gave it a few hard puffs to get it started back up again; he went on to say, “I’ll swear, if this older generation of ladies around here don’t beat everything. I don’t reckin that they’re ever gonna let this little town live down, how it got its name. If it’s ever brought up in their presence, who Ruby Creek was named after, then theybecome embarrassed, get mad as old setting hens, and turn red as a beet like Miss Mattie just did. Ernie, I know that you didn’t mean any harm when you spoke up, but Miss Mattie thought that it was just awful. The name Ruby to the women folks in this town is a pure disgrace, especially to the older ladies like Miss Mattie. Lord, I’ll bet there ain’t a girl in this whole country by the name of Ruby, now and hadn’t been in years.”

  “Why?” Ernie and Joey Frank asked at the same time

  “Well, I don’t reckin there’s any harm in telling you. I see nothing wrong with anyone wanting to learn all they can about the history of the place where they grew up. Most boys your age, in this part of the country, already know how Ruby Creek got its’ name. They’ve learned from their Pa’s and Grandpa’s, but Lord, they didn’t learn it from their Ma’s and Grandma’s because they would never talk of such.”

  Mr. McGraw sat down on a high stool that he kept behind the counter. He began to tell the story that had been handed down to him, as Ernie and Joey Frank stood curiously listening.

  “Well Boys, it was a long time ago,” he said. “It was before I was born. I’d say that it’s been fifty or sixty years ago when Ruby Creek got its name. My Father remembers the pretty bawd* well that the town was named after. He still talks about how beautiful she was with her long dark hair, smooth white skin and eyes that sparkled like diamonds. He said all the men loved the gorgeous lady, and all the women hated her. Ruby was her name, and back then, she used to sing at the old saloon down the street. During that time the little town had just been born and didn’t have a name. My father said one day all the men folks got together and made it official that the town be named Ruby Creek. The name Ruby was from the pretty bawd and Creek from the large creek below town. When this took place, my father said, it set sparks flying. He said the women folks became so furious

  *Keeper of a brothel that they kicked their men folk outta the house coming and going. The poor fellows had to bed down in their barns, to sleep for weeks and weeks. Mr. McGraw gave his pipe a few more puffs, and then he continued with the story that kept the boy interest. “Boys, I’ve been told that the old saloon building down the street is now haunted by the pretty bawd’s spirit. Some of the fellows from around here tell me, when they walk by the deserted old building late at night, they can see a beautiful lady wearing a red dress just standing there at the closed door. They say she is only there a few minutes, and then she disappears right before their eyes into thin air.”

  Joey Frank was curious about what a bawd was, but “Mr. know it all” Ernie already knew. Joey Frank had never heard the word before, and he wanted to know the meaning so, he asked. “Mr. McGraw, what’s a bawd? Is she a Queen or somethin’ like that?”

  Ernie spoke up loudly an’ clearly saying, “Heck, no, a bawd ain’t no queen, an’ you ain’t got no bizness a-knowin’ what one is ‘cause yore too young to know about sech.”

  Joey Frank and Ernie had made Mr. McGraw’s day. He began to laugh once more as the boys were leaving the store to go to the river.

  Ernie Brown was an inquisitive young man, and therefore he knew lots more about different things than Joey Frank. He was eager to learn about things that folks didn’t think that he should learn about just yet. He would break his neck to try to find out what it was that they didn’t want him to know.

  Ernie was proud of the fact that he was a dab older than Joey Frank. So he liked to throw his shoulders back and boast about it, as he did at the General Store in front of Mr. McGraw. Although he was only eight days older, he felt as if he were the grown-up of the two and should be the one to give the orders and take the lead. There had been times when that would cause a spat between the two, but after awhile they would get over beingangry with each other and become chummy once more, with Ernie giving the orders and taking the lead again.

  If Joey Frank were ever to learn what a bawd was, then he would certainly have to find out from somebody besides Ernie.

  As they sat on the riverbank, Joey Frank asked, “Ernie, why wudn’t you tell me what a bawd wuz back at Mr. McGraw’s store?”

  “’Cause.”

  “’Cause why?”

  “’Cause you don’t need to know.”

  “Why don’t I need to know?”

  “I done told you that yore too young to know sech, that’swhy.”

  “I’m nearly as ole as you are.”

  “But you ain’t though.”

  “Miss Lester ain’t never teached that word in school, so how do you know what it means?”

  “I just know.”

  “Well, who told you?

  “Nobody.”

  “Yore tellin’ a dirty lie, Ernie Brown, an’ you know it. Somebody had to tell you what a bawd wuz or you wudn’t know sech.”

  “I ain’t tellin’ no dang lie, Joey Frank Cooper, an’ don’t you ‘cuse me of sech. There ain’t nobody told me what a bawd wuz. I heard Mr. Pearson an’ some more fellars talkin’ about’m one day at the blacksmith shop; that’s how I found out what one wuz.”

  “Well, if you don’t wanna tell me what one is, then don’t. I ain’t gonna beg you to for shore. I reckin I can find out from my Mama what one is. She’ll know what that word means.”

  “You go an’ ast yore Mama sech, an’ she’ll take yore hide to the woodshed, too. You’ll git a whuppin’ that you won’t never forgit.”

  “Why would she do sech?”

  “’Cause bawds ain’t s’pose to be talked in front of Mamas, that’s why. Didn’t you hear Mr. McGraw say at the Gen’ral Store that all women folks hated Ruby?”

  “You went an’ said bawds. Is there more of’m besides

  Ruby?”

  “Heck, yeah, there’s more of’m besides Ruby. There’s a bunch of’m; about one or two in every town, Mr. Pearson said, except for Ruby Creek. He said that there ain’t been a bawd that he’d heard of since Ruby. Now will you hush up an’ talk about somethin’ else? Dang, I’m tired of hearin’ sech.”

  The conversation on bawds had ended. Ernie refused to talk on the subject anymore, and that left Joey Frank feeling somewhat spiteful toward him. He was so angry that he would like to take his fishing pole and hit him over the head with it, and let the fish hook swing around and snag him in the backside. He had to grit his teeth and count to ten to keep from jumping up and becoming violent.

  There was silence between the boys for a period of time. During that time, as they sat pouting at each other, Ernie became dissatisfied because he wasn’t catching any fish. He finally spoke up and said he was either going to walk around in the woods and search for buckeyes or go back to Ruby Creek to the blacksmith shop.

  Joey Frank said that he had rather go hunt for buckeyes, because he didn’t care about returning to Ruby Creek. Headmitted the ‘Wanted Posters’ that had been posted all over town, for Banker Tolbert’s killer, made him uncomfortable. He wanted to stay away for a while.

  Ernie glared at Joey Frank and sneered when he said to him, “Joey Frank Cooper, if I wuz as dang skeered as you wuz, I wudn’t go outside to the outhouse after dark. I’d be a sissy an’ use the chamber pot under the bed like the women folks do”.

  That smart remark did it! A fellow could only take so much at a time, and Ernie had gone over the limit with his picking at Joey Frank. He was fed up now and ready to fire back at Ernie. He slammed down his fishing pole, sprang to his feet, went over to Ernie and shouted, “Well, Mr. Ernie Brown, I’ll have y
ou to know that I ain’t as dang skeered as you let on like I am. I’ll have you to know that I went an’ done somethin’ that you’d been skeered to death to a-done. You ain’t half as brave as you want folks to thank you are”.

  Ernie laid his fishing pole down and jumped to his feet. He turned his head and spit, then he faced Joey Frank, responding, “Well, I don’t know what in the world you could be talkin’ about, Joey Frank Cooper. Do you mind tellin’ ole Ernie here what you went an’ done so big that he’d been skeered to death to a-done?”

  “My Lordy Ernie, I didn’t thank that you ever forgot nothin’. Do you mean to tell me that you don’t remember me a-goin an’ astin’ Banker Tolbert why him an’ Miss Rene went an’ buried that baby out in them woods? I just don’t know how you could forgit sech a thang myself.”

  “Joey Frank Cooper, that ain’t nothin’, an’ I wudn’t been skeered to a-done a little thang like that. Heck, if Banker Tolbert wuz alive today, I’d march myself right to that bank, an’ I’d ast him why he buried that baby in them woods? Doin’ sech wudn’t skeer me a bit.”

  “Well, Miss Rene ain’t dead, so why don’t you just march yoreself to the bank an’ ast her why they buried the baby in the woods since yore so brave, or do you have chicken blood a-runnin’ through them veins of yores?”

  Both the boys had rather be accused of horse stealing than be accused of having such cowardice running through their veins. Ernie spit out a long stream of tobacco juice, threw back his shoulders and said, “Well, Joey Frank Cooper, I’ll have you know that I ain’t got sech stuff in these here veins of mine. I’ll go an’ ast Miss Rene why her an’ Banker Tolbert went an’ buried that baby in them woods, an’ I’ll go right now. I ain’t a-skeered to do sech.”

  “Oh, yore just sayin’ sech. You won’t go ast Miss Rene, an’ you know dang well that you won’t.”

  “I’ll bet you a doller that I will.”

  “You ain’t gotta doller.”

  “Well, I’ll have one when Pa sells the cotton crop, thank you. I’ll have you to know that I’ll have five of’m then. Come on, I’ll go ast her. I’ll show you that I’ll do sech. I ain’t a-skeered to.”

  “You ain’t a-foolin’, Ernie?” Joey Frank’s voice was on the mellow side now.

  “Heck, no, I ain’t a-foolin’. You can go with me an’ see if I won’t.”

  “Well, I reckin it wudn’t be fair if I didn’t go with you ‘cause you went with me when I asted Banker Tolbert.”

  “Well, don’t you commence a-feelin’ that you gotta go with me just ‘cause I went with you to ast Banker Tolbert. You can go or not go; it don’t matter to me. I ain’t a-skeered to face Miss Rene all by myself.”

  Joey Frank felt like kicking himself. He wished he had never flown off the handle and mentioned the name Tolbert andespecially the words “chicken blood.” He would like to try and talk Ernie out of going to Ruby Creek, but he knew if he attempted, it would only make him more determined.

  There was no backing down for Ernie Brown. Joey Frank knew him well enough to know there was nothing that could stand in his way now, to keep him from going to Ruby Creek. He had to prove that he wasn’t frightened to ask Rene Tolbert the question. Joey Frank didn’t want to go to Ruby Creek; he had rather take a beating first. Rene Tolbert could be just as mean as her late husband could, or maybe worse. There was no telling what she might try to do to Ernie and him, when she learned they knew about the baby being buried in the woods.

  At this moment Joey Frank wished he hated Ernie, and didn’t care if he went to Ruby Creek all by himself to face Miss Rene and the consequences that might follow. He wished that he didn’t care that they had always stuck together through everything. Whether it was good or bad, and neither of them had ever broken that bond. Joey Frank wanted the nerve to yell at Ernie right now and tell him to go on to Ruby Creek, that he didn’t care what happened to him. His wishful thinking came to an end when his buddy picked up his fishing pole, lunch pail and went walking away without a word. Joey Frank couldn’t help but say, “Wait for me, Ernie; I’m gonna go with you.”

  When the boys arrived at the bank, Miss Rene wasn’t in the places she normally could be seen working. She was usually with the tellers or just standing around being friendly, chatting with the customers.

  Joey Frank was relieved not to see her there. He felt sure Ernie would want to leave now and forget about the whole silly mess of proving he was so brave.

  Ernie was stubborn as a wild mule, and didn’t give up easily. Joey Frank’s relief was short-lived when Ernie walked away, went over to a teller and asked where he might find Miss Rene. The teller told him that Miss Rene was probably at her home where she spent most of her time since her husband’s death.

  Ernie thanked the gentleman and went over to Joey Frank, waiting for him near the door. He told Joey Frank what the teller had said, and they both exited the bank.

  Joey Frank didn’t like the idea of their going to Rene Tolbert’s home. He told Ernie it would be foolish to go there to ask her about the baby. Ernie said he was going, and he saw nothing foolish about doing it. He said there wouldn’t be any difference in asking her about the baby at her home or anyplace else. Joey Frank replied, “I’ve heard my Pa say before, that you wuz s’pose to show respect for folks that wuz a-mournin’. We don’t need to go over there an’ bother her, while she’s a-doin’ sech.”

  “Heck, she oughta be over that stuff by now. When my Gran’ma died, my Gran’pa got over it in no time. He wuz back at work, takin’ warts off folks in less’n a week; takin’m off the women folks too; I’m here to tell you.”

  The boys walked down Main Street toward the Tolbert home, which was only a short distance from the bank. Everyone knew who lived in the big white two-story house, with its massive columns reaching to the balcony. The house was the most spacious and expensive home in Ruby Creek, having enough space that three families could easily live there and not be overcrowded.

  It was twenty years earlier when George Tolbert and his wife Rene built their home. The couple was traveling around the country seeking a suitable place in a warmer climate to gratify the desire of the dissatisfied Miss Rene. Both natives of Minnesota and of great wealth, the couple fell in love with Ruby Creek, Georgia. That same year in 1892, the couple built the bank on Main Street that had furnished many loans to further the little town’s expansion. The extension of credit relieved the painof many striving farmers, whom to this day lauded their name to the fullest extent as being the perfect couple.

  When the boys arrived in front of the Tolbert home, which sat only a few feet from the street, Joey Frank was amazed at what he saw. He said, “Ernie, look over yonder. They got Banker Tolbert’s ole tore up surrey out there with a big re-ward poster on it. Reckin why they went an’ done sech?”

  “Wantin’ folks to keep on a-thankin that somebody killed the ole fool; that’s why they done sech.”

  “Ernie, I thank that we oughta git out from here right now. I don’t like it a bit, what we’re a-fixin’ to do. I ain’t never liked this big ole house, an’ ever’time I pass it, I go an’ says to myself that it looks like it might have ghosts roamin’ around in it.”

  “Well, if it didn’t have’m when you wuz a-passin by them times an’ sayin’ sech to yoreself, then I guess it’s got one in it now for shore.”

  “You talkin’ about Banker Tolbert’s Ghost?”

  “Yeah, but don’t commence a-gittin’ all skeered up ‘cause ghosts don’t show up in the daytime. They just come out at night.”

  “Are you shore?”

  “Yeah, I’m shore. Now put yore stuff down here with mine, an’ hush up about sech an’ come on.”

  The boys stepped upon the brick walk that was lined with red and white petunias. They walked through the well-kept yard with its big magnolia trees loaded with sweet smelling-blossoms. As they approached the porc
h, a large squirrel scurried across the banister and leaped over to a nearby oak tree covered with ivy. As he scrambled toward the top, his sharp claws tore away some of the leaves from the trailing vines. Before the leaves had time to fall to the ground, a light breeze carried them over to rest at the end of the immaculate porch.

  The boys had never before set foot on a porch this big and nice. The floor was built with tongue-and-groove lumber that made it free of any cracks. It was painted a pale gray that matched the shutters on the windows. The surface was so smooth that a person would be comfortable as he walked on this beauty in his bear feet. One could run, slide, and jump from one side of the big porch to the other and never have to worry about picking up “a mean ole splinter” in one’s heel!

  The boys went up the steps, and side-by-side they walked slowly toward the door of the big house. Suddenly Ernie stopped, looked at Joey Frank and in a loud whisper, he asked, “What’s wrong with you? What’cha pickin’ up yore feet so high for?”

  “’Cause the tacks are workin’ outta the soles of these shoes of yores, an’ I’m afraid I’ll skin up the porch. Miss Rene might not like sech doin’s.”

  “Well, you look down-right crazy doin’ sech. Why didn’t you take a rock an’ knock the dang thangs back-in before we got here?”

  “’Cause I didn’t thank of sech, that’s why.”

  Ernie shook his head in disgust at Joey Frank and urged him to proceed. When they came to the front door, Joey Frank looked back at where he had walked across the shiny porch. He was glad to see that he hadn’t left any scratches that Miss Rene might resent. He then looked at Ernie and whispered for him to do something with the wad of tobacco in his mouth. Ernie obeyed, not because he wanted to, but only to satisfy Joey Frank. He rolled the wad around in his mouth and fixed it so it wouldn’t be noticed; then asked, “Are you ready now?”

  Joey Frank nodded accordingly, then Ernie knocked on the door. In a few moments an attractive dark-haired young ladyopened the door. Ernie spoke politely, introducing himself and Joey Frank, “Howdy, Ma’am, my name is Ernie Brown, an’ this here fella with me is my buddy Joey Frank Cooper.”