A Story You Need to Know

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    A Story You Need to Know

    by Pablo

    Then an ancient, god forsakenChevy jalopy,trailing a plume of black smoke, crawled over the horizon like a

    beetle. Obie had been walking and thumbing, waiting for a ride. After some

    minutes the jalopy rattled to an amazing stop beside him. In the front seat were

    an old gnarled man and two young boys. The old mans stubble beard and the

    hair on his head were grey sprinkled, and the two kids were smiling. Obie

    could count their teeth in the shadows of the waning afternoon. Obie climbed

    into the back seat, and amidst snarling and clashing gears the relic accelerated,

    and the driver turned around abruptly, and said, Where you going?

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    Florida.

    Now theres an idea. And he turned to the two kids and he said, Your

    Aunt Mabel lives in Florida.

    Aunt Mabel? Aint no Aunt Mabel!

    She left home. You boys couldnt have been much taller than weeds.

    Dont remember, probably. Your Aunt Mabel had the sweetest smile this side of

    Cherry Street. And fourteen dogs.

    Fourteen dogs! The boys howled laughing. Thats a pack of dogs.

    Sure. Had to. All them dude boys coming around. Your Aunt Mabel was a

    virgin till the day she died.

    Thought you said she was living in Florida?

    I did. Shes dead and living in Florida. But that aint the hull of it, and

    that aint the half of it neither.

    In the hollows, as the November evening closed across the coastal

    flatlands, a tremulous vapor rose slowly. By the time they reached the first

    curve in the road, the old man commenced the story of Aunt Mabel.

    Your Aunt Mabel was the fourteenth childof your Grand folks Ethel and

    Elvis Knight. Aint either of you escaped your Grandma Ethels wrath when

    being wise, god love her. Sure wish she was around now to pull up the short or

    the long of it. She was always pulling up or pulling out: it was her way. Guess

    she figured she knew the right, not like nowadays when nobody dont. She

    must not have pulled up Old Elvis too many times, cause she was always

    pregnant, and not in any hurry to be concerned about it neither.Now, she had Maribelle number four, either that or Ronel was number

    four. One. Whether it was Maribelle or Ronel number four dont mind much,

    but Maribelle growed to be your Mama, which damned if Id tell her what you

    boys been getting into, shed proly die of a heart attack.

    Now, by and by your Grandma Ethel had thirteen children. She was a

    powerful woman who nowise was confused about their names like some, could

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    rattle em off like a drill sergeant, and eyes in the back of her head for

    misbehaving. But eventually, accorst, she was necessary to maneuver old Elvis

    sos to do less damage at nights. The only answer could be cabbage leaves. If

    ou put two cabbage leaves under your pillow each night, youre bound to fall

    asleep soon as your head hits the pillow. Eventually it got so old Elvis would

    fall asleep walking across the bedroom to the bed, and Ethel had to catch him

    before he hit the floor, roll him into bed and tuck him in sound asleep.

    Thats how for years life went on for the Knight family without hardly a

    whisper of harm. In fact, life went on too smooth for old Elvis, who took to

    livening up a Saturday night with a bottle of home brew. You can imagine him

    coming in from the shed randy, man that he was, looking for his wife of many a

    ear, cabbage leaves or no. Things bound to pass, although she claims nothing

    ever did, that is after the cabbage leaves, although he claims he caught her half

    asleep Christmas eve of 48. In fact, never would she admit it, and when, come

    September, Mabel was born, she even claimed, serious or not, Mabel was a

    blessed child. Might as well have been, that lil girl could bring a smile out of

    the darkness in the bleakest heart.

    She grew up a willow in a forest of oak, fragrant and delicate ashoneysuckle in a brier patch. But lost and lonely among us rambunctious foals

    as an apple blossom in a sea of beet greens. She began to spend her time of

    days following the flickers of sunlight in the big woods. And one day damned

    if she didnt come home with a coy dog cub nestled in her arms. And before

    long Mabel was laughing in the midst of fourteen snarling blue gray hounds.

    You think I lie, do you, that them half wild hounds wouldnt pirouette for the

    likes of her? And she in the middle of them developing them woman curves.

    Lord, it was a sight to behold. Not an able bodied one of us whose eyeswouldnt fill with tears at the sight of it. But not only fourteen hounds yapping

    at her fingertips, creating a plume of dust behind her, but Ethel also, protecting

    her fourteenth child like fourteen harpies from hell. And everybody knowed it,

    too, plenty enough to steer away from them broad forearms.

    Except Seth Armbrister. Now, hes a whole other story again you boys

    should know about if you figure on surviving this world; and I hate skipping

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    over, but if I dont, how am I gonna finally tell you about your Aunt Mabel and

    how she ended up dead living in Florida?

    Anyway, Seth Armbrister went north and worked in the factories for ten

    ear. He come back with money in the bank, but he also come back with a

    heart like flint. When them two drunken brothers, George and Bryan Tibbets,

    was looking to unload the hardware store their father left them, Seth was in a

    position to provide ready cash, which they wasted the way they wasted

    everything else.

    It was very complicated how Seth finally ended up with that store, but

    before the towns people had a chance to complain, he was sitting smack in the

    middle of it, atop the barrel of ten penny nails, and not about to be moved.

    Anyway, Seth was counting on the long trip to Merrymount, where there was

    the only other hardware. Turned out Seth ran a tight ship. Took a couple of

    ears, some broken windows, ample schemings and connivances, but by and by

    both white folks and black owed Seth equally, and everybody knows how the

    towns abuilding.

    Anyway, it began to be observed that Seth was a force to be reckoned

    with. But somehow Ethel and Seth just never hit it off. Maybe it was all therumor associated with how he took over the store, maybe it was something that

    happened a long time before. Never could figure it out, why shed be so set

    against him, who normally werent set against anybody for long.

    Truth be told Seth was getting on in years. A little good luck, and now

    Seth imagined the sun was turning round to settle more convenient. You might

    say it was natural and understandable, him making a name for himself, and

    with all the right people, and them owing him money besides. He was smart

    enough not to preen himself and rub his hands together like a damned idiot infront of who were important, but us poor folks with our nickels and dimes,

    well, it was as if he saved it all up, doubled it out of aggravation, and let it float

    like a dark cloud overhead the minute you walked in. Unless you had

    something he wanted, then he was all smile and shucks till it was sickening.

    Must have learned it up north. You all learn that up north. Most learn to pay it

    never mind. Ethel was plenty smart enough. But certain times aint no way

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    around it, caint, when you need a bag of ten penny nails and the closest store

    around is twenty miles up the road in Merrymount.

    Besides lately, to Ethel and Elvis, wasnt that Seth ever obliging! How

    could it ever occur to them there might be something he was wanting? And that

    what he was wanting was a certain stripling not yet fourteen running around in

    a pack of fourteen dogs, coyotes, is what they were? Besides, they had

    weaknesses the same as any other, and Seth had been hard at it, selling them

    new doors, new windows and a load of lumber extra reasonable. Not that they

    were likely to get into it deeper than they could get out. Elvis was never a lover

    of hard work any more than he had to be. How could they know? No way they

    could know; and even if they did know, why should they worry? Them dogsd

    scare off the randiest fool.

    So that was one, really two notions that had old Ethel and Elvis

    thoroughly befuddled. As I said, Ethel never could warm up to Seth or any of

    them solemn, dried up Armbristers. They was all the same, scheming and sad

    looking, sitting on a keg of ten penny nails. But by now with all the favors Seth

    had helped them to, she was sorely tried, spent a number of uncomfortable

    nights, I imagine, wondering why he had been giving her the nod, half likinghim, and hating him for the confusion he was causing in her head. And not for

    one minute of that tossing and turning did it ever occur to her about Mabel and

    the pack of hounds.

    Now, I declare, what in Gods name possessed him to take to our rag-tag

    Mabel in her pack of hounds when there was Sarah Riggins, for instance, god

    fearing and sweet, honest as the day before yesterday, ten times more likely. I

    could sit here wondering about this till the apocalypse. Wouldnt do no damn

    good. Whats needed in this story is a third something or other, so as to breakup the log jam. A mystery is a mystery. Theres mystery. What else you want to

    know?

    Well, there was something close. It just so happened that Seth Armbrister

    and Ethel Knight shared a thing in common: a certain interest in a hog named

    Bubba.

    Now, it wasnt ever day in them days that youd run across a hog big as

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    Bubba. Bubba was big. Some say near seven hundred pounds. And anybody

    who knowed your Grandma Ethel, knowing what a penny pincher she was,

    woulda been struck dumb at the sight of Bubba. Kids have to sit at supper

    proper, now, for if any fooling, shed scrape supper off their plates in a flash

    into the pot for Bubba. Ill tell you one thing, that hog taught them kids to eat

    proper; many a person has remarked at the Knight kids lovely manners, and

    they owe it all to Bubba.

    Started out innocent enough. Your Uncle James was given it by Francis

    Strong for some work he done. Thought hed grow it up, take it around some,

    make a dollar, then shoot it for the hams. Cute little runt. Hed sleep between

    James and John pretty as you please. Till he growed near two hunnerd pounds,

    then Elvis put him in the shed, and Ethel took a damned liking to him.

    So happened Seth Armbrister had a sow named Henrietta. He was used to

    getting a couple of litters a year out of her and hed sell the piglets a dollar a

    piece at the store, turn a neat little profit, and colorful besides, they were,

    squalling in the pen corner of the store. But Henrietta had lately fallen on hard

    times, couldnt settle, ornery enough to tear the pants right off of Seth for

    disturbing her sunbathing. Now that skin flint was thinking about eatingHenrietta when one day he was over Ethels measuring for the new windows

    when he spied Bubba gruntin, keeled over in the shade. Why, he was so pleased

    he liked to died when he saw that hog. Quick as a flash he put out his finest,

    most god fearing demeanor. Ten ah shucks later he says, Yall know, Ethel,

    thats a mighty fine hog. A man could do real well with a hog like that.

    You can imagine them two hemin and hawin bout hogs till it comes out

    Henrietta and her damn problems.

    Aint it true, though? You take a man who likes hogs, and he likes hogs,and thats the long and the short of it.

    So finally, says Ethel, I expect Bubba wont likely move anywhere in a

    hurry. So you just lead your Henrietta over here, and hell calm her down

    nicely, I guarantee.

    And thats what he did. And it was a sight to behold, Seth Armbrister

    leading Henrietta proudly down Main Street. A good looking hog she was, too,

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    pearly white except for a ribbon of black spots on her flanks. Good minding,

    too. A little tap with a switch on her ears for left or right, and a tap on the rear

    and she was moving along politely.

    Well, Bubba calmed her down alright. Then what do you know if a new

    problem begun to develop. Henrietta didnt want to go home no more. And

    damn sure Bubba was unlikely to depart his favorite stump in the sun.

    And thats how it was that Seth Armbrister and Mabel got throwed

    together. Seths over Ethels almost ever afternoon, scratching his head,

    wondering what to do with Henrietta, and Mabeld wander out, chatting ninety

    miles an hour, and Seth Armbristers laughing in a way nobody ever heard him

    laugh before.

    Now, dont get me wrong. Seth was for certain a decent man in that way.

    Hed never mingle with children, except to watch over them when they come

    around, explaining to them a thing or two. But this business of Henriettas

    refusal to stay home, and shed break out ever time he brought her home,

    carrying fence and wall of the shed back to Bubba; and ever time hed go to

    fetch her back, there was Mabel in her pack of hounds musta some how lit such

    a fire in his dried up old heart, that one evening about supper time, Henriettawas breaking out again so he shot her in the head and hung her in a tree just to

    get away from it. Sure enough, within a couple of minutes, didnt that half wild

    pack of hounds light on the scent of warm blood, then comes Mabel looking for

    her hounds.

    Didnt take long for your Grandma Ethel to get wise to these continuing

    goings on. Besides, by and by, her little Mabel had her a curve where she

    wasnt supposed to. The confusing part of it was, Seth Armbristers weeping

    and groaning on Ethels shoulder the same way Mabel was. I aint saying Ethelwerent some sore, but nothing to do about it but convince Mabel to waste

    away in seclusion till she died, and Seth could turn over the business to his

    brother Adam so that Seth and Mabel could quietly leave town, which they

    done.

    So thats how your Aunt Mabel died and been living in Florida these past

    twenty years. First it was hard, but Seth Armbrister aint no fool, made himself

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    a bundle in the construction racket. And Mabel ended up with fourteen children

    ust like her Mama. Goes to show how history bound to repeat itself.

    Now, I can see you boys dont believe a word I say. No sense trying to

    convince you, when damned if you wont believe anything you want to

    anyways.

    Then they came to a by-way in the road. You could go left, but then you

    might go right. The old man pulled over and turned around toward Obie in the

    back seat.Well now, if youre going to Florida, youll go left. But on the other hand,

    were goin this other way. Jess muddlin, I guess yall can go either way, and

    get to Florida by-and-by.

    Im on my way to Florida, Obie said, getting out slowly.

    Sure, said the man.

    They nodded good-by.

    So, thrashing through second gear to get started, the old man was saying,

    Which reminds me. Did I ever tell you the story of Old Porcupine Bill? No?How come you survived? You cant know nawthin about life at all. No way you

    can survive till tomorrow.

    The old car ground slowly into the distance and disappeared around a

    curve in the road.

    Obie crossed the intersection and walked down the road supposed to be

    south to Florida. The trees alongside the road were very colorful this time of

    ear, reminding him some of the roads up north in autumn. Traffic was sparse.

    He felt almost sprightly under the high sky and the profusion of colors; andnow in evening, which brought a chill into the air almost bitter, he broke into a

    fast walk, a pilgrim hoping for a new day.