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JP was all business, for the first thing, he and Bob D. his shop foreman sat down and discussed the business, and over a fifth of Jack Daniels they cleared up a lot of problems. Bob told JP exactly what was wrong and how it had become so. JP poured both of them more Jack into their coffee cups, he looked at Bob, �You have just told me what I have realized in the past few days. Things will change, and I need your help.�
�JP I like you and I like my job here but you have really become a fur ball, with your Country club and hi faluting ways. Folks notice it and you are not as thorough as you were.� Bob took a sip and continued, �When Jimmy messed up the Shakey motor job, you should have fired him, rebuilt the motor and offered to pay the extra costs Shakey encountered because of our mess up.� �Bob, I know it now, and have already been over and talked to them, and told them when the contract with Bart Kaminsky is up, I want to get a whack at it again and I will put everything on the line to prove my mettle this time.� �JP sorry to hear about you and Jaylene, but Tommy said the kids are happy cause they got you back.� JP smiled and took a sip, �Thanks. She sure had the wool pulled over my eyes.� Bob took another drink, thought a moment looked around as if to make sure they were alone, when they were sitting in the break room and it was near midnight. �JP, Jaylene had three high school kids over to your place two or three times, gave them dope, booze and had sex with them. Their parents are pretty upset.� JP�s eyes lit up and they discussed it and he wrote down the names. �Bob there is one other thing I must tell you and I hope you will keep it to yourself, and that is I sold 51% of this place and do not know who the buyer really is, it was bought by an investment company. But I am working it out, for I planned as you know to really increase the size of our business, and add on to the shop.� �I know JP but thanks for leveling with me. I understand the investor will be quite amenable.� And with that JP made Bob call his wife to come and get him since he had been drinking, and JP called Bud Stiltz at the Sheriff�s department and told him what Jaylene had done. Bud thanked him and said he would look into it. The following Monday Bill from the bank called JP and informed him he could buy the old home back for twenty thousand more than he had sold it for. JP said, OK. And Bill informed him he had talked to a Realtor and they had someone interested in his big new house but he would most likely take a shellacking on it, but he would keep in touch with the Realtor. JP thanked him, and when he got home from work, he and the kids cooked supper, and he told them they were going back to the old house. Jaylene was furious when she was deposited with her clothes and nothing else in the little two-bedroom place down on Kiowa St., a trashy damned part of town, although it was close to her parent�s house and where she was born and raised. She immediately took her first weeks allowance, and bought dope, booze and four pizzas and invited the boys over for a party. The last party she would have for a while. The lawyer had the divorce on the docket and ten days after JP had thrown her out, and the day before the hearing, the largest scandal in the town�s history, well not quite the largest, but the juiciest in a long time hit the town. �Jaylene Lane, estranged wife of JP Lane was arrested last night and charged with conduct detrimental to minors, plus she is charged with giving and selling minors, dope, alcohol, and paying them to have sex with her. Mrs. Lane is being held on two hundred thousand dollars cash bond. Names of those involved will not be released because they are minors, but Charles P. Fixit and Sandra Sqyzit, both adults were charged as co conspirators.� JP had told the children what was coming, and they would get a lot of flack but just hold you head high and hold your tongue. he dropped the real bombshell, �Children I talked to your grandmother today, went out to see her.� �You talked to that old hag? Well, er ahhh ahh . . . .. . that is what mom called her?� Paul said. �Yes your grandmother, the lady who raised me and who gave me everything she could and I did not appreciate. My mother, and Saturday we are going to visit her.� �Oh goody, goody, thanks dad,� Jean said as she jumped up ran around the table and hugged her dad. �Kids who know her say she is a nice old lady, a little odd but a nice old lady.� The son looked at his father sheepishly and smiled. �What time dad, what time to we get to go see Grandma Lane?� �About noon son, she has to make her deliveries, remember selling milk, eggs, bread and produce is how she earns her living.� they set about their newly defined chores, and the three of them seemed so happy, joking and horsing around. The divorce hearing was held one week later and the judge granted a divorce, with Jaylene receiving nothing but her clothes, her car and any wedding gifts she wanted, and there were only three of them. And after that Jaylene was taken back to the county jail. Saturday morning JP and the children were up early and had something which they had seen very few of, a leisurely breakfast with their father and they talked about the move back to the old house and discussed chores each would have to do till their dad got things sorted out. And at quarter to twelve they got into JP�s pickup and went East to see Grandma Lane Mrs. Cranston It was Saturday morning in mid July and it hadn�t rained for nearly a month, but the temperature was nearly a hundred and the humidity was way up there as Aggie trudged into town. She had so much to carry she was pulling her little red wagon, and it was loaded down. For she had fifteen dozen eggs, twelve loaves of bread, and seven gallons of goats milk plus some produce. Now from Aggie�s house into town, the road was a good wide graveled road; folks called it Erfman�s road because it developed as a road to the Erfman farm way back when. When they fenced the road they just fenced the edge of the right of way and it was 150 feet wide and the road was only like ten or twelve feet with the rest just grassy ground so Aggie had worn down a path the four miles from her gate to town where the sidewalk and hard surface roads started. Also during the hot weather Aggie would bring a jug of water with her for it was four miles to town and of course four miles back home. She was on the road at just after six, after she had milked the goats and gathered the eggs. The first two customers were glad to see, her; took their bread, eggs and milk and bought some corn, tomatoes and cucumbers, paying her in good hard cash When she got to the last customer on the west side of town, Mrs. Cranston�s house, she found Mrs. Cranston all upset and not very coherent. So after Aggie had delivered the goods, Mrs. Cranston could not even count money so Aggie helped her. Aggie got her settled down and put an ice pack on the back of her neck and gave her a big glass of ice water. Mrs. Cranston asked her to sit down, and Aggie did, �You just can�t believe it Mrs. Lane, you just can�t believe it,� the distraught woman said. Aggie patted her on the shoulder and said, �Can�t believe what?� �Well Mr. Lane, my husband, my Arthur, he did, he really did and he admitted it to me, after 27 years of marriage he admitted it.� she paused and took a drink of water, and continued, �My Arthur has been fornicating with that Mrs. Boyle at the Furniture store, has been fornicating with her for fifteen years, and yesterday she came into my house and told me that my Arthur was the father of her three children, and she wanted my Arthur to divorce me and marry her after she divorced Mr. Boyle, that nice Mr. Boyle.� Mrs. Cranston started to shake her head and moan; and again Aggie arose and patted her on the shoulder and got her more ice water. �Was she serious, was she really serious?� �Yes, she showed me the lab results which show that Mr. Boyle could not be their father and my Arthur was. What am I to do, what am I to do, I am ruined. And Arthur has been the senior Elder in the Methodist church for over twenty five years.� Aggie, looked at the Mrs. Cranston and asked, �You have a pencil and paper?� Mrs. Cranston looked at her and said, �Yes� �Well get it and wipe those eyes, I will tell you exactly what to do,� and Aggie cleaned off the kitchen table and pointed where Mrs. Cranston should sit down. �Well tell me?� Mrs. Cranston put a tablet on the table and held a pencil ready to write. �First thing Monday, go to the bank and withdraw all the money you and Mr. Cranston have in there, savings and checking. you go by the lock shop and have Mr. Smith come over and change all the locks at your house, every one. you go over to Lawyer Ed Batter and tell him the story and say you want to start divorce proceedings.� And when Mr. Cranston comes home tonight try to act normal, say nothing to him and after supper, slip out and lock the garage door and hide the car keys. when he goes to bed, get his wallet and take all of his money, in the morning make him mad, does he ever hit you or slap you?� Mrs. Cranston had been writing, she stopped, �Yes he does, when he is mad he hits and slaps me.� she went back to writing. Aggie was enjoying this, enjoying it very much because Mr. Cranston had come to her house once and tried to rape her, but she had hit him with a stick of stove wood and he had never been around since . �Make him mad, however you can and as soon as he hits you, call the police and have him arrested for assault; and make sure the police take pictures of your bruises and where he hit you.� Aggie smiled, �And Monday morning have Lawyer Ed Batters serve him with the divorce papers, and have him get a restraining order prohibiting Mr. Cranston from coming within 300 feet or you or this house.� Mrs. Cranston smiled for she had seen the light, and she looked at Aggie, �Mrs. Lane did my husband try to get close to you?� Aggie looked at her slyly and shook her head, �A week after I moved to where I am now, but I split his head with a stick of stove wood and he has been a real gentleman to me ever since. � Both women laughed for now Delbert Cranston was going to get his. Aggie went to the grocery store and bought her staples and she splurged, this one day she splurged, for she bought herself a Popsicle, an Orange Popsicle, one of those double stick ones, and she thoroughly enjoyed it as she walked back home. Aggie often remembered this and her advice to Mrs. Cranston. Aggie was up early, cleaning, dusting and baking cookies and brushing the dogs. she had a bite to eat and did her morning chores. For she had get to town and make her deliveries because she was having company, company which she had wanted for a long time, and company which she wished was not considered company but family. She fired up the three wheeler and made her deliveries, not tarrying or dallying to chat with anyone, for she was as nervous as old Tennessee Ernie Ford used to say, �As nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rockers.� She was home by ten and she baked some bread and watered her garden, well she didn�t have to water it for she now had a neat sprinkler system. She actually was thinking of installing a timer device to automatically do it during the night to save water. She had already fried up two young chickens and made some potato salad. at three minutes to twelve she heard the dogs bark and looked out to see JP�s blue pickup pull into the driveway. He and the children got out and Aggie, took her apron off and went to meet them. The dogs started barking and running beside her. As the four of them came together, JP raised his arms, hugged his mother, and said, �Momma , momma, here are my off springs.� Tears rolled down Aggie�s cheeks as she turned to meet her two long far off grandchildren. �This is Jean, and this is Paul.� A had taken to Jean and B had taken to Paul and both children acted as if they had known the dogs all their lives, the way they licked them. She leaned over and hugged them and said, �Want to see my goats?� �Yes Grandma, yes can we?� Jean asked. �What is this dog�s name, he really is friendly?� Aggie grinner, that is �A� and the other one is �B� and they know nice people when they see them, if you weren�t they would have bitten you and run you off.� Both kids laughed and hugged the dogs. Paul looked at her, �What should I call you, Grandma or Widder Lane?� His dad looked at him. But Aggie laughed, �Whatever you wish Paul, whatever you wish, she proceeded to show them her three goats, and they really got a kick out of petting Billy, and they went into the chicken yard and she showed them the nest and they saw the chickens and they thought the two roosters were quite, �cool�. �How much land you have here grandma?� Paul asked as he looked around. �I told you two acres,� JP replied, looked at his mother. Aggie sort of stammered, �A little more than that, a little more.� she whistled for the dogs and immediately the children fell in love with them, of course Jean took to A and Paul to B. �Want some lunch?� she hesitated, �I fried chicken and made potato salad, for I don�t know what youngsters eat these days.� they went inside. �Grandma, you do not have a television, or a radio.� Paul said as he wandered around looking about. �Look Paul, look dad, look at all the books. Grandma have you read them, have you?� Aggie smiled, �Yes Jean, and all of them more than once, and your dad read all of the books in the left bookcase.� And they sat down and ate. The grandkids loved the chicken and homemade potato salad and could not believe grandma baked her own bread. After lunch JP looked at his mother, �I have to go to work for a while, would you two like to stay and visit with grandma until I get my work done?� �Yes, yes,� were the replies. �Be back about four or five, OK?� and JP left. Aggie and the two children and of course the two dogs went out to explore. She took them to the woods to the East of her place, across the road and they just talked and walked and seemed to enjoy. Finally at ten to five their dad came back, and the grandchildren left. Aggie and the dogs saw them to the truck and Aggie, said, as a tear rolled down her cheek, �I am so glad to meet you and I do hope you will come back and see, me. she looked at Paul, �Son your financial worries will work out for the good, so just get the rest of your life and the children�s lives in order.� And they drove off. For little did JP realize the how and whys. Aggie knelt down and petted her dogs, stood and told them, �Hey dogs we have chores to do or you won�t get any supper,� and they went about their chores. Sunday morning Aggie got up and made Apple turnovers, as soon as her chores were done, she and the dogs cut across the field to Joe�s and woke him up and they had a leisurely apple turnover and coffee breakfast as she recounted her meeting with her two grandchildren. The four of them, Aggie, Joe and the two dogs, went for a long walk around Joe�s property. �You know what Aggie?� Joe asked as they walked along a dirt road holding hands? �No I don�t tell me, � Aggie replied as she squeezed Joe�s hand. �Between you and I the widder lady and the old bum who works for the big Mojo, own about half the county this side of town.� They looked at each other, laughed and continued to walk. �Aggie, will you help me buy me a dog?� �No I will not but we will go to the pound and see what we can find?� And they did enjoy their day, and ended it by eating cheese and apples and drinking wine, playing a hard fought game of Spill and Spell.(062002)
NOTE: There are about twelve more parts to this story, but if no one reads it and no one enjoys it, it is a waste of space and work for Marilyn, so the remaining parts will be archived.
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