Townies, Cronies and Hayseeds: One Woman's Struggle Against the Underbelly of Small-Town Politics

By Cherie White

Shannon McGregor is a widowed mother of four children, living just outside of Tucson, Arizona and has the life others only dream of having. She is a best-selling author and can make a great living doing what she loves most- writing novels. Every area in her life is close to perfect, her writing career could not be better, she enjoys a closeness with her family and lots of friends who adore her. However, her life hasn’t always been rosy. Shannon is an adult survivor of vicious and relentless school bullying. How had she risen above it? By moving over a thousand miles away to Arizona to start a new life. When her grandmother back in Thomasville, Tennessee dies suddenly and Shannon inherits her estate, she must return with her children to the home of her youth and make the necessary renovations to the house and sell the property before returning to Arizona. However, upon returning to the tiny town, she learns that the very people who run the town are the same people whom had tormented her in school.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Apr 16, 2018
• ISBN: 9781483479545

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Copyright © 2018 Cherie White.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-7955-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-7954-5 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 1/30/2018

1 The Journey

SHANNON CROOKE MCGREGOR HAD JUST finished loading the last of the luggage into her black GMC Yukon Denali with the help of all four children. The oldest, Alexandra, a recent high school graduate, chose to stay behind to avoid leaving her friends and missing summer classes at the University of Arizona. After thirteen-year-old Kelsey closed the hatchback of the SUV, Shannon and all the kids gathered together in the driveway.

Alright, Alexandra. You know what to do in the event of an emergency. If there is a fire or break-in and the security alarm goes off- Shannon began.

Yes, mother. You and Dad both have drummed it all into my head a million times already. Shannon’s eighteen-year-old daughter said in a tone of irritation, cutting her off.

Alexandra, you know it is going to be a while before we come back from Thomasville. Right? Shannon said gently as she crooked her finger under her daughter’s chin.

Yeah. I wish you guys didn’t have to go. The young girl said solemnly, her blue eyes reflecting sadness and long blonde highlighted hair blowing in the breeze.

I know, sweetie. But we must get Grandma Crookes’ house flipped and the property landscaped, then get it sold. It could take several months, maybe even a couple of years. And you have college and all your friends here. I understand why you don’t want to come with us. Shannon explained.

Shannon embraced her oldest daughter and planted a kiss on her forehead before thirteen-year-old Kelsey, eleven-year-old Price and five-year-old Chance, took turns hugging their big sister.

Now, Alex. There is plenty of food in the frig and freezer and plenty of toiletries in the huge linen closet in the bathroom. And when you run low, you have a credit card and checkbook. I trust that you will spend responsibly. Shannon told her.

Yes, Mom.

I don’t mind you ordering Pizza once every weekend or splurging on a dress, handbag or shoes every now and again but don’t get crazy with it. Just because we’re financially well-off doesn’t mean you get to have a free-for-all. Shannon went on.

Okay, Mother. Point well taken. I love you.

Shannon, Kelsey, and the two boys left the twenty thousand-square-foot, two-story adobe style house at around ten o’clock on Wednesday morning and began what would be a long journey to Thomasville, Tennessee. Kelsey looked at her mother with sad eyes.

Mom, I don’t want to leave! This is my home! All my friends are here! Mom, can’t I stay here with Alex? Please? Kelsey pleaded.

Shannon glanced over at her younger daughter and smiled as she drove the Denali through their neighborhood, headed for the interstate.

Now look, Kelsey. Alexandra has a lot on her plate right now. She is taking summer classes and working part time at the wireless store. If you were a few years older, I wouldn’t mind it but you would be a handful for her right now. You two would be at each other’s throats before the weekend. Besides, we’re just going to stay in Tennessee long enough to fix the place up and get it sold. Then we will come back to Arizona and everything will be normal again. It won’t be forever. I promise. Shannon explained.

Then if we’re coming back, why have you been talking about selling the house, Mom?

Shannon looked at her daughter with a smile. Kelsey had always been perceptive and nothing got past her ears, even as a small child.

Kelsey, I haven’t yet made that decision. The house isn’t even on the market. I am still in the thinking stages. Getting another house would not be a bad idea. When your father was alive, we planned to have one more child. But he’s gone now and Alex will be leaving home in the fall and living on her own while going to school full time. It will only be the four of us and the house is much too big. I would like to downsize.

Shannon was torn. Although she knew that downsizing would be cheaper and more convenient, she did not know if she could bring herself to let go of the home in which she had been living for the past fifteen years- the house in which she and Dale had shared so many happy moments before his death. It was the only home that her four children had ever known.

As she merged onto the interstate, Kelsey, Price and Chance turned around and gazed out of the back window of the Denali, watching as their neighborhood got smaller in the window until the houses, cacti and trees became little specs of different colors on a light, rusty orange canvas at the foot of a huge mountain ridge. They sadly said their goodbyes.

Before long, the McGregor’s were out of Tucson and in the middle of the desert. As Shannon drove, she occasionally took her eyes off the road to sneak a few quick glances of her surroundings. Kelsey, who sat in the passenger seat, was enjoying her time just staring out the window at the sandy world around them. Price was busy playing ‘Angry Birds’ on his Tablet and Chance was coloring in his coloring book.

All was quiet except for the steady hum of the motor and the rush of an occasional car passing them on the highway. The world outside the Denali was sandy and barren. There was hardly anything to look at, except for a few tumbleweeds rolling down a hillside to their left, a huge canyon towering on their right, and a sidewinder snake crossing the road ahead of them and making it safely to the other side. There were also a few cacti, one cactus here, another there. They were in the middle of Timbuktu, with no houses or businesses for as far as the eye could see, just an occasional cactus, canyon, animal or bush.

Well, one thing’s for certain, Shannon thought, If we break down, we’re stuck if there isn’t a cell tower nearby and I sure don’t see one.

Fortunately, she had gotten the automobile serviced, had the tires checked and filled up on gas earlier that morning. Therefore, it looked as if they were safe, unless something unforeseen happened. Finally, Kelsey began to get bored.

Mom, can you turn on some music? It’s too quiet in here. She said.

Shannon clicked on the stereo to hear a country and western cowboy tune being crooned over the car speakers. "…cooooool water (water)!"

Kelsey’s upper lip curled up.

"What in the blazes is that? Ewww!"

"For real! Price agreed. Are there any other radio stations we can pick up besides this one?"

Shannon scanned the other possible stations, pressing the dial button slowly, only to hear crackles of static.

I’m afraid not, Hon. She answered.

Something must be wrong with your radio antenna. Maybe it’s bent or something. Price guessed.

There is nothing wrong with the antenna, Price. We are in the middle of the desert, where there aren’t a lot of towers nearby. So, it’s not unusual to have a lack of reception out here. Shannon explained.

Kelsey dug through her overnight bag and pulled out her IPod and earbuds. After putting in her earbuds and turning the gadget on, she was satisfied. She leaned back into the leather seat and slightly bobbed her head to the beat of the music as it pulsated out of the buds in her ears.

"… We fight all the time! We never get along! I don’t want you here but hate it when you’re gone! You call me a bastard, I call you a bitch but you’re the only woman who can scratch my itch! I love ya but I hate ya!…"

The lyrics were followed by a guitar riff that Kelsey loved. There was no better way to kill the boredom of a long trip then to listen to her favorite rock group, Dirt, whose songs she had pirated off a music download site behind her mother’s back not long before.

Shannon had always been choosey about the music her children listened to. Anytime any of the children wanted a CD or legal download, Shannon always sampled the music first. She had heard the songs Dirt had performed and adamantly declared the CD off limits to Kelsey after hearing same of the lyrics. Dirt would sing, or more appropriately, scream about fights with girlfriends, breakups which led to suicide or murder, war, drugs, and going to jail for statutory rape of fourteen and fifteen-year-old girls. Therefore, these were good reasons that Shannon, like any mother worth her salt, had strictly forbade her daughter to listen to the band.

However, in Kelsey’s young mind, what mommy didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her. For good measure, although the music was loud in Kelsey’s ears, she kept it low enough to where her mother could not hear the tiny whine of it coming from the earbuds. Just as Shannon began to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet of the drive, another little voice came from the backseat behind her.

Mom, I’ve got to pee. Price called.

Oh, great! Price there isn’t a gas station anywhere near here, honey! Shannon sighed. Can you hold it until we get to a gas station?

Yeah, I think so. Price answered.

We’ve been driving through nothing for over an hour. There’s bound to be a convenience store not too far up ahead. Shannon thought aloud. "It’s a good thing I went ahead and filled up the gas tank before we left.

Shannon drove fifteen miles and no sign of a gas station. She drove fifteen more, passing exit after exit and still no gas available without taking an exit and having to drive another fifteen to twenty miles out of her way, to the nearest town. Price, being the good son that he was, hated to bother his mother. He sat quietly in the back seat, crossing his legs and clutching his crotch with both hands with Chance sitting beside him and snickering at him.

Finally, Price gave in.

Mom, I’ve really got to go…bad. I don’t think we’re going to find a store, or anyplace with a bathroom. He said.

Okay. Hold on, son. Let me get on this exit coming up and I’ll find a place for you to go. Shannon promised.

The Denali pulled off the interstate and lurched up the exit, came to a stop at a stop sign, then turned right. Shannon drove about a half mile down the two-lane road, then lurched to a stop on the shoulder. Price jumped out of the SUV on the side opposite of the road and facing a vast desert landscape. He stood behind the open car door, unzipped his pants, drew a deep breath, then exhaled, feeling sweet relief as the splatter of urine on hot asphalt pierced the silence of the desert.

I’ve got to go too, Mom. Kelsey said as she unbuckled her seat belt. Price got back inside the car.

Kelsey, where are you going to go? There’s no place for a female to go around here. Shannon replied.

I’ll find a bush. Kelsey, answered. And she got out of the car, ran across the sand and lowered herself behind the nearest bush.

Shannon looked back at Chance.

Chance, if you feel like you are going to have to use the bathroom, now’s the time to do it. She warned.

After everyone had taken care of business, they were back on the highway again. At last, Shannon could drive peacefully once more until just after one o’clock, when the youngsters began to get frisky again.

Mom, can we stop and stretch our legs somewhere? My booty hurts. Price whined.

Oh, Price! Shannon scolded. Chance let out a loud cackle.

"Your booty? Kelsey asked, I lost all feeling in my butt fifty miles ago!"

Kelsey Kaye! Not you too! The proper word is ‘behind’. And I’m talking to you too Hunter Price McGregor!

I’m hungry! Chance called out.

Hang on. We’ll stop in a few moments.

Fortunately, Shannon came to a small rest area, which was just along the interstate. She pulled off the highway and into the parking lot. The rest area wasn’t much, only consisting of a few picnic tables which sat under small pavilions and on concrete platforms. In the center of the little park stood a stucco which housed the men’s and women’s restrooms and two empty vending machines, which had been broken into by vandals and thieves. However, it was a place to rest and that is all Shannon and the kids cared about. After pulling into one of the parking spaces in front of one of the picnic tables, Shannon and the kids silently sat in the Denali while Shannon took her cellphone, which was hooked to the car charger and speed-dialed Alexandra.

Alexandra answered with a bubbly ‘hello’.

Alex, it’s your mother. Listen, your brothers, sister and I are at the rest stop on I-10 about a mile or two from the New Mexico state line. Shannon said.

Is everyone okay, Mom? Alexandra asked.

We’re just fine, sweetie. We’re going to eat lunch and rest for a few minutes, then head out again. I’ll call you again the next time we stop.

Okay, Mom. I love you. Be careful.

You too, sweetie. Shannon said lovingly before giving air kisses over the phone. "Mwah! Mwah! Love you. Bye."

It was the first week of June and they were still in the desert. The mid-afternoon temperature had risen to a blazing one hundred five, with a heat index of same. There was no breeze at all, only still hot air. With the aid of Kelsey, Shannon hauled the huge cooler out of the back of the truck. They both carried it to one of the picnic tables and pavilions, the only source of shade they could find. However, they were still hot and the pavilion did little to cool them off.

Shannon opened the cooler and dug through the ice before finding healthy sports drinks and bottled water, then handed each of the children a bottle. She then dug into another cooler and took out a loaf of bread, which she had set on top of the ice to keep the bread from being smashed. She continued to dig through the ice and pulled out a jar of mayonnaise, a jar of mustard, and a pack of white turkey-breast cold cuts. Shannon made each child a sandwich, then placed one small bag of potato chips beside each sandwich and served it on sturdy Coronet plates.

After eating, they all rested for about thirty minutes, taking walks to stretch their legs and using the restroom before continuing the journey. As soon as they all climbed into the Denali, Shannon turned the air conditioner full blast and the children welcomed the huge burst of cool air with sighs of relief.

By dusk they were out of Arizona, almost clear across New Mexico and nearing the Texas panhandle. Shannon had driven out of her way and gotten them all to Albuquerque, where she merged onto I-40 East, which was a straight shot to Tennessee. As the kids kept themselves occupied with video games on their Tablets or music on their IPods, Shannon drove down the interstate, once again savoring the peace and quiet, which she knew all too well would be temporary. But she was determined not to think and dread, not now. Instead, Shannon turned off the AC, hit the button for the automatic window, and let the cool twilight air blow in her face.

Just before reaching the Texas state line, she exited off the interstate and pulled onto a lonely two-lane road, where she merged over to the shoulder and eased to a stop. Kelsey’s head popped up from her headrest.

Mom, what’s wrong? Do we have a flat or something? Kelsey asked, taking her earbuds out of her ears.

No, dear. Everything’s fine. I just wanted to stop for a minute. Shannon answered. And she opened the door and got out of the vehicle.

Shannon stood by her car and gazed off to the east, where the sky was turning an indigo blue color, exposing a few twinkling stars. Then she turned the opposite direction and gave the reddish-orange western sky a long gaze. The sun had already sunk below the horizon, giving off only its beautiful gold-pink rays. Scattered cirrus clouds zig-zagged under the sunbeams and the distant vapor trail from a jet long flown away streaked across the western sky into the fading sunlight. The cirrus clouds were a radiant lavender and purple color, silhouetted with a red glow from the light of the set sun. Shannon did not think she had ever seen such cosmic beauty in her life.

Kelsey got out and walked around the Denali to join her mother.

Mom, what are you looking at? She asked.

What’s left of the sunset. Have you ever seen something so beautiful? Shannon asked softly as she placed her arm around her daughter.

"Wow! That is pretty! That’s where Daddy is. That’s heaven." Kelsey gushed softly.

As both mother and daughter beheld the western horizon, a gentle cool breeze ruffled their clothes and hair, stroking their skin lightly. Soon the western skies dimmed into a faded brown color and they both climbed back into the vehicle. Then Shannon started the engine and drove back toward the interstate. She was relieved. From now until Memphis, she would not have to worry about onramps or exits to merge onto any other interstates, nor would she have to worry about making a wrong turn and getting lost.

She and the children would travel through Amarillo into Oklahoma, through Oklahoma into Arkansas, through Little Rock, West Memphis, then across the Mississippi River into Memphis. Once she was in Memphis, she would take highway 72 fifty miles to Thomasville. Suddenly, she cleared her thoughts. Shannon was afraid that she was thinking too far ahead. Memphis was still about a thousand miles away and she still had a long drive ahead of her.

By now, they had driven for about twelve hours. The boys were both snoozing in the back seat and Kelsey, leaning back in the passenger seat, was also asleep. Now that all the children were sleeping, Shannon had time to think. The handsome face of her late husband, Dale floated into her mind.

Dale McGregor had been a stock broker, who worked for an investment company in Tucson. Men like Dale were hard to find. Not only did he have a great paying job, but more importantly, he was a loving man, who made time for his wife and children. Mr. McGregor took pride in his family. He was an awesome husband, who was always faithful to Shannon and a doting father, who always showered his children with love and affection.

Shannon remembered when Dale would come home from work and he was either early, or on time. The evening ritual would be that the moment the children would hear him walk through the front door, their little feet would patter as they ran to greet him.

…Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!

Dale would then set down his briefcase and scoop them all in his arms for hugs and kisses. When he was through getting his daddy-love from the little ones, he would go into the kitchen where Shannon would be busy preparing dinner and give her a kiss on the cheek before they would ask each other how the other’s day went. Dale would then go upstairs, shower, and change out of his suit into his New York Yankees tee and red jogging pants before coming back downstairs for dinner.

On his vacations from work, Dale would take Shannon and the kids on camping trips, to the zoo, the park, the fair, the museum, even to Hawaii and Australia. Although not perfect, he was a rare breed of man. There were good times and bad, ups and downs like every marriage with children, but he never got out of the kitchen when life turned up the heat like so many other husbands and fathers.

Those had been the most wonderful and beautiful years. Sadly, those years were long gone- brought to a tragic and abrupt end by the squealing of tires and an explosion of glass and metal. In that split second, Shannon’s life took a dramatic turn as did the lives of all four children. She remembered that horrible night so clearly.

…The table had been set for dinner and Dale was expected to walk through the front door at any moment. The children were hungry and could not wait to sit down and eat.

Mommy, I’m starved. Chance whined.

I know, honey. But we have to wait for Daddy so that we can sit down and eat together. Shannon said in a soothing tone.

Dale was always home before six o’ clock. Six fifteen rolled around but no Dale.

Maybe he’s stopped to get gas or maybe he’s having car trouble. Shannon told the children. But the scary truth was that Dale had a smartphone and he never left home without it. Wherever he went, the cell went with him. Anytime something had come up, he always called.

Shannon felt this feeling of blackness creep into the pit of her gut. She did not know what it was, only that something was terribly wrong. At twenty after six, Shannon decided to let the children sit down and eat before their food got any colder than it already was. She popped each plate into the microwave and reheated it before sitting it down in front of each child.

The kids gobbled up the food before rushing upstairs for bath time. Alexandra, who was sixteen at the time, took three-year-old Chance to the kitchen sink, washed his pudgy little hands, then took him upstairs to give him his nightly bath. Alexandra always helped her mother care for her baby brother. Big sister would bathe him, dress him, put toothpaste on his toothbrush and watch him brush his teeth, making sure he brushed correctly, along with other motherly chores.

Shannon could not eat. Seven o’clock came and went, eight o’clock, then nine and still no sign of Dale. Trying to keep a straight face and herself together for the sake of the children, Shannon tucked them all into their beds and read the boys their nighttime bedtime story. Then she came downstairs to a quiet living room.

She could not believe that Dale had not made it home yet. This was so unlike him! What the hell was going on? Shannon clinched her jaw. One thing was for certain. If Dale was alright, he would have a lot of explaining to do once he walked through that door! Ten o’clock came and still, no word from her husband. Shannon paced the floors trying her best not to cry. Alexandra slowly came downstairs and joined her mother in the living room.

You still haven’t heard from him? She asked in a low voice. Shannon just looked at her and shook her head before speaking.

Go upstairs, Alex. Try to lie down and get some sleep. Okay?

At a quarter ‘til midnight, Shannon was still waiting up for her husband when her smartphone rang. Thinking it was Dale, she rushed to the kitchen counter where her cellphone lay and picked it up. When she checked the caller ID, it was a number she did not recognize. She pushed the green answer button and placed the phone to her ear.

Hello?

Is this Mrs. McGregor? Asked a female voice on the other end.

It was a nurse at the hospital. Dale had been in a car accident and judging from the way the nurse was talking, it was bad.

Is he alright? Shannon asked. Swallowing hard, she began to tremble and shake. The room around her seemed to grow dim, as if an evil black cloud had loomed overhead.

Ma’am, I cannot give you that information over the phone. You need to come to the hospital. The nurse told her.

Shannon’s legs suddenly felt weak, like they had turned to butter. Oh God! He’s gone, isn’t he?

The lady on the other end never mentioned whether he was alive or dead, just that it was bad and that Shannon needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible. By not answering the question, the nurse had only confirmed Shannon’s terrifying suspicion. After hanging up with the nurse, Shannon called her next-door neighbor, Jean to come watch the children. As soon as Jean arrived, Shannon jumped into the Denali and sped fifteen miles to the hospital.

When she arrived, she told the desk nurse who she was and was instructed to wait in the waiting room until someone came with more information. It was not long before a doctor and nurse came into the room and approached Shannon. Shannon rose from her chair.

Are you Mrs. McGregor?

Just then, a tall, greying man all dressed in black except for a white collar came in and joined them, carrying a Bible, taking off his matching black hat and placing it over his heart. He then knelt and gently took Shannon’s hand in his. There was her answer. Shannon went to her knees and the room became a blur as hot, salty liquid rushed down her cheeks.

Three days later, Dale McGregor was laid to rest and Shannon stood at the graveside, surrounded by four sad little faces. Tears streamed down her cheeks as the casket was lowered into the ground. For the first time, she looked skyward and her eyes narrowed as she gnashed her teeth in anger toward her Maker. It just wasn’t fair! Shannon could not understand what purpose The Almighty had for taking Dale. Dale was Shannon’s hero! Great men like Dale get killed and the assholes of the world get to go on living, making, bending and changing the rules anyway they want, doing anything they want to people and seeming to profit from it. Such bullshit! What a freaking bummer! What kind of Supreme Being allows such irony?

Fortunately, it was not long before Shannon overcame those feelings. God had allowed this wonderful person to come into her life and she became thankful for the time spent with such a wonderful and honorable man…

It had been almost two years since Dale’s untimely passing. Shannon cleared her thoughts as she continued to drive through the night. The movers had left the day before with a few pieces of furniture that Shannon thought she might need along with a dolly, upon which sat her black Mercedes S280, chained securely.

As she drove the Denali down the nearly deserted interstate, seeing an occasional semi pass by, Shannon began to think back to when she was growing up in Thomasville and asked herself whether she really wanted to go back there again. Although she never spoke a word of it, Thomasville, Tennessee was a town she would have rather forgotten. No one in Arizona, not even her children, had known of the deep, dark secrets Shannon had kept locked away inside. Terrible memories from her early years in the small Tennessee town had followed her clear across the country, to Arizona…memories that she kept buried deep in her soul until she wrote and published a true story about them.

Shannon drove into Amarillo, Texas at just after midnight. There, she stopped at a hotel, called Alexandra to let her know where they were, then ushered her sleepy children out of the vehicle. She chose The Hanover Royal Suites because of the hotel’s five-star rating. Whether or not a hotel was fancy did not concern Shannon. However, she was a stickler for cleanliness and five-star hotels were the cleanest in the business.

Shannon, surrounded by three sleepy children, stood at the front desk of the high-end hotel. She reserved a room, pulled out her credit card and handed it to the desk clerk. As soon as she received approval from the credit card company, she was given a key-card to their room.

After taking the elevator, ascending six floors up, and walking only a few feet down a dimly lit hall, Shannon and the children came to the door of their room and she swiped her key card. When the door opened, they walked into an immaculate, romantically-lit room with two impeccably-made king sized beds. Upon each of the beds, sat three individually-wrapped chocolates. Price and Chance giddily grabbed the chocolates before Shannon snatched the candy away.

Oh, no you don’t! It’s time to go to bed. You can eat this in the morning after breakfast. She scolded. Kelsey dug her smartphone from her overnight bag and texted Alexandra, letting her know where they were and that they were safe.

After a restful night’s sleep, Shannon and the children awoke around eight o’clock the next morning and the children were hungry.

Mom, can I have the chocolates now? Chance asked.

After breakfast. Shannon answered before calling room service. After enjoying a variety breakfast of pancakes, sausage, bacon, fresh fruits and juices, they each took a quick shower, dressed, then checked out of the hotel at just before eleven.

By noon, they were back on the interstate and out of Amarillo. Shannon drove with the radio playing Breaking the Girl by Red Hot Chili Peppers while the boys sat in the back seat munching on the chocolates from the hotel. Today, Shannon decided to take it easy rather than to rush like she had the day before. Little by little, as they headed east, the world around them slowly grew greener and less