Ten Things: Birch Clump Village Reader 4

By Joshua Seidl

Short stories and art set mostly in a small town in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Charaters in this ongoing collection of Village Readers includes Baby Boomers moving into their young adult years, 1970s. Humorous and at times dramatic.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Feb 16, 2014
• ISBN: 9781312021723

Book preview

Ten Things: Birch Clump Village Reader 4

Ten Things: Birch Clump Village Reader, 4

Joshua Seidl, SSP

Copyright 2014, Joshua Seidl

No portion of this book may be copied, reproduced or transmitted in any form without the expressed written permission of the author and artists.

ISBN 978-1-312-02172-3

Produced via Lulu.com

Dedication

Dedicated in memory of:

Gail Blackshear

Vowed member of Our Lady of the Annunciation

East Medicine Woman Singing

Acknowledgments

Art for the front cover design

includes a photo used with permission

from Maija Sulerud

Thanks

My thanks go to Uncle Charlie M. Browne for his editorial assistance and his proof reading and research. My thanks is extended to Maija Sulrud for giving permission to adapt her photography for the front cover of this book.

Thanks goes out to many others whose experiences shared with me have been woven and blended into these stories.

A noticeable number of scenes and characters in this book, as in my other books, portray various issues related to Indigenous cultural rights and justice. I endeavor to present these in a positive light. Where injustices are included in some of these situations, my purpose in presenting them is one of hope for positive change, and for peace and justice.

Disclaimer

All characters in these stories are fictional. Any semblance to real individuals in this life or who have gone onto the next life is coincidental and not intended. The exception holds for the names of famous public figures.

Introduction

Welcome to Birch Clump and the Birch Clump Village Reader series. I am Brother Joshua Seidl, the author of the majority of stories and poems found in the various BCV Readers.

Ten Things is number four (4) in the series. I subtitled Christmas Surprise after the season, and did not give that volume of the BCV reader series a number. Otherwise, this would have been given the number five.

These short stories bring out more on the delightful village and residents. Well, most of them are delightful, hospitable and for better or worse, definitely human. This volume continues with our favorites from the novels and from other Village Readers:

Jig Rajan stars in the title story, Ten Things, and introduces a new character from Escanaba, Michigan, Danny Zempel. These young men blunder their way through an amateur undercover job.

Amos Crow is the protagonist in the Fishing Hole mysteries. He was last seen in part one of the first BC Village Reader, Emerald Rising. He was assaulted, tied up and left in a secluded area of the great forest. His empty kayak showed up four days later in part two of the Fishing Hole found in the third BCV Reader, Peanut Butter & Pickle Pie.

Part three, in this tome, details what happened to Amos following the cliffhanger from part one. You will find out if he is dead or alive and more.

Jim-Bob is a new character to the series drifting through Ingalls in Fishing Hole, part 3.

Several new characters are introduced in the short story, Start the Day Right. Matt, Mark and Madge had lived in Birch Clump right along, but this is the first time I am writing about them. Neil grew up in nearby Powers, but worked in Birch Clump. The Rajan family lived next door to Neil for about two or three months before they moved to Birch Clump in later part of 1968.

The exciting news in this book:

We finally learn what the T stands for in Sgt. T. Douglas’ name. The revelation comes as quite a surprise in the short story, Changing a Flat. The readers and Douglas meet Donatien Marcel and Selina, Elder Norb and his granddaughter Nora in this story.

(Nora, by the way, is quite taken with the tall, dark, handsome and scrawny T. Douglas).

A few of the characters already introduced for this book join old favorites: Erik, Randy, John Macias, Father Jacob Hawk Dancer and others from the first two novels, Hawk Dancer and Cloudburst. All have a stake in learning T. Douglas’ real first name and any story that might be behind this rather interesting, if not unusual name.

Then, there is Bubba . . .who ever he is.

Other books by Joshua:

Companion novels -

Hawk Dancer

Cloudburst

Birch Clump Village Reader series -

Emerald Rising

Fritha

Peanut Butter and Pickle Pie

Christmas Surprise

And this book: Ten Things

Ten Things

Tuesday, June 7, 1977

The TV shop, like most businesses downtown Escanaba closed at six in the early part of the week. Dan Zempel was a floor sales man. Jig Rajan hired as office secretary was also de facto assistant accountant. They went to Dan’s house so he could change from his business attire. From there, they aimed for the local White Castle hamburger shop. Fourteen cents bought a bite size oily cheese covered burger. A buck and some change provided a reasonable snack of six burgers and a pop.

I thought you were a girl when you first came in.

Jig smiled at the unexpected admission. Some guys would laugh. Most might have taken the observation offensively. Dan was prone to simply speaking first, thinking second. Jig asked, Were you turned on?

The question threw Dan off. Not exactly.

How about when you found out I was a guy?

Dan pantomime disgust at the thought, Not exactly.

Well, would you prefer I was a guy or a gal?

Can we talk on something else?

What did your auntie say?

’Bout what?

’Bout hiring me for a secretary. That’s a girl’s job, ain’t it?

Dan attempted to derail the conversation with a joke, "She didn’t hire you for a secretary. She hired you as a secretary."

Oh, yea, make fun of my English, Jig quipped accepting Dan’s humor. Auntie probably thought I was cute.

Few could guess Jig’s origins from his diminishing accent. Not everyone was quick to think of him as a foreigner from a short conversation, like, say, paying for groceries or giving directions.

You are . . . Dan caught himself. He did a quick cover up with, I mean, yes, she said that.

Jig winked, assuming it would keep Dan on the defense, If a male executive can hire cute girls, I don’t see why your auntie can’t hire a cute guy like me.

He kept needling Dan. Why did you think I was a girl?

I only saw you from behind when she called you in. You know, long hair and . . .

And? Jig enjoyed baiting him.

Never mind.

Jig stepped sideways a few paces as they walked along to show off the backside of his closely tapered, undersized navy blue pants, And my cute butt. All the girls love it.

They were now crossing the entrance of an alley.

Dan, sounding exasperated, yet going along with Jigs strange humor attempted to crack through his friend’s conceit, She said you had a cute accent and . . .

An alarming sound of garbage cans being disturbed diverted their attention. A young looking male, definably native in appearance, scrambled to get to his feet. It was likely the two white men in their late teens or maybe early twenties were going after the supposed victim. They scurried to trap what Jig and Dan assumed to be a Mexican.

Dan was ready to run. Raj, standing spread eagle, quickly composed himself and nonchalantly walked over to the trouble. Dan was confused and astonished at Raj’s demeanor.

Excuse me, Raj said with some polite sense of authority, Can I help you?

The two whites gave him their surprised attention. The presumed Mexican, half-turned about, was ready to bolt away, yet steadied himself to see what this new comer was up to. To him, Raj looked like he might be Mexican. The diminutive, skinny Mexican’s stance was such he could easily run, or he could stand with this unusually calm looking intruder. Two on two was better odds than what he just faced.

The sight of the unknown Gringo standing near the street pushed the odds back three to two. That is, if the third person, (Danny), got involved. Making the sign of the Cross, he made his peace with God in case all four ganged up on him.

The taller of the whites had an evil, mordant voice.  Another one, he needlessly informed his partner. His tone reflected bully-greed to pounce on two Latino immigrants.

The shorter of the two partners, though at least a half a head over Jig, took two paces to meet with him, What do you mean?

With cat-like agility, Jig grabbed the guy’s shirt, drew him in and kneed him in the groin. In swift, smooth order, he dropped his foot and raised his knee to striking the bowed over guy in the face. He lost no time to ram his right fist to the cheek. That guy went down.

The Mexican already saddled the taller one and brought him down. Swift maneuvers imperiled the Mexican but for a moment. He rammed a fist twice into that guy’s face.

At the same time, Jig sprightly grappled his fast rising opponent and straddled him cross ways behind his back. Jig was twirling the half-dazed bully clockwise when Danny rushed in and planted a left fist into the already bloodied mouth.

A simultaneous sound of flesh-to-flesh crack separated the wrestling pair. They scrambled away from each other and to their feet. The battle was now, Three ta’ two, as Danny squeaked out.

The two bloodied companions were on the defense to create an escape.

Tell your Mama some girly looking guy kicked your face in, Jig taunted them. He was willing for more, but sensed it was best to let them run. He stomped a few feet after them, while Danny wobbled back a few steps.

Hombre, hombre, the rescued one searched for words while positioning himself between his defenders and the retreating assailants. He motioned with his left hand to let them go, not to taunt them, Gracias . . .

De nada, Jig cut him off, then searching his Spanish vocabulary, Yo Soy Jig. Jig Rajan.

Mucho gusto, followed the introductions. The one Danny and Jig assumed to be a Mexican nursed his lip from that final crack.

Dan, covering his aching left hand with his right, shook within from what took place. He hesitantly repeated the phrase used in Jig and Ray’s introductions. He did not know what mucho-gusto meant other than it evoked a very friendly look from Raimundo, who Jig just nicknamed Ray in a double motive. First, it was a short version Dan could pronounce. Secondly, Raimundo thought Jig meant Rey, pronounced the same, but meant king in Spanish.

Jig proudly declared, Whoa, Danny Boy that was quite a punch!

Danny, feeling rather cowardly, lowered his gaze.

Jig, still drawing deep breaths, jested to ease Danny’s nervous shaking, "Sorry we quit so soon. I’ll bet