Tennessee Justice

By Xlibris US

This is about good people that are done wrong by evil people. But the evil people get what they have coming usually without a Judge or Jury. Karen was driving on a narrow country road. It was late in the fall. It was a cold rain. Soon it was raining harder and she slowed to forty. There wasnt much traffic on that road so she was OK. Then one came up behind her fast making it hard to see. She wished that one was in front of her instead of behind. Her wish was about to come true however because the driver started around her in a blind curve. Then what was not supposed to happen did. They met a car. As she looked to the left, all she could see was green, a very particular color, a light florescent green, so bright in the evening rain. As the driver floored the dually, trying to get around, she heard it real plain. A hot rod diesel. The driver took her out rather than hit the oncoming car head on. She went down a bank and centered a big oak tree. She ended up down where nobody could see her. She stayed most of the night not knowing weather she will bleed to death or freeze to death. Either way she was going to die. Then two paramedics came just in time before she passes out for the second time.

She awoke to find herself on the floor of the ambulance. Then she began to wonder about these paramedics. She remembered smelling beer on one of them. Now she is on the floor They didnt even strap me to the gurney. Soon she realized there was no gurney, this was no ambulance but a work van. She was laying among power tools, saws, drills and the like. She had to get out of that van, whenever they stop for gas or something . . . . But they didnt stop. She was with them what ever and where ever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 8, 2015
• ISBN: 9781499061277

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

HAROLD

I T WAS A cool October morning, and Harold was preparing for a busy day before the weather got bad.

Finish your breakfast, Harold. You can surely take time to eat.

No, I can always eat. By the time I get the baler hooked up, it will be daylight. The hay needs to be bailed before the rain comes, he said as he sat lacing his boots.

Harold grabbed his denim jacket and threw it on over his overhauls and flannel shirt and his dirty green cap with the little yellow deer, which said Nothing runs like a Deere—but that was when it was new, but now the oil and sweat covered the lower portion… Aside from his cap, he wore fairly clean clothes. Harold always seemed to be in a hurry.

But aren’t you going to wait ’til the dew dries off? After what the doctor said about your congestive heart failure, you need to take it easy. Don’t get in such a rush.

What does that damn doctor know? I’m just fifty- five. There won’t be any dew. It’s cloudy. They say make hay while the sun shines. But I don’t think the sun will shine today. I say make hay before it rains. I’m just glad I got it all raked last night. I started to quit at dark, but it didn’t take much longer. Well, I’m outta here.

It wasn’t long until he was yelling, Effie, get your ass out here, dammit! Help me hook this drive shaft. The son of a bitch won’t slide.

She hurried out in her jeans, a thin shirt, and no coat. He was trying to hook the baler up to Big John. He couldn’t get the drive shaft hooked by himself. He had his tractors named. Big John was the big green one, and the Ford 3000 was Old Blue. His 250 pickup was Old Faithful. Then there was a big truck, Jim. Jim had ten wheels and air brakes, and he didn’t use it much.

Effie said, Why don’t you grease it so it will slide?

Oh hell, the damn fittings broke off. It won’t take grease, and besides, I ain’t got time.

Turn the PTO off. I can’t get it on with it turning. No wonder you couldn’t get it hooked up. What’s wrong with you? You used to keep all the equipment in top shape.

Dammit, Effie I can’t, I just can’t think. I can’t remember everything. He never got off the tractor to look. He just yelled for Effie.

She had to line it up while he backed up. With the help of a hammer, she finally got the splines lined up, and it clicked, and then he lined it up with the tongue, and she dropped the pin in, and he was gone.

Effie ran back in the house shivering, thinking she knew as much about the farm machinery as Harold did. She huddled over the stove and rubbed her hands together. Harold didn’t give her time to put on a coat. When Harold said frog, she jumped. Effie thought about leaving Harold many times. But first, there was the baby and later the boy and now the young man. He was married now, so what’s keeping her? She didn’t have anywhere to go for one thing. Then there was money. Harold kept all the money, and there was a pile of it. He always went with her shopping and to the grocery store, and he always paid. She thought somehow he knew. He just wanted a cook and housekeeper, and she was good at both. When Effie’s cow went dry, Harold sold her, along with the beef. He reasoned that he could get money now and buy milk and butter at the store, and it would take a lot of milk and butter to equal the price of the cow, which went in Harold’s pocketbook and it was thick. Effie loved that cow, and she didn’t mind milking, but Harold just did things without telling her.

Harold headed on to the hay field thinking what a nice tractor he had. Harold had money. He inherited the farm, all two hundred acres and then some, and had less expense than most farmers. He had loaned a neighbor some money, a neighbor who the bank had already turned down, a neighbor who he knew couldn’t pay it back and put the tractor down as collateral. He had it all in writing. Now he had a tractor for less than half of its worth. He got Big Jim the same way. Harold didn’t care about anybody but Harold. He was one shrewd businessman.

The top half of the yellow morning sun peaked over the tall pines in the east, illuminating the west portion of the field as he got there. Harold made two rounds, and it was time to wrap it and dump it. But when he reversed the roll, it didn’t reverse. It’s supposed to turn backward to tie the strings, but it kept going forward. He was getting irritated. Those black clouds were hovering over him like demons. He thought he could almost hear them say, "We’re going to get you," Harold. He got off to look, but he didn’t really know what he was looking for. There was PTO power, which was working, then the twelve volt control circuit which he didn’t know anything about. Harold didn’t know where to start. He just couldn’t think. He was really getting upset, and that was bad for his heart. When it came to farm machinery, Harold could usually fix anything. But that was some time back, for some reason, he was lost. The entire sun was visible above the trees now but was quickly obscured by the clouds. It became darker again.

Effie finished up in the kitchen and took the pickup to see how Harold was doing. Something is affecting Harold’s mind here lately. It’s not just his heart. Maybe it’s his heart medicine, but I don’t think he’s taking it. Things were not good, the sky was unforgiving. There was no way they could get the serviceman out here from New Holland before the rain.

We can go see what Paul is doing. Maybe he can finish it, she said. Come on.

No, you just go. I have one bale in here. I’ll take it to the shed.

After she left, Harold sat down on the ground and leaned back against a back tractor tire. The idling diesel vibrated the tire and felt good on his back. But his chest hurt. He looked at those dark clouds. His breath was short and labored.

Effie slid to a stop behind Paul and Linda’s. When Linda heard, she ran out and said, What is it, Effie?

Harold’s baler broke down, and it’s going to rain cats and dogs. I just wanted to see what Paul was doing. Maybe he could finish up for him. He’s not well, he tries to do too much.

Well, Paul’s baling. He should be done any time. He got most of it last night. He started early to finish before the rain. He just lacks finishing up. I can go in and call his cell phone—no, let’s just ride on down. I wanna see how he’s doing anyway.

She got in the truck with Effie, and they started down and met Paul coming out. Linda told Paul about the problem.

Paul said, It’s usually something simple that you don’t think of at first. I don’t know what’s wrong with Harold lately. He just misses the most simple things. The plug’s probably loose. It happens. It’s something simple. I’ll go and see.

Effie said, Let’s go over to my house and fix a good dinner. It doesn’t look like anybody’s going to be doing anything outside this afternoon. I think Harold needs to relax some anyway."

Linda thought that was a good idea, so they went and got started cooking. Effie liked to cook, and she liked for people to eat and enjoy. Effie liked Linda, and they always had a good time together. Linda was younger. She and Paul were only in their thirties, compared to Effie and Harold in their fifties. Effie was a good-looking woman to be in her fifties without a gray hair on her head, dark brown hair with big brown eyes. and quite well built for her age. Most folks wouldn’t believe she was that much older than Linda.

Paul found Harold still sitting at the tractor tire, and he didn’t look so good. He tried to talk to Harold, but he mumbled something about dark demons that didn’t make any sense, and clutched his chest. So Paul whipped out his cell phone and called 911, he needed paramedics. No use trying to fix Harold’s baler if he couldn’t run it. He couldn’t do anything for Harold, he was no doctor, so he had somebody on the way that could. He started bailing. He didn’t think he would finish before the rain, but he would get all he could.

The ladies were having a good time in the kitchen when they heard the siren. Effie laughed and said, That’ll be for Harold someday if he doesn’t slow down.

Then the ambulance came in the drive, by the house, and down the little farm road. Paul was directing them on his cell phone. Effie and Linda ran out and jumped in the truck and headed quickly down to the hay field.

When they got there, the paramedics already had his shirt unbuttoned and his t-shirt cut down the middle, and they had sensors on his chest. One had a stethoscope, listening. He looked at the other one and shook his head. Then the other one got another case out with the paddles. Charging, clear, etc., three times.

What happened? asked Effie.

One of the paramedics said, Most likely stress, all this hay down and it’s going to rain. Does he have a heart condition?

Yes, and the doctor advised him to slow down. But he wouldn’t.

Well, if he makes it, he’ll have to slow down. No two ways about it. We’ve done what we can here. Now we’re going to transport. They have better equipment at the hospital, and if he makes it to the hospital, he just might make it.

Effie told Paul to keep baling until it started raining. Then they went back to the house. Effie on Big John and Linda in Old faithful.

Back in the kitchen, Linda asked, Are we going to the hospital?

Effie’s reply was, No use of it. We can’t see him.

Why?

He’s dead, Linda. When they put those paddles on him and got no response, I knew. Then the way his head rolled when they put him in the ambulance.

But that paramedic said, if he makes it to the hospital, they have better equipment there.

"Yes, he said, if he makes it to the hospital, knowing he wouldn’t. He was just trying to soften the blow like I couldn’t handle it. I was expecting it. I couldn’t get him to slow down."

Linda didn’t know what to say, so she didn’t. She had a look about her that she didn’t know what to think.

Well, said Effie, noticing Linda’s mood. Life goes on. Paul will be hungry, let’s cook. So they cooked.

Effie was right, Paul was hungry, and he halfway expected to find Linda there. He had fifteen bales rolled up before the bottom dropped out, and what wasn’t baled just wasn’t baled. He came in soaking wet. It was late October, and the rain was cold, so Effie put more wood in and stirred up the fire to dry him out. He was always glad to get some of Effie’s cooking, and when Effie and Linda got together, there was always to be some good food. Paul got warm, and got dry, and got his belly full. He noticed Effie didn’t seem to be distraught. He might have wondered why Effie hadn’t gone to the hospital, but he didn’t say anything. He just didn’t think Harold was dead until they got home later and Linda told him.

In the movies, it’s always raining at funerals, and they just show the graveside service. This time it was all of that and more. It had rained solid for three days, and it started sleeting before it was over. It was a perfect storybook funeral. They sloshed through the mud at the crematory. There was a tent over the grave and two rows of chairs. There were Effie, her son George and wife Karen, then Paul and Linda in the front row, and the back row was wet. Then there was the preacher who read a couple of verses, which nobody remembered, and shook everybody’s hand, and then everybody skedaddled to their pickups. There could have been a lot more at the funeral home too, but Harold was not well liked. He had money. He sent George to college, but it was the way he got it that people didn’t like. The next- door neighbors, Paul and Linda were the only friends they had, and that was because of Effie. Maybe they were the only ones Harold hadn’t hoodooed. Harold and Effie’s only son George and wife Karen only lived twenty miles away, and Karen seemed to be the only one grieving at the funeral. Karen just couldn’t understand so few people being at a funeral. She knew George didn’t like his father. She didn’t know why, but what about all those others that didn’t show up?

After the funeral, George and Karen went to Effie’s. Effie really liked Karen a lot. She always thought George picked a winner. Karen was a petite, blonde, blue- eyed with a killer figure, a paralegal, and she pretty much ran the office for three attorneys. She and George met in college. The first time George saw her, he knew she was the one to be his wife. George was well built from working on the farm and did pretty good at football. He would weigh in at better than twice Karen’s weight. He even considered going pro, but then decided to go with his major. He was an architect. They were in their twenties, and both worked in Knoxville.

Where’s the food? asked George.

The same place it always is, said his momma.

I mean, after a funeral, don’t the neighbors bring stuff?

Yes, after most funerals, they do.

About that time, they heard a car or something with wheels pull up out back. It was Paul’s pickup, and Linda with a covered dish.

What have we here? asked Effie.

Oh, just a little something. I thought you might not feel like cooking, Linda offered.

Paul hovered over the stove and held his hands out. George asked, Are you getting warm? There’s no fire.

Paul grinned, Oh, that’s what’s wrong. I wondered. I love this stove when I’m wet.

Effie said, Start a fire, George, we’re all wet.

So George got a fire going, and it felt really good, since everybody was rather damp. OK now, let’s see what we got to eat.

Linda said, It’s chicken pie, I hope y’all like it. I just wanted to fix something quick. I knew you would need to eat.

That’s wonderful, said Effie. We all like chicken pie, but you put some time into this, and this is no quick fix.

Well, I put it in before the funeral, and I had never used the oven timer before, and I didn’t know. But I think it worked all right.

Oh, Linda, it worked perfect. I couldn’t have done better.

George said, I knew it had to be something good. I could smell it when you came in the door. Then you kept it covered with that foil and kept us guessing.

Karen started getting plates out, Sit down, Effie, take a load off. Linda and I can handle everything.

After eating, they all went in to watch TV. The TV was on, and that’s all. They talked about what Effie would do managing the farm by herself. George came up with the first bad idea: Sell off all the stock then sell the farm to a developer who would cut it up in lots and build houses. Effie was ready to hit him over the head with something, but she couldn’t get her hands on anything heavy enough at the time.

Effie said, We’re not selling anything. This farm has been in Harold’s family for three generations, and if George doesn’t want it, I’ll get somebody to help.

Karen offered, George and I can just move back to the farm and help.

George made a funny face. I don’t like to smell the hogs. That’s one reason I got away from this place. The cows aren’t so bad, they are off in the pasture, but those chickens running loose, I’m always stepping in something.

Karen said, The other reason is you got married.

Effie said, If you hadn’t got married, you would still be here. You haven’t ran barefooted since you were ten, and even then, you talked about how good that stuff felt squishing up between your toes. Then they all laughed, except George.

Paul said, Linda can help until you get things figured out.

Linda gave Paul a look that was hard to figure, but he just grinned. He knew she wouldn’t mind, in fact she would be glad to help a neighbor in need. That’s the only thing they got settled that afternoon. So they all finally went home.

Now Effie was all alone in that big old house with all those cows and all those hogs to feed. But Linda would help. She had been helping the last three days anyway.

When they got home, Karen said, We are moving back to the farm.

George said, Where do you get this we stuff? You got a mouse in your pocket?

You’re the mouse, George. You’re going too. It’s the only way.

Karen, do you realize it will be twenty miles to work, five days a week?

Yes, but do you realize we won’t have the rent on the apartment, and that will take care of the extra gas we buy, most of it anyway? Don’t argue with me, George, it’s the only way. I don’t want to hear any more.

I’ll think about it.

There’s nothing to think about. I’m moving. Are you coming?

Well, maybe, with that old son of a bitch out of the way, it won’t be too bad.

George, I don’t understand you. He sent you to college, and that wasn’t for peanuts.

George didn’t answer.

They moved.

Karen had always loved the old house. George’s great- grandfather had it built when things didn’t cost much, and it was fabulous. It was not your common everyday run- of- the- mill farmhouse. The large living room included the dining area with a large formal table which they hardly ever used. There was also a smaller table in the large kitchen, which they used all the time. There was a wood cook stove and an electric stove. Effie still used the woodstove in the winter. There was also a woodstove for heat in the kitchen, and it came in handy like when they all came from the funeral all damp, and when Paul came in from baling, soaked to the bone. The master bedroom, bath, and another small room, which could be a bedroom, were off to the other side. Over that were two bedrooms and a bathroom between them. Effie once told Karen that they built the rooms for the bath and intended to install fixtures as soon as they got electricity out that way, but he never lived to see it. They had a windmill pump at the time which didn’t furnish enough pressure. There was a curved staircase which went up to a balcony which extended across in front of the upstairs rooms. On the opposite wall was a large stone fireplace. It drew well and didn’t smoke, and put out good heat. They really knew how to build a fireplace back in those days. Even though they had a heat pump, the fireplace worked well and felt good on the cold nights. All the doors opened into the living room with the two- story ceiling. This meant that one must put something on to go to the bathroom which they didn’t do in their little apartment in Knoxville.

In fact, in their little apartment in Knoxville, air- conditioning cost money, so they took their clothes off as soon as they got home in the summer, something they figured all newlyweds did. They would soon be married a year and had most of it out of their system by then. They would sometimes forget and go to the bathroom in the buff, but there was no one there besides them, except Effie, and she went to bed before they did, and her door was under the balcony anyway. She couldn’t see up there unless she went to the kitchen for something and was coming back, which she never did, well, not often anyway.

They occupied George’s old room upstairs, and George was beginning to feel all right with the move, he was home again. His father was the reason he didn’t want to move back home. But then his father was gone.

Now we can ride together to work, Karen said.

George went in an hour before she did, but she had a key and could go on in and catch up a little work before the lawyers got there.

George said, But I’ll have to wait an hour in the evening.

So what are you complaining about? That is when you were on straight time, but you said you are going on nine hours in a week, then we’ll get off at the same time. Have you heard me complaining about going in an hour early?

George always took Dull Road which was a shortcut. Karen didn’t like it. It was narrow, and the lines were not painted, and sometimes when they meet a car, somebody would have to get the right wheels off the pavement. But it was a shortcut, and George was driving. So they took Dull Road.

In the evening, they helped Effie with the feeding. Karen helped more than George did.

The arrangement of them riding together was short lived because George’s company got a big contract and started doing a lot of overtime. Karen already had to wait an hour in the morning, and now it was evening too, and often more than an hour. So they started driving separate vehicles. She didn’t like driving Dull Road, so she didn’t. She took the Jefferey Pike to the interstate and came on in. It wasn’t much longer, and she figured the extra amount of time was well worth it. Since she got to drive on good roads. That was worth a lot in her opinion.

So George continued to take Dull Road. He had some good memories there from his childhood. There was a pond about halfway, and his dad used to take him fishing before he was old enough to work much. He got along better with his dad when he was a kid. He would stop and reminisce and watch the fish jump out before he was working overtime. He noticed there weren’t as many big fish lately, and one day he saw why. He saw a crocodile on the far bank. He told a few people, but they just laughed.

A crocodile in Tennessee? they would say. Then he related tales of alligators in the sewers of New York City. Maybe it was an alligator, he didn’t know the difference.

At first, Karen liked the big checks George brought home. But then he was too tired to do anything, except watch TV. So it was up to her and Effie to do all the feeding, and it was hard with the cold weather too. They needed George to help. But getting him to help was more trouble than doing it themselves.

Their first anniversary was coming up Saturday, and Karen hoped he would take it a bit easy work- wise before that. Thursday evening after work, she got a country ham and put it in the oven where he wouldn’t see it. She wouldn’t cook it yet. It would be a surprise. She wondered if he would have a surprise for her or would he even remember. George came in late Thursday as usual and didn’t say anything about any anniversary. So Thursday night, Karen thought she’d better bring it up, lest he work late again Friday.

George, what are your plans for Saturday?

Oh, I don’t know, I thought maybe I’d cut a little wood if I don’t have to work. Doesn’t that fireplace feel good on a chilly night?

Saturday night, what about Saturday night?

Build a nice fire and stay warm.

That’s what I thought, he forgot. George, do you know what Saturday is?

Well, Saturday is Saturday, I reckon.

It is only our first anniversary, and you forgot. It’s important to me. Is it important to you?

’Course, it is, hon.

I have a surprise for you. Do you have anything for me? You don’t, do you, because you forgot our anniversary? You need to get off at five tomorrow and be here for your surprise.

Well, uh, I’ll try to get you something. I just can’t remember everything like you can.

Then you can tell them no overtime tomorrow and no work Saturday. Can you remember that?

Sure, baby, I’ll be here at six or a little thereafter.

Friday morning, Karen told