Thirty-Two Days

By Bob Bancks and Emily Heim Expressions by Em

Emily Pogue is a very attractive eighteen-year-old woman living on an eastern Iowa farm. She just graduated from high school and is finishing her Summer with her last high school softball season. Between games, she is a lifeguard at the local swimming pool and works on her remaining 4-H projects. In an unusual encounter at their creek, floodgate

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bob Bancks
• Release date: May 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9798218200053

Book preview

1

Emily ran to her position, slapping her mitt on the way. Her blond ponytail flopped side to side as she ran. It was the seventh inning. Game tied. West Liberty’s pitcher, Rosa Alou, had thrown a three-hitter until now. All of a sudden, she had lost control. Tipton had loaded the bases with no one out. Coach Heather Barnes changed pitchers. He inserted Olivia Collins, a sophomore. The first two batters struck out. Next up was the league’s top hitter. On the third pitch, she connected and drove the ball high. Emily got a bead on the incoming yellow orb. Her trim long legs carried her quickly to the fly ball. The crowd held their breath. Emily reached up over the outfield fence and snagged the ball. Third out!

As she ran to the infield, she noticed a man sitting along the first baseline with a camera taking photos of her, or at least she thought he was. It looked like he was following her to the infield.

When she got to the dugout, she asked Rosa, Do you see that guy out in rightfield with the big camera?

Rosa replied, Yes, that camera is big enough to see a pimple on an ant. He’s been there since the third inning. I wonder what he is up to?

I don’t know, but it’s creepy.

She waited for her turn to bat. The man with the camera was certainly focused on her. She shrugged him off figuring he was just some creep from Iowa City, just a few miles away. The university located there had its share of unusual people living in small apartments. Now, she must concentrate on the game. It was the Comet’s chance to win. Rosa bounced out to the shortstop. Hannah flew out to center field. Emily stepped to the plate.

The Tipton catcher said, Looks like we’re going to extra innings.

Emily just smiled and took a couple of practice swings. She focused on the opposing pitcher’s arm. The ball came right down the middle of the plate. It never made it. The aluminum bat pinged as Emily hammered the ball. Both the left fielder and center fielder converged on the ball. They collided ten feet from the fence. The ball hit the fence and careened away toward the left field. By the time the right fielder reached the ball, Emily had already rounded second and headed for third. The right fielder bobbled the ball for a moment. The third base coach gave Emily the ‘go’ sign. She rounded third and headed home. The crowd was going wild. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the coach signaling, Slide. Emily dove for the plate and reached out. She felt the catcher’s mitt touch her shoulder. She lay on the ground for a split second, wondering, Did I make it?

Safe! hollered the umpire.

Emily had just won the game with an inside-the-park home run. The team mobbed her as she tried to stand. The teams lined up to shake hands a few minutes after the celebration. When Emily reached the Tipton catcher, the catcher said, Nice hit. I only wish it had been me hitting that ball. Congrats.

Thanks, great game.

This was Emily’s last season playing for the West Liberty Comets and her second year as a starter for the team. Because of her above .400 batting average, she batted fifth in the line-up. Usually, someone was on base when she came to bat and her bat answered many times with a resounding hit. She loved being the hero. It was just icing on the cake.

After the game, it was Rosa’s and Emily’s turn to gather equipment. Rosa was picking up the bats when she noticed the man with the camera, walking across the parking lot. He didn’t seem in a hurry and kept staring at the two girls. Emily and Rosa stored the bats and other stuff in the locker room closet and went into the dressing room to change into their civies, as they called their normal clothes of shorts and T-tops. They would be a little late for the team meeting. They were only partially dressed when Coach Heather entered. All the girls were glad they had a woman coach. It meant they didn’t have to be fully dressed at the meetings. Some girls were just wrapped in towels and letting their long hair dry. The meeting lasted for fifteen minutes. Coach went over the game and reminded everyone of practice on Monday.

Emily was taking Rosa home after the game. Rosa didn’t have a car and it was on Emily’s way home anyway. As they were walking across the parking lot, the man with the camera was sitting in a deep blue Dodge Charger. He was taking more photos of all the girls as they were leaving.

Emily said, I think we should get Coach Barnes. That guy is up to no good.

The pair turned around and pretended they forgot something. They found the coach locking up.

Rosa said, Coach, there’s a creepy guy out in the parking lot taking photos of all of us girls. He is the same guy who was sitting out in rightfield with the big camera. Maybe you should call the cops?

Coach Barnes replied, I saw that guy out there, too. At first, I thought he was maybe a scout or recruiter, but they usually check in with me first. I’ll go check him out.

Okay, but be careful, he may have a gun.

Oh, you girls watch too much TV. I’m sure he has a perfectly good reason. He’s probably some nut from Iowa City judging by his black and gold outfit.

Coach Barnes walked toward the blue car. The closer she got, she could see the driver holding his camera out the window and taking pictures. He was so busy he didn’t notice her approaching.

When she was just a couple of steps away from the vehicle she asked, May I be of help, sir?

The man jerked around and stared right at Coach Barnes. He threw his camera onto the dash and started the car.

He replied, No, ma’am, I’m fine.

He floored the blue Charger and roared away with tires screaming and the backend fishtailing. Coach Heather jumped back to avoid being hit. She stumbled and fell hard onto the concrete. Emily and Rosa plus several others ran to her side.

Are you hurt? asked Emily.

I don’t think so. Help me up. Who was that S.O.B. anyway? Did anyone see his license plate number?

One of the girls answered, I saw he was from Tennessee. The number began with LO.

The coach dusted herself off. She had a skinned forearm.

She looked at the team and ordered, You girls go straight home. Don’t go to the Taco Shed. I’m going to call the police to check around town. Emily and Rosa, I’m going to follow you two home to make sure he doesn’t follow you. Understand!

Yes, Coach. they all answered.

Just as they said that a streak of lightning illuminated the sky followed by a rumble of thunder. They all looked skyward. The storm was, at least, ten miles away. Everyone should be home before the rain started. Everyone quickly got into their cars and pick-ups and scattered. Coach followed Emily to Rosa’s and the rest of the way home. It wasn’t out of her way since she lived two miles south of Emily’s place. When Emily pulled into her farm, Coach beeped her horn and waved. Emily honked back.

It was almost ten when she burst into the kitchen. Her mother was in her pajamas baking some cookies.

What was all the honking about? asked her mother, Are you celebrating your home run?

Emily paused a minute and answered, Yeah! Just having a little fun with Coach.

Emily didn’t want to alarm her mother about the incident in the parking lot. Maybe the coach was right. The guy was harmless. She’d been told there were guys in Iowa City who had photos of women hanging on their walls or downloaded on their computers. Most of the weirdos lived all alone in upstairs apartments and collected old Playboy and He-Man magazines.

Her mother replied, I called your dad. He’s in Searcy, Arkansas. He said he’d be finished with adjusting work tomorrow and head home on Sunday. It is something about some rice fields plus corn being hit by hail. It was a bigger area than his boss first thought.

Emily said, I’ll be glad when he gets home. I don’t mind he’s a crop insurance adjustor, but this traveling far away is the pits, and why are you baking cookies at this hour?

Oh, the TV weatherman said we might be in for some severe weather. I was hot and sticky from watching the game. So, I took a quick shower and started the cookies while we still had power. she paused and continued, I know Em, but he should be home for a couple of weeks unless something happens with the weather. He did say to tell you congratulations.

I’ll hop into the shower before the power goes off. Rosa and I were clean-up tonight, so we didn’t shower.

You go ahead, Hon, the cookies should be done when you come back. We’ll have a glass of milk and cookies before bed.

Great! I won’t take long.

Emily showered and returned with her hair wrapped in a towel. Pauline poured the milk. It was ten-thirty.

Pauline asked, What time do you have to be at work tomorrow?

Emily answered with a sigh, I start at eleven. The pool opens at twelve. I’ll work lifeguard until six.

Do you have the same schedule on Sunday?

No, on Sunday, I’m free until noon. Why?

I just thought it would be nice if we could go to church together. I get tired of answering all the questions on why you or Dad are not there?

Sure, Mom, I’ll go. They have early services in the Summer, don’t they?

Fine, I’ll let you sleep in tomorrow. If I’m not here when you get up, don’t worry, I’ll be out checking the stock cows. It’s one of the jobs I like to do when your dad isn’t here. It is just so nice to see the flowers and birds early in the morning. I can get close to nature out there. You know in the morning there’s no one out there but the cows, calves, and me. Some days I just feel like taking off my clothes and walking around naked in the sunshine.

Emily gulped, Mom, you wouldn’t do that?

Yes, I would since I have already done it once or twice. Next time I’ll take you along, she replied with a smile.

Emily almost choked on her cookie but replied, It better be a mighty warm morning before I go walking naked out in a pasture. What if someone saw me?

Oh, Em, don’t be such a prude. You have a lovely body and a lovely face. Don’t be ashamed of it.

I’m not ashamed of my body. I just don’t feel as comfortable being naked as you and Beth do. Not even with a bunch of black cows.

The conversation quickly changed when a clap of thunder shook the house. The storm was quickly approaching. The lightning streaked across the sky. Emily went to the window to watch its display. She could tell it was just a normal thunderstorm and not severe weather at their farm.

Emily commented, I like to watch thunderstorms. They seem so strong when everything is so weak. Trees bend, corn bend, and the cows run for cover.

Her mother joined her at the window and said, I enjoy them, too if I can watch them from inside a dry house. They are scary when you are caught outside with no protection. I know I’ve been caught a couple of times.

The storm roared for about twenty minutes before it passed and was followed by a steady rain beating on the south windows. By eleven, the entertainment of watching a storm dwindled. Emily was tired and went to bed. She had a difficult time falling asleep because she couldn’t get the man wearing black and gold with the big camera off her mind. He had to be some weirdo from Iowa City dressed like that. Finally, the drone of the steady rain soothed her mind, and she drifted off to sleep.

Emily was a 5’10 flaxen blonde farm girl. Her mother claimed she got her hair from her paternal grandmother who was from Denmark. Emily wore blue jeans and t-shirts most of the time. She could drive a tractor or a combine. When she was home, she helped her mom in the garden. Her body was deeply tan topped off by long blond hair. The only makeup Emily wore was some lipstick occasionally. She always thought people could take her the way she looked. She didn’t need eyeshadow, eyeliner, or painted nails. She called herself a plain Jane."

She didn’t think she had a very pretty face and an outstanding athletic figure, or that she was a head-turner.

Her father, Ned, raised cattle along with corn and soybeans. During the summer months, he worked as a crop insurance adjuster. His job was supposed to be only in Iowa and Illinois but his ability to assess crop damage and explain his findings to clients put him in demand in other states. Soon he was working from Arkansas to Montana. After the crops were planted, he was away most weekdays. Although he tried to be home on the weekends, sometimes the distance was just too great.

Her mother, Pauline, taught at West Liberty Elementary School. She was still slim and attractive at age forty-eight. She ran the farm during the summer. She and Emily could mow hay and rake it. She hired a neighbor to bale it in big round bales. After the field was baled, Pauline and Emily hauled all the bales by tractor to a large shed. The pair would race to see who could bring in the most bales. Emily and her mother were very independent and worked well together.

Emily was the youngest of three children. Her brother, Sean, was five years older. Because he hated studying and school, he signed up with the Marines six months after graduating from high school. At present, he was stationed in Japan.

Emily’s sister, Beth, was eight years older and was very, attractive with dark brown hair like her mother. She had been a runner-up in the Miss Iowa contest when she was in her early twenties. Beauty and talent ran in the family genes. Now, she was married and had two children. Her family lived in Mason City, Iowa.

2

The man in the blue Charger headed south out of West Liberty. Most people would go north to Interstate 80, but he knew maybe the cops would be looking for him. South on Iowa 70 would lead him to his hometown of Columbus Junction. There he would rent a motel room before heading back to Memphis. His work was there along with his cute wife Gabby.

As he drove along Iowa 70, he saw the sky to the west light up with lightning.

He smiled and thought, "The storm will keep the local cops inside. Heck, maybe they weren’t even looking for him.

In twenty minutes, he pulled into Casey’s convenience store in Columbus Junction for gas and maybe something to eat. It was ten-thirty. He filled his gas tank and entered the store. He gathered up some candy bars, a wrapped ham and cheese sandwich, and some milk. He wasn’t much of a soda pop drinker. He set his food on the counter and looked at the clerk.

The lady behind the counter gasped, Karl Schmidt, as I live and breathe. Long time no see.

Karl eyed the clerk and asked, How do you know my name?

She answered, Look at me, Karl. I’m Bonnie Baker. You used to date me, remember.

Karl smiled. He recognized the woman. She was a little plumper, and her hair was dyed, but he recognized her voice and her face.

Well, Bonnie, how are things going? Why are you working here? You were from the good part of town.

Yeah, that was five years ago. You remember Hal Carson, the big jock. I thought he was the one I wanted. He was sort of interested. I stopped taking the pill and got pregnant. We were supposed to be married, but he went to college to play football. He promised we’d get married when he graduated. Instead, he found out he liked the boys better than the girls. He’s gay as they come. So here I am. Got a little four-year-old girl and working at Casey’s. Now I live in an old farmhouse south of town with a friend, Kara Sloan, who used to be Kara Hensley, and her grandma. She has a girl seven years old.

Bonnie continued to rattle on. She told Karl about her mom’s divorce and remarry and that her stepfather was a religious nut and kicked her out because she was pregnant and not married.

Karl just listened and smiled. His thoughts went back to high school and the Bonnie Baker he knew. The guys all knew she was easy. They even gave her the nickname Skippy because she spread her legs easily. He remembered he took her to the Prom and afterward all the kids went to Diane Munson’s house for an after-party. Bonnie got a little drunk and Karl thought she should quit drinking. She scoffed at him, but he insisted and pulled her from the party. On the way home Bonnie felt sick, so Karl stopped the car so she could vomit. She got out of the car and puked in the ditch. Next, she said she had to pee. Karl patiently waited for her. When she returned to the car, he asked if she was okay.

All she said was, Take me to the river.

Karl thought it was odd, but he drove to a boat launch on the Iowa River. It was four in the morning. They both walked down the ramp and watched the river flow by.

Bonnie surprised Karl by saying, Karl, let’s go skinny dipping.

Karl replied, It’s too early in the season for a swim. The water is too cold.

He remembered Bonnie didn’t believe him and stripped off her clothes and ran into the river. She wasn’t ten feet in when the current caught her and pulled down her the river. She screamed for Karl to help. He quickly took off his shoes, socks, and jeans and dove in after her. When he caught up with her, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to shore. By now they were a quarter of a mile downriver. They had to walk back through tall grass and weeds. Unfortunately, Bonnie, being naked, walked through some stinging nettle. By the time she was in the car, her legs were on fire. Karl didn’t know what to do. Bonnie was crying in pain. He remembered they found a river cabin open. They went inside and he gave Bonnie a sponge bath before she could dress. She refused to wear anything but a bedsheet from the bed. Karl wrapped her up and took her home. He let her out at the door because he was afraid of what her mother would do to him. It was his last date with Bonnie. Now here he stood listening to the same girl. Now he’s wealthy and she’s poor.

A gust of wind blew the trash cans across the convenience store drive and snapped Karl out of his dream. Bonnie was still jabbering away. He held up his hand. She stopped.

He said, I think I should check in at the motel before……….

A flash of lightning struck close to the store. The lights flickered and went out. The rain came down in torrents filling the drive and the street from curb to curb. The phone rang.

Bonnie answered it and replied, Yes, Jake, I understand……. Yes, I’ll lock up. What about the gas pumps?.......Okay, there’s an electric panel in the storeroom. Turn off the one marked Gas Pumps. Gotcha.

Bonnie hung up and turned to Karl and said, That was Jake, my boss, he said the lightning struck the sub-station. The town will be out for four or more hours.f

Karl asked, How does he know that? Is he the mayor?

Yes, he is. By the way, now where are you going to sleep? The motel will be closed.

I guess, my car.

Why don’t you come to my place? I live about five miles south of town. It’s a big house. I live with a friend, her daughter, and her grandmother. We’ll have electricity because we are on a different company. We seldom lose power.

Gee, I wouldn’t want to impose.

It’s not an imposition. I’ll get a pillow and a blanket, and you can bed down on the couch. Come on I’m not going to bite.

Karl thought for a moment then said, Okay, but just for one night. I have a wife in Memphis, and I’d like to get home.

Fine, let’s go.

Karl followed Bonnie into the supply room. She held the flashlight while Karl threw the switches. She locked the back door. The rain was just starting when they reached the front door. Karl dashed for his car under the canopy. Bonnie ran to her car which was parked alongside the building. Karl waited for her to start. Suddenly, Bonnie exited her car and threw up the hood of her car.

Karl called from his car, What’s the problem?

She answered back, It won’t start. Must be a bad battery.

Karl climbed out of his car and ran through the pouring rain. He looked inside the engine compartment. The battery posts were corroded.

Get in the car and try to start it.

Bonnie complied. She turned the key. Karl jiggled the battery cable. Sparks flew. The motor turned over and started. He gave Bonnie the thumbs up and ran back to his car. He was soaked through. He followed Bonnie south through the darkened town and out into the country where farmhouse lights were still burning. It was raining so hard the windshield wipers could barely keep up. Karl drove by following Bonnie’s taillights. About five miles out her right taillight blinked. She turned onto a gravel road and continued for about half a mile, then turned into a lane hidden by shoulder-high corn fields. Karl followed her down the narrow path. The lane opened to a farmstead with dilapidated sheds and a huge house. The house was dark except for two lights toward the back. Karl assumed that was the kitchen. Bonnie pulled her car into an open machine shed. Karl stopped. Bonnie waved him in so he parked alongside Bonnie. He reached into the back seat and retrieved his duffle bag containing dry clothes. They stood briefly before crossing to the house. It was maybe thirty yards to the house.

Who’s in the house? asked Karl.

Nana Alice. She’s Kara’s grandma. She babysits our kids.

Do you own the place?

Heavens no, I couldn’t afford this, but Nana has lived here for twenty years, and she thinks it is hers. So be careful and do what she says. Now let’s get inside. I’m freezing and soaked.

The pair dashed across the lawn through the pouring rain. They clambered onto an enclosed porch just outside the kitchen. In between the kitchen was a cloakroom that had been converted into a laundry room. The washer and dryer sat against one wall. The opposite wall was full of hooks and a small shelf. Bonnie could see Nana sitting at the table.

Hi, Nana. she called.

The old woman replied, You can’t come in here with those dirty shoes and wet clothes. You’ll get make tracks all over my clean floor.

Bonnie protested, But, Nana, we’re wet and cold. Can’t we just take off our shoes?

Nope, take everything off but your undies.

Karl wasn’t about to obey the old woman until he tried to enter the kitchen. Nana reached into her apron and pulled out a pistol.

She ordered, That means you, too, young man. Everything off but your shorts.

Karl quickly sensed Nana meant business and backed out to the porch. He noticed Bonnie had her shoes and hose off and was stripping down her slacks.

Come on, do as she says or you’ll get mighty cold.

Karl could see he had little choice, so he kicked off his ‘Guggi’ three-hundred-dollar shoes, and his twenty-dollar pair of socks, and dropped his pants from Neman-Marcus. Bonnie turned and helped him pull his gold shirt over his head. He shivered. Bonnie stepped inside the kitchen.

Nana nodded her approval and said, "That’s better. Now go and get some dry