"Dang! The rain," muttered Bernice.
"Language mom," said her 15 year old daughter who rode passenger. "Remember no cussing," she said, with a playful smile.
"Dang is not a curse, it's just an expression, Miss," replied Bernice with an even sweeter yet sarcastic smile.
They had been held up at dallas. A thunder storm had been predicted in east Texas. She had hoped to get home before that yet here she was driving her way through one of the worst storms that she had seen with her daughter Dahlia, who also happened to be her best friend. The merciless, heavy downpour and the continually fogging up spectacles made it hard to see, even with the wiper at full.
She preferred not taking the highway. The back lanes were good for her. She always took the back lanes. That evening too she was in the back lane, peering out onto the street in the pouring rain. A flash of Lightning followed by a loud boom of thunder always gave her the jolts. As she jolted to one of the booms: "grow up mom," mocked Dahlia and she promptly received a light punch on the shoulder. A flash again, and something caught Bernice's peripheral vision. Was it her imagination or did she really see him? She drove on. However, the thought kept nagging her. "Dang! It was him," she announced more to herself than to the confused passenger beside her. Instinctively, she turned around and drove back and sure enough it was him. She knew he was in trouble, the moment she laid her eyes on him through the thickening rain.
"TJ," she yelled, rolling down her window.
The tall, dark figure was staggering along the street apparently having difficulty walking. Bernice stopped her jeep and got out before her logical mind or her daughter could come up with a reasonable argument. "TJ, hey man what's wrong?" she shouted over the deafening rain. With a jerk he turned towards her, his whole body trembling and jerking all over. It was clear at first sight, something was wrong with him.
"I…..I….I...," he tried to reply. He was cut short by Bernice, who had, by now, made up her mind. She held him by one arm and the waist and dragged him towards the jeep. Thankfully, she was not an average sized woman. She was rather bigger and stronger than average women. Well! She wasn't just an average woman. Dahlia, as if on queue, opened the back door of the jeep and TJ scrambled in and sat jerking and trembling in one corner staring blankly into the darkness. Bernice and Dahlia got back in, closed the door and sat in complete silence for what seemed like forever. The noise of the thunder and the hum of the engine had just been overpowered by the thunder that jerked and trembled in the back.
Bernie adjusted the rearview mirror to see TJ. It was as it is, no good in this downpour. She shifted gears and pulled away with a shrieking silence. It was then that her thoughts started racing. "why oh why, did you do that?" And her head turned into one of the busiest market places. It seemed Dahlia read her thoughts and asked," Mom, why did you do that?"
"I don't know," was all that she could whisper.
"He lives just two or three blocks down the street, mom."
"I know" was her curt reply. It was true. Bernice and Dahlia had reached as far as Myrtle Springs, a few more miles and they would be home in Canton. TJ lived in Myrtle Springs. His house was just a few blocks down the street they were traveling.
"Why did you come back, mom?"
"I don't know," replied Bernie yet again. She was as confused as her daughter. In silence they drove on. Both, hopeful, this awkward situation would be over soon. TJ's house was not too far.
Wondering what she was doing, Bernie looked into the rearview at the huge bundle of nervous wreck sitting in the back. He was still shaking and staring into the building darkness outside.7 A single, thin stream of tears flowed continuously down his left eye. Dahlia's whisper startled her.
"Do you think he is on drugs? Perhaps, meth withdrawals. I have heard of such withdrawals. All that shaking and jerking."
" Maybe," replied Bernie. She was deep in thought. What had caught her attention was the single stream of tears.
"will he live?"
" Of course he will," came an over passionate and quick reply from Bernie, which surprised them both.
TJ's house was just around the corner. Bernie slowed her jeep and came to a halt in front of the house. She got out of the car, went towards the back and opened the door. TJ was looking straight at her."Your house is here," she said. TJ was alert. Melvin was holding a gun. His piercing looks gave up his intentions.TJ scrambled out the other door and ran with Melvin in pursuit. Melvin was a sucker with guns. TJ heard the first click of the gun. The safety was on and Melvin was none the wiser. Click went the gun again.TJ stopped and turned around to face Melvin. Melvin was ready to shit his pants, seeing the tall, dark, intimidating figure of the underground boxing champion of Dallas walking menacingly towards him.Click, click went the gun again and again. TJ grabbed Bernie by the throat. She had run after him when he had bolted for no reason at all. Now he was staring straight at her with fire in his eyes. Fire, that could have melted a mountain. He lifted Bernie clear off the ground as though she weighed nothing. "The safety catch, you punk."he said , in an ice cold tone. Bernie screamed. The scream pierced TJ's ears as the rain poured down on them relentlessly. His hands started trembling as he let Bernie go and he slumped to the ground. "You black brute, you almost killed me." Bernie turned and was about to leave. TJ grabbed her legs with trembling hands. Bernie looked down at the sorry figure and changed her mind.
Once again through the rear view she could see the big black brute staring into space and trembling.
"What happened back there?"
"Ah! Forget it"
"Where are you taking him?"
"Home"
Dahlia stared blankly at her mother first and then back at TJ, and wondered what was going on.
It was a good 31 miles to canton, which she made in around 25 minutes. Not a word was spoken throughout the drive. The only sounds that she heard were that of the engine, an occasional spine chilling sigh from the back and the voice in her head. What the hell has gotten into you? Why are you taking him home? There could be anything wrong with him. He has been talked of a lot in this area and, you know, not for good things. He has a history of arrests. He is a drunk and also a drug peddler.
She was jolted out of her rivera of mental confusion by the wailing of sirens and revolving lights of a squad car. 'Where did that come from,'she thought. Dahlia looked at her in panic.
"Relax," she said, "we don't even know whether he has done anything."
"Probably, the cops do."
Another hooot of the siren and Bernie slammed the brakes. The few seconds of silence that ensued seemed like hours. A uniformed cop tapped on her window and signalled for her to lower it.
What is the meaning of this, officer, that too in this pouring rain?
Sorry for the inconvenience ma'am. License and registration, please.
Bernie handed them to him.
I'll be back, said he and walked hurriedly towards the waiting squad car. Bernie rolled up the window and looked into the rear view: TJ was gone.
Dahlia looked back and was the same. Panic gripped them stronger than when they had been stopped. The officer returned and handed her the documents and stared at their visible discomfort.
"Is everything OK, ma'am?" he said looking at their faces.
"Ah! Well, you know it's the girl thing."Bernie replied, looking at her daughter, who immediately took the lead and grabbed her stomach.
"Oh! I can understand, I have a daughter too. By the way, the back…" Bernie and Dahlia froze"....I mean the left tail light is out."
"Oh! The first thing in the morning, thank you officer."
"Always welcome, ma'am."
Bernie drove off fast and then slowed down scanning the entire area for any signs of TJ, but he was nowhere in sight.