Page 30 of Small Town Beast 2: Saverin's Duet

“Sir, I’d ask you to keep Tanya here until I get back from town. I’m sorry for the inconvenience but it shouldn't be too long.”

Wilks Johnny saw Tanya’s expression and his lips twitched. “If she takes a mind to run off what do you expect me to do?”

“I won’t be long. A couple hours tops,” Saverin repeated. “Tanya understands.”

“I don’t have anything to feed her. All I have in my fridge to drink is orange pop. But she can stay as long as she wants.” Wilks Johnny raised a shaggy grey eyebrow. “This ain’t jail.”

“I’m sure she could outrun you, sir.”

Wilks Johnny guffawed.

“Need anything from town?” offered Saverin.

“Long time since I had a hamburger,” Wilks Johnny said thoughtfully.

“A milkshake for me,” put in Tanya. She followed Saverin back to his truck and planted herself in front of the driver’s side door.

“I can’t believe you’d just throw me on that poor man and not tell me why,” she fumed. “This is too much, Saverin.”

“What did I tell you on the way over here, Tanya? There might be some scrapping going down between the clans today and all things considered, it’s best if you stay low until it blows over. I thought I’d leave you at Gwendolyn, but you’d be safer in a tiger pit than with that little fool.”

“‘Blows over’?” Tanya repeated, brown eyes going huge as she read something deeper in his tone. She grabbed his sleeve. “What does that mean? Is some shit about to go down for real? Why won’t you just tell me?”

“Just stay here, stay quiet, until I get back. It’s that simple.”

“Don’t patronize me, Saverin!”

He kissed her hand and gave her a pointed look that meant he was not gonna stand there dickering with her over his decision.

Rebelling, Tanya broke away and tried opening the back seat door. Saverin removed her from the vehicle and suffered her R-rated protests. Whether she liked it or not it was for her own good. He gently swatted her ass and deposited her back in Wilks Johnny’s yard.

“You take one more step,” he threatened as Tanya puffed up in rage, “It’ll be a real spanking.”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

“Oh, I would, with pleasure.”

“That–that redneck!” Tanya exclaimed as Saverin’s truck pulled out of sight.

“Coffee?” twinkled Wilks Johnny.

FIVE

AMARI

The white lady smelled like lint. And she wouldn’t take him to Mama. Why wouldn’t they let him see Mama? He cried, but they didn’t care. They just locked the door and left him there.

The room was boring. Nothing to do. The white lady brought real food eventually, but it was bad. He missed Mama’s macaroni and cheese, and apples, and grits with cinnamon and butter. Lots of butter.

It all went wrong that day Granny took him to the park. Instead of pushing him on the swing, or the slide, or playing seesaw, Granny told Amari to sit down and be quiet. He took a stone and scratched A M A on the park bench, but she slapped his hand so he dropped it. He hated Granny. It was bad to hate people, but Granny was so mean.

Amari knew Mama wouldn’t be back to get him for hours and hours. That was because Mama was applying to jobs in the city. She needed a job so they could live in an apartment that didn’t have cockroaches. Mama said getting this job wasimperative. That word meant “very important”. It was im-per-a-tive that he stayed in the park with Granny.

Granny didn’t talk to Amari at all. She didn’t want to hear about school or his trucks and she damn sure didn’t want toknow about dinosaurs or puppy patrol. She told him toshut up. She kept looking at the road, up and down. She looked at her watch. Then she looked at the road. She jumped when a squirrel ran past them.

Suddenly Granny got up and said she would be right back. She left him sitting on the park bench and went across the street to the gas station. Amari panicked, but then he realized it would be more fun without her anyway. If she left him here all day by himself he would play on the swings until Mama got back. Then he would tell Mama Granny had left him by himself, which Mama wouldn’t like at all. She would never ask Granny to babysit again.

Impressed with his plan, Amari scooted off the hard bench and hopped towards the swing. He hopped like a bunny rabbit. Then he turned in circles faster, faster, like a top. He made a noise like an elephant— PHROOOO! Nobody told him to be quiet. He could do whatever he wanted. He hoped Granny didn’t come back and he could stay here all day.

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