Finally the end of the day, thought Josey as she watched Mandy stroll down the sidewalk.
“That one is going to need some hand holding.” Slowly she pulled the cord on the mini blinds, rubbed her aching back and made her way towards the back room. Glancing at the clock, she saw she had to hustle to get home, eat, and still make the prayer meeting tonight.
“Come on Corky, time to go home baby,” she said, fumbling for her keys. She snapped the lights off, pulled the door to and checked to make sure the burglar alarm was set. Giving a nod in Bud Taylor’s direction, she walked to the small parking lot behind her building. Settling into the warm seat of the car, she gave an exaggerated sigh.
“Goodness Corky, now just settle down,” she said, as she adjusted her sunglasses and shot the volume up on her radio. County music blared as she lit a cigarette.
The short drive home gave her a few minutes to think about the meeting tonight. “Good Lord,” she said into the wind, “I’ve been so busy today, I forgot to go over my prayer list. But with all the sin in this town, I don’t think we’ll have any trouble finding someone to pray for. What do you think Corky?”
Corky gave a nod of understanding and then went back to chewing on her old sock that Josey kept in the car for her. Josey sang along with “Ruby Don’t Take Your Love To Town,” as it blared on her radio and just as she was about to reach the crescendo, the announcer broke through.
“Folks, I hope all of you out there are paying close attention to your local weather reports. Hurricane Charlotte is quickly building in strength. . .”
Josey subconsciously turned down the radio as the announcer’s voice droned on.
“Interrupting my song for that kind of nonsense. Hello, Mr. Announcer,” she said, as she irritably turned the dial, “we are in the middle of the state here. One last stop darling,” she said to Corky, as she wheeled into Stubby’s Drive Thru Liquor store. She pulled forward and noticed the car ahead of her, waiting to pull on to the highway, blinker flashing. Honey colored hair caught her attention.
“What the heck, Corky, you see that baby,” she sputtered.
Her mind was working so quickly she could hardly speak. “Why I don’t believe my eyes. The pastor’s wife, at the liquor store? I knew there was something about that one. What the . . . why I’ve got to let Tootsie know about this.” She began to rummage through her purse for her cell phone.
Pulling forward, she gestured with her hand to Stubby. He was familiar with her hand signals. It meant the usual order, a carton of Virginia Slims 100’s, a bottle of gin and two six packs of beer, whatever was on sale. Stubby couldn’t help but laugh to himself as he watched Josey flailing around with her arms, as she spoke on the phone. She always reminded him of one of those dogs you see in the back window of cars. The ones where the dog’s head rotates back and forth with the movement of the car.
Josey nearly gasped, as Tootsie’s voice boomed through the phone. “Hey Josey, what are you doing? Do you know what time it is? I’m in the middle of getting ready for the prayer meeting.”
“Hush up for one minute, Tootsie. You are not going to believe what I just saw. You know that new preacher’s wife, Mandy? I just spied her leaving Stubby’s Drive Thru. Can you believe that? I told you there was something going on with her. What? I don’t give a hoot and a holler what anybody has to say in this town. Just because I am head of the prayer group does not mean I have to change my life. The Lord wouldn’t have put me in this position if He didn’t think I had something that group needed. I didn’t call to be preached at by you.”
As usual, Tootsie was lecturing Josey on how she should not be frequenting Stubby’s in the light of day. As he handed Josey her change she covered the phone with her hand and whispered, “Stubby, you know that car ahead of me? Who was that?”
Adjusting his pants and rolling the tobacco in his jaw, he smiled and said with a big yellow grin, “Why Josey, I do believe you are wanting some info from me. Now that might just cost you something.” He had been trying to get a date with Josey for eight years.
“Go on, you know I don’t date divorced men. You all carry too much baggage for me,” she said, as she adjusted the volume on her phone.
“Well for your information, that little lady bought a small bottle of brandy. That was one hot looking woman. I haven’t ever seen her before, but she can cruise through my drive through all day long. She had a northern accent, that’s about all I can tell you. You going to need some extras with the storm coming?” he asked, as he handed Josey her purchases and gave her side door a slap.
She gave him a wave and continued her conversation with Tootsie.
“Well Stubby just told me he sold her a gigantic bottle of bourbon. Now what would a preacher’s wife be doing with bourbon? I can hardly stand this. Just when I was in hopes the Lord was sending a shepherd to bring correction to this trash heap of a town, I find out the shepherd’s wife is fleecing the flock. Well I gotta go now. See you in about 45 minutes. Time I drop Corky off, touch up my face and have a little prayer time, I’ll be good as new. I feel like the Lord is going to do something mighty tonight.”
Stay tuned for the next episode!
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