Chapter 3

I musta' been in one of them growth spells boys that age get into 'cause I swear that by the time the first snow came in November, I was as tall as Cassie and at least fifteen or twenty pounds heavier than I was when she found me sleepin' in the hay, and it was all muscle from the hard work. It didn't hurt none that she kept shovin' food in front of me 'til I couldn't take another bite. She knew how to take care of her man. But as wore out as I was at the end of every day, I was never so tired I couldn't give her all she wanted in bed. Seems like neither one of us could get enough of that and the two of us was always inventin' new ways to have fun. She might've been a God-fearin' woman but she surely had a streak of wickedness in her, too. I swear, that woman could do things to me that'd have my heart near poundin' through my chest and my balls strainin' to keep up.

It didn't take long before I felt so much a part of the family, it was like I'd lived there all my life. It was all kinda strange though; I felt like I was supposed to treat the kids like I was their daddy but mostly I was like a big brother. And Cassie felt like my ma at times and other times she felt like a wife. Sometimes I wondered if it seemed as strange to them as it did to me.

The day Sue Ellen took me over the hill to show me the still, I spent a coupla hours goin' over the gear to make sure it was in good workin' order. The corn grinder was all rusty, and I was gonna have to take it apart and get after it with a lot of elbow grease to get it clean. The rest of it looked fine to me. Then Sue Ellen come up with a big surprise. When we was ready to go lookin' fer rabbits, she pointed to a clump of bushes a little ways up the hill and said, "Daddy's cave is up there. It's where he used to hide his whiskey."

"There's a cave up there? Well, maybe we just better go up and have a look at it."

Behind the bushes, there was an opening under a big slab of rock that you hadda stoop over to get through. Course there wasn't much light comin' through the opening but after my eyes got used to it, I 'bout split my face from grinnin'. It was real big inside and there was ten fifty-pound sacks of dried corn and over two hundred pounds of sugar, enough fer who knows how many batches of whiskey. It was all stacked on logs to keep it off the dirt and covered up with a canvas tarp. I checked one of the bags of corn to make sure it wasn't sproutin' or moldy from the moisture and it was still dry. In a wooden box off to the side, I found a thermometer to make sure the mash was just the right temperature to add in the yeast, and a couple of stirrin' paddles. At the back of the cave there was a bunch of empty jugs. Then I found the yeast, three quart jars sealed up tight. Hell, we was ready to start cookin' moonshine as soon as I got the oak chips baked and the charcoal made! Course, I'd have to crack the corn and the mash would have to stew fer ten days or so 'fore I could distill it. With Mr. Wharton's setup outside, I calculated I could cook up about ten gallons of mash at a time."

Well the cave was just perfect! I couldn't have asked fer a better storage place or a better place fer the mash to ferment. Even in the middle of winter, it wouldn't take much to keep the temperature inside the cave just about right.

Cassie was mighty relieved when she found out she wasn't gonna have to dip into her stash of cash money fer supplies. After I made and sold the first batch, we'd have enough sour mash to start new batches and some left over to feed to the animals. I told her what I'd need from her to give it the special taste and she said she'd see to it when the time came. I wondered if I should let old Cyrus in on my recipe but it turned out I didn't have to worry none about that 'cause he never came back. I reckon he figured if he didn't have no chance with Cassie, he didn't want nothin' to do with us. I can't say I felt bad about that.

One mornin' in November, Cassie got up in the dark to do some bakin'. I woke up when she lit the lantern and as she was putting on her heavy wool dress, she said, "Why don't ya think o' somethin' extry nice t' do fer Sue Ellen today 'cause it's her birthday. She's turnin' eight."

"Is she? What day is it?"

"It's the seventh day of November."

"Really? Well I'll be jiggered! It's my birthday too! I'm turnin' sixteen."

Her face got all smiley and she said, "Well then I guess I need t' make two cakes. Happy birthday, Willem! T' my way o' thinkin', that means you ain't a boy no more." She stepped over to the bed and gave my dick a squeeze under the blankets and added, "Course you been a man in some ways fer quite a while now, ain't ya?" Then she leaned down and kissed my forehead and said, "Now git up n' help me git the fires started 'fore the little'uns wake up."

By the time the sun was up, the kitchen smelled wonderful 'cause the chocolate cakes was coolin' on the sideboard. Before we sat down to breakfast, I asked Cassie, "Uh, do you think I could have two or three dollars to take the truck into Casey and fill up the gas tank and the five-gallon can? I think we only got enough left in the tank fer maybe one more round trip."

"Well then I s'pose ya best do that." She shouted out the back door, "Sue Ellen, Charlie, come on in n' git yer breakfast!"

I sipped on my coffee and said, "Well, I was thinkin' 'bout what you said 'bout doin' somethin' fer Sue Ellen's birthday and I thought I might take her with me. We could stop at the 5&10 and maybe I could buy her some hard candy or somethin'."

"Why that's awful sweet of ya, Willem. She'd just be tickled pink. Ya better bring back a little somethin' fer Charlie too or he'll be a'poutin' fer two days."

Of course, little Charlie got all whiny when I said I was only takin' Sue Ellen with me, even after I promised to take him when it was his birthday. I guess kids are all the same 'bout things like that; they want it all and they want it now. He shut up real fast though when Cassie said she was about to go find the switch.

In town, after I filled up the tank and the can, I drove down the street and parked in front of the 5&10. I still had sixty-five cents in my pocket so I thought maybe Cassie would forgive me if I got a pretty blue ribbon fer Sue Ellen's hair along with the bag of hard candy fer her and Charlie. I knew her mama didn't like me spoilin' the kids but it was her special day.

Anyhow, seemed like Sue Ellen and me was growin' real close now. She was always takin' hold of my hand and crawlin' up in my lap and huggin' me like I was her daddy. It made me feel real good inside.

When we stepped outside the store, there was a deputy standin' next to the truck waitin' for us. My heart dang near come to a stop but I tried real hard not to show it.

He got this real serious look on his face and asked, "This yer truck, son?"

"Well, I'm drivin' it but it belongs to Cassie Wharton."

"Yeah, I thought I knowed it from when Josiah Wharton used to drive it around the county makin' deliveries. Reason I ask is 'cause somebody thought they seen it last summer parked down by the school. Seems somebody broke in n' took a few thangs. Would you know anythang 'bout that?"

I learned a long time ago how to keep a poker face when I was talkin' to the law and I was about to feed him a rippin' yarn when Sue Ellen piped up and asked, "Why would he wanna take anything from the school? And anyways, Willem ain't left our land since he come up from Tennessee to help Mama. He's helpin' out with the work since Daddy died."

The deputy grinned and patted her head. "Well, darlin', I ain't accusin' him of nothin', it's just that it's my job to ask 'cause they was a truck like this one seen about town that day. If you say he ain't left yer land, why then I reckon it musta' been some other truck."

Sue Ellen gave him a big smile that'd melt any man's heart and said, "Today's my birthday. I'm eight!"

"It is? Well, I'll be!" He reached in his pocket and took out a nickel and handed it to her. "You have a real nice birthday now, girlie. Is your mama makin' a cake fer ya?"

"Yep, me and Willem 'cause it's his birthday too. He's sixteen and Mama says that means he's a growed-up man."

The deputy was charmed clean off the track and I knew right then that Sue Ellen wasn't gonna have no trouble makin' her way in this world. "I reckon he is growed-up then, ain't he. Well, y'all enjoy yer special day, now, heah? And don't be hangin' round town too long 'cause it's startin to look like it might snow."

He turned and started to walk away when I had a thought. "Uh, Deputy, would you pass on to Sheriff Ames that I might be pickin' up with Mr. Wharton's business in three or four weeks. If he's interested, that is."

That got his attention. He looked me up n' down and said, "I'll sure pass it along. You reckon you can turn out stuff the equal of Josiah's?"

"I think it'll be better."

"It'll have t' go some to beat Josiah's recipe. You keep us in mind, would ya n' I'll let the sheriff know?"