Chapter 92

When Johnny came back, he told me, “Josey, the men are loading your pickup now. They’ll bring the truck and trailer around front when they get your pickup loaded and secured.”

He picked up Alaina’s paperwork, and looked it over to make sure she had the right vehicles and trailers written up. Since I bought the only thirty-two foot trailers they have on the lot – and the only two thirty-four foot tandem axle lowboys they have, he told her that she had them billed correctly.

I told her, “Alaina, if you will, mail these papers to Miss Tori Himmes, at Collinsville State Bank, and she’ll handle the financing.”

“I will, Josey, and I want to thank you for coming by to meet us and for this big purchase.”

I didn’t say anything, I just winked at her as I turned.

Johnny took me around to meet the manager, Tom Woodland - and sales manager, Bill Johnston – that was when I heard my Screaming Jimmy coming around the building.

I shook their hands and Tom told me, “Josey, next time don’t slip in on us like this. Although you pulled this off better than if you had planned it.

“I want you to know too, we’re planning an – Open House – one day next month and as soon as we can decide on a date, we would love to have you back over here with us.”

“Let me know as soon as you have solid plans, and I’ll make it a point to be here. Y’all just keep doing what you’re doing, and we’ll all make money. I’m really impressed with the way you run the business here, and I want to brag on Johnny one more time. He’s not only a salesman, he’s a cheerleader for you and for our dealership.”

“Josey, you just gave me an idea for our Open House. I’d like to bring in one of the TV Stations to televise our Grand Opening under your name. With your name recognition, and you appearing here personally, we could have as many people attending this event as they do up at the Mid-South Fair, in Memphis each fall. I’d love to have as many as twenty local girls, all dressed up as cheerleaders, and have them cheering for you, as we introduce you to the crowd.”

“I’m not sure about me being in the spotlight like that, but I’ll go along with you, if you think this is what we need to do.”

“Josey, you’re a hero in this state - and all over the south. Here in this area, people will flock to see you, as if Elvis himself is appearing at our celebration.”

“Like I said, I’m not sure about all that, but you plan it and I’ll be here to lend whatever support I can. I need to get back over to the farm. You and Bill keep up the good work and keep that young lady in there busy writing up the sales.”

“She’s a gem, isn’t she? She’s my wife’s niece and we love her and her sister like they’re our daughters. I’m sure she told you what a fan of yours she is.”

“She did and if you don’t have any objections, I’d like to take her out to eat one night soon.”

“If I may, I’d like to suggest you take her to the new steakhouse out there on the highway. That place is always full in the evenings and she would love the attention.”

The GMC diesel was idling the whole time we talked, and when I stepped up inside the cabover truck, I looked in all my mirrors, released the air-brakes, and headed out toward the main highway back to Collinsville.

I’ve never been inside one of these GMC cabovers with the 10-Speed Road-Ranger Transmission, but this Detroit Diesel loves this 10-Speed - I do too, now that I’m learning the shift pattern.

I’ve heard these trucks out on the highway, hauling logs - and boy do they ever sound good. For miles, that six-cylinder Detroit Diesel can be heard screaming as the driver runs through the gears, hauling a load of logs.

At the farm, I backed the trailer up to the dirt ramp and took the chains loose from the front and rear of my pickup. There was a short drop-off, but I had my truck on the ground in no time. I shut the GMC’s engine off and rolled the windows up before heading to the office.

I wasn’t a mile from the house when Sheila called.

“Josey office to Josey”

“Go ahead”

“You have a call from Belle – and one from Juliet”

“I’m headed your way now.”

“10-4”

“Josey, all Belle wanted to know was - are you still on for leaving Thursday morning at daylight. I told her I’d check with you, but I was sure you were.”

“Will you call her back and tell her I’ll be here when they get here?

“I’ll call Juliet and make sure all the investments went through like we had them written up.”

I called her direct line and she answered, singing her name, on the second ring... “Juli-ettt!”

“Hello Darlin’

“Josey – my Darling! I’m so glad you called. I have a meeting in ten minutes, but I wanted to tell you - with your investments, we have surpassed our goals by ten million, and already our shares are skyrocketing.”

“That is great news, and I’m sure you were the one who brought in the most investments, not even counting ours.”

“You are so right. I love my job and I love making money for our company and our investors. I wanted to tell you one more thing, then I need to get off here and attend my meeting, since I’ll be conducting the meeting myself...

“Grandpa McKerkey told me that he was proud that you were the one who bought his farm. He also told me there are some antiques stored inside the main house, in the storage shed behind the house, and in the shop too. I asked what they were, and he doesn’t even know himself, what they are. He bought the farm sight unseen, and never even set foot on it, after leasing the farmland last year. Be sure and check those out and let me know what you find. Love you dearly, and I’m looking forward to another meeting as soon as we can arrange it.”

“I was planning to go over there and look around today. I’ve already filed the papers at the Stewart County Courthouse. I’ll give you a call in a day or two and let you know what we find over there – Love you dearly too, and give’em hell in that meeting. I’m proud of you, Baby.”

Sheila was laughing at me when I hung up. “You’re such a charmer. I can see why all the girls and women love you – just as much as I do.”

“We make a good team, Sheila. I’d be lost without you.”

“Liar! But I love you anyway. Belle told me they would leave their airstrip as soon as it’s light enough to see, and they’ll pick you up here to fly direct to Iowa.”

“Sounds good. What do you have planned for today?”

“First of all, I wanted to tell you – I am now a fulltime employee! I graduated at the top of my class and I’m SO HAPPY to be here with you, and everyone we’re involved with.”

“Congratulations. This calls for a celebration.

“How about a few hours under the stars - on the bank of The Mississippi?”

“Plan on it as soon as we return from Iowa. Will that be a bed for two?”

“Well, I did talk to Charlotte today, and...

“Charlotte Himmes?”

“Yes, I thought that would get your attention. She’ll be out of school for the summer by the end of this week. I told her I was working for you, and her Mom had already told her. She wanted to know if I’ve fucked you yet. I told her not today, I haven’t. You should have heard her laugh. She wants to meet with you and me as soon as we can.”

“On the river sounds good to me. I’d love to get naked with both of you over there.”

“I’ll tell her to plan on it as soon as she gets home from school. We’ll hold you to it... hers and mine.

“Josey, I saw an article in the paper where they were talking about CB Radios, and I’ve come up with a way to call our different radios by using numbers instead of calling our names.”

“Okay. I can see where that would be good at times. Say I was in Rondo’s truck and you called his number, I could answer and tell you he was on a tractor, or whatever.”

“Yes – that’s what I was getting at.”

“Have you numbered them?”

“I have, and I’ve typed out a list of all our unit numbers to give to each of the girls, Daddy, Chuck, Hank, Rondo, Charlie, and you – a copy.”

“Give me a copy of that now, and I’ll tape it to my dash. What did you come up with on the base units?”

“We have nine base units at this time, and I have them numbered too. This is Base Number One. Your house is Base Number Two. Granny’s is Base Number Three. Hank’s is Base Number Four. Montague Farm is Base Number Five. The island is Base Number Six. Chuck’s is Base Number Seven. Kendall’s is Base Number Eight. And Shirl’s is Base Number Nine.”

“I didn’t realize we have that many base radios. I’m glad you came up with that idea. I like things to be neat and orderly.”

“I’m sure our girls and Charlie will love calling Unit Numbers now, like the Police radios on TV.”

“TV? You’re saying TV, too?”

“Bailey and Shelly informed me that the word television is on its way out.”

“I doubt that, but we’ll see. What’s Rondo’s number?”

“Two. You’re Number One. You may want to call Unit Number Two, then say his name. No one else has seen this list but us - so far.”

“Unit One to Unit Two – Rondo?”

“Go ahead.”

“I’m leaving the office and heading to the Glendale Farm. Want to meet me there?”

“I’m leaving the Lunsford Farm now. I’ll be there when you get there.”

“10-4”

“What was that – Unit Two stuff all about?”

“Sheila came up with a way to keep our radio units in order. I’ll bring you a copy of the list when I come that way.”

“10-4”

“Unit one – Josey.”

“That’s Hank. I bet he wants a few of these lists too. Take a dozen, I have plenty.”

“Go ahead Hank”

“Bring me a couple of those unit number lists when you come this way.”

“10-4”

“Sheila, I’d fall in love with you – but I’d make you hate me when I fucked around with all my women.”

“Just love me as a best friend, and fuck me like you fuck all your women. I’m happy right where I am and I love you more than a woman would love her husband anyway.”

“You’re a Gem. If we find anything interesting, I’ll tell you and you can gather up any keepsakes and treasures we find. That reminds me too, I need to bring all those guns from the Lunsford Home over here somewhere. I’m afraid for them to be there with no one around after the Clarke Sisters leave each night.”

“I’d love to meet those two one day. I really like talking to them over the phone. They just gush over your sexy ass.”

“I’m taking my ass - and gush right out of here. Maybe when we get all our cotton planted and up to a stand, we can take a few days and plan a big picnic and invite all our friends and business partners.”

“Down on the river?”

“Perfect – we’ll talk more about that. See Ya - Sexy Secretary.”

“See Ya – Sexy Josey.”

“Unit one to Unit two”

“Go ahead”

“I’m turning off the County Line Road now.”

“Come around back.”

I parked beside him under the oak trees and we met at the back of my truck.

“I like the way you numbered the radio units.”

“That was Sheila’s idea and I really like it this way too. Here’s you ten of the unit lists. You can start passing them out, and I will too.”

“I looked in the windows on the back porch and the front porch too, when I first got here. Looks like someone still lives here, with all the furniture inside, and the beds made.”

“Let’s look this place over. Juliet told me that Old Man McKerkey - her wimpy-ass husband’s Grandpa - bought it as an investment and rented the farmland out last year. I never did see who farmed it, but I can find that out when I go to the ASCS office here in the county.”

There were only four keys and two of them were Yale house keys. The other two looked like Master keys, but there was no name on them.