Chapter 26

I made a long entry into my journal. I outlined what my plans were, but I was very vague. When I finished I went to bed. I wasn’t expecting company after midnight, so when my beeper alarm went off, I crawled out of bed and over to the double barrel shotgun. Out the door I saw the four headlights. The thing in my yard was probably a truck or and SUV.

Somebody had to make a move, but it didn’t have to be me. I took a deep breath and reset my body’s alarm clock. I was on high alert because I had weed curing in the chicken house barn. I also had some growing in the field and in the greenhouse. No I didn’t want the cops checking the place out.

Shit I slept poorly the rest of the night. I ran the farm on the principles of slight of hand. The old now you see it now you don’t. I was not prepared for midnight visitors. My first guess was that the truck belonged to Amos, or one of his henchmen. There was no way Amos could know what I had in mind unless June told him. If she had talked, why would she do that and endanger her boyfriend and her job. She loved the Peace Haven Apartments.

Nothing made sense, I thought. I decided until something more concrete happened, I was just going to ignore it. So I tried to do just that. After breakfast that next day, June moved Michael into the camper where Lucy and I had lived. He seemed to be comfortable in it.

“Come see him when you can. Everyone does this differently. He might say hurtful things, or he might screw your brains out. Hell he might even do both at the same time. He is in a lot of pain and he has a lot of demons. He needs to know, he might have been left alone to heal, but that he isn’t alone.

The first of Michael’s days were spent drying out. I had things to do. I had to see Ester. She had lost weight. She looked the almost two years older, but she looked better taken care of.

“Slinging dope looks good on you,” I said.

“Thanks, but that isn’t it. I married a doctor,” she said.

“Oh no more of Trina’s parties for you,” I suggested.

“Not as many anyway,” she said with a laugh. “So what do you need Ty?”

“Do you still provide weed for the medical patients?” I asked.

“When I have it. Are you starting to grow again?” she asked.

“I’m just going to supply some people in the medical field,” I agreed.

“Is it as good as before?” she asked.

“It should be the same, minus the mystique,” I replied.

I would much rather buy from you. They new people are so ... I don’t know, uncivilized.

“So am I,” I said with a laugh. Yes I felt a little insulted.

“No Ty you are a gentleman. Even your little initiation wasn’t designed to be demeaning, even though it was in my case. It was also an experience I am glad I had,” she said with a laugh.

“So how much do you want?” I asked.

I want a pound. Is it the same price as the other guys?” she asked.

“For a while at least,” I agreed.

“So 1000 a pound?” she asked.

“I can do that for trash. The good stuff is 1200 wholesale,” I replied. “Give me a key of the good stuff,” she said.

“Okay, but that almost wipes out my reserve. Don’t come back again for a while,” I demanded.

“I need to tell Sarah you are back in business,” Ester said.

“I don’t think she will care,” I replied.

“She says only nice things about you,” Ester said.

“Too bad, she doesn’t say nice things to me any longer,” I replied.

After Ester, I went home to deal with Michael. His withdrawal wasn’t violent. He was able to control it. It was possible that he controlled it too well. If he was faking the PTSD symptoms he was damn good at it. However he wasn’t violent, he was just frustrated. I have to admit it is disconcerting to see dead men in your dreams. That is generally the place were I light my pipe. You have to make peace with them, or they will drive you insane. We continued to work the land and Michael seemed to relax more as we went along.

As the harvest ended, and we had to clean up the field, and the greenhouse, Michael tried to pitch in to help, but be didn’t know shit. He was damn good to have around though.

Between the two of them, he and June had a good income. I expected them to stay. At least until the shooting started, or until the shit hits the oscillating device anyway.

I don’t know why, but it took three weeks for Sarah to contact me. When she did it was all business.

“Ester tells me you are growing again,” she said.

“I’m fine how are you?” I asked as an answer to her question.

“I’m sorry Ty. I’m a bitch I know that,” she said.

“That’s not true. You are a bit old fashioned, and somewhat high strung, but you are not a bitch,” I corrected her.

“Ty, don’t try to make nice. It only makes how I treated you worse,” she said.

“I don’t see it that way,” I said. “Why don’t we try to be friends.”

“You know that can’t happen. We need to keep this all business,” she said.

“Fine, but that is a cold way to live. So what do you want?” I asked.

“Ester said you sold her the good stuff for twenty five hundred a kilo,” Sarah suggested.

“That’s the introductory price,” I said.

“You know my dealer now is not going to like this,” she said.

“He might take it out on you,” I said. “Maybe you shouldn’t buy from me.”

“His problem won’t be with me. After all I’m the customer. His problem with be with you. You are the competition,” Sarah suggested.

“That is possible, but those guy up in holler tend to underestimate others. They might get a surprise or two if they come down here,” I suggested.