Chapter 21

Jerry Donavan learned about the pile up between the bikers and Mister Knight’s hay trailer from Hoke Purnell Sunday evening. Jerry was visiting Hoke and Lottie for Sunday dinner. He accepted the invitation because his grandfather was at the drive-in movie in Summerton with Lola Goodman. When Jerry left for the Purnell’s, Lola was lounging around in a short plaid skirt, tight white blouse without a bra, knee socks and Mary-Jane shoes. Her hair was in pigtails, and she looked like teenage jailbait.

“Where are y’all going tonight, all dressed up?” Jerry asked.

“We had so much fun last time, that Jericho is taking me to the drive-in again. He makes me feel like a teenager, so I thought I’d dress the part for him. You like? When I wear this at the Top Hat, I get lots of tips,” she said, and she sounded as young as she looked.

‘Hollywood was missing out’ Jerry thought, as a reply stuck in his throat.

He shuddered at the thought of what she had planned for his grandfather as he gave her a wave and pushed through the screen door.

Jerry was savoring Lottie’s chicken and dumplings when Hoke brought up the subject of the motorcycle wreck.

“Them fellers what stay at the mine got themselves a passel o’ trouble and that’s a fact. Today another one of them was kilt and two more got hurt. I went and picked up what was left of their motorbikes. Somebody sure got it in fer them boys,” Hoke said.

Jerry nodded and did a little rumor spreading.

“Yeah, my friend down at the Sheriff’s Office says it’s some rival gang,” Jerry replied.

Hoke shrugged.

“Whoever it is, they’s good fer my bidness. The county pays me twice as much fer weekend work, and none of them fellers is a great loss,” Hoke said.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth Missus Lottie whacked Hoke on the back of the hand with a wooden serving spoon.

“Don’t speak ill of the dead, Mister Purnell, especially on the Sabbath,” she said.

Hoke mumbled something that might have been an apology and then changed the subject.

“So anyways, Wanda Jean is coming to visit weekend after next. She tolt me she’d be right happy if she could visit with you and Chaney’s niece Lisa for a spell. Said I should ask you about it. She’ll be in town three days whilst that feller what she married buys up some more of the state,” Hoke said, and you could hear the disdain for Wanda’s husband in his voice.

Monday morning Lola once again came into the kitchen while Jerry was making his lunch. Lola was wearing her own clothes today, a pink baby doll nightie thin enough to read a newspaper through. Jerry poured her a cup of coffee and Lola doctored it up before sitting at the kitchen table. Jerry took the opportunity to ask Lola what had been bugging him for a month and a half.

“Lola, what are you doing with my grandfather? He seems like the opposite of what a young, good-looking woman like you would want.”

Lola blew across the top of her coffee cup gathering her thoughts.

She replied, “Jericho Hatchett is in every respect, the manliest guy I’ve ever met. I know without the slightest doubt that he will make sure I’m always safe and warm and loved. Plus, he is the lover I always dreamed I’d find. What else could a woman want? Because those are the things that matter in the long run, not money and not looks.”

Jerry nodded as he stuffed his pimento cheese sandwiches into a brown paper bag. It was a good answer that told him Lola cared deeply for his grandfather, and that eased his mind considerably.

Jerry did nothing to agitate either the Sons of Satan or the Sheriff for the next week. And except for monitoring the gang’s compound on two occasions, neither did Hatchett. It was Jerry’s turn to keep watch Saturday morning, so he had eyes on the compound when a dozen motorcycles and a Buick Station Wagon roared into the compound around ten. Jerry recognized the biker in front as Miller, the President of the Sons of Satan.

The station wagon pulled in front of the club house door. The driver of the car hopped out and opened the tailgate. He removed a tarp and Miller and Robustelli peered into the back of the car. Then Robustelli called a couple of his men over and they started unloading rifles. And not just any rifles, these were M-16s. How in hell had the Sons of Satan got their hands on military issue weapons? The ten M-16 were stacked on the porch then five metal ammo cans came out next.

By the time the weapons and ammunition were unloaded a gaggle of bikers were gathered around the small porch. After some back and forth, two bikers picked up a weapon each and began familiarizing their brother bikers with the 5.56 mm, lightweight, air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed, shoulder- or hip-fired weapon designed for either automatic fire or semiautomatic fire (single shot) using a selector lever: the M-16 Rifle.

Jerry wasn’t worried about the bikers being armed with M-16s. They were a bigger danger to each other than to him. When Jerry reached out and touched one of them long distance, all the automatic rifles in the world wouldn’t help whomever he had targeted.

Saturday afternoon Jerry drove over to the Buckhannon Regional Hospital to talk to Lisa Bass. Most of the nurses and staff knew Jerry and Lisa dated and they all seemed to conspire so Doctor Bass and the tall handsome country boy had time alone. As it happened that afternoon treatment room two was empty and that’s where an orderly steered Jerry while a nurse went for Doctor Bass.

Of course, both Jerry and Lisa were too shy to do more than a chaste hug. Then they sat on the exam table and caught up on each other’s lives. Admittedly there wasn’t much to catch up on as Lisa spent most of her time in the Emergency Room and Jerry could only say he went to work and went home. After two minutes spent on catching up Jerry got to the reason of his visit.

“Wanda Jean wants to get together next weekend. Can you get some time off?” Jerry asked.

Lisa smiled and said, “You betcha!”

Then she impulsively threw her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly.

Lisa called him that night. She was excited because she managed to get two days off. She would be off Saturday morning through Monday morning. Jerry called Mister Purnell and passed that info along. Hoke was glad to hear it.

“You and Missy Lisa need to show my grandbaby that being rich and hoity-toity ain’t everything. She’s a good girl but sometimes Wanda Jean needs reeling in afore she gets too big fer her britches, know what I mean? And don’t let me get started on that feller what she married. He ain’t got the sense God gave a goose,” Hoke said.

Wanda Jean called Jerry Monday night.

“I talked to Lisa earlier and we are going out Saturday night. I’m taking you both to a disco club in Charleston. Dress up a little, Tonto, and bring a change of clothes in case we can’t drive back,” she instructed.

Jerry had to ask Ida Flood about what to wear to a disco. He knew about the music and the dancing. He didn’t much care for the music, and he sure didn’t know how to dance to it.

Ida picked him up from work Thursday afternoon and drove him to the big Sears Store in the South Charleston Mall. Ida and a helpful young man in the men’s department showed him what they swore were the latest styles. Finally, Jerry agreed on a pair of black bell bottom slacks and a wide collared, dark blue, polyester shirt. He balked at wearing platform shoes but settled on a pair of black loafers. Ida said his tall slim swimmer’s body was made to wear the snug fitting clothes. Jerry had his doubts, but he trusted Ida’s judgment.

Saturday evening, Wanda Jean pulled into Jerry’s yard in her Dove Grey Lincoln. The car was big enough to hold a family reunion! Wanda turned off the engine and climbed out of the car. She was wearing a paisley mini dress in shades of green and strappy platform heels that made her almost as tall as Jerry. Lisa was in the passenger seat wearing a similar dress in blue, and white go-go boots with two-inch heels. Wanda looked exotically beautiful, and Lisa was cute as hell.

“You drive, Tonto,” Wanda said as she tossed him the keys.

Jerry threw his gym bag into the backseat and settled behind the wheel and then adjusted the seat and mirrors. While Wanda Jean climbed in the front passenger side.

“Scoot over Lisa, you know you sit between us,” she ordered.

Lisa dutifully slid over. The front seat of the Lincoln was as big as Jerry’s couch, but Wanda Jean squeezed them all together anyway. Jerry shook his head and grinned, they were teenagers again and Wanda was in charge.

The Starlight Lounge was the happening night spot for the beautiful people of Charleston. It was crowded and loud, and everything else that made Jerry uncomfortable. The Starlight was a converted warehouse with a large dance floor bracketed by two bars. Four disco balls were hanging over the dance floor and a disc jockey surrounded by speakers was keeping the crowd dancing.

The irony of being in a bar with the same name as the one he frequented in Nam was not lost on Jerry. He even looked around a couple of time to see if Van Vo was working a table.

Wanda Jean spoke to the attractive hostess at the door. The hostess called over a waitress for a whispered conversation. The waitress led Wanda Jean, Lisa, and Jerry to a booth in a small alcove near the dance floor. It had a reserved placard on it that the waitress made disappear as soon as they sat down.

At Lisa’s questioning look Wanda Jean shrugged and said, “Garland owns the building.”

Wanda Jean did not bring them to the Starlight to be seen. Nope, she was there to dance. She dragged both Jerry and Lisa out on the dance floor. Lisa could dance and surprisingly Jerry didn’t embarrass himself as he swayed to the music.

When the three weren’t dancing Lisa and Wanda Jean quaffed Mai-Tais while Jerry sipped club soda with lime. After two hours the women were feeling no pain and were both openly affectionate with Jerry. He was leery about Wanda Jean plastering herself against him in a building owned by her husband.

Wanda laughed at his reticence, “Garland lives his life vicariously through mine. Because of his health, that’s all the poor dear can do. I treat him like a king, and he lets me be me.”

‘Being me’ included putting Lisa between her and Jerry and taking a few liberties. Lisa didn’t demur Wanda Jean’s hand on her leg, even when it slid up her thigh. In fact, Lisa slumped down in the booth and spread her knees to make room for Wanda’s wandering hand.

Wanda looked over at Jerry.

“Kiss her,” she said.

Jerry pulled Lisa into his arms and fused his lips to hers. Lisa jumped a little when Wanda’s hand slid further up her thigh then sighed when Wanda Jean reached the top.

Jerry broke the kiss and leaned back. Lisa’s eyes were still closed, and she was breathing fast. Wanda looked around, and seeing no one near their private alcove, her lips replaced Jerry’s. Lisa eyes flew open, and she moaned when Wanda’s long tongue slithered into her mouth.

Wanda reluctantly broke the kiss.

“Let’s get out of here!” Wanda said, urgency in her voice.

“And go where?” Jerry asked.

“Howard Johnson’s over on Route 19. I rented adjoining rooms there, just in case.”

It was the second déjà vu of the evening for Jerry as it was the same Howard Johnsons he stayed at with Ida when he tested for his GED.

Jerry drove the twenty minutes across town to the HoJo’s. Wanda and Lisa were in the back seat making out like horny teenagers. When Jerry stopped and looked into the back seat, Lisa’s dress and bra were pulled down and Wanda was nibbling on Lisa’s large breasts.

“All right you two, straighten your clothes; we’re here. What rooms are we in?” Jerry asked.

Wanda replied, “131 & 132 ... around back.”

Jerry drove around the motel and parked. Wanda dug a couple of keys out of her purse. She handed Jerry a key.

“The connecting door is open,” she said.

Jerry took the time to carry his bag into the room, unsure of what his place in all this was. He made sure the outside room door was locked, used the bathroom, and then he strolled over to the connecting door and peeked in.

Lisa and Wanda Jean were laying on the king-sized bed naked as the day they were born. Lisa head was resting on Wanda shoulder, her hand idly stroking Wanda’s firm breast. Wanda looked up at him and smiled languidly.