Junior’s team won the play-offs, even though Junior missed every ball that came his way. Sunny settled into school quickly. Marlene settled in quickly, too. One of the baseball moms suggested she apply for the library aide job at the kids’ school and she was hired.
Marlene liked working at the library. She learned fast–how to check books in and out, how to reshelve, and how to help students find books for reports and projects. She even checked out a few books herself. The first one was Betty Crocker’s Cookbook for Boys and Girls. The chili con carne came out so well Junior had two helpings.
By October, Marlene had progressed to The Better Homes and Gardens New Junior Cookbook and she started to enjoy cooking. She and the kids talked and laughed over dinner.
George Leroy was also having some new experiences. He had always prided himself on his capacity for idleness. He left sweat, toil, and frenzied ambition to other fools. Why knock yourself out when the blue sky and a peaceful lakeshore called your name?
In the county jail, however, there was no sky, blue or otherwise, and definitely no peace. In the day room, the TV blared and inmates argued over what to watch until the guards threatened to turn it off altogether. Needless to say, no-one wanted to watch fishing shows.
George Leroy had never had absolutely nothing to do. He had been lazy, but never bored. He was sorely tempted to get a pass to the jail library or even go to the weekly church service, he was that desperate for something to do.
He took to pacing his cell and sending messages to his court-appointed attorney, pushing for a court date. It was the most work he’d put into anything in a long time.
In vain, the lawyer tried to convince his client to at least plead “No Contest.”
“What, I don’t say I did it, but I don’t say I didn’t do it and I still got to pay probation? That don’t make no sense.”
When George Leroy put it that way, it didn’t make much sense to the lawyer, either. That, however, was beside the point.
“Mr. Marlin, it’s clear that you intended to fish without a license. Why else would you have a pole, bait, and a bag to carry the fish home in?”
“I carried the bait can in that bag,” George Leroy explained. “Besides, whatever I was gonna do, I wasn’t fishin’ when the warden found me.”
“But you were going to fish!” The lawyer’s face turned an alarming shade of magenta.
“But I wasn’t fishin‘.” George Leroy crossed his arms and stared the lawyer down across the table.
“So you insist on a trial. The courts are really backed up, Mr. Marlin, with cases that are far more serious than yours. It could be November before your case is heard. I really don’t think a jury is going to appreciate having to take off from work to consider your ridiculous argument. I will do my best for you, but I can’t hold out much hope.”
George Leroy had never thought of himself as a stubborn man. He saw himself as a creek in midsummer, just going with the flow, a leisurely flow at that. Somehow, though, he felt duty bound to take a stand. Why did you have to have a license, anyway? Fishing should be free.
He tried to explain this to his cellmate, Bobby Lee Boykin. Bobby Lee was in on a drunk and disorderly and disturbing the peace. His case was not one you could argue away. The whole neighborhood had seen him staggering in the middle of the street at four a.m., belting out “Because you’re mine, I walk the line,” at his girlfriend, Charmaine’s window. He was waiting for her to post bail, but she didn’t seem to be in much of a hurry over it.
“I dunno,” answered Bobby Lee. “If everybody was like you and only took what they needed, I guess that’d work. But some folks is so greedy, they’d fish everything up just so’s nobody else could have any.”
“You got a point there,” George Leroy conceded. “I never thought of it like that.”
September and most of October wore on while George Leroy paced, nagged his lawyer, and thought long thoughts that had never crossed his mind before.
Love the names. Colorful names for colorful characters. I’m loving this story and can’t wait to see what happens next!
Glad to see Marlene doing something to better her situation. That George Leroy, though…he is a stubborn coot, isn’t he? Maybe he’ll finally get tired of the view from his jail cell and get ‘unlazified’. (That’s a word, right?)
Unlazified! Love it! If it isn’t a Texas word, it ought to be!
I loved the phrase …”He saw himself as a creek in midsummer..” It paints a picture of how he sees himself – leisurely “going with the flow.” Funny how George Leroy (and maybe many of us) only sees what he “wants” to see, which justifies his own behavior. I’m anxious to find out how long it will take him to come to terms with the part HE has played in all of this!
More great writing! Excited for the next installment!
I now wait for Wednesdays. @CarmanKafie
Good for Marlene getting that job and learning to cook, too!
Loved the story! And I flup back to twitter with this line firmly lodged in my brain, “If everybody was like you and only took what they needed, I guess that’d work. But some folks is so greedy, they’d fish everything up just so’s nobody else could have any.” He certainly does have a point!
Yes! So glad Marlene is working at the library! Interesting that George Leroy might go to the jail library out of boredom! Ha!
This is so good. I can’t wait to read what is next.
Such a fun story. Loved the line, “He left sweat, toil, and frenzied ambition to other fools.” Looking forward to reading the next..
Oops. Forgot to put my Twitter handle on my comment. @dreaminofanovel Great job on your blog. Looking forward to following your writing.
I’m enjoying all the family changes.
@lorriehdomin
As a former library assistant, I love that Marlene got that job! It was one of my favorites. Books everywhere! Haha
The bit at the end with Bobby Lee and the fishing license was excellent. Shows that ~maybe~ George Leroy is starting to change… maybe. He’s thinking about it.
Also, your dialogue is amazing. Absolutely love it.
-Gabi
I loved this installment. The dialogue is excellent and witty, especially the creek analysis. I’m looking forward to George’s trial. Great job!
=D =D =D