Got him

MIDNITE

 

We're riden' around, eyes peeled for a White House Shake Shop that's still open. Mickey is driving his grey Ford with the rumble seat. Karen sits close to him because she has to. The car must have been made for midgets. Sol and I are in the open air, target for rain or bird do. I am not happy being groped, let Sol know it and finally am forced to twist myself to the right and give him a hard kick in his shins. His howl darn near scares Mickey out of his pants, forcing him to jam on the brakes. They screech, sound cheesy, maybe rusty. Karen is thrown forward, into the windshield but thankfully neither her head nor the window collapse.

 

From the curb side where we sit and wait to catch our breath, calm down, I see a familiar neon sign on a white building just a few blocks ahead. 'Yahoo, lookie,' I call out. Sol tries to stand up and literally jumps out of his seat, puts his hand out to me so I can get down too. Mickey tells us to get back in the rumble seat so he can drive us all to the Shake Shop. I don't want to hurt his feelings about the tiny rumble seat so just tell him I need to stretch my legs and we'll meet him and Karen there. 'Order two strawberry floats for us.'

 

Mickey and Karen get there first, just manage to get in before the boss lady locks the door. Sol and I knock several times but the jerky lady wants to go home. No motions, no words, no praying on our knees sways her. We can't get in Mickey's car because he locked the door so sit on the fender and wait. Finally, our 'friends' come outside, each carrying a big shake for us, straws and packaged peanut butter crackers. 'Take your time, Folks,' Karen says. 'Let's do something exciting.' That was all Sol had to hear and he was 'up' for it.

 

'How about Druid Cemetery?' Mickey suggests. 'We can read the names, sit on some of the head stones, maybe see a ghost or two, or do something else even more exiting.' Sol helps me climb back in the doggie hole, steps over my legs and is ready to roll. The cemetery gate is closed but not locked. I don't like it here and stand outside until I like it even less by myself, hold my purse extra tight. 'Who do you think wants to steal your money, Karen? Relax.' A shadow crosses the path and I scream. They make fun of me, show me it is the shadow of a weeping willow tree. Yes, I am embarrassed but that doesn't stop my heart from thumping through my blouse.

 

Sol manages to look me over, tries to calm me down. He rubs my back and his hands move slowly to the front of me. I know what to do. My mother told me a lot of stuff she thought I should know and inside of me I laughed, people couldn't do such a thing. It's ugly. My mother's advice comes in handy. Sol lets out a scream that would raise the dead when I knee him right between his legs.

 

No dead rise but the cemetery caretaker comes running. He has a big shovel in one hand and what looks like a rifle in the other. Three of us run like hell while Sol hobbles his way to the gate.  Mickey drives. Sol sits up front with him. Karen and I sit in the little rumble seat and can hear Sol's moans.