Chapter Thirty

A few hours had passed since Mayor Barton left his home to check on Philpot’s status. With each minute that passed, Ransom grew more nervous. He could make a break from Bethlehem, knock the proverbial dust off his feet and tuck tail for home. Ransom was never so much a brave man, at least not in the ways that most folks counted bravery, but he recognized something uncouth in cowering when the going got tough. Besides, it was difficult to tell how much of Paul’s threatening stance toward him was a ruse and how much of it was real.

If Paul’s threats were real, and Ransom left, the hick would likely track him down anyway. If the threats were a ruse to keep him off his story, there wasn’t much benefit in running away. Either way, Ransom’s Catch 22 would have him waiting it out here in town.

“Sorry we only get three channels. You have to get up on the roof and turn the antenna to see the other one. Paul does it all the time when the Alabama game is on. Roll Tide!” Darlene’s voice reminded him that there was a television on in front of him. He’d be sitting there mindless in front of it for quite some time.

Kathy chimed in. “Actually, the other station has the best news anchors... out of Opelika, although I'm sure it's nothing like New York,” she added somewhat sarcastically.

“Well, I'll get up there and turn the antenna if you want. When I was growing up, my grandpa had one of those roof antennas. Just tell me which way to point it.” Ransom said.

“That's nice of you.” Darlene answered. She started to say something else, but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Sheriff Tommy and Matty entered without waiting for the knock to be answered.

“Hey boys, just in time. We were fixing to turn the antenna for Opelika 12:00 News. Can you help?” Darlene asked.

“I get it. I done it time and again.” Matty moved toward the door.

“Ransom, Mayor Barton called me and wants me to run you over the school later this afternoon.” Sheriff Tommy looked as menacing as ever. “Matty, don't do that by yourself. Hold up a second.” Tommy turned to follow Matty out the door.

“The boys come over all the time and fix the antenna. Tommy's television don't work right, and Matthew... well, I suppose you can figure that one.” Darlene made her way into the kitchen, “I'll fix us all something to munch on while we wait.”

“I thought daddy wanted you out of town. I wonder why he's changing his plans now?” Kathy looked over to Ransom.

“All I want to do is leave this crazy town and know he’s not going to hunt me down for something outrageous that I didn’t even do.”

“I bet Rusty is part of the problem.” She said.

“Oh, sorry. I mean Tommy, our Sheriff. He's mean as a snake.”

“Why did you call him ‘Rusty’?”

“In school, we all used to call him Rusty because his belly would hang over his belt buckle and all the sweat made the buckle rust over time,” Kathy shot the most reasonable answer imaginable back to Ransom in a bizarre sincerity.

Outside, Matty had made his way to the roof while Tommy stood holding the ladder. Tommy’s belt buckle emerged to catch a glimmer of sunlight as he stretched out his arms, but ended up absorbing much more than it reflected. The buckle was only slightly visible to the beauty of rural Alabama, but certainly discernable to anything that might find a way to throw a glance around the folds of the man’s belly.

Matty was obviously frightened of the heights as he adjusted the antenna. Tommy tried to reassure him.

“A little more Matty.”

“Gotta go west a teeny.” Matty grunted.

“Yeah, that's it I think.”

“Thanks fer the goat, by the ways Tom-Tom.” Matty said.

“Well I knew I wouldn't have time to dress it. Glad it didn’t go to waste.”

“Tay, Tom-Tom… I forget. How do I get down?” Matty was perched over the top of the ladder looking down at the ground.

“What?”

“How do I gets down?”

“You get down the same way you got up there numbskull. Use the ladder.”

“You don't have to be wude.” Matty sounded dejected.

“Sorry. I haven’t had dip since early this morning.” Tommy reached into his pocket for the can and discovered he was out of tobacco. “Hey, I'm gonna go grab a dip from the squad car. Wait there a second and I will help guide you down.”

“I can do it by myself.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I sure.”

“Just go down it the same way you went up. I'll be right back.” Tommy hurried around the side of the house towards his squad car to get the tobacco.

Matty took hold of the top rung with his hands first and began to descend the ladder head first, the same way he came up it. In a matter of moments the strain of his body weight began to cut into his wrists and forearms.

At the squad car, Tommy grabbed his snuff and placed a dip in his upper lip on the left side. As he started back toward the antenna he noticed Matty half way down the ladder going head first.

“What the hell?”

“I need help Tom-Tom!” Matty cried.

The sheriff bustled over to the ladder and took hold of Matty’s torso with his arms, before the two of them took a nasty spill onto the ground. Tommy cushioned most of Matty’s fall and the two of them sat up uninjured.

“What the hell were you doing? You could have gotten yourself killed Matty.”

“Doing down the same way I tame up!” Matty replied, standing up to examine himself fully.

“You idiot! That's about the dumbest thing I've ever seen.” Tommy also checked himself for cuts and scratches, and after feeling as though everything was properly examined he turned his eye toward Matthew. The boy had urinated all over his pants, and was inspecting the wet spot with his hands.

“Aww Matty, you peed your pants!”

Matty shrugged his shoulders and slid his hands along a dry spot in his jeans.

“Day'll dry,” he giggled.