His body was not used to being fed in such a way and his stomach revolted soon after Red completed what looked like an audition for a professional eating contest.
When Benny passed by the house later in the day for a quick pop-in visit, he had to field some tough and pointed questions from Red.
“Bendy,” Red began a bit upset. “Where chicken? Who corn? What the vegables?”
“I don’t grow stuff Red. I don’t have time for that. If I was in charge of making stuff grow by watering and paying attention, we’d all be Ethiopian looking bastards.” Wanting to go on with a street corner preacher rant, Benny cut it short knowing Red was lost.
“What do I do?” Red begged.
“What do you do with what?”
“My all day!” Red pleaded.
“Oh,” Benny said with a sudden understanding of Red’s boredom. “I can get you some seeds, and you can plant a garden to take care of. Will that help? Do you want me to get you some seeds?”
Reds eyes sparkled like a slot machine that had just emptied its bowels.
“It comes with a cost,” Benny explained, not knowing what Red would and would not comprehend. “His name is Ned. He’s the only person I know with seeds and I don’t have time to go looking for other seed sources. “Let’s go inside and I’ll give Ned a call,” Benny said motioning to Red.
Once inside Benny motioned again, this time for Red to sit on the couch. Jezebel gracefully vaulted onto the cushion next to Red and lightly tiptoed into his lap. Benny just shook his head with misunderstanding.
“Bendy,” Red uttered with the tone and gaze of a person who was about to divulge a well guarded secret. “Red not can grow vegables in day. Seed sleep in dirt – then climb to sky long time.”
“Right,” Benny responded, trying not to laugh. “Even though I don’t grow my own plants, I do understand the process.”
“Whening not rain – give water.”
“Yes, plants do need water.”
“Spank bugs.”
“I’d like to see that.”
“Pull – eat – yummy.”
“I guess you’ll have to stick around awhile. You can grow plants and I’ll find out about that picture and article your mama gave you. You can pay me by keeping the place up, and with some of your extra vegetables.” Benny had not donated money to any worthy causes or charities in a while and didn’t mind fostering Red.
“Have you found the TV and stereo yet?” Red looked back at him as if the words had just given him a lobotomy. Benny walked over to the entertainment center whose doors concealed its contents and opened the doors revealing an oversized television, stereo, and a VCR accompanied by a collection of tapes. Red’s reaction reminded Benny of a scene in one of the movies that were stacked and stuffed all around the television. He looked like Crocodile Dundee who traveled from the Australian Outback to New York City.
“You rich!” Red said as his brain churned, eyeing the stereo. “Tapes?” he asked.
“You can watch those,” Benny answered. “I’ll show you how it all works.”
“No,” Red responded as he fidgeted with excitement. “Short tape?”
“I don’t understand,” Benny said.
Red ran back to the bedroom, grabbed his gunnysack, and dumped its contents at Benny’s feet. Benny thought to himself that there must have been a hundred or more tapes.
“Yeah,” Benny said as he pointed to the tape deck. “They go in here. Give me one.” Benny motioned for one of the cassettes.
Red handed him a John Cougar Mellencamp tape and as Benny left the house on his way to pay Jerry Lee another visit, he heard Red singing Little Pink Houses .
Chapter 18
The front page of the Tilley Bee finally carried the story the following morning with a front-page caption reading: Serial Killer in Tilley ? The story
When Benny passed by the house later in the day for a quick pop-in visit, he had to field some tough and pointed questions from Red.
“Bendy,” Red began a bit upset. “Where chicken? Who corn? What the vegables?”
“I don’t grow stuff Red. I don’t have time for that. If I was in charge of making stuff grow by watering and paying attention, we’d all be Ethiopian looking bastards.” Wanting to go on with a street corner preacher rant, Benny cut it short knowing Red was lost.
“What do I do?” Red begged.
“What do you do with what?”
“My all day!” Red pleaded.
“Oh,” Benny said with a sudden understanding of Red’s boredom. “I can get you some seeds, and you can plant a garden to take care of. Will that help? Do you want me to get you some seeds?”
Reds eyes sparkled like a slot machine that had just emptied its bowels.
“It comes with a cost,” Benny explained, not knowing what Red would and would not comprehend. “His name is Ned. He’s the only person I know with seeds and I don’t have time to go looking for other seed sources. “Let’s go inside and I’ll give Ned a call,” Benny said motioning to Red.
Once inside Benny motioned again, this time for Red to sit on the couch. Jezebel gracefully vaulted onto the cushion next to Red and lightly tiptoed into his lap. Benny just shook his head with misunderstanding.
“Bendy,” Red uttered with the tone and gaze of a person who was about to divulge a well guarded secret. “Red not can grow vegables in day. Seed sleep in dirt – then climb to sky long time.”
“Right,” Benny responded, trying not to laugh. “Even though I don’t grow my own plants, I do understand the process.”
“Whening not rain – give water.”
“Yes, plants do need water.”
“Spank bugs.”
“I’d like to see that.”
“Pull – eat – yummy.”
“I guess you’ll have to stick around awhile. You can grow plants and I’ll find out about that picture and article your mama gave you. You can pay me by keeping the place up, and with some of your extra vegetables.” Benny had not donated money to any worthy causes or charities in a while and didn’t mind fostering Red.
“Have you found the TV and stereo yet?” Red looked back at him as if the words had just given him a lobotomy. Benny walked over to the entertainment center whose doors concealed its contents and opened the doors revealing an oversized television, stereo, and a VCR accompanied by a collection of tapes. Red’s reaction reminded Benny of a scene in one of the movies that were stacked and stuffed all around the television. He looked like Crocodile Dundee who traveled from the Australian Outback to New York City.
“You rich!” Red said as his brain churned, eyeing the stereo. “Tapes?” he asked.
“You can watch those,” Benny answered. “I’ll show you how it all works.”
“No,” Red responded as he fidgeted with excitement. “Short tape?”
“I don’t understand,” Benny said.
Red ran back to the bedroom, grabbed his gunnysack, and dumped its contents at Benny’s feet. Benny thought to himself that there must have been a hundred or more tapes.
“Yeah,” Benny said as he pointed to the tape deck. “They go in here. Give me one.” Benny motioned for one of the cassettes.
Red handed him a John Cougar Mellencamp tape and as Benny left the house on his way to pay Jerry Lee another visit, he heard Red singing Little Pink Houses .
Chapter 18
The front page of the Tilley Bee finally carried the story the following morning with a front-page caption reading: Serial Killer in Tilley ? The story
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