our cars, our
eyes fixed on the still squirming stranger as the cops shoved him
in the back of their squad car. His hollering could still be heard
behind the glass.
I paused and again scratched my head. I just knew I’d never
seen him before, so how did he know about me like he seemed
to? Anyway, it didn’t matter; I might never have seen him before,
but I was certainly going to get my full of him soon enough.
Sorry for the foreshadowing again, but, come on, even you
must’ve realized that we weren’t finished with the likes of him
just yet. No one who jumps inside your Granny’s grave stays out
of your life for very long.
ChAPteR 3
Grits
Jeeves, Pearl, and I drove back home. The rest of the staff,
with the day off, scattered in separate directions, clearly unsure of
what they’d be doing beyond the funeral. Not that I knew either,
really. For the time being, I was trying hard not to think about
it. Or Granny’s will, for that matter. Something told me it wasn’t
going to be what any of us were expecting. Truth was, it would be
just like Granny to leave everything to the possums. A last laugh,
if you will. Only, even I knew better than that. The estate had to
be left in the family. Me being family. But was Granny as crazy as
Pearl had made her out to be? That’s what had me worried.
I shook the thought from my head and turned her way. “What
do you think that was all about back there? You only see that sort
of thing in the movies. And only by loved ones at that, not by
strangers.”
“Maybe it was the heat, boy,” she said, with a sigh. “Makes
people do the oddest things. I remember my grandpappy once.
We was all sitting out back of our cabin, fanning ourselves, what
with it being the hottest August I could recall. So hot even the
tree frogs were keeping quiet. Anyway, my grandpappy just
stands right on up, shucks off his clothes, and marches his brown
ass down to the pond. Man couldn’t even swim a stroke and he
just jumps right on in, whooping and hollering like a little boy.
Damndest thing I ever did see.”
“What’d you do?” I couldn’t help but ask, picturing the scene
in my head.
“Me?” she said, with a smile. “I grabbed his fan. That there
pond was full of snakes and gators. Meaning, I might’ve been
hot, but I wasn’t about to lose my head over it none.”
I snickered. “Be that as it may, it wasn’t the heat that made
46 Rob Rosen
that man jump inside Granny’s grave. You heard his crying. That
was sadness, pure and simple. But why? Why would he be so sad?
None of us even know who he is.”
She sighed. “Unless he’s Beau Pellingham.”
And then I sighed. “But none of us know who Beau
Pellingham even is.”
“Yessum,” she agreed. “But your Granny sure knew him or
she wouldn’t be leaving him something inside that will of hers.”
Which was true, though not the least bit helpful. “But what,
I wonder?”
She turned and stroked my cheek. “Gonna find out soon
enough, boy. Tomorrow will be here before you know it.”
§ § § §
And that it was.
I stretched and yawned into it, in fact, sun so bright it
practically burned a hole right on through the shades, the heat
of the day already evident, baking my room. I kicked off the
blanket, staring down the length of my bedmate, who had snuck
inside the night before. He was naked as a jaybird, face buried in
a pillow.
I grinned. “That’s one fine ass you got there, Zeb. Grade-A
prime beef.”
He chuckled, the sound muffled, but he spread his legs just
the same. He lifted his head a tad so that I could hear him. “Good
enough to eat?” he asked.
“Good enough, I suppose,” I replied, reaching my hand out
to spank it.
“Better than Pearl’s grits?” he asked, legs even wider now.
My grin went high up on my face. “Don’t rightly know, Zeb.
Might require some research on my part before I can answer that.
I mean, Pearl does make some mighty fine grits, you
eyes fixed on the still squirming stranger as the cops shoved him
in the back of their squad car. His hollering could still be heard
behind the glass.
I paused and again scratched my head. I just knew I’d never
seen him before, so how did he know about me like he seemed
to? Anyway, it didn’t matter; I might never have seen him before,
but I was certainly going to get my full of him soon enough.
Sorry for the foreshadowing again, but, come on, even you
must’ve realized that we weren’t finished with the likes of him
just yet. No one who jumps inside your Granny’s grave stays out
of your life for very long.
ChAPteR 3
Grits
Jeeves, Pearl, and I drove back home. The rest of the staff,
with the day off, scattered in separate directions, clearly unsure of
what they’d be doing beyond the funeral. Not that I knew either,
really. For the time being, I was trying hard not to think about
it. Or Granny’s will, for that matter. Something told me it wasn’t
going to be what any of us were expecting. Truth was, it would be
just like Granny to leave everything to the possums. A last laugh,
if you will. Only, even I knew better than that. The estate had to
be left in the family. Me being family. But was Granny as crazy as
Pearl had made her out to be? That’s what had me worried.
I shook the thought from my head and turned her way. “What
do you think that was all about back there? You only see that sort
of thing in the movies. And only by loved ones at that, not by
strangers.”
“Maybe it was the heat, boy,” she said, with a sigh. “Makes
people do the oddest things. I remember my grandpappy once.
We was all sitting out back of our cabin, fanning ourselves, what
with it being the hottest August I could recall. So hot even the
tree frogs were keeping quiet. Anyway, my grandpappy just
stands right on up, shucks off his clothes, and marches his brown
ass down to the pond. Man couldn’t even swim a stroke and he
just jumps right on in, whooping and hollering like a little boy.
Damndest thing I ever did see.”
“What’d you do?” I couldn’t help but ask, picturing the scene
in my head.
“Me?” she said, with a smile. “I grabbed his fan. That there
pond was full of snakes and gators. Meaning, I might’ve been
hot, but I wasn’t about to lose my head over it none.”
I snickered. “Be that as it may, it wasn’t the heat that made
46 Rob Rosen
that man jump inside Granny’s grave. You heard his crying. That
was sadness, pure and simple. But why? Why would he be so sad?
None of us even know who he is.”
She sighed. “Unless he’s Beau Pellingham.”
And then I sighed. “But none of us know who Beau
Pellingham even is.”
“Yessum,” she agreed. “But your Granny sure knew him or
she wouldn’t be leaving him something inside that will of hers.”
Which was true, though not the least bit helpful. “But what,
I wonder?”
She turned and stroked my cheek. “Gonna find out soon
enough, boy. Tomorrow will be here before you know it.”
§ § § §
And that it was.
I stretched and yawned into it, in fact, sun so bright it
practically burned a hole right on through the shades, the heat
of the day already evident, baking my room. I kicked off the
blanket, staring down the length of my bedmate, who had snuck
inside the night before. He was naked as a jaybird, face buried in
a pillow.
I grinned. “That’s one fine ass you got there, Zeb. Grade-A
prime beef.”
He chuckled, the sound muffled, but he spread his legs just
the same. He lifted his head a tad so that I could hear him. “Good
enough to eat?” he asked.
“Good enough, I suppose,” I replied, reaching my hand out
to spank it.
“Better than Pearl’s grits?” he asked, legs even wider now.
My grin went high up on my face. “Don’t rightly know, Zeb.
Might require some research on my part before I can answer that.
I mean, Pearl does make some mighty fine grits, you
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