himself as he clasped his hands behind his neck. “Well, yeah, you bet I’m havin’ trouble with that.”
Next he forced himself to work on the telephone company’s ladder truck even though he could only talk about the stranger named Cliff Benson.
“I don’t think an outsider would get eaten like that, you follow me?” he asked the rear axle he was working on. “Around here, you earn something like that, which means you can’t be no stranger— but now don’t go rollin’ out of here and tellin’ people I said so. Here, hold still; you think I got all day?”
The axle quit rotating, and Levi reset his wrench.
“But I can smell it. I can feel it, you know? Mr. Cliff Benson’s put his big feet just one step too far into Hyde River muck.” He gave a wheezy laugh and shook his head. “And now his feet are all he’s got left!” Then he grew serious and thought a long time before he spoke. “Hate to think Maggie would know anything about this—or him—but—”
He cinched down the bolt and then banged it to emphasize a decision he’d just made. “All right. Tonight, as God is my judge, I’m gonna ask her! I’m gonna flush this thing out of the bushes! I’m gonna—”
“Hey, Levi, come down to earth, buddy.”
Levi came back to earth, back to his old rundown garage and the wrench he was still holding in his hand. He looked out to see his old friend Ebo Denning standing outside. He crawled out from under the ladder truck, embarrassed. “Sheesh! Sorry.”
“Well,” said Ebo, leaning on the gas pump, “we’ve all got things on our minds today.”
Levi started pumping gas into Ebo’s old Ford pickup. Yeah, Ebo had to be under quite a load today, just like his truck. His wife Emily and his two daughters were squeezed into the cab, and the truck’s bed, roof, and sides were stacked with furniture, boxes, his old lawn mower, pictures in frames, his favorite cooking pans, his old cash register. He had to be carrying out everything he owned, Levi thought, which, by this point in his long struggle, wasn’t much. Yeah, Ebo Denning, a black businessman with snowy hair carpeting his head, was folding up his business and leaving town. It was over.
“Where’re you gonna go, Ebo?” Levi asked.
Ebo checked all the ropes holding his load, tightening a few. “Oh, head south, I think. I got friends and family down in Sacramento, and they’re into retailing. One’s got a furniture store, one’s got a hardware business down there. I think it’d be a good place to start over.”
“Well,” Levi said, glancing up the road, taking in the dismal little town, “to be honest, any move from here is probably gonna be a move for the better.”
Ebo forced a smile. “Yeah, that’s how I try to look at it.”
Levi finished filling the tank and replaced the nozzle on the pump. “Twenty-three fifty.” He would have said no charge at all, but he knew Ebo would never allow that.
Ebo dug the cash out of his pocket and counted it out. “You’ve been a good friend, Levi. Wanted to say that while I had the chance. And I do remember how you helped keep me in business there for quite a while.”
“Well, that worked both ways.”
Then Ebo said in earnest, “You take care of yourself, Levi. You know what this town can do to you.”
Levi returned Ebo’s serious gaze. “I know.”
They shook hands. Then, as if they both felt a handshake wasn’t enough, they embraced and slapped each other on the back.
“Good-bye,” said Ebo, his eyes moist.
“Drive careful.” He waved to Emily and the girls.
Then, with a rumble and a creaking, the old truck pulled out onto the Hyde River Road and drove off, leaving behind only the memory of Denning’s Mercantile and the good family who had owned it.
Ebo was also leaving behind a problem named Charlie Mack, who was just now standing on the other side of the road, looking over at Levi but trying not to look like he was looking. Now what was he after? Levi wondered.
Next he forced himself to work on the telephone company’s ladder truck even though he could only talk about the stranger named Cliff Benson.
“I don’t think an outsider would get eaten like that, you follow me?” he asked the rear axle he was working on. “Around here, you earn something like that, which means you can’t be no stranger— but now don’t go rollin’ out of here and tellin’ people I said so. Here, hold still; you think I got all day?”
The axle quit rotating, and Levi reset his wrench.
“But I can smell it. I can feel it, you know? Mr. Cliff Benson’s put his big feet just one step too far into Hyde River muck.” He gave a wheezy laugh and shook his head. “And now his feet are all he’s got left!” Then he grew serious and thought a long time before he spoke. “Hate to think Maggie would know anything about this—or him—but—”
He cinched down the bolt and then banged it to emphasize a decision he’d just made. “All right. Tonight, as God is my judge, I’m gonna ask her! I’m gonna flush this thing out of the bushes! I’m gonna—”
“Hey, Levi, come down to earth, buddy.”
Levi came back to earth, back to his old rundown garage and the wrench he was still holding in his hand. He looked out to see his old friend Ebo Denning standing outside. He crawled out from under the ladder truck, embarrassed. “Sheesh! Sorry.”
“Well,” said Ebo, leaning on the gas pump, “we’ve all got things on our minds today.”
Levi started pumping gas into Ebo’s old Ford pickup. Yeah, Ebo had to be under quite a load today, just like his truck. His wife Emily and his two daughters were squeezed into the cab, and the truck’s bed, roof, and sides were stacked with furniture, boxes, his old lawn mower, pictures in frames, his favorite cooking pans, his old cash register. He had to be carrying out everything he owned, Levi thought, which, by this point in his long struggle, wasn’t much. Yeah, Ebo Denning, a black businessman with snowy hair carpeting his head, was folding up his business and leaving town. It was over.
“Where’re you gonna go, Ebo?” Levi asked.
Ebo checked all the ropes holding his load, tightening a few. “Oh, head south, I think. I got friends and family down in Sacramento, and they’re into retailing. One’s got a furniture store, one’s got a hardware business down there. I think it’d be a good place to start over.”
“Well,” Levi said, glancing up the road, taking in the dismal little town, “to be honest, any move from here is probably gonna be a move for the better.”
Ebo forced a smile. “Yeah, that’s how I try to look at it.”
Levi finished filling the tank and replaced the nozzle on the pump. “Twenty-three fifty.” He would have said no charge at all, but he knew Ebo would never allow that.
Ebo dug the cash out of his pocket and counted it out. “You’ve been a good friend, Levi. Wanted to say that while I had the chance. And I do remember how you helped keep me in business there for quite a while.”
“Well, that worked both ways.”
Then Ebo said in earnest, “You take care of yourself, Levi. You know what this town can do to you.”
Levi returned Ebo’s serious gaze. “I know.”
They shook hands. Then, as if they both felt a handshake wasn’t enough, they embraced and slapped each other on the back.
“Good-bye,” said Ebo, his eyes moist.
“Drive careful.” He waved to Emily and the girls.
Then, with a rumble and a creaking, the old truck pulled out onto the Hyde River Road and drove off, leaving behind only the memory of Denning’s Mercantile and the good family who had owned it.
Ebo was also leaving behind a problem named Charlie Mack, who was just now standing on the other side of the road, looking over at Levi but trying not to look like he was looking. Now what was he after? Levi wondered.
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