A Wrong Turn Towards Love by Pepper Pace

baby.”
    His heart was beating like crazy but his frown deepened. “There ain’t no place to raise my baby but right here on Cobb Hill with his daddy and Mama.”
    She looked down, smile broadening. “Her.”
    “Huh?” he asked.
    “We having a baby girl.”
    Bodie sputtered and then stood up. “I’m having a baby girl!” he yelled at the top of his lungs. Most everyone laughed and those who didn’t shook their head in secret envy.
    People came up to congratulate them. JD suddenly appeared, all smiles.
    “I’m Jimmy Dean Jones, ma’am. JD to my friends.” He reached out offering his hand to her and Bodie struck like a snake and gripped his wrist before it could approach his family.
    JD gave him a surprised look and then he looked down in shame. But then he felt a small warm hand in his palm. He looked up and Shaun was shaking his hand. Bodie released his grip but he stood by tensely.
    “Pleasure to meet you Jimmy Dean-”
    He met Bodie’s eyes. “I told you, JD to my friends. I’d be mighty obliged if you call me JD.” He looked back at the pretty black woman and gave her a sincere smile.
    “JD it is,” she said, returning it.
    She placed her hand on Bodie’s arm. “Honey, lighten up. If we’re going to live up on this mountain together than I’m going to have to get to know these folks.
    Bodie’s smile returned as he gazed upon the woman that had his entire future wrapped up inside of her. Then he looked up and addressed the room.
    “Alright you rednecks!” he yelled above the sound of the continued congratulations, good-natured ribbing and the juke box that was blasting the usual country and western tune. It wasn’t hard to get everyone’s attention since he would remain the center of attention for some time to come. “I wanna tell y’all something. This here little lady is Shaundea. She’s my baby’s mama. Y’all going to be seeing a lot of her and my daughter…well when she’s born.” The sounds of laughter filled Stubby’s bootleg joint and could be heard for miles up and down Cobb Hill. “Well anyway, that’s all I got to say other than; next round is on me!”
     
     

 
     
    ~Epilogue~
    Derrick sat on the ground beside his brother’s grave. He had spent the night drinking and his head throbbed; though not just because of the cheap wine, which was all that he could afford these days. He looked down at the brass grave marker that the cemetery used to mark the graves of those whose family had no money or didn’t care enough to purchase a gravestone. The guilt caused him to quickly look away. He wished he had the bottle now but even he knew that it was wrong to get trashed on church property.
    He had never visited the cemetery in the year since Keegan’s death. If he came here than he would no longer be able to walk around in a fog of denial. Here he could not pretend that Keegan was ripping and running around town somewhere. Here he had to face that his brother had been placed in the ground and the bitter truth as to who was at fault.
    It haunted him that the world continued to move forward without Keegan. Sully had taken a plea deal and had avoided getting gassed. Now he was cooling his heels in prison with three hots and a cot. Bodie had married the black girl and he sported her and that baby around town as if…Derek laughed bitterly. Bodie walked around town as if he was actually happy.
    He blinked and then looked out into the distance, deep in thought. Today was Sunday and tomorrow would be the fourth of July and that is why he had finally come. The fourth of July reminded him of how much Keegan had loved the fireworks when he was a kid. He would ask Derrick to light his sparklers because his chubby little fingers were too small to work the lighter. Of course it was Derrick that had eventually taught him how to flick the bulb on the disposable lighter. And then years later it would be Derrick that showed him how to inhale the smoke from his first cigarette.
    Derrick buried