RETRIBUTION

RETRIBUTION
BY R.D. SEGREST

Like all young girls, Janice had dreamt of love, being rescued by a shining knight in armor, a handsome Prince Charming and being whisked away to live forever in his castle.

The first of many dreams unrealized was after Janice married the first and only man who showed any interest in her. She had always been a shy and introverted child who never had a boyfriend or dated. He was a big, bearded country boy, born and raised in the same small town as she had been in the back woods of northeast Tennessee and had met while at work. She had been working at Smiths Hardware Store when he had come in to buy copper tubing and had struck up a conversation with her. He had ridden in on a Harley Davidson motorcycle and asked her to go for a ride sometime. They had dated for a short time and then married. That had been 10 long years ago. She glanced across the room at her Prince Charming. Jake sat in his armchair in his shining armor of boxer shorts and a stained Tee-shirt watching re-runs of Gilligan’s Island. When they married, he had promised her a waterfront home and the moon. The waterfront turned out to be a mosquito filled drainage ditch, the home a double wide trailer and the only moon she saw was his skinny ass when he trapsed naked through the house, usually drunk. He hadn’t even bought her a wedding ring. When they were married at the Justice of the Peace’s office, she used the ring passed down from her mother after she had passed away. Sadly, even that was lost now. She had taken it off a couple weeks ago while doing the dishes and laid it upon the windowsill above the sink. She had forgotten to put it back on after she finished and then couldn’t find it later when looking for it. She searched for hours and then finally concluded that it must have fallen off the sill and into the sink drain. It wasn’t much, just a tiny little diamond ring but it had been her mother’s, and she was heartbroken.

The marriage had never been good. Jake had been raised in a household by an abusive father and unfortunately took after his father while Janice had been raised mainly by her mother who had been a meek and submissive housewife who believed that a women’s duty was to take care of house and home. Janices father, while never cruel or abusive was not the type to shower affection either. Her father was a truck driver who hauled pulpwood to the papermill not far out of town. He would come home after work to be catered to by his wife and Janice had grown up thinking that was how marriages were supposed to be.

Her friends at church had talked to her about how times had changed and that wasn’t the norm any longer, but she stuck with the marriage because she didn’t think of herself as a great prize either and kept hoping and praying that Jake would change. She was now 32 years old and knew she wasn’t what the men would call a looker, to be honest, plain would be a better description, she wasn’t fat, just what they would call big boned, and even that was being kind she thought to herself. The few women who she considered friends at church had tried coaxing her into getting her hair styled, a change of clothes and suggested makeup which she had never worn because her mother considered it something that only “shady ladies” wore. Janice knew they were only trying to help her feel better about herself, but she thought, “Lipstick on a pig is still just lipstick on a pig.”

She did consider herself a good person who felt she deserved a better life than the one she now led. She attended church every Sunday, alone because Jake refused to go. She was kind to animals and treated everyone with respect. She realized there were not a lot of opportunities in the back hills of Tennessee for a man like Jake to succeed but she figured he could at least hold down a steady job…. wrong. She was the main provider for the household working for Smiths Hardware to pay the bills. It was her paycheck which paid the electric bill, kept the propane tank filled, kept gas in the truck and supplied the few meager luxuries that they had.

Jakes only contribution to the household was money made from selling corn liquor he made from an illegal still hidden somewhere on the 30 acres of wooded property he had inherited from his family and which their double wide sat upon. Even that money was normally gone on beer, drinking at bars or gambling before it went to household support. That or on his motorcycle. Jake couldn’t hold a job for longer than a month or two, due mainly because he would show up drunk and be fired. Once after being fired and coming home drunk, she had started berating him for losing another job and he lost his temper and started beating her. Jake was a mean drunk, the more drank, the meaner he got. After beating her and to complete his dehumanizing of her, he had dragged her into the bedroom, tore her clothes off and raped her. Jake stated that it couldn’t be rape if you were married, that it was his God given right. When he had finished and rolled off her into a drunken stupor, she had gone into the shower and scrubbed herself raw until the water turned cold, even after that, she didn’t feel clean. Afterward she went into the den where she sat and cried.

When she showed up to work the next day with a black eye, Mr. Smith had called her back to his office and asked what happened. It wasn’t the first time she had come to work with a black eye or bruises. She made up an excuse about slipping and falling. The look on his face told her he didn’t believe a word of it. He looked at her sadly and told her that she didn’t have to put up with this, there were laws, but Janice just told him she didn’t want to talk about it. He sighed, shook his head and told her that he understood but if she ever needed to talk about it, that he was there for her and if she didn’t feel comfortable with him, Mrs. Smith, whom she knew, liked and trusted.

It was the middle of August when they had a rare visitation from someone other than someone looking to purchase moonshine or one of his motorcycle buddies. It was a sweltering 95 degrees out and the small A/C window unit was having a hard time keeping the place cool. He was sitting watching baseball on television and drinking beer while she was in the small kitchen area cooking when they heard a car coming up their dusty dirt driveway. Because the trailer sat about 100 yards back from the main road and was hidden by a curve in the driveway and pine trees you had plenty of time to see who was coming up the drive. Jake got up to look out the front window and yelled “Damn” while making a beeline for the back door shouting at her that he wasn’t home and that she didn’t know when he would be back and to not say anything about him. She stood rooted in surprise not knowing what was going on. She watched out the window as a Sheriffs car pulled up in front of the trailer followed by a newer model SUV. A man wearing a suit got out of the SUV and walked up to the front door as the deputy remained in his car waiting. She answered the door after the man knocked wiping her hands on a towel. “Good afternoon are you Mrs. Whitmore?” he asked. “Yes, can I help you?” “I am looking for a Mr. Jake Whitmore, is he home?” She explained that he wasn’t at the time and asked if she could help him. He explained that it was something that he needed to talk to Jake or both of them about and left her with a card asking that Jake call him as soon as possible and thanked her before driving off with the Sheriffs car following.

Later that night, after Jake returned home, she asked him what was going on. Jake said he didn’t know but that it couldn’t be good, the sheriff being there and all. “What did you do now?” she asked. “Nothing, but I got the still up in the woods for one thing” he stated. “They are probably running a sting operation on me.” “That’s crazy Janice replied. Why don’t you just call him and find out.” “You stay out of it,” he said pointing a finger at her. You know about the still too, if I go to jail, I’m gonna make damn sure I do everything I can to see you go too” he stated while throwing the card in the garbage can.

One of Janices few pleasures and her greatest pride was her garden. Every year she tilled up a half-acre of land with a rototiller where she would lovingly plant corn, tomatoes, pole beans, watermelons and a variety of other vegetables. She had a green thumb and even after canning enough vegetables to see them through the winter, had so much that she was constantly bringing bags of extra to fellow members of the church. Mr. Smith had suggested and helped her set up a wooden stand in front of the hardware store where she sold vegetables and watermelons to customers when they shopped. Mr. Smith stated that it helped bring business to the store knowing that they could purchase fresh produce there as well as feed, seed and farming necessities. It also added a much-needed supplement to her income.

Every day after she returned home from work would be spent cultivating, weeding, stringing runners from the pole beans and a multitude of other tasks required in her garden. It was late one evening as she was weeding between rows of green beans when she noticed movement on the ground by a pine tree bordering the garden. After walking over, she found that it was a baby squirrel who had most likely fallen from a nest up above in the tree. It was alive and seemed unhurt and she just didn’t have the heart to leave it to die so she took it inside and fed it some warmed milk with an eyedropper. Afterward she made a nest for it out of rags in an old bird cage she retrieved from the shed and set it out of the way in the kitchen.

Jake came home half-drunk as usual and after getting a beer out of the refrigerator came into the den where Janice was hulling purple hull peas which she had picked earlier that day. “What the hell is that thing you got in the kitchen?” he asked. “I figured a redneck peckerwood like you would recognize a squirrel when you saw one” she replied not looking up. “Don’t get smart with me woman, I know what a goddamn squirrel is he replied, but what’s it doing in the kitchen? Them things aint nothing but flea infested tree rats.” “I found it outside today and I didn’t have the heart to just leave it to die.” “Well, I guess we can have us some fried squirrel when it gets bigger” Jake smirked. Janice looked up at him and he just smiled a nasty smile back at her. The next day after she had gotten off from work, she went to the library and looked at an online site about squirrels and researched proper nutrition and care for a domesticated squirrel to make sure she was doing what she needed for its health and to determine what sex it was which turned out to be female.

Janice fed the squirrel every morning before leaving for work and after she returned home later in the day. She would take her into the den in the evenings after feeding her and lay it gently into the large pocket of her smock where it would curl up and go to sleep. It was times like this that she regretted not having children but after considering having to raise a child with Jake as a role model, decided she had made the correct decision. A couple of weeks passed, and it grew bigger and healthier daily. Janice had added some raw peas or beans from the garden to its diet along with its regular milk feedings which it enjoyed. It had started running around the den climbing the curtains and investigating its surroundings just as a cat would and Janice would sit and watch and laugh out loud at its antics. It had also started chittering whenever Janice came into the kitchen and it saw her. “Well, I guess it’s about time I gave you a name she told it one evening, how about Chatterbox, since you talk so much.” It stood on its rear legs and chittered at her. “Chatterbox it is said Janice smiling.”

After about a month or two she started taking Chatterbox out into the garden with her in the evenings. Chatterbox would run through the plants stopping to munch on a pea pod or climb a corn stalk while Janice weeded or picked vegetables. Janice was half hopeful, yet half afraid she would run up a tree and be gone forever when she first took her out with her. Part of her wanted her to be free, but the other half knew she would miss her dearly if she did. Jake continued to make his subtle comments about going squirrel hunting or putting down rat poison to get rid of vermin. Janice tried to ignore him hoping that even he couldn’t be that cruel…… hoping.

It was Friday just before her shift was over at work as she was re-stocking a shelf of supplies when James Samples, who owned the pawn shop in town, walked over to her. They knew each other having gone to the local high school together and he had taken over the family business when his father had retired. He had a bag of green beans in hand from her garden stand. “Evening Janice, can you remind Jake when you see him that he only has a few days left to get that ring out of pawn, either that or lose it.” “Ring, what ring?” Janice asked already fearing the answer. “Small diamond ring he brought in a little over three weeks ago, I loaned him $200 dollars on it. It’ll cost $250 to get out though.” “Thank you, James, Janice replied, I’ll let him know tonight.” He paid her for the beans and then turned and left. That son of a bitch thought Janice.

That night when she got home, she found the trailer empty, Jake was off somewhere doing whatever it was he did. She fed Chatterbox some shelled peanuts and then put her back into her cage while she prepared supper. She kneaded some biscuit dough and set it aside while she started heating oil in the skillet for frying chicken. After putting some green beans on to heat she cut up and prepared the chicken pieces for dipping and frying. She had just finished frying half the pieces and had put the remainder in the skillet when Jake came staggering in the back door, drunk as a skunk. He grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator before asking how long till dinner while heading into the den and the remote control. “Not long” Janice answered. “Oh, by the way, I saw James today.” “James who?” Jake asked sitting down. “James Samples” she replied. Jakes hand was about halfway up to take a drink and stopped. “Yeah, what’d he have to say?” he asked giving her a sideways look and taking a sip of beer. “That you only have a few days left to get the ring you pawned out or lose it” Janice replied looking at him. “Huh” was his only response while he returned his attention to the television. “You pawned my mother’s ring, didn’t you? You took my ring off the windowsill and pawned it, didn’t you?” “I needed the money” he answered calmly not even looking at her. “For what, why would you steal and pawn my ring?” “I didn’t steal SHIT he said now angry, anything you own, I own. I had a debt I had to pay so I did what I had to do to pay it.” “A gambling debt no doubt,” answered Janice. What are you going to do to get it back?” “I aint getting it back, you thought you lost it and came to terms with it, besides, I aint got the money. You want it back; you go get it back. Now hurry up with supper, I’m hungry.”

Janice walked over to where he was sitting and looked down at him. “You are a real piece of shit; you know that right?” Jake jumped up out of the chair swinging a big right fist which glanced off the top of her head. “BITCH, you don’t talk to me that way. Janice staggered backwards from the blow into the kitchen. “Bitch, I’m going to teach you a lesson I should have taught you years ago he yelled. I’m the man of the house and you are about to find that out the hard way. First thing I’m going to do is get rid of that tree rat of yours.” “You leave her alone Jake” she screamed. Jake stopped and looked at her, “Or what he asked, what you going to do?” He started walking towards Janice, his eyes bloodshot and mean. “Damn cow, you care more about that tree rat than you do me,” he stated walking closer. Janice had backed up until she could go back no further, she was against the kitchen counter next to the stove. Jake walked over and slowly opened the utensil drawer and pulled out a long knife. “I never did like competition” he said smiling evilly. “I’m gonna kill it, gut it, skin it and then your gonna fry it up in that pan and then eat it. You will never disrespect me again bitch. My Pa didn’t put up with this shit and neither am I.”

All the years of his abuse, the names, the mistreatment and cruelty crashed over her like a giant wave, and now he was going to kill the only thing she truly cared about.

Not even considering what she was doing, she grabbed the skillet full of hot oil and chicken and threw it at Jake. It hit him square in the chest and he started screaming when the hot oil splashed over him, the knife fell from his hand and he staggered forward and then slipped on the grease which had splattered on the floor, crashing into the stove. The oil from the pan had soaked the entire front of his shirt and pants. When he crashed into the stove and the flame on the stove burner, he erupted right in front of her into a human torch. He ran screaming and staggering through the kitchen and into the den where he crashed into the wall, setting the curtains on fire then collapsed still burning on the floor. Janice stood frozen in fear at what she had done. She couldn’t move until she realized that she had to get out of there or burn to death. Half the den was now engulfed in flames and she was beginning to choke from the smoke. Jake lay still aflame on the floor while she ran past him for the front door, grabbing Chatterboxes cage as she went.

The light from the fire could be seen miles around. By the time the fire department showed up, the trailer was a smoldering ruin. When the Sherriff and emergency personnel arrived, they found Janice sitting on the ground far away from the trailer holding a squirrel to her breast while she rocked back and forth softly crying. The fire inspector had said afterward that it looked as if there had been an area under the trailer where Jake must have stored his moonshine and when the fire had reached it, it had exploded, literally blowing the trailer in half.

The Sherriff took Janice into headquarters where she explained what had happened, not leaving anything out. The Sherriff after hearing her story looked at her and said, “Looks like self-defense to me.” The district attorney agreed, and no charges were filed against her. What little human remains that could be located later were taken to a local mortuary where they finished the incineration process and the small remnant of the ashes that were once Jake Whitmore were scattered by Janice on their property. To be factual, they were dumped with no ceremony or remorse. There hadn’t been any insurance on the trailer, and she didn’t have any money saved so while all the legal proceedings were going on Janice was taken in by Mr. Smith and his wife Emily where she stayed with Chatterbox in what had been their daughter’s bedroom before she had left for college.

Later she took a trip into town to the pawn shop where she asked James if he would hold the ring a while longer for her until she came up with the money. He went into the back of the store and when he returned handed her mother’s ring to her with a smile. He told her to pay him when she could, just the $200 dollars, no more. She thanked him with tears in her eyes before leaving.

Later that week she was surprised with a visit by the man who had left the business card with her. He showed up at the hardware store where she met with him in Mr. Smith’s office. Turns out he was an attorney who was representing a company which was interested in purchasing their property. When Janice asked him why the Sherriff was there with him that day, he explained that it was because he couldn’t locate where they lived. He had seen the patrol car parked beside the road and had stopped and asked for directions. The deputy had just led him to their address being helpful. The company was looking for 20-30 acres of land where it could build a truck repair and storage facility for the papermill logging trucks and trailers.

Mr. Smith along with his attorney helped her with negotiations and helped her sell off the timber on the property prior to the sale. The sale of the trees for lumber and pulpwood alone netted her over $75,000 dollars. The sale of the property afterward another $150,000 for a grand total of $225,000 thousand dollars. More money than she could have ever imagined.

ONE YEAR LATER

The lady who walked into the hardware store wore casual jeans with a blouse and belt. Her hair was tastefully styled, and she wore just enough makeup to highlight her eyes and a little gloss lipstick. Around her neck was a gold chain which held a small diamond ring and gold acorn pendent. She wasn’t what you would call beautiful or even pretty but was what most people would consider, a very handsome women. All the other employees smiled and said hello to Janice as she walked past to get ready for her shift in the store. She had gone on a diet along with two of her friends from church and had started attending a local fitness place where she had lost 20 pounds over the past year. She had to purchase all new clothes that would now fit her. She carried a cage with her into the store which held Chatterbox. She turned Chatterbox loose in a cage located out in front of the store that had once been the produce stand, now rebuilt with chicken wire into a large cage where she could run and play. All the customers loved that she was tame and brought and fed her tidbits when they came to shop. She would be let out at times and would climb on the customers’ shoulders and sit there or look through their pockets searching for a treat. Mr. Smith lamented the fact that she no longer had produce to bring in, but he said that Chatterbox and the business she brought in by interacting with the customers helped offset it. Janice still drove her old truck and had moved into an apartment in town which she had furnished with the money from the sale of the property.
She had already politely turned down a few requests for dates, explaining that she wasn’t ready for that yet and to give her a little time. They had all said they understood and stated that she could expect them to ask again in the future. Janice for the first time, in a very long time, was experiencing something she thought she would never experience again. She was experiencing the feeling of simply being happy.