The Backwoods

“It’s all right, Judy—”

“All drunk and weepy and sleepin’ most of the day.

I’m just ashamed to be like that for your arrival.”

“Quiet, I said,” Patricia ordered. But Judy’s mood was actually encouraging. Today she’s going to scatter her husband’s ashes. I’d expect her to be a wreck right now, but . . . so far, so good.

The three of them chatted casually during breakfast, mostly Judy talking about her business, which locals had died, gotten married, or left town, etc. Eventually Ernie excused himself for some outside chores he needed to get done before the funeral services.

Patricia found it almost impossible to keep her eyes off him as he walked out the door.

“Oh, yes, I’m afraid Ernie never quite got over you,” Judy was saying over her coffee.

Patricia smirked, more at herself than at the comment.

“But I’m glad you found the life you truly wanted with Byron.” Judy chuckled. “Ernie’s quite a good-looking man, but not your type at all.”

“He’ll find his Miss Right one of these days,” Patricia said for lack of anything else. “I’m totally in love with Byron, and I’m sure I always will be.” But she continued in thought. If I’m so in love with Byron, why am I having sex dreams about Ernie? She wondered what her old psychologist, Dr. Sallee, would say. Midlife crisis, I guess . . .

Later, they walked out back in the garden, which glowed resplendently in sun and flower blooms. Every so often a cicada would fly cumbersomely across their path, in search of a tree to hide in. Judy seemed more circumspect now, her mind mulling things as she ambled along over the fieldstone trail that snaked through the back property.

“I know what everyone thinks,” she said, plucking yellow petals off a small touch-me-not.

“What do you mean?”

“Everybody’s glad Dwayne is dead.”

Patricia’s train of thought stalled. You’ve got that right, she thought, but said, “Don’t be ridiculous.” She struggled to say something positive without sounding fake. “Dwayne was a difficult person to read. He was misunderstood and . . .” Careful! she thought. “He had a pretty bad upbringing. When you grow up around a lot of negativity . . . it has a negative effect on a person.”

“Oh, no. Everybody thinks Dwayne was a bad person and full well wanted to be.” Judy grabbed her sister’s arm. “But he wasn’t. He was a good man. He helped me so much. He loved me.”

He loved the free roof you put over his head, Patricia thought. He loved eating your food and spending your money. “I know, Judy. I’m sure he was a good man.”

“And those two or three times he cheated on me?” Judy’s eyes were wide. “That was all my fault.”

Patricia ground her teeth. “Judy, how can that be your—”

“I gave him no choice. A wife has more responsibilities to her husband than just to run a business. I never made time for him. I was so busy with the company, I’d neglect my duties to him as a lover.”

Patricia wanted to wail. Dwayne had likely engaged in sexual infidelities more than two or three times. “Don’t stress yourself over it now,” was all she said.

“And those times he hit me?” Judy vigorously shook her head. “I had it coming.”

At that Patricia had to object. “Judy, no woman ever has it coming. No woman should ever be hit by a husband.”

“You don’t know, Patricia. I’m sure I frustrated him, and then when I get to drinkin’ . . . I can understand why he done what he done.”

This was going nowhere. Be a lawyer, Patricia ordered herself. Judy is the claimant and she’s just lost her case in litigation. Offer your summation, Counselor. . . . “It may be true that a lot of people here didn’t like Dwayne, but that’s only because nobody really knew him. Only you knew the real Dwayne, Judy. You know he was a good man. You know he was a good husband. He’s gone now, in a terrible accident, so the best thing you can do is honor his memory by not caring about what other people might think. Remember Dwayne to yourself as the positive force he was in your life and all the happiness he gave you.”

Patricia nearly gagged on her words, yet they seemed to do the trick. Judy’s angst was quelled now, and she quieted into contentedness, a sedate smile on her face.

Patricia held her hand as they continued their walk through high ranks of flowers and hedges. She felt awful at her next thought. My God, I’m so glad that ex-con prick is dead. Maybe now my sister will find a man who’ll be good for her for a change. . . .

They sat down on a stone bench at the end of the path. Sparrows frolicked in a birdbath. The air around them hung still in the sun, and through the trees Patricia could see the glint of the river that emptied into the bay around the other side of the Point. It really is beautiful here, she realized. The thrum of the cicadas pulsed.

“It’s going to be hard to keep on . . . without Dwayne,” Judy said. “The business ‘n’ all, I mean.”

Patricia smirked. “Any loss takes a while to get over, but you’ll be fine.” Her words hardened with insistence. “Your company is turning ten times the profit that Mom and Dad got out of it. You’re a very successful, self-made businesswoman.”

“Oh, that’s silly. The only reason the business thrives now is because of the new boats and equipment that you loaned me the money for.”

She’s just feeling sorry for herself, Patricia knew. She supposed that was to be expected. The future of the company might seem overwhelming right now. “Judy, you paid that money back twice as fast as you ever needed to, with interest. The company’s success comes from your. brains and your hard work. You’ll do just fine.”

Judy seemed reluctant. “Without Dwayne it’ll be so much harder. Sometimes I get to thinkin’ . . .”

“What?”

“Oh, I guess I never told ya. You saw the construction on the other side a’ the river, right?”

Patricia remembered from her drive in. “Yeah, waterfront condos, it looks like. Judy, that‘s just the way things are. Everything gets bigger. It’s social growth. All those condos’ll do is bring in more people—rich people, by the way—who’ll spend more money here. More growth for you, too, and your business.”

“Oh, I know, but I never told ya about the offer, ‘cos it’s so recent.”

“Offer? Someone offered to buy the crab company?”

“No, the land, the entire Point. The construction man. His name is Gordon Felps. He wants to turn the entire Point into a waterfront residential community. He offered a million dollars for everything, and remember, half of that land is yours, from Daddy’s will. You’d get half the money. That’s a lot of money.”

Patricia rolled her eyes. My poor sister is such a hayseed . “Judy, a million dollars for your company and all this land isn’t nearly enough. Try three or four million, and you’d still be foolish to sell. Where would you go; what would you do? I know you enjoy running the business; you’ve told me that too many times. ”

Judy seemed doubtful. “I know, but I’m getting old for this.”

“You’re only forty-two!” Patricia exclaimed. “What, you want to sell everything now and retire? That’s ridiculous. Wait till you’re sixty-two, when you can sell everything for twenty million. That’s when you retire, lit-tie sister.” Patricia wanted to object further, but then she took a moment to consider the reality. She’s still in mourning. She’ll be a little kooky for a few weeks, but then she’ll come to her senses. “And besides,” Patricia went on, “What about the Squatters? You’ve had offers before and didn’t sell. Remember the last time when you called me about it? You’d said you’d never sell the land because the Squatters would be kicked out and have no place to go. Those people adore you; they’re like your children. Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind about them.”

'I don’t know. Things are changing. I keep hearin’ things, and it makes me think.”

Patricia just kept frowning. “You keep hearing what things?”

“Well, that the Squatters are startin’ to turn bad. Some of ‘em are startin’ to get into the drugs, and some a’ the gals are sellin’ themselves ‘n’ all.”