The retired ranger crossed his legs, and helped himself to the cookies that Rose sat on the small table beside him. “This better be regular coffee, and not that decaf stuff,” he said, taking a sip from his favorite blue cup.
“Shut up and drink it, and stop dropping crumbs everywhere,” Rose snapped.
“Well Donny, Frank was never very good at finishing what he started. Yet the one thing he did manage to finish was Jack’s obedience training.”
“Who’s Jack?” Donny asked as he fanned a fly away from the cookies.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you. Frank named the pup after Stonewall Jackson, his favorite civil war hero.” Ranger Smith said. He wiped his mouth, and sat his cup down. “Every other day, Frank would take Jack on training runs through the forest. Sometimes early in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon or even at night. Jack and Frank were best buddies. Jack grew into a well developed adult shepherd.”
After a few weeks of sweet talk, Frank finally convinced Virginia to allow him to have fifteen Dominicker chickens, a blue nose mule, and a pair of Angora rabbits. That kept Frank busy for several months building the chicken coop, rabbit hutch, and a small barn to house the mule. Frank loved working with his hands.
Early each morning Jack had been trained to walk a complete round of the small farm. His first stop was the chickens, which he loved to sneak up on and bark. They scrambled in all directions squawking. Jack then headed for the barn, where the old mule would be waiting to snort at him, having been forewarned by the ruckus of the chickens. Next on his round would be the rabbits, and finishing up trotting around the rest of the perimeter of the farm.
“I need to use the bathroom, so stop talkin’ till I return,” Rose said heading inside.
“I hope you’re not getting tired of my stories?”
“Not me, I’m excited to hear more,” Donny said yawning.
Rose emerged from the house “Shhh! Be quiet you two, and listen to that strange noise. It’s comin’ from the forest,” she whispered.
All three sat still, making no sound or movement. They listened intently to the strange sound.
“It’s only the wind blowing through the trees. You aren’t startin’ to get jumpy, are ya Rose?” the old ranger laughed.
“Absolutely not,” she said sarcastically, folding her arms across her chest.
Donny turned toward Rose, “I hear you still dabble in fortune telling for the gullible townsfolk?”
Rose glared at Donny, and bristled at his snide remark. “So you don’t believe in the spirits little man?”
“Just hocus-pocus for the weak minded,” he quipped. Donny looked to his grandfather and winked. The old ranger responded with a grin, he knew Donny’s wisecracks about her psychic abilities would get a rise out of her.
Rose drew near Donny, and reached out with her right hand grasping his left wrist, she said, “Don’t move, and don’t be afraid.”
Donny flinched momentarily, and then looked at his grandfather who was grinning from ear to ear. Looking now at Rose, her head was slightly tilted back, and her eyes were closed as if in a trance state.
She began to speak, her voice low and heavy. “Beware the fair haired woman; she brings forth physical pain, and emotional suffering. The mark of a beast is upon her flesh. You have been warned.” She opened her eyes, and let go of Donny’s wrist. She simply turned, and walked back into the house without speaking another word.
Donny looked over at his grandfather, “What was that all about?”
“Pay her no mind, she gets goofier ever year,” he said laughing at the strange look on his grandson’s face.
Pulling out his red and green polka-dot handkerchief, he wiped his chin. Rose came out on the porch with a fly-swatter. She smacked the old ranger’s leg with it.
“Ouch! Why did you hit me?” he cried out, as he rubbed his leg.
“A fly was on your leg,” she defended herself, holding the swatter in a menacing manner.
“I didn’t see any fly; you got a mean streak in you. Put the swatter down, and be quiet so I can get on with my story.”
“You mean your tall-tales,” she said with a smirk.
It was eleven o’clock on Halloween night, and Frank turned the TV off. He slumped back in his recliner, and closed his eyes.
“Please turn off the lights, and let’s go to bed,” Virginia said. She had sat at the front door all evening, giving out candy for the few trick-or-treaters that wandered by.
Early the next morning, the Dominicker rooster strutted around the fenced in chicken yard. Stopping, he crowed at the rising sun. Virginia snuggled under her pink comforter her mother had made four years earlier. She heard the crowing, and wanted to pull the covers over her head. But finally crawling out of bed, she knew if she didn’t get up before Frank, he’d dirty every dish in the kitchen trying to make coffee.
Yawning, then stretching, she quietly made her way to the closet, and removed her lavender robe from its hanger. Easing the closet door shut, she began to tip-toe toward the bedroom door.
“Hey, why are you sneaking around? You make more noise than a cage full of turkeys,” Frank said, as he sat up in bed.
She didn’t bother to answer him. Proceeding into the living room, she opened the drapes, and the venetian blinds. Looking out into the yard she suddenly cupped her hands to her cheeks in disbelief, “Oh my God! Frank, come quick! You’re not going to believe this,” she yelled.
Leaping from bed too fast, his legs became entangled in the pink comforter. He finally kicked free as he ran into the living room wearing only his boxer shorts, and his sleeveless T-shirt.
Running to Virginia’s side, he now took in the strange site, “Some little snot has tepeed the whole place. I’ve never seen so much toilet paper in my life. Everything is covered. The trees, the fence…oh my god, not my truck! It looks like a parade float!” Frank screamed.
Heading for the kitchen window, he looked out into the back yard. “Holy mackerel, the mule barn, the grape arbor, and even Jack’s dog house are covered. I can’t believe it. When I find out who done this, I’m gonna kick their ass clear up to their shoulders! No good, rotten, sons-a-bitches!” He was beyond mad.
Virginia came into the kitchen, “Settle down now, you’ve played some sneaky tricks on others in your time.”
“Well, Jack never barked, not even once. So whoever it was, he must have known them. So that narrows it down some.” Frank hurried to the bedroom and dressed. He then retrieved the large plastic leaf bags from under the sink. They worked late into the evening, removing as much toilet paper as possible.
“The streamers up on the top branches will have to wait for a good rain storm to knock’em down,” Virginia said pointing up.
Frank glanced up as he threw another full leaf bag into the back of his truck. “I’m pooped, let’s call it a day. You look like you could use a nice, hot bath, honey.”
“You know, whoever did this is probably still laughing. And nobody touched the Carmichael house next door,” Virginia said grinning.
“If I find out who did this, we’ll see who has the last laugh,” he said staring angrily into the distance.
Rose grudgingly lifted herself from her chair, when she heard the phone ring. “Stop right there, I’ll be right back.”
Donny stood, and stretched his legs. “When Rose is done, I’ll call home, and let Eric know I’ll be home soon.”
Donny’s grandfather was open-minded enough to not say anything negative about their lifestyle. What a young man does with his life is his business he figured. Plus he had met Eric, and found him to be a pleasant young man who seemed to truly care for his grandson’s welfare.
The heavy flip-flop footsteps vibrated the floor as Rose returned. “That was my old man; he thought somethin’ happened to me. I’m usually home by now. Told me to get my big butt home, now!”
Donny had a surprised look on his face, “Has he ever hit you?”
“No, he just talks big. Once, way back when, he raised his fist to me, and I broke his nose, and put a few knots on his head. He ain’t got the nerve to manhandle me,” she said.
The retired ranger propped his feet on the porch railing, and laid back in his rocker. Lacing his fingers behind his head he said, “We can finish up tomorrow, if you don’t mind?”
Rose jumped right in, “Don’t you two start without me in the morning. I’ll come over and make breakfast, then you can start up where you left off.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Donny replied.
Rose stepped between the two, as the old ranger stood to hug his grandson. “Just one minute old man. Before I go, I want to know one thing, and I expect the truth. Look me in the eye, and give me an honest answer. Are you the one who tepeed the Turner’s house, yard and everythin’ else back then?”
“Well, I was asked if I knew anything about it, but I never admitted to anything,” he said grinning, then laughing out loud.
“I knew it. I knew the minute you told that part of the story, that you did it,” Rose laughed.
“Shame on you grandpa,” Donny said as he too joined in on the laughter.