Chapter Nine
The afternoon was overcast. The climate was unseasonably cool and the merchants along Maine Street had the doors to their shops open, taking ad-vantage of the weather. The mercantile shop was no different. Leaving the door open rendered the bell above it useless. Fear of not providing the utmost in customer service kept Richard near the front. After all, it was the first day the store was open for business and he knew he needed to be available to meet his customers.
An older woman shopped quietly near the rear of the store. Richard sat behind the counter going over a list of inventory for the purpose of ascertaining whether he had entered all of it into his computer. He had already asked her whether he could help with any-thing. She politely refused and went about her shop-ping. Every few minutes he looked at her to make sure she was not in need of assistance. He would not say anything to her for fear of becoming bothersome.
Desperately, he tried to shake the thought that Susan desired Ralph over him. It appeared that this would be just another failed relationship. Ever since he met her he had repressed thoughts of old relationships because he did not feel it would be fair to his wife; nothing less than emotional infidelity. His inability to learn from them and cope with losses left him psycho-logically crippled to deal with the situation he faced. Depression became a defensive cloak of armor. He allowed nothing to pierce it, or anything to escape and give away his weakness.
One ex-love in particular entered his mind for the first time in over a decade. When they met his confidence had been destroyed by a woman who claimed her intentions were unadulterated. The relationship proved caustic, and Richard questioned the viability of his life’s blueprint. He was convinced that he suffered due to the bad karma he created as a ribald youth. Kathy was breathtakingly beautiful and captured his soul immediately. Her influence extended well beyond their physical connection. Self-respect was an attribute that he was never made to feel worthy, and she convinced him otherwise. It was the first time he experienced a completely emotional bond to a woman. Susan was the only other person who had brought out those intense ethereal feelings. Kathy rejected several offers of marriage. After their time together came to an end he finally understood the wisdom of her refusals. She knew that he was searching for an emotional nirvana; something she could not provide him. What he became aware of was that if she had left her husband the resulting devastation would have overtaken the intense energy they shared. He realized that Ralph was his penance for the unscrupulous manner in which he led his life.
Suddenly, Richard felt a presence in front of him. Waiting quietly at the counter was a man who appeared to be in his forties wearing a red flannel shirt with the sleeves torn away, and blue jeans. His pants were stained with something unrecognizable. “Hello, how are you?” Richard asked.
“Man, if I was any better they’d declare me a controlled substance,” the man replied, as he extended his hand in a friendly manner. “My name is Jarvis Anderson.”
He shook the man’s hand. “I’m Richard Styles.”
“You’re Susanna James’ grandson, right?”
“Great nephew.”
A perplexed look came over Jarvis’ face, then he shook it away and continued, “I own the bait and tackle shop across the street.”
“You’re just the man I need to see. I’ve always wanted to learn how to fish and I’m sure that you can teach me everything I need to know. I’d like to learn so my kids and I will have a hobby we can do together.” Remembering his battle with the Redfish the day be-fore, Richard felt obligated to say, “I’m strictly a catch-and-release kind of guy.”
“You got kids?”
“No, but my wife and I are trying though … hoping.” Richard smiled. “I’ve got a lot of time to work on it.” The words he spoke sounded hollow, as if he were trapped in the deep shaft of a coalmine, shouting to rescuers at the surface that he was okay.
Jarvis said nothing. He stepped away from the counter and looked around the store, nodding his head as he took in every detail. He spoke, not looking at Richard, as if what he was about to say was said only to pass time. “What you got there?”
Richard held the clipboard containing the computer printout so that Jarvis could see it. “You mean this?”
He looked over his shoulder toward Richard. “Yeah.”
“It’s a computer print out of my inventory. I need to make sure that my entire inventory has been properly input into the program that tracks it. That way I won’t forget to make an order as I run low on certain items.”
Nonchalantly, the man walked back toward the counter. “Let me see that.”
Richard handed the clipboard to him. He nodded his approval as he looked over the list. “You say this comes from a computer?”
“Yeah. I have an accounting program that keeps my inventory, accounts payable and accounts receivable. It’s really a neat little program. It’s amazing how technology has made life easier.”
“Yep, my accountant’s been after me to buy a computer program for my books. First, I had to get a computer.” Jarvis smiled impishly, “talked this girl I was datin’ into givin’ me hers.”
“Wow! That was generous of her,” Richard said.
“I ain’t datin’ her anymore.”
Richard furrowed his brow, knowing there had to be more to Jarvis’ story, but not altogether certain he wanted to hear it.
Jarvis continued proudly, “I get all my stuff free. Hell, I remodeled my entire store for free. They were tearing down an old buildin’ at the Pentecostal Church and I got all my materials from them. I did all the work myself,” he boasted.
“That was nice of the church to let you have their scrap lumber. I guess you’re helping to keep a part of the church alive.” The innocence in his words became evident after Jarvis’ response.
“They didn’t let me have it. I went there in the middle of the night to liberate it.” Jarvis replied proud-ly. “After the mill shut down … well … a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.”
The man’s swank bothered Richard. “But what if they had a use for that material?”
“They was just gonna burn it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yep. They told us in church one day that they was gonna burn it all. I felt like that was a waste, so I saved them the trouble.”
In the middle of the night? Richard questioned. He wanted the conversation to end. “That was a good thing you did.”
An uncomfortable silence between the two men caused Richard to sense there was something Jarvis wanted, but he wasn’t saying anything. Richard looked to the back of the store to see if the old woman needed help. The basket she carried appeared heavy. “Ma’am, can I help you with those groceries?” he called out.
Jarvis looked to the back of the store to see to whom he was speaking. Crucifyingly, he looked back at the shopkeeper, who was oblivious to Jarvis’ disdain.
Minnie replied, “Naw sir. I can get it myse’f.”
Richard smiled and watched closely as she walked from the back of the store to the counter, so he could be there to help if she needed it. She strained to lift the heavy basket and he rushed to her aid. “Here, let me get that for you.”
“Thank you, thank you,” Minnie said, smiling appreciatively. “I’m not a young woman any more, you know.”
Minnie turned to Jarvis. “Hello, Mr. Anderson.” The smile disappeared from her face.
“Hello Minnie,” Jarvis replied, with a look just shy of a scowl.
Richard carefully removed each item from her basket and scanned the barcode into the register. Once he had completed scanning all of the items he pushed the total button. “That’ll be twenty-three sixty-nine.”
“Oh Lord! All I got is twenty dollars. I didn’t bring enough money. Can I put some of this back and have you remove it from my bill?”
Richard smiled. “There’s no need to do that. Next time you’re in just bring me the difference.”
Jarvis straightened his body in the same manner a Marine recruit would upon the command of his drill sergeant, except that it was no sign of respect. He turned away from the counter and stared through the window across Maine Street, focusing on nothing in particular, so that he would not be made to witness the compassion offered to Minnie.
“You are such a kind man. Thank you,” she said as she handed her money to him.
“Here, let me help you to your car with these. I insist!” Richard said. He made his way from behind the counter and picked up the bag of groceries and politely followed the old woman to her car. When they made their way into Jarvis’ field of vision, he turned away from the window and walked back to the counter.
Richard walked back into the store and could feel the tension. He was in no mood to deal with some-one he perceived to be socially unrefined, so Richard asked sternly, “Is there anything else you need?”
Jarvis felt no compunction about asking for something he wanted. “Yeah. I was wondering if you might see your way clear to let a good Christian man borrow a copy of that accounting program of yours.”
“You mean to install onto your computer?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s against the law.”
Shaking his head in disgust, Jarvis replied, “Them people ain’t gonna come to this little town looking for no law breakers.”
“That doesn’t make it any less illegal. It’s called software piracy.”
Jarvis paused before responding. “But they ask four hundred dollars for it in the store. Besides, I gotta get rid of those big green sheeted books so my account-ant won’t charge me so much to do my taxes.”
“Ledger books.”
“What?”
“The books with green paper in them are called ledgers.” Richard was irritated and spoke in a condescending tone.
“So, does that mean you won’t give it to me?”
“That’s exactly what it means.”
Jarvis turned and walked toward the door in a huff. When he got there he turned and said to Richard angrily, “You can’t be molly coddling them people like you do; not in Erstwhile.”
“What?”
“You start extending credit to them people and they’ll steal you blind.”
“Jarvis, you think because I extend Mrs. John-son credit and I refuse to break the law for you that I am somehow playing favorites, right?” When he didn’t reply Richard continued. “You have got one screwed up set of values, my friend.”
Jarvis, insulted and disgusted, turned and walked through the front door and onto the sidewalk. When he disappeared from view Richard muttered, “Fucking hypocrite.” He sat down heavily in his chair. The anger he had been taught to use when handling stressful situations welled within him, but it was only momentary. Conscience took over and replaced his initial reaction with disgust over his duplicity. How could he expect more from Susan than he did of himself?