Shelton Family Saga

Chapter 31

Ode to Big Star
2003 - Albuquerque, NM

It had been a rocky downhill slope for Big Star ever since Madam Lottie had vanished. He always believed she was off vacationing somewhere with his daddy. He had made it up in his mind when he was just a young boy that one day his parents would get back together and live happily ever after. He never told anyone about his fantasy, not even Madam Lottie. And, now all these years later the local sheriff of Helmsville had reopened her missing persons file all because of some big time, rich bitch that used to live in Helmsville. Sheriff Roberts, or Greasy Steve as he had become known over the past forty years had long ago retired, but even at eighty seven years old was still poking his nose around in police business. Both his son and grandson had followed in his footsteps over the years by starting out as patrolmen and eventually progressing to deputies. Now a fourth generation, his great grandson Liam Roberts, was following suit. Officer Liam Roberts was giving a nationally televised news conference explaining the local investigative units had an obligation to reopen the file, cause there was reason to believe it could be linked to an arson case that happened in Helmsville twenty - five years prior in 1978, which was around the same time Madam Lottie disappeared. And now, to learn his momma had burnt up inside Hoochies house all those years ago, he just couldn't believe it. What was the world coming to? Life was so damn unfair. And, if the brutal realization of Madam Lottie's demise wasn't enough, it was worsened by those pesky paparazzi. They were everywhere throughout the town. It really pissed him off there were so many of them, especially in a town as small as Helmsville, with a population around seventeen hundred, give or take a few. Hell, there wasn't anything left in the town. They'd long ago closed the one grocery store, and even torn down Miss Ruby Mae's candy shop back in the early eighties leaving nothing, but an ol' Crape Myrtle tree where the shop once was. The ol' dusty streets may have been cleaned up a bit, but they were made of red brick and so out of date. At least in Albuquerque, they had paved streets. He couldn't believe those pesky paparazzi were there watching and waiting to pounce on anyone who still existed in the tiny little town that was related to, or even remotely associated with billionaire racehorse owner Vanessa Shelton. Standing there in his momma's house, Big Star looked at the raggedy divan that was so old and worn out the once sunshine colored stuffing that filled the cushions had turned orange. As he sat on the arm of the ol' worn out divan, his thoughts began to overtake him. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, and just like the orange stuffing that was coming out of the seat cushions, Big Star could feel his inner stuffing beginning to seep out, also. It sent him backwards in time to a place he relished on a deep emotional level, and everything was so vivid. The smell of his momma's cheap perfume drifted up his nostrils. Here she was buttoning up his shirt and giving him a pep talk, "Anthony put these dimes in your pocket and don't lose 'em, ya hear me?"

"Yes ma'am."

"You should always have some loose change on ya, cause its important for a man to always have some money in his pocket, ya understand?"

"Yes momma, I understand."

"And, always keep your clothes looking nice too. You're gonna be a big star one day, so you gotta learn how to shine now."

"Yes ma'am."

As she buttoned the last button at the bottom of his shirt, she pulled a tissue from her purse beside her and reached up to wipe his runny nose. As she did, he leaned in to hug her almost falling off the arm of the divan. He opened his eyes as he felt himself wobbling forward, and realized he'd spent the past few minutes reminiscing his days as a young boy with Madam Lottie. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he shook his head in disbelief. "Its not fair," he muttered. "Damnit, its just not fair." Now as tears streamed down both sides of his face and his nose started to run, he reached up with the back of his forearm and wiped his nose along the sleeve of his polyester shirt. He just couldn't understand why bad things happened to good people. His momma had been good people. She'd helped so many young girls over the years, including that whore Vaniti, or Vanessa, or whatever the fuck her name was. It was hard to believe how some folks could do you, after all you'd done to help 'em out. If only his momma could see him today, and witness what a big star he had truly become, she would be so proud of him. In spite of the huge crocodile tears that kept flooding down his cheeks, Big Star smiled wide at the thought of that notion allowing his grill to show. He was now fifty seven years old and missing his top four front teeth. They had gotten knocked out years ago by some dude that caught him off guard one day as he pumped gas in his Cadillac. Unfortunately, his hair wasn't long and sleek like it used to be either. Seems all the years of putting those harsh chemicals in it to perm it smooth and straight had taken its toll. It was thin and scraggly and only existed sparsely around his ears down to the nape of his neck, and it had all turned gray. Not one single black strand of hair could be found anywhere on his head. Even so, he had some loose change on him. A whole whopping thirty two cents. He was proud of himself, remembering how his momma always stressed the importance of a man having some money in his pocket. Wiping his nose on the sleeve of his shirt once more, he grinned his wide snagged tooth smile again. Sighing heavily, he stood up and walked to the screen door, looking out to the front yard. There was no driveway, just dirt and some patches of grass unevenly spread out across the yard, which is where he'd parked his Cadillac. The rims were rusted and the white wall tires were so din-jee, they looked like black wall tires. There was some tacky plastic taped around the area of the back door of the car where the glass should've been for the window, but was missing. One of his girlfriends had gotten salty when she found out about Big Star having several kids he never mentioned, and she had thrown a big red brick through the back window of the car as he tried to speed off one day. As he pushed open the screen door it made a creaking noise that irritated a mangy old dog that was laying on the front porch. As the dog moaned, Big Star just walked by, got in his Cadillac and sat there staring in the distance for several minutes. The sun had dropped and it was beginning to turn from dusk to dark. When he finally snapped back to reality, he leaned over to open the glove box and pulled out a small velvet bag. He loosened the drawstring on it and pulled out a syringe. Sticking his hand back in the bag, he pulled out a tiny vial filled with some cloudy liquid. He stuck the needle of the syringe into the vial and drew the handle back as far as it would go, followed by him scrunching up his sleeve and desperately searching for a clear spot on his arm that wasn't marked by a track. He barely found a tiny unmarked spot, and ever so carefully inserted the needle into his forearm. He then turned the key in the ignition several times while constantly patting the accelerator to get the car to start. When it finally crunk up, he threw it in reverse and forcefully backed out of the yard into the street. The neighbor across the street, a young kid everyone called knuck knuck, was up in a tree and had watched Big Star shoot the cloudy liquid in his arm by the street light radiating from the high line pole at the edge of the yard. He wondered how he did it without using anything tight tied around his arm to get his veins to pop out. He called out to him, "Ehhh Big Star!" but Big Star paid him no mind. The only sound besides the rattling of the cars muffler, was the blaring of Pras' voice crooning through the busted speakers, rapping about a Ghetto Superstar. With the needle still stuck in his arm and his thoughts aimlessly wandering, he threw the gear of his Cadillac in drive, and rolled off into the darkness of the night. There was no doubt in his mind he'd made it. He knew it was easy for everybody to see that he, Big Star, was still shining like he'd always been. He was everything others wished to be. He was good as gold.