Leaving LAX was the saddest part of my life. Leaving my friends and mother was the death of me. It should have been since where I was going was the good ole fucking South.
Nothing down there but things that bit you, poisonous shit that grow everywhere and fishing.
I am going down to that shithole.
My father, Marcus McDonahue lives right smack in the middle of it. Oklahoma, where the shitty wind comes sweeping down the tornadoed plains. Where you can get away with wearing shorts shorter than your IQ. Where slurs and freckles is what you pick up more than books.
Again, I am going to that shithole.
The escalator vibrates under my feet when I spot Marcus. He stands there like stone while his pregnant wife nudges his shoulder.
Walking briskly towards me, he grabs my bags, "How was your flight?"
"Alright I guess. Damn flight attendant had a worst attitude than mom does when she can't watch her soaps."
"I'll Amen to that." His wife whispers.
My father inhales deeply, "Watch your language while you're here. You don't need to influence your younger siblings of your ill behavior."
"Duly noted."
"Let's hit the road then. Do you know how to drive a stick shift?"
"No, I'm not from the honkey tonks."
Another raspy inhale, "You'll learn by the end of the month, Rachelle."
What the hell? "No I'm not."
He stops abruptly and turns towards me in confusion, "You will do what I tell you to do, young lady. Is that understood?"
I nod overenthusiastically and smile, "Oh yes father that I haven't seen in ten years. I will obey all your duties because you think you can walk back into my life and try to order me around."
His wife eyes widen and father's arms are clenched.
"Where's the damn taxi service around here?" I grab my bags from his hands and walk towards Customer Service. How dare that fucking man order me around when we've only met and try to order me around. He will soon see that ordering me around is harder than training a lion with no bait.
The customer service woman directed me towards the doors. It took me thirty minutes to get a cab and as soon as I loaded all my bags in the back, it was a whopping 8:30 at night.
"You a tourist?"
"Nope. Now a resident of the shit stain."
"I heard that. Where to?" As soon as I told him the location, we were off.
He talked about the baseball and football stats, while I stared out the window. I remember so little of this place. I remember annoying bugs and then the ones that light up. Now its taller trees, ponds and cat tails everywhere.
Forty minutes later, he pulled into the town.
Carterville, population 2,955 and counting. I am living here, the worst town all ready.
He pulled onto "Red Oaks Street" and for about twenty minutes he went through red dirt roads and gravel. He pulled up to the two story house that had a wrap around porch that led out to the lake and guest house, where I would be staying. I saw Marcus's Ford truck outside on the gravel and his wife rocking back and forth on the porch.
I paid the man and thanked him. He pulled out leaving a dusty trail behind him. My bags in hand, I made my way towards the house.
The first step on the stairs she spoke, "Your fathers pretty upset. I would wait a little."
"Oh. What do I do?"
She took one hand off her big glowing belly and waved it off, "He'll get over it. Let me show you the lake house. I helped decorate, along with Charlotte."
She struggled as she got out of the chair and waddled around the porch until she met me at the stairs.
She walked with no shoes on.
"Aren't you afraid of snakes?"
She laughed and waddled some more. "Snakes don't come 'round these parts, babe. It'll be the mossy places you gotta look out for."
I nodded. I should be writing all this down. My phones notes should do.
We got to the two story, white and blue painted lake house and I instantly fell in love. Well, as much as you can with a house. She opened the house with a key and handed it to me.
"Patt will show you around town sometime, he'll show you where the locksmith is so you can get a copy of this." She placed it in my cold hands.
"Your dad is strict, but I ain't so much," she says straightening the curtains of the double doors. She absentmindedly walks around straightening up everything up to the bathroom towels. "He will want you to keep this place tidy as possible."
I nodded some more and dropped my bags next to the dresser.
"Welcome to Carterville, Rachelle. It'll take you some time to get into the ole country habit."
"I don't know about that."
She nodded and smiled, "Give it some time, babe. Not so much, school starts on Monday for you. Goodnight."
With that, I was alone with the crickets and the sound of the lake.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
a/n: i know there is no such town called "carterville" and if there is then i'm not basing this book off of it.
this will be one of my main priorities for a little while.
Song of the Day: Take Your Time by Sam Hunt (if you don't like country, just please listen to the song without prejudice please)
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