A Murder in Mayberry

Part 10/9 Boy Drama

Daisy's story, taken from notes from my diary journal written during the 9th grade

As I already mentioned earlier, I was not a good friend to Ren that spring. I became even more neglectful when Tabitha's baby was born and came to live at our house. Baby Darrell Junior, called DJ for short, arrived five days late. He arrived mad and loud and stayed mad and loud when he got home. If I thought my home was loud, crowded, and chaotic before DJ, it was a rock concert on drugs after he moved in. Not only that, but Nana Gail moved back in for about a week to help, and some guy named Zeb was hanging around too. He was in town working on a case with the Sheriff and the Wild Bunch, but in my opinion he was hanging around a little too much. He seemed more interested in Tabitha than solving any crime. He was a nice enough guy, but dang, Tabitha just had a baby. A baby. I was a little suspicious of him, and Nana, well Nana didn't know quite what to think.

As for my mom, she thought Zeb was "dreamy". And she said things like: True love finds a way, and - You never know when or why love finds you.

Disgusting. The whole thing was disgusting to me, though I will admit, even then the detective was growing on me. Zeb had a broken arm, but he bundled up the screaming, squirmy baby and took him outside and rocked DJ on the porch swing. He could soothe the baby when it was fretting by whispering in its ear. Nana Gail called Zeb -"the baby whisperer". When Nannie Jo called and demanded Tabitha come home and bring that baby back, Zeb got on the phone. Before he was done talking to her, they were laughing, and she was planning a visit. Zeb brought flowers and Krispy Kreme doughnuts and asked me what was my favorite and said he'd bring me a lemon filled one next time. He acted like a good boyfriend should, if that was what he was now - a boyfriend to Tabitha.

Zeb's demonstration of what a man should do for a woman he cares about, coupled with a lack of sleep, made me an ill ass friend to Ren. I did not need anymore drama in my life - a newborn baby with the colic who would not be comforted with swaddling or belly rubs and cried from sundown to midnight - was enough drama. I did not need Ren's drama. I loved him so bad it hurt me to look at him sometimes, but he was so melodramatic during this time, that I couldn't convince him not to run. He thought running away was the answer. He had a plan and I was not part of the plan. My mom would never let me go and besides, I thought it was a really stupid plan. I contributed twenty eight dollars and 63 cents to the stupid plan. All my savings from working for Aunt Bea and dusting the den of doom. There goes my cell phone, I thought.

Ren's plan was to leave on Spring break. He was going to catch the bus. On the Monday before he left, Magdalena decided to go too. Just to make sure he gets there ok, she told me. What? He needs a babysitter now, I thought. I was mad and a little jealous, but somehow Magdalena's reasoning to me sounded like she was concerned and worried more than after my man she didn't even know was my man (because apparently he didn't know it either). I told her it was foolish, but secretly, though still jealous, I knew she was too smart to do anything really stupid. I felt better about her going, as if a hundred ten pound girl was going to protect a 6 foot guy. I really did think Ren would be safer with her. And, he wouldn't let anything happen to her either.

They left on a Tuesday. They were supposed to call me that week, but they never did.