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Not quite an entr'acte or an interlude or even a bridge, which is what I call it.
But it will be apparent whose update it really is, so far as the rounds go, even if I don't want to name it after them.
It was the middle of the night. There was nowhere else for them to go.
Lana didn't like it. She had stormed out in a passion but when it came down to it
she didn't have any better plans than her son. Now that was a sorry state of affairs.
"Please forgive the intrusion Mrs. Land—Beulah, it is Beulah? We wouldn't dream of
imposing except, that is, I'm sure you're aware that my husband has—a temper."
"Say no more Lana."
Beulah knew how to read over-familiarity from women like this one standing in her kitchen; out there in the world was somethin'
different but this here was Beulah's house. Mrs. Mann wasn't comfortable havin' the tables turned on her. Not one bit. All the same,
Beulah was glad she hadn't yet started to do up her hair for the night, with her head all in curlers she might have felt as exposed as her.
"I mean it's nothing that won't blow over but when he gets riled up, and Junior wasn't helping you know, it just seemed best—"
"Like I said. You both are more than welcome to stay the night," Beulah said. "Mary."
"Yes, Mama."
Mary promptly headed to collect the blankets and things for their guests.
And Junior followed in her trail. He didn't know what else to do or say.
He watched while Mary made up the couch for his bed, saying that his mama could have her bed and she'd take the other
couch in the room in there but if he found it was too short for his legs or something they could trade, she didn't care either way.
"Thanks, Mary. You're really—"
"Oh hush now, it ain't nothin'. Just go on and get you some rest."
Junior watched the way she swayed away with that old-fashioned nightgown curving around her. He didn't think she had nothin' on under there!
But Junior didn't have time to get carried away thinking about Mary.
His dad, his mom, everything falling apart. Nowhere to go, no money, no stuff. And it was all Candy Hart's fault!
A girl like that had no business getting pregnant, making trouble for guys like him. And all cuz of the money.
Now he ain't sayin' she's a gold-digger...
But what else was a Mann like his dad supposed to believe, anyway?
Lana didn't know what she expected but staying at this house, of all places, a virtual stranger's house, and
having to share a room with these children, it was degrading. She would not forgive Rich for this any time soon.
Junior stayed up half the night thinking. And suddenly (finally) it all made sense to him.
(When he stopped adding up the cents and started adding up the figures.)
He had hardly dozed off when his mom came hovering over him, nudging him to wake up.
Being a naturally early riser, Junior wasn't accustomed to being startled out of his sleep.
"What's wrong with you? Wha-what time is it?"
"It's time for us to leave, that's what time it is. So get dressed, hurry. I don't want to be here when all these children and
people start getting up and crowding each other out going about their morning routine and gawking at us. So get up."
"We can't just sneak out in the middle of the night..."
"It is not the middle of the night, Junior, it's nearly dawn and I have written a very nice thank
you note on that desk over there. Now put your clothes on like I told you and let's go."
"But breakfast?"
"What are you talking about. Get dressed, get dressed. Let's go!"
Junior finally did as he was told, grumbling all the while.
"Where on earth are you gonna go," he challenged his mom, "you're not thinking of goin' home?"
"Of course we're going home, where else would we go—"
Mary came tip-toeing into the room.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, ma'am. I thought y'all was still sleep. I was only tryna tip on through to the barn. Don't mind me."
Lana took the opportunity to leave Junior to his homely little down-home, milk-fed girlfriend and her whole wholesome
family and their big breakfast feasts since that's what he craved so...stupidly. She would come back for him later.
Homer was heading out early himself this morning. He called out to her.
Her thin veil of politeness soon gave way to a real curiosity. Lana still had her instincts, it didn't take long for her to decide that here was a man
who was not to be judged by his cover. This Homer was no Gomer, oh no. She couldn't fathom what could've landed him in such a life with that wife
and so many mouths to feed—all of them younger than Junior although she would bet her green eyes that Beulah was not one day younger than
herself—but she was convinced it was a life he had chosen and not one that was chosen for him. Poverty as a choice Lana couldn't understand.*
They talked for a few minutes while the sun steadily rose and Homer realised he'd best be getting on.
He also tried to tempt her to go in for a nice hearty breakfast but she emphatically declined.
Junior caught up with his mother and pulled her aside while Homer walked to work.
"Now listen, you were right," she conceded before he began, "your father is sure to still be fuming. But Junior we can't stay here. We would be
much more comfortable at the Harts'. I'm sure they've only got the basic luxuries, no livestock there, so you're just going to have to be brave."
"Mom, mom, we can't go to the Harts, you don't understand."
"Valentine is a man of the world, he won't ask any awkward questions and it will annoy your father, in
the best possible way, and that Candy Hart is a sexy girl, you know. I know you must have noticed."
"Candy Hart is, she's pregnant, Mom."
"Is that all? That's what got your father so worked up? You know he can be such a tyrant sometimes and such a tightwad."
"Mom, listen to me. Candy's pregnant," Junior said slowly, "And it's not mine. You get it now?
I mean, he called me a thief. What did you think, I stole money from him?"
Lana didn't say anything.
"I mean I thought, maybe...but now I know. I caught her in the house one time and I didn't think...you know, not Dad. But—"
"Are you telling me that Rich...in my own house...?"
"It's his house really, ain't it? I mean, look around."
"And he knocked her up?"
Lana was talking more to herself now.
"Looks like it." Junior didn't notice at first the change in his mom's tone and when she jumped up her whole personality had transformed.
"Oh, that Mann will regret the day he Fucked. ME. OVER!!"
Junior was properly scared seeing this new side (old side) to his mother.
~
~
Lana reconvened with her son, empty-handed but that was okay, she had a plan.
Junior didn't understand how she meant to get out of town when they had no car and no cash and he didn't like it.
He had kinda figured they'd just lay low for a while until things blew over but his mom was going on
about somebody she needed to see. He just knew she meant a lawyer or something. Junior didn't like it.
Junior didn't feel right going back to crash at Mary's and especially fielding questions
about where his mother is now or their family situation and how long 'fixing it' might take.
And without his mom and her delicate senses he didn't have to be so particular about where he lay his head.
He knew all these random dudes, truckers and construction and whatever, set up here sometimes. So why not?
(Just because I did not realise I'd given Peter the same outfit as Harlan Riggs there. The wife-beater wasn't cutting it but what I'd pre-loaded
for cooler weather before I played the Ottomas round was the same jacket combo as Elden Hicks is wearing. Can't win. But kinda funny.)
*Oh, and go home Peter. You might be missing something important.*
Junior kinda liked this idea of roughin' it out here on his own. Rugged individualism. Self-reliance...(y'know,
somebody else's food, shelter, and fire). Maybe when he gets his mom all squared away he'll take to the
road himself. Junior Mann...truck driver. Yeah that sounds like a plan. *Um, sure. Nite-nite, Junior.*
Eager to settle this business, Junior walked down to the Harts' bright and early the next morning.
He ran into Rhett first, which was a good thing come to think of it.
"Candy up yet? I need you to go get her down for me."
"She ain't here, man."
"C'mon Rhett, just go get her, it's important."
"I told you she ain't home. I was just in her room, had to swipe some o' her PrettyBaby hand cream cuz I ran out—she's got jars o' the stuff stashed
away, she was holdin' out on me—but anyway she wasn't in there. Don't ask me where she got to. I don't know jack, nobody tells me nothin'."
"Uh, what about your old man? He home?"
"Yeah, he's here," Rhett laughed, "but if I was you I'd leave that all to Candy. I mean he bitches a lot
but we all already know, there's nothin' Pop wouldn't do for Candy. So don't even worry about it."
Junior gave another mistrustful glance toward the house as he headed out with Rhett.
"Hey, where you goin' anyways this time of morning?"
"Work, man. Some of us gotta. Not a bad deal, though. Pop gets laid and I get paid."
Mary knew she had no business sneakin' off here, sinnin' in the daylight.
'Specially with what she went through losin' the baby and knowing he wasn't wantin' another one.
She spent so much time hopin' and prayin' on him, and waitin' on him. He wasn't coming to sweep her away.
No prince to save l'il Mary. She barely heard what Dixie was saying.
"How are we gonna do without you when you get married and move away?"
"Married?" Mary sighed, "Don't you worry none 'bout that."
~
Rich headed Lana off at the pass today. He was expecting her.
She didn't even put up a fuss when he led her around back. Like a guest.
Rich began by telling her he had a proposition to make. "I know you've been meeting with my head contractor—"
"Whose fault is it that I need a new home for me and our son?"
"I have no son. But I will soon, very soon. In the meantime you and I have business to settle. You will need a house—"
"I've already settled on a house, don't you worry."
"You have no money," Rich stated, "oh I see," and then he laughed long and hard, "But if you think Nature's credit card is
going to cover it these days you are forgetting that you're a bit overdrawn on that account, my dear. I'd say at least 20 years."
Lana sat in total shock.
"I will cover the cost for your house and expenses, which I think is more than generous after you sided with the thief, I won't even make conditions."
Lana jumped up, she'd had just about enough of this!
"Lovely seeing you, Lana, as always," Rich said, "Tell the thief sleeping across the street that trespassers will be shot. Good day."
~
~
Lana found Junior not exactly across the street, Rich, but still in the plainest view from the house across the clearing.
"What's the word, Mom—hey, why do you look like that? We're not moving or nothing, are we? What about Dad?"
"No, of course not, Junior don't be silly. Widespot is our home," Lana reassured her son.
It's the only place they can afford, which is what she couldn't bring herself to say out loud.
He was a very naive kid, which may in some teensy part be her fault, but it was responsible for this mess they were in.
How could he be so stupid as to mess with one of his father's floozies and not even realise that's what he was doing!
If he had bothered to be at all discreet eventually Rich would've forgotten about her and so would he or Lana would've gotten rid of her—baby shmaby—and
their lives wouldn't be topsy-turvy. But she still blamed it all on Rich. He was the one who flagrantly violated their rules about extracurricular activities!
"I want you to go back to stay with the Lands, I think that's best. I'll be back in a few days and then we can put
this all behind us. And promise me you won't go trying to patch things up with your father. Just let me handle this."
Mary had to make time sometimes to get some fresh air for herself.
'Ain't no man gonna buy the cow when he already gettin' the milk for free!' That's what she always
heard-tell and lately Mary's been doin' a lotta thinkin' on how wise some old sayings turn out to be.
But she had to get the better of herself—she had to. 'Cause the next time he called she would come, no lie,
even now she knew it was wrong. He wasn't ever gonna marry her, he was only...milkin' her. (And she liked it.)
Dwellin' too much like this didn't lead to no good, Mary told herself, and she shifted in her seat and looked up to find she had company.
(Elden really does gravitate and hover around Mary whenever she's around about town.)
Junior was taking the long way around to the Lands; he was sure they'd let him stay,
that wasn't the problem...and then he spotted Mary, here of all places. And that same
random guy from before with her! But he took off when Junior ran over. That's right!
Junior was up at the crack of dawn waiting on Mary to come through like before, but she was late getting started today.
She'd been acting funny ever since they got back from Penny's; she smoothed it over with her folks for him to stay and everything but ever since he tried to sneak a little kiss
she's been keeping her distance. She wouldn't even agree to come out to "his room" for a little bit after everybody went to bed. What gives? He thought they were on the same page.
Junior followed close on her heels. She definitely didn't wear nothin' under that nightdress.
He couldn't resist. Cute as it was, she couldn't stay a virgin forever.
"Come on, Junior, quit it."
And the thought of being first excited him almost as much as being with a girl like Candy.
(Little did he know they'd both been initiated in the ways of the Hart. And hers had already been taken.)**
Rich was good for some things, possibly. The house was coming along nicely and quickly and he had paid for everything.
Lana still slept with the "contractor".
Junior always makes time for his real favourite gal.
No secrets, no judgement, no rejection. And they had fun together.
Delta was just the kinda girl for him. If only she weren't 10 years old.
Junior was in his glory at family breakfast time!
"These pancakes are great, Delta, so when you make my breakfast special tomorrow you're gonna have a hard act to follow."
Junior stole a glance at Mary behind his shades. Nothin'.
"I don't cook, silly. I'm too little!"
Junior heard Mary react to that, a low catch in her throat that she covered over with a forced cough.
Truth is, she was way younger than Delta when she first had to start in the kitchen. Nobody ever thought she was too
little to help out and there was Dixie, almost grown, never set foot by the stove...but that's just the way things was.
"If you want, I can start teachin' you—that is, unless, Mama, you—"
"Naw, Mary, you go 'head."
"Cool!"
Even though they were sisters, sometimes it seems like Delta, and the others, really were from a whole 'nother generation.
"It's not that bad, really. You've got no imagination."
"That's not it."
"Oh, Junior. If you like the girl go ahead and have her, what the hell difference does it make now.
I'll tell you this much, she'll be a lot more useful to you than your father's hand-me-downs."
"Now, this area here," Lana proceeded paying no attention to her son's disgusted shudder—those were the facts, were they not, "I'm not sure what we'll do with this yet..."
Mary's day was looking up. Mama always minded the customers herself but she had to walk out for a bit. She put up the sign but he musta not
seen it, goin' straight round back, lookin' for that other stuff of Daddy's, that hooch, like Mama calls it. And, o' course, she remembered him.
(And he remembered her...)
Hard to say what, or who, Junior was looking for, coming this way all the time.
No Candy, that's good, he guessed. No Mary, even better. Especially with those creeps always passin' through.
*Hey Junior, thought you wanted to be a trucker? What happened?*
Her sister Dixie knew how to relax and be young so it can't be just the strict family, he was gonna find out what's up with Mary.
(He still didn't understand that Dixie-rules aren't the same as Mary-rules or that they could have different ideas about "rules" in the first place.)
But even Mary had her own wants and needs...and ways and means.
Junior cornered her when nobody was around. She didn't put up a fuss.
Homer knew he spied a streak of green from the corner of his eye, a colour that does not belong cavorting with his daughters'purples and pinks.
He still wasn't prepared when he stepped over to the window and saw this!
Homer was not a violent man or he might've smashed through the window at the shock of seeing his little girl being Mannhandled.
Instead, he ran inside to break this up. Right now!
Mary was already pushing Junior to settle down, there was the family who never thought nothin' of a closed door and
not long before she'd best be gettin' dinner on and then she looked up and saw her daddy rushin' in, face like thunder.
It wasn't so serious as all that. (But all the same Mary might have watched where she was putting that hand.)
Junior didn't budge, his fingers tracing the the back seam of her dress curled around the fabric and held his grip. It wasn't
an intentionally insolent gesture, not really, but having finally got Mary where he wanted her, Junior was feeling possessive.
Until he remembered that policemen carry guns.
In his own right, Homer didn't mind Junior, much; even welcomed him here in his home on the idea
of not punishing the son for the sins of the father, like Beulah said, but a Mann was a Mann.
"Think Mary! Don't matter about no family feud, that boy is still the sole heir to Rich Mann Senior's fortune.
And men like that don't ever intend nothin' decent with a girl like you. And I'll be damned—"
"But what kinda girl am I, Daddy?"
"Poor, Mary."
"Right."
"It's not a crime. But I'll be damned before I let my daughter be used like practice until a suitable girl comes along."
Homer was still worked up when Beulah came in. Wasn't no good reason Mary couldn't—shouldn't—be courted,
properly, by Junior Mann. Or somebody better. But he knew how those people thought—oh, he remembered.
"Hey there, Lumpy—what's wrong with you?"
"Where the hell'd you get off to?" he growled.
"'Scuse me, Homer Land. What'd you just say?"
Mary went about her business, gettin' dinner ready. She felt her mother come up behind her.
She wasn't a child. She wished her family and everybody would stop actin' like she was,
treatin' her like she was "special" just 'cause she was shy and didn't like to start no trouble.
"Now I know you know better than lettin' yourself get into them situations you can't get out of, Miss Mary."
Beulah started working herself up when Mary didn't respond and Homer immediately regretted
getting her involved. "Come on, MamaBear, calm down." He whispered, "the children..."
Mary wasn't at dinner. She didn't show her face all the rest of that night.
Any kinda tension was a big deal in this family. Dixie and Scot met up after the little kids went to sleep to figure out what was happening.
Dixie couldn't believe her ears when Scot "defended" Mary because he knew his sister was no slut, "...she would never—"
"Never what, Scotty? What the hell! And what if she did—I mean, Junior loves her, we all know it—"
Scot wasn't having it. He had the craziest ideas about girls. All Mama's preaching done rattled his precious brain and Dixie bet Mama didn't even know it.
~
The house was finished. It was more like a cottage, honestly, but Lana had early decided against bleeding
Rich dry or antagonising him by being extravagant. She had other plans for her dear, sweet husband.
She will say he has an eye for talent. This young man has been an excellent help to her.
Junior's adeptness at being self-sufficient left him with a bad case of food poisoning.
*Junk food. Yep that'll fix it.*
Mary had a lot on her mind.
Scot spotted them passing when he took Virginia home. He followed them back to the Makeout Spot.
And got right in Junior's face. He spat out the name Candy Hart.
"Watch it, kid. You're talking stuff you don't know nothing about."
Mary saw Junior getting mad, she sent Scot home. He's real smart but he don't know much about people yet.
She let Junior know she didn't answer to her little brother, no matter what he thought.
"If you wanna marry Candy 'cause of the baby, Junior, I understand," Mary said, catching him off-guard.
"What—wait, what? You think...?"
"I know. The family—I mean, the Harts, they all—"
Junior didn't know she knew anything. He decided it was best to come clean, about him and Candy, his father...everything.
(So far as he understood it.)
And she was okay with him, no turning away.
"Why don't you, uh, come home with me tonight? Your family'll have a fit but, hey, it can't get any worse."
"I see you're upset, I understand. If I had a daughter...but, well, sons are different. Homer—do you mind if I call you Homer—you were very
kind to me, you and your lovely wife, and your whole family has always been so nice to Junior. He was an only child, poor boy, so he was
in heaven at your house. We would never repay your kindness with disrespect. I would never let that happen. But the kids are in love."
"That what you call it?"
Lana let that pass, she kept smiling. "They have been selfish. They're young. And there's no real harm done. We've
had a trying time of it lately so I'm happy for anything that makes Junior happy. Like your Mary. She's a wonderful girl."
"So she's here, is she?"
"Well...yes. But it's not—"
"That's all, please. I just wanna talk to my daughter."
"Daddy. What are you, what you doin' here?"
"Would you rather I'd sent your mama?"
"I am not a l'il girl! I ain't been for a long time. Scot does what he wants and Dixie, too, and they're the kids. And you know, like me,
you'd 'a never acted that way if it was Dixie. Soon as she grow up she's gone; maybe Scot, too, but if not nobody gonna be on him 'bout nothin' he do.
And then River and then Delta. But not me, I'm s'posed to stay and be Mama's L'il Helper forever and I don't want to."
This cooking business was what you paid people for...but Lana wanted to make a nice impression.
"If you'd like some privacy," she called out, "you might try through that door."
"You sayin' if it was any other man you'd be okay with it? I don't believe you."
"You'd better get in there," Lana said.
(Privacy was an illusion with this floorplan.)
"Excuse me, sir, but I have something to say."
"Mary, will you marry me?"
"Say what?"
"Daddy." Mary turned back to Junior, "'Course I will."
"All right! I'm gonna marry Mary!" he snickered, "With your permission."
"Oh, what the hell." Jackass.
"It's certainly not as good as anything you're used to eating but I hope you like it."
Homer congratulated Junior before he left. And warned him to take care of his daughter, he'd be watching.
"I'm off to work now. You kids have fun."
"Work?"
"Yes, Junior, work. Money doesn't grow on trees in this house."
Rich caught Lana to inform her that they were now divorced, by default. He didn't trust Daytona to rush the order through like
she did for her son so he took matters into his own hands. Conveniently, Lana did not respond to the public notice (there are no readily
accessible newspapers in Widespot) so his terms went uncontested. Round One: Rich. But while Lana was down, she's not out.
Meanwhile, "the kids" took Lana's advice to heart (and to bed).
Junior could get used to this: woohoo and good food. (And she cleans, too!)
Another Land man stopped by in the morning, this one to see Junior.
"Shouldn't you be at school, kid? We're not doing the thing until later."
"I was gonna apologise since you're trying to do right by my sister. But I also know what I saw. So I'm gonna be watching you."
Great, another one. These family-values type of families were so uptight but at least Mary knew how to be real and go with the flow.
She was a real surprise, that one. And he was marrying her, not her little brother, so hit the bricks, kid. Don't come back til 5.
Junior ran to his mom suddenly worried about the ring, he can't afford one.
Lana sighed. "Here, take mine. It's no good to me anymore."
"You, you sure?"
"This ring is more expensive than anything that girl could ever hope
to wear. Go on and give it to her, she'll be in your debt forever."
Mary didn't feel very much in his debt yet, or hers. Was it Lana's cooking or had she somehow caught Junior's bug?
Was it sympathy-synchronized couple puking? Or was it just Big Day nerves?
Or was she in somebody's debt after all?***
5pm. A small family affair. The Jr. Manns are in reduced circumstances
so the Lands walked over with their own kitchen chairs to sit on.
Homer was there to bear witness on Mary's day but it wasn't the way he ever pictured it. No nice new dress. No walking her,
nervous, down the aisle. And none o' that would matter if he could believe she was running to Junior instead of from...them, and
maybe herself. But he had to let her. He didn't know how Beulah could look so damn happy, though. Mary was her favourite.
With this ring...
It may not be a grand ol' wedding party like you might've expected for the son of Rich Mann
but they had friends, family, and cake. Beulah made sure o' that. She baked Mary's favourite.
Dixie was the last to linger, dragging a chair behind her, but she stopped and shut the front door on the rest of everybody for a
minute with her sister. She knew a secret! She didn't know if nobody else had guessed but Mary only smiled down at her and nodded.
Good for her, Dixie knew she sure as hell wasn't waitin' for her wedding night neither. And hell yeah for bein' an auntie-to-be!
Good thing, too. How successful is a wedding night that leaves you dreaming about your old lover's dead wife?
No regrets, now, Mary. You're a married woman now.
For anyone just 'tuning in', see The Dilemma of a Rich Mann for the where/how/huh? crux of the way this all fits together; there are overlaps with almost all the other Round One updates but they're mainly incidental.
*Of course, poverty wasn't what Homer chose but a consequence he accepted for pursuing his real choice.
**Mary's milk pail is in the wrong hand but I liked this better than the pics with it fixed.
***Mary! She's killing me here. She very nearly miscarried again and she hadn't even popped yet and her motives were all nicely green! She may simply be incapable of carrying to term, which is not the direction I'm headed in (poor girl) but could be very compelling for her character arc... In any case, she had actually 'popped' if you look carefully at the wedding shots; I like that it's not overly conspicuous and it gives the wedding a nice shotgun-ish feel while casting doubt about who might not have noticed and who might have pretended not to.
Random:
Hooray for timely, unexpected thought bubbles! While I'm sure that Lana's X for Candy and Homer's for Junior only meant that those 2 had somehow wandered into a bathroom I love how they added that extra bit of dimension to the scenes at hand.
Catchphrase "Homey don't play that" comes from recurring Homey D. Clown sketch on early 90's show In Living Color (no link, no space). What I didn't know was that Homey was an ex-con doing the clown schtick as part of parole penance or something so it's that much funnier to me having given the phrase to police officer Homer.
And what job did Lana take? Why, criminal, of course. It's what she wanted (and allowed with Rich's starting Level 10) and she's already had 2 promotions. Technically, this means she's working under her ex-husband's aegis, but what he doesn't know won't hurt him, surely.
Thanks for reading!
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