Part Twenty One

  No sooner than everyone adapted to Arlis and Virginia reconciliating, Arlis accepted a job in Tennessee. He was the best bodyman in the south and had been receiving better job offers for quite some time. It didn't matter that he could barely read or write, he could take a damaged vehicle and having it looking brand new in a very short amount of time. He was so good at his work it was common for him to go on big game hunting trips and deep sea fishing with the high faluting judges, lawyers, and doctors in the Monroe, Louisiana area. Arlis was forever working on their Mercedes Benz's, Cadillac's, Jeep's, and so forth. If he wasn't working on their vehicles, he was working on their kid's vehicles. The job offer from Tennessee was twice his normal pay so of course it was too difficult for him to say no. Required to be on his new job the following Monday, Arlis left Holiday Dodge on good terms. Arlis loaded all his tools in his truck, arrived home and loaded as much furniture as he could in a Hertz rental trailer. Virginia's station wagon was loaded to the brim and with six kids in tow, they drove to Memphis, Tennessee to their new home. Arriving at Memphis in the middle of the night, Virginia went inside their new home to use the bathroom. Before Arlis had begun unloading their furniture, Virginia could be heard screaming at the top of her lungs and running out of the house. A large rat ran across her feet which caused her blood curdling screams. Crying and screaming at Arlis that she wasn't about to live with rats running across her feet, she cranked the station wagon back up and related to Arlis that she was moving back to West Monroe. With his head hanging down, Arlis agreed with her and they moved straight back to West Monroe. Reaching town, Arlis unloaded all the furniture right back into the house they'd just moved out of. Not able to return to his previous job at Holiday Dodge, Arlis called ahead to Vicksburg, Mississippi about the job offer he'd received from the Ford place there. Happily they said yes and he accepted. Arlis told Virginia he'd drive daily to work in Vicksburg and when he had time he'd rent a house there. After working several weeks in Mississippi, Arlis and Virginia loaded all their belongings and moved again. All was going well until Virginia began drinking again. She got to where she'd stay in the bars and Arlis would have to go find her and bring her home time and time again. If it wasn't the bars where Arlis would find Virginia, it was jail where she'd been arrested and locked up for driving while intoxicated. During a span of three short months, Virginia had managed to total out two brand new cars Arlis had purchased for her. She ended up in the hospital from breaking her arm in one of the wrecks. Babysitters wre hired to help out with the kids and around the house until Virginia's arm could heal. Arlis got to where he'd take Virginia out dancing on weekends in hopes to save their marriage. It was one of the few times Mike recalled his mother and stepdad having some good times and laughing together. Ruby was the latest babysitter, she was a genuine gypsy and she had all the kids camping out on the front lawn, especially when the moon was full. She'd make a ring of stones, make a fire and allow the hot stones to cook potatos wrapped in aluminum foil. Wiener roasts and marshmallows afterwards became a weekly high point for the kids. Ruby would smoke marijuana from a little pipe she kept in her purse and jump up and gypsy dance in the moonlight.

  After school every day, Jimmy Don, Mike, Ricky, and Ronny would swing on a homemade rope that Arlis had tied from a branch high up in an oak tree near the house. Mississippi had lots of cliffs and bluffs and the rope swung over the edge of some pretty high up cliffs. If one were to let go of the rope while swinging over the cliff, they would assuredly end up with broken bones since the landing would be pretty far below. Becoming bored with the rope swing, the boys would explore the red clay hills behind the house. It didn't take long before they were engaging in dirt clog fights with neighboring Mississippi boys. Cuts, bruises, and red clay all in their hair, Jimmy Don, Mike, Ricky, and Ronny were forced to take early baths before Arlis arrived home from work and discovered they'd been involved in dirt clog fights with the neighbors. Ruby would be stoned and on occasion and she'd simply turn the waterhose on the boys, make them strip their clothes off outside, and send them inside for their baths before supper. Arlis noticed all the cuts and bruises on the boys and instead of asking them what had happened, he just said he was glad they were having fun.