Country Lovin': Chapter Ten

Valene sighed as she walked down the steps. She could hear Nadine's laughter from the kitchen as she descended. A burst of Kitty's laughter came next.

She smiled as she walked into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. "Well, someone obviously had a good sleep last night."

Valene smiled. "I also sleep well." She sipped her coffee, making a face. "Yuck. Where's your tea?"

Kitty grinned as she pointed to the cupboard above the stove. "I was going to ask when you began to like coffee." She laughed as she saw the blush on Valene's face.

"Where did you go yesterday, Valene?" Nadine asked, the tone of insistance rising.

"I went to the Yemahasse River and I rested myself, since the both of you almost gave me my midlife crisis." Valene washed out her coffee cup to refill it with water and placed her cup in the microwave.

"Yeah...right. You don't leave here, ready to slash someone's throat, then come back at five-thirty, eat supper and go to bed with a smile across your face, then wake up, looking like you just--" Nadine's face lit up and she grabbed Valene's shoulders. "You did!"

Valene's eyes went wide, finally picking up on what Nadine was accusing. "No! Get your mind out of the gutter Nadine! That is disgraceful!" She pushed past Nadine to gather her drink.

"Since I see the both of you haven't changed much since yesterday, I'm going to go drink my drink outside." Valene said with a huff, then walked outside, still wrapped in her off-white flannel robe and bare footed.

Nadine smiled at her Aunt, then followed Valene outside. Okay, so Valene hadn't lied about going over to Jessie's house and had sex with him, but she knew that there was something going on between them. If she had gone down to the river, then she knew she hadn't gone alone. If Nadine had to do something to get these two together, then she'd do whatever it took, because she had never seen her sister like this. She reminded Nadine of herself when she was in high school.

Nadine had been the rebel. She had gone and had gotten both of her ears pierced, three times at the lobe, and once at the top of the ear when she was thirteen years old, by stealing money from her parents. She smiled at the memory. She also remembered her mother swearing she'd rip them from her ears.

Dressed in a pair of red, blue, and yellow flannel boxers and a tank top she followed her sister outside. Her sister was sipping her tea and just staring out at the road, as if she was waiting for someone to arrive.

"Expecting someone?" Nadine asked as she scootched her sister over.

"No. Do you think I am?" Valene replied coolly.

Nadine raised an eye brow and sighed. "Would you calm down, Valene? Me and Aunt Kitty are just playing. But telling you the truth, if you really do you like this Jessie, you should tell him."

Valene smirked and shook her head. "It isn't that easy. Me and Brad we went through that entire relationship without telling each other we loved them."

Nadine rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and look out that relationship turned out. You need communication, and why not start with that part that says: "Oh Jessie, I love you. I know you love me. Oh honey, give me that big kiss."

Valene shoved Nadine and laughed. "You really are something aren't you?"

Nadine smiled, finding she had spilled half of her coffee on the ground, then laughed. "Yeah, I've been told that a few times." She sipped her coffee and watched her sister as she sipped her tea. "Want to go out to lunch with me?" She asked suddenly.

Valene looked at her and smiled. "Really? The both of us? The same booth? Same waitress?"

Nadine shrugged and then nodded. "If you want it to be that way."

Valene smiled and took another sip of her tea. "Yeah, I might want it that way."

º º º º º º º

Both Zimmerman sisters were dressed in jean shorts, sandals, and tank tops. Both addressed with sunglasses, they said good-bye to their aunt and climbed into Valene's car.

"Why do you have to drive?" Nadine asked as she slid into the passenger side seat.

"Because I'm the oldest, so shut up." Valene replied as she started the car, and looked behind her and she began to back up.

"You can't make me, you're not my mother!" Nadine shot back, with a childlishly snarl.

"I could be your mama! Don't make me turn this car around little girl." Valene couldn't help but smile as she remembered her father saying it to her, Nadine, and Derek, when they were little.

"I'm really scared, Val. Whatcha going to do to me? Burn me with your ciggarette lighter?"

Val stared hard at her, then burst into a fit of laughter, then began to drive her car forwards. "You know, you're something else. I'm going to feel bad for whatever guy you snag, you know that?"

Nadine smiled as she relaxed into her seat. "Just don't tell him about it. Whatever he doesn't know won't hurt him." She smirked evily and pushed up her sunglasses with her pointer finger.

Valene laughed and rolled down her window to let the air play with her hair.

Nadine laid her head back against the seat, leaning her head to the right, glancing out the window. They were coming closer into town and the houses were coming closer together. The large beautiful plains were decreasing into decent little backyards.

A gas station passed, then a super market. Valene pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant where she and Jessie had gone the day before.

"Is the food here any good?" Nadine asked as she climbed from the car.

"I guess. I haven't eaten here yet." Valene replied as she also climbed from the car and she shut the door behind her.

"Oooh." Nadine followed her sister into the restaurant, finding a booth by the front window. The entire front part of the restaurant was lit by the sun which came through the windows. Bits of grass showed through the sand, which surrounded the restaurant. Only the roads were paved, but they were covered in sand.

An elderly lady, one different from the one who had come to her and Jessie, came to the table. "May I help you two young ladies?" She asked, her voice dry and unenthusiastic.

"Yes, can we have a menu?" Nadine asked, pushing her sunglasses down her nose.

The woman sighed, turned and walked away from the table. "Nice service." Nadine said, her voice drenched with sarcasm.

"Yeah. I think so." Valene replied, playing along.

The woman returned with two menues, handing them both to them. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

The girls didn't reply, the both of them deep into the menues, deciding what they should eat for lunch.

"What are you getting?" Valene asked. She had removed her glasses, setting them aside. Her left leg was crossed over her right leg. She ran a hand through her hair, trying to make it look more civilized, since being air blown while in the car.

"I think I might get the chicken club. I might even dare to add the mushrooms and mayonaise." Nadine replied, adding enthusiasm into her voice.

"I might decide to get the chicken decker salad. That looks good. You think?" Valene suggested.

"Chicken decker salad? What, is there two layers of chicken? Is that possible?" Nadine wondered, laying the menu on the table, closed.

"Beats me. It just looks good. I think I'll get that and an iced tea."

"I might get a 7-up. I haven't had soda in awhile."

Valene took the menues, and handed them to the waitress when she returned. "Have the two of you decided what you're going to eat?" The lady asked, getting her pad and bic pen ready.

"Yes," Valene spoke up. "I'd like the chicken decker salad and an iced tea with no lemon, and she'd like a chicken club with a 7-up."

The lady quickly wrote the order down, smiled grimly, turned and walked away.

"You know, if the people were as friendly back at home, like they are here, I bet I'd have tons of friends." Nadine smirked.

"Shush, Nadine. That isn't nice. Wait until later to say stuff like that. You never had an ounce of respect in you."

Nadine rolled her eyes and tossed a blonde strand of hair from her face. "It's called courtesy, and no, I didn't. I think that's why I make such an awesome lawyer, don't you think?"

"Yes, and that's why I'm afraid to have you as my lawyer." Valene joked.

"Very funny. You know you're--" Nadine was cut off as Molly, the bustic, beautiful wavy black hair, very curvy, woman strolled over to the table. Nadine raised her eyes and rolled them, then turning away, making a faint face of disgust.

Valene lowered her gaze, she wasn't too fond of this woman. She knew that Molly wasn't too fond of her either.

"So, did Jessie finally see yar uglier than a horses' ass? You decide to 'come a lesbian? Well, all I can say, Missy, she might be just a bit purtyier than urself."

Molly laid a hand, long red nails grew off the ends of her fingers. She tapped them quickly off the table. Nadine turned her head in shock, staring at Valene, who's gaze was fixed on the table leg. She didn't want to start anything. She remembered being young, when a woman had started something about her looks when she had been dating in high school. It hadn't gone well, and she had been suspended from school for a week.

"Ya gunna say somethin' bitch?" Molly persisted. Valene could feel the pleasure she was getting from this. As Nadine got ready to open her mouth to speak, Valene rose from the booth and stared Molly down.

"You're going to listen to me, bitch. If you want to talk about someone being ugly, then why don't you talk about yourself? You're the one who has to go and get plastic surgery? What did you look like before you got it done? The inside of a dog's ass? Those boobs are way to damn big, you must've had something done to them? You must've been one damn ugly bean pole, weren't you?"

Molly's eyes were wide, the entire restaurant was quiet, their eyes fixed on both women.

"Ahh, not full of comebacks are we? I guess what I'm saying is true, isn't it? Well, you know, I'm tired of people saying I'm ugly, I'm fat, I'm too damn stupid to be seen with a guy as cute as that. You know, I've put up with that a lot. This time...this time I ain't putting up with you. So, if you know what is good for you, you dirty rotten bitch, then I'd walk out that door and leave me and my sister the hell alone. And if you call her ugly or if you call her a lesbian one more time, I swear to God, you're going to know what it feels like to fly into the future."

Molly's face had gone pale white, her blue eyes stood out, to make them look as though that was all you could see.

Nadine's mouth was dry. She had never seen her sister so much as raise her voice. She had been the calm, quiet spirited one. She remembered the little fight she had had with Mary Anne Johnson back in the eleventh grade, but everyone knew that Mary Anne deserved it. She had broken up half of the good relationships that had been going on at the time. Valene had broken pretty old Mary Anne's nose. It had been broken so bad that it was crooked when it had healed.

Molly sidestepped Valene, but when Valene turned to watch her leave, Molly clenched her hand and jammed it onto Valene's eye, sending her to the floor. Nadine cried out, but Valene was back onto her feet and had thrown herself onto Molly.

Valene had straddled Molly, holding her arms back with one hand. She clenched her right fist and pulled it back. Then she jammed it into Molly's face.

It seemed like just the right moment when Laremy and Jessie walked in. Both of their eyes went wide as flying saucers. Molly's nose was beyond bleeding, one of her eyes was almost swelled closed. Molly had begun crying, she had given up with the fighting, more trying to defend herself.

Jessie and Laremy grabbed Valene, pulling her away. She had a lot of fight in her, even has the two men pulled her away. It seemed all at once, the fight left her, and she felt limply to the ground in a fit of tears. Her left eye was swollen, a trickle of blood trickling out of her nose. She placed her face in her hands and her body shook with tears.

Nadine climbed down from the booth and wrapped her arms around her sister. Nadine tried to soothe her sister as her sister cried. She looked up at Jessie and Laremy. Her eyes large with fear and anger. She pointed to Molly, who was beginning to get up. "Get that bitch out of here before I have my time with her."

Jessie and Laremy looked at each other, then went to Molly and escorted her outside.

Nadine helped Valene to stand, now that Valene was trying to calm herself. She wiped her opened eye and walked over to the table. Her hand, shaking violently, grabbed a twenty out of her purse and tossed it to the table. She looked around the restaurant, feeling a few more tears running down her cheek. She had never felt so humiliated in her life. She grabbed her sunglasses, placed them on her face, and bolted out the door.

She could feel her eye closing, swelling, pain throbbing throughout the left side of her face. The pain, though, couldn't compare to the humiliation. Of all people to walk in, but Jessie and Laremy. She shook her head in frustration as she crossed the dirt driveway.

As a swift wind blew sand into Valene's eye and she fell to her knees as a huge shot of pain swept through her face, down her spine, and through her limbs.

"Valene!" Nadine cried. She could hear her sister's footsteps as they ran across the driveway. The obvious footsteps of Laremy and Jessie followed. "Are you all right? Let's get you to the doctor. You need something on your eye."

Valene shoved her away. "I'm fine...damn it, Nadine, I'm fine. I just...I just need to be alone."

"No, Valene. You don't need to be alone. Honey, it's okay. You didn't have to let what that ugly woman said get to you. I didn't let it with me. It's okay."

Valene stood, leaning on her sister for help. She eyed Nadine and smiled. "No, it's not okay, Nadine. I don't mind with the being ugly. Okay? It's the fact that she called you a lesbian, that she called you ugly. It's the fact that she picked on you and expected me to sit there and let it happen. Me, I don't give a damn. Shit, she could've gone and said I had been hit with two fucking tractor trailers, you think I should care? No! But it was with you. I don't put up with that. I told her...damn it, I warned her. But, she had to go and push that damn button. That button that I can't stand to be pushed. Damn it, she pushed it anyway."

Nadine tried again to comfort her angered sister, but Valene shoved her off. "I'm going to walk home." Valene reached into her purse and tossed her the keys. "Drive yourself home. Don't stop, don't wait. Just drive home. Tell Aunt Kitty that I'll be home later. Got it?" Valene turned and began to walk away.

Jessie and Laremy hadn't spoke a word since walking into the restaurant. Some people had come to the window and the door. With anger filled words, Nadine stomped back to the restaurant. "Mind your own damn business!" That had scared the people away, back to their own business.

Nadine watched as her sister was storming away. She found her own hands had begun to shake. "Damn that woman." She cursed aloud.

"What did she say?" Jessie said, finally finding the strength to speak.

Nadine sighed, running a hand through her hair. "We were waiting for our lunch, when she came over to the table. She began to say that you must've dumped her." She stopped, then looked up at her. "You are Jessie, right?" She continued when he nodded. "Anyway, she went on to say that she was ugly, I mean she used very descriptive ways. Valene just looked away, remaining silent. But when that woman said that she must've gone lesbian, saying I was her woman, then calling me ugly, you should've seen the light zoom right into her eyes. Oh God. I thought she was going to shove that woman into next week. She just yelled at her and that woman went pale as snow! Let me tell you!" Nadine placed her hands on her hips, hoping to calm herself as she spoke.

Jessie and Laremy just stood their, both of their arms crossed over their chests, waiting for the rest. "Anyway, the woman started to walk away, and Valene turned to watch her leave, but then the woman punched Valene, and Valene just lost it. Just like back in high school when a girl went and called her a...Anyway, she just lost it. It had just happened when you two came in." Nadine informed.

Nadine stared after her sister and shook her head, rubbing her forehead, then looking back up at the two men. "I've never seen her like this before. She doesn't ever fight. She isn't like that."

Jessie sighed and looked at Laremy. "That woman, her name is Molly, I brought Valene here and she was here, let me tell you, Molly is the jealous type of woman, she was hitting on me, and I gave her the cold shoulder. She isn't taking it well."

"I'm going to go after her. I don't want her to go walking--" Jessie held out his arm.

"No--you go home. Tell Kitty what she told you to say. She needs time to calm down." Jessie replied, staring down the road to where they could just barely see Valene walking down the road.

º º º º º º º

Valene was on her forth ciggarette and her hand was still violently shaking. Actually, she was smoking her second ciggarette, the other two, she had dropped and then stepped on them.

Her anger had dropped some, but she was glad no one had decided to have a "talk" with her. She was an adult, she needed to make choices for herself. That was the second time she had gone in that diner, and the second time that woman had made her leave before she had gotten her dinner.

The blood which had been slowly trickling out of her nose had come to a stop and she had wiped it away. It was her eye that was killing her. She needed to put some ice on it.

She wished now, that she hadn't gone and wasted her breath on Molly. Valene hacked up a ball of phlem and spit it out onto the ground to show her disgust for even thinking the name. It was just...just the way she had accused her sister. She didn't tolerate it. Especially, since her sister didn't do anything, and Valene knew that her sister was neither ugly nor a lesbian.

Nadine was far from ugly. Everyone, but Molly, always emphasized on how beautiful Nadine was. It was probably because half the world was like Nadine, one who spoke her mind and didn't give two shits whether people liked it or not. Valene often wished she was like that, but she wasn't. She was one who kept things inside unless she had someone whom she trusted. Other than that, then forget it, she wouldn't speak. She did care what people thought, except now. With the name calling. She had become immune, so it didn't hurt--no, it didn't hurt as much.

The sun was getting too much. She wandered off the road and sat beneath a tree. It was killing her eye and she needed to cool off as well as calm down. Once she got angry, it took awhile for her to be all calm and collected.

She tossed her ciggarette, then used the heel of her sandal to squash it. She reached into her purse, ready to grab for another, when she stopped. What if Aunt Kitty was right? Valene thought suddenly. What if those emotions didn't come back? What if everything had all been psychological?

She tossed her purse a few feet away from her, to help her resist the urge. She placed her face in her hands and leaned against the tree. She let the tears come again. This time though, she cursed her mother for leaving, for making her feel the way she felt. For making her weak and stupid.

As she sat there, she found herself getting tired. They won't mind if I sleep a little bit. She relaxed against the tree, keeping her sunglasses over her eyes and closed her eyes. Within a few minutes, she fell asleep.

"Country Lovin': Chapter Eleven"