Around the beginning of June most of the tobacco had been set. Once I got finished at Oscar’s farm, I didn’t see any more of Jerry, or the rest of the crew. The flirtation, whatever it was, didn’t go anywhere and I didn’t pursue it. I kept busy fixing up the old place. Suzanne helped me paint the kitchen and the living room and replace some of the rotted floor boards. It was nice to have willing helpers. The old house was looking less barren. My vegetables were starting to come up in the garden that I planted. I hoped for a big crop this summer. I noticed that my headaches were less intense, but I was still prone to anxiety attacks from my days in the war.

On a sunny Tuesday afternoon, we’d just finished lunch and I was helping Suzanne with the dishes.

Sam yelled from the living room, “Travis, is it okay if I use the phone to call Patrick?”

“Is it a local number? I said drying the pan that Suzanne had just washed.

“Yeah, he lives out on the Carpenter Pike here in Nicholas county.”

“Yeah that’s okay,” I said.

“Don’t you stay on the phone but just a few minutes,” said Suzanne.

“I won’t Mom!” Sam yelled back.

We finished putting the last of the dishes away and I reached up on the counter and grabbed some of the color swatches I’d picked up at the hardware store. We were discussing which colors to paint the upstairs bathroom as I spread the swatches out on the table.  I heard the screen door open and slam shut, footsteps running through the hallway.

“Don’t slam the door! I’m on the phone!” Sam hollered.

Bella ran into the kitchen jumping and flailing her arms. “Somebody’s coming down the driveway!”

Suzanne looked up and scrunched her face, “It ain’t Rodger’s car is it?”

“No I ain’t seen this truck before,” said Bella.

We rushed to the front door to get a peek. I walked outside and Hank was sitting in the porch swing reading a comic book. A huge shiny black truck with jacked up wheels parked beside my old beat up truck, dwarfing it. I couldn’t see inside for the tinted windows, until the drivers side door opened and a very obese man in a blue suit struggled to get out the door. As he wobbled closer I recognized him as my Uncle Beau, but everyone called him Bubba. I never liked him as a child. He was always loud, obnoxious and bragged about how much money he had. Aunt Debbie got out of the passenger side and strutted towards the house wearing a smirk on her face. She wore a blue knee length skirt and matching sky-blue heels and jacket. Her big, blonde hair was teased high and covered with a crispy layer of hair spray forming a gigantic helmet. Bubba waddled towards the house with his shoulders back, and his huge belly leading the way. Debbie tapped up the front steps in her high heels  shooting a cold glance towards Hank who peeked over his comic book.

“So what brings you here this fine afternoon Aunt Debbie?” I said.

“Your uncle and I have some important business to discuss with you.”

“What sort of business?” I asked.

Uncle Beau struggled climbing the steps. “Hey boy! These your kids? You got family we don’t know ‘bout?” he said.

“No, this is my friend, Suzanne and her kids. She’s renting the upstairs until she finds a place she likes better,” I said.  

Breathing heavily, he finally got up on the front porch and looked around. “Let’s go inside. We need to talk to you in private, boy.”

I led them towards the TV room but Sam was on the phone. “Oh sorry, let’s go in the kitchen. We can talk there.”

As we got to the kitchen, Bubba said, “So boy, you had enough of playing farm yet?  I’m not about to beat around the bush with this. I figured I can take this piece of land off your hands and I’m willing to offer you 150,000 bucks for the whole thing,” he said, puffing his chest out and patting me on the shoulder. He sat down on my wooden chair and it creaked under his weight.

Aunt Debbie nodded her head and said, “Take it Travis. It’s a very fair offer.”

I put my hands on my hips and said, “So what makes you think I want to sell the place? I really like it here and want to make it my home.”

Bubba’s face got beet red. “Boy, what the hell do you know about running a farm? You’ve done nothing but run around playing army and working odd jobs. You have no idea.”

“I guess I don’t know much but I’m trying to learn. Uncle Andy and Joe probably didn’t know much about farming when they bought this place either.”

“You know Travis, Andy was my brother and you’d think he’d have done the right thing and left the farm to me and Jim. You didn’t even know him,” Debbie said in a smug tone.

“From what I was told, you didn’t want to have anything to do with Andy or Joe when they lived here. I know that Dad didn’t want to have much to do with Uncle Andy once they found out he was gay. He’d been disowned from the family. Why do you think he should’ve given you anything after the way you guys treated him?”

Uncle Bubba was panting then blurted out, “Jesus, Travis!  He fuckin’ embarrassed his family by shackin’ up with his big, black, faggot, nigger, friend of his! What were we supposed to do? Welcome him with open arms? They were a fuckin’ disgrace and thank God your grandma and papaw McAllister were not alive to see that.”

I tried my best to hold back my temper and said, “Well, I guess I know why Uncle Andy didn’t leave you guys anything. It looks like there’s no more to discuss. I ain’t selling this land to you because I don’t think he would have wanted you to have it.”

“Fuck, boy! You ain’t seen the last of us. We’ll see you in court. I’m an important man around these parts. I got friends in high places,” said Uncle Bubba, storming out of the kitchen.

“I guess I’ll see you in court then,” I said.

Aunt Debbie slowly got up from the kitchen table glaring at me and sighed. “Travis, we offered you a fair amount. You should’ve taken it while you had the chance. Walk with me to the porch. Bubba’s a good man but he tends to lose his temper easily. Seriously though, I think Andy was being unfair taking his anger out on us and not putting us in the will. We’re his family for God’s sake.”

“I’m sorry Aunt Debbie, but I think you disinherited yourself. I mean in the end you still got his car, and all of the furniture.”

“That old junk-heap of his was hardly a workable car and his furniture, well there were some good pieces, but most of it was just junk.”

“All I can say is just enjoy what you got from Andy,” I said, smiling.

“Travis, he’s serious about taking you to court over this.”

“Oh, I have no doubt that he will, and I suppose I’ll see you there also. It was nice seeing you Aunt Debbie.”

She gasped and scrunched up her face in a tight, mean ball, turned and sped down the steps. Her high heeled shoes making a clumpety-clump sound across the sidewalk, racing towards her truck. She slammed the door to the truck and they sped off.

Suzanne met me at the door smiling. “What was that all about?”

“Nothing more than my greedy family wanting something that doesn’t belong to them. That’s my redneck family for you.

Suzanne looked towards the road as their truck raced away kicking up a trail of dust behind them. “It must have been hard for them living here as an openly gay couple. They must’ve been the subject of gossip for years and years around these parts.”

“Oh no doubt. From what Ethel and Cody told me, the guys were called all sorts of names and even had rocks thrown at them when they went into town.”

Bella walked in and looked in the fridge. “Who got rocks thrown at them?”

“It happened long time ago to the people who lived in this house before me.”

“Ah, okay,” she said, and sat down with a popsicle.

I thought about the conversation. I wondered if people would treat me the same way if they were to know that I was gay like uncle Andy.

Suzanne looked at the clock and said, “You guys getting hungry? I think I’m going to make some sandwiches. You want a sandwich Bella?”  

“Yeah, you have chicken salad?” said Bella.

“You want one too, Travis?”

“Yeah that sounds good. I’ll make some fresh tea.”