Here there were one hundred shades of green the color gray and rain always rain and again rain and then again more rain coming. Here when the children played in the back yard digging holes to China they couldn’t because three inches down they'd hit water. Here worn out towels were turned into discarded cleaning rags, saved and then hung up by the backdoor to wipe off the dog. And here when the neighbors cat left its own yard to come into your's it, squatted stiffly because here small animals often suffered from arthritis and expensive ultimately incurealbe upper respiratory distress. Here where wool was worn and wood was burnt year round the people smelt damp because they couldn’t prevent it.
"Get some air down there," yelled Marlene. "Get some heat down there, don't be putting no jackets in that back room closet. There's no air down there. You kids open that door and get some air in, you want to be raising mildew?"
Oak and madrone burn slow. Hardwoods. Pine is for kindling. Pine pitch snaps and runs in the fire. Daddy Joe used to chew it. He'd pull it right off the kindling, right while making a fire. He'd stick it in his mouth and chew it. "Give us a kiss Marlene," he'd say. "Hell, Marlene it's just a little kiss."
When they got below half a cord, Marlene would get worried. She'd come down the hall and open the door. She'd let in some air. She'd let in some heat. And in the light of day she'd go to that room and move those jackets around looking for mildew.
Now while it was true that Marlene could and would go down the hall into her kids closet no child ever went into Marlene and Daddy Joe's room. "Off limits," said Joe. "Every grown man needs his space," said Joe.
"Not fair," some child whined. "Mama comes into our room."
"I pay the bills here," Joe said. "When you pay the bills you can go any where you like"
Daddy Joe worked hard. He worked in the mill pulling green chain, sometimes setting choke but mostly pulling chain. One month he got lucky and set choke for two weeks running, counting over time. That's when he bought the new T.V. set, just for the adults. It came from Sears. A small colored one. It fit on the shelf above Marlene’s dresser. He put it up there so as after dinner, after the dishes, Marlene could lie on top of the bed, relax and watch in comfort. Joe was a good man and he tried to show Marlene that when he could afford to do so. He'd bought her a new quilted bedspread from Sears the same time he got the T.V. set. After all a fellow never knew when he'd be getting more overtime.
At first Marlene had a hard time relaxing with the new T.V. "What about the kids Joe?" she'd said. "It don't seem right to me."
"Hell, Marlene don’t worry about the kids,"' Joe said. "They can just watch the old one in the front room. Besides what you going to do about that damn dog? Invite him in too? You know how he piles on top of them, thinks he's a damn human and what'll that do to your new spread? The old sets got a bigger screen anyway. You want that damn dog up here Marlene?"
When Daddy Joe plugged in the new set something in the trailer house snapped and crackled, a bit like pitch on the fire. The sound on the big set stopped dead. The picture held true but the sound stopped dead.
"Well, that's just a fine deal," said Marlene. "You all know I can't be having that damn dog setting up here half the night, not on this new bedspread."
"Hell," said Joe. "I sure ain't going to buy another T.V."
"I didn't think so," said Marlene.
"Relax," said Joe . "Just relax Marlene, they can just watch the old one in the front room with the dog. We'll just keep the sets on the same channel and turn the volume up."
That Friday night the rain beat down on the roof. It came down so hard you couldn't hardly hear to talk let alone listen.
"Head 'em up, move 'em out, Rawhide."
"Turn it up Mama, just a little."
"All the things I'm missing. Fiddlers, love, and kissing..."
"Please turn it up."
"Soon will be waiting, waiting at the end of my ride."
"Just a little louder Mama."
The whip cracked. Gil Favor moved in closer. The rain pounded down. Look out! Stampede!
"We can't hear it!" yelled the kids.
The dog couldn't take it. He started to howl.
"Hell," said Joe. "It can't go no higher. Hell, I bet the neighbors can hear it. Someone do something with that damn dog."
"Deal with it Joe, just deal with it," said Marlene.
In the next commercial a kid put the dog out, and that's when the trouble started. Outside, in the wind, at the dry end of the wet porch, where the wood was piled the dog found the neighbors cat. Oak fell, madrone fell, kindling flew.
"Damn it," yelled Joe. "What's going on?"
The next day the wood had to be restacked. Marlene called the neighbors. "Get yourselves a cat box," she told them.
"Tie up your damn dog," they told her.
It rained more. Fourteen days before Christmas the big bridge on the South Fork washed out. The power went out. The power came back on. The neighbors had to move the cars they'd been working on back out to the street because the tires were sinking too far into soft grass. Water kept raising. It rained some more, then it rained again. Less than one half mile away, down in the bottom land, on the poultry farm, down there where the road passed the dairy and dead ended at the beach, just before the dump, it flooded. Turkeys ran around in a circle with their mouths open and drowned.
"Paladin, Paladin, where do you roam?" The rain on the roof never let up.
"We can't hear it, Mama."
"A fast gun for hire is a man called Paladen."
"Just a little bit higher."
"A knife without honor in a savage land..."
"Louder!"
"It can't go no louder," hollered Marlene. "And what is that damn dogs problem? Joe will you do something about that animal!"
In the rain in the dark up against the oak and the madrone at the end of his rope the dogs teeth glistened and light contact was made. A stick of oak hit the cat leaving a little bite of blood.
The neighbors put on their wool and came out yelling . It became unpleasant. Marlene found her self more affected than Joe cared to have her. Late that night Joe was still trying to calm her down, trying to get her to appreciate the situation. "They looked pretty damn funny standing out there getting wetter and wetter. Now, Marlene, you just gotta smile at that."
"No I don't," Marlene told him.
And who could blame her for not fully appreciating the situation? How could she when all the worn out rags were gone, used up before dark, and the dog had to be wiped off with a perfectly good old towel, perfectly good except for now, besides that frayed spot down by the hem which she'd been planning on mending, it was always going to have be a little bit of a blood stain and so now, now why bother? The set would just have to be broken up, a hand towel with just a wash cloth. Well, it didn't really matter it wasn't like company was coming, but still what did the neighbors think, that they were made of money?
"Hell I hate this damn weather," Marlene said.
It rained again and then some more. Heavy. Hard. Forty-seven straight days and nights, longer than in the Bible. In the hills above the sawmill, above town the second growth couldn't hold and soil slipped. The South Fork Times biweekly afternoon addition reported that a mud slide coming down an old clear cut closed U.S. 101 running north and that may have contributed to the cause of a two-car pile-up leaving one person dead and seriously injuring another passenger in the same vehicle when the driver of the second car lost control on the curve and crossed over the double yellow line.
"Hell," said Daddy Joe. "They'll be waiting a long time for a funeral. Just look out there Why that is so soggy you couldn't bury a thing without it floating right back up to the surface."
It rained again. Displaced forest animals came down close to town looking for shelter. On garbage day Joe came back with both cans still full. "There's been bears seen on the beach," he said. "Country closing the damn dump. The man said its too damn hard to keep it covered with all the rain. Said we should sign up with the city service. They'll come get the cans every Wednesday night. It'll cost us fifteen dollars a month and that's the cheapest pick up you can get."
"No way" said Marlene. "I'll make a compost pile just like in one of them garden magazines. We got to think if we’re not going to spend unnecessarily."
The neighbor's cat got into the pile. The kids had to drag the dog off of it. "That's a vicious dog." The neighbors shouted and waved their arms around pointing at Marlene. "Compost attracts wild animals. It ain't safe. You’re kid could be mauled by a bear. There's bears been seen on the beach. What kind of parents are you people?" they yelled.
"That's why we got us a dog," shouted Marlene.
"I keep my eyes wide open."
"He is singing, Mamma. Turn it up!"
"Because you’re mine, I walk the line. Hello I'm Johnny Cash."
Down at the end of the porch, on top of the newly stacked wood pile on top of the hardwood just out of reach the cat went by, slowly. The dog howled. "That's cruel," said Marlene. "That's just teasing cruel, that's what it is. Joe where you going?"
"I’m going to let the damn dog off. Sure as hell don’t have to put up with this."
"Now Joe," Marlene said. But before he got there, before he had even got out the door, the wood had fallen. The hardwood, the oak, the madrone, and the kindling. There was a tremendous crashing and there was a tremendous howling and bowling. Then there was a scream, sort of like a woman's scream.
"Damn it, what the hell was that?"
The neighbors came pounding on the door yelling something about the cops. "We are calling the cops," they shouted. "We told you compost attracts. Now maybe you'll believe us. Just take a look."
Joe did come and look, not because of the neighbors but because of the tracks.
"Well, it weren't no damn bear." Joe said.
Later, before they turned out their bedroom light, Marlene had to ask him again. "Joe," she said. "Joe, you awake? Joe, you think they'll call the cops?"
"You worry too much," said Joe. "Told you it weren't no damn bear. You could tell that by the tracks. Cops ain't coming' out here for just a mountain lion, Marlene."
Saturday morning was the day Marlene set aside to clip coupons. After breakfast dishes, she'd get a fresh cup of coffee, sit down and clip coupons. " Looks like a real good sale down at the new Longs Drug store," she told Joe. "T.P., Toothpaste, three for the price of one. And there's Wella Balsam Saint Ives shampoo with natural elements and almond protein. Half price."
"Fancy stuff," said Joe. "Longs is an extra trip. Just give me the list, Marlene. Day's being wasted. Hell, just look at this damn weather."
Marlene heard the truck pull up before she saw it. Too early for Joe, she thought. He'd better have gotten that shampoo. Longs wasn't that far out of the way. Going to send him right back, thought Marlene, walking swiftly to the front room door. It wasn't Joe. "Humboldt County Impound Van, Humane Society." That's what it said. Right on the side of the van. Marlene had to catch her breath. God, it’s the government!
"Afternoon, ma’am," said the nice young man. "We’re from the SPCA. We’re out visiting in your neighborhood, talking with the folks, letting people know about some of the potentially dangerous situations that have arisen because of the unusual environmental conditions we’re currently experiencing."
"It's Saturday," said Marlene. "The government don’t work on Saturday."
"Well, ma’am," smiled the nice young man, "we’re really not the government."
"I know that," said Marlene.
"As I was saying," said the nice young man. "Recent flood conditions have forced some of the local wildlife out of their natural habitat, bringing them closer towards the city limits in search of food. Ma’am, these wild animals usually want to avoid us as much as we want to avoid them, but as you know, if you’ve watched the six-o’clock news, the Forest Service has recently issued a warning regarding brown bears. The Forest Service is advising people to sign up for the city garbage service, if you don’t have it already. We are asking everyone to close up any open outdoor containers. These are the types of items that the bears will explore when they are hungry. Thanks for your time, ma’am. You have a good afternoon," the nice young man said turning to go. "Oh, one other thing, ma’am. The SPCA recommends that you keep your dogs and cats inside the house as much as possible until the flood conditions subside. There is a lot of run off coming down these hills, especially in this part of town. This water isn’t that clean, and small animals could bet sick drinking it."
"We don't have no pets," said Marlene.
"River boat ring your, bell luck is the Lady that I love the best... Maverick is a legend of the west." James Garner was in the bedroom. This wasn’t so unusual for Saturday night. What was unusual was the weather. The rain had stopped. Both of the T. V. sets were on, but the volume was almost normal. The dog was quiet, so quiet that they forgot all about him until bed time.
"Put him out," said Joe. "He needs to do his business." The dog went out.
The dog didn't come back. "Hell with him," said Joe. "I’m going to bed."
After Marlene turned off the porch light, she stood there at the window listening into the quiet night, watching. That’s when she heard it.
"Joe," she hissed. "Joe, you awake? Joe there is something going on out there. Joe, I heard some one crying. Joe! Joe, the lights are on. All the neighbors’ lights are on, even the backyard floods. Hey, Joe! Joe, it looks like they’re carrying something, e maybe a shovel? Joe? Joe, are you awake?"
"I am now, Marlene. Come to bed, Marlene. Mind your own damn business, and come to bed."
Marlene did come to bed, but she wasn’t the only one who had been watching. The dog had been watching and in the quiet of the night, down at the end of the porch, down behind the hard woods, the dog had seen the neighbors bring out the shoe box and bury it.
At two a.m. the baby woke up, and when Marlene went down the hall to take it a bottle she made sure to leave the door wide open to get some air in there, to get some heat in there to keep mildew from growing. "Joe, we got to get some more heat in the kid’s room," she said. "Joe, are you awake? Joe, it's like an icebox down there. Mildew is going to grow."
Joe didn’t answer. Marlene found she could not sleep. She found herself awake at two thirty, at three, at three forty-five. At five o'clock she heard something.
"Joe, wake up. Joe, there's something on the back porch, Joe. Are you awake? Joe, wake up. Joe, damn it, there's something on the back porch."
"Hmmm," said Joe. "Hey, what the hell, Marlene, move your elbow."
"Joe, go see if it's the dog."
"Ah, hell, Marlene, it’ll just be the damn dog."
Joe stumbled out of the bed into the front room and opened the porch door. "Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ! Jesus H. Christ!" yelled Joe.
Marlene snapped on the lights. She'd never heard Joe use those words before. Damp earth covered the dog's body, damp grass stuck to his paws. Left over rain drops beaded up on his fur. The dog gleamed. The dead cat hung out of his mouth.
"Joe!"
"Damn it, Marlene!"
"Joe!"
"God damn it, Marlene!"
"Joe!"
"God damn it to hell, Marlene! Where are you going?"
"I'm going to put it back, that's where I'm going!"
"Put it back? Put what back?"
"I'm going to clean it, Joe. I'm going to wash it, dry it, curl it, and put it back rolled up in a half circle on their front door mat. And in the morning when they wake up, that's where they'll find it. Dead, from a heart attack."
The natural elements of balsam and almond protein filled the kitchen sink with softness and manageability, promising to restore and rejuvenate even the most damaged hair. Together, they washed and dried the dead cat. Together, they slip-slid over the wet grass to the neighbors. Together, they put it back, curled up on the front porch mat. Together, they returned home and picked the last of the wet cat hair out of the sink.
"Joe," Marlene asked. "Do you think they’ll know?"
Joe looked out the kitchen window. It was raining again. "You worry too much, Marlene," he said. "Hell, I hate this damn weather."
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