Gator Boy Page 6

  The boys agreed and disbursed. Nonette walked over to Jed and said, “Look, my Sher, wherever dose men go, we go in the opposite direction. They don’t know what the hell they doing. Besides, Nonette knows where dat gator’s going. When we get all gassed up, we head out to Bayou Teche. Dat bastard’s gone down bayou heading fo’ the swamps. And dat’s my territory. But first, let’s go out to my place. I got a few spare gas tanks. We gonna need um on dis boat. Cause we going too damn far to keep coming all the way back here for gas.”

  “Well, what about the rest of the guys? Shouldn’t we…”

  “Hell wit the rest a dose guys. We gonna have to let dose boys fend fo’ they selves. They ain’t gonna do nothin’ but stir up a lot a mud anyway,” Nonette interrupted.

  “Well, I ain’t disputing what you say, Miss Nonette, but how you know all a dis?” asked Jed.

  “Nonette done some praying last night. My spirit helpers say head fo’ the swamps.”

  “Well, how can you be sure?”

  Stepping up and getting in Jed’s face, Nonette said, “Look, young gentleman, if Nonette say a chicken can pull a wagon, you just get the damn harness. I seen all a dat in my vision,” she said, pointing over in the direction of the gas pier.

  “Until I passed it dis morning, I didn’t understand what all the fire an’ explosion in my vision was. But now I do. So just believe me if I tell you a chicken can pull a wagon, you just get the damn harness. You got dat?”

  “Hey I’m on yo’ side,” said Jed.

  “So lighten up, OK?”

  “I’m sorry, my Sher, Nonette don’t mean to be a bitch. But I seen some tings in dat vision dat got me worried. So if I seem insane about dis don’t you hold dat against ole Nonette. All I can see is dat we got a mean bastard gator to kill, an I’m gonna do it.”

  “Yeah, well, right now let’s go get dose extra gas tanks a yours. Den we can head over to my place where we can get something to eat and get ready fo’ dis hunt,” said Jed.

  “You the captain, Sher. I’m just the podna,” said Nonette, throwing her head back laughing as she sat down.

  Jed, feeling sort of bewildered, started the boat and headed up bayou for Nonette’s place. Neither Jed or Nonette really knew it, but the hunt they were about to embark upon would forever change their lives.

  Arriving out at Nonette’s place, she jumped off the boat and started gathering things. First she brought out four spare gas tanks.

  “Dese’ll hold an extra sixty gallons a gas. We gonna be needing it,” said Nonette.

  She emerged from the shed with a few other items. First there was a kind of sword that was at least three feet long that looked more like a cross between a meat cleaver and a desert sheik’s saber. She also had a needle sharp spear. The long barbed head was mounted on a steel shaft. Then she brought fourth something that looked like a mace. It had a hickory handle with several chains hanging from a steel cap mounted on the tip of it. At the end of the chains were a series of steel balls with needle sharp spikes. Jed had never seen anything like them.

  “Dose damn tings are wicked looking,” said Jed. “They look just like something out of a seventeenth century torture chamber.”

  “Dis is how we gonna kill dat gator. Dese tools were hand made by my Daddy,” said Nonette. “He was the best gator hunter of ‘um all. He was bit in half by a twenty-foot bloodthirsty gator, a lot like dis one we afta. But not before he put dis through his ass,” she said, displaying the spear.

  “Dese tools stopped many a killa gator’s rampage down in the swamps where I came from. You see, Sher, dat’s when my daddy got involved in the gator hunts. Only when they was killers and nobody else could do it; or wanted to fo’ dat matta. Dat’s when they’d call in ole Vinceaunt. Dat’s why he made dese gator killing tools. I ain’t never used um. I ain’t had to till now. But I seen my Daddy practice wit um many times. An’ he taught me how to use um, too.”

  Hiding her aching heart behind her scowl she handed the last of the gear to Jed. She climbed on board and they headed out for his place. Jed marveled at this magnificent woman. He had never met anyone like her. Nor would he ever again.

  They arrived back at Jed’s to find that Momma already had lunch ready.

  “Hey, Nette, y’all just in time. I’m just putting the garfish balls on the table. Come on up an get y’all some,” hollered Momma.

  “You sure you got enough fo’ all a dat, Ivy?” asked Nonette.

  “Oh me, yeah, I cooked all a dis just for you and Jed. I made enough for y’all to take some wit you, too.”

  “Well, you ain’t gotta ax me twice,” said Jed. He loved Momma’s garfish balls. She was one of the best cooks on the bayou.

  “Momma, is dat some a yo’ chocolate cake over there on the cabinet?” asked Jed.

  “I swear, Nette, dat boy must have radar. You see the way he zeroed in on dat cake?” asked Momma.

  They both laughed as Jed sat down and loaded up his plate with gar balls.

  “A man’s gotta eat,” said Jed, chomping down on a bite of fish with a big smile on his face.

  Lena walked in from the bedroom. “Hey, baby,” she said, leaning over and hugging Jed’s neck.

  “How you feeling, baby?” he asked Lena.

  “Oh, I’m OK. I just wish that dis whole mess was over so we could plan our wedding.”

  “Don’t you worry yo’ pretty self, Sheri,” said Nonette.

  “We gonna get dat gator and be back before you know we was gone. And den we gonna throw y’all a party.”

  “Oh, dat’s a good idea. A party’s just what we need around here,” agreed Momma, hoping to make Lena feel better.

  “Yeah, how’s dat sound, baby? We’ll light up dis whole damn bayou,” said Jed.

  “Well, I just want y’all back to business as usual an’ everybody home safe and sound. Dare’s been enough people dying around here to last me a lifetime,” said Lena as she walked out on the porch.

  “You better go to her, Sher,” said Nonette.

  “We gonna be gone at least a few days, maybe longer. Dese last few words are gonna be all dat one’s got to ride on till we get back so you betta make ‘um good.”

  Jed, with the fork up to his opened mouth ready to shovel in another bite of garfish, stopped. He set the fork down then looked over at Nonette and asked, “Miss Nonette, you really tink it’s gonna take us dat long to catch dat sucka an’ kill it?”

  Momma looked over at her, concerned, as Nonette answered, “At least. If he don’t get us first, dat is.”

  Nonette could see the concern in Momma’s eyes and said, “Look, Miss Ivy, ole Nette ain’t gonna white wash dis; not fo’ you. You deserve the truth. I been on a lot a gator hunts an’ I seen a lot a tings. But dis one is different. I practice, you know, the ole ways.”

  Momma shook her head, knowing of the old religious ways.

  “Alright den. In trance last night I seen the whole damn ting. Dis gator close up ain’t like none I ever saw. He stands upright like a man when he fights out a the water. His head looks like a demon from hell. He’s huge an’ smart, not like no regular gator. I saw many tings in the vision I don’t yet understand. But so far wit the gas pier blowing up, the vision’s right on the money. I saw myself fighting wit dis beast but I didn’t see the outcome. All I know is Nette’s still here, an’ no damn gator ever got close to ending dat. An’ wit Jed’s help I don’t expect dis one will neither. Somewhere on the way we gonna pick up a couple a other people too. I seen um on the boat wit us. So we gonna have plenty a help.”

  Looking over at Jed, she said, “Go on now, Sher, an talk wit dat gal. She needs you now mo’ den ever.”

  Jed got up and walked out to join Lena, who was by this time down at the dock standing with her arms crossed and head cocked, staring into the water.

  “How you doing, baby?” he asked.

  “I’m OK,” answered Lena, turning and giving him a hug.

  “I just keep feeling like, well, like I’ll never see you a
gain. I’m scared, Jed. What if you don’t come back?”

  “Oh, baby, don’t tink like dat. Miss Nonette’s the best gator hunter they ever was. Why, she’s got tings in dat boat to kill dat ole gator ain’t never been seen around dese parts before. Dat sucka ain’t got a chance. I’ll be back. I promise you no matter what I’ll be back.”

  Lena hugged Jed and said, “Well, why do you have to be the one has to kill dat monster anyway? Dare’s lots a boys on dis bayou.”

  “Because Miss Nonette had a vision and she seen dat it was us who got dat gator. She practices the ole ways. Her spirits tole her just how it was gonna be done. Dat’s why I ain’t worried. How could anyone be worried wit dat kind a mojo on your side? Don’t worry, baby. I promise you. It’s a done deal. Besides, Lena, I gotta be the one gets the gator dat got your Daddy. I gotta be. Miss Nonette say she gonna be the one who gets him. But when the time is right, I’ll step in an’ have a hand in it, too. You can bet on dat.”

  “Dat’s just what I’m worried about. You gonna play the hero and get hurt, or worse yet, killed.”

  “No way. Nonette would have seen dat if it was so. An’ she didn’t. So stop worrying. Dis has to be done. And when it’s all over, we can look in the mirror an’ say we done it right. Den we won’t have any ghosts haunting us. Cause we took care of our own. An’ dat’s how it’s supposed to be.”

  Leaning over the porch rail Nonette said,

  “Jed. It’s twelve-thirty. If we gonna meet dat gas truck we better get going.”

  Jed looked at Lena and gave her a hug. “Well, dis is it. Wish me luck.”

  Lena hugged Jed around his neck and gave him a long, passionate kiss. Then she broke the embrace and without a word ran upstairs.

  Jed, kind of choked up, cleared his throat and climbed onto Gator Boy trying to look busy. He really had mixed emotions about going.

  “Well, Miss Ivy, it was grand,” said Nonette

  “Here, Nette. I’ve already prepared these things for you and Jed. Dese gar balls’ll keep for a couple a days. I got some cornbread in there too.”

  “Damn, Ivy, you sound like my Momma used to when me an’ my Daddy were going out on a hunt. It’ll be OK. We’ll be back before you know it flying dat gators skin for a sail.”

  “God go wit y’all, Nette,” said Momma as she hugged Nonette and sent her on her way.

  Nette, kind of choked up, picked up the food Momma had prepared, winked at Momma and walked out. Momma felt a bad feeling in her heart about all of it but kept it to herself. Holding back the tears Momma and Lena leaned over the porch rail, waving and saying,

  “Love y’all. Y’all hurry back soon.”

  Jed and Nette just bore up under it all as they smiled and waved good-bye. Neither of them had a good feeling about this trip, either, but they also kept it to themselves as Gator Boy disappeared out of sight down the bayou. Nonette stood at the back of the boat, looking at the wake as it fanned out to either bank, and puffed on her hand rolled cigarette in silence. Jed drove the boat looking straight ahead as they headed for the ramp over by Luke’s spot to gas up for the trip.

  As they passed the gas pier, only burnt sticks at the water line served as reminders of the past, offering the only clue that it was ever there. A mother duck and her ducklings swam among the sticks, oblivious of the tragedy that had occurred only hours before. And once again in the midst of horror, nature showed not so much as a flicker of concern.

  “A laba,” hollered out Jed as they pulled up in line to be fueled up.

  “How you boys doing?”

  “Hey, Jed. We were just talking about where we was gonna start trolling for dat gator. Where you an’ Miss Nonette gonna start?” asked Lecroy.

  Nonette leaned over and said under her voice, “Don’t tell dose buzzards what we got planned.”

  “Well, we gotta go back to Nonette’s place an’ pick up some tings she forgot. So we gonna be a little late on dis trip. You boys go ahead an’ start wherever you tink you might have some luck,” hollered back Jed.

  “We’ll catch up wit y’all later.”

  “Hey, Coon Ass, if I didn’t know better it almost sounds like you scared,” answered Lecroy.

  Jed rushed forward to the edge of the boat as if ready to confront Lecroy when Nonette stood up and interrupted, “Hey, Sher. We ain’t afraid a notting. You boys had the right idea going to the spot of the last killing. Dat’s where the killa most likely is. You know, in the area where he had his last successful feeding.”

  “Well dat’s what we had planned,” answered Lecroy.

  “I just wondered if y’all had different ideas, since y’all didn’t join up wit us last time.”

  “Hell, no, Sher,” answered Nonette.

  “We on y’all’s ass soon as we go pick up Nonette’s sun tan lotion. Dat’s the one ting I forgot. Can you imagine dat? Now you wouldn’t wanna see me mess up dis beautiful complexion, would ya?”

  Lecroy and the rest of the boys kind of giggled amongst themselves when they heard that, thinking that Nonette wasn’t so tuff after all. Nonette turned to Jed and said, “Look, Sher, the last ting we need is dat bunch a buzzards following us down bayou. Just swallow yo’ pride an’ go along wit Nonette. Dose fools ain’t gonna catch shit. We the only hope. So smile.”

  Jed painted on a fake smile at Nonette’s words and quietly went on about his business. When it was their turn to gas up, the rest of the boys noticed that they had double the fuel tanks.

  “Hey, Jed, what’s up? Y’all are getting twice as much fuel as the rest of us. Why?”

  Nonette once again stood up and said, “You boys worry like a bunch a ole ladies. Dose other three tanks are fo’ my boat. Any mo’ questions? Good. So mind ya own business,” said Nonette.

  After that, the rest of the boys shut up and took care of themselves. With that gator on everybody’s mind the last thing they wanted was a confrontation with some crazy swamp woman.

  When everyone had finished fueling up, Jed and Nonette said their goodbyes and acted like they were heading back up bayou to get Nonette’s sun tan lotion. No one dared dispute it, either.

  CHAPTER 7

  “OK, Sher, Cocodre’ll take us all the way to Bayou Teche. Wit a little luck we’ll catch up wit dat sucka before too long,” said Nonette.

  Jed, looking on, just shook his head in agreement and headed for the cut off to Bayou Cocodre.

  Nonette, seeing that Jed seemed somewhat preoccupied, asked, “What’s on ya mind, Jed? Nonette can tell it’s something. Dare ain’t no secrets here, Sher, so out wit it.”

  “Well, I was just wondering if we should a let at least one or two of dose fellas in on what we were planning. Dat way we could have some back up. You know, just in case…”

  “Look, my Sher, dose boys couldn’t back up they ass. Wit dose fools on our asses dat gator’ll end up in the next state. Just put yo’ trust in dis ole gal. If I say…”

  “I know, I know. If you say a chicken can pull a wagon just get the damn harness,” interrupted Jed.

  Nonette, with a happily surprised look on her face, laughed and said, “Dat’s right. You learning, my boy. You learning.”

  Jed just shook his head as if to say ‘what the hell am I involved in?’ So the two hunters headed down bayou to kill a killer and fulfill their destinies. When Jed hit the mouth of bayou Cocodre he turned to Nonette and said, “Well, lady, dis is it.”

  Nonette looked up and said, “Put the peddle to the metal, my Sher. We got a late start. Let’s put some miles behind us an’ dis stick in the mud. We can reach Bayou Teche by late tonight if we don’t mess around.”

  “What about gas to get back?” asked Jed.

  “I know a little spot we can gas up at down in Pointe Al La Hatch once dis is over. I got lots a friends down dare. They’ll feed us and put us up till we ready to come back. Only, you better watch yo’ ass, though.”

  “Why’s dat?” Jed asked.

  “Well, the pickin’s down there for men is slim. Whe
n dose swamp gals get a load of a handsome devil like you ain’t no telling what might happen.”

  Jed looked over, somewhat concerned. Nonette, watching Jed through the corner of her eye, turned to Jed as she threw her head back and laughed. “Don’t worry, Sher,” she said. “I can whup every one of um. Nonette’ll get you back to dat little gal.”

  Nonette’s joking around was just her was of offering a little comic relief to a tense situation trying to get Jed’s mind off of things to come. The tension in the air around Jed was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

  As they came around a bend in the bayou they could see a pick up truck under the bridge backed up to the bayou’s edge. There were two people sitting on the tailgate dangling their feet over the water. They were staring at a rope thrown out into the water with a huge float at the end. They were the Fords. As they pulled up Jed hollered out, “Hey, y’all alright?”

  The man didn’t even look up. He just kept staring into the water at that float. The woman looked up and answered, “Our two boys were killed here by a monster gator two days ago.”

  Pointing to the rope in the water she said, “That’s my Sunday pot roast out there at the end of that rope. We were going to have it for a special birthday dinner for my oldest boy. That’s all over now. Now we aim to use it to catch that gator that got my boys and kill it.”

  Nonette recognized them right off as the man and woman she had seen in her vision. She stood up and asked them, “How y’all aim to kill dat gator if you do catch it?”

  The man, without looking over, reached down by his side and came up with a big game rifle that was bigger than anything that either Jed or Nonette had ever seen.

  “I aim to lure him up here to get me and then I’ll blow his head off with this elephant gun.”

  Nonette said, “You know, dat damn ting just might do it. But you got one big problem, my friend.”

  “What’s that?” asked the man, now looking over.

  “Dat gator ain’t down there. He’s gone down bayou. He’s heading fo’ Bayou Teche now. An’ we afta his ass, too. He killed some people close to us and we aim to stop him,” she replied.