Read Little Girl Lost 6: The Return of Johnnie Wise Online
Authors: Keith Lee Johnson
Little Girl Lost 6: The Return of Johnnie Wise (9 page)
She laughed again. “Yeah . . . as opposed to Second Lieutenant, newbie.”
“The name’s
Lucas Matthews
. I’m from New Orleans.”
“If newbie bothers you, wait until you meet your Drill Sergeant, and you better hope it isn’t Limitless Cornsilk. He saw action in World War II and The Korean War. He’s a mean SOB. That’s son of a bitch, by the way.” She laughed a little.
“I know what SOB means, Miss Perry. I’m from New Orleans.”
“Uh, that’s Lieutenant . . . First Lieutenant, Perry, Lucas Matthews from New Orleans. I earned these bars, newbie. And you damn well better respect ’em.”
“So, you’re a tough girl, huh?”
She laughed and said, “Yeah . . . tough as nails. I kick ass and I take names.”
“So, look at us . . . a couple of tough customers, having SOS together, but with no sexual overtures to speak of.”
She looked into his eyes and said, “So . . . you knew what SOB meant, but you didn’t know what SOS was, huh? Is that what you’re telling me, newbie?”
“The name’s still Lucas Matthews, and I’m still from New Orleans, girl. When you gon’ get that through that pretty little head of yours?”
“Proud to be from the Crescent City, aren’t we?”
“Yeah. Where you from?”
“I’m originally from, Des Moines, Iowa, but I lived in Daytona Beach, Florida for about four years before I went to Tuskegee, established in—”
“1881 by Booker T. Washington.”
“So . . . he reads, huh?”
“I do.”
“Really? So, what have you read lately?”
“I read a couple books while I was in prison.”
“Titles and authors please.”
“I read Booker T. Washington’s autobiography and a book about blacks in the military by William Wells Brown.”
“So . . . being in the military was a lifelong ambition of yours?”
“No. Playing football was, but I had trouble reading, and that made taking tests a crapshoot. So, I got into collecting money for the mafia.”
“You’re serious?”
“I am.”
“Hmm . . . so what made you join the Army?”
“It wasn’t up to me. I was selling drugs, and the cops busted me. It turns out that it was my boss who set the whole thing up because he wanted my girlfriend.”
Disappointed, Lieutenant Perry said, “So you were serious about being in prison?”
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be? Who would joke about a thing like that?”
“And you collected for the mafia? You were serious about that, too?”
“And I was very serious about kicking ass and taking names, too. I got paid to do that and more.”
She silently stared at him for a moment, letting the fact that she was having breakfast with a man who admitted to being in prison for selling drugs settle in. Then, something else he had said occurred to her. “Oh . . . so you have a girl waiting for you in the Crescent City, huh?”
“No, we’re through. Far as I know, she’s with my former boss right now. I’m free to see who I please. What about you, Lieutenant? You married?”
She shook her head.
“Got a boyfriend?”
She shook her head again.
“So, you’re free, too?”
“I am.”
“Pretty thang like you? How can that be?”
“I wouldn’t put out, so he broke it off.”
“Is he still on post? I would hate to hav’ta kick his ass because I made you mine.”
“My, my, my . . . aren’t we awfully presumptuous?”
“I’m new in town. Why don’t you show me around tonight? They gotta movie theatre in this town?”
“They do, but you don’t even know if I like movies, Mr. Matthews.”
He stared at her for a moment or two and said, “Do you like movies, Cassandra?”
“Soldier, did I tell you it was okay to call me by my first name?”
“No.”
“No . . . what?”
“No, you didn’t tell me I could call you by your first name,
Cassandra
.”
“That’s no, ma’am when addressing a female officer,” she said, smiling.
Lucas smiled and said, “What do you expect from a
newbie
?”
“Well, I declare, Mr. Matthews,” she said with a pseudo-southern drawl. “I guess y’all do have a sense of humor inside y’all after all. I think I’ve taken a likening to you, sir.”
“You have, have you?”
“I have indeed. Finish your shit on a shingle. When you’ve finished every mouthwatering forkful, I’ll escort you to reception and they can get your paperwork started. Have you been sworn in yet?”
“No.”
“We’ll take of that, and then we’ll get you a bunk in the barracks before I go to work.”
“Thanks a bunch. I was wondering where I was going to sleep. I’m a couple weeks early.”
“Do you wanna get started, or do you wanna wait two whole weeks?”
“Might as well start now. No point in waiting. The sooner I get done, the sooner I can get outta here.”
“What’s the rush? You just met me, and you’re ready to run off already?”
“I’ve got plans, Lieutenant.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, girl. As soon as I’m done with basic combat training, I’m going over to Germany to play football for Colonel Strong. Ever heard of him?”
“Can’t say I have.”
“Yeah, well, he pulled some strings and got me outta that hellhole they called a prison in Angola.”
“So, how did you get here? Please tell me you drove.”
“I sure did. Drove all night long.”
“In a hurry to leave, huh?”
“Nothing left for me there now.”
“So, you loved her, huh?”
“Still do. Nothing I can do about it either. If I could, believe me I would.”
“Thanks for being so honest with me, Mr. Matthews. That’s a rarity these days. I wish more men would just tell the truth no matter how bad it may be.”
“I’ve got nothing to hide. I am who I am. I did what I did. I paid the price for selling heroin, and I paid the price for loving a girl who loved money more than she loved me. But I left all that behind me, and I’m looking forward to getting over to Germany and playin’ some football again.”
“You’re a good man, Lucas Matthews from New Orleans. I can tell.”
“Can you now?”
“Yes, I can. What kind of movies do you like?”
“Anything that has some action in it. I like to see some fightin’ and stuff. I love pirate movies and stuff like that, too. What do you like?”
“Romance.”
“Is that a sexual overture, Lieutenant?”
She laughed. “No, Mr. Matthews, it isn’t.”
“Oh, okay. I was just checking.”
“So . . . can you drop me off at the hospital after we get you settled in?”
“Sure, but I’m wondering if Columbia has a stock brokerage firm. I’ve got some money I need to invest. But a bank will do until I find one. Do you know of any in town?”
“No brokerages that I know of, but I can take you to a bank when I get off work.”
“No, I need to get to a bank right away.”
“How much money do you have, Mr. Matthews?”
“Don’t worry about that,” he said, smiling. “Just show me where the bank is, and I’ll handle the rest.”
“No problem. If you pick me up from work, we can have a bite to eat at this nice little restaurant called, The Blue Diamond. They served the best catfish and collard greens and cornbread you’ve ever tasted.”
“Hmph! Better than New Orleans?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Let me ask you something,
Lieutenant
Perry.”
“Go ahead.”
“Have you ever been to New Orleans?”
“I can’t say I have, Lucas Matthews.”
“Uh-huh. And uh, who’s supposed to pay for this little soiree?”
“I can pay my own way, Mr. Matthews. I know how hard money is to come by.”
“It truly is. I had to do time for what I have, and I don’t plan on blowin’ it all on you, and it has nothing to do with you not putting out. I’ve got plans, Lieutenant, and those plans don’t include spending all my loot on anyone, not even my self, understand?”
“I do, Mr. Matthews.”
“But tonight is on me. It’s the least I can do for all the help you’re going to provide.”
“Not to mention my bubbly personality, my pleasant conversation, my expertise on SOS, and other culinary delights you’ve yet to devour.”
Lucas smiled and said, “I think I like you, Lieutenant Perry. In fact, I’m sure of it.”
“I guess that means we can see
Rear Window,
huh?”
“
Rear Window?
I guess so, if that’s what you want. So who’s in it? A pretty girl, I hope.”
“Grace Kelly and Jimmy Stewart. Do you think she’s pretty?”
“I’ll have to let you know after the show, but I’m sure that no matter how pretty she is, you’ll be the most beautiful woman in the theatre tonight.”
“Uh-huh. It’s official.”
“What’s official?”
“I’m likin’ you a lot.”
“Same here. So, uh, what’s it about?”
“I don’t know for sure, but it’s an Alfred Hitchcock movie so you know its going to be suspenseful. I hope you like mysteries.”
“You obviously like them.”
“Yeah . . . is it a date?”
“It is.”
Chapter 17
“
I get so sick of you niggers . . .”
F
eeling good about the decision she had just made, a smile emerged. Just then, she saw F. W. Woolworth’s across the street. Several white women pushing baby strollers were going in and coming out. Woolworth’s seemed to be a lively place. She walked across the street and pushed the door open. The store was abuzz with spirited chatter. The smell of fresh popped popcorn demanded her attention. A broad smile crept across her face when she realized that Hank was right not to let Lucille leave the restaurant.
She realized he was right about the January sale, too, when she saw a sign that read: 40% off most items. She knew she could shop all day, given the vast selection of goods and having a deep discount didn’t hurt either. Still smiling, she stopped at the candy counter and saw an assortment of chocolates, peppermints, licorice, jellybeans, orange slice candy, cashews, pistachios, peanuts, macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, and gums, all of which could be purchased according to weight. She wanted to buy a little of everything, but forced herself to move on, remembering that she was on a very tight budget.
As she browsed the merchandise, she thought deeply about what she was going to do. She was no longer feeling lost with nowhere to go and no one to turn to. For all she knew, her father had moved into another house, which meant the address she had was probably no good. With no valid phone number and no way to know for sure where her father was, it didn’t make sense to continue on to East St. Louis. It also didn’t make any sense to go back to New Orleans. There was nothing there for her either. While she was looking at a pair of shoes, she saw a young man. From the back, he reminded her of Herbert Shields, Lucas’s friend who played football for Jackson College. She thought it would be nice to know someone in town, someone her own age. She walked over to see if it was Shields, but it wasn’t. She turned around to go back to the shoe department and bumped into a white woman.