Page 14 of Demitrius

Samuel, too, but as he got bigger, they tended to leave him alone. That’s when they’d take their worst temper out on her. When Samuel wasn’t around for them. She was bigger now, too, and men didn’t bother her much anymore either. Not to mention, she carried a weapon now, and that would end any kind of argument they had with her.

“Georgie, you there?” She asked her brother where else she’d be. “I was just thinking about them boys of mine. When you get out, you’re going to raise them to be just like us, right? Not taking any shit from anyone around? I don’t want me any pussy boys running around.”

“I’ll raise them to be just like we were raised. Maybe a little worse for wear on them, but they’ll turn out all right. Why you asking?” He told her, shouting over the other inmates in the little jail. “Nah, I’ve not turned all mushy on you. Just waiting for my turn to see the judge in the next couple of days. They said that you’d be out before me. You thinking of collecting them up too?”

“They’re my kids, ain’t they?” She didn’t say anything else when he didn’t. “I got me an idea that I’m not going to be getting out of here anytime soon. My lawyer said that they’re going to toss the book at me on account of me killing Betsey. It don’t matter, he told me that it was her fault, I’ll be the one that has to pay for her being dead.”

“But like you said, it was her fault. Can’t blame you if she was stupid enough to get herself killedwhen you were there. That could have been anyone beating her to shit.” He said that he’d been caught and he’d said some things when the police arrived. “Like what? You mean about killing the boys? That’s not your fault either. They were there egging you on, you tell them. I don’t want you in prison, Sammy. I’m going to need you to get out so that I can figure out this welfare shit. There is a great deal that’s out there that I’m going to miss out on when it comes to getting my fair share.”

“You’ll be just fine. I’m going to try my damnest to get out, don’t get me wrong, but something you might be prepared for is me coming back here being in trouble. I don’t know how long they can keep me, but I’ll only be right here if you need me. And who knows, something might happen that sets me free sometime. You never know. You know they’re building a new jail. I might get lost in the shuffle of them moving me around. You just never know.”

She’d heard that too. Not about him being lost in the shuffle, but that they were building a new jail. She didn’t see anything wrong with the one that they were in, but then she wasn’t up on what sort of rules there were in building one and the new rules in place to house inmates.

The next morning, people were being shuffled out of their cells and onto a big bus. She saw her brother for the first time since being arrested and thought that he looked terrible. He needed a haircut, not to mention he looked like he’d lost about fifty pounds, weight that he could ill afford. When he waved at her, she waved back. Boy oh boy, he looked like a hard wind could knock him over without much in the way of effort.

She was told to be ready that things were going faster than they thought. When she asked about her brother, she wasn’t given any information on what happened at his hearing. She was almost afraid to know, what with him looking so poorly. But by the time five rolled around, she was told she wasn’t going to be able to see the judge until the next morning. Whatever. She knew that she’d be getting out on account of her not having done anything but a bit of trespassing. Weren’t no cause for her being in jail for that all this time.

When the bus brought a bunch of the inmates back, she didn’t see her brother. No amount of asking or threatening would get her any answers, either. As soon as the lights were out, she started yelling down at the end of the lane to get his attention, to no avail. Damn it all to fuck and back, where was he?

The next morning wasn’t getting her any closer to getting answers either. He either got into more trouble and they sent him on to prison or something else had happened to him. There wasn’t any way that she was going to let it go either. She had to know where he was, or there wasn’t going to be any peace for anybody.

Finally, it was her turn, and she asked the judge straight up what had happened to her brother. He looked pissed off for a minute and she didn’t care. It was her only family left, and she wasn’t going to have him tossed away like they do some inmates. He asked her what business it was of hers.

“He’s my brother, and I’m responsible for him. Wherever you put him, I need to know.” The judge shuffled some papers around on his desk, looking for a file or something. “He was in here for supposedly killing his wife. When it was all her fault. After living with him for all those years, she should know not to rile him up more when he was pissed off.” She was told to watch her language. “I won’t. This here is serious business. He’s missing, and I want to know what you did with him. He no more killed Betsey than I did. She harped on him, and that’s what got her killed.”

“I remember him. He also asked to kill off his sons who were present when she was murdered as well. Asked officers of the law to turn their backs so that he could end their lives as well.” She told the judge that was a lie. “A lie? I don’t think so, young lady. I have six witnesses to the fact that he said those very words to them. If not for their aunt, he might well have harmed them in some way.”

“She’s stolen them from me. I’m going to raise them and get the benefits that Betsey had. It’s not fair that she gets them when my brother is the one that knocked Betsey up and got them.” He told her to watch her mouth. “Why should I? They’re gonna be my brats as soon as you get your thumbs out of your butt and turn them over to me. They’re mine to raise.”

The gavel came down quickly, and she jumped a little. “Now you see here. I’m running thingstoday and not you. I’ll say where those boys go. And I have. I’ve given temporary custody to their aunt Mandy.” Georgie told him that he’d better be taking that back, that she’d hate for him to get hurt. “Are you threatening me, missy? If so, there are ways to get you into trouble too. I’ll not stand to be threatened in my own courtroom.”

“Well, then get your head out of your ass and do what’s right. I want them boys to live with me. I didn’t do shit wrong to end up here in the first place. Those people got a burr up their asses like you do and called the cops on me. Trespassing? What kind of crime is that anyway? I should be able to stand and walk where I want to. I pay my taxes, too.” She didn’t. Georgie hadn’t had a job where she got paid above the table since she was sixteen. Working to pay taxes was for the fools that liked getting money back. She just cut out the middleman and got money back for not working at all. She was living the American dream.

“Let’s just see how you like waiting on me to come around again, young lady. I’m remanding you over for the next time I come to town.” He banged his little hammer again, like that was law or something. She was still complaining as they were dragging her out of the room and back onto the bus. And she still had no idea where her brother was.

“He’s been sent to a bigger jail. There is no hope for him getting a trial around here on account of him killing someone around here that the town liked.” She asked the cop what that was supposed to mean. “It means he’s going to be going to prison with the big timers. He should have kept his mouth shut, same as you. Now you’re both in deep water, and there isn’t going to be a thing that either of you two can do about it. Besides that, Miss Wilson had about as full custody as I have of my own children. You people need to keep your mouths closed, and things might well go your way. Not that I see it going your way now, you’ve done messed up. Samuel is going to be spending the rest of his life in prison, and it looks like you’re going to be right there with him.”

Since she didn’t know what to think about that, she did keep her mouth shut. Once she was back at the jail, she was able to get more answers from the others who had been there. They were right in saying that he’d been sent to a bigger jail, more like a prison. And not only did that happen, but he was going to be awaiting a trial for his involvement in not just killing his stupid wife but the attempted murder of his sons and sister-in-law too.

It was just unfair of them to have this sort of thing happen to her brother. He was an all right guy when he wasn’t drinking—she’d tried already and wasn’t able to get any beer into him or herself since being here. More than likely, that was why he’d lost so much weight. He wasn’t getting his nutrition from a can or two with each meal. Heads were going to roll if they didn’t get up off their asses and help them out. What did they do that was so terrible? So, Betsey was dead. It wasn’t like she was an upstanding citizen either. She was on welfare, and that should have given her a bad name, too. People? She just didn’t understand them at all.

When dinner was brought to her, she was told that she had a visitor. Since she didn’t want to miss her food, she opted to sit in her cell and talk to the other person. She was shocked when it was Mandy. But she wasn’t alone. She had some big guy with her. His name was Demitrius Erikson. Whatever the hell that meant.

“I’ve come to tell you that I’m getting married. Soon. And once I am, we’re going to adopt the boys, both Teddy and Martin.” She said that wasn’t going to happen. “Oh, but it is. The judge told me that once I was stable in a relationship with Demi, we could adopt the boys so that they’d have a good and stable home.”

“You mean living in one of those government homes.” She said that Demi had a house that was theirs that they were all four going to live in. “So you’re not going to be taking advantage of the shit that’s out there for you. Are you stupid or what? It’s there, you should be taking as much from the government as you can. I sure would be.”

“No, we’re going to be on our own. The boys are happy and healthy. They don’t have to worry about their father or you anymore, and I hope they grow up to be outstanding citizens. Maybe even president someday.” Georgie told her that she was just sucking up. “To who? I have everything thatI need to get by in life. Especially since you and Samuel are going to be going away for a long time.”

“They only got me on trespassing. I don’t think they put people away for that dummy.” She said they were exhuming the bodies of their parents. “Who said they could do something like that? You tell them to stop that right now. They’re dead and buried. There is no reason to be digging them up after all this time.”

“Your reaction makes me think that we should have dug them up sooner. I know that my sister always thought that you guys killed them off. Tell me, Georgie, did you do it all alone or did your brother help you? It would do my heart good to know that both of you were going to get life in prison.” She told her that she’d better be thinking about what she was doing. “Oh, I am. I’m thinking really hard on what I’m doing. I’ll do what it takes to keep you and Samuel out of our lives for the rest of yours.”

“You bitch. You’re going to regret ever meeting me.” She said that she already did. “Good. You go on being regretful all the time.”

That sounded better in her head. It seemed like she was forever having that trouble. Things coming out of her mouth before she had a chance to make sure they didn’t sound stupid. When she laughed, Georgie stood up and slammed her body against the bars. She was a big girl, so slamming her body against them made them shake a little. Good, maybe she’d keep that up to get out of here.

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