Page 10 of Saved By A Small Town Country Boy
“It’s okay, Daddy. I’ll be okay,” Khali spoke as if she knew exactly what I was thinking.
“Okay. It shouldn’t take me too long.”
I ran out of there and hopped into my truck. Backing out the driveway, I headed straight to Magnolia Veterinary Clinic. I’d gone there several times when it came to the animals on the farm. The veterinary clinic hasn’t been doing the best. The assistants and nurses have been doing their best to keep it afloat now that Dr. Franklin Moore is sick. No one was really saying what’s wrong with him, but they did say that he came down with an illness and they weren’t certain if he was gon’ make it. That’s unfortunate for the town ’cause Dr. Moore was the only veterinarian here in town, excluding Remedi’s ass now. Maybeit’s a good thing that she showed up when she did, or else we’d be having to go to the next town over to get our animals seen.
Pulling up to the building, I hopped out the truck and trotted to the door. It pushed open and Sheriff Sinclair stepped out with one of the K9s from the station.
“Mr. Redwick.” Her lips curled into a sly grin.
“Sheriff,” I spoke and stepped out her way.
“How you been?” She spun ’round and faced me.
Sinclair and I had gone to school together. She knew Simone before she passed and was one of the first people on the scene. For months after her death, she’d make it her priority to come out and check on me ’til I told her it was no longer necessary. I hated having people in my business, so whenever they’d ask how I was, I’d tell ’em I was fine, even if that was far from the truth. If I really told ’em what was going through my mind, what the fuck were they really gon’ do ’bout it? Nothing.
“I’m good. I gotta grab something for one of the horses right quick. Excuse me.” I released the door, and it shut in her face. Stepping to the counter, I waited ’til one of the women came over to see what I wanted.
“Khalif…” April flashed me a grin. “What brings you in today? I don’t see any animals with you.”
“I was told to come here and get this for Beauty.” I slid the sticky note on the counter. She looked down at it and stepped away from the counter. Moments later, she came back with a box and placed it in front of me. “Add it to my tab,” I told her, and picked up the box and exited the building.
By the time I made it back to the farm, Khali and Remedi were running ’round the yard. Remedi chased Khali as she giggled. Remedi finally caught up to her and both of ’em tilted to the ground with Remedi on top of Khali. She tickled her as she squirmed underneath her and laughed. Her lil feet kicked everywhere between Remedi’s legs. Honestly, I don’t evenremember the last time that she laughed that hard. Khali tried to pretend as if her mama not being here anymore didn’t bother her, but I knew, in fact, it did.
Whenever she had Mother’s Day at school, she’d feel left out even though I made certain to be there so that she wouldn’t be alone. Khali is the only person in her class who didn’t have a mother. It broke my heart. That alone had me wanting to bring someone else into her life, but at the same time, I didn’t want her to think that I was trying to replace her mama. I was caught in a difficult situation.
Boom!
I jumped and turned to see Khali standing there alongside the truck. She flashed a quick, toothy grin, bouncing with energy, as if simply looking at me was the start of a new game. My eyes shifted to Remedi, who lay on the ground where she’d left her moments prior. She gazed up at the tree casting a shadow above her.
“Daddy!” Khali yelled, gaining my attention again.
Getting out the truck, I grabbed the box off the back seat and shut the door. Khali and I walked across the yard to where Remedi lay. She continued to stare up at the tree. “It’s beautiful from this view,” she spoke.
“That’s not even half of it. You should see the sky at night,” I told her, and she turned her head to look at me. “I got the stuff you asked for.”
“Good. I’ll get her set up and come back and check on her tomorrow.” Sitting up, she extended her hand in my direction. I stared at her hand before colliding mine with hers and helping her to her feet. She dusted off her behind, and I went to the stable. Beauty was still lying on the floor with her eyes closed. Maybe she’s sleeping.
Remedi set up everything inside the stall with her while Khali and I stood back and watched. “There,” she said and took a stepback. “I’ll be back in the morning to check on her. She should be fine once everything is out of her system. If you have any issues, you can just call me.” Reaching into her duffel, she pulled out a business card and handed it to me.
Dr. Remedi Noriè
Bending down, she gathered her things and zipped her duffel. “Thank you, Remedi,” Khali said as they walked out of the stable.
“You’re more than welcome.” Remedi tapped her on the tip of her nose with her index finger and continued to her truck. I stood there, at the stable, watching as she climbed inside and backed out of the driveway.
Now I have to focus on fixing that fence before any more of the animals get over there and eat something they aren’t supposed to. “Why don’t you go in the house. I have to make a run to the other side of the farm to see Dallas. Don’t open the door for anyone.” Khali nodded and skipped toward the porch. I stood there ’til I saw that she was inside before hopping into my truck and heading down the private road in the direction of Dallas’s house. I’m far from worried ’bout leaving her at home alone with all the security that I had ’round here and the fact that I’ll still be on the property.
Dallas’s white farmhouse came into view. I continued on past it ’til I reached the red barn that wasn’t too far away from it. Stopping in front of the door, I got out the truck and stepped to the door. Pressing my thumb against the pad, I watched the laser move up and down ’til the door beeped. Pushing the door in, I entered the barn and found Dallas standing at the table in the center of it, surrounded by mushrooms in glass cases. The lighting beamed on ’em from overhead, and the rest of the lighting inside the room was dim.
Not only did we grow our own food, we also grew mushrooms, and I’m not talking ’bout your everydaymushrooms you use to cook either. Dallas’s job is to keep an eye on ’em and make sure they grow correctly. After Simone taught me how to grow ’em and she died, I turned to Dallas for help. It ain’t nothing like keeping it in the family.
With Magnolia Falls being such a small town, people didn’t really have much to do. A lot of ’em liked to partake in taking mushrooms. Some of ’em used ’em to enhance their performance in the bedroom, and others just took ’em to have a good time. Shroom sex is some of the best sex. I should know ’cause I used to do it all the time with Simone. She was the one who got me into harvesting and selling mushrooms in the first place.
“Did you fix the fence?” she questioned me, not removing her eyes from the mushrooms she had on the table in front of her.
“I ain’t been back there yet. Remedi just left from over there with Beauty. She says that she should be fine by in the morning.”
“Good.” Her eyes finally connected with mine. “Khali would have a fit if something happened to that horse.”
