2
I fell asleep on Arliss' shoulder and once I felt the vehicle stop I opened my eyes and blinked the sleep away and looked around. I saw nothing but trees and the area smelled of gas so I was a bit alert but then I noticed a bar beside our car, well there was a lame excuse for a gas pump beside our car. Dad got out and lit a cigar.
"Ya'll go on and get ya'll something to drink. The house is just right up the road." he replied, the cigar now between his teeth. We all shifted and moved out of the car. My red heels hit dirt and I frowned as I got out and looked around. Dust blew where the wind blew and I hoped it wouldn't get caught in my red dress. I released my hair and looked around before following the boys into the so called bar. I looked around to see it was a quiet place. Four men were seated in the back drinking what I could only imagine was alcohol and they looked at us and scowled as they saw me. Maybe seeing a black woman in a fancy dress disgusted them. I saw a curly haired man in the back drinking something and he was swaying a bit, maybe he was drunk. I sat at the bar with my brothers and crossed my legs and looked out the window and watched as dad put gas in the car and mom remained in the car watching. A woman confronted us. She had red curls and freckles across her nose.
"What can I get you all?" she asked. Ray looked her over for a second.
"Any whiskey's good." he answered. Arliss smiled.
"Water." he replied. I nodded.
"Same." I replied. She nodded politely and moved back to her cups. I looked at Ray who sat in the middle of us three and Arliss sat at the end. I looked around now as I waited and saw a guy walk out of the back and sit with the curly haired man. He had a long line of hair slick back and shaved on the sides of his head. He was a young man and I saw an opened door besides the open back space and I saw a man's head and I couldn't tell what he was doing but I looked away and the woman brought us our drinks.
"You three are new faces here." she said kindly. I liked her red lipstick. Ray nodded.
"We're the Kincaid family. Our dad and mom moved us out here." he replied gruffly. The woman nodded.
"Well I'm Maggie. It's nice to meet you." she said and looked at me and I could tell in her eyes she was trying to figure me out.
"You the youngest?" she asked and I was glad she didn't bring up the whole "you're black and related to them?" question. I smiled more and nodded.
"Yes. I'm the baby. Eula." I introduced and she smiled kindly and looked at my brothers for their introductions.
"I'm Ray." he replied in a very calm tone and I knew at that moment he liked Maggie.
"Arliss." he replied and continued to drink his water.
"Well I hope you three enjoy your stay here." she replied glancing at Ray with a smirk. He returned it and then the sound of a chair falling and we all looked over to see the man with curls coming our way.
"Howard don't." was all we could hear the young man warn. The man confronted us and Ray and Arliss leaned back slowly looking the man over.
"Did I hear you say… you were the youngest here?" he asked me. Ray stood up now clearly hearing the drunken tone in his voice and didn't like that he was talking to me.
"Look pal we don't want any trouble." he warned but the man known as Howard poked his finger at Ray and shoved him back in his seat making his drink fall over his hand. I tensed a bit at the action. The younger man came up behind him.
"Howard leave them alone." he said but the older man just pushed him back so he stumbled a bit. Arliss frowned deeply and glared at the man who glared at me.
"Now did you say you were the youngest here?" he asked. I blinked now with a tense stare and cleared my throat.
"Yes I am." I replied. He frowned now with more disgust.
"It ain't right having a nigger in a family of whites unless they're a maid. Ya'll must have a fucked up family." he said. I gasped now at his words not knowing how to handle his words. In a second Arliss was out of his chair and his large fist collided right into the man's face. I had never felt such weakness and fear in my life and I screamed once Arliss connected his fist. Ray simply watched the man fell down. Arliss moved up to him and kicked him right in the face.
"You motherfucker! You gonna talk about my family! Insult my sister!" he yelled and got on the floor and started to ram his fist into the man's already bleeding face. He didn't stand a chance.
"Howard!" Maggie yelled. "Forrest, Forrest get in here!" I heard large footsteps coming and I looked up to see the man leaving the room. He had such a calm composed face. His hair was like the younger boys but parted and I watched him kick Arliss in his face and I screamed again. Ray dashed forward for the new man and tackled him to the ground throwing his hands into his sides. Others around, including myself, couldn't move. Everything happened so fast. The new man, who Ray was attacking, managed to ram the end of his palm up his nose knocking him back and standing up. His movements were not a stranger to me. He reached into his coat and the minute I saw him reaching for gun I felt my heart tighten up. Ray didn't have his gun on him and I knew this was such an unfair advantage. He cocked the gun and pointed it at my brother.
"Forrest don't!" I heard the younger man yell. My body acted on its own accord and suddenly I ran up in front of the man and pushed his arm up making his gun point up and fire. The sound was loud and it hurt my ears and immediately I felt Ray tug at my dress violently pulling me down and shielding me from the man who looked at me with surprisingly calm eyes.
All of a sudden there was an even louder bang and everyone froze and looked towards the door of the bar to see our father, shot gun in his hand raised at the ceiling, cigar clenched in his mouth. We all froze now with absolute fear.
"Everyone on the ground stand up." he replied pointing his gun at the man who was going to shoot my brother. Arliss and Howard stood up on their feet and Maggie took a step back towards the wall. Father moved in closer and looked at us all.
"Now….why is there rough housing in this bar?" he asked coolly. We were all tensed now and Ray and I glanced at Arliss who had a cut above his right eyes. Farther followed his gaze towards him.
"Arliss?" he asked. Arliss glared at Howard with a clenched jaw.
"He called Eula a nigger…insulted our family." he replied. Father looked at Howard now.
"Who are you boy?" he asked. Howard kept his chin high up as if proud.
"Howard Bondurant." he replied. My father's brow rose.
"Oh the immortal Bondurants." he told. Howard nodded.
"Yeah. Those are my younger brothers Forrest and back there's Jack." he called out pointing his head at the man who was in front of Ray who still had his hands on me to keep me back and the other man in the back who still had a young boy's face.
"I heard of ya'll. You all got a bit reputation around here." he said with nod. Forrest looked at my father now keeping his hands out in the open and his eyes fell on me now and he just looked at me with a tilt of his head as if thinking about something. His gaze frightened me and I kept my head down. Father cocked his gun and that made the man look at him with caution.
"You call my daughter a nigger boy?" he asked Howard and I looked back at him as well. Howard looked down with almost guilt.
"Out of stupidity, yes sir." he replied. My father's frown deepened and he looked at Arliss.
"Arliss, what I tell you about insults boy?" he asked. Arliss frowned now as if annoyed and I knew he didn't want to answer my father. "Boy I asked you a question."
Arliss sighed heavily.
"Insults are just ignorant phrases made up from ignorant people." he said almost robotically. Dad nodded.
"That's right." he said and raised his gun up now resting it on his shoulders, blowing smoke through his nose. His eyes fell on Forrest and he lifted his head.
"Your family has insulted my family. The Kincaids are not one to be fucked with Mr. Bondurant. If you or any of your brothers come near my boys or my daughter or wife….I will make the title of the Immortal Bondurants a lie." he threatened. Forrest glared and looked at him calmly.
"We don't take too kindly to threats." he said lowly and calmly. Father nodded with a smirk.
"Well alright then…kids let's go!" he called out. Ray took my hand and led me away and I glanced back at Forrest and he watched me as we departed. His eyes were the one thing that wouldn't leave my head. The first day in Virginia and we already made enemies with a known and dangerous band of brothers.
