13 Jerry Out Betty In

Rube and Jerry were driving well outside of Seattle to undertake a special reap. Jerry was to reap a B. Rhomer, who would replace Jerry as a reaper in Seamore's group. Seamore and all the other reapers were occupied with their own nearby reaps so Rube got selected by default to accompany Jerry on his final reap.

This reap was well outside of Seattle. Seamore had talked to a friend nearby who loaned them an automobile, a green 1922 Franklin sedan. Jerry had more experience than Rube with driving, but Rube figured he would have to drive back so he drove out. So far he had been able to stay on his side of the road. It was cloudy and raining off and on so the road was wet and slippery. Good thing they were already dead. The nice green automobile was actually at more risk than either of them.

Rube had been rooming with Jerry, but never really could say he liked the man. Rube got along well enough with Jerry as Rube did with most people. But here they were together and this was the man's last day on Earth, so Rube tried to help him. Jerry was excited and more talkative than usual. Rube had found Jerry preoccupied with one thing and only one thing ever since he met the man.

"So Jerry, you mentioned once you died back around the time of the Revolutionary War. You must have had some quota to fill."

"Rube, there's no quota. If there was I would've blown through it years ago."

"So how do you get to go into the lights?"

"I don't know, Rube. Maybe they got tired of waiting for me to grow up."

"That woman, Ice, seems to have been around a very long time." Rube regretted bringing Ice up as soon as he said her name. Jerry's encounter with her must be among his bad memories.

"Like I said, I don't think there's a quota. Most reapers go sooner than me, but a few like her stay around forever. Why? I don't know. Those old ones keep to themselves, anyway."

Time to change the subject. He must've had some good times way back then. "What's your best memory from life, Jerry?"

Jerry looked off a while and then surprised Rube. "My best memory is my last."

Rube laughed. "What? You mean when you died?"

"Yeah, Rube. I was with this really nice older and very experienced woman, the wife of my neighbor."

That figured. That would be Jerry.

"Her husband came home a few days earlier than expected. He shot her and put a tomahawk in my back. She got lights. I got to become a reaper. She was the best and the last of my life."

They arrived at the designated early reap point and found a family reunion going on, a large family gathering at a park next to a river. The weather was chilly with a drizzle rain. This time for this out of town reap Rube brought water, sandwiches, and a raincoat with a hood. The gathering had tables of food laid out under awnings and open tents, and in between the occasional wet from above the people were mingling. These Seattle natives Rube was learning didn't let a little rain get in the way of life.

No one bothered them as they entered and mingled. A few questions and with Jerry's experience, they knew who the lucky winner would be. A young woman named Betty Rhomer. He and Tim would have some more room. It pained him to think she would replace Marsha in Penny's room. Rube studied her from a distance. She seemed nice enough, and friendly, and young. At least she wasn't about to give birth. Why her? What had she done, or not done to deserve becoming a reaper? Maybe her timing was bad. Jerry's departure appointment had come up and she was going to die today, so we have a winner. He didn't know.

Jerry was Jerry. As Rube watched he reaped her at the desert table, not by touching her arm or shoulder. No, Jerry couldn't resist testing her bottom regions. The girl was startled, and Jerry smiled at her as he walked away to rejoin Rube. "Nice bottom on that one, Rube."

Rube let it go. What was the use? Jerry was Jerry. He wondered what would happen to him on the other side. He would feel up the Blessed Virgin Mary if the opportunity arose, but. "Jerry, it's been an honor to know you. Don't be shy. Send us a letter."

"Rube, thanks for coming out here with me. Before you go, I want to leave something with you." He removed an envelope from his coat and extended it to Rube. "It's my savings. I can't take it with me, so enjoy it."

"Well, thanks, Jerry. I appreciate this."

"Spend it foolishly, Rube. Now, let's go down to where the switch will happen. She's about to leave with that young fella there. Maybe he throws her over the cliff. It's too damn cold to swim." Jerry got excited when he noticed the couple had changed into swimsuits. He would have gone for another reap but for Rube's dissuasion. Rube headed down with Jerry to the spot on the riverbank where she was to die. What were they going to do? It was really cold.

Seamore had explained to them that at the moment the reap died Jerry's lights would appear somewhere not too far away. Jerry was to go in. Rube was to collect the new reaper, Betty he now knew, and return her to Seattle, and they would deal with her funeral details later. The funeral could be some distance away since they didn't know where this new reaper was coming from. They just knew now where she was to die.

The man didn't throw her at all. They ran together through the woods overlooking the river. She jumped. He didn't, so it was just her hitting the water and dying.

Rube introduced himself at the bottom. It wasn't until she saw her body float by that she understood that she had died. Dying didn't bother Betty in the least. She jumped right into being a reaper and looked only forward.

Rube figured she would be popular with the guys at the house over the next few days. Poor Betty was stuck wearing her swimsuit until her body was in the ground. At least she wouldn't feel the cold.