9
Once the truck was at a complete halt, Howard easily slid himself beside me to my right as if to block the view of the men from my smaller form. I just kept my head down listening to one of the men talk to Forrest. He was the oldest. A younger yellow haired lawman was standing behind him while a dark haired, angry eyed looking law man looked our way. I heard the name Willie Mason being thrown around.
"You see a nigga with a scar on his face?" The elder law man asked. I couldn't hear a response. He must have been talking to Forrest. "How about you?"
"No sir." Jack responded.
"What about you, big fella?" The yellow haired man asked eyeing Howard while the third dark haired man man stepped around the truck to look at me. It was dangerous to look down at a white man even if I was high up in a truck, so I kept my head down, and my eyes on the hood of the truck. Being colored and looking down on a white man could get me shot.
"Girl! You see Willie Mason?" the third man asked which immediately had Howard eyeing him. I tried to give the softest and most innocent of glances in his direction as I shook my head.
"No sir. I aint seen no convict." I replied softly. He squinted his eyes and looked up at me.
"Step off of the truck." he commanded. My heart's racing and I nodded and slowly turned toward the back of the truck. As I moved to get out of the bed of the truck, Howard jumped right down and helped me out. The dark haired man took note of this immediately. I could see Jack and Forrest watching from their side window's as the man approached me now. "That's better. Why you looking so nervous? You know where this Willie Mason is?" His tone sounded like he was accusing me. I kept my hands to my side and my eyes on the ground as I shook my head.
"No sir." I replied softly again. The man took a closer step to me which immediately made Howard step closer to me, almost to the point his body was moving to stand in front of me.
"She ain't see him, none of us have." Howard responded. The law man squinted up at him now.
"Colored folk stick together up here all the time. Wouldn't be the first time they lie." he said with a sneer.
"Our colored folks follow the laws here." Howard said firmly. The dark-haired man looked up at him for a moment and then looked at me and then Howard again.
"Why are you riding with her anyways?" he asked. Meanwhile, I could clearly hear Forrest speaking to the older law man.
"You better get your boy." he said lowly. Howard glared now at the man.
"And what business of that is yours?" he asked. I almost swallowed my heart now upon hearing him talk back. Something I could never do to a law man- to any man.
"Boy you acting real uppity right now! You best just get back in that truck and keep yo mouth shut!" he demanded. Howard's head twitched to the side some. I just remained still and kept my head down fear growing inside me.
"Alright now. We got our answers." The older law man replied holding his hands up. "Let's all just stay calm now."
"I ain't get my answer." The angry eyed black-haired man responded placing his hand over his gun in his belt. Howard completely stepped between us now placing his entire body in front of me.
"You thinking about drawing on me you fucking cock sucker?" he asked. Immediately, the blonde stepped beside the dark-haired man.
"Boyd don't you know who that is… that's Howard Bondurant. They're all Bondurants." he said lowly. The look on Boyd's face changed and now the older lawman approached.
"Alright alright, enough! We ain't looking for trouble and these folks don't know where the convict is! Ya'll just get on to where you're going now." he said. Howard's glare continued as his body began to back into mine. I knew to back up as well and when we were at the opening of the truck, Howard just turned, placed his hands on my hips and lifted me into the truck. I was visibly stunned he would put his hands on me in front of three white men, officers, too. The three men were almost disgusted by the display and once inside, Howard closed the truck and glared at the man as he hit the side of the truck and it drove on.
I was quiet the entire time. What Howard did- what he said was so dangerous. The moment the truck pulled up to home, I hurried to get out of it. I jumped out and stumbled, denying Howards hands to help me out.
"Velvet-" he started, but I quickly moved to get to my house hoping those lawmen weren't following us so they knew where I lived. I hurried to the door. "Velvel will you just talk to me?"
"HOWARD!" Jack called out. I immediately turned and looked up at him.
"Howard you need to leave before my father gets here and sees you here." I replied quickly moving up on the front porch. Howard looked so confused and hurt by the swiftness in my voice.
"Wait- what I do?" he asked. He sounded so close and I opened the door and looked up at him.
"You very well may have endangered my life talking to those men like that with me there! You were so big and bad and me just standing beside you they probably thought I was thinking like you all big and bad! What if they come looking for me once you drive away huh? They're likely to…" I couldn't even finish the thought as I just shook my head. "I ain't a white woman Howard… me being around you when you stand up to other white folk is dangerous for me." I watched the pain flood in his eyes.
"Howard, we gotta go!" Jack replied which made instant rage flare in his eyes as he looked at his younger brother.
"Hold the fuck on!" he snapped and then looked back at me, the pain in his eyes once again. "Jesus Velvet, I'm so sorry… I just wanted to protect you back there. I saw him getting too close and I just didn't want him hurtin' you." I stared up at him with weak eyes and shook my head.
"You don't have to see the world the way I do. You and your brothers… control this mountain through fear. You think you have to walk on egg shells to get around the law when running your alcohol, I have to walk on egg shells around every white face I see." I said and he winced and nodded slowly.
"I'm sorry." he said. I sighed gently and just shook my head.
"You'd better go… if those lawmen see us they'll know where I live and that could endanger me and my father." I replied moving to close the door. However, Howard placed his hand lightly on the door enough to stop me from closing it, but it wasn't aggressive. I peeked out to look at him as he peaked in to look down at me.
"I ain't ever gonna let no one hurt you, you hear? No one." he said. I looked up at him with deep eyes as he gently eased his other hand in to take mine and hold my fingers up to his lips and give them a gentle kiss. I could feel the warmth of his flesh on mine and it brought me comfort. I nodded in response before gently closing the door.
