Free The Rampant Reaper by Marlys Millhiser

had tanked. Charlie wanted out of here.
    â€œI smell french fries,” Edwina said when they drove down Main Street. “Let’s have a beer and bar food at Viagra’s before we head back to that ramshackle place and Uncle Elmo’s snoring. What do you say, Daughter?”
    â€œI say absolutely, Mother, extreme absolutely. Maybe we can pick up a six-pack for Uncle Elmo. He’s about out.”
    Viagra’s was full of pheasant hunters—lots of plaid jackets and matching caps—several admiring each other’s kill pulled out of cloth sacks. The TV above the bar played a sport show about pheasant hunting, starring guys in plaid jackets and matching caps.
    On one side of the TV flashed a lighted sign of the Budweiser bull frog. On the other was an enlarged photo in black and white with a bunch of guys standing around, leaning on, and hanging out of an ancient vintage automobile. Their clothes reminded Charlie of Sherman Rochester’s coat. Their hats pushed back at jaunty angles and cigarettes in hand reminded her even more of old Sherman.

    Of the living here, one woman with tight jeans and a loose grin played pool with the guys. The rest were guys. There was one empty booth, and the Greenes took it just as Kenny Cowper came down a flight of stairs at the back of the room, lit from behind by a bare bulb he’d had to almost double over to avoid. The place had gone silent except for the television, and Kenny followed the direction of the gaze and smirks in the rest of the room. The place smelled like french fries, beer, and secondhand smoke.
    Kenny skirted the pool table to their booth. The slow smile spreading across his teeth actually reached his eyes this time. “What can I do for you ladies?”
    â€œWe’re women, Squirt,” Charlie’s mother told him, and his smile turned into a laugh.
    He hit the palm of one hand with the fist of the other. “Goddam, I knew that.”
    Then he slid in beside Edwina. “So you do remember me.”
    â€œTaken me all day to sort you out. You couldn’t have been more than three or four the only other time we’ve met.”
    â€œFive, actually. I didn’t start growing till about ten. Know how I remember you? You called me ‘Squirt’ in front of a bunch of guys. They called me that until I got so big, they didn’t dare.”
    â€œYou wouldn’t hurt anybody,” Edwina said softly, and Charlie stared at this “woman” she called mother. Well, okay, when she forgot, she did.
    â€œYeah, but you get big enough—nobody dares find that out. Specials tonight—and there are two specials every night and that’s all there is, so we don’t need menus—are walleyed pike or pork tenderloin on a sesame-seed bun with fries and a salad. What’ll it be, women?”
    Charlie ordered the pike and Edwina the tenderloin and whatever was on draft. The beer of course came right away and they each took two healthy gulps, leaned back into the booth, which had head-high backs, and sighed. “Might not be heaven, but like Squirt said, it’s all there is.”

    â€œThat laser surgery did wonders. You’re not even walleyed anymore. When did you have it done?”
    â€œBefore I took six weeks out of my life and living to nurse you back to humanity after the accident. You didn’t even notice. Your neighbors did, and Libby, but I swore them to secrecy. I’ve got this theory, Charlie. People see what they expect to see, not what’s there. Besides, you were dealing with a lot of your own problems at that time.”
    â€œOkay, so why are you so changed after that knockdown drag-out with Cousin Helen? Sounded to me like you were losing big time. ‘Just because you move across the country doesn’t mean you cancel out your responsibilities to the people who came before you, who nurtured you, cuz.’ Stuff like that. You were eating guilt and then all of a