Southern Fried by Rob Rosen Read Free Book Online

both said in unison, followed by a laugh as
    I opened the car door for her.
    “Morning, Jeeves,” I said, stepping inside, perched next to
    Pearl.
    “Walter,” he corrected, with a heavy sigh.
    “Granny liked Jeeves,” I told him, shutting my door.
    “No,” said he. “That was you.”
    I smiled. “And wouldn’t you know it, I’m the last Jackson
    standing.” Pearl gave me a slap. Jeeves merely pulled away, shaking
    his head all the while.
    The last Jackson standing. It put a chill in me, despite all that
    sweltering heat, air so thick with water it was like wading through
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    a tide pool. That was the South for you. If the mosquitoes didn’t
    kill you, then the humidity surely would. Or the alligators. Not to
    mention the pollen count, which was shooting about a thousand
    times higher than any nose should’ve been tolerating right at that
    very moment.
    Sorry, now I’m sounding like Granny.
    In truth, it was beautiful around the estate. I stared out the
    window as Jeeves slowly drove down the narrow gravel road that
    led off the property. At the oaks that were Lord only knows
    how many centuries old, so heavy with leaves it was amazing
    they didn’t tip right on over. Pine trees so green it would’ve made
    Kermit jealous, dense with cones, towering to the sky, with maple
    and sycamore and ironwood filling in the gaps. Deer scampered
    about, appearing and disappearing in the blink of an eye, possum
    too, only, you were more likely to run over one than see it
    scampering about. Tire lunch, Granny called them.
    I rolled down the window and stuck my head out, beams of
    light brushing across my upturned face as I leaned my face toward
    the sky. Birds and crickets and frogs serenaded me; flowering
    shrubs and trees, magnolia blossoms so big they looked like giant
    white faces, all cast off their intoxicating bouquets.
    I had to think it was all for Granny’s benefit. A fitting farewell.
    This, after all, was her pride and joy, the land around her home,
    so much of it planted and tended to by so many succeeding
    generations of us. I smiled at the thought. She might’ve been
    gone, but this was her legacy. Not to mention, so was I. My smile
    vanished as quickly as it had arrived. The legacy, after all, had run
    smack dab into a brick wall.
    “What’s gonna happen to it all, Pearl?” I whispered, staring
    out into the woods.
    She smiled, humming some sort of hymn. “Don’t rightly
    know, boy. But don’t you fret none; it’ll all right itself, somehow.”
    She closed her eyes and the smile grew brighter. “The good Lord
    sure does work in mysterious ways.”
    “Think He can offer me a clue?” I asked, now gazing up at
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    the azure sky, clouds billowing lazily to the north. “The mystery
    is killing me.”
    “The reading of the will is tomorrow, Trip. Suppose we’ll
    figure out things then. Today is Granny’s day, though. Time to
    remember her, lay her to rest, send her on her way.”
    I nodded, eyes tearing up for what I was certain wouldn’t be
    the last time that day. “But which way do you think she’ll be
    headed?”
    Pearl didn’t answer. I was sure it was a thought she’d already
    thunk. Granny certainly was righteous, in her own way, but just
    as equally, well, I don’t want to say evil, per se, but cantankerous
    would be too nice a word. Hopefully, with all the money she’d
    donated to the church throughout the years, she’d bought her
    way through to whatever place she was on her way to. Again I
    turned to Pearl. “You think Gabriel takes bribes?”
    She smiled, her hand held up to caress my cheek. “Let’s hope
    so, boy. Let’s sure hope so.”
    Jeeves pulled up to the church a short while later, cars
    overflowing the parking lot, a sea of dark suites, dark dresses,
    and wide brimmed hats filing on inside. A space was reserved
    for family, namely us. We pulled in. I inhaled, deeply, and opened
    the door. A hot blast of air hit me like an open oven,