The Fallout of Roy and MaryLou

By Jeff Eblen

As the café door opened, the sunlight entered briefly, the fresh Arizona air entered for a short bit, a fly entered with little hope of survival, and Hank and Bill entered to sit down at the fifth booth on the left. They were there for lunch.

“Don’t you two ever read signs?” said LouAnn. Hank and Bill assumed she meant the old, pine “Wait to be seated” sign at the front door. That sign had been there since LouAnn’s father had decided to make the place a respectable restaurant, instead of the small-town café it actually was. That was a short lived idea of her fathers. The open fry-grill window, the bolted down bar stools at the counter, and the lime-green booth seats assured that it was no more than a small-town café.

“We’ll wait to be seated when this dump becomes a real restaurant.” Hank pulled out his smokes and looked up. He was a handsome man, but he had no desire for matching clothes or a clean shave. He was a smart man, but he had no desire for doing anything besides working in the fields. He was a diamond in the rough, that didn’t want to be anything but rough.

“Hot food and service constitutes a restaurant, boys.” LouAnn handed them some menus. “Now, what do you want to drink?”

Bill answered, “Give me a Coke, please, LouAnn.”

“One Coke,” she wrote on the tab.

“And a Bud for me,” Hank said, looking for his lighter.

“So early in the morning, Hank?” LouAnn pulled out a lighter and lit his cigarette.

“Hell. It’s eleven o’clock. The fields are fine, so it’s beer time.”

Hank then took a puff of his cigarette.

“Okay.” She wrote down the order and left.

Bill leaned against the wall and placed his leg on the seat. One elbow laid on the back of the booth seat, while the other lay on the table. He watched LouAnn leave to the kitchen.

“She is pretty.” Bill said, still looking for her to come out of the kitchen. Bill was a big man. Although obesity does run in his family, he was not fat. Bill had big muscles. Mix those muscles together with a shy manner, a kind heart, and a child- like mentality, and you had Bill. All love and muscle. He was a sweet boy.

“I saw Larece, and guess what,” Hank said leaning forward and tapping his cigarette, “Roy and MaryLou are breaking up, for good.”

“Roy and MaryLou are breaking up?”

“Yep.” Hank looked at Bill. “Roy and MaryLou are breaking up.”

***

Coming around Kisbin’s Crest, creating a red cloud behind him, Roy sped in his Chevy Half-Ton. The old Coke cans in the car’s beverage holders bounced around in their seat and his rear-view mirror shook as he flew down the road.

A yellow piece of paper threatened to fly off the dash and out the window. Roy grabbed it with his sweaty hands and placed it next to him, in the passenger seat. He placed a broken carburetor that happened to be in the truck, on top of the paper to prevent it from flying around.

The radio was playing. Hank Williams Jr. was on the air… “There’s a tear in my beer, and I’m crying for you dear…”

Roy ran his right hand over his short, stubby, dark hair. Sweat and dirt was his cologne now, but he didn’t care. His clothes were wrinkled and stained, but he didn’t give a damn. He kept his eyes ahead on the blind corner.
Suddenly a truck appeared coming around. Roy swore and pulled his steering wheel to the right, his vehicle hugging the sharp corner. His Chevy didn’t react well, though, and slid on the red dust.

He hit the back of the other truck. His Chevy then spun around and fell in the ditch, next to the Kisbin’s Crest wall. The other truck slid to a halt on the other side of the road.
Red Arizona dust was in the air as Roy stepped out of his Chevy. He stumbled oddly and then stopped, eyes closed, waiting for the dust to settle.

Then a voice could be heard.

“God Damn it Roy!” With Mister Peter’s Texan drawl, Roy had no trouble distinguishing who he wrecked with. “You come spinning around the corner like that, you’re liable to kill somebody. You’re damn lucky!” Mister Peter’s came into view. He had a red ball cap on and a chew in his mouth. His thick gray eyebrows sank in a worried expression as Roy came into view. “God damn it, Roy. Just God damn lucky!”

Roy stood there, still sweating, even more dirty. He looked up at Mister Peters. Then abruptly, he turned away from Mister Peters and walked to the back of his truck.

“Where were you going?” Mister Peters yelled and followed Roy to the back of his truck. “I said, ‘Where the hell are you going, Roy?’ Did you hear me?” Roy was searching in the back of his Chevy’s hard-shell. He paid Mister Peters no mind. “Are you going to pay me some mind, boy? You had better be paying me some mind. What are you looking for?” Roy kept searching. “God damn it! Roy! Will you talk to me? You jack-knifed around that corner like a bat-out-a-hell, and hit me! You expect me to take this shit?” Roy kept searching. “I’ve known you since you were a brat! And now you’re suddenly too good to talk to me? God damn it!” Mister Peters punctuated that by spitting out some of his chew.

Roy found what he was looking for and turned around with a shotgun. Mister Peters shut up and stepped back. Roy wiped red dust from his eyes, walked past Mister Peters and toward town.

* * *

“Roy and MaryLou are breaking up?” Bill was shocked.

“Yep,” Hank looked at Bill. “Roy and MaryLou are breaking up.”

Bill put both feet on the floor and leaned toward Hank. “What happened? Last I heard they were in love. Roy would do anything for her.”

LouAnn came back with some drinks for the boys. She took their food order and left.

Bill watched her exit and then turned back to Hank. “What happened? They were so happy together.”

“That’s what I thought,” Hank coughed, took a drink, and continued, “but Larece says it’s over. I guess it’s a jealousy thing. At least, that’s what Larece says.”

“When did they break up?” Bill’s Coke was already half finished. He tended to drink at least three Cokes at each sitting. He was leaning back with an arm on both the table, and the back of his seat again.

“I think last night.” Hank’s Budweiser bottle was already empty. He tended to drink at least five Buds when he was drinking. “Larece says that MaryLou called her this morning.”

“Well, yeah. Roy didn’t say anything about them having trouble when I worked with him yesterday.” Bill said.

“Did he work today?”

“No.” Bill shook his head, “And yesterday, now that I think about it, he didn’t say much at all. He spent the whole day loading the new cedar decking we got in.”

“Today?”

“No, yesterday. I said he didn’t work today.”

“Oh.”

Then LouAnn came with their food. She placed their burgers down in front of them. “You want to get a little more drunk, Hank?”

“Yes, I want another beer.” Hank said. LouAnn put the ketchup and mustard in the middle of the table.

“Could I have another Coke?” Bill asked, looking at her.

“No problem.” She wrote some things on their tab.

“Anything else?”

They said no and she left. Bill watched her leave again.

“What were you saying, Bill?” Hank asked. He liked a lot of ketchup on his burger. A lot.

“Uh,” Bill thought about it, “Oh, I was just saying that maybe he was thinking about it all day yesterday, while he was working.”

After a minute of eating silence, Hank spoke, “I think it was one of those things that built up. You know. They were in love, but then one thing popped up, and then another, and he grew more and more jealous. And then BAM, you know BAM, and they were broke up.”

* * *

Roy pushed the tavern door open and entered. He squinted his eyes, as they hadn’t adjusted to the darker atmosphere. Soon he could see the all-red-wood Tavern. No one was around except for Laul, who was cleaning glassware behind the bar. Laul seemed somewhat stunned. First of all, they weren’t open for customers. And secondly, they were never open for customers with shotguns.

“What are you doing, Roy?” Laul asked, trying to sound ever day just-cleaning-the-glasses-you-know casual. It didn’t work.

Roy walked to the counter, threw his gun on it, and sat down. “Give me a Bud,” Roy said with his rough, gravely voice. “I don’t …I don’t feel much like talking right now.”

Laul scratched his head and spit some chew in a can behind the red wood bar. “But we ain’t open, Roy. I ain’t even stocked the beers yet.”

“Damn it, Laul,” Roy put his forehead on his hands on the counter and looked at the ground. “Just give me a beer.” It was a plead.

Laul didn’t want to but…”All right. But damn it. I’m not gonna start that shit.”

“Thanks.” Roy kept his forehead on the back of his hands.

“Next thing you know everyone’s gonna be poppin’ in here before we open." Laul placed the beer on a coaster and slid it to Roy. Roy took his head off of his hands and took a hearty drink. Laul spit another mouthful of chew in the can behind the bar. “What’s with you?”

“I don’t want to talk right now.” He buried his face into his hands again.

“Not now.”

“All right.” Laul started wiping more glasses.

But then Roy looked up and started speaking. “I…do you know when…you…try to make everything just fine. Trying to make your life…Honky-Dory…when it’s not?” He took a drink of beer and looked past Laul to the bar mirror. Hank Williams Jr. was playing on the radio next to the counter.

“Yeah.” Laul said as he switched glasses. “Yeah.”

“I’ve tried so hard. I’ve…. twisted myself.” Roy’s nose flared while he spoke and his fingers gripped the bottle hard. “I’ve twisted my whole life…. around her.”

Laul switched wine glasses and spit.

* * *

“From what Larece says,” Hank sipped his beer and opened his mouth to continue.

“How is Larece?” Bill asked interrupted, “I haven’t seen her in…forever.”

“She’s fine. I hardly see her either. She’s always out at Mister Peters’ place, putting those pipes in.” Bill nodded and Hank continued on the other subject. “Well, anyhow, from what Larece says, about two years after Roy and MaryLou’s marriage, Roy started getting jealous of MaryLou. He was…”

Why was he jealous?” Bill asked, intent on listening while eating his burger with a lot of mustard. A lot.

“I think it was when she started working at Cody’s. He wasn’t used to her working, you know. She had plenty of time on her hands before then, and then all of the sudden, she has this…life. She’s a waitress. Working with co-workers. And talking to her customers. She suddenly had this life, and Roy wasn’t used to that.”

Bill interrupted, “She had a life before then. I knew her, and so did you. Everyone knew her.”

“Well, yeah!” Hank drank, “But we knew her as Roy’s wife. She wasn’t born here like the rest of us. She didn’t become one of us until she started working at Cody’s”

“But she only worked there for six months.” Bill gave another objection.

“Yeah, but that was when we got to know her. After that she was always around. She did stuff with everyone. At that point, she had a life.”

“I guess so.” Bill scratched his ear, “She did hang around a lot. But I don’t see why he got jealous.”

“Well, Bill, a lot of people talked about her.” Hank took a bite of his burger, chewed, and then talked with his mouth full. “ I remember all kinds of guys saying she was hot…” Gulp. “or saying they wouldn’t mind grinding her. I mean I didn’t want to do that…” Hank coughed for a second and then stifled it. “But you know, guys like her.” Then he erupted in a fit of coughing.

“You should learn to eat with your mouth full more properly.” Bill laughed.

“Yeah, yeah.” Hank coughed for a couple seconds longer. He then took a sip from his beer and seemed to be under control.

“He’s her husband,” Bill said, “She’s his wife. He should trust her.”

“Let’s say you have this girl. You marry her. For two years…” Hank held up two fingers, “you work in the morning and then go home to this Texan wife. She has these meals waiting for you and … and many times she is wearing nothing under the cooking apron. You two are best friends first, lovers and then husband and wife. The perfect world.” Hank took a swig. “Then she goes and gets a job. She isn’t there when you get home. She’s always at work, or maybe with other friends. Your sex life goes down, naturally, and your perfect world is, all of a sudden…gone.”

Bill sat back. “Alright. I could see that.”

“Exactly.” They ate in silence for another good minute. Bill finished his meal but Hank was only half through. After taking another strong swig from his beer, Hank said, “Well, from what I hear, Roy accused her of sleeping around.” Hank let the statement sink into Bill as he pulled out his cigarettes.

* * *

“Yeah,” Laul said again.

“Things are all…screwed up now.” Roy wiped some sweat off of his brow. His eyes were bloodshot and glistening. “Laul?” Roy said as he put his head back down on the back of the hands.

“Yeah Roy?”

“I don’t know what to do now.” He didn’t look up.

“Hmm.” Laul started wiping another glass. He looked over at Roy’s shotgun lying on the counter. “Say, Roy. Could you empty that shotgun and put it at your feet. You know there’s no guns in this bar.” Laul could almost hear Roy’s teeth grind. “Roy?”

“I can’t put away my gun right now.” Roy said with his forehead on his hands.

“Roy.” Laul was going to press the subject.

Roy sat up. His eyes were glistening red, his nostrils were flared out and his voice had an unhealthy shake to it. “I can’t put away my gun right now, Laul.” Roy placed his right hand on the shotgun.

“I’m sorry.” Laul didn’t seem to see any danger in Roy. “But I want it unloaded and under the counter.” Laul reached for the gun. Roy snagged the shotgun off of the counter and stepped back away from the bar. His eyes were opened wide. “Roy, if you’re not going to unload it, then take your beer and leave. I’m sorry, but that’s the rules.”

Roy stared at Laul for a minute. His nostrils flared, and his teeth ground. Finally, he walked up to the counter, grabbed the beer, and said, “Fuck you.” He then turned around, walked to the front door slammed it open with his foot, and left the bar.

* * *

“No shit?” Bill put both of his hands on the table and leaned forward for more information.

“Bill, will you get your body off the table.” LouAnn said as she lit Hank’s cigarette. “Now, what were you “no shit” in’ about?”

“None of your business.” Hank said.

“I didn’t ask you. I asked Bill. I usually try not to talk to you. You’re not gentleman-like.” she cleared all of the plates off the table, except Hank’s.

“Oh, gentleman-like my ass.” Hank took a puff of his cigarette.

“Good one, Hank.” Bill said, sarcastically.

“Shut up, Bill.” Hank retorted, seriously.

“Are you done with this plate?” Hank nodded. “Do you boys need anything else?”

They ordered another round of drinks. She wrote on the tab and then left to get their beverages.

Bill watched her leave, “She sure is cute.” Then Bill turned back to Hank and said, “He accused her of sleeping around?” He was still quite shocked. That kind of thing just didn’t happen in that town.

“That seems to be the case.” Hank finished off his beer.

“Did he have proof?” Bill asked, “He didn’t accuse her without having something to back him up.”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

* * *

The alleyway beside Laul’s pub was carpeted with loose Arizona red dust. Roy looked at the red dust, kicked it as he walked, causing clouds of red mist behind him.
He looked ahead toward Caroline’s Salon.

The shotgun snapped open and Roy produced a handful of shells from his jeans pocket. His mouth stayed clinched, grinding slowly, as he loaded the gun.

The red dust, once behind, caught up to him and surrounded him.

Seconds later the gun was loaded and Roy looked ahead again. He stepped forward and wiped the his eyes. Sweat and dust stung his eyes and blurred his vision. He waited it out and soon he could see Carolina’s Salon up ahead again.

His flared nose and his eyes, bloodshot, lead the way as he stepped out into the street toward the salon. His gun down at his side.

* * *

“You see.” Bill started shaking his head, “Roy is not like that. He wouldn’t do that without…that’s drastic. Too drastic.” Bill said, “I mean, remember when someone broke into his car and stole his tapes.”

Hank nodded, blew out some smoke.

“Roy is cool.” Bill said. “He was mad as all hell, but he was cool. Everyone knew Saul took’em. But Roy didn’t accuse him, because he wasn’t sure. Roy is cool like that.” Bill shook his head again, “Yeah, he’s not like that.”

“Roy didn’t point out Saul because Saul would have beat him senseless. He knew it was Saul, just like the rest of us. But he was too yellow to say it.” Hank said.

“Roy is not scared of Saul. Saul’s usually either in jail or wanted. Roy knows he could have got his tapes back.”

“Yeah. But at what price. Saul would have come back for him. Roy would have had to guard his back constantly.”
Bill had nothing to say.

“And when a man gets jealous, things get tense. I could see him accusing her of something like that.”

“Man.” Bill said looking into his empty coke glass.

“Yeah.” Hank agreed with Bill’s implied statement while looking into his own empty bottle. “Shitty, ain’t it?”

“How come every time I come to this table you boy are talking about shit?” LouAnn asked as she gave them their new liquids.

“The word ‘shit’ does seem to come up a lot in this place doesn’t it?” Hank said with a smirk. Bill laughed outright and even LouAnn couldn’t totally hide her amusement.

“You be careful in what you say, Hank. I’m liable to kick you out and never let you in here again.” She finished their tab and handed it to them.

“Yeah, yeah.” Before LouAnn left, Hank had her light another cigarette. Then the two boys sat there, eyeing their drinks while Hank’s cigarette smoke drifted up between them. Then he said. “I feel sorry for Roy though.”

“I feel sorry for both of them, they seemed so happy.” Bill stared at Hank’s cigarette smoke.

* * *

The door to the salon slammed open and Roy entered. He was covered with sweat and dirt. His eyes were red and his expression was fire. His teeth were clenched and the shotgun he held was cocked. The door slammed shut behind him. The five ladies, once intent on their conversation, were dumbfounded, mouths agape, staring at the terror that just walked in.

Renee stood nearest to Roy. She seemed to have been doing something with the register when he entered. Darcy sat to the right in the salon, with numerous curlers in her hair. Caroline sat beside Darcy with a pile of combs, perhaps cleaning them. MaryLou sat to the left in the salon, a couple of curlers and a couple of ties in her hair. Robin stood behind her, scissors and heated curler in hand. The were now all a frozen picture, looking at Roy.

Hank Williams Jr. played on the radio near Darcy.

“Roy.” Caroline was the bold one, “What the hell you doing waving that gun around for? Before you know it, your gonna shoot someone. Now put that thing down and come in. Do you want me to shave your head again?”

“I’m not her for a hair cut, Caroline.” The gun didn’t move. “I came her to talk to MaryLou. If you all wouldn’t mind, I’d like to talk to her alone.”

“Roy…” MaryLou started.

“Hell yes we mind!” Caroline said. She started putting the combs into a basket on the floor. “You look like a madman, Roy. Now put that gun down.”

Roy didn’t look at Caroline or any of the other girls. Just MaryLou. She sat very upright in her seat with her arms gripped onto the armrest. Her dark hair fought the curlers and ties and came down in strands across her beautiful tan face. Her bright blue eyes were wide with terror and something else…sympathy. Roy gripped the gun harder. “I’m not putting the gun down. Now all of you leave!”

* * *

“Well, I’ve been thinking about it, and I have to say: I feel much more sorry for Roy than MaryLou.” Hank tapped the cigarette, which he hadn’t even puffed on yet.

“Why?”

“Well, Roy has lived his whole life here. He grew up with everyone around here. We used to always do stuff together, with the gang, you know. Let’s see, there’s Bobby, Laul, you, me, Steve…uhm, Mick, even Saul sometimes, and Roy.”

“Don’t forget the girls.”

“Yeah, Larece, Darcy, Robin, uhm…”

“LouAnn, Tracy…”

“…Renee…But do you see what I’m saying? He used to do stuff with us: Fishing, playing red-golf, swimming at Darcy’s, hiking…a lot of things. We were always doing stuff. We grew up together. And we had so much fun doing these things.” Hank leaned toward Bill intent on his diagnosis. “Now, we still go do stuff. We go to Laul’s Pub, hang here or Cody’s, we go bowling, we have bon-fires…we still have a lot of fun together. But all of that’s going to change for Roy, he’s up shit-creek now.”

* * *

“Roy, please….” MaryLou said.

“You’re scaring us, Roy. If you think this is funny, you’re wrong.” Caroline said.

A moan escaped from Roy. And for the first time they could see that under all of the dirt and sweat, Roy was crying. His face was scrunched and wrinkled in the corners as he cried uncontrollably. Another moan escaped and then he shouted “GET OUT! GET OUT! NOW!” He waved the gun around and moaned again.

Renee shuffled quickly to the back and disappeared. Darce got up and did the same. But Caroline stayed and Robin seemed frozen. “GET OUT!” he yelled again. Each shout made MaryLou flinch.

* * *

“When he does stuff with us…She will be there. Whenever things go on. She will be there. He will be engulfed by her. Surrounded by her. And suddenly, he is a bachelor, he is free. He can chase the game we do. He can go with us to the pub and do the same thing he used to always do with us: Try to pick up ladies. He will want to do that. You know he will, especially having been tied down for five years. But he can’t. Because she will be there.”

* * *

“Roy, put down the gun. You two can talk alone, but you’ve got to put down the gun.” Caroline stood up.

Roy jerked the gun toward Caroline when she moved. Caroline staggered and sighed when she realized he didn’t shoot. “Caroline, it really would be best if you left right now!” He wasn’t shouting but the quivering in his voice created the same fear out of the ladies.

“Roy, put the gun down.” MaryLou said. Her voice quivered.

“I’m not putting the gun down!” He pointed it at MaryLou.

“Roy…” Caroline started saying.

“Then lets talk now. Who cares if they’re in front of us.” MaryLou quivered.

* * *

“And even if she isn’t, she is friends with all of the other ladies. No one will go up to Roy and ask him to dance, and hardly any of them will if he asks them. Do you see what I’m getting at? She stole away all of his female friends, and most likely some of the guys. I mean, she’s not going to sit still. She’s going to be dating around. And each new guy she dates, in this small town, is going to be another slap in his face. Another childhood friend Roy has lost.”

* * *

“You messed me up good, Mary. You’ve really messed me up.” Roy’s sobs became more frequent as he spoke. His gun lowered slightly and he actually seemed to lean toward MaryLou.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Roy.” MaryLou pushed herself to the edge of her seat. She seemed to be leaning toward Roy.

“I…I don’t know where to go now. I don’t know…I don’t know what to do.” Roy said. Each word was a struggle.

“Put down the gun, Roy. I’ll help you.” MaryLou blue eyes burst out with tears, but she sat still and looked at Roy.

Then Roy saw her hand. Her left hand. “Where…your ring….” Roy tilted his head and looked at MaryLou with a betrayed look. “Where’s your ring… Mary?” Roy moaned again.

* * *

“All of his past, his childhood with us, the gang, has been shattered by her. And all of the things he wants to do now…are in check because of her. This breaking up, has destroyed his life in the town in which he grew up. Destroyed it.”

***

The shot came suddenly, hitting MaryLou in the shoulder. She flew back into her chair. Robin fell down behind her. The second shot hit MaryLou in the chest. Blood splattered everywhere as her body started sliding out of the seat.

Caroline lunged for the gun, but Roy was too quick. He turned the barrel and shot her in the head. Her body flipped back and onto the floor.

Then the room was still. Roy stood with the sobbing, look at the damage. Robin was crying behind the chair. He apparently shot her in the side. Caroline’s body lay on the floor, bloody and unrecognizable. MaryLou lay on her back. Her body was a bloody mess. But her face was untouched and her bright blue eyes remained open. Her lifeless eyes were looking up at Roy. He then turned the gun around and placed the barrel in his mouth…

* * *

A lot of silence followed his diagnosis. Hank took the final puff of the never-touched cigarette and put it out.

“Waste of a cigarette.” Bill said.

“Yeah.” Hank said and sat back.

They both sat there eyeing their beverages or the dying smoke. Both of them were thinking about Roy. Maybe a stray thought went to MaryLou, but only stray thoughts. Roy was their childhood buddy. The freckled dark haired boy they talked into skipping school and going fishing with them. The boy who stole a kiss from Larece while she was standing under the mistletoe, and then bragged that he was the first to kiss her. The boy who could skip a stone four times consistently. The young man whose twelve consecutive strikes still hold its own on the Bowling Alley’s wall. The young man who ran away from his parents because his father was going to make him enlist in the Amy. The young man who broke his high school record for most free throws missed. He was their friend. They loved him.

“Well, uhm…I’ve got to go back to work.” Bill said as he started getting up.

Hank took another drink of his beer and then started getting up. “Yeah, I should get out of here too. What are you doing tonight? You want to meet at Cody’s and maybe head for the pub?”

“Sure. I get off at five. Give me a call.” Bill put his money down on the table.

Hank did the same. “I think I’m gonna call Roy and see if he wants to go.”

“Good idea.” Bill said as they started heading out. “It’ll be nice having him around again, really. I miss the guy.”

“Yeah, it’ll be nice”

“See you later, LouAnn.” Bill yelled to the back of the kitchen.

“We left the money on the table.” Hank yelled.

“Bye, boys.”

The door opened and closed.