Secrets, Lies and Dragonflies

Chapter 19

Horrified, I blast past Abigail hoping to stop the irrevocable mistake Lindsey is about to make.

Bending down at her side, Chuck is pleading. "Babe. I'm an idiot. C'mon. You understand how I can get."

Refusing to look at him, she's shaking her head.

As I grow closer, her attention shifts toward something Chucky presents. A smile creeps into the corner of her mouth, followed by a giggle.

Almost dark, the lights around the property add a charming glow. The cool air is descending, acting like the refresh button on the computer screen. Soul coal is moving in.

Last October, I learned all about soul coal homecoming game night. Not lacking in the die-hard football fan department, our entire high school planned to gather at the Supernova for the annual victory celebration. It would have been the eighteenth year in a row, but it wasn't meant to be. Instead of horns blasting and spontaneous chanting, everyone looked as if they walked straight out of a Walking Dead episode, all zombified.

After the brutal defeat, I stood in the concession line alongside Mrs. Kettles. Together we watch her grandson, Samuel Jordan, mope about with his teammates. His grandmother was just a little thing, but a real spitfire at the games. It wasn't hard to see where Mrs. Jordan got her energy. The temperature must of dropped at least ten degrees.

When I rubbed my arms to warm myself, she said, "Oh yes, I feel that, too, honey. That chilled air is hopefully soul coal coming in to fill up this place."

God's having it dumped down in here. He does it just for nights like this."

"Soul coal?" I asked.

"Why sure, Shuga. God's having it dumped down in here. He does it just for nights like this when it feels like it's been too hard and you just can't pick yourself back up from the terrible that just happened."

"It was pretty terrible. I feel bad for these guys."

She smiled back at me with old, kind eyes that look like they've seen a lot. "Mmmmm. That chill's what you're feelin', movin' right through your bones. It's coming off that ridge and fueling us back up. Sometimes I think I can see 'em saints sittin' in their bulldozers pushing that soul coal over them hills."

I gazed toward the peak of biggest hill in the distance and nodded. "I didn't know God used bulldozers, Mrs. Kettles."

"Oh, yes, indeed. You think them saints up there got angel wings? No siree. Got no use for em. Just get in the way. Jesus was a carpenter for a reason. Theys boys need to be working with their hands."

"Good to know, ma'am."

I could tell she longed for the moment of hardship to pass for Samuel. "Yes sirrie. It's gonna turn into one of them nights when you get far enough away from the thing that was so bad, you starts to forget what was so bad about it."

The mere thought of anyone forgetting what just happened to Lindsey tonight forces my stride to move faster. "No-no-no-no-no." I say under my breath. "Soul coal is not needed here."

Lindsey smiles in the cooled off evening, forgetting the thing that was so bad, just like Mrs. Kettles said.

I abruptly stop in front of them. "Lindsey. Everything okay?" I ask, panting. The urge to get between her and Chuck is overwhelming.

"Hey, Mac. Yeah. Everything's great. Chucky was just telling me how upset he was over the way his dad's wife redecorated the library. All his Carolina Panthers stuff is gone, except this cuddly little guy he gave me. See?" she says, holding up an oversized stuffed animal that's wearing a little Carolina Panther's t-shirt.