A New Beginning Pt. 01

"You have sex with them?"

"Yep, when the need strikes me."

"You fuck your mother?!"

"Yeah. Reckon I do. Not that I make her or anything. It's a mutual arrangement. I provide her a living like a husband would. So, she provides me with the benefits of a wife."

"Does Callie know about it?"

"Yep, she joins in when I want her to."

"Oh my. I've heard of such things before. I've just never been faced with it."

"Well, a woman's a woman. A mother is a woman first. She has the same needs and desires as any other woman out there. With nobody else lining up to be of much use to her, and the ones that might be would most likely mistreat her. I don't. So, what's the problem? We both get equal benefit. Without all the bullshit involved. As far as it being wrong, or whatever, that's kinda like the situation between you and me. Folks look down on it. But, isn't the most important thing what we think about it?"

"I guess since you put it that way, I can see the logic. Do you think they will accept me?"

"If I want them to, yes."

"Then, I guess I'll be a part of you're little harem then." She laughed. "I never once ;thought I'd find myself in a situation like this. Sixty years old, yearning to share my bed with an 18 year old. Not only that, but with his mother and another woman on top of it all."

She kinda stared off in the distance a bit, then looked at me.

Would you be totally shocked if i told you I wanted to suck your cock right now?"

"Well, I'm not sure I would say I'm shocked. Maybe surprised. "

"Well, take those jeans off, sit down there, and let me see if I can fit that huge thing all the way in."

So, never let it said that I stood in the way of womanly ambitions.

We were about to start when somebody walked in. I hurriedly grabbed my jeans and slipped off to the kitchen.

Oh well. I thought to myself. So much for that. I slid my jeans back on and went out to see what was happening. I was anxious to see how this meeting would pan out. Oh, I knew how to dicker in a horse trade and knew better than to be the one that spoke first. Patience was the rule. You cut in with something off the wall at first then just sat back and waited.

The advantage was mine here. I knew how bad all the players in this game wanted every acre they could get around there. I wasn't in no hurry to fall for the first pretty line of shit one of these shysters tossed out.

They did this for a living. Well, so did I, after a fashion. I wasn't looking for just cash money here. I wanted a piece of the pie. I'm not sure how many oil wells could be drilled on 800 acres. But, I knew I was going to have an equal partnership in them.

if it was just cash I was hunting, I'd have just went to one of the big outfits. These were small operations, looking for a foothold among an area dominated by big outfits.

When I went in, I saw Jim Parker talking to Maggie. I kinda eased off to the side, around the corner and listened.

"I'll tell you, Maggie, can I call you Maggie?"

"I would prefer Ms Florence, if you don't mind, Mr. Parker."

"Well, ok then, Ms Florence. Like I was saying, I got this deal working, see? When it goes through, why, I'll be rich. Mighty rich indeed. And, well, I was thinking, a handsome woman like yourself, all alone and all..."

"Yes, Mr Parker?"

"You know, a man like myself could be a mighty good catch for a woman like you."

"What exactly does that mean, Mr Parker, a woman like me?"

"Well, what I mean is..."

She had cut her eyes over where I was peeking around the corner. Winked at me. Then held up a hand, stopping him.

"I know exactly what you mean, Mr Parker. I get a dozen a week in here just like you, trying to bedazzle me with all your flash and hype. But, just to be clear, I'm spoken for."

"Oh? And might I ask who the lucky gentleman is?"

"Oh, you know him. You spoke with him this morning at breakfast."

He stood there with a frown, thinking.

"Pete Willard? Why, he's a newly married man. Why would he be interested in you"

"No, Mr Parker. I'm talking about Jacob Flannery."

He kinda gawked at her a long moment.

"That upstart kid? Him? What are you talking about woman? What's a wet behind the ears farm boy like that got to offer you?"

i stepped around the corner then, stepped around him and put my arm around Maggie's waist.

i looked over at him. "Why, hello there Jim. What brings you back so early? Our meeting isn't until later."

"I just had some business with Ms Florence, here."

"Well, looks like I'm just in time to get caught up!"

" Well, son, this was private matter."

"I see. Well, Mr Parker, I may be just a dumb ol' farm boy. But, you should now this about me. "

Before he could even think to react, I caught him with a right cross that would have stunned a Hereford bull. I looked down at him laying there on the floor.

" When you address me or my woman, you do so in a respectful tone. Do we understand each other, Mr Parker?"

He just looked up at me, trying to figure out what just happened to him.

I reached down and helped him up. He stood there unsteady on his feet.

"Why, Mr Parker, it appears as if you've fallen ill. Where are you from, sir."

"Chicago."

"You have any kinfoks there? Somebody to notify?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know, next of kin and the like?"

""What are you talking about?"

"Mr Parker, you ain't in Chicago no more. You're in Texas. Down here, a man can get himself killed real quick like acting the way you been acting. Now, go sit down until whatever it is that's ailing you passes. Then get the fuck outta here before you seriously piss me off."

"What about our deal? "

"I don't do business with folks that figure to conduct themselves like you, Mr Parker. It shows bad judgment. You come in here and disrespect her. Then talk down about me. I reckon I got you figured out. You thought to come in here and take advantage of me, thinking I'm some no account bumpkin. Toss around a few dollars and walk away with a lease deal worth millions in the long run"

"I'll tell you Mr. Parker. I may not size up to amount to much in your figures. But, I've been around enough old horse traders and shysters coming around in my life to size you up real quick like. "

"If you want a chance at those leases, then you show up with your boss like we agreed. I don't trust you and I'll make my deals with the man that runs that outfit. And I'll tell you, it ain't gonna be no few dollars that gets it done, neither. So, if that's what y'all have in mind, don't bother coming.

"Now apologize to my woman and go talk to your boss."

He staggered around a bit, then turned to Maggie and offered what I felt was a sincere apology and left.

She looked ae with a new way of seeing. "You really stood up for me. I do believe that is the first time in my life a man has ever done that."

"What else was I supposed to do? Let him keep on with bullshit he was shoveling. From my way of thinking, it was starting to stink."

She stepped up to me, wrapping her arms around my neck, looking up into my eyes. Th raw emotion I saw there made the room awful small. She pulled me down to kiss her. There's just something about the feel of a mature woman's arms around you that sets off all sorts of adventurous feeling somewhere deep down inside a man.

I surrendered to her kiss. Letting her have her way until she worked through the feeling coursing through her mind. It was obvious this woman has been denied the level of intimacy she so strongly desires.

I considered that as she let her lips break from mine and stepped back from me. Her gentle arms sliding from my shoulders. I stared into her eyes, searching for the beginnings of her repressed passion.

"Would you like some lemonade, honey? I thought I'd make some."

I nodded my head. "Now, that sounds right nice."

She turned and walked off to the kitchen. Her hips carrying a whole lot of extra swing than I'd noticed before. It might have just been wishful thing on my part, but a man can wish, right?

I felt the need to be outdoors, so I walked out to the front porch. It was a wide thing extending out from the house at least eight feet. Covered by the roof extending out from the house. Wrapping around the sides. The roof was supported by turned wood columns spaced about four feet apart. Everything was whitewashed and neat.

I sat down in a rocking chair and slid my feet out, studying the surroundings. The yard was filled by big pecan trees. The grass brown with the lingering effects of winter. The brick street out beyond the white picket fence was busy with the traffic of desperate people. An occasional motor car would go by. A young woman in a tattered dress carrying a baby, sided by a pair of young'uns on either side stopped and stared at me. Her eyes filled with the hopeless fever of many one could see around these days.

She walked on when the baby started crying. One of the little boys turning to look back at me. That look filled me with dreadful wonder. How can folks fall assunder to the notions of men located in far away cities that just blindly pursue their relentless greed to strip away the fruits of the labor of other men?

They never had enough. They just take and took, stripping the country bare like a swarm of locusts stripping a grain field. Leaving nothing but desolation and hopelessness in the way behind them.

In this land of plenty. With boundless resources. How could something like a stock market bring it to its knees? What were stocks anyway? Just some fanciful pieces of paper, all printed up with doodads and nonsense. Kinda like currency. Just paper that only had meaning and value because somebody in charge somewhere said it was worth something.

It wasn't long before the drillers showed up. Pete Willard walked up first. He introduced his boss.

"Jake, this is J.T. Morgan. Mr Morgan, Jacob Flannery."

I shook his hand. Turning, I said, Y'all come on in."

The man with Parker said, "Don't I get an introduction?"

I looked at him levely."No sir. Anybody that will employee a back stabbing son of a bitch like Parker there, well sir, I'm just not interested in doing business with."

Parker bristled at that. "You watch your lip boy. You'll go too far."

"Is that fact now, Mr Parker?" I stepped toward him. He backed up. "Why Mr Parker, I'd like to give you the opportunity to take issue. So you just cut your dogs loose and if they can tree this coon."

"This isn't the time nor the place."

"No, I don't suppose it is for a sorry outfit like you. I suspect you prefer laying for somebody out in the dark and dry gulching them."

His boss cut in, "What exactly did he do here?"

"He slipped in behind my back making time with my lady friend and talking awful ugly about me to her. How I was just a snot nosed kid he was gonna get rich on. I called his hand once today. That's how come he's got that black eye there."

"Now look here! I never meant to say..."

I cut him off. "You are a lying sack of shit, Parker. Now either get to fighting or get to running. I've had enough out of you."

His boss looked at Maggie. "M'am, he do that?"

She nodded. "Yes sir, he did.."

He turned to him, "Parker, you're fired. Now get before I set in on you. I won't have it."

"I'll get even! You just wait!" Then walked away cussing everything but the sun.

"I'm Joe Jernnigen, Mr Flannery. I apologize to you and your lady friend. I'll see to it he doesn't bother you again. He'd best be served leaving here for good after that. I warned him when I hired him on I'd not tolerate any sketchy dealings. If I could have a chance to sit down with y'all and make my bid, I'd appreciate it."

JT spoke up. "Joe, I warned you about that idiot when you hired him."

I cut back in. "I take it you two know each other?"

JT looked at me. "Oh yeah. Me and Joe go way back. We worked side by side when the oil business first broke out. He's a good man. I'll vouch for him to sit in with us."

I offered my hand. He shook it. We went inside. Maggie got out a bottle of bourbon and sat it on the table. Then glasses. "I'll leave you men to your business."

"Ok," I said. "first off, let me say what I want, then we can go from there. I want an equal partnership. I'll provide the land, and invest $5,000 into the operation fund. I might suggest you both come in. We'll do a three way split on final money after expenses. We share equal burden. I assume JT has the most equipment?"

"Yes. I have three rigs plus equipment. Joe, you stoll have two, right?"

"Yes. I'm looking at another rig right now. Still haggling the price. I'm a couple thousand short."

JT said. "Buy it, I'll loan it to you. Come by tomorrow and I'll fix you up. Sounds like we may need it."

JT then got out a map and spread it out on the table. "Show us where you're situated."

I studied the map, locating the places. "Here is my 160. Right here is the 640. I figure I can talk to some others and get the leases on their land, as well."

"That's right in the middle of the field." He stared in awe. "It's no wonder Getty was chomping at the bit to get in there. Boy's, as far as I'm concerned, we have a deal. Joe, what do you think?"

"Hell yeah, I'm in!"

I looked around for Maggie. She nodded.

"Ok, gentlemen, looks like we're in business."

We shook hands around. I told them, "I'll draw us up a contract. We sign it upon inspection and final approval of the sites."

"Sounds good." JT said. "We can head down tomorrow and look it over. Joe, you want to go?"

"No. I'll let you figure that end. I'll buy that rig and get trucks lined up to move equipment."

"Ok, I'll leave a check for you at the house. Nancy will give it to you. Make sure you take Clemmie with you. She'll want to chew the fat with her."

"Ok, I'm gonna leave you gentlemen to it. I have some thinking to do. See you in the morning."

I went to the porch and sat after they left.

That's what brought me to my current situation. I figured on building my lot in life and escaping the greedy claws of such men that thrived on the misery of others. I wanted land and wealth to insulate me from their notional behavior.

Maggie brought out my lemonade. A big, tall glass of it. And wouldn't you know it? It had ice in it. I've only seen that a time or two in my life. I sipped it. It tasted mighty good. The sun just popped out in the western sky. Lighting up the Earth with its warmth. I reached up and pulled Maggie down on my lap. She wrapped her arms around me. Like I said, there's just something about the feel of a mature woman's arms around you. Something that sized up as a... well,

A New Beginning...