More Than a Hashtag by Penny Poulsen Watson

Author:Penny Poulsen Watson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: PPW

32

Elmo Dumas Astle

Booga Rougeau sat in a dirty plastic chair outside the warehouse, carefully and quietly watchin’ his boss, Elmo Dumas Astle. Elmo’s left index finger was worryin’ the hole in his white shirt kinda like its torn pocket held the answer to whatever problem he got on his mind.

Booga didn’t move a muscle or say a word. He’d stop breathin’ if he could. When the boss got like this, it was like watchin’ the swirlin’ purple and greenish clouds in the sky mixin’ up a tornado. That tornado’d hit ground when it was ready, and then nothin’ in its path was safe. Best thing to do was see where it landed and get outta the way.

Elmo Astle was crazy. Not crazy like the crazies high on drugs who sat in the streets laughin’ and mumblin’ to nobody but themselves. Not like Crazy Alfie Latcherie who wandered down Main Street in Cypress Bend, pullin’ a fake rubber snake with a rope, askin’ for money to feed it.

Not even crazy like Booga’s brother, who came home from Afghanistan not quite right in the head. He had screamin’ nightmares and sometimes spent a whole day starin’ at nothin’. That kinda crazy you could deal with. But the Elmo Astle kinda crazy? Not a chance. That dude owned crazy.

“I ain’t ‘bout to let some scrawny little peeshwanks mess ‘round with my enterprise. No kindergarteners are gonna get the best of Elmo Astle,” he said at last in a quiet, dead monotone that scared the bejeebies outta Booga.

“Whadda ya want me to do for ya, Boss?” he asked cautiously.

“Was I talkin’ at you?! When I need y’all’s help, I’ll ask for it. Y’all just keep things runnin’ here while I deal with these little punks. I’m gonna fire a shot ‘cross their bow and see what they think ‘bout that.”

Booga didn’t say nothin’. Elmo liked usin’ military words, even if he got a very dishonorable discharge from the Navy a coupla decades ago. Booga wasn’t sure what “bow” he was talkin’ ‘bout or what he was firin’, but he sure didn’t want nothin’ fired at his bow.

Booga started to tell the boss he’d keep things runnin’ shipshape and then bit his tongue ‘til it bled. Speakin’ up when Elmo told you to keep quiet could get your tongue cut out.

Elmo’s two big bodyguards started movin’ suddenly, and Booga looked over to catch the Boss almost halfway to his car. The man moved like a cat. Booga breathed in the hot, humid, swamp-smellin’ air like it was sweet perfume. He was safe.

Elmo had taken his crazy somewhere else.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.