Note from Jake Rivers: This is my fourth semi-annual "invitational." The initial one was based on the Statler Brother's song, "This Bed of Rose's." The second used the Marty Robbins El Paso trilogy: "El Paso", "El Paso City " and "Faleena." The third had stories based on the various versions of "Maggie May" or "Maggie Mae." The current invitational has looser criteria: the stories are based on any Country & Western song. Regards, Jake
This is my Country Music entry in Jake Rivers' invitational. I chose 'Detroit City' as my song. I checked and this song was sung by many country artist including Dolly Parton and Bobby Bare among others. It's a city that I know quite well since I was born there.
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Chapter 1
Let me begin by telling you that I moved to Detroit a year or so ago. I don't know if I really fit in. You see, I have always been more of a country boy. I wasn't really all that used to the larger cities. The people just don't seem as friendly. Other than a few people in my apartment building, I don't know many of the neighbors around me. I guess most people like to keep to themselves. Back home I nearly knew the whole town.
I was born and raised a country boy in Kentucky and West Virginia. In our small town, everyone knew everyone. I was the youngest of eight kids in our family. There are eighteen years separating me and my oldest brother. Of course, we got into trouble like most kids and fought with each other.
Even though we fought a lot, we were also very protective of each other. If someone picked on any of us, they would have to deal with the rest of us. We were all born in Kentucky; good old Carter County. It was great living out in the country near small towns. Among the woods and streams, we always had something to do. We always had enough of us to make our own sports teams. I can't tell you how many times we toured the caves and fished in the streams. It was a lot of fun, but always scared mom.
When I was younger, I remember doing things with my parents. Then all of a sudden, it seemed to stop. I would go to church or shopping with mom. Dad might take me hunting or fishing, but we didn't do a lot as a family. My brothers and sisters still did things with me; but just not mom and dad together with us.
I brought the subject up to my sister, and she told me mom and dad had an argument, and were hardly speaking to each other. It was odd because they were both nice to me but not to each other. I didn't like them being mad at each other but didn't understand. This went on for a while and then they seemed to be civil to one another again.
It was when I got older my sister, Sue, explained the situation to me. Dad was a pretty heavy beer drinker. He worked hard at his jobs and he would always go to the club and have some drinks before coming home. According to Sue, dad had an affair of some kind with one of the waitresses at the club. She didn't know the particulars but she told me how mom found out.
Mom got suspicious of dad always being late. A few times, he would call and tell mom he would be later than usual. We always ate dinner as a family at the same time each evening; it was kind of the time where we all talked about our day and stuff like that. Dad was late at least once a week; it just wasn't like him. Mom knew something was up. She still made him up a plate and set it aside for him to eat later.
After about a month or so of him being late, mom made us dinner and said she would be right back. According to Sue, mom went to the club to see if dad was there. The bartender looked worried as mom walked in and said dad wasn't there. Mom knew better since dad's car was parked outside. She walked into the back office where dad had this waitress bent over the desk and was pounding her from behind.
She called him a bastard and turned around, and walked out. Mom came home and went into the bathroom. We figured it was to cry it out but we don't know for sure. Mom came out and said she was going over to her sister June's house and would be back in a little while. About twenty minutes later dad came in.
Mom never told us anything about that night. Sue picked up the information through different arguments that she wasn't supposed to hear. Mom had gone over to Aunt June's because she needed to talk to someone. Mom is really a strong willed woman.
When dad came home, he asked where mom was. Sue told him she went to Aunt June's. We could tell there was a problem but had no idea what it was. Mom returned about an hour later.
When mom told us kids to go outside, we knew they were going to have a big argument. We've had to go outside before. Mom had this theory that you never argued in front of the kids. So, we did as we were told and outside we went; we could hear yelling and screaming inside. Nosy Sue had her ear to the window.
About an hour later, dad came out and didn't say a word. He had a small suitcase and got into his car. When we went back into the house, mom told us that dad had some things on his mind and wouldn't be staying at the house that night. We could tell she was hurting bad inside but was trying not to break down in front of us kids.
Dad returned two days later. Dinner was ready every night right on time and we discussed our days just like we used to. Mom and dad didn't talk a lot except for asking questions and telling us we were good kids.
Mom was a stay at home mom. She kept very busy with all the washing, cooking and cleaning. She made a house a home. She was a religious woman and I figured that's why she gave dad another chance. Dad still stopped and had a beer or two but was always home for dinner. He joined a different club; you can figure out why.
We moved to West Virginia when I was around thirteen. There were only four of us kids still at home: me, two of my sisters and one of my brothers. The rest of the family was living all over the place. My dad got a job at the steel mill in Weirton. He first worked in the coal mine just like my grandfather did. My granddad came down with black lung and eventually died from it. I think it bothered my dad so much that he looked for work elsewhere.
Mom and dad still slept together. I figured they still made love but I really don't know. They hardly even talked to each other, except when they had to. It went on this way for nearly two years. When we moved to West Virginia, mom seemed to change a little. My sister Mary was getting married. Mom and dad had to talk about the wedding. Maybe that got them talking to each other again.
At the wedding, it was nice seeing dad walking my big sister down the aisle. After the ceremony, we had a big reception. Mom and dad were actually dancing with each other. Watching them, you could tell they belonged together. Maybe, just maybe things were getting better.
Between songs dad walked up to the band and singer and requested a song. He then walked over to mom and asked her to dance. She said yes and then they played the song, 'Shame On Me', as the singer belted out the words
A lot of people thought it was a strange request song at a wedding, but watching mom kiss dad in front of everyone we all understood.
"Shame on me for hurting you. What can I say? What can I do?
Last night I was blind but today I see I did you wrong, shame on me.
I know that just saying I'm sorry doesn't sound like a lot.
I'll admit I shouldn't have given into love's wild temptation.
With someone that I cared nothing for. I was blind and I hurt you.
Can you ever forgive the fool, a fool who really loves you?"
I'm not going to say that one song brought them back together, but it sure didn't hurt. I have to agree with dad when he told me later that some songs say what we are unable to say or just can't get the right words together.
From that day forward, our family seemed more back to normal. I liked to see dad give mom a light kiss whenever he arrived home from work. The smile on mom's face spoke volumes.
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I started my dating in high school. My first girlfriend was Darlene. We dated on and off for a few years. I went out with a lot of other girls also. I was rather active in sports so I kept my body in shape. I wasn't any kind of a superstar but I did play all sports. I guess I was just athletic. I didn't get any scholarships; I wasn't that good, but I did get a lot of dates.
I was dating Darlene when I graduated from high school and started working at the mill. My dad and one of my brothers got me on there. It sure was some hellish hard work. It paid well but I couldn't see myself doing this for the rest of my life.
I wasn't a drinker but I did stop and have a beer or two with my dad after work. It was just a way to unwind a little after a hard day of sweating my balls off. A lot of the guys from the mill would meet there. I wasn't old enough to drink but no one questioned it. They always said anyone working in the mill should be able to have a beer now and then. Besides, I was usually with my dad.
I still lived at home but I didn't have any kind of curfews. I did help out, and give money for living there. It was a lot cheaper than living on my own. As far as dates go, most had their own places or we'd go to a motel. The college girls were about the easiest. Darlene was now one of them.
I guess Darlene was my sweetheart but we argued all the time. It was about my job and not moving out of my parents' house. I honestly didn't know what she wanted. I was happy and everything seemed okay between us. Lately when she asked me to a few of the college parties, she would flirt in front of me. She knew I didn't like it but did it anyway. She would tell me how these guys were going to be businessmen, like I gave a shit what these guys did.
As I mentioned, Darlene and I were always on-again, off-again. This time I really didn't like the way she let other guys feel her up when they were dancing. I figured I'd get even with her and did the same things with one of her girlfriends.
Her girlfriend didn't mind. I wasn't sure why I was doing it, probably to get even with Darlene. What Darlene was doing was way beyond flirting. I asked Amy if she wanted to step outside for a few minutes. She agreed and we went and got in my car. I screwed her royally. I later found out that the guy Darlene was with was Amy's date. So Amy just said, "To hell with it," and we had sex.
I drove Amy home. She told me she didn't want anything more to do with Brad. I went back to the party to see Darlene. I figured we had to talk this out. When I got there, I was told she had left with this guy Brad. I was pissed but really didn't have the right to be.
I went to the bar and was thinking about my situation. It sucked. Darlene was my on-again, off-again girlfriend, but I was tired of a relationship like this. We had been going together like this for four years. I thought I'd give it one more try and called her. I knew it was late but I needed to give it a try
She answered the phone, "Hello."
