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.
