Tassel 3 - Paulette
By: RicharDickensAlcoxxxΒ©
Brandon Slim called for two hours straight last night. We heard the messages too. He was really givin' me down the country via my answerin' machine because of what I done with our wives. In the messages he kept detailing just how he was gonna' lay a hurtin' on me and skin me alive.
It was quite hilarious for us. He kept callin' until I finally had it when he started cryin' like a little child and I spoke to him, fessin' up to everythin' as the girls giggled quietly.
"Don't let your mouth overload your tail, dad blame-it! It's not my fault, Bran, that you don't have the sense God gave a Billy goat! I like bein' accountable, fuck! Love me, love ma' dawg, 'damnit!! Get me, you get what comes with me! Warned you sometin' didn't wash! You done told me I was low down, paranoid, and stupid! I know in my conscience you have a right to get even, partner."
"Well, come on over right now if you want an' we can handle this, or just leave me the heck alone tonight!" I hung up on him all upset myself.
Apparently, he didn't have conniptions 'cause he lived right across the street. It would have been as easy for him to come over as slidin' off a greasy log backwards. Overnight somethin' else happened to me though. Dreams started preyin' on my mind and I told my wife about 'em as soon as she opened those pretty eyes of hers.
"I had wild dreams all night, sweet cheeks. All these scary dreams just started pourin' out of me like crazy all at once! I was reciting poetry in one of 'em and talking to this strange lady standin' under the street lamp that was on. I don't even remember the rest right now but they rattled me..."
"I was sound asleep and so was Eny but we could tell something was happening to you, Paul. Like reciting a poem you say, which one?" Paulette replied.
"Who wrote that poem nights again? ...somethin' nights? You used to read it to me while we was datin'"
"Wild Nights! Wild nights! Rowing in Eden, Ah -the Sea! Might I but moor -tonight. In thee!" Paulette began reciting Wild Nights from memory while lying in bed with my arm 'round her neck.
"That's it! Where's that from, honey?"
"....Emily Dickinson. You were reciting Emily Dickinson."
"Who was Emily Dickinson? The dream felt so damn real. I was talkin' to her."
"We heard you talking gibberish after you hung up on Bran last night. It sounded like something straight out of the Omen."
"I don't know nothin' about her. It don't scare me!"
But it did scare me and I did know her. Or maybe she knew me.
I think Eny was up at dawn. My wife and I had bonded over lots of poets during our courting phase. Emily had been one of 'em. I was writin' songs since I was a child an' Paulette was taking a poetry class back then to fill an elective requirement toward her dancing/drama major at the time. Emily Dickinson's poetry actually helped me elevate my songwriting to a whole new level.
Time had buried all those nice memories of lovin' and writin' songs in bed with Paulette. Paulette told me things about Emily that really touched my heart and I swear I forgot up until last night. We heard Eny yappin' on her cellphone from the bathroom. She must have paid all her dues, that Eny.
In spite of what happened and Eny gettin' caught by her husband, mostly directly due to myself, she wasn't all that upset about everthin'.
Paulette told me she heard her jawin' since the early morning. She let me know that this call was over some missed rent payments. Some local ghost hunter in the neighborhood that had a T.V. show had rented out a house from Eny's real estate agency. He was wantin' to miss a few more rental payments because he wanted to throw a big Halloween soiree.
Apparently, as per my wife, Eny woke up to many other problems with her business; including some lunatic who showed up first thing and was eagerly waiting to speak to her soon as she came in. We later found out it was Brandon. This problem kept draggin' on with calls back and forth though.
The show by that famous ghost hunter had become a big hit on television, it had a cult following and had a hand in attractin' all these funny sorts to this area. Eny's business started boomin' but Eny still didn't take no crap. When she got outta' the shower the bathroom door was still shut, but we heard her. A peachy bath scent was wafting all the way to our bed. We kept on hearing Eny yellin' at this fella'.
"What did you say again?!!! A ....fucking....Halloween party?!" Eny inquired aloud as we listened on, pretty captivated.
"A ....what?! A ...K...2?! Oh, an ...electromagnetic radiation field meter... you use that to hunt your ghosts, no kidding?! You use it to... communicate to the spirits on the other side you say...mhmmm...of course....right."
I knew exactly what she meant if she was referring to an EMF meter. I never used them for any of that foolishness. We used 'em in the service to fly helicopters over Baghdad in Desert Storm for rescue and coordinated relief efforts.
Apparently there were many locations in Illinois that were haunted and La Grange was no exception. With things like the Chicago Fire and the Valentine's Day Massacre, I guess rumors were warranted. Eny was still tough as nails with the man.
"Listen, you little... ghostbuster! If you don't keep those payments coming on your house .... you know what's going to happen!? You'll be the one haunting your house!!!"
We could only understand every other word of what he kept sayin' to her but he sounded like he was a young buck.
"Why?! Because I'm going put on a hockey mask and murder you!! They'll have to use an EMF meter to make contact with your fuckin' ghost!!"