Oh where have you been Billy Boy

A short story by G.E.Wolfe

Around the only private pool in town sat a few inhabitants of Garber's Apartments; two beer hounds from the junior collage Industrial Arts department were there acting like baseball coaches in front of a portable TV; and several neighborhood teen age girls splashing and giggling in the pool; and Al Garber, former high school principal, widower and busybody sitting on the edge of his ageing fold out, drooling over Julie Winslow. At thirty-three Julie was still beautiful. The touch of party wrinkles around her dusty green eyes made her all the more desirable. She sat up in her brightly colored imported chase lounge rubbing sun screen on her longer than a deep breath legs. She turned to look through the sliding screen door of her patio apartment and shouted in a voice starting low and ascending to a half scream,

"Billy boy you promised to be out of the house by six thirty. Now get your ass out of there now before Harlan gets here!"

The screen door rolled back slowly. A tough looking blond kid of about nine years old stood munching on a oozing peanut-butter sandwich. "I'm going, I'm going. And dammit don't call me Billy boy!", he screamed.

Julie turned back quickly and said, "He gets that smart mouth crap from his father!"

Al, still looking at the boy said, "He gets that from not having a father."

"Yeah, what do you know about it?", Julie snipped.

"I know kids," Al said slowly.

Julie, fell back into the chaise lounge studied the girls in the pool with envy.
She looked sideways at Mr. Garber and said righteously, "You also know what little teen age asses look like! You spent enough time glaring at them from your office door."

"Ah yes, but yours is the only one I can remember. It was exquisite."

Julie now laughing bitterly, punched the old guy in the stomach and said," Whadda you mean WAS, you old so-in-so!."

Julie retrieved her fist, then she held it like a baby and whined. "Ouch! that hurt."

"Julie, if you ever grow up, you will realize that older people are never as old as you think."
The patio screen slammed shut. Billy turned and looked at Harlan standing in the kitchen door.

Smiling broadly, Harlan said, "Hi Billy! Where's your mother?"

"Out by the pool, where else? And knock on the door next time. I'm tired of you creeping up on me."

Billy stood frowning in Harlan's path to the pool. Harlan, a big man, had to maneuver around him. Billy paused for a moment, looking out in the direction of his mother. He turned, ran to the front porch, and hopped on to his one speed bike. Billy liked to feel the power in his legs against the resistance of the pedals. He'd smile as the wind rewarded his speed. He would rocket through the neighborhood streets pretending all kinds of adventures. After a while, and back on earth, he would slow down, and begin to notice things. The people in houses behind warm lit windows. He could see them eating, laughing, arguing, watching television. Once in a while he would see a father hugging a child, or just sitting together. Now, stopped under a corner street lamp, he rested for a moment, trying to decide which dark tree-lined street to explore. In the distance, through the sounds of crickets and a few barking dogs he could hear Mrs. Bergdorf, from her back porch, wailing out into the night for Stevie to come into he house.

"Yuk," he thought, "if Mom ever made a fool out of me by doing that at night I would really be mad. Stevie's a Momma's kid anyway."

Billy started up again, choosing the street where Virginia, his only friend, lived. Coming to the house, he stopped just behind the tall bushes. Peering through the dark leaves he could see her behind the window, rocking in her favorite chair. Virginia and her husband Bill lived in a small narrow white-frame house. A steep roof, and a front porch that resembled a pulpit made the house to look a church. An unused driveway led far back to a slightly leaning garage, too small to fit any automobile built after nineteen-thirty. Billy moved from behind the bushes to improve his view. Just then the light went out, as if a television was turned off. Billy's heart sank a little as he was off again talking to himself and making motor sounds into the dark blue shadows. Next morning at eleven o'clock breakfast, Billy noticed that Julie was all nice'n huggy and said honey a lot.

"Honey, Can I get you some more toast and jelly?" she said in a soft sticky voice.

Billy ate and watched as she went through the usual mother motions after A Night With One Of Her Boyfriends. Finally, she sat down, lit a cigarette, took a long pull on the filter and said in low tones.

"Mrs. Bergdorf called me about ten- thirty last night. Said you were whizzing about her house calling Stevie names, making awful noises. Is that true? Is all this another wild figment of Mrs. Bergdorf's imagination?"

"Well what do you think it was Mrs. Wonderful Person Back From Mars."

Billy groaned and turned away from his mother and looked toward the empty pool.

"What it was," Julie barely controlled her angry words. "Was a little boy making a fool out of his mother to the neighbors. Don't you care what the neighbors think of me?"

"Don't you care what the neighbors think of me?" Billy mocked.

"I don't believe it," Julie said, forcing an amazed look on her face.

"I just don't believe what I'm hearing. I could have sworn your father was sitting right there in that chair, mocking me. He was always making a fool of me. And you, you're just like him."

Even though Billy hated his father he always listened when Julie talked about him, hoping to learn something new.

"If I'm so bad too, why can't I live with him?" Billy asked defiantly.

"What the hell kind of question is that?," Julie said, now twice as amazed as before. "Don't you learn anything after all I've been saying?"

Blasting his mother, Billy shouted "Why not, why not, why not, why not?", kicking the legs of other chairs at the table.

Julie's cigarette dangled from her open mouth as she pushed away from the table. In one quick motion she tossed her cigarette and started for the pool.

Throwing open the sliding screen she hammered back at him with, "Stupid-stupid-questions-don't-get-answers, stupid!".

Billy made faces at his half eaten piece of toast and threw it against the wall. The moment Julie stepped from behind the screen in one of her bikinis, other patio doors began to slide open in rapid succession, and in a matter of minutes the pool was alive with activity. Julie would wave hearty hellos and be real nice to everybody. Billy watched with jealousy and a fear for her he couldn't explain to himself. He knew as the day wore on he would feel more disgusted with himself and his life. Right now and today, he just had to see his friend Virginia. Virginia was a plain woman of tremendous health. Not angular like Billy's mother, but round and sturdy. She wore homemade one piece dresses of muted colors and went barefoot most of the time. Her long brown hair brushed back past her ears was elegant, fresh looking. Bill and Virginia had no children. They lived simply and tried to mind their own business. When Virginia's husband was home all day, Billy knew the evening would take him to his fire station job for the night. All afternoon Billy rode on every street in town, except Virginia's. Sometimes he would play in the sand under the old railroad trestle at the end of Enlow street, not far from Bill and Virginia's house. From the top of the trestle he could spy on the house, checking from time to time to see if his white pickup was still parked in front. Late that afternoon, Billy showed up at the apartment for something to eat. Charlie, of used car fame, was there sitting on the couch sporting a tie and that same silly grin across his face.

Julie came around the hallway adjusting her skirt and saying, "Where have you been all day? Charlie's taking me out to dinner this evening. He was nice enough to bring your favorite double cheese and fries! They're on the kitchen table. Stay out of trouble and you had better be in bed when I get home!"

Billy ignored everything she said except for the hamburger thing and brushed past everyone, heading for the kitchen. The front door slammed shut. He was glad everything seemed to be working out. Billy sat down to eat. The automatic pool lights came on to empty pool-sides.
Billy was annoyed by barking dogs that announced his arrival at the alley that led to Virginia's back yard. He rode slowly down the narrow path between overgrown bushes, and stopped just before the familiar water pipe and wire gate. He gently leaned his bike into the bushes. Pausing outside the gate, he saw her movments in the kitchen window. A metallic ring sang out when he pushed open the gate and instantly the back porch light came on. His friend opened the back door and held the screen for him as he passed inside. Smiling, Virginia motioned toward the darkened living room where the television was on, but there was no sound. Billy sat patiently on the couch, listening to the dishes clang together in the other room, and made no attempt to turn up the volume of the TV. After a short while Virginia came into the room drying her hands on a dish towel and sat in her old rocking chair in front of the Television set. He watched as soft TV light flickered across her clear features. Turning to him, she held out her arm and he slid effortlessly into her lap. Her arms were cool and firm as they settled about his neck and shoulders. She felt warm wet tears invading her breasts. Slowly, gently she moved to and fro with the big chair.

In a soft throaty voice she began to sing, "Oh where have you been Billy boy, Billy boy. Oh where have you been charming Billy."

Her music drifted outside the small open window and mingled easily with the low hiss and rustle of the breeze through the great cottonwood. "I have been to see my wife, she's the joy of my life. She's a young thing that cannot leave her mother. Oh, where have you been Billy Boy, Billy Boy.........."

Julie came back to her apartment after dinner early and had no small task convincing Charlie the salesman to go home. She knew Billy wasn't in his room. On her way to the pool, she stopped off at the kitchen to make a fast rum and diet cola. At the pool she found Al Garber sacked out in her chaise lounge. She stood for a moment searching for his face in the shadow.

She jerked, spilled her drink when Al said, "My my, you look beautiful in that chiffon dress!" His strange and smiling face rose out of the shadow. "Slightly out of date but still my favorite." he continued.

She sat down on his old chair and said, "What the hell are you doing sniffing around in my chaise lounge at this time of night?"

"Dreaming about getting in your pants", he said, half serious.

Julie threw her head back and laughed so loud some lights of other apartments came on.

Al, now sitting up, trying to explain himself over her cackling said, "No, no seriously. Even though I will probably never fulfill my dream of fifteen years, I'm still going to give you this place"

What!", she said bending forward, laughing between shrill screams.

Hell, it's already yours if something happens to me", He kept saying twice or three times trying to be heard.

Julie, still half laughing, half coughing and trying to take a drink at the same time said, "You must be joking! This place is a prison. I hate it."

"No you don't, you love it just like I do", he said with an unsettling confidence.

Julie, still giggling but now paying closer attention, said, "Tell me Al, tell me why I love this God forsaken place, let alone this God forsaken town so much?"

Al reached for her hand as if he were going to propose marriage. "Julie, Julie," he said looking into her teary eyes. "You have to be blind not to know that The Garber Apartments is in the palm of your hand. It's your show. It's nothing without you. In some big city you'd be just another pretty face, but here in this place, you're our only beautiful connection."

Julie wasn't laughing now. Her face dried up and she felt very thirsty. She lifted her glass for a long heavy drink. Her fixed gaze searched desperately for a flaw, a slight crack or even a little chip in Al's truth.

Al's eyes were lit and had a crazy little smile on his lips as he continued in a low secretive whisper, "Don't you see, you don't have to watch anyone grow old here. They never stay long enough. Perfect place for you."

It was like some small magic as Al watched that certain toughness flow back into her lovely body. She pulled her hand away and lowered her glass to the cement. Julie rested her hands on Al's shoulders and pushed him firmly back into the shadow of the lounge. She moved over to him and lightly pressed herself upon his body.

Julie whispered, "Dreams do come true, Al."

Copyright 1999