Summer of 71 - Part 1
She was just 12 years old. You wouldn't know it, she had a body more mature than most 18 year-olds. And because of her past, she was smarter, rougher and more mature as well. She was already drinking and smoking. Even drugs were in the picture occasionally. Her life down south was the exact opposite from the upper class, dignified life she led at home. When she was down south, it was party time.
She was spending the summer with her grandmother. That night she had decided to spend the night with her aunt, who lived nearby. There was a boy on her aunt's street she was interested in, a much older and very much more experienced 20 year old. He had invited her to come over for a while, and she jumped at the chance. She didn't know he only thought of her as a friend, as the young niece of that crazy lady down the street he occasionally did work for.
The evening was fun. Some of his friends came over, and they watched TV and drank a few beers. She returned to her aunts house about midnight. Aunt D was entertaining that night. She wasn't the most upstanding of citizens, and quite often would bring home whoever caught her eye. She was an alcoholic, and loved to party. That night was a 48 year old named Ray. Ray watched the girl come in the front door, say goodnight, and head to bed. And later, while she was sleeping, he 'mistakenly' went into the bedroom instead of the bathroom. August in the south can be brutal, hot, humid, and she was sleeping in a tiny little 'babydoll' pj outfit. Her aunt asked him what he was doing, he said he just turned the wrong way going back to the living room.
About 4 am, Aunt D decided it was time to get rid of Ray, but he wouldn't leave. Thinking not-so-clearly, she decided to go up the street to get the boy her niece had been visiting with earlier. He wasn't very tall, but he was stocky and strong as an ox. She thought maybe he could make Ray leave.
As soon as she left the house. Ray made his move. He went into the bedroom where the girl was sleeping, and crawled into bed. Before she was even awake, he had started the attack. To the girl, it seemed to take forever, in reality it was over in less than a minute. When she was finally able to get her arms free, she punched him in the face as hard as she could. She was a tiny thing, but she was well trained by an older brother and two older cousins, who had taught her how to hit. As Ray fell back on the bed, she jumped up and ran to the front door. She was able to get it open, and flew across the lawn to the neighbors house. She was yelling and banging on the door. Just as the woman opened the door, the man appeared at the edge of the front porch. The girl slipped inside and listened to him try to convince the neighbor that the girl had to come home, he was looking after her for her aunt.
The neighbor didn't believe him, and shut the door. She called the police, and the girl's grandmother. The aunt showed up with the boy from up the street. Drunk as a skunk, full of concern for her sweet baby niece. Everyone moved back next door, to the scene of the crime. Questions were asked.
Southern justice is an interesting thing. When the good old boys decide to take matters into their own hands, they do. Legality be damned. Southerners just have a different way of handling things. The girl's grandmother didn't want any fuss about this. She was embarrassed, for her daughter who was drunk and caused all of this with her irresponsible behavior, for her grandaughter who was now sitting in the boys lap angry and crying, and for herself. It was simply a unpleasant incident that needed to be taken care of by family. There would be no further action required of the police.
The neighbor boy was dispatched to round up a few friends to make sure Ray regretted what he had done. The lady next door was thanked, and asked to simply forget that anything had ever happened. And the girl was told "Good things don't just happen to good people, and bad things don't just happen to bad people. Sometimes fate gets confused. Deal with this, get over it and move on. God never gives you more than you can handle."
She was spending the summer with her grandmother. That night she had decided to spend the night with her aunt, who lived nearby. There was a boy on her aunt's street she was interested in, a much older and very much more experienced 20 year old. He had invited her to come over for a while, and she jumped at the chance. She didn't know he only thought of her as a friend, as the young niece of that crazy lady down the street he occasionally did work for.
The evening was fun. Some of his friends came over, and they watched TV and drank a few beers. She returned to her aunts house about midnight. Aunt D was entertaining that night. She wasn't the most upstanding of citizens, and quite often would bring home whoever caught her eye. She was an alcoholic, and loved to party. That night was a 48 year old named Ray. Ray watched the girl come in the front door, say goodnight, and head to bed. And later, while she was sleeping, he 'mistakenly' went into the bedroom instead of the bathroom. August in the south can be brutal, hot, humid, and she was sleeping in a tiny little 'babydoll' pj outfit. Her aunt asked him what he was doing, he said he just turned the wrong way going back to the living room.
About 4 am, Aunt D decided it was time to get rid of Ray, but he wouldn't leave. Thinking not-so-clearly, she decided to go up the street to get the boy her niece had been visiting with earlier. He wasn't very tall, but he was stocky and strong as an ox. She thought maybe he could make Ray leave.
As soon as she left the house. Ray made his move. He went into the bedroom where the girl was sleeping, and crawled into bed. Before she was even awake, he had started the attack. To the girl, it seemed to take forever, in reality it was over in less than a minute. When she was finally able to get her arms free, she punched him in the face as hard as she could. She was a tiny thing, but she was well trained by an older brother and two older cousins, who had taught her how to hit. As Ray fell back on the bed, she jumped up and ran to the front door. She was able to get it open, and flew across the lawn to the neighbors house. She was yelling and banging on the door. Just as the woman opened the door, the man appeared at the edge of the front porch. The girl slipped inside and listened to him try to convince the neighbor that the girl had to come home, he was looking after her for her aunt.
The neighbor didn't believe him, and shut the door. She called the police, and the girl's grandmother. The aunt showed up with the boy from up the street. Drunk as a skunk, full of concern for her sweet baby niece. Everyone moved back next door, to the scene of the crime. Questions were asked.
Southern justice is an interesting thing. When the good old boys decide to take matters into their own hands, they do. Legality be damned. Southerners just have a different way of handling things. The girl's grandmother didn't want any fuss about this. She was embarrassed, for her daughter who was drunk and caused all of this with her irresponsible behavior, for her grandaughter who was now sitting in the boys lap angry and crying, and for herself. It was simply a unpleasant incident that needed to be taken care of by family. There would be no further action required of the police.
The neighbor boy was dispatched to round up a few friends to make sure Ray regretted what he had done. The lady next door was thanked, and asked to simply forget that anything had ever happened. And the girl was told "Good things don't just happen to good people, and bad things don't just happen to bad people. Sometimes fate gets confused. Deal with this, get over it and move on. God never gives you more than you can handle."
posted by T C at 7:15 PM
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