Clemmy Sue's Short Story: Firefighters

Clemmie Sue Jarvis, an elderly vivacious pig farmer lives in Wrongberight, a farming hamlet on the eastern shores of Virginia. Late Saturday afternoon she hauls ass out of her driveway and turns south on Grayson Road. Instantly she transforms into the sex kitten Danica Patrick on the last lap of the Daytona 500. The crowd is cheering her on, she can see the checkered flag waving in the breeze, so she puts the pedal to the metal and the speedometer reaches 157mph. The sound of thunder in the distance quickly brings her back to reality. Moreover, to the fact that her rusty Chevy pickup, held together with hairpins, bubble gum, and duct tape, has a maximum speed of only 30mph. Fortunately, she has the good sense to drive with extreme caution since

Upon arrival she had her purse which contained the $7960.00 in US currency. The currency was rolled up and rubber band around to hold together then placed inside a gray color latex glove.

As soon as she shut the door, she realizes Clemmie Sue never replaced the broken window on the passenger side. She automatically searches under the seat, finds a large black plastic trash bag, a roll of bright orange duct tape, and creates a makeshift window. While she sits there shivering, glances around, catches a glimpse of a tattered bath towel behind the driver’s seat, and grabs it. Instantly, she begins to remove the moisture from her dress, which clings to her like Saran Wrap. All too soon she discovers three Mother of Peal buttons missing from the front of her dress and her fancy bun no longer fancy and her yellow satin shoes satin encrusted with mud. Using the towel, she removes the thick mud from her shoes. Afterwards, she pulls a bent safety pin, a broken comb, and several rusty hairpins from her purse and begins to repair what the storm had torn

Clemmy Sue Jarvis since birth has lived in the rural southern town, of Wrongberight. One lesson she has learned from her many years of living there is that after four days of intense rainstorms, the roadways without doubt, will transform into a never-ending, slip and slide. Nonetheless, late Saturday afternoon, on the third Saturday in June, she has no choice other than to lift her petite frame into the cab of her rusty Ford pickup and let the hand of fate decide her destiny. She would not be facing a conundrum like this if she had not spent all week plotting her clever ruse for this evening. Instead, she would be sitting in front of the fireplace eating cabbage and cornmeal dumplings and not heading south on Flat Bottom Road along the

“Well darlin’ that is a mighty temptin’ offer, but how about I call you a cab instead and we get you home safe tonight?”

Clemmie Sue pays Beth, gives her a dollar tip, and thanks her for making Estelle Louise’s birthday memorable. Beth shepherds them to the front door, shame engulfs her as she stands there watching them get into a battered pickup and drive off into the stormy night.

Clemmy Sue Jarvis a petite woman of sixty-three, has lived in the rural southern town, of Wrongberight her entire life. If given a choice, she would rather kiss Johnny Jackson’s jackass than venture out onto the roadways. Since, four days of intermittent rainstorms had transformed them into a never-ending, slip and slide. However, she had no choice. Therefore, around three in the afternoon, on the third Saturday in June, she eases her rusty Ford pickup out of her driveway. Moments later, she turns south on Flat Bottom Road and begins to follow it along the edge of the Dismal Swamp towards the isolated home of her dearest friend Estelle Louise.

Livvy also finds a red folder from a novelist's boot camp she attended before she wrote her first book. Livvy opening the folder is surprised to find Mrs. Dixon standing right in the middle of the group photo. She took the folder and put it in the purse. Livvy ran to the kitchen when she heard the gravel driveway crunch. Livvy grabbed a knife for a better weapon and tried to escape by running to the kitchen exit but it was locked from the outside. Hiding behind the couch Mrs. Dixon came in yelling “I know you're in here.” Livvy used surprise scaring Mrs. Dixon and jumping from behind the couch and pinning her to the ground she tried stabbing the knife into her shoulder but she squirmed and the knife went into her neck. Officer Ritchie called for backup and Mrs. Dixon and Livvy were taken to the hospital in an ambulance.

Harry sort of chuckles at my comment and looks down at the receipt. He fishes a pen out of his pocket and scribbles something down.

“Oh, Clemmy Sue you just sit tight and tomorrow I be buyin’ you a shiny, four wheel, pick up. Ain’t nothin’ gonna stop me from gettin’ to that there mailbox. You be hearin’ Miss Ta Rot, tonight be my l-u-c-k-y night,” says Estelle Louis as she opens the door and lowers herself to the ground. The moment she closed the door, its makeshift window blocked Clemmy Sue’s view.

AY: In this section of the text, Jim has just recently begun to sneak out in the beginnings of the nights to attend the Firemen’s Hall dances, something his grandparents forbid him from doing. There he meets some of the same people that used to go the famous Vanni’s dancing tents; Bohemians from Wilber, Antonia, Lena Linguard, Tiny Soderball, the three Bohemian Marys and the Danish laundry girls. Jim and the other boys from town have a particular fascination with the Danish laundry girls, as they are somewhat forbidden and foreign to the Nebraskan boys.

Fire fighter's names change over the years. People put out fires, but now people start them. For Guy, he says, "It's a pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed." Things ate and blackened, English books. They call them illegal books. When society wanted everyone happy, they thought the solution to that takes books away, as if books brought unhappiness. Then, the books would get replaced with false information, for example, "...established 1790 to burn English influenced books in the colonies...first firemen Benjamin Franklin." They create society on one big lie. Guy, a firefighter for ten years at the age of thirty. Guy's happy as can be with a big smile, until he meets Clarisse, a young and in her own words, "insane"

To ward off boredom while she waits, Clemmy Sue slaps the earphones over her ears, turns the CD player to full volume, and closes her eyes and begins to sing along with Dolly Parton. In no time at all, she fell asleep and when she awoke twenty minutes later, she begins to wonder why Estelle Louise had not returned. Therefore, she decides to drive over to the mailbox and check on her. Much to her surprise, the mailbox and Estelle Louise are not there. With darting eyes, she searches the area and soon discovers that Estelle Louise’s home is on fire. Panicking, she drives in a maniacal frenzy, up Estelle Louise’s slippery driveway. Within sight of the burning house, she slams the brakes, and the truck slid into the middle of Estelle Louise’s flowerbed and stops. Frantically, she dials nine-one-one, to inform them that a large, white, delivery box truck had driven straight through

Patricia: In that case, I will be calling you more often, just like Angela does.

She pulls out a new crisp one dollar bill and inserts it in the machine.