Joni and Me V

I packed my clothes
And I caught a plane
I had to see Joni
I had to explain
How my heart was filled
With her memory
And ask my Joni if she'd marry me

The radio fizzled out. It was probably the reception or dark clouds. I could not care less then. I was driving the busload of town folks including some children. It was madness that day. It all began when I stepped off the bus that late afternoon. I was back from my tour of Vietnam. I was holding the rank of Master Gunnery in the Marines. The folks there at the bus station stared at me then. I was in my uniform and held my duffel bag on the shoulder. It was not strange to be stared at with the war at Vietnam regarded as us being the invaders instead of restoring democracy. I took it to the flower shop and asked for some flowers.

It was for Joni.

I knew she married John ten years ago. She was my girl before and I left her. I had to then; the farm was going to be sold and the opportunities there were few. I went to the city and stayed homeless for six months before I joined the Marines. It was tough but no tougher than the chores I did at the farms. I was posted to ‘Nam’ that was what they called it then, fought and protected my mates in the platoon, went on the recce and killed some ‘Vietcong’s’. Those phrases still rang in my mind. We slept and fought regardless of the weather, and withdrew or advance on orders. It was time to be a new person.

But Joni never left my mind.

I was sheltering under my poncho with my mates. They have a photo of their girl while I had was her image in my mind. I tried to remember her as the girl next door, or in my case, the next farm. We were in love, but at the age of fifteen, I was reluctant to commit her to my miserable life. I left the town in pain and her in tears. Five years later, I left in tears with the pain for she married my best friend, John. I returned to ‘Nam’ and became a killer.

It took the Marines some time to straighten me out and I decided to come back.

“Sir, your flowers are ready.” I looked at the elderly man who ran the shop. I gave him the money and then asked him in the town.

“Why is everyone leaving?” I saw the exodus at the station. The folks were holding bags and the children were all silent. It was unlike the other stations I had been to. They were not on holiday but leaving for good. I could tell for I had seen it in ‘Nam’.

“Son, you away or new to this town. Let me tell you and you could be on your way.” The man gave me a yarn of a tale.

“We have been hit by bad streaks of luck. Calamities may be the correct term. The town has been hit by the locusts, and then the winds that swept our harvest of whatever that was left. The hospital was burdened by the sick and the dying. My wife died last month.”

“I would have left but I am got nowhere to go. My children do not want me. They say I was cranky and I am left here. I still got my flower beds and some chickens in the back. I could eat them. Flowers are a good diet too.”

“Why or what happened? I was born here. We were spared most of these calamities.” I raised my doubt. “Have you seen Johnson’s? Or John Buchannan?”

“Don’t mention those names ever to me. They are the cause of this all. That woman is the witch here.” The old man then shooed me off. I was left standing on the sidewalk with my money returned to me. I have no flowers anymore. I saw the dark clouds and the people rushing off the street. It was then a lady stepped up towards me.

“Sir, are you in the Army?” I looked at the elderly lady with the shawl over her head, and the curious look on her face. She was dressed in black and wore flat shoes.

“Marines, ma’am. How may I assist?”

“Sir, I got a busload at the side of the road. We don’t have a driver. He is unwell. Would you drive us please?” The lady made the request. “We are good folks.”

“I believe you are, Ma’am. Tell me where do you want to go?”

“The state line please.” I nodded and approached the bus. It was an old yellow school bus and it was loaded with some folks and children. I could drive that bus for I had my experiences with the farm trucks and what’s else. I got the gear up and was soon moving. I don’t know why I volunteer and the state line was five hours drive or seven hours given the engine I was adjusting to. When we took to the road, the elderly lady then made a new request.

“Son, could you turn at this junction? We have to pick up another passenger.”

I knew that junction. It was headed to Joni’s farm. I took the turn without asking. Soon I saw the familiar apple tree but without most of its branches. The house was still there; the white washed shades and the brown roofing. I saw the doorway to the basement was shuttered. I remember that the basement saved the family during the big winds. I drove up and got off the bus with the lady. We approached the house.

“Stay off my property.” The voice was from the house. I recognized it immediately. It was Joni.

“Sister, we came to take you with us. We have angered the demons. We must leave.” The lady replied. “Speak to her, Jimmy. She is with you.”

I was baffled. How did the lady know am I. I do not recognize her. Ten years could have changed some people’s look but she was a total stranger to me. I was then greeted by the sight of Joni.

There was Joni standing there. She looked the same except for a few changes. She had her hair bleached to the dark shades, and her facial makeup was thick primary shades that lit up her eyes and the redness of her lips. She was dressed in the dark cloak over the dark long dress.

“Jimmy?” Joni then glared at the elderly lady. “How could you?”

“Joni, I had to. We are at their mercy now. The cards say …. “

.

“The cards do not tell the entire truth. Only we ourselves can interpret the truth.” Joni waved the lady off but there was another event unfolding. The dark clouds that covered the town have reached the farm. The others on the bus stepped off and rushed towards the house.

“Stop!” The elderly lady halted the rush. “Set up the perimeter. We need fire.”

The group from the bus then moved on the instruction. The elderly lady looked back at Joni.

“You need to get inside. Take him with you.” Joni grabbed my right hand and led me into the house.  The inside was a total scene from the outside. It was like walking into a fortune teller or séance reading chamber with the macabre decors; the shelves of jars and parhelia like scented candles and ghoulish trinkets. There were sets of daggers and other ancient tools there. The lightings were dim and at best not exotic then.

“What happened here? Where’s your mother’s bone china? Your father’s antler fake headpiece?” I could not grasp the change. What happened to the farm girl I knew?

“Jimmy, I can explain but right now, I need to get you protected.” Joni led me to the round table. She pushed me onto the chair and then sat opposite me. She held out her hands and asked for mine. I was hesitant but my arms moved on their own. She then began some chanting in some language unheard of. I have seen such sessions in Nam by my nervous mates. They were concerned about their safety that they actually believed in the local culture of getting talisman and protective trinkets. Most of them were so much into it that they begin to think are invincible. I held my faith with my God. I held my sins confessed when the priests come along. I was not invincible but my body took on wounds that I have to search my soul to heal with. My prayers were replied and I made it home.

“No!” I pulled my hands off her’. “I can’t be …. I don’t want to believe this.”

“No, Jimmy. You are mistaken. We are …. You are vulnerable to the attacks. I need to protect you.”

“Protect me? No, I will protect you. I am …”

“You protect me, Jimmy? Please don’t mock me. You never did. You left me when I needed you most. You left me at fifteen.” Joni glared at me. It was still Joni beneath those makeups.

“I came back five years later. And you got married to John. What was I to do? Tell him to fuck off.”

“Five years with no letter or calls. Fine, we had no phone then but we have a mailman. Even the Sheriff will come over every Saturday. But not you. You were gone.”

“I …. I had to. I needed to think. I needed to find security to comfort you. I had none. The farm was gone. The house was gone. I had nothing.”

“You had me. You could have me as your wife but you left. I have a farm here which you could work on. We could have lived together.” Joni then looked outside. “They are here.”

I took a peek myself. The area around the house was surrounded by campfire sites. The apple tree was burning then. The folks from the bus were standing behind the fire with their backs towards the house. They were guarding it.

“What is …”

“Its John. He is taking vengeance on me.  On us. We are all witches.” Joni sighed. “It’s a long story.”

“It can be a long night,” I replied. Joni told me her story.

“When we were young if you recalled we used to play at the other side of the town. We called it the Harry Town for the horrors there. There were the other folks there. What you did not know, I was with him when we were not together. My mother used to take me there to see her sisters. Soon, after you left me, I spend most tines there. I met John there. He was a member of the congregation. We got close and soon marry me.”

I knew John was a nut case. He used to stay out at night and even slept in the mortuary once but in a smaller town, we grew up as pals.

“Soon after we got married, John was made the head of the congregation. He was good and our rituals became more intense.  John brought in new materials. He claimed it was from the ancient ones. He got them from the graves.”

“I was one of his followers. I was his …. Sacrificial lamb. He did things to me that I cannot explain. Soon after I lost our child, I lost my trust with him. I wanted out and he was against it. He cursed me and condemn me in his works. I had no choice. I fought against him. I shot him dead. Well, I thought he was but he returned. He had been plaguing me and the town for a year. I fought back with the sisters but he was winning. The town folks got wind that I was involved and banished me. The rest you know.”

“No, I don’t know. Why did I come back? I am no use to you or the town in this war. I am a Marine and ….”

“Fate, Jimmy. You are here not on my call alone but ours. You are destined to battle this together. Its our war that needed to be won.”

“Bitch!’ I cursed. “I am not a witch. You are.”

“Yes, I am the witch. You are my anchor to the Mother Earth. I can only fight John if you are with me. It's in the books. I read it. I thought John was the anchor. I was wrong. It’s you. And only you for I love you.”

“And I love you? This is blasphemy.” I snapped out. “I am not a witch.”

“Witchery has nothing to do with it. Our destiny is together. You came back not this once but the last few times. You just never got off the bus.” Joni was right. I did come back every return from tour but I never got off the bus. I felt I was not needed here.

The doorway to the house was blown wide by the huge force applied to it and then walked in the friend I once knew as John. He dressed in the dark frock and the long strips of red sashes were around his neck. He had on the bald look with the pale complexion. The rounded bluish tinted spectacles perched on the bridge of his nose was the trademark of his look.

“Oh, hello Jimmy. Pardon me if I did not meet you at the station. I was busy fucking my wife. You may still know her as Joni.” John voiced out. “She kept the poor company of friends. Please take a look if you could take the scene.”

I looked outside and saw the folks that were guarding the house were all floating on air with the serpents upright below them with their venoms spitting at the floating bodies. The venoms on contact at the body will leave a burning mark.

“They can’t scream for I removed their voice box. They are in silent pain unlike yours. I shall do my best to crack your soul till it can’t scream no more.” John glared at me and then he looked at Joni. “She will be fine. She will be at my side once more.”

“No more fighting, my lover. I am your Master since the day your purity was mine to take. Jimmy is just another victim of our love.” John smiled. “Or perhaps you want me to be him. I could take over his physical frame. I could then fuck you with his. It would be like the original. Except it's my seeds that will be in you.”

“John, I am …. I will join you if you proclaim me your Queen. I must bear that honor if you want me.” Joni looked at John. “Do you consent?”

“Queen? Surely if you are Queen, then I am King. I can accept that.” John laughed. “And he will be our jester.”Joni handed out her right hand to John. He took it but she told him to bow and kiss it.

“Make me Queen. Recite the vows.”

“Yes, my Queen. I shall …. No! I cannot…” John stood back but his body disobeyed his command. He found himself committing the vows asked by Joni. He did not see my left-hand holding Joni’s right hand. Our fingers were intertwined then.

“You conned me. You made me….”

“The minion to me while I am the Queen. In our realm of dark magic, there is no King but the Queen rules it. I could only be Queen if I am steadfastly anchored to Mother Earth. It was the ritual that only the true Queen would know. Like my mother before me. And her mother before her.”

“Joni, you can’t do this to me.” John pleaded with her. “We are lovers.”

“No, John. I was not your lover. I was your fuck mate. As you were mine. I needed a daughter like my mother needed one. You destroy my unborn daughter. I will never forgive you for that. So begone now to the deep end of the realm. Your punishment awaits you.”

John was then taken away by dark shadows screaming his mind at Joni but she was not looking at him. She was looking at me.

“Now you know the truth. I am a witch. However, there is another truth. That one was I love you. I still do but what you saw today, my first allegiance is to my people. I am their Queen. With my lover, I shall have a daughter and she will then be Queen. Beneath all of that is my love for you. No one or demons could deny me that and I can compel you to love me but I will not. Our love is not a plan of succession but of commitments in the soul. Begone, Jimmy. Return to me when you are …. Ready.”

I packed my clothes and I caught a plane
Had to see Joni, I had to explain
How my heart was filled with her memory
And ask my Joni if she'd marry me

I turned off the radio and took out the cassette tape. The tape looked worn out from the countless times I had it played. It had been another five years soon after I left Joni. The town was back to its own slow pace and the folks were still the farmers with the flower shop changed to an electronic music shop selling Walkman and loud music speakers. As for Joni, she was still at the same house I was told with some of her sisters in beliefs. John was never seen and assumed buried in the cornfields. It was the decent place to die peacefully.

As for myself, I became a pastor in the city to help the homeless and helpless. My cape was my frock and my weapon were the white-collar and book.  My drive was my faith and what I had seen in the town I grew up; I am into believing God gave us a purpose in life. Mine was to stay out of it. Joni does not need me. I should had listened to my instinct when I was twenty-two then. God’s lesson took time for me to understand. One of my parishioners gave me sound advice one morning.

“Father, it ain’t worth the one fuck.”