Serial: "Hawkins County Chapter 2 - 1970's Americana

"Hawkins County" has a dual story line until well into the second act. You have already met Pat O'Connor, the delinquent teenage boy on the run from the law. The premise of his story line: Can Pat O'Connor continue to elude capture by law enforcement for probation violation? Now in chapter 2, you will meet Jack Johnson, a nerdy college student whose life becomes enmeshed with Pat O'Connor's in way the two can not yet imagine. This is the second story line and character development, with Jack Johnson being the antagonist to the protagonist Pat O'Connor.

"Well , folks, I must be running along," Father Donovan said. He shook Jack's hand. "Again, congratulations and best wishes, Jack."  

"Thanks, father," Jack replied. "Keep your cassock loose."

Senior ran through all the film in this load and advanced the camera so he could remove it. His subjects were seeing spots anyway because he was using flashbulbs even though it was sunny outside. "Got some good ones here." He looked at his watch, the one that took a licking but kept on ticking. "Let's get out of this crowd."

"Yes, the caterer's at the lodge hall already," Esther said. 

"Good," Jack said, rubbing his hands together. "Let's eat so we can get down to some serious drinking."

When the two couples got to the parking lot they split up, with Senior and Esther heading toward their big Plymouth Fury and Jack and Marianne continuing another two rows to where he parked his 1966 red Ford Mustang. He did the polite thing and and held the door open for her, bowing deeply as she got in. Firing up the Mustang, he laid a patch of rubber as he squealed out of the parking lot. 

After dropping off the cap and gown, Jack took the back road to the lodge. He planned it that way so he could belt down a couple of bourbon and sours before everybody else showed up. By the time he had to stand at the head of the reception line as the honored guest, he was already feeling quite mellow. Everyone seemed to enjoy the punch bowl that had been set up, so much so that some folks even came back and refilled their cups several times. Come to find out, someone named Jack Johnson Junior spiked the bowl with vodka. 

The graduation party proceeded to the dining hall where everyone sat down to a sumptuous feast - ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, whole kernel corn, and those little square dinner rolls that came stuck together in sheets of twenty. Jack managed to get through the whole affair without having to make much of a speech. He was glad of that, because he hated standing up in front of a group, even a friendly group such as this one, and speaking off the cuff. After dinner when everybody tinkled their spoons against their coffee cups and hollered for him to give a speech, he thanked his guests for coming and sharing his special day. At the last moment, he also thought to thank his folks for paying for this whole shebang. 

The crowd thinned quickly after the meal and those remaining adjourned to the bar. It contained a live band this evening, the Gestures, a Mankato group who recorded a hit record that made it to the charts. By this time, Jack was so well-oiled he even condescended to dance with Marianne, something he rarely did, because although he looked to be graceful on his feet, he found it challenging to spell rhythm much less possess it, for Gene Kelly he was not. (to be continued)

Read "Hawkins County" in the format of your choice, ebook, epub, or paperback at Lulu.com at this link:

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Read "Hawkins County" as a nook ebook at Barnes and Noble at this link:

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Your support of this nostalgic story that does for the 1970's what "Stand by Me" did for the 1950's is appreciated.