The Widows of Wichita County

December 3

Pigeon Run

Helena Whitworth sat in her favorite chair by the windows, drinking her third glass of wine. She had had a busy day and now wanted to enjoy every moment of the evening with J.D. "You wouldn't believe the way Randi looked when Crystal handed her the keys to her BMW. Oh, J.D. I wish you'd been there."

He smiled at Helena, seeming to enjoy the hearing of her story as much as she enjoyed the telling.

"Everyone did their job. Meredith somehow persuaded old Frankie to agree to drop the charges. Anna said she got catalogs for the lamps and color samples for the paint. She even checked the city codes on outside lighting." Helena laughed. "As if we had any. I talked until I was blue convincing Judge Lewis that Randi was no threat to anyone. Only Crystal faltered."

J.D. told her a story of his army days when one of his young lieutenants hadn't carried through with a field maneuver and almost got them all killed.

Helena had never loved the war stories, but she did love listening to his voice. Sometimes she would beg to hear a tale again just to enjoy the rhythm of his words. Some men have a knack for telling stories. Her J.D. was a master.

"Crystal did try," Helena added when J.D. finished. "She had the mechanic lined up and even a body man on standby to fix that tank Randi drives. But Trent Howard got wind of it, and all of a sudden he needed every hand out on the Montano place. Like they were going to rebuild that rig in a day. That young Howard is nothing but a bother. He's doing all he can to keep Crystal from making everything run at Howard Drilling. Thank goodness Elliot is keeping an eye on everything. Trent may think he can get away with something, but my guess is Elliot will stop him every time."

She took a drink, feeling warm despite the cold outside. She had taken to perspiring lately, even on the coldest days, just like she had done when she went through "the change." Maybe she should take J.D.'s advice and slow down a little.

"Is it warm in here?"

J.D. did not answer.

Wiping sweat from her upper lip, she continued, "Crystid didn't have a choice. She knew how badly Randi wanted to get out of town. The poor girl can't even stay with Crystal and Shelby. It's like every time she sees Shelby, she thinks of her Jimmy, all burned. Randi may have talked about leaving Jimmy because he bored her, but if truth be known he was good to her. That's how it is with some women…no man's ever good until he's gone."

Helena shook her head. Hard times all around. "Crystal's changing. I'm not sure a few months ago she would have turned loose that toy she calls a car. But this morning she handed over the keys, and told Randi to keep it until she came back at Christmas."

Helena poured herself another drink. "Oh, I know you think she was trying to guarantee Randi comes back at Christmas. It must get lonely in that big house with all those people around and no one to cuddle with or talk to. Randi needs to keep in touch, as well. She and Crystal were friends long before they were both married to Howards. Now they seem even closer."

Helena leaned back and relaxed as J.D. talked of doing something for Randi. The cowgirl was not getting any younger, maybe they could jump-start her career. He had a few old army buddies around Nashville, and Helena knew most of the independent store owners. Randi said she had lost yet another job in Memphis. There was nothing keeping her there.

It was after midnight when Helena crawled in bed. They had discussed every option. Finally, they arrived at a plan to help Randi.

Helena lay her head next to J.D.'s arm and fell asleep knowing she had something important to do tomorrow. Her store would have to wait another day. For the first time in forty years, she had not been there to open the Christmas season, thanks to Randi's problems. But she left it in Mary's capable hands. It would be all right for one day more.

At ten o'clock the next morning, Paula called to see if Helena was all right.

"Of course, dear." Helena tried to sound as if she had been awake when the phone rang. "I'm just a little tired. I thought I'd take it easy today. J.D. is always telling me to take a day off now and then."

"That's good, Momma. You rest. I'll watch after the store. Pat and I have been helping out where we can."

"That's nice." Helena could think of little else except hanging up and going back to sleep. The wine must have made her drowsy, and she did not dare tell Paula that she had felt dizzy when she sat up to answer the phone. Her daughter would insist on making an unnecessary doctor's appointment.

"You are taking your medicine, Momma?" Paula asked. "You've been a little absent-minded since-"

"Of course," Helena lied before Paula could finish her sentence. "I always take my medicine right after I brush my teeth. I never forget."

"I'm just worried about you. How about I bring you a plate over for your supper? I'll let myself in and leave it in the fridge."

"That would be nice." Helena had given up on trying to talk her daughters out of feeding her. If they had their way, she'd be fat as a bear. She had not been eating a great deal lately, but her appetite would come back. "Thank you, Paula," she said, making a mental note to throw away them previous offering before Paula made another delivery.

"I love you, Momma."

Helena rarely said those three words to her children. Somewhere over the years, she had stopped and just did not know how to get started again.

"I love you, too," she finally said, hearing J.D. in the background telling her there was no time like the present to get started on a habit.

Helena hung up the phone and relaxed onto her pillow. She would dream a few more hours, then she would set Randi's surprise in motion.

During the early days of oil, change was the only constant from boom to bust. One sign taped to a window in a former boom town read, Don't Bother To Unpack.

Many men traveled with wives and families. Women worked just as hard trying to build homes at each stop as the men worked to build the rigs. Sometimes the money a wife made as a secretary or doing laundry would cover expenses for getting to the next town.