The Summons

e cat. Ray backed into it because it was the nearest place to sit, and for a long time he sat there across from the so

sting peacefully, and waited for them to rise just slightly. Up and down, very slowly as the blood began pumping again and the lungs filled and emptied. But nothing happened. His father was straight as a

cancer get him or did the old man just crank up the morphine? What was the difference? W

all the usual tormenting questions of why didn't I come earlier, and more oft

love you, Dad," then said a short prayer. When he stood he had tears in his eyes, and that was not what he wan

lightly warm, at least Ray thought so, though he was not certain. He could see the Judge having a smoke while he tidied up the papers on his desk, didn't

Testament of Reuben V Atlee." Under it was yesterday's date, May 6, 2000. Ray took it and left the room. He found a

orrest arrived? He debated this with a fury for a while, then he r

sely 6 P.M., and if Forrest hadn't a

t first felt odd doing so. But he would be executor of his father's estate, and would soon be in charge of all the paperwork. He would inventory the assets, pay the bills, help lead th

carefully by General Forrest. Ray was quiet, still not wanting to disturb his father. The drawers

from prison by the Judge's grandfather late in the last century, according to family lore, which as a rule went unquestioned, until Forrest came along. The shelves rested on a long walnut cabinet th

s he could remember. Blake & Son was an ancient printing company in Memphis. Virtually every lawyer and judge in the state bought letterheads and envelo

. The box was filled with cash - one-hundred-dollar bills. Hundreds of them packed neatly in a box that was twelve inches across, eighteen i

lar bills. Same for the third. In the fourth box, the bills were wrapped with yell

and six thou

o touch it and disturb anybody, Ray opened the other five doors of

front porch for fresh air. He was dizzy, and when he sat on the top step a l

ach held at least a hundred thousand dollars, then the stash greatly exceeded whatever the Judge had grossed in thirty-two years

y's knowledge, had never bo

from the bookshelves, then the same for the other end. He dropped to his knees and began withdrawing the Blake & Son boxes. When he had a stack of five, he carried them through the kitchen to a small room behind t

window and could not b

ack and took them to the broom closet. Back to the dining room window, nobody out there, back to the study where the Judge was growing colder by th

as filled with dust and dirt and everything he touched left a smudge. He washed and dried himself with a towel in the only down

s, when he heard a car in the street. He ran downstairs and managed to slip into the swing on t

enough for one day. The shock o

s stuck deep in his white painter's pants. Shiny black

softly, and his brot

y,

s de

a red tee shirt, an ensemble no one but Forrest would attempt to pull off. And no one but Forrest could get by wi

well. His long sandy hair was turning gray much quic

he?" For

th

tared at his father his head fell slightly to one side, and Ray thought for a second he might collapse. As tough as he tried to act, Forrest's emotions

he managed to say w

Forr

t back tears and finally sa

rother. "About five, I guess. I walked in, tho

him," Forrest said, wipin

ody ha

do we

e funera

tood slowly and unsteadily and walked to the sofa. He touched his father's han

now. Coupl

t's

phine

ranked it up a

so," R

should've

not sta

before. He walked to the rolltop and looked at the typewrit

binet behind the sofa. "There's a will ther

does i

rything. I'm

sk and gave a quick look at the piles of papers covering it. "Nin

t

him how sorry I was that the voters had turned h

Forrest,

een Forrest and the Jud

he opened a desk drawer. "I guess we'll

but no

re the executor. You

call the f

ed a

rrest,

have a drink anyti

es. Come on, I'll call the funeral

is Sunday nap and called him into action. He asked questions on the front porch, then viewed the body. P

ath?" the po

old age," Ray said. He and Forrest

ue smart-ass. Any respect he might've once

request an

ey said

om both Ray and Forrest. As he drove away, R

r lovely l

't it? Folks actually

em busy for t

d you

holding empty glasses. "So what's i

to see t

ust te

use, furniture, car, books, si

that

tioned," Ray said,

han that around here," Forres

e it all away,"

his state

ge blunder. Cost him tens of thousands of doll

ng to screw me,

t, there's nothi

deb

d he ha

ing e

d the will i

t n

ed it ye

he planned

ooks li

Home rolled to a stop in front of Maple

elbows on knees, face in