Mark McGinnis - The Simpleton

Eventually, Jackie, riding atop Ellie, trotted into view. Leaning forward, her head was angled to better hear what Momma was yelling. Strands from her whipping ponytail had strayed into her mouth. As Momma turned back, she raised an arm and pointed off toward the west. Cuddy silently acknowledged to himself that he knew where west was—as well as east, north, and south.

Jackie swung a long slender leg up and over the saddle, then slid to the ground. With Ellie’s reins in her hand, she hurried toward the barn as Momma headed toward the porch. Cuddy, sitting in the kitchen, heard the door smack open as a gust of wind pushed its way into the house.

Momma rushed in, untying her slicker and pushing the hood off her head. Glancing at the TV, she asked, “Any more news?”

“It’s a disruption of coolant flowing into the reactors. The overheating instigated the emergency venting into the atmosphere.”

Momma simply stared at Cuddy for several beats with her brow furrowed—as though she was seeing him for the first time that day. As her eyes searched his face, Cuddy could see her, almost imperceptibly, shaking her head.

“Cuddy… do you understand what you just said, or are you parroting what one of those reporters said?”

“Um… I think both. The guy with the microphone explained that the disruption of coolant flowing into the reactors would cause emergency venting into the atmosphere. Made sense to me.”

As the front door opened, another blast of wind found its way into the kitchen. Jackie, coming around the corner, halted when she saw Momma staring intently at Cuddy. “What… what is going on?”

Cuddy repeated what he’d said a moment before. “It’s a disruption of coolant flowing into the reactors… the overheating instigated the emergency venting into the atmosphere.”

Jackie stole a glance at the TV, then looked at Momma. “That’s kinda weird, coming from his mouth… isn’t it?” They stared at each other.

Cuddy said, “I’ve been trying to tell you things have changed. That I’m no longer simpleminded.”

“I noticed something going on with you last night, Cuddy,” Jackie said. “I don’t think I ever heard of anything like this happening before. I hate to use the word miracle , but Mrs. Perkins… Cuddy’s—”

Momma took a step closer to the table while reaching out a hand for support. “Tell me our street address, Cuddy.”

“I think it’s Number Three Beacham Road, Woodbury, Tennessee.”

Momma gestured toward the battered old telephone, mounted on the kitchen wall. “Our phone number?”

He told her the correct number.

Jackie looked excited, they both did. “You really have… changed, haven’t you, Cuddy?”

Cuddy nodded. “Yeah… but that won’t be what will surprise you most.”

Momma seemed overwhelmed. “As wonderful as this news is… it’s a miracle from God… we still need to think about what’s happening outside now. Kyle’s out there. He’s in danger.”

“Sit down, Momma… you too Jackie. The thing is, it’s all connected.”

Momma, ignoring him, said, “Maybe we should take your car and go look—”

“Momma!”

He’d never before raised his voice at his mother—not ever. Jackie quietly slid into the closest chair without saying a word. Momma, reluctantly, sat down too.

“Okay, son… tell us what’s happening with you, but please hurry.”

Jackie couldn’t take her eyes from Cuddy. There’d been other times in her life when she was aware—at some deep level—that something monumental was happening. A specific pinpoint in time she knew she would recall later—perhaps years from then. The air in the kitchen turned suddenly electric. She found herself smiling with anticipation at what this boy-turned-man was about to say next.

“I’m hoping that the changes you see in me, which you are experiencing first hand, will make what I say next somewhat more believable. I want you to know I’m not nuts; at least, I don’t think I am.”

“Just get to it, Cuddy,” Jackie said impatiently. “I’m sure it’s fine.”

“Several days ago, the day after Officer Plumkin took Rufus away, I was walking in the woods where a brook runs deep in the trees.”

Momma let a stream of air out through her puffed cheeks.

“Okay… I’m getting to it!” Cuddy said. “There was someone there, sitting on a rock. I surprised him.”

“A man… woman… who was it?” Jackie asked.

Cuddy shook his head, as though searching for some specific word. “Here’s the weird part. It was an… um… alien.”

Jackie felt the smile leave her face. Okay, he’s crazy—from retarded, to sudden genius, to crazy as a loon.

“Son… I know you probably think…”

Cuddy nodded, his expression conveying an all-knowing yeah , I knew this was coming look. “He’s from a planet called Mahli. He’s a Pashier .”

“Stop!”

“Momma… it’s all true!”

“Stop, son, I don’t know what’s going on with you, but I can’t listen to any more of this nonsense.”

As Jackie loudly cleared her throat, Momma didn’t acknowledge her. Instead, she reached out a hand and took one of Cuddy’s in hers.

Jackie said, “I think I might believe him.”

Momma’s condescending smile faded. Sitting back, she studied Jackie.

“Let me at least ask him a few questions before we discount everything he’s saying, okay? I mean, think about the odds of having a bizarre reactor event take place right now, and the sky is… well, it’s like nothing we’ve seen before. And all of a sudden your son has made an amazing… miraculous really… mental recovery. Mrs. Perkins, I’m educated, a pre-med student. I like to think I have a fairly analytical mind.”

“Go ahead, ask your questions, dear,” Momma said.

“So… how did the alien get here, Cuddy?”

“A spacecraft. It’s parked in a meadow deep in the trees. It’s called the Evermore . It’s damaged and Tow, that’s the alien’s name, landed there to make needed repairs.”

“Okay, so what’s going on with our extremely colorful sky?” Jackie asked.

“Tow’s ship was chased across space by three other alien ships. They are called the Howsh and they want to kill Tow… destroy his ship. They’ve already destroyed his home planet… Mahli. Their sensor scans are causing the atmospheric anomaly.”

Momma and Jackie exchanged a glance. “And the nuclear reactors?” Momma asked.

“The alien has a robot that purposely caused the radiation to vent, giving Tow enough time to repair his spaceship. Radiation hides the Evermore from the Howsh’s sensor scans.”

Momma shook her head and stared blankly out the window. Jackie, still on the fence about Cuddy’s tale, wanted to believe him, but it seemed so farfetched. She suddenly wondered if Cuddy was, in fact, highly delusional. Maybe the ginormous leap in intelligence had caused secondary, impactful, consequences.

“It’s not like I can’t prove what I’m saying. If the spacecraft isn’t where I say it is—you can chalk it off to me being crazy.”

Jackie smiled and said, “Well, at least you’ll be smart and crazy.”

Momma’s stern look conveyed she didn’t appreciate Jackie’s comment. “No, I don’t want you… any of us, going outside in this…”

“Mrs. Perkins, I’m sorry, but if you think these drafty old walls will protect us from radioactive fallout, you’re highly mistaken. I think we should go take a look.”

When the phone on the wall began to ring, Momma reached up for it without leaving her chair. “Hello?”

Jackie watched Momma. Showing growing concern on her face, Momma looked over at Jackie, and said, “It’s the hospital, saying you gave them this number if they needed to reach you.” She handed the receiver across the table.