Frank Klus - Azaleas Don't Bloom Here

“Free as a bird,” Dennis said.

Eugene told Dennis the things Fernando talked about and then noticed something peculiar. “This isn’t the way home.”

“We’re going to your parents’ house.”

“My… why?”

“They know you were in Joliet. They’re worried. They want to see you.”

Eugene looked frustrated. “How did they know that, Den? I didn’t want them to know about prison. My mom would shit. How did they find out?”

“Calm down, Genie. When you didn’t show up for work, and your boss couldn’t reach you, the company lawyer called them up.”

“I don’t understand, Den. How did the lawyer know? They wouldn’t let me call him or work.”

“I know. They can be dicks sometimes. Well, somehow the lawyer found out and he tried to call you. When that didn’t work, he had the number of your next of kin. That’s how your mother found out.”

“I still don’t understand. How did the lawyer know I was in jail?”

“He’s a lawyer, Gene. He probably figured it out.”

“What about confidentiality and all? Why would he discuss this with my parents?”

“How do I know, Genie? You’re free, my man. That’s what’s important.”

Gene was silent while Dennis just smiled. “Anyway, that’s why we’re going to Countryside. They want to know you’re all right.”

Eugene was silent for a while, and then turned to his friend. “My cellmate, Fernando, said they don’t stick pretrial people in Joliet unless they’re pretty sure they’re guilty. It saves them in transportation costs.”

“The important thing is you’re out now.”

“Is there any truth to this camp he was talking about?”

Dennis laughed.

“He was scared to death of going there. He begged me not to let anyone take him. Then, just before you rescued me, a guard told Fernando to come with him.”

“So you think they led him away to some camp?” Dennis couldn’t stop laughing. “And you believed him?”

“He told me about his wife. How they weren’t just husband and wife, but best friends. How sweet she was, and then she disappeared for months. When she came back she was all different.”

“That’s supposed to prove their existence?”

“So you don’t believe it?”

“My guess is that Fernando left out a whole lot of stuff that would weaken his argument. What if they argued about money, or their living conditions? How educated was he?”

“Not well-educated, but I’m a pretty good judge of character. I tell you, Denny, he was sincere. Furthermore, he was genuinely afraid of being taken to that camp.”

“I know you’re a good judge of character, but these guys in prison are even better at it. They’re sneaks and thieves. What was this guy in for anyway?”

“Embezzlement.”

Dennis let out a laugh. “There you have it, Genie, my man. This guy was just putting on an act. If I didn’t get you out of there just now, he might have sold you a nice chunk of downtown Old Chicago. I’m telling you, Genie, embezzlers are the biggest sneaks and thieves you’ll ever meet.”

“But he said they only charged him with that because he couldn’t pay his debt, and not because he embezzled funds.”

“Let me put it this way, my man, what sounds more likely? That there is some camp where they hook you up to some machine, tell you how to think, and change your whole behavior, or that Fernando is a sneak or an uneducated fool who invents stories to get in your head?”

Gene looked really confused now. Was Fernando a sneak or was he honest? I was sure of the answer before, but now ….

“Hey, Dennis; have you ever heard of a situation where if you borrowed money from your employer and couldn’t pay it back that you could never leave?”

“What?”

“Fernando said some Harvard professor called it ‘urban feudalism’.”

Dennis just guffawed again. “No, man, there’s no such thing. Boy, that Fernando really had you going.”

Eugene turned toward Dennis. He pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes.

“What?”

“That was my boss’s idea. They were supposed to take the money out of the employee’s pay… but suppose the paycheck was so small that the employee was forced to continue borrowing the money? In that case, the employer might want to keep that employee who had the boss’ money…. Oh my God, that’s where the embezzlement came from! The rationale must be that the employee was getting extra pay from his employer, and then looked to skip town with it.”

“Well, that’s the first I heard of that,” he said.

Eugene looked at Dennis sideways. “Dennis, why was I let out so easily? They wouldn’t let me call the company lawyer. Fernando said they don’t put people in a prison unless they were pretty sure they could keep you there. Why, Dennis? How did you get me out?”

“I talked Casimir into dropping the charges. They thought you shot those men. I knew you didn’t do it, and then the warden called up Casimir and told him you fingered Cassandra. That’s why I could get you out.”

“You have a pretty good relationship with the Commandant.”

Dennis hesitated. “It’s purely business, Gene. You didn’t tell me before, that you knew Cassandra.”

“She popped up from the floor of my back seat a couple days after my visit to your house. I’m not sure how she got in, but I didn’t see her at first.”

“What did she say?”

Eugene turned to Dennis with a sardonic smile. “She said you were bad.”

Dennis howled. “Let me tell you something about her and my brother, who, no doubt, put her up to that. They’re both murderers. They both killed RAC and Squad soldiers. They want the Lightning Squad to return to supporting the Populist Party. I tell you, Genie, my man, they’re idealists who want to use you to start a revolution.”

“I know. I told Cassandra I wasn’t interested. Look Dennis, there’s a lot I’d like to change, but someone else will have to take the lead on that.”

“Good.”

“She told me your Commandant put you up to our reaquaintance: that you work for this Casimir character. Furthermore, he was the one who drove Catherine to suicide.”

“It’s not true,” Dennis said, although the joviality was gone now. “I’m just a simple squad leader. Why would Casimir have anything to do with me?”

“You admitted you talked Casimir into freeing me; dropping the charges against me. Surely, you have some relationship.”

“Cassandra put you up to this. I should have warned you she might approach you. She’s like that—good at poisoning people’s minds.”

Eugene appeared sullen, but Dennis put on a big grin. “What you need, my friend is a good stiff drink.” Dennis was playfully pointing his finger in Gene’s chest as he said it. “I’m sure Dean’s got a few brewskies in the fridge. Yessiree, my man, it’s time to celebrate.”

Gene began to lighten up as he relaxed in his seat. I am indeed free and Dennis got me out.

Dennis pulled up to the parents’ home. As they got out, Eugene’s mother, Joanne, was running toward Gene with her arms out. “Oh, you’re home,” she said, sobbing as they hugged.

“Hi, mom, dad. Sorry to put you through this.”

“Hello, sir,” Dennis said to Dean, extending his hand.

Dean just scowled at Dennis, and then turned to Eugene. “What’s this about you being in jail, son?”

“Yeah, it’s kind of a long story dad, but Dennis got me out.”

Dean turned to Dennis with a suspicious look, and then a look of acceptance. “Well, both of you come on in.”

They sat down at the table, where Dean furnished the beer, and Joanne started making some sandwiches from the leftover roast beef. “Oh, you poor boy,” Joanne said to her son, as she handed him a sandwich. “First Catherine, and now this. Now, tell me everything.”