Gator Bowl (3 page)

The obnoxious man's friend turned serious. “Yeah, well, Norman's chickens were a prize-winning breed, too. I think that gator of yours went too far.”

The parts man behind the counter returned as the men were having a staring contest. “Take it outside. There's not enough room in here for a fight.”

Uncle Saul turned back to him. “I have no intention of fighting anyone.” He took the parts that were in boxes. “How much do I owe you?”

“Let me take care of that.” I stepped up. “I don't want you to pay to fix the Airstream for me.”

“I'll take care of things and we'll settle up later, Zoe.” Uncle Saul paid the parts man and we left the store.

But the hecklers inside followed us to my Prius. I'd left all the windows open for Crème Brûlée, who was happily napping in the backseat. I just wanted to get in my car and drive away, but that wasn't happening.

Heckler number one said, “I hear the game warden is taking that gator into custody.”

“Yeah,” the second heckler added. “Maybe we'll have us a gator hunt.”

Uncle Saul ignored them and got in the car. Ollie glared at the men, who were half his size. The hecklers didn't back down. I was deciding if I should pull him into the car to get away or leave without him.

Finally, he jerked his head forward and made a loud barking sound that sent the other two men back a pace or two. Apparently satisfied, he got in the backseat.

“Do you have
any
friends here, Saul?” Ollie asked.

“One or two. They'll be over for dinner tonight. Not everyone in Farmville has a thing against Alabaster. Those two are friends of Norman's.”

I drove carefully back to Uncle Saul's cabin, thinking this may not have been the best time for a visit. I knew it wasn't unusual for my uncle to have trouble with Alabaster. He always seemed to take it in stride so I mostly ignored it. But being right here in the middle of it was different. I wasn't sure if Crème Brûlée and I were safe.

My fears were heightened when we got back to the cabin and Norman was waiting with Officer Smith and a woman in uniform. We got out of the Prius. I held Crème Brûlée in my arms for his sake as well as my own security. He purred a little and nipped my finger before he licked it and snuggled against me.

“Now we'll see what's gonna happen to that gator of yours, Saul.” Norman's face was a mass of deeply tanned wrinkles as he grinned.

The woman in the brown uniform, a wildlife officer stepped forward with her hands on her hips. “I'm sorry, Saul. I'll have to take Alabaster with me until this dispute is settled.”

Bonnie Tuttle was the wildlife officer for the area. She was tall and muscular and had a rough voice. Her blond hair was cut short in a bob style that accentuated her high cheekbones and blue eyes. She also had a large gun, and a Taser, at her side.

“You know I wouldn't take this action if I didn't have to.”

I could tell by the way she looked at Uncle Saul that she had a thing for him. It gave me goose pimples thinking about it. He'd been alone for as long as I could remember. I was thrilled with the idea that Bonnie liked him.

My only question was:
Did he know?
Men could be obtuse about these things. I could tell she wasn't someone who'd dress sexy and bat her eyelashes at him to get him to notice her. Taking Alabaster wasn't a step in the right direction.

“I understand that you're doing your duty—as you see it, Bonnie,” Uncle Saul acknowledged. “I don't understand what good it will do for you to take Alabaster.”

She shrugged, obviously unhappy about performing this duty. “The gator is a wild animal. You can't control her the way you would a dog. Or a cat.” She looked at Crème Brûlée. “If I take her into custody, maybe that will settle this dispute for now, and you'll have time to build a pen for her so she can't escape.”

Norman was outraged. “I want that gator put down, Bonnie. She's a killer. She doesn't deserve another chance.”

“Now, Norman.” She tried to pacify him. “You know how rare that gator is. I'm not even sure I could legally kill her. She's endangered.”

Norman looked at Officer Smith for help. Officer Smith held both hands in the air. “Don't get me involved. This is Bonnie's department. I don't do anything with wild animals unless she tells me to.”

“Well, that's just fine! My chickens are dead—with my hopes for a big win at the fair this year—but you all want to protect the
gator
. Don't that beat all!”

“Give me the gator, Saul,” Bonnie said. “I'll take good care of her. Maybe when things cool down, we can decide what to do.”

Uncle Saul shrugged and went inside the cabin to get Alabaster. The rest of us stood around, awkwardly, with the mosquitoes and biting flies.

“Cute cat,” Bonnie said.

“Thanks. His name is Crème Brûlée.” I smiled at her, hoping I'd hear more about her from Uncle Saul as we made dinner that night.

“That's a stupid name for a cat,” Norman snarled.

“Not so much,” Officer Smith said. “Marlene has one named Lemon Chiffon.”

I was wondering if it would be impolite to simply walk away, but then Uncle Saul came back. “She's gone,” he told us. “I don't know how she got out, but I can't find Alabaster.”

His declaration was followed by everyone rushing into the tiny cabin. There was nowhere a three-foot-long white alligator could hide.

Norman yelled out something about his chickens and left the cabin, running through the woods.

Officer Smith followed him, shouting for him to stop.

Bonnie stayed where she was. “You know, if he finds Alabaster at his place, he'll probably shoot her,” she warned Uncle Saul. “Any place she likes to hang out besides Norman's chicken coop?”

“There's a spot by the river, a little cave she likes to sleep in,” Uncle Saul said. “She might be there.”

“You head that way,” Bonnie said. “I'll try to keep Norman calm.”

“Thank you.” Uncle Saul smiled at her in a personal way that said he might have a few feelings for her too.

Which made me even more sure that neither of them knew how the other one felt.

“I'll see you later.” Bonnie slowly left the cabin.

“I guess you folks don't need cable TV,” Ollie said with a laugh. “You've got enough going on to keep you busy.”

“That's for sure. I thought it would be quiet out here, but there's never a dull moment.” Uncle Saul shook his head, his black and gray curls moving with the gesture. “I should go alone. Alabaster won't run from me. You two start cooking, and see if you can come up with an idea for Zoe's food truck.”

Uncle Saul put a pair of knee-high mud boots on his thin legs and left the cabin.

“Okay!” After I put Crème Brûlée on the floor, I ran my hands through my naturally curly hair, which was quickly turning into a black frizz ball. “That was crazy.”

“I didn't know if I should root for the alligator or the chickens.”

I laughed at that, and pulled my unruly hair back from my face. “Uncle Saul said his kitchen is stocked. I guess I'll cook some dinner. Want to help?”

“I think my talents would be put to better use working on the motorhome,” he said. “I like to eat, but I'm not much of a cook.”

I couldn't argue with an offer of free labor to get my food truck running. If Ollie was willing to do that, I was willing to cook him a great dinner. “Thanks for helping out. I knew I was right about you being a good person.”

He scowled and turned away. “Better be careful who you say that to, young'un. You might get burned.”

I watched him storm out of the cabin—engine parts in hand. I stroked Crème Brûlée. “You have to be careful what you say all the time. You never know how someone is going to take it.”

Putting all the drama from my mind, I looked through Uncle Saul's kitchen to see what supplies he'd bought. It seemed like he'd put in enough food to feed the whole town. I didn't think he, Ollie, and I could eat that much in a week. Not that I minded. My little kitchen in the apartment back home only held so much. All the cabinets here were filled with food and there was a big freezer in back, too. There was so much that I didn't know where to start.

That was, until I saw dozens tiny, fresh-caught catfish that had been conveniently cleaned and cut for me. My heart also did a quick little dance when I saw the unshucked ears of corn on the other table. I'd just read a recipe for catfish grilled in fresh cornhusks. I'd been itching to try it.

I shucked twelve ears of corn and put the corn to the side, then soaked the cornhusks in cold water. While I waited for them to soften up, I mixed up some cornbread batter and divided it. Half would be used to coat the fish, and the other half to make spicy cornbread.

“You think that's too much corn?” I asked Crème Brûlée. He was on the floor watching me cook.

He stuck up his nose—what little he had of one—and curled up in a corner on a throw rug to sleep.

“I'll take that as a no.” I smiled and went back to work, slicing up the fish fillets and dropping them into some hot oil after coating them with the cornbread mixture.

When the cornhusks were ready, I put a fried fish in each one and tied it shut. I fired up Uncle Saul's grill, then went back inside to make the cornbread.

I decided to roast the corn on the cob with the fish, and added some locally made barbecue sauce to each ear. The cornbread was done by then, and I cut a mixture of yellow squash, zucchini, onions, and tomatoes. I sprinkled that with some fresh basil, and got it ready for the grill, too, by wrapping it in some aluminum foil.

There was already a delicious-looking banana pudding in the fridge that I knew we'd eat for dessert. Uncle Saul had put in plenty of beer and sweet tea, so we were covered for drinks.

I pulled up a chair near the old grill and sat down while my food cooked. Uncle Saul had been collecting cookbooks all his life. I'd brought a few outside with me to read as I searched for my perfect signature food. It wasn't long before delicious aromas began to simmer through the warm, moist air.

Ollie came out of the shed that housed the motorhome, sniffing appreciatively. He was covered in black grease. “What in the world is that wonderful aroma?”

I laughed. “It's dinner. I hope Uncle Saul gets back in time to eat. I don't know how good this will be if it has to be reheated.”

“Let me get cleaned up and I'll give you a hand with the rest of it. I feel a big appetite coming on.” He grinned as he went into the cabin.

I was turning the husks that held the catfish when I saw Uncle Saul and Alabaster coming through the woods.

I knew a lot of people would think that having a pet alligator was weird—including my mother and father. But Alabaster was exactly the companion my uncle needed, just as Crème Brûlée was for me.

“I probably shouldn't have brought her back.” Uncle Saul patted her head and she wagged her tail like a dog. “I'd let her go free, but I know someone would kill her to make a pair of boots if they found her.”

“Bonnie seems like a good person. I think she'd take good care of Alabaster until all of this has a chance to blow over, don't you?”

His face got a little flushed as he looked away. “Bonnie is a good person. I'm sure she'd do the best she could with Alabaster.”

“She has a thing for you, you know?” I smiled and turned the corn. “Is the feeling mutual?”

“You see too much, Zoe.” He grinned and examined what I was cooking. “I knew I was right to leave those catfish in the fridge for you. I hope we're gonna be ready to eat soon. I'm starving.”

He went inside to get cleaned up, and I shook my head. No answer regarding his feelings about Bonnie. That probably meant I was right on track.

Uncle Saul had put a collar around Alabaster's thick neck. She was on a leash, like Crème Brûlée. The two of them couldn't reach each other. They sat and studied each other, both of them probably trying to decide if they could eat the other.

“Believe me, Crème Brûlée, Alabaster is a bigger predator than you. You don't want to tangle with her.”

The alligator had a disconcerting way of grinning. It was like she could understand what I was saying. She gave me a big, toothy smile. Crème Brûlée backed off with a loud hiss and hid behind my leg.

Bonnie pulled up in her wildlife truck. Norman was with her. They both got out and glanced around the yard. “Where's Saul?” Bonnie asked.

“He's inside getting cleaned up for supper. Why don't you two join us? We have plenty of food.”

“You think I want to eat with the man whose gator ate my chickens?” Norman snarled.

“Simmer down,” Bonnie told him. “I think I could do with some supper before I take Alabaster back to the compound. Norman, you do what you want. Just remember, you and Saul have been friends for years. I wouldn't let a few chickens change that.”

“You just do your job, Bonnie. Saul and I
used
to be friends. We don't need counseling from you.” Norman started walking away. “I'm going home. I'd better hear that gator is in custody by morning.”

Bonnie waited until Norman had disappeared into the woods again to join me at the grill. “Men are like little kids sometimes. If they aren't squabbling about some sport, they're fighting over something else.”

I laughed at her wisdom. “I know Uncle Saul and my father are that way. Although I think my mother instigates it most of the time.”

“That smells really good! Saul is always saying what a great cook you are, Zoe.”

I started putting the fish and the corn on a platter. “I learned almost everything from him. People still talk about his restaurant in Mobile. His food was memorable.”

Bonnie chuckled at that. “Something tells me your food is gonna be memorable, too. My stomach is saying it right now. I hope it's time to eat.”

We took the food into the house and were preparing to eat when a large group of Uncle Saul's friends arrived. There wasn't enough room for everyone inside, so we migrated to the large picnic table in the yard.

At that point, I started worrying about whether there was enough food. Another six mouths to feed made a big difference. I didn't say anything to Uncle Saul—it was good for him to commiserate with his friends over what had happened with Norman. I made a quick batch of spicy cornbread and stuck it in the oven. Just as the fish and corn disappeared, the cornbread was ready. It was snatched up as quickly as I put it on the table.

I went back in for the banana pudding, glad that it was a large dishpan full of the creamy dessert. Uncle Saul was getting more beer at the same time.

“The food was great. You're gonna turn those people's heads in Mobile when you get started.”

“Thanks. I get it all from you. If it wasn't for your love of food, I'd only have ink in my veins.”

“That's a good one. I guess that's true considering your daddy is a banker and your mama is a lawyer. It would be ink or money. You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, Zoe girl. You could do anything. I love that you want to feed people and make them happy.”

He hugged me, then took the beer outside. I followed with the heavy pan of banana pudding. There were plenty of plastic cups to serve it in. People could just use their forks to eat it.

I noticed that Ollie was still missing and filled a cup with banana pudding to take to him.

He was in the shed working on the Airstream again. His head and most of his chest were under the hood, and I saw a big tattoo of a dragon on his bare back. He made a few grunting sounds as he worked. I cleared my throat and asked if he'd like some dessert.

Apparently my voice startled him. He hit his head on the hood above him and swore. “Sorry, Zoe. It slipped out.”

I sat down on a stump near where he was working. “I've heard much worse from my mother.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. My mother could make a sailor blush.” He came out from under the hood, took the banana pudding I'd offered, and sat on the ground beside me.

“You know, I didn't mean you had to work on the motorhome all the time,” I told him. “I think you've earned a rest for the day.”

“Good pudding.” He grinned. “I think I've almost got her started. I'd like to hear the engine before I bunk down for the night.”

“You know all about me now, Ollie. What about you? Where do you live? What do you do?”

“I've got no life to speak of.” He shoveled banana pudding into his mouth. “I was in the Marines once. That was a long time ago. I don't really have a story to tell anymore.”

It made me want to cry the way he said it. I could see this was a man who'd been hurt. I wished I could help him, but I knew it was a remote possibility that I would ever see him again once we left Farmville. He seemed too closed and scarred to lightly tell me what had happened to him. I would probably never know.

“You said you were looking for the best food to use in your food truck,” Ollie stated. “You could sure make this banana pudding. It's the best I've ever had. I could see you having a big banana on top of the motorhome. You could call it the Banana Boat.”

My smile was a little sad. “It
is
the best banana pudding, but I didn't make it. Uncle Saul perfected it while he was running his restaurant.”

“Oh. Sorry, Zoe. I didn't get any of the fish, but the cornbread was good.”

I decided I was taking this quest too seriously, and giggled. “I could be known as the Cornbread Queen. I could have a big ear of corn on my food truck.”

“Maybe you should look in another direction. I don't know much about the food truck business, but that doesn't sound so good.”

We both heard voices rising in anger out by the picnic table. Ollie wiped his hands on a dirty rag and walked back there with me. He didn't touch the grease smears on his big chest. There was a marine tattoo on his biceps.

Norman had returned and brought a few friends with him. They were demanding to know why Alabaster wasn't locked up at Bonnie's wildlife compound.

Uncle Saul's friends were yelling back that Norman had no right to want the gator to be locked up. Between the two groups, their raucous voices were echoed through the night.

“I'll handle this,” Bonnie said with authority. “Norman, you and your friends go on home.”

“We're not gators or deer, Bonnie,” Norman yelled back. “You can't tell
us
what to do.”

The minister of the New Hope Church was a short, soft-spoken man whose personality underwent a drastic change as he got up on top of the picnic table and demanded quiet.

Everyone simmered down until all I could hear in the surrounding night was an owl, a few loud frogs, and some cicadas.

“Now, it seems to me that the problem could be easily resolved with a test of skill,” Minister Craig Windom said. “You all are looking at this the wrong way.”

“What do you suggest?” Bonnie asked him.

“I'm glad you asked.” Minister Windom grinned almost as wide as Alabaster. “As you all know, the funds to build the new wing of our church were stolen last week. So far, Officer Smith has had no luck finding the cowardly person responsible for this deed—or the missing money.”

Like everyone else, I was waiting to see how Minister Windom connected the dots between Alabaster, the chickens, and his missing funds.

We didn't have to wait long.

“I propose a contest,” he said. “We've been planning to hold a cook-off and use the funds we raise to help us with the down payment on our mortgage. The same thing could work for this problem. Saul and Norman are both renowned for their culinary skills in these parts. The fate of the gator could be part of the cook-off, as decided by those attending, and help the church raise money at the same time. What could be more worthy?”

I realized that it would be difficult for Norman or Uncle Saul to refuse. No matter how strongly Norman felt about Alabaster, he could hardly say it was a bad idea. That would mean that he wasn't willing to help out with the building funds the church had lost.

Uncle Saul was in the same position since he called Farmville his home.

“Not a bad idea,” Norman said through gritted teeth. “I win—the gator goes. I don't care where. Saul wins—the gator stays.”

“I suppose that would be all right.” Uncle Saul frowned but didn't disagree. How could he?

“But the gator still stays with Bonnie until this is settled, one way or the other,” Norman insisted.

Uncle Saul agreed. Minister Windom called for a prayer to celebrate.

It looked as though dinner was over. Uncle Saul picked up Alabaster and put her in the back of his old truck. “I'll take her to the compound. We'll meet you there, Bonnie.”

She agreed and said good night to everyone. Norman left with his friends, and Uncle's Saul's friends began going home, too.

“Whew!” Ollie wiped his dirty brow with his hand. “I thought we were going to do
West Side Story
in the swamp for a minute.”

Uncle Saul came over to talk to me before he left. “Don't worry, sweetie. Everything will be okay. I'll be back in a while. I already made up the bed for you. Ollie can bunk down on the sofa.”

“Thanks.” I hugged him. “I'm sorry about Alabaster.”

“That's okay. Bonnie will take good care of her. I shouldn't have let it go this far. Norman never got this upset over a few chickens before.”

Ollie and I watched him leave, with Bonnie trailing behind him in her truck. When the vehicles had disappeared from the yard, it was very dark. There was barely enough light from the lamp on the porch to get the trash picked up from our feast.

Ollie helped clean, but wasn't ready for bed. “I'm just going to mess around with the Airstream for a while. You look tired, young'un. Why don't you turn in? I'll see you in the morning.”

I
was
tired, and I shivered as the heat of the day seemed to melt into the woods surrounding the cabin. I wished him a good night and went inside. Crème Brûlée and I climbed into bed with the unfamiliar night sounds around us. We were both city dwellers, more used to sirens and noisy cars with loud stereos than strange-sounding birds and insects.

“It's going to be fine.” I rubbed Crème Brûlée's tummy as he purred and closed his eyes. “Uncle Saul can cook circles around Norman. Maybe we can help him, too. It will be fun—except for the part where he might lose Alabaster.”

Crème Brûlée made a piteous cry, so I knew he realized what I was saying.

“You're not an alligator, and we'd find a new place to live before I'd give you up,” I assured him. “Don't worry. Let's get some sleep. Things will look better tomorrow.”