Billy and the Turkey
Shoot
A Thanksgiving Story
By Danny Tillman
All Together Now!
Mary and betty guide Rachelle to a waiting chair on the porch where she sits, relaxes and looks out over the crowd of people who have become an audience for the band which now is playing "Autumn Leaves." She is transfixed by the beautiful tones of music wafting on the perfect afternoon: The sounds of the lyrics sung by all the singers, sends her far away into a fairy land she knew was out there somewhere, yet she just could not get to it. She felt it sometimes, but couldn't describe it in words. There was only this recurring picture she had had many times since she was a little girl of 3 or 4, that would now and then, appear in her mind. She couldn't remember where or how it started. It just seemed that it had always been there. Mostly it was a feeling that accompanied the following scene: She could see herself as a little girl, sitting between her mother and daddy in their car. Daddy was driving them through the countryside of Jacksonville at night with the stars shining brightly. It may have been fall or winter. All was at peace. She felt a warm glow inside her which seemed not exactly to be coming from inside her at all. Rather from outside, from the sky, the trees, the stars, the clouds, the air, the people of the families whom she could feel tucked snugly in their domiciles. In these reveries, as they began to pass these perfect-looking-and-feeling houses, whose windows were shining a soft golden light from within, she could feel emitting from each house the familial love resting inside. Peace and safety sifted outward toward her and wrapped around her, a feeling that she never did see enough of, if at all, in the 'normal world'. In this perfect dream-world of hers, everyone was kind to each other, not just to their own family members but to all people outside, everywhere, each one treating everyone as if they were all in the same big happy family.
... "The falling leaves drift by the window, the autumn leaves of red & gold; I see your lips, the summer kisses, the sun-burned hands I used to hold.
"Since you went away the days grow long & soon I'll hear old winter's song; but I miss you most of all, my darling, when autumn leaves start to fall." ...
Raschelle sees a Willis automobile pull into the driveway and triple park in the front drive.
She hears voices now singing "September Song" and realizes that there is a line of people around the outer limits of Aunt Mary's yard that reaches all the way up to the front porch on which she is sitting, and continues across it.
The singers on the porch are standing with their backs to the wall on either side of Raschelle; and they, along with the sound of instruments being played around the fire, please her very much:
... "...it's a long, long while .. from May to December ... & the days grow short .... when you reach September ... & the autumn weather .. turns the leaves to flame .... & I haven't got time .... for the waiting game.
"And the days turn to gold .... as they grow few .... September .... November.
"And these few golden days .. I'd share with you .... these golden days .. I'd share .. with you." ...
And then the thought comes back to her: But I killed my Daddy.
At that exact moment, her attention is drawn by four figures exiting the Willis. She doesn't recognize three of them, but the 4th is a tall gentleman with a very long salt and pepper beard. He has a worn black fedora and is dressed in a ¾ length black coat and black trousers.
"My Daddy! He's alive!" She shouts aloud, and rises from her chair and finds herself descending the steps to ground level and making her way through the people. She now could believe in all things: flying saucers, extra-terrestrials, the Florida Skunk Ape, Big Foot, the Loch Ness Monster: All things were possible, now that her daddy, whom she had killed, was alive and well again! Soon she would be in his arms for the first time in 10 years! Mary and Betty go after her, fearing that she may collapse again.
... "And the days turn to gold .... as they grow few .... September .... November.
"And these few golden days .. I'd share with you .... these golden days .. I'd share .. with you." ...
Mr. R.L., Mr. Shaune, Bernny and Ernny, have exited the Willis car. September Song finishes and there is applause all round from the guests standing on the lawn. The applause stops. A chain reaction of voiced recognition begins at the newly arrived Willis and its occupants, and begins to run through the crowd toward the advancing Raschelle. "Look, isn't that Albey Yark!?" someone remarks.
Similar to the concerted coordination it takes to perform the "wave" in a crowd of football fans--but involuntarily and instinctively here on Aunt Mary's lawn--the guests converge toward Shaune and his 'escorts', starting at those nearest him, as the rumor by word of mouth passes outwards in all directions toward the farthest reaches of the yard. Shaune, R.L, Bernny and Ernny, continue walking toward the front porch. The crowd recedes, courteously allowing this. So, like the ripples of a pebble thrown into a pond, the spectators--being the ripples--move out from Shaune and party, continue to the outer limits of the yard, ... then begin to bounce back toward Shaune and party. It is a comical, chorographical sight, if it could only be seen from a hot air balloon, or a helicopter from directly above! The rumor, "Isn't that Albey Yark?" finally reaches Raschelle, as she continues her journey forward toward the figure she recognizes as her dad: Albey Yark? Isn't that the name the man used who hailed me in my back yard?
In the heat of that Battle, which now seemed ages ago, she had been looking through a cloudy red haze of rage: hatred that had built up over the past 10 years, which started when her mother died: She had directed that hate toward her father. He had left her. Suddenly, she realized what had happened! Her father hadn't left her at all: Rather, she had driven him away! But now, he was back, and she would welcome him with all the love in her heart, and ask his forgiveness: That is, if she could ever get to him through this congenial, congesting mass of well-wishers!
Mary and Betty finally catch up to her and a similar stone-in-the-pond, fan-wave-type situation begins at the porch-side of the yard, moving to converge with the one advancing from the parking area! As Raschelle gets closer to her dad--or Albey Yark--she thinks: Who is this Albey Yark, and why do all these people think he's my daddy? Everything goes into slow-motion, tunnel-vision and tunnel-sound mode: Her hearing grows fuzzy: Somewhere in the background, she hears somebody announce, "Ladies and Gentleman, for your listening pleasure, please welcome, direct from New Orleans, The Basin Street Six, with Pete Fountain & his clarinet, and their rendition of 'Just a Closer Walk With Thee'!" As the delightful Dixieland jazz melodies issue forth, Raschelle is almost at the parking area--having kept to her right as she rounded the band members on her left. Curiously, Shaune and his 'escorts', traveling in the opposite direction, had gone around the opposite side of the campfire & musicians, & ended up at the front porch that way. 'So close, so close & yet so far away,' as the song says--will father and daughter ever meet?
Hi-Daddy realizes that something has to be done, or they will continue marching around the campfire forever: He turns to Shaune, Bernny and Ernny, "Let's get up on the porch. She'll finally end up back here I hope. Bernny and Ernny, could y'all get some extra chairs. When the girls do get back here, we can all sit down and talk. I'm tired." And soon the four are relaxing, listening to Closer Walk, while Raschelle, Betty, and Aunt Mary, are out there still looking for Raschelle's "lost" daddy.
Finally, Billy, Morris, and Uncle Rufus, taking command of the situation like R.L. did on his end, catch up with Raschelle, Mary & Betty near the parking area, and determine to escort them back to the front porch. The words to 'Closer Walk' are now being sung by the JC Choir and the Church Choir, to the beautiful sounds of Pete Fountain's band, along with the JS Orchestra:
... "Just a closer walk with thee, grant it, Jesus is my plea; daily walking close to thee, let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
"I am weak but thou art strong; Jesus keep me from all wrong; I'll be satisfied as long as I walk, let me walk close to thee.
"Through this world of toil & snares, if I falter, Lord, who cares? Who with me my burden shares? None but thee, dear Lord, none but thee.
"When my feeble life is o'er, time for me will be no more; guide me gently, safely o'er, to thy kingdom shore, to thy shore." ...
At last, Raschelle, Betty, Morris and Billy & Mary & Rufus march up the steps. Shaune rises to catch Raschelle who falls into his arms, and there she remains, as 'Just a Closer Walk With Thee' ends (in one sense, but starts in another sense) and the blessed audience applauds. The orchestra and band now begin playing the beautiful tune Deep Purple. Shaune and Raschelle sit side by side in chairs provided. Around them, some standing, others sitting are:
Hi-Daddy, Mimi and Louise;
Bernny and Ernny;
Barbara and Morris, Brenda & Larry;
Billy, Betty & Janice;
Anita & Paul;
Uncle Rufus, Aunt Mary,
Sonny, Deuie, Jerome,
Little Sis & Aunt Vonnie & Baby Sis;
Aunt Cathryne, Uncle John, Cheryl and Johnny;
Uncle Greely, Aunt Edna, Jean and Bud;
Uncle Everett, Aunt Elizabeth,
Ralph, Rosalind and Lamont;
Ronnie, Fletcher, Tootsie and Linda:
All are here together on this lovely day, in a circle, on & around the front porch. Then from out of the crowd comes: the Pisachubes and Bill, the Lincourts and John, the Tondalayos and Tom-Tom, & the Thornroses and Bob.
... "When the deep purple falls over sleepy garden walls & the stars begin to flicker in the sky,
"Thru the mist of a memory you wander back to me breathing my name with a sigh.
"In the still of the night once again I hold you tight; tho' you're gone, your love lives on when moonlight beams.
"And as long as my heart will beat, lover, we'll always meet. Here in my deep purple dreams.
"And as long as my heart will beat, lover, we'll always meet. Here in my deep purple dreams; here in my deep purple dreams."...
Back at the bar, Albey Yark turns on the key and pushes the starter button of Shaune's car. He drives out of the parking lot and down Girvin Road. He gazes out his rolled-down left window with amazement and interest at the crowd at Mary's house. A great relief goes through him: What a day! What a week, actually! "I'm glad it's over. Mission accomplished, Father in Heaven, you who are the Big Watcher, the Great Watcher, actually. You do all things well!" He passes the white house. A 100 yards farther, he turns left onto a white sandy road. The road crosses a little wooden bridge. After the bridge and two houses, he turns left again onto a smaller dirt road. In a few seconds, he pulls up into Raschelle's back yard, parks the car and gets out. He retraces the steps taken by Yark and Company earlier on their "mission to battle the Knife Lady". That seems like years ago, Yark thinks.
Albey reaches Mary's deserted back yard and enters the back door, walks through the house and opens the front porch door and steps out, just as the band, orchestra and singers begin "My Blue Heaven":
... "Day is ending, birds are wending, back to the shelter of, each little nest they love." ...
"Hey, Paw!" says Bernny and Ernny and everyone stands and gathers around Yark. Raschelle comes over to him, ...
... "Nightshades falling, lovers calling; what makes the world go round?--nothing but love." ...
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Yark. I was really out of my head. I was sure I had killed you. How… ?"
"Miss Raschelle, that-thar last knife did hit me. Hard enough to knock the breath out-n me.
"You pack quite a wallop with that-thar little arm o' yorn! Fortunately, the butt-end of the handle hit me, 'stead o' the tip of the blade!"
..."When whippoorwill calls, & evening is nigh, I hurry to my, Blue Heaven." ...
"I'm a-thinkin' with me a-rushin' at you, and not being a stationary target, and the dee-stractions of Morris, Billy, John and Rufus a-rushin' in from the flanks, was all together ee-nough to be a-settin' yore dee-liv'ry off a bit!"
... "I turn to the right, a little white light, will lead you to my, Blue Heaven." ...
"O' course, you mighta justa kilt me fer shore anyway I'm allowin'. But that-thar was the risk I was dee-termined to take. That's what I do.
... "A smiling face, a fireplace, a cozy room; a little nest that nestles where the roses bloom." ...
"Don't fret none. That's all o'er and done fer now and all's a-right."
... "Just Molly & me, & baby makes 3; we're happy in my, Blue Heaven." ...
Betty says,
"There are a lot of questions I want to ask you, Mr. Albey, and you too, Mr. Shaune, like how in the world did you two men, who look exactly alike, ever find each other?"
... "A smiling face, a fireplace, a cozy room; a little nest that nestles where the roses bloom." ...
"And how long have you been planning this rescue of Raschelle?"
... "Just Molly & me, & baby makes 3; we're happy in my, Blue Heaven." ...
"How many of you--and she looks around at Yark's Company--knew about what was really going on here today?"
... "A smiling face, a fireplace, a cozy room; a little nest that nestles where the roses bloom.
Just Molly & me, & baby makes 3; we're happy in my, Blue Heaven."[1] ...
[1] Song Credits:
a. "Autumn Leaves", Songwriters:
Jacques Prévert / Joseph Kosma, Lyrics transcribed from LyricFind,
All above
courtesy of LyricFind
b. "September Song", Lyrics by
Maxwell Anderson (1938), Music by Kurt Weill (1938), Lyrics
transcribed from a YouTube video of Walter Huston singing it in the
1938 Broadway musical, a Knickerbocker Holiday
c. "Just a Closer Walk with
Thee", Lyrics & Music: Anonymous, Music title: CLOSER WALK
(American), Publication Date: 1942, Lyrics transcribed from Baptist
Hymnal, 1991, courtesy of hymnary.org
d. "Deep Purple", Music by Peter
DeRose: published, 1933 Wikipedia, Lyrics by Mitchell Parish: added,
1938, Wiki, Lyrics transcribed from The STANDS4 Network
e. "My Blue Heaven", Lyrics by
George E. Whiting (between 1924 & '27) Wikipedia, Music by Walter
Donaldson (1924)—Wikipedia, Complete song released on record
(45rpm?) in 1927, Lyrics transcribed from musixmatch.com