Shorty and Anna
by Jason Ashbaugh

---Shorty Jenkins was shaking pretty bad when he put his arms around the girl. He didn't want to make things worse for her - didn't want her to think she wasn't safe now. So he just kept on holding her when she stopped crying. There was no way to know what to say and he was pretty sure she wasn't ready to talk. The smell of the coffee he'd been brewing when he heard her coming down the road still filled the room. His mind wandered. Wondering if she would like a cup of coffee, something to eat, but he decided only to hold her. ---It had been a regular day. With the coffee, he'd go out, sit on the front porch for a bit, pour a second cup, and go open up the garage. Shorty was a boat mechanic and had been working on a '73 IMP, rebuilding the engine with the man that owned it, cutting a deal as the man barely got by on Social Security. The bill was to be paid off - minus parts - with brisket. ---The girl sat naked, covered only with a thin worn blanket he'd pulled off the sofa to wrap her in. She was cold to the touch and wet. Her hair, long and matted, stuck to the sides of her face and disappeared under the blanket. Shorty tried to think of why this was happening but couldn't come up with a damn thing. It made no sense for her to be running down the road like that, naked and screaming. There were cuts on her feet and they had bled on the floor. He would wait to clean that up until she was a little more together. Shorty held her - not too tight though - didn't want to give her the wrong impression. As it was, it was going to be hard enough here. Truth was he was freezing. The cold and the wetness had gotten into him too. Now he shook with it. He'd wanted to call the police, but the girl was so far gone that he was afraid to take his eyes from her for to long. It took ten minutes of talking, soft and low - just to get her to stop screaming. It had been quiet since. ---Shorty could see Gladys across the street. She was standing on her porch in a pink nightgown, bottom lip low - eyes trained straight on Shorty's front door. He figured she would call the police soon enough and imagined the rest of them now, coming out of trailers, grunting, spitting, putting on slippers. Shorty couldn't see them, but he knew they were out there. As he sat quietly with the girl, voices began to call to one another from the safety of other porches. ---"What the Hell..." ---"Did you hear...?" ---"Yeah! Shorty's door was..." ---It made him want to yell at them but he did not. The girl couldn't have been much older than 20 or 21. He couldn't really tell anymore. If you were younger than 30 you looked the same as any 18-year-old. The girl was young though, and frightened, and she was shaking on his couch. Shorty wished Gladys would go inside now - wished she would call the police. Then Gladys threw up her hands, turned, and opened her door. She was going to call. This made him ease a little on the couch, the girl arched with him, and he thought she must be warming up. Something would have to be said soon - before the cops got there. He couldn't tell how stable she was going to be but he didn't think very. A loud voice wouldn't help anything right now – he'd learned this from his mother. If you said anything too loud like that she'd either come at you or shrink behind something. Shorty knew that what had happened to his mother had somehow happened to this girl and loud was not the thing to do. He thought for awhile, and then sighed. ---Finally he said, "Are you okay?" ---He'd almost said "honey" but stopped. The girl did not answer. She only took small fitful breaths. Shorty took a lung-full of air and tried again. ---"Are you okay?" This time he continued, "You're safe now you know. I realize you don't know me or nothing but you are safe now." ---He'd surprised himself. Hoping he hadn't messed up much, he waited. ---Without looking at him, she said slowly, "Yeah -. I think I'll be okay now." ---The way she said it stuck deep in his side. It was just so ... like she wanted to believe it, like she needed to be strong, but something was missing. The way she said it sounded like a question. He was relieved though. The girl had spoken. She could speak. He decided to be honest with her. ---"Ma'am I don't know what to do here but you just tell me. Would you like some coffee? I can get you a shirt or ..." ---The girl rose up in his arms but her head still hung low and hair covered her eyes. "Yes, please," she said "Yes to both." ---Shorty gave her a flannel from the closet, and then went to the kitchen to pour the coffee. When he came back she sat with the flannel on, the blanket covering her from the waist down. The girl pulled the hair away from her eyes and looked at him as he handed her the cup. There was something else there besides fear. It looked like regret, disappointment maybe. It was hard to tell, but reminded him of something his wife and he had shared. Entire ideas - whole sentences without talking- just a look. She was a smart girl. He decided that first thing. ---"Is there anything else I can get you?" ---"No sir and thank you. You're very nice, only where am I?" ---"We're in Buncombe Creek, Oklahoma, on the north side of Lake Texoma." ---"Oh" she said, turning the cup slowly in her hands. ---She looked straight ahead. Shorty felt a pang of guilt then. He knew she'd been through something terrible but he didn't know how much more of this his heart could stand. Plenty more, he thought. All she needs. ---"I really should call the police now," he said. ---"Yes I think you should. Could I have some more coffee?" "No problem, be right back." ---Shorty filled her cup; then took the phone off the receiver and dialed 911. When he got through a lady told him a car was already on the way. ---"Do you mind telling me who ma'am?" he asked. ---"Officer Martz, Sir. He should be there shortly." ---Turning to look at the girl, he hung the phone up. No point in spooking her. Martz just better be about his business. ---Shorty had known Martz for years. He had never liked him. Like most cops around the county he only wore a badge here because he wasn't good enough to wear one in the City. John Martz added up to little more than a glorified security guard and Shorty would not have him fucking with this woman. Not at all. He might be old but ... Shorty calmed himself. Stupid way to think, doesn't help anything. Watching too much damn TV. You need to help the girl. That needs to be your mind right now. She sat, still and silent, sipping from the coffee now and then, sometimes quivering for a second and then stopping. Now that she'd spoken, the silence bothered him even more. Made him feel like he was messing things up - missing something maybe. He noticed cuts on the tops of her hands too. They no longer bled. They'd been in the water too long and the skin sucked up around them, turning pale and green. Her wrists were a dull red. ---Shorty's chest tightened at the sight of it, but he spoke. "Is there anyone else you would like me to call?" ---The girl shifted in her seat from hip to hip. Then said "Yes, I ...." She kept rocking back and forth. ---"Take your time." ---"Yes, I'm sorry." ---"You don't have to say that ma'am - who was it?" ---"I've been staying over at the lodge, do you know it?" ---Shorty nodded. She continued. ---"We came down for the 4th. Me and a few other girls. Cabin #220. If you could call and ask for Cozy that would be good." ---It took longer than he would have liked to find the number but he fought through it, asked for cabin 220, and waited. It rang once and someone answered. The voice was desperate and loud. ---"May I speak with Cozy?" ---"Yes - I'll get her." ---The room at the other end of the phone was quiet. Shorty could tell that people had been sitting there - waiting on this call. ---A softer voice answered finally, "This is Cozy." ---"Ma'am, my name is Shorty Jenkins and there's a lady here that wants to talk to you." ---Shorty heard Cozy say "Oh my G..." as he took the phone from his ear and handed it to the girl. ---The girl sat up straight and said, "Cozy... Cozy, it's Anna," and then she sunk down into the couch and started crying. She tried to speak but couldn't for what seemed like a long time. Then she said, "I'm in a place called Buncombe Creek... a man ... he found me ... I don't know... I'm... the cops are coming ... He gave me some coffee ... Cozy? ... Cozy what? ... What happened?" Anna dropped the phone. It hit her knee and bounced to the floor. She was crying. He could hear Cozy crying too. ---When he got up for the phone he saw Martz pull into the drive. Shorty explained to Cozy that the police were there now. He gave her his phone number and directions to the house and was hanging the phone up when Martz knocked. Anna was crying but she stopped with the knocking and only shook in the flannel. Her hair had dried some. He stepped outside before Martz could enter to explain what had likely happened. Martz only smiled and said he would be the judge of that and went to open the door. Shorty extended his arm along the width of the jam. ---"You need to be thinking right now Martz," he said. ---Shorty slowly let his arm fall to his side. Martz, not looking at him, walked through the doorway - hands on his belt - one on each side and said, "Ma'am what seems to be the trouble here?" ---Shorty winced. He was too God damn loud. Anna didn't answer; she only looked at him; taking in air through her nose. Shorty stepped away from the door and sat in his rocking chair on the porch; took a cigarette out of his shirt pocket, and struck a match on the railing next to his arm. The first drag was long and quiet. ---He took the cigarette from his mouth and cupped his hands together. Then he looked up and saw them. Gladys, Henry, and Joe Duncan all standing in Gladys' yard- pointing at his house and trying to whisper but he could hear them. ---"Wonder what in the hell ..." ---"Sounded like someone was dying ... you don't suppose Shorty had ..." ---Shorty turned his head back around and continued to smoke. He rocked back and forth in his chair, lightly, thinking. What could've happened to that poor girl for her to be...? Don't look like no one beat her. Those marks on her wrist though... God, he thought ... Not here ... that poor girl. He wondered what Martz was telling her, but he was not the type of man to ask questions he thought he already knew the answer to. No, Martz was telling her how this would all go. Shorty felt stupid now - should've called the Highway Patrol. They could've sent someone over from Ardmore. Not like they observed the limits on their jurisdiction anyhow. He was getting off track again. He needed to be thinking about the girl and what to do next. ---Gladys and the rest of them were inching closer. They'd seen him sitting there and moved into the road as they talked- getting quieter as they closed in. Then Martz came out and Shorty looked up at him, waiting. Martz walked right on past and got into his car. His mouth disappeared behind the receiver. Anna, poor Anna. She was sitting in there on his couch drinking cold coffee. He threw his cigarette to the ground and went inside. ---"You need another cup, Anna?" he asked. ---They looked at one another. He hadn't used her name before. ---"No" she said, "I'm fine right now." ---"He treating you okay?" he asked. He had to know, had to know whether or not he should be stopping this. ---"He's just telling me about how we need to ... " she dropped her head a little and when she spoke again her bottom lip followed the word out of her mouth, ".... proceed." Like she'd never said it before. ---Shorty hesitated, "Okay - you need me, I'll be right outside. You feel uncomfortable or any such thing, you just call for me." He held her gaze, wanted her to know he meant what he was saying. Wanted her to be clear on it. Anna nodded and he walked back out onto the porch. Martz was in the street talking with Gladys and the rest of his neighbors. They were huddled in a tentative group, trying to hide behind each other. Not Gladys though. She stood tall and firm right under Martz's chin, poking a finger at his chest. ---"Ma'am," Martz said, "I'm telling you all that I know." ---"I don't care how much you know other than one thing. Are we safe here?" ---Shorty wanted to laugh. The old bitty lived for this kind of thing. He'd just never known it. Nothing like this had happened before. Shorty walked down his steps, into the road, and stood next to Gladys. ---"Martz I think you should get back inside," he said. "I'll talk to Gladys here." Martz turned and left with Gladys still talking. ---"Gladys you should just go home. Right now we don't know anything." ---"Like hell - I heard him calling in the Highway Patrol. You tell me ..." ---But Shorty wasn't listening. He was looking at her but that was all really. He was thinking about Anna. It was a pretty name. She was a pretty girl. Shorty looked at Gladys' mouth moving, chewing up air, and thought that Anna must be hungry. Then he was back with Gladys and her demands. He leaned down in front of her face and waited for her to stop talking. Gladys did finally, rolling to a stop when she realized how close he was. The old bitty took a step back. ---"Gladys I'm telling you to go on home" he said. He turned his head slightly - still holding her eyes with his, and raised his voice "All ya'll go home", then stood waiting. Gladys exhaled loudly, hands at her sides. She turned and walked through the gravel onto her porch and back into her house. Henry and Joe Duncan turned and went back to their homes too. Now, he stood alone in the road. It was quiet. ---All he could hear was Martz's car idling and the radio inside - muffled voices talking to one another. He stood there, looking up and down the road. Then he heard sirens off in the distance driving for his road, his house, and Anna. He walked away from the sound, up his steps, but it followed him and it only got louder. They would be here soon. ---An ambulance came down the road followed by a county car. Anna walked slowly from the house and got in the back of the ambulance. A paramedic closed the doors. The ambulance backed up and drove away. The county cop stood with Martz on the top step of his porch. ---"Gonna need to ask you some questions Shorty", Martz said. "I'd appreciate it if you'd ride into town with me." ---He got his keys, locked his door and got in Martz's car. They were about to pull away when he remembered Cozy. "The girl - I called the girls she was staying with and told them how to get here." ---"Leave them a note - got no time right now." Leaving the note, he got back in the car and they drove away. ---Martz asked his questions. "What were you doing ..." "When did you find her..." Shorty answered each question flatly and waited for the next one. They spent the rest of the drive in silence. He didn't know what Martz was thinking about. He knew Martz had just had a little girl, 3 maybe 4 months old. Maybe he was thinking about that, maybe. ---Inside the jailhouse, the county cop asked Shorty the same questions and he gave the same answers. They told him to wait outside. He sat on a bench in the shade just outside the jailhouse doors, smoking and leaning into his feet. A van pulled up and three girls got out. They were all dressed the same. Red shorts, tennis shoes and white t-shirts. All but one had their hair pulled back. The one with her hair down asked him if he knew a man named Shorty Jenkins. ---He stood up and said, "Yes ma'am. That's me. They have Anna over at the hospital. I'm sorry we'd already gone, but the police ..." ---She interrupted him, "Is she okay? Is she going to be okay?" ---"Physically ma'am, I think she's going to be fine, other than that I don't know. There's a few men inside that are gonna want to talk to you." ---The two girls behind Cozy held each other, gripping at one another's arms. Cozy did not take her eyes off of Shorty. Her posture was erect, her eyes cold, but her lips pointed upward in a V and they shook. ---"What are they're names?" she asked. ---"Martz is the one with the square head. I don't recall the other county boy's name." Shorty said. ---Cozy passed him to open the door, "Ma'am," he said walking up beside her. "These police ... not all of them, but this one, Martz ... He's a jack-ass ma'am. I just thought you should know." ---Cozy nodded lightly at him and went through the door, the two other girls following slowly. They looked up at the ceiling, down at the bullet-proof glass, but they put one foot in front of the other and Shorty closed the door behind them. He took his seat again on the bench and lit another cigarette, rolling it between his fingers slowly, taking deep drags. Why? He knew why was a stupid question. She's a woman. That's all the reason some men need. Shorty grew angry with this thought. Angry and tired and he slumped back onto the bench.

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