Ain't No Fool

Chapter Four

What appeared in that bathroom lingered in Tex's mind as he walked the living room of Johnny's place. Dakota was sound asleep on Johnny's shoulder. She had cried herself to sleep. Dakota never cried. She didn't even cry when Tyler got stabbed or when Randy hit her.

Flashback

Tex ran into the bathroom where he heard Dakota screaming. When he got inside the old door he saw his little sister crying on the floor in front of the sink. Behind her was their dead mother. She hung loosely from the shower post. Her neck was raw and red from the rope that had been tightened. Her eyes looked out into a world of nowhere. Blood smeared her clothes and body.

"C'mon, D," Tex picked up his frightened little sister. She was shaking really badly. It scared Tex. He had only seen Dakota cry a few times in his life. Finally reaching the phone in the kitchen Tex dialed the familiar numbers of Johnny Cade. Tex prayed that he would be home.

"Hello," answered a groggy voice.

"Johnny!" Tex almost screamed. He didn't realize that he was so shaky.

"Tex? Is that you?" Johnny asked.

"Yes," Tex could barely get his words out. He was quivering.

"What happened? Are ya okay?" Johnny asked.

"I...we...she's..." Tex tried but nothing came out of his mouth. Pure shock pervaded his body and mind. How could she leave? How could she die? Why? They needed her. Didn't she know that as much as Tex never wanted to admit they needed her?

"Look, buddy, I'm comin' over. Just hang on," Johnny said quickly. Before Tex could reply Johnny had hung up.

Tex turned back to look at Dakota. Her little body was huddled over under the table. She rocked herself back and forth crying soft sobs. Tex instantly felt a wave of fear wash over him. He didn't even know that Dakota knew how to cry. He found himself climbing under the small table and pulling her into his lap and crying with her.

End of Flashback

Tex sat down on Johnny's couch. He felt out of place. He didn't feel like the same guy that he had been the day before. Why? Was it the fact that he had just cried for the first time in his remembrance of his lifetime? Or was it the fact that he had just seen his mother's dead body? Or was it the fact that he had just watched his little sister go from a tough greaser to a small frightful mouse? For once Texas didn't know. He always knew what to do. But now Texas was lost....

Flashback

Texas answered the door with Dakota in his arms. Johnny looked like he had run all the way over to their house when he had really just drove in his Red Toyota.

Without even being invited in Johnny walked inside the home. It was as though he knew something was wrong. Well it was kind of obvious since Dakota was crying and Texas could barely get his words out.

"Tex?" Johnny asked as he took Dakota into his arms. The two sat down on the ground since they didn't have a couch.

"She's dead," Tex finally chocked out. He could barely breath after saying it. He had made it real. His mother, his only mother, was dead. Gone. And Randy had killed her. Tex should've known that that son of a bitch would kill his mother. He knew that their fight had been ugly. But ugly enough to kill her?

Johnny had eventually called the cops and offered to take Tex and Dakota home for the night.

End Of Flashback

Texas lay down on the couch. Johnny had just made a small bed for him and Dakota on the rollout couch. Now all Tex had to do was fall asleep. But he couldn't. For whatever reason the woman he hated most and prayed would die was making him sad. All his life he had hated Sylvia. Now he was close to crying again. What was happening to him?

"Tex?" D whispered. She had stopped crying and her body was calm.

"Yea, D?" Tex replied trying to stop the tears that stung his eyes.

"Ya think Sylvia really wanted to leave us? Like if Randy hadn't of killed her ya think she woulda stuck 'round?" Dakota asked.

"I dunno, D. She might have. She was different, D. Sylvia liked to do what she wanted when she wanted," Tex replied, "Kids weren't really her agenda."

"Yea," D agreed, "I suppose I just wanted to know that I had a mother that loved me."

Tex looked over at his sister. He knew that his mother was a questionable woman but somehow he knew that his mother loved them, "She loved you, D. I know she did."