Ain't No Fool

Chapter Five

Texas awoke the next morning to the sound of a shower running. Turning onto his back he noticed that he had a whole rollout couch to himself. Dakota wasn't in sight.

"D?" Tex asked.

"Mornin,' Tex," Johnny said as he walked out from the kitchen. He handed a mug of coffee to Tex. How did he know Tex drank coffee? Oh well, it was coffee and Tex needed caffeine to wake himself up.

"Thanks," Tex said after taking a long gulp. Already the cup was half gone. Setting it down on the small table he turned to Johnny. It looked like Johnny had something to say but was afraid to say it.

"Where's D?" Tex asked trying to cut the awkwardness.

"Shower. She had some blood on her clothes so I'm washin' 'em," Johnny replied as he sat down in his armchair by the fireplace.

"Oh," Tex replied. He didn't know that Dakota had touched his mother's body. He didn't even know that she had blood on her. That was probably why she was so spooked. Dakota hated seeing blood. She got real scared.

"Look Tex I gotta tell ya somethin' important," Johnny said quickly. Tex could tell that he was nervous. His forehead was shiny and wrinkly.

"What's up?" Tex asked.

Johnny sighed deeply. Tex could see that he was having an internal argument with himself, "I called Dally," he said suddenly.

Tex nearly fell over, "Dally, as in my father Dally? As in the man that left me and D when we were little? That Dally?"

Johnny nodded hesitantly. He was afraid of how Tex would react. He knew that Tex had always wanted to meet his father and knowing that Johnny knew where he was his whole life might kill him.

"Where is he?" Tex asked.

Johnny shook himself out of his thoughts, "He's in Kentucky raisin' horses. He's been there for a while now."

Tex nodded, "Why didn't ya tell me that ya had his number?"

Johnny sighed heavily. He knew Tex would want to know why. But how could he tell him? How could he tell him that his father was a hood that couldn't handle being a father and husband?

"Well?" Johnny could see the hate growing in Tex's eyes. This was his father they were talking about... The man that most people hated.

Johnny sighed once more, "Look Tex-"

"Don't look Tex me. Just gimme the straight truth, plain and simple," Tex snapped.

"Well there is no plain and simple truth, Tex. Dally was a complicated guy. He had a lot of problems. He had a record and liked to steal and break into things. His father never really cared 'bout him either. That was what made him so angry and cold. He was the type of guy that did what he wanted when he wanted to. And when it came to Sylvia he did her when he wanted to," Johnny stopped for a second to allow it all to sink in to Tex's brain, "And that's how you were made. I remember it like it was yesterday. Dally came runnin' over to the lot screamin' that Sylvia was pregnant and all this shit. Now the right thing to do was marry her. That's what we- the gang- suggested. And even though he didn't want to, he did. I remember right before you were born he told me that he wanted to change. He wanted to be a good father... Not like his father."

"Then why'd he leave? If he cared so much, why'd he leave?" Tex yelled.

Johnny shook his head, "He couldn't take it. After your sister was born he just couldn't handle bein' tied down. It scared him. He'd come over to my place sometimes and just vent 'bout how it was so hard takin' care of y'all. He could barely get to work and then he had to watch ya...and I think ya get what I mean."

Texas nodded sadly. This all proved that his father didn't want him. Now Tex didn't feel the need to see him anymore. He didn't care if he rotted in hell at this rate.

"Uncle J?" Dakota asked from the bathroom.

"Yea, baby?" Johnny replied.

"Do ya have a shirt that I could wear for now?" she asked.

"Uh...yea. Let me get it for ya," Johnny replied as he walked into his room. Tex peaked over to the bathroom to see Dakota waiting patiently. A large green towel swarmed her tiny body.

"Hey, kid," Tex said flatly.

Dakota replied with a half smile, "Dally's comin' ain't he?"

Texas nodded yes. He was afraid of what would happen when his father came but somehow he knew things would be okay.

Johnny reappeared in front of the bathroom with a large gray shirt in hand, "Here ya go, baby."

"Thanks," she replied as she closed the door. Texas and Johnny wandered back over to the living room. The two sat back down. Tex looked over at his half drunken coffee cup.

"He's comin' today," Johnny said suddenly.

"How wonderful," Tex replied flatly. At this point he didn't care. The man that he thought cared didn't. Sure, he knew that his father didn't want to stay with them but he never knew that he was a mistake. Tex wasn't really ever wanted. Neither was Dakota. The two were mistakes.

"Look Tex he loves you," Johnny said.

Tex looked up at Johnny, "Oh really? I ain't seen him since I was seven. I barley 'member him. Now I'm supposed to be all happy that he's comin'? I don't give a damn no more. He never really loved me. He never wanted me.. Or D," Texas replied.

Johnny shook his head as Dakota walked out of the bathroom. Johnny's gray t-shirt engulfed her. Her blonde curly hair was drenched wet and sloppily combed. Sylvia had always done her hair. Now D would have to learn how to do her own hair.

"When's he comin'?" Dakota asked simply as someone knocked on the door.

"There he is," Johnny replied as he got up to answer it.