No Particular Reason

“I can’t believe we’re leaving.” Joey muttered in a monotone voice as he beat his head against the window of the plane. “Have I mentioned the fact that I hate my father?”

Amy placed her hand on his leg. “About five in the past hour. But look at the bright side, I get to come with you since my family came from there and I still have some family in that area. We’ll go to the local community college and it won’t be that bad.” She laid her head on his shoulder as Joey shifted and sighed.

“Yeah. But we’re moving to damn Mississippi. . . from California ”

“Hey, I’m from Mississippi ” Amy shot back as she pinched his side.

“Ow.” Joey leaned into the window more to evade her tight grip. “Yeah, but you only lived there for awhile because you’re dad’s in the military and you never see your family down there anyways.”

“I do too I love going to see my Nana.” Amy argued as she leaned back into her seat.

“As much as you love seeing me?” Joey said cheekily.

“Don’t even go there.”

Jakob sat across the way with Billie Joe and Adrienne. He seemed completely whole physically after the ordeal without any extra casts, braces, or stitches. He had barely said a word since they had left. He barely said anything at all anymore, period.

“Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, I am your flight attendant Mary. The current temperature in Jackson is 99 degrees with sunny skies today, Sunday, August the 8th. We will be landing within the hour so please fasten your seatbelts and have a good afternoon.”

Adrienne put away the book she had been reading and Billie Joe opened his half closed eyes. The entire Armstrong family had been cool and quiet since they got on the plane. They could feel the descent of the plane as they each individually prepared for what was ahead.

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“Who’re we looking for?” Adrienne asked as they walked out of the tunnel connecting the airport to the plane.

“Uh,” Billie Joe checked a piece of paper from his pocket. “John Travers and Mary King. I’ve met John when I first came down here, he’s the real estate guy and I think Mary’s like a business partner or something or another.”

The family walked down to reclaim their baggage, still looking for John Travers and Mary King. Even after they had gotten their luggage, they were still not visible.

“Where are they?” Joey asked as they stood dumbly in front of the baggage claim, not knowing where to go or what to do since John Travers and Mary King were taking them to their new community.

Billie Joe, who had been craning his neck above the light crowd, pointed in front of him. “Over there. I see John.” Billie Joe led the way to a burly man with a full, but well trimmed, brown beard.

He greeted Billie Joe warmly. “Good to see you again Billie. This must be the family. Oh, we got an extra one now?” John looked at Amy.

“Yeah, we had to bring the girlfriend along or else he’d die.” Billie Joe slid a glance to Joey who merely shrugged. After Billie Joe introduced everyone to John did John introduce the petite lady with silver hair at his side.

“Y’all, this is Mary King, my supervisor. She wanted to be with me to meet you and take you to Coziusko..”

“Hi everybody ” Mary said around a wide, bright smile. “I’m Mary King and I’m so happy to meet all of you.”

“Well,” John began as less and less people milled about them. “They’ll be time for chit chat in the truck so let’s get going. Now, feel that sticky stuff on you? That’s humidity. Get used to it.” John joked as he led everyone outside to his large truck that shined in the blazing Southern sun. “It’ll be a tight fit, but we’ll all be able to make it.”

Billie Joe, Adrienne, and Jakob sat in the backseat of the truck while John, Mary, Amy, and Joey got in the front. It was a semi-tight fit but everyone was buckled in and comfortable.

“Now,” Mary began again, her smile turned on. “What is your family name, dear?” She looked at Amy expectantly.

“Cothran.” Amy said as a cluster of forestry and retail stores blurred by the windows.

“Oh.” Mary nodded her head. “Are you related to Molly Cothran?”

“Yes ma’am. She’s my grandmother.”

Mary nodded her head. “Oh how nice. You know, she used to keep me when I was a girl. Such a sweet lady.”

“Hey, Billie, Adrienne.” John butted in as he passed a slower moving car on the interstate. “I just want to let you guys know that everything will be all right. We had a little meeting about you guys coming and we’re doing everything we can to keep you quiet and comfortable. I mean no offense, and I mean absolutely none when I say this, but your music isn’t as popular down here as it is anywhere else. Don’t get me wrong, you’re well known, but not. . . like. . . you know.” John looked in the rearview mirror at Billie Joe, hoping he hadn’t put his foot in his mouth and upset a rockstar.

Billie Joe simply put up his hand and grinned. “None taken. That’s why we chose this place. Anonymity.”

John laughed a deep, hearty laugh. “And you’ll have plenty of it.”

“Holy shit There’s a damn tractor on the interstate ” Joey yelled as he leaned forward in his seat and true enough, there was a green tractor slowly making it’s way down the interstate.

“Yep.” John said as he went around it, the driver of the tractor waving at them when they did. “There’s a lot of farming back in there.” He pointed to a stretch of fields. “So you’ll see a tractor every once in awhile.”

“Welcome to Hicksville.” Joey muttered as he stared moodily out the window.

The rest of the ride was quiet until they came into the Coziusko city limits and turned into a well lit subdivision.

“Is this it?” Jakob asked as they passed rows of nearly identical houses with rocking chairs perched on the porches.

“It sure is darlin’.” Mary beamed. “This is River Bridge Subdivision. It’s the newest and best one. The mayor, Dr. Andrews, and principals of both the high school and junior high live here. And now you do. Isn’t that just precious?”

“Precious.” Adrienne muttered sarcastically.

“Okay.” John pulled into a short driveway of a nice brick home. “This is you. Welcome home Armstrongs and welcome to Coziusko.”