Hornets of Hell Swarm on the Porch

Micki Jane Preston dragged herself up my front walk
like she had bowlin' balls in her socks.
"What's wrong darlin'," I asked her,
"Ya look like youse seen a dragon in the sky.



She is Millicent J. Preston Esq. --whatever that means when a woman takes them initials after herself in professional life. We'uns jes' call her Micki Jane so she won't get stuck on uppity. She's in her 30s, I guess that explains it. New fangled ideas of the younger folks.


"Aunty, does ya have some of yore famous lemonade made up?"

"It's hot in Florida in June, ain't honey? Of course we's got lemonade. Have seat," I said. Micki were looking peculiar, a woman in distress. "Is it Marvin?" I asked.

She gulped down half her glass of lemonade, and sat suckin' on an ice cube.

Nuthin'.

I can be patient.

Deep sighs escaped her chest as she rocked to and fro.

"Aunty, wickedness is afoot. I mean, such wickedness that this generation ain't never seen yet."

Mebbe the poor thang jes' need a place to be still wif'out
Mama or Marvin hollerin' at her. Her mama and Marvin
is first cousins ter Cro-Magnon




But her daddy is fine fella, an long sufferin'...

Suddenly her fingers gripped the arms of the chair,
her knuckles turnin' white as the wicker.




"Here it comes"


A yaller Studebaker all restored and chromed purred up ter mah curb and Marvin Elijah Preston II strode up the porch steps, sat down, picked up Micki's glass and sniffed it.


"I shoulda figgered you'd be here, gussied up like a houri, bendin' Belle's ear, " he barked.

"Hidy-do Marvin," I said.

"What in the hail are you sniffin'?" Micki demanded.

"Checkin' on ya', little sis, you and yore sinnin' ways. Ain't unusual fer ya to let demon drink git a holt of ya, even at 4 o'clock."

"I SAID 'Hidy do Marvin'."

"Miss Belle, how ya' be today?"

"Not so good--I ain't partial ter visitors who fergits they manners."

He dropped his seer-suckered bottom into the porch swing and grinned like Wiley Coyote. "Did ya' hear I been preachin' up at Bethany Alliance Hope for the Lost? Got me a followin' in jes' three weeks time."

"Youse gone to preachin' in a church? What about yore third-hand abused car lot?" I asked.

The coyote ignored me.

"Micki, ain't no use warmin' up to Aunty, heah. She ain't got the savin' words of hope for the LOST."

Micki works fer a law firm what is into public service, gettin' the word out about infringements of yore rights so you can git busy fightin' to keep what little is left of yore freedoms. This past week she tried ter help stop somethin' called a
"Constitution Free Zone" granted to them sad-pride folks in Hot-lanta.
http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=191958

"Marvin, you bore me," Micki said.


I'se unable to keep still: "Looky Marv, Micki is savin' freedoms, an'
thas' important too."

He sneered, "She's runnin' up some eternal debts,
is what hers doin'. Did ya' know she is keepin' company
wif women what goes ter bars wifout their husbands.

Onc't ya' head down the road of sin,
why sins swarm over ya' like hornets ...
they'll sting ya' until youse bloated with sin poison."

"Aunty, fer Mercy's sake, we had a meetin' after hours over at The Blue Slipper 'cause Sissy's brother-in-law owns it an' let's us have a back room ter ourlseves and send out fer pizzas."

"Chile'ya' ain't got no cause ter justify yoreself to me. An' Marvin, that yaller buggy is hurtin' my eyes....why doan ya take some of this mint jelly I jes' made over to yore daddy's house...ya' knows how he likes it on his lamb. Go on now...Micki and me want to visit some. Jes' girl talk."

Marvin slid off the swing with his jaw juttin' out. "Aunty, ya' cain't shield her from her doins'. Youse a woman of faith, an' I'se chargin' ya wif' settin' Micki straight. I'll be movin' on, but I'll be holdin ya' accountable for my sister."

Hoo-whee! I was riled!

"Uh huh..well, right now, I'se settin' YOU straight--straight offa' mah porch. Ya' made ME mad as a hornet treatin' yore sister like that. Git on wif' ya, now....an tell yore Daddy he has my esteemed sympathy."

Micki sipped on her second glass of lemonade. He were gone, but I seen her fingers was still white knuckled.

I held still.

"Aunty, ya know that talk we was havin' a few weeks back, when ya got on home from Europe? Well, them thangs is startin' ter happen here too. An' it is real worrisome. But what has me gripped in despair is...is...I cain't git many folks to take notice. I mean, even lawyers doan have no clue what the hail is comin' at us. Ha! Ya' wanna talk about sin? Apathy seems ter me to be a hail of a lot worse than a
tipsy evenin'. Folks refuse to speak up--theys afeared they might lose a cushy job, or their place among the glitterati."

I patted her shoulder, but held still."

"Aunty, I thought ya' said youse gonna write up somethin'
fer that blog o'yores that would explain it real plain.
So I looked an'

I seen that cosmic clown,
that evil jester
ya got up fer the Front Porch Blog...

An' how ya' said

Somethin' wicked this way comes--

Sissy said that were from a Ray Bradbury sci-fi book...
An' I looked it up and seems like Bradbury knew--
what's comin' I mean..but anyway...what I need ter know
is when is ya' gonna hep me tell folks that they ain't
no time--not an iota of time--left.
Folks had better git it together or
life as we know it will be a memory."


I said,"Macbeth. Bradbury took it from Macbeth."

Then:

"Micki, I shoulda' never put nuthin' like that on the Front Porch. It's ruinin' my reputation--the Front Porch is fer light hearted banter. I wanna keep it that way. iffin' I can. Next post to the Front Porch is gonna be photos of mah travels or somethin'.

She grew agitated. "That's real nice...but when are ya' gonna make good on yore promise to tell folks how tight the noose is over our necks?"

"Chile'" I sighed "mebbe today..the latest it'll be is tomorry, since tomorry is when the Thing formally rears it's haid...but I'se only gonna have it on the Back Porch. (http://auntybelles.blogspot.com)

We'uns gotta keep someplace whar' folks can git some respite from the troubles of the world."