The Curse Of The Moloch (5)
The growing adolescents preferred the picture shows featured at the movie house in a larger town nearby. They would pile in their second-hands and drive down. Within the 'theater' the loving couples took to the rear seats; they paid little attention to the showing of the film, and only enjoyed the clinching of bodies and wet smacking kisses - and at times the young men tried to have the feel of hard nipples on ample breasts. "Keep yer mitts away frum thar," would be the girl's playful answer of protestation. The older ones preferred the call of the 'coon' hunt on a moonlit night, the rolling sound of the billards in the basement of the Grange Hall. The also enyoyed the time old habit of finding a comfortable perch in the center, near the mine office, where they guzzled beer and ogled the odd female. The hardbitten ones gathered nightly near the general store for the taste of the jar and the gabble of senseless gossip. There was in the time back when there was a miner who took an interest in the brush and oils whose works were judged to be 'mighty good' by his kin and neighbors. The oils were a primitive reflection of nature's bounty, the colliery and its workings, and, now and again, human figures in play or work. But the pious 'righteous one's' looked upon his creations as the work of the devil and they condemned him and his paintings. The believers of the Word witnessed the 'Lordy's' retribution when one day, without reason, the miner and his family packed their belonging in their pickup truck and left the community. "The fiery sword of the 'Lordy' drove them heathens away," was the sanctified reasoning of the pious. But... there was one event that was ritually shared by the community. On Saturday nights many of the good folk gathered at the Grange Hall for the dancing and the sound of the song, a weekly event that was look forward for its pleasure, during the toils of the week. The 'righteous ones' looked askanse at the gathering, ignoring its very presence. They dared not interfere, as their attempt of holiness would meet with derision. With the strumming of the guitar, the plucking of the banjo, and the scraping of the fiddle, the growing adolescents, mixed with a few oldsters, clodhopped to the rhythm of its notes. The boards of the Grange Hall reverbrated with the joy of the dancers. "Yeah, yeah - Yahwhooo," they called loudly as they jerked their knees and shuffled their booted feet from stiffish bodies; their arms hung limply along their bodies, barely moving to the vibrant beat of the music. During the pauses they would enjoy the refreshing taste of beer or soda pop as they listened to the songs of the hills. Some would quietly sing or hum together with the singer. The words of the songs spoke of blissful love, the parting of kith and kin, the bountiful blessings of the Good Lord, and the notes that spelled out sadness. They listened to the soulful ballads whose words were akin to their very lives. The songs held the attention of the gathered audience, and their moist eyes visioned the meaning of the words; their hearty applause after the rendition of the ballads showed their appreciation. Jeremiah Micaiah a growing boy, two years short of his adolescent years, was amoungst the appreciative audience. Dressed in a clean shirt and britches stretched on his lanky frame, he watched the goings-on. He was there along with a troupe of young-uns that stood at the rear of the hall watching the movements of the dancers; their youthful feet kept cadence to the rhythm of the music. Jeremiah looked on at a repeated scene, namely one of which a daring boy would grab a fetching little lass, and together, at a quiet corner of the hall, they would try to emulate the dancers; their inexperience feet, at the beginning, clodhopped to the correct steps. But as they continued, their feet entangled in the attempt; after a few moments it would lead to near tumble. Laughter followed from the two on the nearness of their fall. Their compatriots would clap their hands in an attempt to encourage the two to continue but their shyness prevented it. Their refusal ended with boos and other catcalls, "Nyaah, both youse r'sissies. .. afferd t' to do it agin', nyaahh!!".. "Boo, boo, more, more c'mon jest one more time... " "Aw shucks, leave us alone," as the young gallant would take his partner's hand and drag her away from their jeering friends. A bottle of fizzy pop, shared by the two, usually compensated their past effort in their dance attempt.. Both would giggle on what they had done and slowly but slowly their words softened as they stared into each other's eyes indicating continual intimacy. Young Jeremiah simply watched the goings-on quietly; his so-called strangeness prevented him from taking part. The other youngsters considered him a loner. Unknown to all he preferred the creatures of his deep imagination as his constant companions. There were the blessed creatures of the Lordy to direct his way and when sinful he was surrounded by monsters and demons of the deep circling around and threatening the hell-fire. Jeremiah sometimes talked to them in the simplicity of his childish fantasy, especially the good creatures of the Lordy; and the other young'uns who saw him in conversation thought him to be a mighty queer critter. It wasn't queerness that prompted those imaginary conversations but deep shyness that kept him apart from the others. They didn't understand, even thought he was possessed, and they kept a distance from him, never bothering to ask him to join them. But, on the Saturday nights, he was happy just to watch the dancing and listening to the tunes; and sometimes, a sly smile would cross his thin worrisome face as his watched the antics of the other youngsters. .. And, at odd times, A samaritan, namely a co-worker of his late departed pa, would treat him to a bottle of cool pop. � � Chapter Ten There were the hidden secrets of joy and pleasure that were carried out on the Saturday nights, and were kept from the prying eyes and the all-hearing ears of the blue noses. A few young couples, daring the sin of carnality, met in darkened corners of the Grange building or at the nearby growth of bush and stunted pine. Their wet lips met in smacking embraces; male lips coursed the whiteness of the neck and their hands felt for the touch of the body. Rough hands opened the buttons of blouses to reach the softness of youthful breasts and the touch of hardened nipples. Protests were limited as skirts were lifted and course fingers ran along the curve of the belly till it caressed the soft downy pubic hairs and the wetness of the passage that culminated into climax. Softer hands entered opened pants and fondled the hardness of extended members till white seed was spilled on the hard earth; and, at times through pressure, a young girl would be enticed to nibble on an extended phallus till pleasure ensued. They groaned in the sensuality of their touching and kissing and showed little shame at their enjoyment at the borders of sexual love. Usually only one or two pairs of feverish youngsters attempted to the complete their heated fondling through the coupling of their bodies. But there was fear in the act by the many wary pairs as it usually ended with an extended belly and the rights of marriage conducted through the insistence of a double-barreled. Yet, some were seen, spied upon as they necked and fondled in darkened sites behind the Grange hall. Their audience, at most times, was an innocent youngster who came near their trysting point simply to answer the call of nature; the boy was just too lazy to descend the few stairs to the toliets in the basement of the hall. He accidently came across the hidden spot of lovers; and in awe and with a bit of curiosity, he stopped and watched the going-on... And at times, for-getting his needs to pass water, the youngster went quietly to his friends and called to them to watch the sexual performance. The little devils came, found a hidden spot and became an appreciative audience. It usually ended without applause as the young-uns couldn't help giving their encouragement to the performers, "Aww stuff hit' up hers," followed by high-pitched laughter coupled with the sound of hurrying feet. Shortly afterwards the instigator felt the wetness that flowed from a forgotten stream and was now trickling in his trousers. Sexual flirting continued at various times as it sweetened the bitter lives of the growing adolescents. The mine called for the young men at fourteen and at the age of sixteen the girls were reminded of the marital bed. And the stiffness of religious edicts that called for righteousness crippled their youthful existence and plagued them continually. It became a need and sexually hungry pairs searched out new secret places, which they hoped would not be seen by prying eyes. The weekly jaunts to movies with its necking and touching was sufficient for the moment; but the meetings behind the Grange hall, in freight cars near the colliery, and other hidden spots around the center added climax to their sensual coupling. A few dared to meet in the mysterious of the nearby darkened forest with the flow of the shadow spirits and hidden demons; and their sexual delight was heightened by hidden fear from a terrible spell by those mythical creatures of the night. Yet, sometimes they were spotted by the prying eyes of a Nosey-Parker, namely a bitter old spinster or a Holy Joe, who�s wagging tongues gabbled in the irate ears of a father or mother. It usually led to the boy being dragged by the lobe of his ear to the shed, and the stinging of the leather belt slapped on bare buttocks; the label of sin was seen through the shorn hair of the girl. Chapter Eleven The hoarded bits of joy, at precious moments, extended to the gifts of nature. It was given in the flowing of the water, the largesse of the nearby forest, and in the skies above. The younger boys of the settlement were grateful and they showed it in their rough and tumble play as they swam in the depth of the flowing creek during the hot muggy days of the summer months. They enjoyed the cool refreshing water shaded under the extending branches of the gnarled wild oaks along the banks. The shade of the trees covered their nakedness as they stretched their supple limbs on the fallen leaves and the coarse weeds. Somehow, there at the creek, Jeremiah was accepted by the other boys his age and he was able to join the fun; there he was just one of the gang. Despite his gawky thin body he was a good swimmer and he could outdistance any of the best... and he excelled in swinging on the thick rope tied to one of the overhanging tall branches of a tree along the shore. He gripped the slim rope and with a loud Tarzan yell of 'Yahooo' swung over the creek, and with another wild yell let go and fell in the coolness of the water. The summer months brought other gifts of nature. Bushes near the creek and in the nearby forest were crammed with delicious berries and the youngsters, with pails in hand, gathered the ripening fruit. They never failed to bring a hoard of the tempting fruit to their waiting folks. Miz' Jezebel, Jeremiah maw, baked her son's gathering into mouth-watering pies.... and during the Fall, there were other gifts; the gathering of the hickory nuts and chestnuts which offered their delicious tastes. The months of the budding and the falling of the leaves brought out the fishing pole with a fat worm dangling on the sharp hook. Jeremiah was good in throwing the line in the flowing creek and Miz' Jezebel, his maw, would have some mouth watering catfish spitting their aroma at they fried in the pan. The nip of the cold air of the autumn nights brought out the baying of the hounds on the 'coon' hunt through the darkened forest filled with the winging of shadow spirits. The hunters, mainly the miners on a night out, hefted their trusty shotguns as they dared the mysteries of the shadowy woods for the elusive animal; some donned their safety helmets with their shining lamps for the search and for the protection against demons and shadow spirits. Jeremiah, carrying his late father's shotgun, would be amougst the group; and there was that time when the racoon was treed he heard the voice of one of the hunters call out, "Let Lemmuel's boy take the first shot." And true to his aim, Miz' Jezebel would have some meat for the pot and a coon's tail for one of her charms. The gifts of nature was one of the bits of sweetness in the bitterness of the life of Miz' Jezebel. The largesse of nature was considered by her to be a gift of the 'Lordy' to his believers. When Jeremiah brought these fruits to her and before its acceptance, she dropped on her knobby knees and offered a prayer of thanksgiving to her benefactor in the heavens above. There was hardly a thought of gratitude to her son after her prayers. Jeremiah was simply grateful, when she rose, that his mother didn't berate him for any supposed acts of sinning in the gathering of nature's bounty. � � Chapter Twelve All was not joy at or near the flowing waters of the creek. The tragic happening that dampened the pleasures of nature's bounty occured on the twelfth year of Jeremiah's life. It was the usual gathering of the youngsters on the hot summer's day at the coolness of the creek. There was the usual rough and tumble play and swimming until a small gang of known young roughnecks of the hollow appeared and trouble ensued. They were few in number, six in all, but their threatening appearance was enough to cause alarm. Those young thugs were not called to the mines and all they cared to do was simply laze about, and only worked at the odd jobs around the hollow if they cared to bother. That day they were bored in their usual ocupation namely sitting on the stoop of the general store, guzzling beer and ogling the odd female. They came and drove the young-uns away and claimed that part of the creek for their possession and enjoyment. They stripped to their all-together and dove in the creek to cool off their boredom. The young uns', clutching their clothes on damp skins, angrily watched from a distance as the leader of the gang grabbed the overhanging rope and played around with it. He was a hefty bully called 'Porky', known for his gross appetite. Nobody challenged his brutish form, as he was wanted to strike out when irritated; and his blows were near crippling. He took the chord in his pudgey hands and called out to his buddies, "Look me Tarzan," as he acted out an imitation of the Ape Man and they laughed at his antics. Then he held tight to the rope, ran a couple of steps, and swung over the water. The shadow spirits of the devil watched as the young man swung over the water and they cast their evil spell. As the swinging form gathered momentum the thick branch broke with a loud crack and the youth dropped heavily in the creek heavily entangled by the leafy twigged branch and the frayed swinging rope. The fall was swift and the heavy limb weighted down �Porky�s� coarse body; as he fell his head dashed violently on protruding bedrock causing the spilling of blood and brain. His buddies rushed to the water in an attempt to rescue him but the heaviness of the branch and the entanglement of the rope proved to be a difficult obstacle to their efforts. They dove repeatedly in the creek in their attempt to pull him free but with no results; their weakness, through the laziness of their lives, added to the toll of their inability in their desperate efforts. They screamed out in their helpless frenzy but were unable to do anything for their so-called leader 'Porky'. After the tumult of the rescue efforts simmered down, the youths left the creek and sat along the pebbled shore and sobbed in tiredness and futility. There was little to be done only to wait out the end of the tradegy. They joined together in the vigil of watching, both the young-uns, the gang of roughnecks and a few onlookers. The mother and father of the drowned youth, alerted by the news, were standing along the banks; both were in tearful embrace as they looked upon the sight of the accident. A hushed silence prevailed. Not a word was uttered as the onlookers watched a farmer, called to the scene, lead one of his mules to the slippery bank of the creek. They looked on in anticipation as the county sheriff and one of his deputies, clad in their shorts, waded into the creek near the spot where the rough end of the broken branch protruded. Upon the command of the sheriff the farmer knotted a thick rope around the harness of the mule, and threw the uncoiling hemp to the waiting officers who secured it to the tree limb. A signal was given that all was ready; the peace officers jumped aside. Then the farmer grasped the thick straps of the harness, and with a snap to the leather, coupled with harsh commands, prodded the mule to action. The animal strained on the tied rope and with great effort slowly plodded along. There was a hushed exclamation from the onlookers as the mule skidded on a slippery patch of mud but the ever-alert farmer calmed the beast. There was pause as the animal caught its breath, but after a few moments it continued in its efforts. Slowly the branch was pulled along the banks of the creek. A hidden rock on the creek bottom snagged the limb jerking the rope to a momentary halt. The mule shied on the tightened chord and it took a hefty kick on its rump by the farmer to plod it along, "Tarn' an' damnation, git along." The blow to its body caused the mule to pull and shy on the harness straps but another kick forced it to settle down and continue in its efforts. The animal tugged hard on the rope until the broken branch slithered a few more feet along the muddy banks away; a call to stop ceased all movement, allowing the tired mule a rest. Both the sheriff and his deputy returned to the muddy waters of the creek. It took reapeated dives into the shallow depths until they were able to distangle the swing rope from the body. Then they loosened the chord from the thick branch and secured it to the remains; a sign was given and the farmer and a couple of helpers pulled on the rope. As the body was being dragged to the banks, Porky's mother ran to embrace her lifeless son; she led out a scream of anguish at the sight of death, and in a senseless act tried to stem the trickling flow of blood from the battered head... Jeremiah could not continue to watch the events at the tragic scene; he was sickened by all that he saw and heard. He ran quickly from the scene of the accident without looking back. In his simple mind it was not a sheer accident but the retribution of the 'Lordy' for the sinful acts of 'Porky. He pictured in the deep imagination of his mind the soul of the roughneck simmering on the sacrificial pit of the devil god, the Moloch. The boy heard the harsh blare of the horn and the rhythmic beat of the taut drum that signalled the acceptance of the transgressor's corrupt body; he pictured the grin of the devil as it took the sinning soul for his keeping. He reasoned in his simplicity that Miz' Jezebel, his pious mother, was right in her words that all sinners would go to that fiery depth of hell; here, at the flowing waters of the creek was a witness to the deep belief. This damning sight remained constantly with him thoughout the coming years in the deep recesses of his memory; it was a good example of the terrible powers of the vengeful Moloch, the lord of the fires of hell. � � INCANTATIONS AGAINST DEMONS AND SPIRITS The good folk of the settlement spelled out secret incantations. Incantions, born of ignorance and the deep fear of the unknown. They were spoken in an aura of mystery, which the believers, hoped through the power of the magic words, would protect one from an enemy, the expulsion of evil spirits and the evil eye. Some spells chanted were for good fortune, for winning true love and social success, and to win favours in the eyes of others.
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