The Adventures of Jack and Billy Joe Read Online Free PDF

properly responded.
    As soon as his mother had left the room, Jack said, “Let’s go to your house and get your junk. Then we can come back here and read comic books until Uncle Red comes.”
    They left the house on a run, mounted their bicycles and disappeared up Court Street toward Billy Joe’s house.
    At Billy Joe’s house, his mother informed him that he had to take a bath, comb his hair and put on clean clothes.
    “Aw, Momma, I just had a bath yesterday. I don’t need one today,” Billy Joe protested.
    “Boy, don’t argue with me or I won’t let you go a’tall,” she said firmly. “You are not goin’ over to spend the night at Millie’s house as dirty as you are. Now scoot. Get in there and scrub yourself good.”
    After he had gotten his bath, combed his hair and smelled much better, he said to Jack, “I hope your Uncle Red is worth all this.”
    It was just after seven that evening when Red and Bert pulled up in front of the house. Jack’s father and mother went out to meet them, where hugs were exchanged all around. Jack endured a hug from each of them and Bert said, “Boy, you are growin’ like a weed. You’re gonna be taller than me soon.”
    Jack didn’t know why all adults felt like they had to say that. They couldn’t see him grow.
    “And this,” Millie said, “is Jack’s best friend, Billy Joe.”
    “Sir—ma’am,” Billy Joe said.
    Red nodded to Billy Joe, and Bert said, “I’ve heard Jack speak of you, Billy Joe. I’m glad to finally meet you.”
    “Yes, ma’am. Thank you, ma’am,” Billy Joe replied self-consciously.
    They all went into the house with Jack and Billy Joe bringing their luggage.
    Jack’s father made drinks for the adults using the Canadian Club from the pantry with Coca-Cola. Jack wondered if it was actually Canadian Club or if it was from that “keg of evidence” the sheriff gave his father.
    Red and Bert seemed to like it either way.
    After supper and coffee, the men went into the living room while the women cleaned up the supper dishes. The boys followed the men and sat on the floor so they could get in the conversation if it turned to fishing.
    “So,” Red said, “you boys are best friends.”
    “Yes, sir,” Jack answered. “Since school has been out, we have spent most of our time fishing.” Jack was anxious to change the subject to fishing.
    Jack’s father chuckled at the obvious attempt.
    “You’ve got some good fishin’ in this area, that’s for sure,” Red said. “Where do y’all go?”
    “Mostly in the creeks but sometimes out to the Leaf River when our mommas will let us,” Billy Joe said.
    “They would live on that river if we let them,” Jack’s father said.
    “How about Bogue Homa Lake? Don’t y’all ever go up there?” Red asked. “That’s some of the best shellcracker fishin’ in this state.”
    No, sir,” Jack said. “We have to get there on our bikes, when our mommas will let us, and Bogue Homa is such a big lake with lily pads all around its bank, you need a boat.”
    “Well, I tell you what, boys,” Red said. “You dig us a keg of worms and I’ll come down here and take you both to Bogue Homa Lake fishing.”
    “When you wanna do that?” Jack asked.
    “Heah, Jack,” Jack’s father admonished. “Don’t pin Red down. He’s a busy man.”
    “Naw,” Red said. “You just call me when you are ready and I’ll tell you when I can come down here and we’ll for sure go.”
    With dreams of a wonderful fishing trip with Red, the boys listened to Red describe his two fishing cabins and relate some of his best fishing experiences. The boys finally went off to bed to have good fishing dreams based on Red’s experiences.
    “Red,” Jesse began in a very serious tone, “do you remember Lige Garner?”
    “Yeah, I do,” Red said. “Wasn’t he your top plumber when I ran the hardware store in Ellisville? And if I remember rightly, he was very good at his job.”
    “He was that, but he had a bad problem