Bad Blood From A Feud

Homer saw Billy Ray walking towards the bridge. It wasn’t much of a bridge.It was mostly a bunch old planks. It crossed McUrdie Creek.The creek wasn't that much of a creek.. The whole bridge made no sense. Everyone thought the County Commissioners owed something to someone. It was the only reason it made sense. Turned out the lunber came freom one of the County Commissioners' brothers.

“Now, I reckon as you wantin’ to cross this here bridge. Well, you ain’t a goin’. Ya need to think a something else is what ya need to do,” Homer told Billy Ray.”

“Yeah, and how ya goin’ to stop me? Want to get inta another knife fight? Seems ya didn’t to too good las’ time, did ya? I bet your ass still hurtin’ for sure.”

“Well, I be drunk thet time. I’m not drunk now.” Truth be told, he was drunk. Billy was too so it was still going to be a fair fight. To these two, a fair fight was being able to walk home instead of lying in an alley. There was bad blood between them and no one knew why.No one cared why either. No one in the bar would sit to close no matter what. They made sure they where well out off a knife swing. Being a small county there was only one school and no one remembered any bad blood between Homer and Billy Price there. Most people didn’t remember Homer or Billy Price at all.

“I ain’t afraid or nothin’ too, but you be tresspassin’ and you can ‘plain to the Sheriff why you be doin’ thet, chump,”Homer said.

“Plan what? I can go ‘cross this bridge iffen I want.Ya must be as deaf as you are stupid..”

“Then you need be wantin’ somethin’ else then. Idone told you that already. I ain't deaf, jus’ ya ain't never got nothin’ I want t hear. Fact is, no one wants to hear what ya got ta say.”

“Well, I’m a coming ‘croos.”

“Nope, you think thet but it ain’t so. This end of the bridge be my property. Ya can cross over this here ole bridge but you’d have to then toss yerself off it and swim down to where my land be stoppin.”

The creek wasn’t very deep but it was very rocky and usually very cold. Sheriff Jones didn’t want any part of this feud. He had told them they could kill each other if they wanted to but not when he was drinking. He reminded then that they had knives but he had a gun. They told him that wasn’t fair and he said,“No, it isn’t.”

“You ain’t be the one what built this here bridge. The county done it. It be a county road and thet gives me the right to cross’ on over thar.”

“You be trespassin’ on my land and I kin shoot you iffen I want. You better beleive I would be doin’ just that.I aint foolon’ around”

“Ya didn’t do all thet well las’ time did ya?Billy Ray said.

“Thet be ‘cause I were drunk. I ain’t drunk now,”Homer said. The truth is Homer was always drunk.

“Ya should a be ‘cause I be comin’ cross there,” Billy said.

“Wahl, I don’ see ya doin’t nothin’ but talkin’. Thet all you be good at anyways,” Homer said.

“Yeah, ya think they built this here ole bridge jus’ so ya don’t havta go downstream to get tho this here side. Ya dumber than a old sow iffen ya believes thet,” Billy said.

That’s exactly what Homer thought. He used to make people pay a toll until Sheriff Jones put a stop to that. Homer thought that was unfair. Why should people allowed to cross his land. Sheriff Jones told him the county had bought the land That puzzled Homer. He had thought it was some sort of tax return. He still didn’t want Billy Ray crossing the bridge onto land he used> to own. It didn’t seem right to him. Everyone knew about the feud. They could have sold tickets to this.

“I ain’t seeing ya comin’ cross here now ain’t I?”said Homer.

“Oh,ya going to see me comin’ cross this here bridge. Then ya goin’ be in a heap of trouble. Thet be what you talk but you ain't going to do anything much.”

“I still ain’t see ya comin’ cross. If it were me, I’d be ‘cross and halfway ta town ‘stead of runnin’ my mouth like some old lady.”

Junior Rice owned the Lucky Dollar bar. He had the only legal bar in the area. He hated it when either of them showed up. People would either stand far from the bar or go home. Either way he lost money. No drinking, no money. He asked the Sheriff to stop it but the Sheriff didn’t anything. “They ain’t hurting anyone but themselves so to hell with it.”

Doc Hill was tired of sewing them up. He didn’t like wasting his time on the likes of Homer and Billy. Sometimes they came back to get the stitches to replace the ones they had. They never paid but what could he do? Can’t very well leave either of them to die even though he wanted to.

Billy decided he was tired of arguing with mule-headed old drunk. It was time to show Homer what for.

“Well, this here knife says I can.”

“Nah, we can’t do thet. People come to Junior’s place to watch us fight. They make bets and we get free drinks. We don’ want ta pay fer our drinks, now do we?” Homer told Billy.

“You be right ‘bout thet. I wasn’t thinkin’ I still want to cross thet bridge”

“Well ya just ain’t a going to.”