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Keeping Up With the Joneses Epilogue
This
is the Julie Campbell ending to this story. There is also an alternate ending which
is the prologue for my alternate universe, What Might Have Been. Epilogue Jim sobbed as he watched his
mother’s casket be lowered into the ground. Katje Vanderheiden Frayne Jones
had taken her last breath a few days before. Jonesy had never been able to
heal her heart, and slowly she grieved herself to death. I
failed you, Dad, he thought, remembering his father’s last words. If I just could’ve helped her more. If I
just could’ve gotten her away from Jonesy. It’s all my fault…all my fault. “Time to go, kid,” Jonesy
barked once the funeral was over. Jim knew that Jonesy was upset over the
death of his wife. Jonesy might not care for him, but Jim knew that his
stepfather had genuinely loved his mother. However, Jonesy’s way of
expressing grief was to show anger. Jonesy and Jim silently
traveled the miles back from the graveyard to the truck farm in Albany. It
had been Jim’s house since his mother married Jonesy, but it had never truly
felt like home. Home was a yellow farmhouse in Rochester. The grieving husband and son
trudged into the house. Jonesy immediately went into the office for his stash
of Jack Daniels. Katie had never approved of him drinking hard liquor in
front of Jim, and since he wanted to please her, he had to hidden it. Guess
she’s not gonna say anything about it now, Jonesy thought
bitterly as he opened the bottle and took a long drink. He stomped into the
kitchen to find a glass. “We need to order Mom a
headstone,” Jim remarked. “I know that kid! I’m not
stupid, ya know. Give me some credit! I didn’t stick her in an old box and
bury her in the backyard. I’ll get a stone to put on her grave!” His hands
shaking, Jonesy poured a glass of whiskey and downed it immediately. Before
he had completely swallowed the liquid, he had already poured another. Jim looked surprised.
Although he and Jonesy weren’t close, they had managed to live in the same
house without any conflicts. But that
was because Mom was here, he thought to himself. And now she’s gone, and he can do what he wants. A shiver traveled
down Jim’s spine. “I know you’re not stupid,
Jonesy,” he placated. “I just thought that since you wouldn’t bury her in
Rochester, maybe you’d let me pick out her headstone.” Jonesy quickly finished his
current drink. “What do you mean, kid?” “I just wanted to be able to
pick—” “I ain’t talkin’ about the
headstone!” Jonesy screamed. He poured another shot in his glass, which he
immediately consumed. “What I’m askin’ is why you’re bringin’ up buryin’ her
in Rochester? Why would I do that?” Jim blinked in confusion. “I
assumed you’d bury Mom in the spot she and my dad purchased years ago.” “Well, you assumed wrong! I
wanted my wife buried with my family. With her husband’s family!” Jim trembled as he watched
the visible change in his stepfather. Jonesy had always been temperamental,
but he’d never been violent. His eyes were cloudy from the alcohol he’d so
rapidly consumed, and Jim his judgment was just as hazy. There was no telling
what Jonesy would do if he kept drinking and yelling. “So, little prince, why would I bury my wife with yer snooty family?”
Jonesy demanded, his words beginning to slur. “Do you think the Joneses
aren’t good enough for yer ma?” “Burial plots are expensive,”
Jim hedged, hating the quiver in his voice. He knew Jonesy was cheap, so
maybe that would cut him a little slack. “I just wanted to save you some
money.” “Well, that’s awful
thoughtful of you, kid,” Jonesy sneered. “But maybe I’m savin’ that plot for
you. Yer daddy’s been keepin’ it warm for you. The gravedigger might hafta
wipe away all them worms that’ve been gnawin’ on him, though.” Jim’s fear was replaced by
fury. No longer could he allow Jonesy to mock his father’s memory. “You
shouldn’t have buried Mom in Albany! She wouldn’t want to be buried with you
or your hick family! She’d want to be next to Dad!” “She shoulda thought of that
before she married me!” Jonesy exploded. Overcome
with rage, he threw his glass against the wall, and it shattered into a million
pieces. “I’m her husband, you little prick! It’s up to me to decide where
she’s put! I’m the boss around here, Jimmy,
and don’t you forget it!” It was too much for Jim. The
great weight of grief, accompanied by his anger, caused him to sob. “My mother
never loved you! She loved my father until the day she died!” “She loved me!” Jonesy cried. “She tolerated you!” Jim
argued. “She loved my father, and she grieved herself to death so that she
could be with him again!” Jonesy’s eyes smoldered with
contempt as he stared Jim down. When he couldn’t force Jim to look away
first, he shoved Jim into the stove. “Take that back, you little piece of
crap.” “It’s true, and you know
it!” “You filthy little liar!”
Jonesy spat out as he punched Jim in the stomach. The force of the blow caused
Jim to double over. Once he’d caught his breath, he slowly raised his head
and met Jonesy’s gaze. “My mother only married you so that you would help
take care of me!” “Oh, I’ll take care of you,
Jimmy boy!” Jonesy ripped the studded belt from around his waist. He stalked
over to Jim and sneered at the boy in hatred. Grabbing each end of the belt,
he extended his hands quickly to make the leather snap. “You’d better shut
your mouth and show me some respect, boy, before I’m forced to teach you some
manners.” “You don’t deserve my
respect,” Jim shot back. “You killed my mother!” Jonesy’s face turned white as
a ghost. He leaned in close to Jim’s ear and hissed, “I loved your ma, in
spite of the fact that she treated me like dirt. So help me God, I never hurt
her!” “Yes, you did!” “What did I ever do to her?”
Jonesy thundered. Jim’s steady, intense look
caused Jonesy to gasp. Suddenly brave, Jim got up in his stepfather’s face
and spat in it. “My mother hated you so much that she had to die to get away
from you!” “Enough!” Jonesy threw Jim to
the floor and began hitting him with his studded belt. All hint of the human
disappeared as the animal within took control. He kept thrashing Jim over and
over, oblivious to the boy’s screams. “Where’s your Mama now,
little prince?” Jonesy railed. “Looks like the crown prince’s loyal subjects
are all gone! There’s nobody to protect you now!” Jim shut his eyes as the belt
dug into the flesh of his back. He prayed that either the beating would stop
or that he could go to heaven to be with his parents. But no relief would come. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK…
I hope you all have enjoyed my peek at
the past. I know many will skip this story because Jonesy isn’t the kind of
character you want to read about. However, if you braved this story, I
certainly hope that it was worth your while. The last scene was difficult to write,
and I couldn’t continue. I hope I have offered a logical explanation why
Katie decided to marry Jonesy. As I’ve said before, that has always bothered
me, so I decided to fill in the missing pieces. Hope it has made sense to you
as well! Thank you so much to my faithful
editors, LoriD, Kaye, and KayRenee! You all have been such a big help! A huge thank you to all the readers
who visited the message boards and told me they enjoyed this story. It is
such an encouragement, as well as a shot in the arm to continue writing! Big
hugs to you all!
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