Chapter 10: 1938-1941, Restlessness

Raymond Miller had helped to support his mother, brothers and sisters through very hard times, and he was ready for a better life. “I’m just so damned tired of all this shit,” he told his best friend, Cletus Hayes. “Let’s go down to that little joint above town and have a little fun,” Cletus grinned. “Everybody needs a little recerration from time to time!”

2 “I’m not talking about gettin drunk and raisin hell,” Raymond said without smiling. “What did you have in mind?” his friend asked.

3 “I’ve told you about my family being the heirs to a fortune up in Delaware, haven’t I?” Raymond began. “Yeah, I believe you said somethin about that once.”

4 “What would you say to me and you hoppin in the car and takin a ride up there to see about it?” “Hell, didn’t you say that was a hundred years ago or somethin like that?” Cletus demanded. “Yes, but that’ll be the only way we can find out for sure. The courthouse up in Tennessee with all the records burnt to the ground,” Raymond explained.

5 “Delaware’s a long damn way away,” Cletus frowned. “Well, I can go by myself, goddammit!”

6 Cletus studied his friend’s face for a moment. “Well, hell, let’s do it!” he finally said as he slapped Raymond across the back. They both laughed.

7 “Where in the hell are we goin?” Cletus asked. “Wilmington, Delaware,” Raymond replied. “We’re at least gonna stop on our way out of town and get a bottle, aren’t we?” Cletus persisted. “Of course,” Raymond grinned.

8 They jumped in Raymond’s car and drove through the night. They took turns driving. Every once in a while, they’d pull off on the side of the road and catch a few winks before going on. The duo arrived in Wilmington just after noon on the following day.

9 They pulled into a gas station, and Raymond hailed the attendant. “Hey, buddy, where’s the courthouse?” he enquired. “What you boys want with the courthouse?” the attendant asked after taking a good long look at the Alabamians standing before him.

10 “That’s our damn business,” Cletus interjected. “Keep your shirt on, I was just asking,” the man protested. “Well, are you gonna tell us?” Raymond persisted.

11 After obtaining the directions, Raymond drove straight to the New Castle County Court House. Then, he strode up to the attendant behind the counter as if he owned the place.

12 “How would I go about findin out some information about my family’s inheritance?” Raymond demanded as he slammed the palm of his hand down on the counter. The clerk looked up from the papers he appeared to be going over, and then rolled his eyes.

13 “Don’t tell me,” he began. “Your family owned half of the land in Wilmington, and the DuPonts swindled your family out of all of it and built their factories on it.”

14 Raymond looked puzzled. “Somethin like that,” he said.

15 “Look, friend,” the clerk began again. “You’re not the first person to waltz in here with that story. I’m afraid that you and your family have been pulled into one of the oldest hoaxes on the books! There is no long-lost inheritance. And, even if there was, do you honestly believe that the DuPont Company is going to roll over and play dead and write you a check for all of that land their factories are sitting on?”

16 “I came all the way from Alabama to get this straightened out,” Raymond said as he swallowed hard. The expression on the clerk’s face softened.

17 “Look, buddy, I’m very sorry. This all started years and years ago with some shady lawyers that hatched a scheme to get a bunch of money out of a lot of folks that couldn’t afford it. They told the people that they had been swindled out of their inheritance, and that they were going to get it back for them. Nothing ever came of it.”

18 “Shit, I can’t believe it,” Raymond said as he studied the clerk’s face. “I’m sorry, friend. I’m truly sorry, but I’ve told you the truth.”

19 “Well, what did they say?” Cletus asked as his friend slid back into the car. “It’s all a bunch of bull shit!” Raymond replied.

20 “We’re waistin our time here. Let’s go get a beer.” “Now you’re talkin my kind a language,” Cletus said with a smile. After an afternoon and night of drinking, they headed back to Huntsville the following morning.

21 He returned to Alabama empty handed and defeated. Nothing would change. It would be more of the same: working in the cotton mill and barely surviving.

22 To relieve the boredom, Raymond had been flirting with a married woman and playing with fire. Her name was Kathleen Ricketts, and she was married to William Robert Mills. He was a good man, but Kathleen had never experienced the passion with her husband that she felt when she was with Raymond.

23 Raymond was a bad boy. He was exciting, and she loved him. For his part, Raymond enjoyed the attention and the danger which the relationship entailed.

24 “I’m pregnant,” Kathleen informed him one day. “Is it mine?” “You know damn well it’s yours!” she shouted. Raymond shrugged and parked the car along the street between their two houses.

25 “Aren’t you goin to say anything?” she demanded. “What is there to say?” he asked.

26 She got out of the car, slammed the door and began walking toward her parent’s home. Raymond watched her as she walked down the street. “I sure as hell don’t need more responsibility right now. I’m not ready to be a husband and a daddy,” he thought.

27 Raymond Lavern Miller was born the following year. The entire Miller Clan (including Raymond) acknowledged the child as one of their own.

28 Kathleen was hurt and confused. Why hadn’t Raymond demanded that she get a divorce and asked her to marry him? Didn’t he love her? How would she explain to her son that she wasn’t married to his daddy?

29 “I’m in trouble, Miss Miller,” she admitted to Raymond’s mother. “What kind of trouble?” Mittie asked.

30 “That’s not important,” Kathleen continued. “But I’m going to need someone to watch Lavern for me for a couple of months. Would you watch my baby for me?”

31 “He’s Raymond’s son. Yes, I’ll watch him,” Mittie replied without even thinking about it.

32 Raymond knew Kathleen was in jail. During her absence, he began seeing Miss Lorene Murphy. She was a “good girl.” Lorene was the marrying kind. Kathleen was trouble.

33 “Why don’t we get married?” he said to Lorene one evening. “We’ll have to ask Mama,” she replied. “You can talk to her about it and let me know what she says,” Raymond concluded.

34 That night, Raymond went home and told his own mother about his plans. “Looks like Lorene and me is gonna get married, Mama,” he blurted out as she rocked the baby back and forth.

35 “What about Lavern and Kathleen, Son?” Mittie asked in a quiet voice. “What do you mean, Mama?” he answered with a question of his own. “Lavern will always be my son, and Kathleen is hard as nails – you know that,” he added before she could say anything.

36 Mittie stopped rocking and studied her son’s face for a moment. “You’re pretty hard yourself,” she thought.

37 “Besides, Mama. Don’t I deserve some happiness?” “Yes, son, you do. There’s some biscuits and fat back in the oven if you’re hungry,” she said as she resumed rocking.

38 When Kathleen heard about Lorene, she was furious. As soon as she was released from jail, she went to Mittie’s house to confront Raymond and retrieve her son.

39 Raymond was leaning against one of the posts on the front porch when she arrived. “What in the hell are you doin with that bitch?” she demanded. “I’ve asked Lorene to marry me,” Raymond said without blinking. “I will not give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry,” she thought.

40 She walked past him and into the house where Mittie was holding Lavern and sitting in her rocking chair. She reached down and took him out of her arms. Then she turned around and walked out of the house without saying another word.

41 Raymond and Lorene were married at the beginning of August in 1941. Thereafter, Mittie was deprived of having any relationship with the grandson whom she had come to regard as her baby.