{"id":29302,"date":"2013-07-25T16:50:07","date_gmt":"2013-07-25T16:50:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alternativejonestown.com\/?page_id=29302"},"modified":"2013-12-12T19:15:50","modified_gmt":"2013-12-12T19:15:50","slug":"gibbons4","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/?page_id=29302","title":{"rendered":"Visiting Andalusia"},"content":{"rendered":"

(This is a chapter from Jennifer Kathleen Gibbons\u2019 young adult as-yet-untitled novel on Jonestown. A description of her work appears here<\/a>. Her complete collection of writings for <\/em>the jonestown report may be found here<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n

June 22, 1954<\/p>\n

Dear Sally,<\/p>\n

Thank you for the pictures of the children; they look beautiful. Don\u2019t ask me about the new novel; it\u2019s giving me fits. The good news though is Wise Blood <\/em>might become a motion picture. Odds are someone like John Wayne will play Haze. There\u2019s something to pay money for.<\/p>\n

The new stories are going well, though I must tell you about this strange incident that happened the other day. I was outside reading the dreadful newspaper (one of its better uses is to wrap fish in it) when a blue car comes down the road. Mama was in town getting her hair done. I put down the paper to see who it was; our local priest, some Avon lady or a lost soul needing directions. It was a young man with black hair. I swear to God, he looked more like an Indian. I almost wanted to hold up my hand and say \u201cHow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood morning to you, sister,\u201d he chirped.<\/p>\n

Oh dear. I knew right away it was one of those earnest young men who wants to have a chat with me about Jesus. Which is fine, but that\u2019s for Sunday. I put the paper down. \u201cWhat do you want?\u201d I asked, wanting to get down to business.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to give you someone that will keep you company. You must get awfully lonely here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even worse, a portable dating service was at my doorstep. \u201cI live here with my mother. And them.\u201d I gestured my head towards the birds. They were still picking at the cornmeal I gave them.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy word,\u201d The stranger whispered. \u201cAre those really peacocks?\u201d I then noticed he wasn\u2019t around here. He had a big booming voice, with a touch of a lisp.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell I don\u2019t know if you\u2019re interested in this\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally, I\u2019m not making this up. He brought out a monkey. An honest to God monkey. It looked at me and shrieked. I stepped back, even though the monkey was about five pounds and wouldn\u2019t hurt me.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that a monkey?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes ma\u2019am, a monkey. Perfect for your home. Or a fine present for someone you love,\u201d<\/p>\n

If you and Robert lived nearby I probably would\u2019ve gotten the beast for you. I bet you\u2019re counting your blessings right now that you live in New York.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019m sorry\u2026 I\u2019m sorry I didn\u2019t catch your name.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReverend Jones, sister.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ah! I knew he was a do-gooder! \u201cWell hello, Preacher. Are you new here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just passing by. My home and church is in Indiana, but I\u2019m making extra money selling these fine creatures.\u201d The monkey cuddled near Reverend Jones\u2019 chest. For a moment it looked like it was going to nurse.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though I don\u2019t think I can buy one of your fine monkeys today Reverend, I can get you a glass of lemonade.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat would be so nice Miss\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cO\u2019Connor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMiss O\u2019Connor. Let me guess, Irish?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re very observant,\u201d I said as I headed towards the kitchen. Mama made a pitcher of pink lemonade before she left. They were floating around like ice floes in the Arctic circle.<\/p>\n

By then the Reverend walked in. The monkey was on a leash, looking all around. \u201cBeautiful farm you have here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, we enjoy it,\u201d I said as. I poured two glasses of lemonade in the pink glasses Mama got for collecting green stamps.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere let me get that for you,\u201d he said taking one of the glasses.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you. Where do you live in Indiana, Reverend Jones?\u201d I asked as I we walked in the sun room, I sat down on the couch, resting my crutches nearby.<\/p>\n

\u201cIndianapolis. I just graduated from seminary school and am looking for a church where I can spread God\u2019s word.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll be honest Sally, if I was more brave I would\u2019ve said: \u201cI bet that\u2019s not the only thing you spread. I\u2019m also guessing you\u2019ve spread your share of fertilizer.\u201d However, I was polite. The last thing I needed was Mama somehow finding out I was fresh to a preacher. Then I\u2019d never hear the end of it. \u201cHave you thought of looking for a church around here? There\u2019s always churches that need young men like you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t rule it out. However, my wife\u2019s family lives near us. Plus we just adopted a little girl.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, isn\u2019t that kind,\u201d I cooed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThough like I said, Miss O\u2019Connor, I\u2019d never rule it out. I especially want to have a church that\u2019s open to all races.\u201d<\/p>\n

I nearly did a spit take on that one. Who did he think he was, Gandhi? \u201cReverend, I must say, that\u2019s a noble goal. Do you think it\u2019s possible?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell that\u2019s the thing, Miss O\u2019Connor. I believe anything is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh my,\u201d I said. This one must\u2019ve jumped off the turnip truck<\/em>. \u201cYou\u2019re so noble, Reverend. You better not share your goals with people around here. They don\u2019t take too kindly to the thought of integration.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think this is the right place to share my goals. God doesn\u2019t care what color a man is, Miss O\u2019Connor. What He cares about is how we treat each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wasn\u2019t I right, Sally? If he wasn\u2019t a minister, he could\u2019ve had a fine career as a fertilizer salesman. \u201cI guess I should be honest with you, Reverend Jones. I just couldn\u2019t imagine going to church with coloreds.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t they have the right to go to church?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course. It\u2019s just that I could never imagine it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust because you can\u2019t imagine it doesn\u2019t mean it can\u2019t happen.\u201d He put down the glass. \u201cLike I said before, anything is possible if you can imagine it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand the power of imagination,\u201d I said, feeling sweat going down my neck, \u201cit\u2019s how I make my living. I\u2019m a writer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy I had no idea!\u201d he exclaimed. \u201cWhat do you write?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFiction, occasional essay.\u201d I had an extra copy of Wise Blood <\/em>that I handed him. \u201cYou can keep it if you like. I sometimes use them for coasters.\u201d<\/p>\n

The monkey grabbed the book from the Reverend, and opened it up to several pages. Then the monkey (who in my head I was calling Might Joe Young) started to jump up and down. \u201cYour friend has taste,\u201d I commented.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just can\u2019t believe I\u2019m in the presence of an author. Wait until I tell my mother. She writes stories all the time. I\u2019m convinced she could be published.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oh, Sally. You know how it goes. So many people tell me they are convinced he\/she\/ their whoever can be published. They think I\u2019ve got a magic wand hidden somewhere and ta da, I\u2019ll make them a published author. It makes me want to say: \u201cI don\u2019t want to be convinced. If you think it, that\u2019s why it\u2019s called a vanity press.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow interesting,\u201d I said, trying to not sound sarcastic.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m convinced she\u2019s the next Mark Twain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oh, Heavens. This is when I wanted to tell him that we had Mark Twain, he was a marvelous writer, but he\u2019s been dead for over forty years now. Let him rest and be your own person. If anyone ever says \u201cI want to be the next Flannery O\u2019Connor\u201d I give you permission to slap them silly.<\/p>\n

I noticed that the Reverend\u2019s glass was almost empty. \u201cReverend? Would you like another lemonade?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh no ma\u2019am, I must be going.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thank the Lord! I was about done with the small talk! \u201cWell I\u2019m so sorry I couldn\u2019t buy your friend here,\u201d I said, standing up. Joe was hopping up and down on the rug. I was just hoping he wouldn\u2019t do his business on the rug; Mama would never forgive me.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s quite all right,\u201d he stepped closer to me. I know this sounds odd, but I could\u2019ve sworn he had whiskey on his breath. On his neck I got a whiff of Dove soap. \u201cI might be coming here again for my ministry. I would like to come again. You are an excellent conversationalist.\u201d His whiskeyed breath on my neck. I felt a shudder go through me.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d I said, not sure what to do. \u201cUnless you can convince my mother, I don\u2019t think my birds will get along with your simian friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t have to be a professional visit.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was so odd, Sally. When I lived by myself back East I was never afraid. In Iowa I was never afraid. I always thought I was too mean to deal with. But at that moment I was <\/em>afraid. I didn\u2019t trust this preacher to spread the word of Mickey Mouse. And I didn\u2019t feel right being alone with him. And yet, what could I have done? I wasn\u2019t sure if I could get to the shotgun in time. The peacocks are not known for their fighting abilities.<\/p>\n

What happened next would\u2019ve been derided in Iowa as a cliche, cliche cliche. But the telephone rang. \u201cExcuse me,\u201d I said, then with one of my crutches went to the other room to get the phone. \u201cYes, hello?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sound out of breath. Are you sick?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mama<\/em>. \u201cI\u2019m fine, Mama. It\u2019s the heat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou say that every summer, Mary Flannery.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMama, I know you didn\u2019t call me to chat about the weather.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course not. What did you want from the store Mars bars or Moon Pies?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMoon Pies. And Cokes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFlannery, are you all right? You do sound a bit flushed.\u201d<\/p>\n

I heard the door slam. Joe shrieking. The preacher was leaving. He took the hint. \u201cI\u2019m fine, Mama. Just hurry home.\u201d<\/p>\n

I hung up and went back to the other room. That\u2019s when I noticed my other crutch was missing. I turned around several times, thinking it fell down. No crutch.<\/p>\n

I managed to go outside and saw the car going own the dirt road, creating a dirt storm as he drove. Funny, never pegged reverends as speedy drivers. I saw items on the ground–I couldn\u2019t get down the stairs, but I knew Reverend Jones took my crutch. I knew it.<\/p>\n

Mama was really upset when she got home. I didn\u2019t want to tell her what happened but had to. She found what else he had. Are you ready? There was\u2026<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. A glass eye<\/li>\n
  2. A plastic leg<\/li>\n
  3. A fake ear.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    It was macabre. There was also a picture of his wife; a sweet looking woman with curly blonde hair. On the back it says \u201cMarceline-1950.\u201d Marceline, you better watch out, for he isn\u2019t the man you thought you married.<\/p>\n

    Anyway I\u2019m trying to convince Mama it\u2019s okay to leave me alone; other than church she doesn\u2019t go out much. I am thinking this could be a good story, but better not make it a reverend. Nobody would believe it. I do have an older crutch I can use until I get a new one. I\u2019ll wait a while to write about it. But what scares me is that people will fall for his act hook, line and sinker. And when they do, I\u2019m just hoping someone will point out the emperor is naked as a jaybird and as genuine as a three dollar watch.<\/p>\n

    Anyway, my next letter will be back to the doldrums. Kiss Robert for me and if I get this story done I\u2019ll send it to you. Just don\u2019t open your door to preachers that sell monkeys. My sage advice for the month.<\/p>\n

    Love always,<\/p>\n

    Flannery<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    (This is a chapter from Jennifer Kathleen Gibbons\u2019 young adult as-yet-untitled novel on Jonestown. A description of her work appears here. Her complete collection of writings for the jonestown report may be found here.) June 22, 1954 Dear Sally, Thank you for the pictures of the children; they look beautiful. Don\u2019t ask me about the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":29487,"menu_order":16,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-29302","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29302","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=29302"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29302\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51871,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29302\/revisions\/51871"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29487"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=29302"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}