Joe Report

Joe’s mentor, his father, taught him his tricks for survival well.

Monday before last, my neighbor Kathleen called me and said three county vehicles were parked in at Joe’s house. I looked out the window and yep, a white car and a white van were parked in the driveway and in the street in front of the house was another white car – all county style non-descript and white.

I looked over that way several times in the next couple of hours and the white vehicles were still there.

I think it was bad news for Joe and mate that three white vehicles came. It probably meant the one that usually comes expected there would be trouble this visit so she wanted backup or support.

However, I think the bad news might have developed into good news when the visitors stayed long. It probably meant someone softened and now was reluctant and the other two needed convincing.

Later I left. When I drove off I noticed the three vehicles were gone. Who won? I wondered.

When I was returning about 30 minutes later, turning onto our street I saw a strange sight. Joe’s baby’s mama was marching down the street with a hard look on her face. Usually she appears to be relaxed and laid back… too laid back. Behind her walking was a Cobb County Policeman. I glanced up at their house and a Cobb County Police Car was parked in front.

One or more police car parked in front of their house is not that unusual sight. “What now?” I wondered.

I glanced at the house Joe’s baby mama was marching in full steam to. The man that lives there is a friend of Joe’s family. Joe and the man was outside leaning against trucks talking.

A few minutes later I was unloading my truck and saw the policeman and Joe were walking up the street. Every thing the policeman said Joe laughed like the policeman was the smartest and wittiest person in the world.

I remember Joe’s dad doing the same thing. Apparently, he taught him well. I think whatever the trouble was, Joe escaped problems again by smooth talking and laughing at the cop’s wit.

I don’t know if child services took the baby that day or not.

In a day or so, Joe and his friends were back spinning in his friends’ jeeps and trucks in the back yard again.

That reminds me, a day or so before the even I just described Joe hollered over to me one morning while I was in the hard asking me did see anybody over at his house. His truck was missing – somebody stole it he said.

The neighbors think somebody repossessed it.

Saturday or Sunday evening Joe looked like the typical man of the household – he borrowed his neighbor’s riding lawnmower and cut the grass. And afterwards with a blower he blew the grass away. Isn’t that nice?

And the next day I noticed his grass and paper bits that the lawnmower chewed up all over my front yard.