A TALE OF BIG PINE
KEY
It's hard not to be impressed by the Seven-Mile Bridge, a marvel of engineering that connects the upper Florida Keys with the lower Keys. Its effect is as much
psychological as visual. Up until
the bridge, the Keys largely seem like an extension of lower Florida. The act of crossing the Seven-Mile Bridge
firmly establishes in the mind the fact that you are no longer on mainland
United States. Until you reach Key West,
you say goodbye (and good riddance) to fast-food hamburger joints, big box stores,
and high rise condos.
Driving through such lower Keys as Summerland, Sugarloaf, and
Cudjoe, your breath is so taken away by the waters, the seascape often dotted with mangrove islands, that you might just not even notice the islands themselves The fact that you are also probably hell-bent
on getting to Key West might also turn these places into so many speed bumps.
Big Pine Key is the first large island on the
Key West side of the Seven-Mile Bridge. It might very well have become another Marathon were it not for one
thing, the Key Deer. A substantial part
of Big Pine Key is part of the National Key Deer Refuge. On this island, this graceful and diminutive species of deer
indeed finds refuge, as do nature lovers, boaters, fishermen, and people on the
run.
Historically, the long arm of the law didn’t reach across
the Seven-Mile Bridge from Marathon. Law
enforcement has also always had its hands full on Key West and adjacent Stock
Island to worry much about what might be going on way up in Big Pine.Old timers on Big Pine could easily fill a
book with stories of various people escaping some situation. As it lacks the pronounced social caste
system of many of the more “developed” keys, the homeless, the addicted, and
the outcasts mix freely with other inhabitants of the island, be they snowbirds
or permanent residents. Big Pine Key is
not for everyone, but for the people it is for, there’s no place like it.
Jack Millice came to Big Pine from Massachusetts back in the
1970s. He was emblematic of the youth of
the 60s and 70s. A free-spirited hippie, he biked down from Mass. on a motorcycle he had “borrowed” from a
neighbor. He was dodging the draft,
evading the law, and fleeing the scene of a murder. He needed to disappear for a while. Big Pine Key being what it was, he had no
problem doing so. New faces looked
pretty much like the older faces, although many old timers could likely recognize a newcomer as easily they could a particular Key Deer. Such long-time residents might have talked a lot, but usually said nothing to anyone that could get
someone into trouble. Chances are,
they’d been in hot water a number of times themselves.
Jack Millice took on the handle “Lumberjack,” though his
small, wiry frame hardly brought to mind a burly forester. He settled into a small commune on the island
for a while where a “live and let live” attitude was the only rule. It was a rule, however, that was vigorously
enforced. As a commune based on “peace
and love,” troublemakers were not welcome or tolerated. Being an affable, easy-going type, Lumberjack
blended right in.
As the 70s moved on into the 80s, Lumberjack and China grew
weary of the commune. They found an
old, abandoned trailer and set up housekeeping. In short order, the trailer was made habitable. They purposely kept the outside looking
pretty much as they found it so as not to attract attention to themselves. The owner of the property eventually found
out about them, but as a former resident of the commune himself maintained a
“no harm, no foul” attitude.
China was a typical escapee from middle-class
suburbia. Before coming to Big Pine Key,
she’d lived in Virginia, Iowa, Utah, Colorado, California, and Alaska. As a tumbleweed, she
had always felt that Big Pine Key was just another stop on her journey
somewhere. Then, she met Lumberjack. Things changed. She was attracted to men
with a past who also seemed to have a future. She had no truck with aimless losers. She and Lumberjack clicked from the moment they met.
During the booming decade of the 90s, the owner of the
property where Lumberjack and China had been squatting for over a decade
decided to cash out. The new owner had
big plans for the land, but fortunately, restrictions on land development because of the Key Deer on
Big Pine Key thwarted them. Nonetheless, he was determined to rid his land of all the squatters who
peppered his property. When he met
Lumberjack and China, something about them attracted them to him. He didn’t chase them off as he had done the
others, but rather came around and talked to them practically every day.
One day, he asked them if they’d be interested in working
for him. He owned many different
properties and needed good caretakers. As Lumberjack and China had been off the grid for so long, they
questioned whether they should take him up on his offer. Neither of them even had a Social Security
card. They explained their situation to
the man and asked if they might continue to work off the books for a while
until they could get their act together. All they needed was a roof over their heads and utilities paid.They could take care of the rest.The man agreed. He knew the ways of the Keys.
It was some months into their new arrangement when a man
stopped into a convenience store that was one of the informal hubs of Big
Pine Key. He asked if anyone in the store
knew a Jack Millice. This man didn’t look
like law enforcement, but then, undercover cops rarely do. No one knew anything, or at lest that's the impression they gave.
The man left the store, but was followed by a grungy-looking old guy. “You must be looking for Lumberjack,” the old guy said.
Turning around, the man asked the old guy, “Who’s that?”
“Why, Lumberjack. Everybody knows Lumberjack and his lady China,” the old man replied.
“And why do you think this Lumberjack guy is Jack Millice?” the man asked.
“Don’t think and don’t know. Just a guess,”” was the old man’s response.
“Where can I find this Lumberjack?” the man asked.
“He and his wife take care of a bunch of trailers scattered all over Big Pine. Got a map?” The man went to his car and pulled out a map of Big Pine Key. “Right here is where they live. So the man got in his car and headed for the place the old man had directed him to.
The man left the store, but was followed by a grungy-looking old guy. “You must be looking for Lumberjack,” the old guy said.
Turning around, the man asked the old guy, “Who’s that?”
“Why, Lumberjack. Everybody knows Lumberjack and his lady China,” the old man replied.
“And why do you think this Lumberjack guy is Jack Millice?” the man asked.
“Don’t think and don’t know. Just a guess,”” was the old man’s response.
“Where can I find this Lumberjack?” the man asked.
“He and his wife take care of a bunch of trailers scattered all over Big Pine. Got a map?” The man went to his car and pulled out a map of Big Pine Key. “Right here is where they live. So the man got in his car and headed for the place the old man had directed him to.
You might wonder why the old man would rat on
Lumberjack. What was his beef? Well, the old man was one of the squatters evicted by the new owner of the property where he and a number of
others, including Lumberjack and China, had lived. He saw how the owner had made friends with the couple and had allowed
them to stay. He saw how they were given
a trailer to live in, in exchange for taking care of some of his property. As he harbored a good bit of petty bitterness towards most people, that was excuse enough.
The man arrived at a row of trailers and asked some people if
they knew Lumberjack. They pointed in
the direction of a certain trailer. He went up
to the trailer and knocked on the door. China answered.
“Ma’am, I hate to bother you, but does a Jack Millice live here?
“Who wants to know?”
“I need to speak with him?”
Not wanting to give anything away, China then said, “There’s no Jack Millice living here. It’s just me and my husband Lumberjack.”
“I have a reason to believe that your husband’s real name is Jack Millice.
"And I have a reason to believe that you’re wrong. Good day to you, sir.”
“Ma’am, I hate to bother you, but does a Jack Millice live here?
“Who wants to know?”
“I need to speak with him?”
Not wanting to give anything away, China then said, “There’s no Jack Millice living here. It’s just me and my husband Lumberjack.”
“I have a reason to believe that your husband’s real name is Jack Millice.
"And I have a reason to believe that you’re wrong. Good day to you, sir.”
Lumberjack had been working on a trailer and was walking up
at the tail end of the conversation between the man and China. He immediately recognized the man. It was one of his older brothers. He also figured he knew why he had shown
up. He kept his distance, and only when
the man had driven out of sight did he go to the trailer he and China called
home.
“Lumberjack?” China asked. “A man just came by looking for a Jack Millice. What’s
this about?”
“China,” Lumberjack responded, “that man is one of my brothers.I haven’t seen him for years. We were all separated when we were kids. You know all about that.”
“Why do you think he’s shown up now?” China asked.
“My guess is that he's always thought I sold him out. Way back, before I moved to Florida, I ran into him. He was a part of group that was robbing a store. The manager of the store had been shot, and I assumed killed. I didn’t see the shooting, but my brother had a gun in his hand. He saw me, recognized me, and froze. I ran away into the darkness, but from a safe cover I saw the cops some to the store and arrest my brother. The others in the group had fled the scene. I ran, and never looked back.”
“Did you ever find out what happened to him?”
“Nope. I just couldn't risk getting involved, even if it was my own brother.”
“China,” Lumberjack responded, “that man is one of my brothers.I haven’t seen him for years. We were all separated when we were kids. You know all about that.”
“Why do you think he’s shown up now?” China asked.
“My guess is that he's always thought I sold him out. Way back, before I moved to Florida, I ran into him. He was a part of group that was robbing a store. The manager of the store had been shot, and I assumed killed. I didn’t see the shooting, but my brother had a gun in his hand. He saw me, recognized me, and froze. I ran away into the darkness, but from a safe cover I saw the cops some to the store and arrest my brother. The others in the group had fled the scene. I ran, and never looked back.”
“Did you ever find out what happened to him?”
“Nope. I just couldn't risk getting involved, even if it was my own brother.”
Jack Millice’s brother didn’t leave Big Pine Key. He stayed at the only motel on the island and
chewed the fat with many of the locals.
He wanted to find out as much about Lumberjack as he could. Although he'd never really known him, he became more and more convinced that Lumberjack was his
younger brother. After a few days, he went back
to the trailer. He saw Lumberjack raking
up the ground around another trailer. He studied Lumberjack’s features for a while
before walking up to him.
“Jack, long time,” the man said.
“Yes, long time,” Lumberjack echoed back. Lumberjack felt it was better to see the situation for what it was rather than try to be evasive.
“It’s good to finally see you again, and under better circumstances.”
“I remember the last time we saw each other.”
"D’you know what happened to me?”
“No, I don’t.”
“I was arrested and convicted of murdering a convenience store manager. I was guilty. I served my time.”
“I'm sorry about that. I really am. I've never forgotten the night I saw you. But it sounds like you’ve made peace with it all.”
“If I hadn’t seen you, and recognized you, I might have gotten away. I say ‘might’ because all of my accomplices were eventually caught and convicted as well. I can say almost for sure that I wouldn’t be standing here now talking to you.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I was on he fast train to death. I had a live hard and die young philosophy of life.”
“What happened?”
“Prison happened. Most people think of prison as a place where people are locked up and removed from society. For me, prison was the first time I’d ever felt free. I always thought I was just a bad apple. Then, I lucked out and actually find myself in a decent foster situation, but I blew it. In prison, I found out what truly bad apples were. They were not who I was. I studied in prison, even completed high school and college. When I was released on good behavior and placed on parole, I went to graduate school. Right now, I’m a social services agent who goes out and monitors foster care. I know what to look for, and I’m never afraid to tell it like it is. I’ve gotten lots of children out of terrible situations. I also spend lots of time recruiting good foster caregivers. It’s become my life.”
“That’s great, …”
“Louis, the name’s Louis Belcher.”
“Louis.”
“I just came to thank you.”
“You’ve got nothing to thank me for, Louis. It was just the way fate dealt with the situation. How in the heck did you find me?”
“I found you through your last foster mother. She knew why you left home, and didn’t blame you. I hadn’t really been looking for you, but I ran into her at a meeting of foster caregivers. Although she was no longer fostering children—she divorced her husband by the way—she remained vitally interested in foster services and wanted to help any way she could. She came up to me at this meeting because my features are so much like yours. She knew we had to be related. I told her my story, and she told me where she thought you might be.”
“How would she have known, I wonder?”
“Mothers, even foster mothers, have a way of keeping up with their children. Don’t ask me how. They just do. She never stopped looking for you.”
“Do you know how she is? I assume she's still alive.”
“She’s fine.”
“I’d like you to meet my wife China.”
“We’ve met. She seems like a fine woman.”
“She’s the best.”
“Jack, I’ve got to go. I just wanted to see you to thank you.”
"But Louis, I’ve got so many questions.”
“And I’m afraid I have no answers. I know what your questions are. They’re the same ones I’ve had. I have no idea what became of Billy and Sally. I really don’t know. Jack, it’s good to see that you've got a good life. It's probably not an easy life, but that's okay. And by the way, I’ve done a little digging on you and want you to know that as far as your past is concerned, everything’s water under the bridge. You don’t have to hide anymore.”
“Yes, long time,” Lumberjack echoed back. Lumberjack felt it was better to see the situation for what it was rather than try to be evasive.
“It’s good to finally see you again, and under better circumstances.”
“I remember the last time we saw each other.”
"D’you know what happened to me?”
“No, I don’t.”
“I was arrested and convicted of murdering a convenience store manager. I was guilty. I served my time.”
“I'm sorry about that. I really am. I've never forgotten the night I saw you. But it sounds like you’ve made peace with it all.”
“If I hadn’t seen you, and recognized you, I might have gotten away. I say ‘might’ because all of my accomplices were eventually caught and convicted as well. I can say almost for sure that I wouldn’t be standing here now talking to you.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I was on he fast train to death. I had a live hard and die young philosophy of life.”
“What happened?”
“Prison happened. Most people think of prison as a place where people are locked up and removed from society. For me, prison was the first time I’d ever felt free. I always thought I was just a bad apple. Then, I lucked out and actually find myself in a decent foster situation, but I blew it. In prison, I found out what truly bad apples were. They were not who I was. I studied in prison, even completed high school and college. When I was released on good behavior and placed on parole, I went to graduate school. Right now, I’m a social services agent who goes out and monitors foster care. I know what to look for, and I’m never afraid to tell it like it is. I’ve gotten lots of children out of terrible situations. I also spend lots of time recruiting good foster caregivers. It’s become my life.”
“That’s great, …”
“Louis, the name’s Louis Belcher.”
“Louis.”
“I just came to thank you.”
“You’ve got nothing to thank me for, Louis. It was just the way fate dealt with the situation. How in the heck did you find me?”
“I found you through your last foster mother. She knew why you left home, and didn’t blame you. I hadn’t really been looking for you, but I ran into her at a meeting of foster caregivers. Although she was no longer fostering children—she divorced her husband by the way—she remained vitally interested in foster services and wanted to help any way she could. She came up to me at this meeting because my features are so much like yours. She knew we had to be related. I told her my story, and she told me where she thought you might be.”
“How would she have known, I wonder?”
“Mothers, even foster mothers, have a way of keeping up with their children. Don’t ask me how. They just do. She never stopped looking for you.”
“Do you know how she is? I assume she's still alive.”
“She’s fine.”
“I’d like you to meet my wife China.”
“We’ve met. She seems like a fine woman.”
“She’s the best.”
“Jack, I’ve got to go. I just wanted to see you to thank you.”
"But Louis, I’ve got so many questions.”
“And I’m afraid I have no answers. I know what your questions are. They’re the same ones I’ve had. I have no idea what became of Billy and Sally. I really don’t know. Jack, it’s good to see that you've got a good life. It's probably not an easy life, but that's okay. And by the way, I’ve done a little digging on you and want you to know that as far as your past is concerned, everything’s water under the bridge. You don’t have to hide anymore.”
With that comment, Lumberjack’s brother walked toward his
car and drove away. Lumberjack did some
research on his last foster mother and was able to determine her address. He wrote her a long letter with no return
address. It would be the last time he would attempt to contact her. He never saw Louis again. Lumberjack’s future finally caught up with
him.
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