Every Vote Counts

Every Vote Counts John Coy Luther ceased stacking firewood and took a red bandanna from the pocket in the bib of his overalls and wiped it over his face, as the automobile pulled into his yard. His wife, Lurlie Mae, stood in the open doorway of their ramshackle house trailer, drying her hands on her apron, while her mother, Nanny, stared over her shoulder. The children ran here and there nearby, playing a noisy game of tag. "Hidey," said the man as he got out ofthe car and stuck out his right hand. "Charlie Kendall, candidate for sheriff. You folks voters?" "Maybe we are and maybe we ain't," said Luther, as he brushed palms with Charlie and stuffed the bandanna back into his pocket. "Well, ifyou ain't," said Charlie, "you need to go register Democrat so you can vote for me this spring." "I ain't saying I'm not," said Luther, "but ifI wasn'twhatwould they do?" "Nothing," said Charlie. "You don't have to registerifyou don't want to." "I ain't doing it then," said Luther. "Don't be so quick to make up your mind. I got something here that might make it interesting." Charlie lifted the trunk lid of his car and revealed neatiy stacked half-pints ofwhiskey. "I ain't going through all that trouble for a half-pint." Luther peered at the whiskey. Charlie grinned as he picked up one of the bottles and turned it over to show a ten dollar bill attached with a rubber band. "How about this?" he said. "I'll give you one if you go register and vote for me this fall. Heck, I'll give you three ifyou get the women to register and vote for me, too." He nodded toward Lurlie Mae and Nanny. "Let me get this straight," said Luther. "I get a half-pint and a ten dollar bill for myself and the women for registering. What's the catch?" "No catch. You got to vote for me this fall." "How will you know if I do or don't?" said Luther. "I'll send somebody to get you election day," said Charlie. "But you got it right—a half-pint and a ten dollar bill." "Hold on a minute," said Lutfier, turning toward the house. John Coy is an attorney in Richmond, Kentucky, and afreelance writer. His work has appeared in variousjournals and small literary magazines. 26 "What's going on out there?" said Nanny, as Luther walked into the kitchen. "That's my friend Charlie Kendall," said Luther. "He's running for sheriff. I'm going to get myselfregistered and vote for him this fall. You all ought to do the same." "If he's a friend ofyours, I expect I ought not to vote for him," said Nanny. "I've got no opinion on it, but politicians are crooks, and if he wants you to register anything other than Republican you ain't doing it." "I done told Charlie we're Republicans," said Luther. "He said we could register Republican ifwe want." "I ain't doing it," said Nanny. Luther turned and walked out the door. "We'll all register," he said when he got back to the car. "Give me three ofthem half-pints." "You've got to stop by my office at the courthouse for them," said Charlie. "Don't nobody trust nobody no more," said Luther. "I trust you," said Charlie. "Take your whiskey now, and stop by my office for the money after you register." Luther stood behind Charlie's automobile with his back to the house and lifted up his shirt. "Don't let the women see," he said, as he accepted the three half-pints and stuffed them under his shirt. "Ten dollars apiece," Charlie yelled as he drove off. Luther stashed the whiskey under the bald spare tire in the bed of his truck. "I got some good news," he said, as he walked through the kitchen door. "Charlie says the county gives everybody that registers five dollars apiece. I don't aim to miss out on five dollars." "When was you going to go?" said Lurlie Mae. "Now," said Luther...