I rang the bell, and we stood waiting but nothing happened.
Jake reached over and not only rang the bell, but knocked on the door. HARD.
Suddenly the door opened and Ricky's younger brother appeared behind it, and seemed...I don't know, unnerved or something.
"Hi," he said, in a whisper.
"Hey, Jimmy. Can we talk to you?"
"Sorry, please. Not now. I can meet you later."
"Ok, Come to the house. My house," I said.
"Ok, Soon as I can."
and with that the door shut.
"Well,. that was certainly friendly...NOT."
"Dylan, I don't like that. He seemed almost...I don't know..."
"Scared?"
"Yeh, maybe."
We turned and went back to the car and returned to the house...in mostly silence.
'Only thing to do now is wait. Wait and hope he comes," Jake said and I could see he was as troubled as I was by Jimmy's demeanor.
He did arrive after about an hour and a half during which time I alternately fretted and paced and fretted and...
"Calm down, Sweetheart. Nothing we can do now but..."
"Yeh, I know. But my instincts are on overdrive."
"Mine too, baby."
Then we both jumped a foot into the air as the doorbell rang...
and I sprang to my feet and headed to the front door...with Jake right behind me and got there almost in a pile. LOL.
I opened the door and reaching out for Jimmy's hand pulled him inside.
"Want a drink or coffee or Coke or something?"
"Yeh, a coke would be nice. Thanks."
I went to the bar and got a cold one from the frig and Jake got him plopped in a chair. I went tearing to the kitchen and got a plate of chocolate chip cookies I had baked earlier and brought them to him with the Coke.
"Thanks, Dylan."
"Haven't seen much of you as of late," Jake said to him.
"Yeh, I know. Pops keeps me busy you know. I work in the shop with him, and don't get much time to myself anymore."
This intrigued me.
"How come, Jimmy?"
Jake then asked him...
Jake then asked him...
"You a senior this year, right?"
Actually it had the feeling of tag team wrestling without the glistening sweat...at least so far.
"Yeh, I was, but dad decided I didn't really need to finish and said he wanted me in the shop with him (small engine repair place).
"You quit school?" Jake asked, sounding aghast.
"Yeh."
"Damn."
Jimmy just sat looking down at his knees and now I KNEW something was really really wrong here but...how to find out?
Jimmy is a good kid. 7 years younger than Ricky and his mother died soon after he was born. There is or was or whatever another brother and a sister but I have no clue and haven't seen either of them in a long time. Left home I gather. The boy was a year younger than Ricky and the sister a couple years older. Both delinquents as I recall. The girl especially. Always in trouble. Real hard-ass and while she could have been attractive she didn't know how to dress (at least not like a girl anyway) and her attitude also spoiled any prettiness she might have had.
"So," Jake said...
"You're not working today?"
"Nope. Dad got a call earlier and I gather it was from Sherry, That's my older sister. He acted real fidgety and when he hung up he closed the shop and said he had to go do 'stuff'. He brought me home and he was upstairs getting ready when you came to the house earlier. Sorry, I didn't want to be rude but dad doesn't really want me talking to anybody anymore."
I looked at Jake and he looked back. This was a shame. Jimmy had always liked school and had been almost as good a student as Ricky. With high school and college he would have a very bright future.
"You think he was going to go see her? Where is she by the way?"
"I don't know for sure but yeh that's my guess...and your guess as good as mine. She ain't in town I know that but that is all I know."
He just sat looking at Jake and then at me, and seemed really nervous which made no sense. I have known Jimmy for years. He and Ricky were really close most of their growing up years.
"Does she call a lot?"
"Lately more yeh. Never used to. After she left you know and dad gets really weird when she calls. Doesn't want me to hear their conversation."
"What is up with her? You know?" I asked.
"I don't know, Dylan. Honest, I don't."
I wasn't too sure of that but...suddenly something struck me and I decided to go for it
'But you suspect something don't you."
SILENCE.
Jimmy just sat staring down, and wrinkling his napkin with his fingers almost tearing it to shreds.
Kid seemed wired to the max, and I felt so sorry for him. He was about at the breaking point and I could tell it wouldn't take much to put him over the edge.
"Can I go to the bathroom, please?"
"Sure, you know where it is."
He nodded and scooted.
Soon as he left the room Jake rushed over and got in my ear,
"My God that poor kid. He is about to explode."
"Yeh, I know. Jake we gotta help him whether he wants it or not."
"Yeh."
"So," Jake said...
"You're not working today?"
"Nope. Dad got a call earlier and I gather it was from Sherry, That's my older sister. He acted real fidgety and when he hung up he closed the shop and said he had to go do 'stuff'. He brought me home and he was upstairs getting ready when you came to the house earlier. Sorry, I didn't want to be rude but dad doesn't really want me talking to anybody anymore."
I looked at Jake and he looked back. This was a shame. Jimmy had always liked school and had been almost as good a student as Ricky. With high school and college he would have a very bright future.
"You think he was going to go see her? Where is she by the way?"
"I don't know for sure but yeh that's my guess...and your guess as good as mine. She ain't in town I know that but that is all I know."
He just sat looking at Jake and then at me, and seemed really nervous which made no sense. I have known Jimmy for years. He and Ricky were really close most of their growing up years.
"Does she call a lot?"
"Lately more yeh. Never used to. After she left you know and dad gets really weird when she calls. Doesn't want me to hear their conversation."
"What is up with her? You know?" I asked.
"I don't know, Dylan. Honest, I don't."
I wasn't too sure of that but...suddenly something struck me and I decided to go for it
'But you suspect something don't you."
SILENCE.
Jimmy just sat staring down, and wrinkling his napkin with his fingers almost tearing it to shreds.
Kid seemed wired to the max, and I felt so sorry for him. He was about at the breaking point and I could tell it wouldn't take much to put him over the edge.
"Can I go to the bathroom, please?"
"Sure, you know where it is."
He nodded and scooted.
Soon as he left the room Jake rushed over and got in my ear,
"My God that poor kid. He is about to explode."
"Yeh, I know. Jake we gotta help him whether he wants it or not."
"Yeh."
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