Jeph could remember the smell of charcoal, beer, and freshly cut grass that day. It wasn’t the only memory he had from way back when he was eight years old on Mom’s wedding day, the day she got hitched to a man who called himself “Dad” on the first day. They hadn’t known each other long, although the memory of exactly how long alluded him. But it wasn’t long enough for Jeph to be calling the man, “Dad.”
Read from the start to get a better experience, Joker Joker Deuce Halloween Series Part I – A Monster Awakens…
Jeph didn’t know why he was having this memory. But it was one of those that snuck up and captivated him until it was over, even though he had lived it. His mind was going to make him live it again. The pathetic day his mom wore a smile all morning while she ran around the house getting ready for her big wedding. She had a humble flower sundress and cork wedge heels that made Jeph admit she did look nice. He remembered her running down the hall toward the bathroom while trying to hook her earrings.
But Jeph had no idea why she was making all that fuss. Especially when Dad came dragging his feet out of the bedroom in his underwear and took one look at Jeph, “Better get dressed, boy. Your mother’s almost ready for her big day!”
Why did they need a wedding? The man was already spending the night. Jeph looked at the clothes he had put on and wondered what was wrong with them. Then he looked back at Dad, and a whole different thought went through his mind, “Me? I need to get dressed? What do you mean, I need to get dressed?”
But Jeph didn’t have to say anything about that when he heard Mom, “Oh, the boy’s fine. But you need to get some clothes on, honey.”
He smacked her on the butt as she walked past him and into the bedroom. Then, he scratched his belly as he let out a loud yawn. He stood there and stared out the window for a moment before turning around and dragging his feet back into the bedroom. But not before stopping to study Jeph for a second. It was a stare that lingered, and there wasn’t much context behind it. So, Jeph had no idea what that was about.
Within an hour, they were off to the courthouse. A quick ceremony with a clerk of the court acting as a witness, and their new family was off to a barbecue, where Dad introduced them to one of the most interesting men Jeph had ever met. Stone had long hair and smelled very organic, but he had a calming presence, a stark contrast from the kind of life Jeph had at home.
“Well, we went and done it. I made her the old ball and chain,” Dad said as he patted her butt, something he particularly liked to do all day long.
Mom rolled her eyes as she waved at Stone, obviously already acquainted with the man, “Hi, Stone. How’s it going?”
“It’s good, Doll. Haven’t seen you in a while,” the man said with a huge smile on his face. Then, his eyes floated down to Jeph. “This must be the little Tiger. How are you doing, Jed?”
“Jeph,” Mom corrected.
“Jeph! That’s right,” Stone made a deal about it like he had just cussed in front of a nun. “I’ll get it right from here on out. My promise.”
Jeph just smiled and nodded. It didn’t matter what Stone called him. He could make up names if he wanted. He was just that cool of a guy.
“Got something to wet my whistle?” Dad blurted out as soon as the greetings were over.
“You know where they are, brother,” Stone pointed at the refrigerator in the yard by the trailer.
When Dad looked at Mom, she knew what was going to come out of his mouth, “Why don’t you head over there and grab us a few?”
“I can do that,” she answered, and then she started walking away.
“It just dawned on me that’s your first official act as my wife,” Dad yelled like he was claiming his territory.
She turned around and just shook her head as she looked back at him. But it wasn’t long before a bunch of ladies had surrounded her with smiles and questions. She was showing off the ring like it was a lost treasure from the Nile. Jeph could remember her smile. He could also remember the feeling he had of how out of place she seemed.
Everyone else was dressed casually in shorts or jeans. She was the only one wearing a dress with healed shoes. Dad didn’t even put anything nice on for the occasion, and Jeph didn’t have anything nice. The barbecue they were at wasn’t even for the wedding. It just happened to be on the same day they decided to tie the knot.
The more Jeph watched Mom interact with the others, the more he thought about how sad it all was. She wanted some kind of life so bad and was willing to do whatever it was to get it. What Jeph knew about Mom, she was funny and thoughtful. She seemed to be better than all these people she surrounded herself with. But there was something to her that Jeph just couldn’t name. People didn’t see her or treat her that way. It didn’t add up, and he had no clue why.
When he overheard Stone and Dad talk, it wasn’t that interesting for an eight-year-old. But it gave Jeph a chance to get to know more about the man who had just moved into his home and attached himself so quickly.
It seemed like he made decent money. Jeph couldn’t quite make out exactly what he did. He could have been a chemist because he talked a lot about dropping acid. Stone seemed to work with him on that.
But Stone was into other stuff, too. It sounded like he was a gardener the way he talked about herbs and greens. The way Stone talked, he made everything seem so interesting. Dad just droned on like the world was paying to listen to him. It was this monotone hum that felt like it was making Jeph’s ears bleed.
He finally had to walk away and find something else to do. There weren’t any other kids at the barbecue, so it wasn’t going to be that easy. Jeph took a tour and walked the driveway up to the drainage that ran at the end of the road. He threw a few heavy rocks into the water and watched them splash. But that kind of fun only lasts for a while.
Then, he walked back to the party where he spotted a football under the trailer. When he climbed underneath, he found himself face-to-face with a snake. That was an interesting sight. It was hissing and sticking its tongue out, and then it squirmed away.
“You almost had him,” Stone said.
Jeph bumped his head on the bottom of the trailer when he tried to turn around. Stone squinted while Jeph rubbed the spot. Then, he grabbed the football and climbed out from under the trailer.
“You okay?” Stone asked.
“Yeah, I’m good,” Jeph answered sheepishly, embarrassed by such a stupid move.
“I don’t know how many times I do that a week,” Stone comforted.
Jeph looked up at him, “You do?”
“Comes with the territory,” Stone answered. “You climb under stuff, you’re eventually going to hit your head.”
“You climb under a lot of stuff?” Jeph asked.
“All the time,” Stone answered. “So, imagine that. I do it all the time, and I still hit my head.”
Jeph’s laugh was like a low growl. It was like he didn’t know how to laugh, and that was all he could muster.
“You like football?” Stone asked.
“I’m bored,” Jeph blurted out honestly. “I was just looking for something to do.”
“Let’s do it,” Stone encouraged. “Here. Throw it to me.”
As Stone stepped back a few feet, Jeph cocked his arm back and let it launch. When Stone caught it, he took a look at it, “It’s a little on the flat side. It’ll do, though.”
Jeph shrugged as he watched the ball flying back at him. He caught it in his gut. He felt it a little bit, but he tried not to grunt. He sucked in some air and threw the ball back.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jeph watched as Dad sat down in a lawn chair. He pulled Mom on top of him. His hands seemed to go everywhere. When he saw Jeph watching something over his shoulder, Stone looked around and nodded. Then, he looked back at Jeph and shook his head, “Sorry, there aren’t some kids here for you to hang with.”
Jeph shrugged again. Playing catch with the coolest guy at the party was better than having other kids around. The ball went back and forth a few more times before some guy on the other side of the yard yelled, “Food’s ready! Come get you some!”
That’s when Stone looked at Jeph, “Let’s get a plate. Come on!”
As Jeph walked over to the picnic table full of different kinds of foods, he overheard Dad order, “Hey, honey, why don’t you go grab me a plate?”
She looked at him and nodded, keeping her smile on her face, “What would you like?”
“Oh, just fill her up,” he answered. “I’m hungry.”
She climbed off of him while his hands were still feeling parts of her. As she made her way to the table, she heard, “Hey uh, hon, can you grab me another beer while you’re at it?”
She looked back and nodded. Her mind was so full of the excitement of the day and the happy moment it was all supposed to be that she had no awareness of how she actually looked to the people around her. Jeph noticed them looking at her and looking at him. He couldn’t quite figure out the social cues, but he felt the vibe.
While Mom fixed Dad a plate, a nice lady from the party brought Jeph one. He hadn’t met her before and didn’t know what to say. So, she just tapped him on the top of his head and told him to eat up, that there was more if he wanted.
Jeph looked around, and all the chairs were taken. The table had no room. So, he copped a squat right where he was. When he looked at the plate, he liked what he saw. There was a cheeseburger made with a bun, not with two slices of bread like Mom made at home. He had no idea what the white things were beside it, but he knew it was made of egg, and that smooshy stuff on top was awesome. He was definitely going to go back and get some more of that.
The more he tried to concentrate on his plate, the more Dad was making a spectacle of himself. He had scarved down his food, and some dropped on his shirt. Mom grabbed a paper towel from the picnic table and tried to clean the mess. She had to fight off his hands while she did it, and they were just making a show for everyone to watch.
Dad would ask for a kiss, and while she was giving him one, his hands were all over the place. But they were doing more than that. He didn’t just run his hands over her dress. He ran them up her dress as well. Jeph saw her legs and even knew what color underwear she was wearing.
Stone hadn’t been paying attention. But when he saw Jeph watching this rated entertainment, not suitable for kids, he whistled. When that didn’t work, he made a clicking noise with his mouth. That didn’t seem to work either. So, Stone did the only thing that came to mind.
“Hey, look at that,” he yelled as he pointed into the distance.
Jeph looked suddenly, but everyone around the party laughed. Then, Jeph overheard Stone say, “Um, you have kids here. Save that shit for the bedroom, bro.”
Dad looked around at Jeph, “See? We shouldn’t have brought him with us.”
“And do what with him?” Mom asked.
“He’s old enough to leave at home, isn’t he?” Dad asked.
“Not at eight years old,” she answered.
“Who would know?” Dad asked.
“So we come to a barbecue and leave him at home alone?” she asked.
“What? We would have brought him something back with us,” Dad answered.
When Mom looked over, Jeph was staring straight at her. At one time, there were two people against the world. It was just her and him, the way he liked it. It wasn’t his preference, but it was the hand he was dealt, and he was fine with it. But those days were gone.
There was a new man in town. Jeph was put in the backseat. No longer the little man of the house. No longer the little man in her life. And by what it seemed, he was hardly anything to her at all.
Warning: Part IV of Joker Joker Deuce Halloween Series is coming soon!
This series is inspired by Joker Joker Deuce, a psychological thriller set in a college town where students are being targeted by a serial killer. Available now on Amazon!
