As Dad made his way to the table with a new pitcher of beer, Stone was just finishing his mug. “Right on time,” he gasped as he swallowed, wiping beer from his beard.
“The bartender’s kind of slow tonight, though,” Dad said as he grabbed his mug and poured himself another one.
Stone looked around at the overworked mixologist and noticed five other people at the bar. That’s not a huge crowd for a seasoned vet, but he did happen to notice something, “I’ve never seen him in here before. He must be new.”
“He should go back to working the lunch line,” Dad joked.
Read from the start to get a better experience, Joker Joker Deuce Halloween Series Part I – A Monster Awakens…
Stone looked at him with a wrinkle in his brow, “The what now?”
“You know, like serving the kiddies at the elementary school,” Dad explained.
Stone cocked his head and nodded, “It’s not one of your best.”
“Yeah, you can’t win ‘em all,” Dad agreed.
That’s when Stone cracked a genuine smile. The joke still wasn’t funny, but that’s why he was laughing. With stifled laughter under his breath, he tried to keep it light while Dad looked at him with an amused look.
It must have been one of those jokes that takes its time to hit, he thought as he poured one back.
It took a second until Stone finally gained his composure, “So, you went and did it, huh?”
“Yeah, I did,” Dad raised his mug. “What’d I do?”
Stone started laughing again as he raised his mug, “You went and got married, you Neanderthal.”
“Oh, that,” it finally dawned on him. “Yeah, she deserved a good man.”
“Oh yeah?” Stone joked. “Where is he?”
“Where’s who?” Dad asked, confused.
“The good man,” Stone explained. “If she deserved a good man, where is he?”
“Oh,” Dad laughed.
He could be a little slow at times, but Stone was used to it by now. They had known each other for years, and it was business as usual for Stone to rib him for a good-natured laugh. But nothing could come between them. That bond was one that couldn’t be broken.
“So, how’s it going?” Stone asked as he lit a smoke.
“How’s what going?” Dad asked as he took another drink and wiped his chin.
Stone just looked at him and shook his head. Dad took a moment and finally looked back at Stone. That’s when he caught the look that made him think.
“Oh, the marriage?” Dad asked.
“What do you think I’m talking about?” Stone shot back.
“It’s good,” Dad finally answered. “I mean, it works. You know? She still has those skills. You know what I mean?”
Of course, Stone knew what he meant. Stone always knew what he meant.
“Getting married didn’t change a thing as far as that’s concerned,” Dad felt the need to continue. “I mean, you know? You know, right?”
Stone looked at Dad with a blank look as if to say he couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of the man’s mouth, “I’m pretty sure I do.”
“I mean, you know what she used to do, right?” Dad asked.
Stone shook his head in disbelief. He seriously couldn’t fathom that this man had that bad a memory. First of all, Stone had known her for years, long before Dad knew her. Secondly, there was something he finally felt the need to remind him, “Who do you think introduced you guys?”
Dad looked at Stone for a moment, “Oh, that’s right!”
Stone nodded as he held out his hand and then took another drag before flicking his ashes in the ashtray. Thinking the conversation was over, he took another drink. But he was wrong.
Dad had more to say, “So, you do know what she used to do.” He pulled up his jeans and rolled his shoulders as if all of his clothes had just tightened on him, “I mean, it doesn’t bother me. She had to do those things. She was raising a child by herself, and she didn’t know who the father was. That has to be tough. So, she was looking for a good man to get hitched. She treats me good and I treat her good.”
Stone looked at him like there was an invisible line he was getting ready to cross. Dad just shook his head and poured himself another beer. He kept shaking his head as a thousand thoughts ran through his mind.
“So, you know,” Dad said more or less to convince himself as he looked around the bar. “Things are real good.”
Stone nodded and looked around, “I’m going to get us a couple of shots.”
When Mom came into the living room, Jeph immediately could smell the strawberries from her body wash. She was wearing a pink robe and matching slippers, like she was ready for bed. Jeph had never seen her get ready for bed so early. But life had changed quite a bit since she had gotten married.
She sat in the recliner and crossed her legs like the Princess of Bridgeport. She reached for her hand lotion and started her routine. To Jeph, she was a brand-new Mom who stayed home more and took better care of herself. Dad came and went as he pleased, and it was in those away times that Jeph got to enjoy some time with his mother.
Clicking the buttons on the remote, she changed the channels until she found her show. It was a boring story about rich people on a ranch who ran the world and ate breakfast together every day. But he was starting to get into it because one guy had just fallen off a horse, and they didn’t know if he was going to make it. That made the story a little interesting.
Suddenly, the phone rang. Mom looked at it with an odd expression and then picked it up, “Hello. How can I help you?”
Mom put her hand to her forehead as Jeph could hear the voice on the other end, “Hi, doll. It’s been a long time. Are you free right now?”
“Um,” Mom stuttered. “I’m not.”
“When do you think you have some time?” the voice sounded desperate.
Mom looked around at Jeph, then she tried to whisper into the phone, “I’m not available, ever. I don’t work anymore.”
“Well, shit,” the man said as if his favorite restaurant had just gone out of business. “Do you know anyone else?”
“Um,” Mom stuttered again as she looked back at Jeph, “No. I don’t. Sorry.”
“Well, damn,” the man said again, doubly desperate. “Well, if you ever get back into…”
“Don’t call me,” Mom quickly interrupted. “Don’t call here anymore. You have the wrong number. I’ve got to go.”
When she hung up, she looked at the television and lost herself for a moment. The mansion was on such beautiful property, as the view flew over from above. It was enough to take anyone’s mind off their troubles if they needed an escape. Then, she looked back at Jeph, who had no idea what any of it was about.
~
Standing in his driveway, looking at his Polara with its beautiful new shine and everything in perfect order, Jeph realized he had been thinking about her for a while. When it came to Mom, he didn’t know how to feel. He knew about her shady past. He had heard about it from certain guys he delivered food to over the years, and some ladies who had the nerve to come to her funeral. He didn’t know any of them, but they knew all about him. It was as if they waited for Mom to be gone to let him in on everyone’s little secret.
He had set out to check the car and give it a nice polish before taking it for a ride. What he found was himself in the middle of a series of flashbacks from one moment to another that painted the way through his mother’s disturbing past. But the saddest part about it all was the fact that she seemed to have finally gotten her life together and was enjoying it for once before it suddenly came to a brutal end. He lost Dad that night as well.
He had no idea what had happened, but he walked in on a bloody mess that he still hadn’t quite put together. Mom was lifeless on the bed, and Dad was slumped over in his chair with a bullet hole in his head. What had he walked into? If he had known about therapy, he might have gone. Had he known about the depths of self-help books, he might have read a few. But that night, he talked to an officer named Mackert while the bodies were being carried out of the house. The bedroom was sectioned off as a crime scene, but Jeph was allowed to stay in the house while the investigation continued.
He remembered walking out to the driveway that night and taking one look at Dad’s Polara. As he opened the door and took a seat behind the wheel, all his mind could process was, “Well, he won’t be needing this now.”
And again, his mind snapped back to the present, still standing there looking at the Polara. Why was he having so many flashbacks? Was his mind trying to tell him something?
He looked over the car and admired the fresh shine one more time, polished to perfection. It was time for that drive he had promised himself. Jeph’s life had become one streaming blur of working at the sub shop and then coming home to the basement. One out-of-pocket chat about awkward dating advice on his favorite forum, and he knew he needed a change of pace. If one thing he got out of that conversation besides hitting on women at a funeral or learning how to run was to get out and do something different.
The purr of the engine was his therapy. The flashbacks came to an end as he went down the streets of Bridgeport and found old roads he hadn’t been down in a long time. Coming up on Lancid Park, he stopped for a moment to take in the sight. The field was big enough for a football game and a baseball game at the same time. But the grass hadn’t been mowed in years.
Beyond the field was a playground showing signs of neglect. The monkey bars were rusted with chipped paint, and the merry-go-round had grown some spider webs. It was the kind of place that could be brought back to life if the town hadn’t grown up and moved on without it. What a shame! But when Jeph thought about it, there weren’t any kids in Bridgeport anymore. The town had been turned into a college community, and families found their peace away from the bar-hopping, sex-driven students who turned rented houses into party halls for their frats and sororities.
What was happening now was the marketplace in town that had coffee shops and ice cream parlors, vending trucks with every type of food imaginable, and outdoor seating that was very bougie for the college kids with their daddies’ credit cards. It suddenly dawned on Jeph that’s where he should be. If he was going to try something new, try it there.
What he found was a quiet buzz, a slight bit different from the obnoxious rumble that goes on in most places around campus. Instead of beer bongs and fart noises from immature sophomores trying to impress the freshman, groups of three or four were gathered in various spots quietly whispering about their drama. Girls held their coffee cups with long sleeves covering their hands. The guys wore shower sandals with no socks, but their sweatshirts kept them warm.
To Jeph, it was all an amusing display of confusion. Everyone was trying to beat everyone else at being cool, and it was fun to watch them all trying so hard not to try so hard. When a guy stood up and gave his girl a kiss, he lingered for a moment while running his hands over her bare legs. Then, he walked away to a vending truck like he owned the whole world.
That’s what life with Julie would be like. As he handed her a lemonade, she greeted him with a long and passionate kiss that went well past the suggested five-second rule. When she pulled away, Jeph studied her eyes for a moment, the connection between them undeniable. He smiled as he sat down in the seat across from her. She stretched out her legs and put them on his lap.
“I told you Daddy would love you,” Julie said as she smiled while sipping her lemonade.
“He really didn’t have a choice,” Jeph joked. “I’ve already got you. What can he do about it?”
“Nothing,” Julie agreed. “Not a damn thing. I’m all yours.”
As Julie’s words echoed in his imagination, he was suddenly jerked out of it by the real Julie, who had just walked across the marketplace and was about to disappear beyond the building on the other side. Jeph jumped up to go after her, but then stopped himself for a moment. What are you going to do? I don’t know. What should I do? I don’t know. But figure it out later. Catch up to her now. Good idea.
Jeph walked across the marketplace as fast as he could. He looked around at everyone as he moved chairs and bumped into tables. Miraculously, no one seemed to notice as he made his way to the crosswalk and looked down the street. He could see her in the distance, about ready to turn the corner.
That’s where he lost sight of her. He tried to run, but stupid walking people kept getting in his way. Why are they always doing that? It’s like they do it on purpose, just to annoy someone simply trying to get down the street.
When he got to the corner, she was gone. He had no idea what he was going to do if he had caught up to her. He didn’t know what he was going to say. But he wished he had gotten the chance to try. Stupid walking people!
Warning: Part VII 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!
