THE BOLAN CHRONICLES: Reading #9

9. Approximate Minutes Reading (AMR): 12

Introduction to Characters:

THE BOLAN CHRONICLES

Chapter 2

Dean

**The News**

She asked if he could come by to talk; that she had some news he should hear as soon as possible. And though Jake was curious, he wasn’t all that concerned. 

They met at a park near the high school. Right away, Jake wanted to know what the hurried matter was. Donna said that she wanted to sit down with him and talk. And she didn't waste any time. "I'm pregnant, Jake."

Jake sat silently. 

"I found out two days ago, and I wanted to deal with my own feelings before I told you,” Donna continued, “I also wanted to deal with my parents; get that out of the way so we could move on."

Jake said nothing.

Donna took his hand and said, "Say something, Jake! Please!"

"What do you want me to say?"

"Anything! Just say something!"

Jake paused, then he asked, "I suppose you've thought about what you want to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you've decided how this is going to play out, right? There are only a couple of options here."

Confused and afraid, Donna replied, "Jake, I don't know what you mean by that?"

Jake looked down and dragged his foot along the grass. "What was your parents' advice?"

Donna sniffed and said, "Well, after my mom told me about how I was almost aborted at my stupid dad's request, I wasn't really interested in what they had to say about it."

Jake quickly stood up and began pacing.

"Can you believe that, Jake? My parents did the same thing that you and I have done; they made a baby together before they were married. And my dad wanted to get rid of me even before I was born." She waited for a response. Jake said nothing. Donna continued, “I'm so glad that they didn't do that. I wouldn't have met you, and we wouldn't be together." She waited again for his reply.

Jake finally spoke, "Okay, Donna, that's all fine and dandy, but what are we going to do? We have to talk about our future now. Things are going to be a bit different now."

"I know, Jake, and I'm happy to do whatever it takes to make things work for our family."

That went to Jake's heart. He was in no way prepared to deal with the term 'family,' let alone raise one. 

He turned to Donna, and in a matter-of-fact tone he said, "I need time, Donna. I'm going to drive you home, and I don't want you to say a word to me until you say goodnight. Do you understand?"

Perplexed at the sudden response, she said, "Okay. That's fine, Jake."

He pulled up to the house, and for the first time since they had started dating, Jake didn't get out of the car to walk her to the door. He looked at Donna. She looked back at him and smiled. The two sat silently for a moment longer. When Donna realized that Jake was not going to get the door for her, she opened it herself and stepped out. Then she said goodnight. Jake kept his gaze on the dashboard until he heard the door shut, and he drove off.

At work the next afternoon, Twila immediately suspected that something was up. Jake had hardly spoken a word since the minute he’d stepped through the back door to the kitchen.

Twila called him to the dining room, and when she asked him to sit, he said that he had a lot to do; that he couldn't sit down just yet.

"Jake," Twila replied, "Honey, that just ain't like you. Now you sit down here and take a load off. I'll gicha some soda and we'll jis talk a bit."

Jake sat while Twila filled two plastic cups with Pepsi. She waddled back to the table, slammed the cups down and took a seat. She let out a deep heave of a sigh and looked straight at Jake.

"Honey, you just ain't you."

Jake said, "I'm fine, Miss Twila."

"No, you ain't fine, Honey, and I'm not gonna' let you be anything but fine if I can help it. Now, as my dead Uncle Mort used to say, who peed in your cornflakes this mornin'?"

Jake smirked, "Nobody did, Miss Twila. I'm just not feelin' real great right now."

"Aha!" Twila announced, "So you done got pickled last night then?"

Jake looked at her and said, "Pickled? What?"

"Honey, did you go out drinkin' last night? You can tell me the truth, you know that."

Jake laughed, "No, I didn't go out drinking."

"Well then what all's the matter? You got the bug?"

Jake laughed again, "Miss Twila, you're gonna have to start speaking in my language."

Twila reached over and put her fat hand on the table in front of Jake, "Honey, are you sick?"

Jake paused for a moment then said, "Yeah, I think I've come down with something. My stomach just doesn't feel right, and I don't seem to have much energy."

Twila quickly replied, "You go home right now, Sweetie. Bill can take care o' things tonight. I want you ta get home, drink plenty o' water, have your momma make y’up some hot broth, and you git ta bed Honey, ya hear me?"

Jake thanked Twila for caring and he grabbed his keys and headed toward the door. Just before he closed it behind him, he called out, “Hey, Miss Twila!”

"Yes, Honey. What is it?"

"Will Bill be out there by the till tonight?"

Curious, Twila replied, "Well, I s'pose so. We may need him to help up front, sees we'll be short o' help tonight. Why do you ask, Jake?"

Jake paused, "Well...I'm just sayin' that you might want to be watchin' him if he's in the till at all. Goodnight!"

And with that, he left the restaurant.

Jake said nothing to his parents about the pregnancy. His father would only tell him how much of a fool he was for focusing on anything but a college education, and his mother would sulk about, wondering what her husband might want her to say.

Against the wishes of Twila, Jake returned to work the next day. He told her that he found pleasure in his job and had a real hard time lying in bed when he could be at Ken's, doing what he loved. Twila smiled. She thought the world of Jake and only wished that there were some way that she could have a son like him. 

Twila asked Jake as he was emptying Hurricane what he’d meant yesterday when he’d said that she should watch Bill at the till. Jake replied, "Oh, you know. Just thought you might want to be careful, that's all."

"Now, Jake, you been real honest with me. Just let's be straight up here. What in tarnations is goin' on?" Jake attempted to shrug it off, but when he turned to walk away, Twila said, “Jake, I’m waitin’ for an answer here.” For the first time since he’d known her, Jake sensed a tinge of anger.

He grabbed a dishtowel and dried his hands then he looked up and said, "Now listen, I'm not interested in being a snitch. I never was one as a kid and don't intend on startin' now."

"Go on."  Twila replied seriously.

"Okay. The other day, when Bill was helpin' Lonnie and Jose with the cooking, someone must have left the til open."

"Go on."

"Well, Just as I was coming out of the cold box with another can of mushrooms, Bill was standing in front of the till and lookin' around like he might have somethin' up his sleeve, so I backed up and squatted down behind the stove. I knew he couldn't see me." Jake paused and sighed.

Twila leaned against the sink and said, "Alright now. Go on."

"I can't say for sure, Twila, 'cause I was behind that stove, but I'm real close to positive that I saw him stuff some money down the front of his pants. And after he did that, he slammed the till shut real fast then walked away." Jake looked down.

Twila sighed deeply. She leaned over and put her large forearms on the edge of the sink.  

"Now, Miss Twila, you can't be sayin' anything to Bill about me tellin' you this, okay? I mean, I don't want anyone to be in trouble here, and I like the people I work with, including Bill, but I just had to be honest, or I just couldn't live with myself." Then he said, “You asked me for to be honest, and that’s what I’ve tried to do.”

Twila immediately pulled herself away from the sink and waddled over to Jake. She put her hand on his back and said, "Honey, I know this must'a been tough fer ya, but you done the right thing. And don't ya worry 'bout me sayin' anything ta Bill with your name in it, hear?"

"Thanks, Miss Twila."

"What's done is done, and now I need ta take care of it without the shit hittin' the fan too bad. Lord knows Ken's got hisself enough ta deal with as it is. He’s a damn busy man, that Ken Cale,” Then Twila looked up at the ceiling and shook her head. “And that Bill. Oh, that Bill. He’s been such a good fella’ ta Ken…and ta all of us.”

“Yeah, Miss Twila. He’s a good guy. That’s why I hated to say anything at all.”

Twila grabbed his forearm. “Jake, honey. You done the right thing.” She paused then said, “Think o’ what coulda’ happened if you didn’t say nothin’ honey. If Bill did do what you think he done, and if he got away with it…” She paused.

“I know, Miss Twila. He’d probably do it again.”

Twila sighed, “That’s right, honey. So don’t you go feelin’ bad. It ain’t you that done the wrong thing.”

Jake thanked Twila, and when she walked away he mumbled to himself, “Measly hic won’t stand in my way for long.”

Twila made the dreaded phone call. And though she had told Jake that she would keep his name out of the conversation, Ken somehow dug it out of her. Ken remembered that on that particular evening he had been at the till only one time, and he remembered that he had carelessly left the till opened for a short time, unwatched. Twila cried when she admitted that it was Jake who had told her about the unfortunate situation, and Ken promised that there was no need for her to worry; that she could be assured that their conversation would stay confidential. Twila was touched.

Ken felt badly about letting Bill go, but he often wondered if he hadn't made a mistake by hiring a former Viet Nam soldier. After all, the things that the war did to the minds of those soldiers often made them unfit for civilian life back home. When Twila later asked him about it, Ken replied, “I’m not in business to repair damaged psyches.”

Ken gave Jake a significant raise and more responsibilities. Jake had proven that he was a hard worker and faithful to the integrity of the job.  

Donna was thrilled when Jake told her the news. She was all the more convinced of the bright future that lay ahead for the three of them. But she was saddened at the news about Bill. “That poor man.”

Jake replied, “That poor man? Donna! He stole money! Do you think that Ken should hold on to a thief?”

“No,” she said, “I just feel kinda bad for him.”

“Well don’t.” Jake said. “No need to discuss. Liars and thieves will find the same place in hell. He’s gone, and that’s that.”

After Donna's unfortunate announcement had finally settled itself in Jake's mind, he began planning. His police officer dream had been lodged in his brain for far too long to let anyone or anything dislodge it. And if there were a way to take a circumstance that to others might seem insurmountable, and mold it into an advantageous one, he would find that way. 

At just about the end of her first trimester, Donna began to show. Jake was faced with the inevitable. He would have to inform his parents and Twila and Ken of his dilemma. He was sure that informing Twila would likely result in a big hug and a hearty congratulations. Ken would likely be concerned about his continued commitment to the job and the effect that fatherhood might have on his performance as an employee. But Jake was determined to continue to work hard, and the added benefits that the job provided were not things that Jake would likely find elsewhere.  

So he told Ken first. After dropping off paychecks to Twila one Monday evening and then heading back to his car, Ken heard Jake call his name. 

"Oh! Hi there, Jake."

"Hi Mr. Cale! "

Ken held his hand out and said, "It's good to see you, and I'm sure that you're curious about that opportunity that I brought up several weeks ago."

In fact, Jake had thought about that night. He'd thought about it a lot, but preoccupation with how becoming a father would likely restrict the opportunity pool was what permeated his thoughts even more.

"Oh, yeah, I am curious about that, but there's something else that I wanted to talk with you about, if you have time."

Ken pointed to the curb dividing the parking lot from a row of trees. "Let's have a seat over here; take a load off." They settled themselves on the curb and Ken asked, "What is it, Jake?"

"Well, sir, I've had some interesting news come my way recently, and I wanted to be the one to tell you about it before rumors started. You know how those can be."

"Absolutely," Ken said. 

Jake informed Ken of Donna's pregnancy. He expressed his concern regarding Ken's reaction and about how important it was to him that he understands that the job was something that he valued and wanted to hold on to and continue to learn from. That this job was a real blessing and that he considered it to be a long-term agreement that he would take into fatherhood.

Ken put his arm around Jake and said, "Well, though I think that your actions with Donna were foolish, I don't believe for one minute that you'd do anything but continue to work hard for me, Jake."

Jake said, "Oh, that's a relief, sir."

Then Ken looked at Jake and asked, "I suppose I probably don't need to ask you if you're going to marry her?"

Taken aback, Jake answered, "Uh, well, um...of course not, sir…um, that is, of course I’m going to."

Ken glanced at his watch, "Anything else?"

Jake replied, "No, sir." He paused, "How about that other thing you mentioned?  Can we talk about that?"

"Ah! That. Well, let me give that some more thought, all right? I've got a meeting with a friend within the hour, and it's getting damn near busy traffic time."

Jake offered his hand, "Oh, yes sir. Thanks for taking the time to listen."

"Not a problem, Jake. Any time."

Jake returned to the kitchen. Twila said that she'd been looking for him to help get a couple of large lettuce boxes emptied but saw that he was out talking to Ken. And she told him that Bill had come in the restaurant looking for something but had walked out pretty bent out of shape. Jake asked her if she knew what Bill was looking for. “I have no idea. He just looked dern’ right pissed and didn’t say a word.” She shook her head, “He rushed outa’ here like a swallow headin’ south!” Then she shook her head and said, “But now what was it I wanted to ask you ‘bout, Jake? Oh! Yeah. What was it you and Ken was blaberin’ ‘bout out there?”

When Jake informed her of Donna's pregnancy, she looked stunned, then she said, "Oh ma' god, Jake! I'm so sorry. Do ya' know who done it?"

Jake laughed then said, "I did it, Twila!"

Then Twila put her hands over her mouth and almost cried. She grabbed Jake and pulled him in then wrapped her large arms around him and said, "Oh my god, Jake, that is so wonderful! You'll be the best daddy in the whole derned world!"

And they sat down together at one of the dining room tables, and Twila offered loads of advice about how a dad should take care of a newborn baby and its mommy and about how tough it will be sometimes but that it's best to just hang in there because that baby will someday be an adult and mistreated children often turn out to be nothing but bad news and pains in the asses to everyone around them. 

Then she managed to pull herself off of the chair and she gave Jake another big hug and kissed him on the cheek and said, "Now, let's get back to work, DAD! You know you'll be needin' those paychecks fer' damned sure now!" And she laughed.

Jake drove home that night with the heavy thought of having two more people to talk to about the matter. It was annoyance that fueled the procrastination. He had no doubts that his father would shake his head at first, not say a word for several minutes while his mother cried and carried on about how disappointed she was, then he would come unglued, screaming and yelling until he got it out of his system, then turn around and walk to his room, not to bring the matter up, ever again, unless, of course, it was used as an opportunity to prove how right he was.

And when his father did react exactly the way he was sure that he would, Jake took the opportunity to inform his dad of the importance of his role in the matter by saying, "I know that you're upset now, but someday you're gonna be a swell Grandpa!" And he grinned the toothiest grin he could conjure.

Infuriated, his father got up from his chair and stormed off into his room.

Jake's mother sobbed.  

 Jake reached out and lightly grazed his mother's shoulder, "Don't worry about it, huh? I'll do just fine."