THE BOLAN CHRONICLES: Reading #29

29. Approximate Minutes Reading (AMR): 8

Introduction to Characters

THE BOLAN CHRONICLES

Chapter 3

A House

**A Second Job**

Jake had minimized his ‘cop stops’ to twice a month, and Donna had learned to accept them. Not only did they give him a chance to unwind, but they also afforded him opportunities to make more connections with the officers he’d come to know. Drinking, on his part, had been minimal. Jake was finding a preoccupation with self-control, almost to the point of obsession. Donna had noticed that he had become increasingly interested in neatness and routine. Whereas before, if Donna had left a pile of washed and dried clothes on the bed to attend to later, he’d have hardly noticed. But now he expected her to never leave things unattended. 

One night, after dinner, Donna had chosen to change Dean and play with him, leaving the dirty dishes on the table. Jake had been bothered by that and had started clearing the table himself. Donna had told him that she would have been happy to do it, but Jake had stopped and told her that things left undone tended to create a stench. She hadn’t quite understood what he had meant, but she did understand his disappointment with her, and she hadn’t left the dishes unclean since.

In the evening, Jake had established a routine of devoting time to isolation in his Peace Room between the hours of 8:00 and 10:00. The first and last time that Donna attempted to disrupt him occurred on a weekend. 

After she had cleaned the dinner dishes, she’d asked if Jake wanted to watch the NBC Sunday Night Movie. “It’s about some guy whose a respectable business man, but he’s accused of killing a bunch of young girls.” Donna had said. Jake told her that it sounded good and that if she’d pop some corn he would be much obliged. She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. When she walked to the living room and noticed that Jake was not there, she checked the bedrooms. Then she looked at the sign on the basement door and suddenly realized that this was his time of “peace.” Disappointed, she opened the basement door and descended the steps. Jake was sitting contentedly in his shoddy comforter, looking at the small television screen. The movie had just started.

He smiled at her and said, “Ah! That smells good, Dearie. Thanks a bunch.” And he reached out to take the bowl. 

Donna pulled it back teasingly and said, “I thought we could watch the movie together, in the living room.”

Jake stood quickly and grabbed the bowl from her. He walked up the stairs, Donna following, and placed the bowl on the coffee table in front of the television. “Two hours, Donna. That’s all I ask for. I just want two hours a day to myself, and those two hours take place between 8:00 and 10:00, every night.” Frustrated with himself and the waste of energy on another walk up the steps, he swiftly walked back to the basement door, but before he closed it, he pointed to the small clock on the dining room wall and said, “You see that? You’ve taken some time away from what I really look forward to.” Then he pointed to an empty glass that hadn’t been cleaned and said, “Remember, Donna. Things left undone…” And he pinched his nose. He slammed the door behind him. Donna stood motionless for a moment, processing the exchange. Then she checked on Dean. 

 But on the whole, the life of the young couple and their baby was relatively good. The bills were being paid on time, Donna was happy with her life as a mom and homemaker, and Jake was a hardworking young man with ambitions of becoming a police officer. 

But Jake realized that the department didn’t hire people under the age of twenty-one, at least not for the force, so he was very pleased when Ken confronted him on a Monday afternoon early in January of 1981. It was about the opportunity that he’d eluded to months before. He had asked Jake to join him at the corner booth next to the entrance, where he wanted to speak with him over lunch.

They made small talk, Jake updating him on the details of his life these days, the house, the baby, the wife. Ken talked about this latest crazy Christmas season and about how things just didn’t seem to be as meaningful as they once were—the commercialism and all had just about ruined the spirit of the finest holiday of the year. 

After they finished eating, Jake said to Ken, “I appreciate the lunch, Mr. Cale.”

Ken said, “Happy to do it, Jake.” Then he asked, “Do you remember a few months back when I told you that you might be interested in an opportunity I may have for you?”

“Oh, yes sir. I do.  I’ve been anxious about it, but I just didn’t want to bother you.”

Ken took a sip of his Coke. “I think it’s time I told you about it.” He cleared his throat. “You’ve proven that you are committed to this job and to the good of your family. I’ve been impressed with your work ethic, and I know that you’d be the perfect candidate for this.”

Now on the edge of his seat, Jake said, “Yes, sir. And thanks for the compliments.”

“Okay, Jake. This is it. I’ve purchased a filling station in Bridgeport. It’s something that was offered to me a year ago, and it’s now mine. I’m looking for good employees.”

At first, Jake was disappointed. It wasn’t quite what he had expected. But he responded, “Oh! Wow! That sounds really great, Mr. Cale!”

“I’m going to need a reliable employee to service the customers, and I know that you’ll do the job well. But more importantly, I’ll eventually need a manager; someone to run things for me.”

“That sounds really exciting, Mr. Cale.”

Ken inserted the details. Responsibilities would include filling tanks with gas, checking oil level and tire pressure, and ringing small sales in the convenience store. He also told him that he had already promised an existing employee, a guy named Howard, that he’d keep him on. He told Jake that he didn’t expect this fellow to be the worker that Jake had proven to be, but that he was sure Jake would get along with him, and that eventually Howard would call Jake his boss.

Jake smiled. It excited him to think that he could be in a position where others answered to him. He also thought about how this could be an opportunity to pad their savings account which would eventually serve to pay for his academy training. And then it occurred to Jake that he hadn’t asked Ken if this would be a replacement job or an additional one. He hoped for the latter.

“Oh, no Jake, you’re irreplaceable here at the restaurant. And besides, I think Twila would just about kill me if you left this place,” he laughed and added, “No, no. The filling station would be a job that you would do by day then you’d come here and work nights. You can handle both jobs, and I’d certainly start you out significantly higher than minimum wage.”

Without another word, and without as much as a thought of talking with his wife about it, Jake put his hand out and said, “I’m looking forward to starting, Mr. Cale!”

Ken shook his hand and informed him that he could start as soon as he wanted. They agreed that Wednesday would be perfect. Jake had the next two days off from work, and Ken encouraged him to talk with Donna about the job and the necessary adjustments at home.

Before Jake left, Ken had called him back to the table. He had one more thing to tell him.

“Jake, how does your wife get from one place to another, assuming she doesn’t have a car?”

A little confused, Jake paused. “Uh, she uh, she sometimes calls her mom, and we also have a pretty nice neighbor, an older lady who’s always happy to help out.”

Ken said, “Well, I’ve been thinking about this since you two had your baby. It’s important that your wife...I’m sorry, what is her name?”

“Donna.”

“Okay. It’s important that Donna have a consistent means of transportation.”

Jake said, “Yeah, I know what you mean, but right now we just can’t afford it. I’m hoping that in the near future we’ll be able to afford something. Maybe with this additional job I could…”

Ken interrupted, “I have a car that I’d like to give to you...her. Well, to both of you.”

Stunned, Jake replied, “Huh?”

“Two years ago I bought a new car for my youngest son, Phillip, and his older wheels have been parked in the garage ever since. It’ll need a new battery, I’m sure, but I’ll get it running like a top before you pick it up. That is, if you’re interested.”

Jake said, “Did you say give, Mr. Cale—that you want to give us the car?”

“Yep. I can’t think of a better family to help out right now. My kids are well taken care-of. They’re lucky. So this is my way of saying thanks for working so hard for me. Look at it as a kind of bonus, alright?”

“Mr. Cale, I don’t know what to say.”

“Well, that’s rare for you, Jake.” 

Jake smiled and thanked him. Ken assured him that he would have the car in perfect running condition within a week and would personally hand him the keys when it was ready. After Ken left the restaurant, Jake pulled Twila aside and told her the news. She was thrilled for him and told him that she had seen the car, that it was ‘purty damn nice’ and that she wished she could be there to see the look on Donna’s face.

“I’m thinkin’ of not saying anything to her about it until the day Ken hands me the keys.” Jake said.

Twila laughed and said, “You are a sneaky one, Jake Bolan!”

“Sneaky like a snaky.” Jake replied. He turned, and under his breath he added, “Yep. That’s me.”