Suzie’s House 84: Reconciliation

Suzies’s House is an on-going story. You can find a new episode here in Alice’s Restaurant every Friday. To see previous episodes click on the highlighted words, or on the Suzie’s House category in my side bar.

Sean grinned as he dropped into the front seat of a 68 Camero. Some idiot actually left it out on the street without locking it. Admittedly it was a rusted bucked of bolts, but it was a classic bucket of bolts.. He smashed in the brittle plastic under the ignition and yanked out the wires.

He was still sorting them out when he saw the kid.

It was that boy, the one who reminded him of himself. The one Joe didn’t want him to have anything to do with.

The kid was sitting on the steps leading into the 4-square apartment building across the street and down the way, just sitting there. You could tell he would rather be somewhere else. Sean knew the feeling well. When Sean was that age, he’d have leapt at a chance to be somewhere else.

How hard would it be to scoop him up?

Better not. He’d only stopped to jack the car because he wanted in on the latest round of the Smash Em Up Derby, due to start in ten minutes. Joe would have a fit if he brought the kid back with him, especially after having caused a few hit-and-runs with the kid in the car. He might even kill the boy for being an eye witness.

Joe was so overprotective that way.

Maybe he could sneek the kid into the new crib while Joe was out. He could put the kid behind the wheel. If they got caught, it would all be the kid’s fault. Caugh jacking the car, or speeding, or whatever- the kid did it. The kid wouldn’t do any time because he was under age. If they didn’t get caught, then he still couldn’t rat him out because he was behind the wheel.

If nothing else he could go over and talk to the boy, tell him a few things about pipe bombs and other ways to keep yourself entertained.

Before Sean could act on any of these impulses, a Subaru Legacy drove up to the curb. That woman – the kid’s mother – got out.

They argued for a while. It looked like the kidd didn’t want to go with her. Stoop-shouldered, she’d already turned away, headed back for the car, then the kid came racing down the steps and up the walkway.

Damn! The guy who shot him was driving! Sean flopped over on the seat, deathly afraid the man had seen him. A car door opened, then another. Sean held his breath, listening for the scrape of shoes on concrete coming his way. Instead another car door opened, then all the car doors slammed closed.

Sean edged up enough to look over the dashboard. The Subaru drove away with the kid in the back seat.

Oh well. There’d be a chance some other time. Sean was sure of it.

Sitting there, watching like a mouth breather cost Sean too much time. A middle aged man with a beer gut and more hair on his knuckles than on his head came jiggling out of the apartment complex next to the Camero. He was red in the face and yelling.

Sean locked the doors.

Cool as a cucumber, he finished hot wireing the car, then drove away while the man pounded on the roof, windows, and trunk.

“So long, sucker,” he yelled out the window.