Chapter 130: “Have a seat.”

.......................................................................................................................................................................................

Roy said.

“Not that one. Why don’t you sit over there” he said when the young man started to sit down by THE daughter. Roy pointed at a chair by Shaniqua.

From the bulge in the girls veil I imagine she stuck her tongue out at her father. From his grin behind that beard I imagine he thought the same thing. Roy was pushing some buttons...and enjoying himself immensely.

“Now why don’t you tell us about yourself.” Roy said after Sally filled the kids plate high with food.

“Not much to tell” the kid said between mouthfuls. " Like Pa told the old chief before you, when we got here. I’m just like a bunch of other folks. Hard times.”

“I know that feeling” I told him. "A year or so ago I was living in a project and eating dog food. The economy hasn’t been all that good for a while.”

Roy and Sally looked shocked. "Is that a fact?”

“Yes it is " Shaniqua said, sipping coffee delicately. Hard thing to do while wearing a veil I imagine , but she pulled it off. "I’ve seen the stats...unemployment is at an all time high. The government numbers are a joke, if they were reporting them the same way they did early last century they’d be over fifty percent.”

“That bad?” Roy was astonished. " I guess that living out here in the swamp we’re not affected that much. We growed all this food ourselves.”

“Good stuff too.” the jerk said "Really tasty.”

Sally smiled.

“Can’t find a job son?” Roy continued.

“No sir.” the kid said. "I don’t seem to be able to do much of anything that a business want’s to pay me for doing. All of the unskilled jobs are gone.”

“Yup.” I agreed. " Automation.”

“Didn’t they teach you anything in school?” Sally asked.

“I guess not.” the boy said "I was top of my class, but everywhere I put in a job application I get told that I’m either the wrong color, the wrong gender or that I don’t have the right kind of work history.”

“Have you ever had a job?” Shaniqua asked.

“Nope” he said " Not to speak of. I do odd jobs here and there. That’s how I get spending money so’s I can come here off and on.”

“Not job history is definitely a bad one” Roy said. "and the longer you go without getting one the harder it will be.”

“How do you manage to survive?” the daughter asked. The other girls rolled their eyes. The boy started to laugh then looked at Roy. He suddenly developed an intense interest in buttering his biscuit. It seemed he had to have it JUST right.

“Oh...I’m pretty good at noodling catfish and I’ve killed a few snakeheads” the boy shrugged.”Almost got ate by a gator once. That was kinda scary.”

The GIRL almost melted.

“I learn stuff from the other homeless” he said. "Useful stuff. Not like what they taught us in school”

Everyone was silent for a little bit. "School taxes at work” Roy finally muttered.

“Would you like to stay here?” the daughter couldn’t contain herself any longer. She looked at her parents. "He can can’t he?”

“Well yeah,” Roy said after a few moments of thought. I imagine that he and Sally were consulting via cyber-text. I wouldn’t be surprised if all the Browns weren’t doing the same thing. There was probably a LOT going on that the kid, or Shaniqua and I for that matter, weren’t aware of. " Yeah I suppose he can.”

“BUT” he looked at the kid sternly.”Listen and listen good. THERE. ARE. RULES. Can you abide by rules?”

The boy was startled. Evidently he’d not caught the undercurrent. He was genuinely surprised at the offer.

“Well yeah.” he said.”I can do that. If I don’t like em I’ll leave before I get in trouble.”

“That’s fair.” Roy said "You can stay. Rule One...don’t be a jerk. Rule two. If you want to eat you have to work even more than you have been. Oh it’s nothing much but sometimes I have stuff I needs done. Mostly errands run into town. I purely hate going to town any more.”

“Well sure.” the kid said "I’ll try hard not to upset anyone... and I don’t mind going to town. I was born there.”

The kid looked like he was waiting for Roy to say something more. Finally Roy said "Well? what is it?”

“er...I don’t know how to put this.” the kid said. "but...”

“Spit it out.” Roy said. "asking honest questions, no matter what they are, doesn’t qualify as being a jerk. Being malicious and hateful is what I meant , don’t do that.”

The kid relaxed.

“So what is it?” Roy prompted.

“er...about the girls?” he finally said.

The daughter blushed beet red. The other girls giggled. The boys laughed.

“oh..don’t worry about them.” Sally said. "The set their own limits. If you step over a line you’ll stump your toe.”

“Sometimes stumping your toe can get you an ass whupping” Shaniqua told him quietly. I don’t think any of the others heard her.

From the look on the kid’s face he vividly recalled one particular ass whuppin.”

“Or...” I said just as quietly.” It might be fatal. As you have seen we can dispose of bodies quite easily.”

From the looks of him the kid remembered the night before and the body stacking really well.

“Did you know any of those guys?” Roy asked.

“YesSir I did.” the kid replied. Gotta give him credit. He look Roy right square in the eye when he said it.

“Were any of them your friends?” Roy asked.

“NoSir they weren’t.” the kid replied, eyes unwavering. "They were jerks. I don’t intend to be a jerk.”

He looked at Shaniqua and said "Again.”

That got a laugh.

“I might let you live” Roy said with the slightest of smiles on his face.

.......................................
Next
Previous
The Beginning
..............................
I'm

@everittdmickey
.
I write
SPECULATIVE FICTION
I have other books on Amazon.
Sometimes I also comment on the news

Sometimes it's hard to tell fiction from the news.