VACATION

By M

Chapter 38

True to his word, eight hours later they were driving to a secluded airport to board yet another jet. Sitting next to Maurice, CJ knew that if Vance was going to do anything to him it would be after they were on the plane and CJ was once again, out of it, everytime he thought that he couldn't feel more helpless, something else came up to show him there are no limits to the depth that you can sink to in feeling that. While he had managed to eat something, and to get more to drink, he wasn't sure if it would stay down even after eight hours but he certainly tried to make up in the liquid department, now he was hoping that this time might not be as bad, but knew that was wasted hope.

Maurice was asleep next to him right now, he had fallen asleep a few hours ago and had only been awake for a few minutes to get in the car and then was out again.

One of the goons had woken him up and walked him to the car, carefully making sure he was in his seatbelt, before closing the door and going around to get in himself.

CJ had nearly commented on that before clamping his mouth shut, as he thought back to earlier:

When they had been watching TV and even when it had finally been turned off CJ had noticed something happening. The 'Goon Patrol' had begun to talk to Maurice as if he really were a child, CJ first noticed this when #1 had put on a program that was for adults; some kind of horror or something, CJ hadn't really been paying attention; and #2 told him to change it to something else. When he had been asked why, he said, "He can't watch that! What you want to give him nightmares? Find something else!"

But the really astonishing thing was #1 changed the channel and they ended up watching a comedy, while he didn't dare say a word in case Vance, who was reading a magazine, noticed, CJ started to realize then that they were not treating him like a prisoner anymore and when other things happened. Like when the fire had burned down and #1 went to stoke it, Maurice who was sitting on the floor in front of the TV had moved over to watch him and reaching out to hand him a piece of wood had been told by #1, "No, don't fool with this, you might burn yourself! Get away, fireplace is no place for a kid." CJ thought he would drop his glass of water!

That's when it occurred to him that just like when dealing with a mentally handicapped adult whose mental age might be five or six, these guys had started to adjust to Bosco being a five year old and were treating him as such; since the incident in the kitchen, where CJ had come to realize they had not tried to hurt him, just control him to get the knife; they had reacted to him very differently than before. He couldn't help but wonder what had taken place while he was out of it to make them think differently about Maurice. Whatever it was, he was hoping that when Maurice needed protection from Vance this same 'protective' instinct that seemed to be coming over these two would kick into gear.

What had happened, what CJ didn't know was when the goons had started to cook, Maurice had gone into the kitchen with them. As they prepped the steaks and potatoes to grill, they got to talking about other times when they had grilled back home. Maurice was listening to this and suddenly piped up with "Me and Mikey got in trouble cause we tried to barbecue a rat!"

That comment had stopped the conversation dead, as #1 and #2 stared at him, then looking at each other, #1 said, "Shall I ask or will you?" laughing.

"Oh please, let me!" #2 replied motioning for Maurice to come over to them, "Uhm, Maurice, right? Please, tell us, why in the hell did you try to barbecue a RAT?!" he asked trying not to laugh as he pictured that!

"Well see, Mikey was hungry and I told Ma that we wanted to cook, and she said, "NOT NOW MAURICE! LATER!" he said doing a pretty good imitation (even if they didn't know it) of his mothers voice, "SOOO, Later, I asked again and she said, "Sure why don't you go barbecue!", so I asked what should I cook and my dad said, "Hey Rat, go on now we're busy."

The goons burst out laughing at that comment, but Maurice didn't see what was funny about what he had said, "So, I went down to the basement and there was a big rat in the trap. He was dead! That was good, cause I didn't know how to kill it!" he was looking at them so seriously that they were having trouble keeping from falling on the ground with laughter.

"Well yah, that sounds like a good thing then, but how did you skin it!" #2 asked, about to pass out now.

"Skin it? Oh my ma wouldn't let me have a knife, so I just burnt the hair off in the oven!" Maurice said.

Goon #2 was shouting with laughter now, and #1 was right there with him, "OH MY GOD!!!!" he howled, adding when he could breath, "So, what did your Ma think of the cooked rat?"

"SHE WAS MAD, she said it stunk up the whole got damn house!" he said his eyes big, he was enjoying the attention his story was receiving.

"I'LL BET IT DID!!" #1 howled with laughter as he leaned over putting more coals on the pit.

"So what happened then," #2 asked as he was wiping tears of laughter.

"My Daddy threw it out! We didn't even get to eat it," he frowned, "then I got whipped and punished for a WEEK!" Maurice said with awe, adding, "If you guys barbecue a RAT don't do it in the OVEN!" They were screaming with laughter, until Vance came in and made him get out so they could get the food done. That was it, it was done, they wouldn't have hurt him that night if Vance would have paid them in gold. Anyone who could tell a story like that, well, he was ok in their book! But whether that would last was yet to be seen.

TBC...