4: During Working Hours
"Did you tell your dad about Earl?" Jay asked over the phone.
Zeke shook his head as he poured himself a bowl of cereal with his free hand. It was about 8 or 9 AM and Rodney walked into the kitchen to pour himself his morning dose of coffee. The TV was turned onto the morning news and although Rod seemed to be listening to it, Zeke chose his words wisely when he replied to Jay's question. "No. I didn't…."
Want to worry him. He managed to bite his words.
"Do you know if he even went to talk to him yesterday?"
"I don't think so. I haven't heard anything about it."
"….I don't know, hon. I don't like this one bit."
"I don't either."
"I just…I get this feeling that he might try something again soon. It makes me sound paranoid, but…his expression yesterday…"
Zeke frowned and leaned on the counter, ignoring his breakfast. "What do you mean?"
"Never mind, it's nothing. You should be fine."
It's you I'm worried about. Again, he held his tongue. Rodney caught his gaze and mouthed, "She good?"
The biker nodded and turned his attention back to the conversation. "I'll pick you up to take you to work today."
He was hoping he could get a chance to talk about her 'paranoia,' but he became disappointed when she said she would be fine.
"You sure?"
"Yeah. I have some stuff I need to do this morning. And you need to start building your new beast for this year's Monster Truck Rally," she added in a playful tone.
Zeke chuckled. "Yeah, that's true."
She laughed along with him before speaking again. "All right, I have to go. I'll see you later, Mongo."
"I'm getting you back for that."
"Yeah you wish," she giggled. "Bye."
Zeke set the phone down and picked up his bowl, going over to the living room to watch the news go over some robbery with his father.
….
Business was slow and with the upcoming Monster Truck Rally, Zeke and his father were working on yet another machine to wreak havoc with. The biker always did love working together with his father on this yearly project. It was something they started back when Rodney was fighting his alcoholism and ever since then, it was basically a tradition. Zeke's friends attended the Rallies, making it a tradition of their own, and celebrated regardless of whether the Thompson's truck made it or not.
This year, Rodney and Zeke decided to work with a Corvette Stingray. It wasn't ideal for a Monster Truck Rally, but they liked the challenge. One way or another, they'd make it suitable.
The Stingray was propped up with a jack and Zeke was underneath it, examining the axel which was slightly out of alignment.
A pair of feet walked inside the garage and Zeke figured it was a customer, seeing how he didn't recognize the way this stranger by the way he walked. He slid out from underneath the car and froze when he saw Uncle Earl with a bag of meat.
"This is getting fucking ridiculous," Zeke snarled, getting to his feet. "I'm getting tired of your bullshit."
"Whoa, whoa. You need to watch it son, I came here in peace." He lifted the meat. "I brought this as a peace offering of sorts."
Zeke scoffed. "I don't care. Giving us a bag of meat won't make what you did any better. And being persistent isn't going to help either."
"Where's your dad? I want to talk to him this time."
The biker scowled. He didn't like how Earl had worded that. It felt like he was addressing him as a child, which was more than irritating. Oh well. As long as he wasn't back at their house or anywhere near Jay for that matter. Zeke waved his hand carelessly and turned to keep working with the Stingray. "Go find him."
Earl stayed still for a moment, as if he was going to try to apologize again, but Rodney walked up to the garage. "Good day si—Earl?"
Uncle Earl greeted him with a smile. "Hey there Rod."
"What are you doing here?"
"I just came to talk to you."
"About what?"
"Hm. So I imagine Zeekie didn't tell you about yesterday?"
"Just as I imagine you didn't go look for him like I told you to," Zeke snapped.
Rodney glanced at his son, but ignored his outburst. "What happened yesterday?"
"I went to ask you for the biggest favor in the world. You see, I need a place to stay an—"
Rodney put a hand up. "Let me just stop you right there, Earl."
Told you, Zeke wanted to retaliate, but he held his tongue.
"The answer is going to be no."
Earl sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Just two nights, it's all I'm asking for. Anything you want, I'll give it to you. If you want me to pay you for those two days, fine—"
"I'm sorry but I can't do it."
Earl stared at him in disbelief. "What-What is this, huh? Is this retaliation of some sort? Are you getting back at me for abandoning you for six years? You can't scratch my back because you're holding some sort of grudge?"
"Hey you don't—"
"It's okay, son," Rodney placed a hand on Zeke's chest to keep him at bay. "This isn't any sort of pay back for anything, Earl. Things got better during the time you left. I quit drinking. I quit smoking. Our life is going pretty good without you in it to create trouble. I know that if you come back, things are going to get bad again somehow."
Earl pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just two days, Rod. That's all I'm asking for, two days. If I were a stranger, you'd let me stay."
"Yeah, but since I know you it's not going to happen."
"Just leave, Earl. Your shit is getting tiring. Next time you do this, I'm calling the cops," Zeke said.
"What for?" Earl scoffed.
"Trespassing, breaking and entering, attempted rape, I'm sure I'll think of something."
Earl raised an eyebrow at Rodney. "You're letting him talk to his elder like that with no consequences?"
"He's MY son, Earl. Leave the discipline and raising to me."
"And besides, I don't care if you're my elder or not. That means jack shit ever since you tried to grope Jay."
"I was drunk! I don't remember that!"
"All the more reason."
Earl scoffed in disbelief. "So that's the way it's going to be then? There's no way I'm going to convince you?"
"No," Rodney said sternly.
"Fine." Earl turned and walked out of their shop. "I'll see you on the flipside, Scumbag Thompsons."