riwa
Governor
Her twenty-one year old daughter was crying in the passenger seat. Laverne scowled before telling her to stop her sniveling. “But I don’t want to roast over an open fire, mother! Why did he do this to us?”
“Stop your crying, Susan! What’s done is done. There’s nothing we can do about it now. Let’s just go enjoy one last night out on the town before we have to report to the city butcher in the morning, shall we?”
“But why, mother?? Why did he do this to us? He… he adopted me and… and everything!”
Laverne had a good idea why Bob had done this to them. She hadn’t been faithful to him in years. What’s more, her daughter had picked up many of her bad habits. She would have left him long ago were it not for that damned pre-nup… and for the fact he was paying Susan’s tuition.
She knew he’d had a bad heart. She was just hoping the ol’ ticker would have given out sooner rather than later. Then everything would have belonged to her.
She had no idea he’d changed the will. All she knew was that it stipulated they were supposed to report to the city butcher first thing in the morning after the reading of the will. She certainly wasn’t about to subject herself to a live spit-roasting, much less wait to find out how long it would take for her to expire above the flames.
Her daughter finally managed to stop crying. Susan was paying attention enough to notice the route her mother was taking. It had become apparent that plans had abruptly changed.
“Mother?” she asked in confusion. “Aren’t we going to Cyril’s for a last meal?”
“No, Susan; we’re not,” her mom replied grimly. “We’re making a little detour. If I would have told anyone where we were really going, they might have stopped us and put us under house arrest.”
“So where are we going, mother?”
“Just shut up and try to compose yourself; ok?”
Susan winced inwardly. Sometimes she loved her mother. And sometimes she disliked her intensely. This was one of those times. Surely her step-father had turned on them over something her mom had done!
They drove to an unfamiliar part of the city that had some tall buildings. Laverne found an entrance to an indoor parking garage and pulled inside. Susan frowned before asking, “Mother, where are we going?”
“I’m taking us to see Jack; ok? I just pray he’s here tonight.”
“Jack? Who’s Jack?”
Who’s Jack indeed. Did she dare tell her daughter who he was and how she’d come to know him? Perhaps now was not the time.
She reached the sixth floor and drove until she found the lone ramp up to a higher level. The sign said “Do Not Enter”. She took it anyway, knowing where it led.
“Mother, where are we…?”
“Will you just shut your damn mouth and let me think? I’m trying to save your sorry ass from being impaled and spit-roasted. Is that ok with you?”
To be honest, she was trying to spare herself the agony she would have to endure while riding a spit over a blazing fire. This was the only other choice that had presented itself to her. Hell, her daughter was lucky she didn’t drop her off somewhere to suffer riding the spit on her own in the morning.
Susan sniffled again. Supposedly her mother meant what was best for them both. But this seemed totally out of the ordinary, although their current circumstances were just as “out of the ordinary”. All she could do for now was simply put her trust in her. But was that wise?
The narrow lane opened up into a small parking area. Laverne parked in a spot right next to what looked like a door. Then she got out of the car, telling her daughter to hurry up and join her.
They walked up to the sliding door of what looked like a small freight elevator. There was a small panel next to it. Susan watched her mother anxiously push a button. There was no response.
“Damn! He’s got to be here; he’s just got to!”
“Who’s got to be here? Mother, what’s going on?”
“Will you just shut up and let me handle this?” Susan didn’t know whether to cry or holler back at her.
Laverne impatiently pushed it a dozen times. An equally impatient male voice suddenly came out of the nearby speaker. “Who is it?”
“Jack, it’s me… Laverne! I’ve got to talk to you… right now!”
“It’ll have to wait, Laverne. I’ve got company up here.”
Laverne winced inwardly. She’d always known – or at least suspected – Jack was seeing a multitude of women because of his profession. It still stung. But this was not the time to get all butt-hurt over his many conquests.
“Jack, this is an emergency! I’m here with my daughter!”
“I said I’ve got company, Laverne! I’m not interested in a threesome tonight. Come back some other time.”
“Damnit, Jack; I said it was an emergency! I need your other services! And I need them now!”
There was a pause. Then she heard him ask, “My guest gets to watch; right?”
“Damn you, Jack!” she muttered under her breath. Then she winced inwardly before sighing in resignation. “Ok – ok; she gets to watch! Just let us up already!”
The door suddenly slid open. But her daughter had now become hesitant about stepping inside, considering the conversation she’d just heard between her mom and the disembodied voice.
Her mother grabbed her by the arm. Then she forced her inside the elevator. “Damn you! Don’t you dare ruin this for me!”
“Ruin what, mother? I don’t want to go up!”
But it was too late. The door had already closed on them. A moment later, the elevator started to take them upward.
Susan became quiet as they went up several floors before the elevator came to a halt. The door slid open, revealing a ruggedly handsome man standing there in a dark blue robe. Laverne winced again, having seen him in that same robe so many times before… and under more intimate circumstances.
“What is it?” he asked impatiently.
“The two of us,” she replied icily, motioning at her and her daughter. “It’s got to be done tonight. Otherwise, they’ll be hunting us down to spit-roast us over an open fire tomorrow.”
His eyebrows lifted curiously as his attitude went from impatience to amusement. “Laverne, are you kidding me?”
“That bastard changed the damn will! He keeled over from a heart attack while I was bringing Susan home from the university for semester break. They just read the will this afternoon. Can you believe it? That bastard is handing us over to the city butcher in the morning!”
Jack chuckled as he shook his head. “And I thought you said your husband didn’t have a sense of humor.”
“Jack, it’s not the least bit funny! We’ve got no time for this!” She anxiously looked behind them as though expecting they had been followed. Then she added, “Now will you or won’t you?”
“What makes you think I want to get personally involved in your problems, especially when a will is involved?”
“I’ve got 586,000 reasons why you should. That good enough for you?”
He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “How’d you manage that?”
“I got what I could over the years, and I put it away in a secret account. But I’m sure as hell not going to be able to spend it after tomorrow morning; am I?”
Her daughter was astonished. “Mother, how did you get ahold of that kind of money?”
“Damnit, Susan; don’t question me, not unless you’d rather end up roasting live over an open fire!” Her daughter shook her head as she blinked back the tears that threatened to return.
Jack expectantly stretched out an open hand. Laverne just shook her head. “Hunh-unh. Not until we’re standing on the trap.”
Susan immediately became alarmed. “Trap? Mother, what trap?”
“Honey, will you just shut your damn mouth and let me handle this? I’m trying to spare us from enduring a painful impaling and roasting! Ok?”
Susan nodded submissively. But she was now starting to get a very bad feeling about all this. Worse, she’d just found out her mother had money stashed away but had not contributed a single dime to her education.
Jack looked them both over. “You two look like you’re all dressed up for a night on the town.”
“I didn’t want to raise any suspicions, Jack. I just hope to gawd we weren’t followed. I don’t want to be interrupted, not on this night.”
He shook his head. “If you were being followed, I doubt you would have made it this far. They probably assume you’re going to willingly show up at the city butcher tomorrow morning.” Then he waved them in as he told them, “Ok, c’mon in. Right this way. You know the way.”
“Thanks, Jack.”
Susan was confused. Her mother did not sound all that grateful despite Jack’s willingness to let them in. Just what the hell was this all about anyway??
to be continued
“Stop your crying, Susan! What’s done is done. There’s nothing we can do about it now. Let’s just go enjoy one last night out on the town before we have to report to the city butcher in the morning, shall we?”
“But why, mother?? Why did he do this to us? He… he adopted me and… and everything!”
Laverne had a good idea why Bob had done this to them. She hadn’t been faithful to him in years. What’s more, her daughter had picked up many of her bad habits. She would have left him long ago were it not for that damned pre-nup… and for the fact he was paying Susan’s tuition.
She knew he’d had a bad heart. She was just hoping the ol’ ticker would have given out sooner rather than later. Then everything would have belonged to her.
She had no idea he’d changed the will. All she knew was that it stipulated they were supposed to report to the city butcher first thing in the morning after the reading of the will. She certainly wasn’t about to subject herself to a live spit-roasting, much less wait to find out how long it would take for her to expire above the flames.
Her daughter finally managed to stop crying. Susan was paying attention enough to notice the route her mother was taking. It had become apparent that plans had abruptly changed.
“Mother?” she asked in confusion. “Aren’t we going to Cyril’s for a last meal?”
“No, Susan; we’re not,” her mom replied grimly. “We’re making a little detour. If I would have told anyone where we were really going, they might have stopped us and put us under house arrest.”
“So where are we going, mother?”
“Just shut up and try to compose yourself; ok?”
Susan winced inwardly. Sometimes she loved her mother. And sometimes she disliked her intensely. This was one of those times. Surely her step-father had turned on them over something her mom had done!
They drove to an unfamiliar part of the city that had some tall buildings. Laverne found an entrance to an indoor parking garage and pulled inside. Susan frowned before asking, “Mother, where are we going?”
“I’m taking us to see Jack; ok? I just pray he’s here tonight.”
“Jack? Who’s Jack?”
Who’s Jack indeed. Did she dare tell her daughter who he was and how she’d come to know him? Perhaps now was not the time.
She reached the sixth floor and drove until she found the lone ramp up to a higher level. The sign said “Do Not Enter”. She took it anyway, knowing where it led.
“Mother, where are we…?”
“Will you just shut your damn mouth and let me think? I’m trying to save your sorry ass from being impaled and spit-roasted. Is that ok with you?”
To be honest, she was trying to spare herself the agony she would have to endure while riding a spit over a blazing fire. This was the only other choice that had presented itself to her. Hell, her daughter was lucky she didn’t drop her off somewhere to suffer riding the spit on her own in the morning.
Susan sniffled again. Supposedly her mother meant what was best for them both. But this seemed totally out of the ordinary, although their current circumstances were just as “out of the ordinary”. All she could do for now was simply put her trust in her. But was that wise?
The narrow lane opened up into a small parking area. Laverne parked in a spot right next to what looked like a door. Then she got out of the car, telling her daughter to hurry up and join her.
They walked up to the sliding door of what looked like a small freight elevator. There was a small panel next to it. Susan watched her mother anxiously push a button. There was no response.
“Damn! He’s got to be here; he’s just got to!”
“Who’s got to be here? Mother, what’s going on?”
“Will you just shut up and let me handle this?” Susan didn’t know whether to cry or holler back at her.
Laverne impatiently pushed it a dozen times. An equally impatient male voice suddenly came out of the nearby speaker. “Who is it?”
“Jack, it’s me… Laverne! I’ve got to talk to you… right now!”
“It’ll have to wait, Laverne. I’ve got company up here.”
Laverne winced inwardly. She’d always known – or at least suspected – Jack was seeing a multitude of women because of his profession. It still stung. But this was not the time to get all butt-hurt over his many conquests.
“Jack, this is an emergency! I’m here with my daughter!”
“I said I’ve got company, Laverne! I’m not interested in a threesome tonight. Come back some other time.”
“Damnit, Jack; I said it was an emergency! I need your other services! And I need them now!”
There was a pause. Then she heard him ask, “My guest gets to watch; right?”
“Damn you, Jack!” she muttered under her breath. Then she winced inwardly before sighing in resignation. “Ok – ok; she gets to watch! Just let us up already!”
The door suddenly slid open. But her daughter had now become hesitant about stepping inside, considering the conversation she’d just heard between her mom and the disembodied voice.
Her mother grabbed her by the arm. Then she forced her inside the elevator. “Damn you! Don’t you dare ruin this for me!”
“Ruin what, mother? I don’t want to go up!”
But it was too late. The door had already closed on them. A moment later, the elevator started to take them upward.
Susan became quiet as they went up several floors before the elevator came to a halt. The door slid open, revealing a ruggedly handsome man standing there in a dark blue robe. Laverne winced again, having seen him in that same robe so many times before… and under more intimate circumstances.
“What is it?” he asked impatiently.
“The two of us,” she replied icily, motioning at her and her daughter. “It’s got to be done tonight. Otherwise, they’ll be hunting us down to spit-roast us over an open fire tomorrow.”
His eyebrows lifted curiously as his attitude went from impatience to amusement. “Laverne, are you kidding me?”
“That bastard changed the damn will! He keeled over from a heart attack while I was bringing Susan home from the university for semester break. They just read the will this afternoon. Can you believe it? That bastard is handing us over to the city butcher in the morning!”
Jack chuckled as he shook his head. “And I thought you said your husband didn’t have a sense of humor.”
“Jack, it’s not the least bit funny! We’ve got no time for this!” She anxiously looked behind them as though expecting they had been followed. Then she added, “Now will you or won’t you?”
“What makes you think I want to get personally involved in your problems, especially when a will is involved?”
“I’ve got 586,000 reasons why you should. That good enough for you?”
He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “How’d you manage that?”
“I got what I could over the years, and I put it away in a secret account. But I’m sure as hell not going to be able to spend it after tomorrow morning; am I?”
Her daughter was astonished. “Mother, how did you get ahold of that kind of money?”
“Damnit, Susan; don’t question me, not unless you’d rather end up roasting live over an open fire!” Her daughter shook her head as she blinked back the tears that threatened to return.
Jack expectantly stretched out an open hand. Laverne just shook her head. “Hunh-unh. Not until we’re standing on the trap.”
Susan immediately became alarmed. “Trap? Mother, what trap?”
“Honey, will you just shut your damn mouth and let me handle this? I’m trying to spare us from enduring a painful impaling and roasting! Ok?”
Susan nodded submissively. But she was now starting to get a very bad feeling about all this. Worse, she’d just found out her mother had money stashed away but had not contributed a single dime to her education.
Jack looked them both over. “You two look like you’re all dressed up for a night on the town.”
“I didn’t want to raise any suspicions, Jack. I just hope to gawd we weren’t followed. I don’t want to be interrupted, not on this night.”
He shook his head. “If you were being followed, I doubt you would have made it this far. They probably assume you’re going to willingly show up at the city butcher tomorrow morning.” Then he waved them in as he told them, “Ok, c’mon in. Right this way. You know the way.”
“Thanks, Jack.”
Susan was confused. Her mother did not sound all that grateful despite Jack’s willingness to let them in. Just what the hell was this all about anyway??
to be continued
