he'll be back. He's probably relieved, he rants over her for an hour every day when she leaves, but he doesn't have the heart to say no to her face."
"Who is that girl?" Sharon sounded curious.
"They're cousins."
Helen put mugs on the table and pulled out a package of digestive crackers and cream cheese.
"I just got home, and I'm so friggin' hungry. Help yourselves."
Sharon fidgeted and Jimmy winked at her. Telling her the truth would be a relief, but at the moment verity wasn't an option. He grabbed a cracker instead, smeared cheese on it, and tucked it into her hand. She rewarded him with a smile.
Good.
When they were all seated, Helen stared at her coffee cup.
"I'm glad you knocked on the door. I feel so bad for those kids. I mean, if they sit here for hours, imagine what the rest of their days must be like."
"Do they have a dad?"
Helen shrugged. "Everyone has a dad. Coke-head. He shot her after the first kid, but she went right back and had another one. Evidently, almost killing the ones you love is okay if you're high."
I like this chick.
"Is she using too?"
"Probably. I haven't been to their house, I refuse to go there, but from what I hear it's pretty bad. The boys sleep on the floor, and they have cockroaches. I sometimes see the bugs run from her car." She shuddered. "When I think about it, sitting outside my house might be the highpoint of their day."
He nodded. Interesting how she called it her house and not their.
Sharon asked, "Why doesn't she bring them in?"
Helen smirked. "The first time she came here I made it clear I'm not going to babysit. I already work two jobs, and that's enough. She keeps asking, and I keep saying no. If she brings them in, she'll have to take care of them. Leave them in the car, she can forget about them for a while."
Jimmy tried to sound natural. "Can I use your restroom?"
"Sure, it's probably in the same place as yours. I think all these houses look the same."
It was exactly the same as Sharon's, but with a green sink instead of marble, and with a flowered shower curtain instead of a sliding shower wall.
He closed the door behind him and pulled up the phone.
"Hey, Bishop, I need you to run a plate for me. Can you have child services check out the address?"
*****
L ater in the day, Sharon peeked out to see Jimmy's bike outside, but there was no trace of the man. She opened the door and peeked out. "Jimmy?"
No answer. The garage door was closed and the back yard empty.
Maybe aliens abducted him? Or, maybe the police snatched him up again.
That thought made her heart feel cold.
Just as she was about to submit to panic, she saw a tall shape bent over the neighbor's old Ford. Definitely Jimmy, pottering about under the hood.
She plodded over there barefoot, enjoying the feeling of grass under her feet. Were the neighbors about to be their best friends now, or what was he up to?
"What are you doing?"
He peeked out oily, but wearing a big grin.
"Hey beautiful, I invited Frank and Helen over for a barbie. That's okay, right?"
How have I lived next door to them for so long without knowing their names?
"In that case, I'm calling Mona."
"Tell her to bring beer." It didn't take long before the engine purred and he patted the fender. "Better than new. See you in a few, Frank."
Sharon followed him to the back yard and watched him push her beautiful, stainless, gas-fueled grill to the side.
"You have a real one in the garage. If we are to cook, we cook the right way."
"That coal has been on the shelf for years. It won't burn."
"Of course it will."
I didn't think I'd see that old coal-burning dragon again. I like my new grill. It was expensive. Oh well, he'll never get that thing started.
Jimmy whistled between his teeth as he tore off pieces of the coal bag, crumpling them into little balls. He clearly had a magic touch: the fire started just fine and the bed of coal was almost ready when Mona arrived.
Jimmy looked at her and smirked. "I didn't recognize you
"Who is that girl?" Sharon sounded curious.
"They're cousins."
Helen put mugs on the table and pulled out a package of digestive crackers and cream cheese.
"I just got home, and I'm so friggin' hungry. Help yourselves."
Sharon fidgeted and Jimmy winked at her. Telling her the truth would be a relief, but at the moment verity wasn't an option. He grabbed a cracker instead, smeared cheese on it, and tucked it into her hand. She rewarded him with a smile.
Good.
When they were all seated, Helen stared at her coffee cup.
"I'm glad you knocked on the door. I feel so bad for those kids. I mean, if they sit here for hours, imagine what the rest of their days must be like."
"Do they have a dad?"
Helen shrugged. "Everyone has a dad. Coke-head. He shot her after the first kid, but she went right back and had another one. Evidently, almost killing the ones you love is okay if you're high."
I like this chick.
"Is she using too?"
"Probably. I haven't been to their house, I refuse to go there, but from what I hear it's pretty bad. The boys sleep on the floor, and they have cockroaches. I sometimes see the bugs run from her car." She shuddered. "When I think about it, sitting outside my house might be the highpoint of their day."
He nodded. Interesting how she called it her house and not their.
Sharon asked, "Why doesn't she bring them in?"
Helen smirked. "The first time she came here I made it clear I'm not going to babysit. I already work two jobs, and that's enough. She keeps asking, and I keep saying no. If she brings them in, she'll have to take care of them. Leave them in the car, she can forget about them for a while."
Jimmy tried to sound natural. "Can I use your restroom?"
"Sure, it's probably in the same place as yours. I think all these houses look the same."
It was exactly the same as Sharon's, but with a green sink instead of marble, and with a flowered shower curtain instead of a sliding shower wall.
He closed the door behind him and pulled up the phone.
"Hey, Bishop, I need you to run a plate for me. Can you have child services check out the address?"
*****
L ater in the day, Sharon peeked out to see Jimmy's bike outside, but there was no trace of the man. She opened the door and peeked out. "Jimmy?"
No answer. The garage door was closed and the back yard empty.
Maybe aliens abducted him? Or, maybe the police snatched him up again.
That thought made her heart feel cold.
Just as she was about to submit to panic, she saw a tall shape bent over the neighbor's old Ford. Definitely Jimmy, pottering about under the hood.
She plodded over there barefoot, enjoying the feeling of grass under her feet. Were the neighbors about to be their best friends now, or what was he up to?
"What are you doing?"
He peeked out oily, but wearing a big grin.
"Hey beautiful, I invited Frank and Helen over for a barbie. That's okay, right?"
How have I lived next door to them for so long without knowing their names?
"In that case, I'm calling Mona."
"Tell her to bring beer." It didn't take long before the engine purred and he patted the fender. "Better than new. See you in a few, Frank."
Sharon followed him to the back yard and watched him push her beautiful, stainless, gas-fueled grill to the side.
"You have a real one in the garage. If we are to cook, we cook the right way."
"That coal has been on the shelf for years. It won't burn."
"Of course it will."
I didn't think I'd see that old coal-burning dragon again. I like my new grill. It was expensive. Oh well, he'll never get that thing started.
Jimmy whistled between his teeth as he tore off pieces of the coal bag, crumpling them into little balls. He clearly had a magic touch: the fire started just fine and the bed of coal was almost ready when Mona arrived.
Jimmy looked at her and smirked. "I didn't recognize you
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