Having made reservations for three at Anthony’s Fish Grotto, Elwood waited at a table right at the window. The sun was moments from setting as the maître d’ escorted Charlie and Denice to their table.
Charlie exclaimed, “Nice table, little brother.”
“Only the best,” replied Elwood.
Charlie pulled Denice’s chair out and winked. “My queen.”
“Thanks, handsome.”
The maître d’, whose nametag read Carl offered, “I’ll send your server over for your drink order.”
“Thanks, Carl.” Charlie then turned to Woody and asked, “How’s life, Junior?”
“Good.”
Charlie quickly moved on to the topic at hand. “Man, have we got a story to tell you.” Their server, a handsome young man who was sporting an English-style short jacket and said his name was Peter, inquired, “What would you all like to drink?”
“Champagne. Moet, if you have it.” Charlie responded. “We have an occasion to celebrate, Peter.”
“Yes, sir.”
Anticipating the possibility of a large tip, his smile was huge and his step was brisk. Woody was intrigued. “So what’s up, boss?”
“All in good time, son. But let me just say, today’s your lucky day.”
The champagne came iced in a huge silver bucket, the lobster tails were fresh and tasty, and Elwood’s Newburg was kickin’ (as Elwood described it).
Dee was pleasantly champagne-sedated. And over the Boston cream pie, Charlie filled Elwood in on the windfall, and the game plan for the next scrimmage on a triple diamond Keno.
“I can’t believe you all are gonna include me.”
Denice said, reaching out and covering his hand, “You saved our ass out there, Woody. Charlie and I don’t have too many people in our lives that give a shit about loyalty or trust. Besides, Brandt loves you.”
Charlie added, “Kids and dogs, good judges of character.”
“Don’t pay attention to him. He’s got more money than sense right now.”
Elwood smiled. “That ain’t a bad thing.”
“Seriously, partner. Got a lot of love for you, because you do as you say. Plus, you’re good at what you do, and you have brass balls. We need you focused. Ramona and the girls have some wedding plans, but it’s gonna cost you some cash.” Elwood folded his hands, looked out at the harbor with a misty faraway stare.
When he turned back and looked at Charlie, he said “Six months ago. I didn’t have a pot to piss in, or a window to throw it out of. Now I’m getting married. I got a nice place, beautiful friends, and a purpose.
“Purpose?” Denice asked.
“You should hear some of the stories Esperanza tells. I know it’s illegal, but I’m proud of what I’m doing.”
Charlie calmly said, “I know. But it won’t last forever.”
Elwood, not seeming to hear, said, “Brandt calls me Uncle Woody. Comes out UN Woo. I love that kid.”
“Me, too,” Denice said.
Charlie, wanting to lighten the mood, picked up his champagne glass and raised it in a toast. “Here’s to weddings, grandkids, and video programmers with tunnel vision.”
Elwood raised his glass. “Here, here.”
Dee joined them and with all three glasses touching, she added, “Nothing succeeds like success.”
“CHEERS!”
-- -- --
Sunday morning on the Kumeyaay reservation was an idyllic seventy-six degrees. The sun was bright, and the white puffy clouds made the sky look bluer than it should have been.
Children at the Kumeyaay Day Care, part of the church complex, giggled and chased each other around the colorful playground where a warm desert wind gently followed.
Charlie and Denice parked the Blazer right next to the front door. Charlie came around and opened the door for Denice. She jumped down out of the truck carrying her hammock-purse.
Charlie opened the glass doors of the church for Denice, and followed her through to the front desk. The young Indian girl behind the counter smiled, using her left hand to tuck a strand of long blue-black hair, behind her ear. “Can I help you?”
“Hi, I’m Denice and this is my husband, Charlie. I was wondering if the manager was in?”
“You’re looking at her.” She extended her hand to Denice.
“Name’s Natalie.”
“How do you do,” said Denice. “We would like to make a donation.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Most donations are made through the church and then filter down to the daycare.” She made an expansive gesture with her hand, palm up. As if to say, not much filters down.
Denice said in a firm tone, “We would like this gift to go to the children for education supplies, lunch programs, and such.”
Natalie looked through partially squinted eyes, not sure just what these people represented, or if they should be trusted. In her world, white people talked big and smiled nice while knifing you in the back. She tilted her head to the side and inquired, “What kind of gift are we talking about here?”
Denice reached down into her hammock-purse, pulled out a cashier’s check for $3,300, and presented it to Natalie. “This kind of gift.”
Natalie looked at the check, speechless. Her eyes met Denice’s and then she whispered, “How did you know?”
Dee did not miss a beat. “Spirit Mother told me.”
Charlie was quiet and would uncharacteristically remain so.
Natalie took the check, came around the counter and put her arms around Denice, whispering something in her ear. Then she came to Charlie, and gently kissed him on the cheek. She said something to him in her native tongue that he did not understand. She bowed her head in front of both of them and said, “The children thank you, also.” There are times when nothing more needs to be said, and this was one of them.
Charlie and Denice then left in silence.
In the Blazer Charlie asked, “What did that girl whisper in your ear?”
“She said, ‘Thank you, grandmother. The wind will always speak your name,’” Denice answered.
“Really? How cool is that? We’re sailing into the mystic on a wind that speaks your name.”
Denice’s tone was reverent, “We’ve been blessed Charlie. That whole experience back there, it just made me feel so...happy. We did good, honey.”
“Well, Pumkin, that’s what we were shootin’ for. Doing some good. Bullseye, Pumkin.”
There are so many mysteries on this mountain, so many complex, interwoven histories, so many walking shadows, and conflicting zombies. Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “The most common form of human stupidity is forgetting what one is trying to do.” Don’t forget it. Live it.
-- -- --
Monday night and Tuesday morning brought butterflies and nerves of steel. Charlie and Denice sat down and played and planned. Jack in, one hundred dollars. Play down. Then use the trick to go down to twenty dollars. Alternating back and forth, not cashing out for the coins.
The metallurgy of the receiver tray is designed to emit maximum noise on an old coin pay machine. Walk down the aisle dropping a coin into each tray. Bing. Bing. Bing. Bong. Play that machine, especially if it’s close to the entrance doors.
Keeping as incognito as possible, Charlie, Denice, and Elwood played to get paid. Eight, nine, and ten numbers at Max Bet. With the impossible-to-lose-it-all factor, the big payouts came quickly. Elwood, who usually only gambles to get the girls, popped up over the top of the screen at Charlie, who was sitting straight across from him. “I’m up to nine freakin’ grand,” he said, and then ducked back down. Charlie was reminded of the clown that pops out of the music box.
“That guy over there keeps staring at us,” Denice said from the machin
e next to Charlie. “He hasn’t moved in 10 minutes.”
“Okay.” Charlie said, “Let’s roll out, just like we planned. I’ll go first.”
“Okay. See you at Nea’s.”
Charlie cashed out, waited for the attendant, and then collected his cash. He quietly went out the front door and began the half-mile hike to his daughter’s house.
Next was Elwood. Out the front door and into the Toyota mini-truck. He also headed to Nea’s.
Last was Dee, who took her winnings, went out the side door at the pumps, and hopped up into their jacked up, blue Blazer, all under the watchful eye of Acorn Security.
Even though they were all being scrutinized, they made it out safely with their winnings and met up at Nea’s house.
Nea was beyond being surprised by her parents showing up. Being that it was 4:00 a.m. it was as good a time as any for a visit if your parents are professional gamblers. Charlie, Denice, and Elwood came in the door to dead silence. Nea said, “Hi mom,” as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.
“We did it,” Denice said.
Charlie and Elwood pulled their hands out of their pockets, and started throwing hundred dollar bills all around the room. They whooped and hollered, dancing a money jig. Denice joined in, throwing money in the air and laughing till she cried.
“What the hell?” questioned Nea. She picked up a bill examining it closely – scooping bills off the floor, she added, “I’ve never seen so much money.”
Brandt, awake now, sat on the floor pantomiming his mother. He put a bill in his mouth, decided it tasted terrible, and reached out to Grandma to be lifted up and cuddled.
“Don’t like the taste of your college fund?” asked Charlie.
They gathered up the money and counted it. Thirty-three thousand and some change, for a total of $66,000. Charlie handed $9,000 to Elwood. He stood dumbfounded, staring at the stack.
He handed $4,000 to Nea. “Make some big plans, and stop sweating the small stuff.” He hugged his daughter, knowing the hardships that faced a single mom. Nea kissed her Mom and Dad as Woody looked on with a smile.
SEND IN THE CLOWNS
Chapter 29
The next morning Charlie and Denice awoke to the sound of the company cell phone. Charlie answered it with his typical aplomb, “Hello, good looking.”
Ramona, never caught off guard answered, “Is that the way you address your boss?”
“Denice prefers it, yes.”
“What are you guys doing?”
Charlie looked at Denice, laying next to him.
“Hang’n out like a hair in a biscuit.” Charlie handed the phone to his wife.
Denice, cranky and still half asleep, spoke slowly into the phone.
“Sorry hon, he’s like bad hair, I can’t do anything with him.”
“Good morning, Dee, I’m glad he passed the phone to you. Look, I’ve got two VIPs I need in L.A. in less than three days. They’re at Bobby Peg Legs’ house in Jacumba right now.”
“Okay, we’ll call Bobby.”
Ramona reinforced this request by saying, “This one’s important. I need you guys to give this your complete concentration, put a plan in motion and call me with a delivery date and time. Let’s do the drop at the mall near Brentwood. You know the place?”
Denice answered in the affirmative and promised to call back with the info.
Denice looked at Charlie, “You hear that?”
“Yep, call Woody and invite him to a mandatory breakfast, then let’s call Bobby. Tell him we’ll be there this afternoon. No matter how this goes down, I want the clients here at Nea’s. God only knows what might happen to them at Bobby’s.
-- -- --
While waiting for breakfast, Charlie played with Brandt and in a moment of complete clarity, staring at his grandson’s angelic face, trying to create a tower of building blocks, guilt suddenly ambushed his compassionate heart. This young boy needed his grandfather, depended on him for male influence. However, the uncertainty of Grandma’s and Grandpa’s daily life jeopardized his little world. Charlie knew this, and as time went on it was a growing concern that refused to stay put in the back of his mind.
Very few moments of Charlie’s life were assaulted with feelings of apprehension and anxiety. Every time we run we put moments like this at risk, he thought. Brandt smiled at Charlie and gave him a close up look at the blocks in his right hand. Charlie’s internal struggles intensified to the point of confusion – an emotion Charlie was not familiar with. He pushed the doubt and inadequate feelings aside, to be contemplated another day. Today would require strength and resolve.
A knock at the door brought Charlie out of his reverie. He strode towards the door. “I’ll get it ladies.” He scooped up Brandt and said, “That’ll be Uncle Woody.” Brandt squirmed in his arms, escaped, and hit the floor running toward the front door. Not yet tall enough to reach the doorknob, Charlie opened it for him.
“Morning Wood Man.” Woody took one step into the house and Brandt assaulted his leg with a fierce hug and did not let go. Woody hobbled into the kitchen with Little Man still attached to his calf.
“Hey y’all, what’s for breakfast?”
Denice and Nea both chimed in, “Banana pancakes!”
-- -- --
After breakfast came the planning session. Charlie said, “My thinking is we bring them here and wait for rain.”
Woody agreed, but was skeptical about the weather. “It’s looked like rain for a week, but nothing.”
“We’ve got three days max,” reminded Denise. “If no rain tonight, then I say we go down the backside and wait it out at the motel.”
“Sounds good to me,” Charlie finalized.
Nea interjected into the conversation, “I’ll run to the checkpoint every couple of hours, see if it closes.”
“Thanks, honey.” Denice then asked Woody, “Would you run to Bobby’s and pick up the clients, bring them here to wait it out?”
-- -- --
Everyone was surprised to see that the VIPs were a young couple. They held hands as they walked up Nea’s stairs to the porch. Nea opened the door for them and Woody brought up the rear. Introductions were made and to everyone’s delight, the couple spoke excellent English.
The young man half of the couple, Mr. Lopez, shook hands with Charlie and then said, “Mr. and Mrs. DeVille, we want to thank you for bringing us to your daughter’s home. Ten more minutes with Peg Legs and I’m not so sure I wouldn’t have strangled him.”
Charlie laughed. “You’re welcome. Bobby has that effect on people.”
Mrs. Lopez spoke to Denice and Nea as she took off her jacket. “Mr. Peg Legs’ Spanish is awful. And he stuttered like...um, well...like...” Charlie finished her thought for her. “Like a bitch.”
“Exactly.”
They all sat down and as Charlie ran down the game plan, Brandt fell madly in love with Mrs. Lopez. He bestowed his charming smile and best goo-goo eyes while filling her lap with toys. Nea and Grandma looked at each other and shared a knowing smile. A little charmer just like his grandpa.
After a light lunch, Nea left to check the status of the Highway 8 checkpoint and Mr. and Mrs. Lopez laid down in Brandt’s bed for a much-needed nap. Charlie, restless, thinking a run down the backside of the mountain was almost inevitable, turned to his point man and said, “Woody, let’s go down to El Cajon and rent a van, maybe a twelve-seater. Are you okay with using the Toyota to run point?”
“Sure, Boss Man, no problem.”
Nea returned, coming through the front door with, “Still open – three Border Patrol Agents: two stopping cars, one in a Bronco behind binoculars.” She waited for her dad’s instructions on what to do next.
“Great, just great,” was all she got.
Denice, hold
ing her sleeping grandson, told the guys, “Run down to the valley and get the van. Nea and I will start dinner.”
-- -- --
Charlie and Elwood returned with a twelve-seat maxi van, white with tinted windows. Charlie commented after kissing his wife and throwing the keys on the counter, “Checkpoint’s open, skies are clear, it’s not looking good to go west.”
Brandt held up his arms to Charlie, “Up, Papa. Up.” Charlie bent down and scooped him up, much to the toddler’s delight.
Woody sat down on the couch and said to no one in particular, “Looks like it’s down the backside, hotel, motel, Holiday Inn.”
“Well, we can’t wait for the rain, we’ve got a deadline,” Denice reminded everyone.
Charlie added, “There’s no way we’re going through the Salton Sea checkpoint. So it’s hanging at the No-Tell Motel. Through the dunes checkpoint and maybe Hamoudi’s place to wait for dark. Sound good?”
Everyone responded with the affirmative. Everyone except Mr. and Mrs. Lopez, who had just awakened from a catatonic sleep.
Mr. Lopez’s first question was, “No tell motel?”
-- -- --
The usually reliable Indio Desert Inn was showing a No Vacancy sign. “Oh, hell no,” groused Charlie. He got out of his van and entered the smoky office.
“Hey, good looking!” he cheerfully greeted Mrs. Cabbage Patch. He still had no idea what her real name was.
“Hey there, Elvis. New van. Got out of the landscaping business, huh?”
“Yeah, you know me, a mover and a shaker.”
“Bullshit,” she said knowingly with a sinister smile.
“Yeah, pretty much. Look, I need a double room, and before you ask, yes, I saw the sign. But that doesn’t include your premium customers, does it?”
Jacumba Connection Page 24