by J. M. Pierce
Standing from the chair, Test quickly walked back outside and crossed the yard to the truck. He let his hand glide along the hood as he walked down the driver’s side to the door. The metal felt warm to the touch, and the paint felt like glass under his palm. As he opened the door, he could see the keys dangling from the ignition switch on the dash, just to the left hand side of the steering wheel. He climbed in and took a deep breath. The smell of warm vinyl engulfed him, and he smiled with thoughts of the Plymouth Barracuda he’d driven in Lincoln. The door closed with the precision of a watch, taking no effort to close it securely. With one hand resting on the steering wheel, and the other on the floor mounted shifter, Test gazed out the windshield. It was so clear and clean that it almost appeared as if it wasn’t there.
His peripheral vision caught a glimpse of movement to his right, and he turned to look at the corner of the barn where he thought he’d seen someone standing, but there was no one there. He shook his head as he straightened himself in the seat, and upon looking out the windshield, gasped in shock. There in front of the pickup was a young black man, in his late teens or early twenties, staring at Test with a slight grin. He was wearing a white undershirt with denim bib overalls. His hair was tight to his head and he wore black horn rimmed glasses. Test watched as the man walked around the front of the truck and to the driver’s door. He paused for a moment, standing motionless while staring at Test, and then tapped on the window three times with his index finger. Test was frozen with fear. The two of them stared into each others eyes, neither of them speaking.
The abrupt switch between dream and reality found Test sitting up in bed, confused and frightened, as a thunderous bang came from his motel room door. Sweating profusely, his body ached and his heart was pounding through his chest. He climbed out of bed and shuffled sheepishly to the door. Peering through the peep hole, he saw Enrique standing on the other side. With a new kind of fear sitting in the pit of his stomach, he lightly beat his forehead on the door a couple of times.
“Chance, open the door! I need to talk to you!”
Test hesitantly put his hand on the door handle and opened the door, but only slightly. He glanced through the crack and braced himself.
“What the hell are you doing?” asked Enrique angrily. “I tried to call you ten times today. TEN TIMES!”
“I’m sorry. I’ve been sleeping,” Test replied with his eyes squinting against the daylight.
Enrique then noticed all of the bruises and scrapes covering Test’s body. “What the hell happened to you? Did you get all messed up and get into a fight or something?”
Test, trying his best not to let the flippant comment upset him, opened the door wider. “Come on, Enrique. That’s not it. I told you, I don’t drink.”
Enrique wanted to be angry, but the submissive manner in which the young man answered helped to remind him why he was there. He took a step back and changed his posture to a more relaxed position. With a deep breath he continued. “Look, Chance, I’m sorry, okay? I’ve been worried as hell about you today. Not only that, but Alyssa and Julie are both pissed at me for being an ass last night.”
Test exhaled deeply and relaxed his shoulders as he nodded his head. “Nah, I’m the one that was an ass. It wasn’t your fault.”
The conversation stopped for a moment and the two of them faced each other uncomfortably. Test, forgetting that he was standing in the open doorway wearing nothing but his boxers, slid bashfully back behind the door. His embarrassing discovery caused Enrique to laugh, breaking the tension of the moment.
“So do you think I can come in or what? It has to look bad…” said Enrique as he looked up and down the walkway, “…what with me standing here talking to you while you’re half naked and all.”
Test wanted to, but couldn’t find the humor in anything. He remained motionless in the doorway, staring at Enrique intently and thinking of the last twenty four hours events. He was already tired of explaining and answering questions.
“I really need to get some sleep, Enrique. Can we do this another time?” he asked with a tense jaw.
Enrique’s frustration immediately covered his face, but then manifested into a tight lipped smile.
“I’ll tell you about it at work tomorrow--that is if I still have a job?” asked Test.
“Of course you have a job,” answered Enrique promptly.
“Then please…just let me be right now?”
Test held out an open hand to Enrique as a gesture of forgiveness as well as thanks. Enrique took it and gripped tightly.
“Don’t be late,” said Enrique with firmness in his voice.
Unable to look him in the eye, Test replied. “I won’t.”
As Enrique turned and walked to his truck, Test backed into his room and closed the door. He walked to the curtains, peeked through them, and carefully watched as Enrique pulled away.
His head was pounding, and he could feel every muscle in his body burn and ache. With his adrenaline fading, the stiffness of his joints became more apparent. He gingerly moved to the bed and took a seat on its edge. The clock on the nightstand told him that it was five o’clock. Beside it, the message light on the phone was once again blinking. Test couldn’t believe that he had slept through the phone ringing next to his head, but it was apparent that he had. And then he remembered the dream.
Quickly, his pulse accelerated, and in the dim light of the room, he grew fearful. He had dreamt of the farm in Nebraska before, but the dreams had always been snap shots of the farm as he knew it when it was his safe haven. This dream had felt different. He remembered the man standing beside the truck; his eyes strangely familiar, as if he’d seen him before. And then his mind put it together. It was the same man that he had seen across the street waiving to him the morning before. For a moment he felt sick, almost to the degree of needing to vomit. Sweat began to bead up on his forehead as he took a series of deep breaths until the sensation passed.
“Damn,” he said aloud. “That was so real.”
Suddenly the phone rang, causing him to flinch harshly. He winced in pain as he climbed across the bed and reached for the phone.
“Hello?” he asked with his voice crackling, still shaking from the pain.
“Chance?”
The soft voice on the other end was immediately recognized as Alyssa’s.
“Hey, Alyssa. How’s it goin’?” asked Test in a regretful tone.
“I’m okay. How are you? You don’t sound so good.”
“Oh…I’m fine.” His voice strained as he sat up on the opposite side of the bed. “Hey, I owe you an apology.”
“No!” she replied forcefully. “You don’t owe me anything. Uncle Enrique was being a jerk.”
“No, no, no,” replied Test. “He wasn’t trying to do anything but get to know me better. I could have handled that way differently.”
There was a slight pause on the line.
“I don’t know Chance. I don’t blame you for getting upset. Trust me; I know exactly how you feel.”
Test exhaled deeply into the phone.
“I’m sorry. Now I’m being a pain,” said Alyssa.
“No you’re not,” replied Test. “You trust me. I’m very happy to hear your voice right now.”
Test could here her giggle gently and it brought a smile to his face.
“So,” she asked with quivering voice. “Did you mean what you said last night?”
“Oh, God,” replied Test, struggling to remember the entirety of the conversation. “Which part?”
“The part about doing dinner again sometime?” she asked nervously.
“Oh, yeah…I don’t know if…”
Before Test could finish his sentence, Alyssa interrupted. “I’m talking about just you and me this time. No Uncle E or Aunt Julie.”
Test wanted it so badly, but he couldn’t help but to hesitate. He let himself fall back onto the bed, and ran a hand through his hair. The cut on the back of his head was now dried and scabbed over.
“Yeah…sure…that sounds okay,” she replied was a hint of disappointment.
Test’s heart sank. The last thing he wanted to do was make her feel bad, but in this moment, it was the best thing that he could do for either of them.
“Are you going to be at work tomorrow?” she asked.
“Yeah; I’ll be there.”
“Promise?” she asked sweetly.
Test melted. “I promise.”
“Okay then. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Definitely,” he replied.
“Good night, Chance.”
He held the phone tightly in his grip and could hear the digital signal drop as she closed her cell phone. The phone call had changed his mental state drastically. He was now filled with a giddy, youthful sensation that forced him to smile. He wanted to embrace it, but he remained cautious. The events of the last twenty four hours were going to be difficult to cover. The marks and bruises on his body had to be explained, and he knew that he was going to have to tell the story to everyone on the crew. In truth, the only one that he was worried about was Alyssa.
Chapter 7
The walk to Enrique’s office was long and painful, both mentally and physically. Test had slept through the night, and awoke in the morning with his body reminding him of the previous day’s abuse. The walk had done him some good as his muscles loosened with each step, and by the time he arrived at the office, he had forgotten about the physical pain. Now he was left with the mental challenge of facing Enrique, the crew, and Alyssa.
As he approached the door, he could see James standing in the doorway. He was straight faced and shaking his head in disapproval. Test reached for the door, but James had already begun to push it open for him.
“What’s goin’ on?” asked James in a displeased voice.
Test avoided eye contact. Instead he slipped by him, leaning away with his head down.
“Nothin’ much,” he replied as he sheepishly glanced back to James. He let his hair hang like a shield over his eyes.
Standing by the coffee pot was the rest of the crew, all except Enrique and Alyssa. Jordan was leaning against the end of the counter while reading the morning newspaper. Test’s eyes instantly caught the headline and the sight of it took his breath.
Impact Sight a Mystery. Meteor Suspected Culprit.
With mild relief, he exhaled quickly, only to notice Rob standing proudly next to Jordan with his arms crossed. Slapping Eric on the chest, he pointed to Test as he walked towards them.
“Well look who decided to show up today!” spouted Rob in his usual arrogant way.
Test ignored him and continued towards the coffee. With Rob in his way, he reached around and grabbed a Styrofoam cup and depressed the lever on the percolator. Waiting until Test’s cup was half full; Rob thrust an elbow into his side causing him to drop his coffee onto the counter top.
“Sorry about that, Johnston,” said Rob in jest.
Test didn’t respond, instead he grabbed a paper towel and began to wipe up the spill.
“Knock it off, Rob!” yelled James from across the room.
“Or what?” answered Rob as he turned and postured aggressively.
“Or I’ll send your ass home for the day. That’s what!”
“Oh whatever, James,” replied Rob with a grin.
“It’s fine, James,” spoke Test as he continued to wipe up the mess. “No big deal.”
Rob turned to Test and smacked him on the shoulder.
“Yeah, James, come on…it’s no big deal,” replied Rob with a deep laugh.
Test winced in pain as Rob gripped his shoulder and then squeezed in a show of strength. Before Test could counter, the bell on the door chimed and in walked Enrique, followed closely by Alyssa. Her eyes were immediately locked on him, and his on her.
Quickly, Rob released his grip on Test. Standing like a four year old that knew he’d been caught doing something that he shouldn’t; he took a step towards Enrique.
“Morning, boss! You need some coffee?”
“Got some; thanks,” replied Enrique in an insolent tone.
Enrique looked at Test and, with a nod, acknowledged that he was there, but not necessarily pleased with him.
“Chance, I’d like to see you in my office.”
Once more, Test remained quiet, nodding his head and taking a few steps forward. He glanced to Alyssa. Her eyes were fearful; wide with anticipation and welling with emotion.
Enrique opened the door to his office and held the door as Test passed through.
“Take a seat,” said Enrique forcefully, pointing to the chair in front of his desk.
Closing the door, Enrique walked to his desk and took a seat in his worn out chair. He rested both of his elbows on the desk, and clasped his hands with his index fingers jutting upward in a steeple-like shape. He stared at a picture of his son that rested on the corner of his desk, and in a tensely controlled motion, reclined in his chair.
“You know, Chance, I’m not your father.”
Test remained silent. A little thrown off by the comment, he leaned forward in his seat.
“I don’t have the right to pry and preach,” continued Enrique. “Now, in turn, you are not my son. I don’t have any obligation to protect you, or to provide for you. You are a grown man and your life is yours to live. If you choose to screw that up, then I have no choice but to let you.” Enrique’s voice remained level and strong.
Test felt a rush of guilt overtake him. “I’m sor…”
“I don’t want to hear it,” interrupted Enrique with a raised hand. “I don’t want to know what happened. I don’t want to hear excuses. All that I want is for you to understand that you just used your one and only free pass.”
Test silently nodded his head in agreement.
“Don’t just sit there! I want to hear you say it!” yelled Enrique as he exploded to his feet.
Test snapped backward in shock. He had never seen Enrique like this.
“I understand,” spoke Test submissively.
“You’d damn well bet…,” Enrique paused to compose himself. “You had better understand.”
Test stood from his chair, and before he was upright, his back twisted into a combination of spasms and cramps. He quickly flung himself forward, placing his palms on the desk and cringing in pain.
With a look of annoyance, Enrique stared at Test. “You gonna be able to make it today?”
“Yes sir. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay then, its time to go.”
Enrique left the room without another word, leaving Test to stare out the doorway. Alyssa and James were both eyeing Enrique as he walked passed them out the front door. Test lowered his head and gathered himself before walking out of the office.
As he reached the office door, Alyssa rushed to him. Standing directly in front of him, she gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah; you know how Enrique is.” He attempted to shrug off the fact that Enrique’s little talk had bothered him.
“I’m not talking about that,” replied Alyssa as she noticed his wounds. “You look like you got run over!”
Test bit his bottom lip and closed his eyes as Alyssa gently brushed his hair from his brow.
“What happened?” she asked.
Test opened his eyes and looked around the room. Everyone was gone except for James, who was standing by the door with his hands shoved in his front jean pockets. Quickly shifting his gaze away from him, he looked back to Alyssa.
“Can I talk to you about this later?” asked Test sincerely. “I’ve got to go to work or your uncle is going to fire me.”
There seriousness in his voice was impossible to miss. Alyssa simply nodded her head yes and turned to walk out the door. Before letting the door close, she looked back.
“Will you have lunch with me?”
Test looked at James who relu
ctantly had a smile on his face. He felt the corner of his own mouth raise, and looked back to the beautiful figure standing in the backlit doorway.
“Yeah, that sounds good,” he replied.
Alyssa glanced at James with a bright toothed smile and let the door close. James pulled his hands from his pockets and began to clap.
“I knew you had it in you.” The cadence of his clapping was short and sharp. His voice was stern. “Now, if you can keep from screwing up your job, maybe you can have it all?”
Test walked towards James and spoke as he crossed his arms tightly to his chest. “It’s complicated.”
“Life is complicated enough without being stupid and making it more so,” replied James. “You going to tell me what happened yesterday?”
Looking James straight in the eye, he replied in a respectful manner. “If you need to know, then yes, I will tell you.”
“I don’t need to know… but I would like to,” replied James.
“Can I tell you on the way? Enrique’s pissed off enough. I’m sure he’s not going to wait on me much today.”
James looked at him with a raised eyebrow as he pushed open the door for Test. “You’re probably right…can’t say as I blame him either.”
Chapter 8
Test had spoken with James most all of the way to the job site. He had explained about falling off of a bike after having a few drinks and rolling down an embankment and into a swath of small trees. James didn’t know that for one, Test didn’t drink, and second, he didn’t own a bicycle. It didn’t take much convincing for James to accept the explanation, and then the conversation turned to Alyssa. It was all Test could do to keep the smile from his face as James mentioned her name.
“So what’s goin’ on between you two anyway?” asked James with a smirk as he rubbed the stubble on his chin.