by JR Thompson
“That’s wonderful, Momma!” Billy gave her a bear hug. “Want me to go in there and dump it all out again?”
“No. I think I’d rather do it myself this time. You can watch me if you want to.”
27
Billy held out his palm. “Pay it up,” he said.
Mr. Bones reached in his wallet. “Do you know how much money you’ve earned over these past six weeks?”
“No clue.”
“Five hundred and twenty-five bucks.”
Billy grinned from ear to ear.
“What do you think you’re going to do with all of that loot?”
With wide eyes and a grin that would have lit up outer space, the fourteen-year-old said, “I got me a few ideas.”
“Forget about them,” Mr. Bones replied.
“Forget ‘em? Why’s that?”
“Cause your mother and I had an agreement.”
“I ain’t know nothin’ ‘bout no agreement? What you talkin’ ‘bout?”
“That money you earned is going to be donated to a local charity.”
“What?” Billy’s nostrils flared, “I earned that money! It’s mine!”
“Exactly. We’ve been trying to teach you a lesson through what I refer to as the ‘Get What’s Coming To You’ method. You’ve seen nothing wrong with stealing people’s hard-earned cash and claiming it for your own. Your mother and I thought the best way to break that habit was to have you do some hard work, earn the money, and then have it taken from you.”
“That ain’t right!”
“Maybe not, but you had it coming.”
Billy glared at his probation officer as if he was the cruelest man on earth.
“I do have some good news for you,” Mr. Bones said. “You said you love your mother, right?”
“You know I do.”
“Do you know what she’s been doing today while you’ve been out here weed-eating this hillside?”
“No. And I don’t really care. I just want my money!”
“Your momma’s been attending her first alcoholic recovery meeting.”
“That’s nice,” Billy grumbled.
“Billy, that’s a big step for her.”
“That ain’t nothin’ compared to givin’ no charity over $500.”
“I hope this teaches you not to ever take another dime from anybody… You understand me?”
Billy sighed, “You really gonna make me do this?”
“You better believe it! We’re going to take this cash down to the recovery group that’s helping your mother.”
Billy lost his attitude and said, “If we have to give it to somebody, it might as well be them I guess.”
“And I have more good news for you.”
“I can’t hardly wait.”
“The guy you split firewood for called me earlier this morning. He offered to hire you for some other projects around his property.”
“Why? So you can find an excuse to give away more of what I earned?”
Mr. Bones laughed, “No. This time you’re not being made to work. It’s your choice. You can accept his offer and keep the money you earn, or you can turn him down.”
Billy smiled, “You’re serious?”
“Completely.”
“He be wantin’ me to split more wood?”
“I don’t know, bud. From the sounds of it, he has several projects he needs completed; if you prove yourself reliable, they’re all yours.”
They pulled out of the driveway, and the probation officer’s cell rang. “That’s probably your momma. Will you answer it for me?”
“Sure.”
Billy disguised his voice and answered, “Philip Bones speaking.” There was a silence. The teen shot his probation officer a confused look. “No problem... It was the least I could do… Yeah, you too.”
Billy hung up the phone. “Why’d you do that, Mr. Bones?”
“Do what?”
“All that cash belonged to you? You been givin’ all those people money to pay me for working for them?”
Mr. Bones smiled, “That wasn’t your mother, was it?”
“No, it wasn’t… You are donating $525 out of your own pocket to the place that’s helping my mom?”
“No, you are. You labored for that money.”
“But you gave your money to those other people so they would give it back to me. That ain’t make no sense!”
“Doesn’t it?” Mr. Bones asked.
“I ain’t never gonna understand you, Mr. Bones.”
28
Philip couldn’t have been more pleased with the reports he was getting from Carlos’s teachers. That is, until he left Mrs. King’s room. He was no more than twenty feet from her door when a boy on the other end of the hallway bolted out of a room, waving his arms high in the air as if he was a monkey – he was clothed in nothing but a pair of whitey-tighties. The kid ran across the hall into another classroom. A few seconds later he was back in the hall and heading toward a third one.
“What on earth?” Philip asked himself out loud.
When the boy came out of the third room, Philip saw his face. “Carlos!... What do you think you’re doing?”
Carlos froze in his tracks and erased the smile from his face. “I… uh… Mr. Bones, what are you doing here?”
If there had been any doubt about it before, it was gone now. If Mr. and Mrs. Estrada were on board, Mr. Bones had yet another young man who needed some extra one-on-one time.
A note from the author:
Thank you so much for reading Redirecting Billy! Unfortunately, there are a lot of young men in our society who are growing up just like Billy. They can be reached if more people like Philip will take the time to reach out to them. Could you be one of those people? If you enjoyed this read, would you mind leaving a review? It would be a huge help!
Other Books By JR Thompson
Harmony Series
Hidden in Harmony: Danger is Imminent
Fighting for Farmington: Destruction is Inevitable
Terrors of Troy: Despair is Inflicted
Storms at Shelton: Deception is Inexcusable
Standalones:
Revenge Fires Back
Shady Valentine
Snowflakes To Iron
Worthy Battle Series:
Rebuilding Alden
Redirecting Billy
Reprogramming Carlos
Reforming Dawson
Renovating Elliot (coming soon)
Refurbishing Felipe (coming soon)