The Holiday Shift

"Ear hair, ear wax, eye gunk, wet snot and dry boogars. Rotted teeth and oily hair. His energy level, caput. He looks young, but sounds old. He is old. Over the hill and burnt out.", Chase said, describing his father, Donnellson, whom he was arguing with, at the moment, and he was angrily being spiteful.

"Okay, it's time to meet.", said Mary Ann. "I'm pulling into The Cardigan, lot, now."

"Okay! I just pulled in, too. What a coincidence.", said Chase Ambrervs, then he put away his new cell phone, pulled up to Mary Ann and passed off to her a money envelope, saying, "Rent and sewer.", then saying goodbye to his landlady before driving off. He pulled his cell back out.

Across town a holiday dinner party was taking place. "Chase is getting the groceries.", Misty announced, hanging up her cell phone.

Momma Netty was checking on her green bean casserole. Never enough bacon. Just a smidgin of pepper.

Aunt Nell, being the youngest was the one to watch over the kids as she had always taken it upon herself, anyway.

Earl Ron nabbed an early plate to go as he had to leave early, as he has a luncheon restaurant to run. Emma Rae Jean and her brood were going with him.

Elron was already working the holiday shift at his father's luncheon. Pencil and pad in hand, he had just taken an order for a Japanese A5 filet mignon, an American rib cap, Australian shirt rib, Wagyu ribeye, stuffed rigatoni, corn sabayan and carnevina for the table with two mountain of a men.

After watching two big fellows order enough meat to feed a dinosaur, both Kovassis, with his kobe beef, and his granddaughter, Antoullina, with her bar mala, went back to dining.

Elron gave his ticket to the kitchen then headed off for his break.

"Can you run to Graffbergh's and get us some onions? We're gonna run low.", Melanie asked with a kissyface and baby talk she used when conning him into doing her a favor.

"Yes. Hunny bunny. But you'll have to get my tickets.", he kissy faced and baby talked back, humourously sarcastic.

Elron climbed into his 1991 Chevy Caprice and wrestled with the starter.

It had fire, but it was going out. When it turned over, he heard a voice from the backseat, "Don't turn around, just drive where I tell you.", the man's voice gave him directions to the next town over.

"Chase is back with the groceries! He's out back grilling with the fella's!", shouted Kirie to Mary Ellen.

Melanie looked up from her tickets and called out, "Hi, Earl Ron! Emma Rae, have you heard from Elron? He went for onions just over fourty five minutes ago. Store's just on up the road."

"No. Maybe, they were closed for the holiday and he went elsewhere, drivin' around looking for something open."

Elron pulled up to a very non descript house in the boondocks.

Stupidity or courage made him turn around to see a frail young man, who smelled ranking of whiskey, holding a toy. He looked so frightened and embarrassed. Elron is shocked that 'this' is the man he was scared of.

The man said, "I'm so sorry. I wanted to see my kid. I'm not allowed contact and so I sneak over once every year and leave a toy in the yard, then sit into the tree's shadow and watch and see if I can see anything. Most times, I can't."

"You didn't have a way here?", Elron asked, almost sympathetically.

"I see you working when I come in, you know, and I overheard you was goin' to the store and I didn't think you'd gim'me a ride if I asked and your car was open."

"Let me call off work and I'll wait for you on the other side of the block, up over there, so I don't draw attention. Take your time, because I've got all night.", offered Elron, knowing Emma Rae's oldest two could both cover for him and get the onions. The man got out of the Caprice and ran fast as he could to the darkest part of the yard.

Mary Ellen got a call from her friend, Longo, a deputy in Rochester. He had said he had picked up her brother and said he had to detain him for the rest of the night, until the judge could see him in the morning.

He was currently being charged as the getaway driver for a well known felon who had forcibly broken into a home, in his county, and had stole some jewelry, also, that there was a kid's toy in his backseat filled with cocaine, so there would certainly be felony drug charges, too.

He continued by saying that her brother, Elron, denied everything, but it was out of his hands. He was probably looking at some prison time.

Mary Ellen thanked him and hung up and she called their dad, Earl Ron, to give him the news.

He would probably get his golfing buddy, local criminal lawyer, Northrup Daniel's, to represent him. They were supposed to drive back to their college university tomorrow. He was her ride and it was three states over. She sat and cried.