Excerpt:
Billy said, “It is an investment in the flower shop that he is helping mom plan. It is not like we can take the money and go to Las Vegas.” Billy thought a second. “Can we?”
Maureen said, “No. We can not. Or Disney. Or buy new furniture. Or buy nice jewelry. Or eat at fancy restaurants. We have to put it in that damn flower shop that I am having second thoughts about.”
Bess said, “To meet the public, you are going to need some new clothes. And if I am going to work in your flower shop after school then I am going to need some new clothes.”
Maureen looked at Billy. “I think we need to stay away from Victor.”
Hearthville Serial: Book 7
Episode 8
Any Truth, Proper Grammar, or Correct Spelling is totally coincidental if not accidental.
All characters are fiction. This story is fiction. This story makes no claims about any real person.
By Charles Peters
Copyright 2021
All Rights Reserved
Chapters / Episodes
The sun rose and Maureen looked to her window and her open curtains. The sun shinned all so brightly through the window and on her bed; her face.
Maureen sat up. “Such weird dreams and I feel so tired. I hope I am not coming down with something.”
Maureen threw back her covers and sat up, moving her legs to dangle off the bed. She stared at her naked feet. “I seriously need a pedicure.”
She looked to the mirror on her dresser and saw her own reflection. “Oh, my God. I look so awful.”
Maureen stood and slid on her bunny slippers. She put on her housecoat. She exited her bedroom to see Billy and Bess seated at the bar between the living room and the kitchen. “What are you eating?”
Bess said, “Raisin Brand. We are about out of milk.”
Maureen looked at Billy.
“Same.” Billy pulled the check out of his pants pocket. He held it out to his mom.
She walked over and took the check. She looked at it and the amount that Victor had made the check out for, “Victor coming here was not a dream. His giving me this check was not a dream.”
Billy smiled. “No. It was real. I am not sure about the part where you told the lost souls to tickle me.”
Maureen thought a second. “That had to be a dream.”
“We both dreamed it?”
Maureen said, “Am I still dreaming?”
Bess said, “No. I am pretty sure we are all awake and I have to get to school to take some test. For some reason they have to be done in person. They will not just let me take the test on the computer.”
Billy said, “I always cheat when I can take them on the computer. Except when I hate Google, I love Google.”
Bess said, “Please. You don’t have to cheat. I heard mom going over the material with you the other night. You could even tell her the page number of where the answer could be found when you answered the question.”
“My brain is weird. Sometimes it is on and sometimes it is off.”
Bess nodded. She started to suggest that maybe he would not have that problem if he did not drink but she looked at her mom. She guessed she would not say that.
Maureen continued to stare at the check. “Should I rip the check up? Victor is nice but he is… I don’t know. He came here so late and the things I heard in that dream.”
Bess took the check from her mom and looked at it. “Oh my God. My God. My God. He gave you $500,000.”
Billy said, “It is an investment in the flower shop that he is helping mom plan. It is not like we can take the money and go to Las Vegas.” Billy thought a second. “Can we?”
Maureen said, “No. We can not. Or Disney. Or buy new furniture. Or buy nice jewelry. Or eat at fancy restaurants. We have to put it in that damn flower shop that I am having second thoughts about.”
Bess said, “To meet the public, you are going to need some new clothes. And if I am going to work in your flower shop after school then I am going to need some new clothes.”
Maureen looked at Billy. “I think we need to stay away from Victor.”
Bess asked, “Because of a dream?”
Billy said, “It was more than a dream. Mom knows it was more than a dream. Victor’s brother is Jesus.”
Bess stared at Billy. “You do not want to take Victor’s $500,000 because you are a bigot against Mexicans?”
Billy said, “No. In a past life Victor’s brother was the Jesus that we worship. He is a spawn from Amelia, God, herself.”
Maureen said, “And I am no saint. God knows you two are no saints. I don’t want to accidentally piss Victor off and get us all cast to hell.”
Billy said “I don’t think he would do that.”
“Well, it is not just that Victor may be the brother of Jesus.”
“Is the brother of Jesus?”
“Victor is weird. I like him. But he is weird.”
Billy said, “I am also weird. I am the spawn of Iapetus. Do you want to stay away from me?”
Maureen grabbed Billy and hugged him. “No. No honey. I love you with all of my heart.”
Bess stared at her mom and Billy. Then she said, “I’ve got to go take my test. I am not the spawn of anyone important. I am just a lowly human who is probably going to flunk all of my test and end up working in a strip bar.” Bess stood up and grabbed her face mask off the kitchen bar. “I will be totally nude there, except for my dang face and I am pretty sure my face is my best feature. I am sure my best feature is not my small breasts or my knock knees.”
Billy laughed. “Do you want to give mom back the check?”
Bess looked at the check still in her hand. “No. I do not want to give the check back to her. I am scared to death she is going to tear it up.” Bess handed the check back to her mom but did not let go of it.
Maureen forced the check from Bess’s hand. “You are talking about working in a strip club and at the same time you want me to go into business with the brother of Jesus Christ. You know such a business deal can not possibly end well for us.”