American River Review 2022 - copy - Flipbook - Page 40
Ma snorted. “My pa never had a
dime to call his own unless it was for
liquor or women, mister.”
“Seems he made a pretty good
score, playing poker over in Lancaster a while back. So good, in fact,
rumor has it that a couple men let
him know, in no uncertain terms,
that they felt cheated. You wouldn’t
happen to know anything about that,
would you, Ma’am?”
Ma stayed quiet and I could see the
wheels turning in her brain, figuring
how she might get Ryker off the hook.
“Now that you mention it, he did
look roughed up a bit when he came
crawling back here. You think somebody’d kill him over that?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if there
were a few folks who wanted your
father dead. It was a lot of money he
got off with.”
“Well, if he had money, we sure
didn’t see a penny of it.”
I could feel Walt’s eyes on me.
“You think your boyfriend knew
about the money?”
“I don’t have a boyfriend,” Ma said,
folding her arms across her chest.
He looked at the truck, at his watch,
then squinted as he looked up at the
morning sun. “Ryker just a house
guest then?”
“I don’t know what you’re trying to
say, mister, but I think you best head
on home now.”
“I just want to talk to the man.”
“He. Ain’t. Here.”
“Man like that. In and out of jail. If
I were you, I’d be asking myself if he
knew about the money. Seems one
of the barmaids he works with, the
pretty one with legs up to her chin,
has been sporting a sweet little diamond promise ring.” He put his hat
on, staring at Ma, then breaking into
a smile. “Probably just a coincidence.
You have a good day, ma’am. See you
around, Toby.”
He nodded at me like we was old
friends.
“Don’t come back here unless you
got a warrant,” Ma said, face pale,
hands shaking, each of her words
fixing to break into tears.
“Understood,” Walt said as he
swung the car door open.
She shut the door and turned on
me.
“What’d you tell that man, Bug?
What’d you say?”
40
I backed up, got by the window,
pulled back the curtain and watched
Walt’s tires kick up the dirt as he
pulled away.
“I ain’t said nothing. He—”
I didn’t see the blow coming, didn’t
even know Ryker had made it down
the hall.
“You ain’t been nothing but trouble, boy!” he yelled, then kicked me
so hard my feet come out from under
me.
“Stop it! Stop!” Ma screamed.
She was kneeling by me now, her
face looking like it was coming and
going at the same time.
“Both of you got to learn to keep
your goddamn mouths shut,” Ryker
said, pacing back and forth like that
caged lion we seen once at the zoo. “I
promise this. Before we’re done here,
neither of you will ever talk out of
school again.”
Those waters inside Ma boiled
black. She stood up and turned
around, facing him head on.
I tried to get up. Tried to stop her.
“Stay down, Fatty. It’s about to get
ugly,” Ryker said.
“Promises? Promises?” Ma said.
“Maybe you ought to save all your
promises for that slut at the bar. You
didn’t think to tell me Pa had money?
Just stole it for yourself?” She leaned
into him, years of pain flying off her
like live wires. “You come here. Eat
my food. Fuck with my kid. Drag me
into your bullshit.”
I ain’t never heard Ma so off the
rails. She grabbed Ryker’s bandaged
hand, twisted it like she was wringing
out a warshcloth.
His eyes went wide for a second,
stunned as he was. He punched her
square in the face with his good
hand. All of it happening fast and
slow at the same time. Her body went
limp and she hit the floor hard.
Then he went to work on me.
I tried to block him but his boot
landed square in my stomach, kicked
the breath clean out of me. My lungs
was on fire. My hands started acting on their own, doing their best
to scoot me away from him. But I
couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe. His
kicks was coming hard. And fast. I
tucked my knees up best I could but it
didn’t slow him down none.
I couldn’t tell the difference no
more between his fists and his boots.