Thread: Billy and The Kid

If he says promise...he will do it. Wannabe is many things but one thing for sure about him...he is honest.

dont suck up G3

OK Wannabe....everyone is waiting

Now dangit, I said this week. I didn't say Tuesday. This week does inclue Friday at 5:15PM too ya know.

Wannabe...

OK.....you can do it right after you write up the new FJ rules. :D

I like right before g3

Here ya dadgum gewbers. I hope your happy. I ain't got done what I needed AND I'm sitting here weaping a little.

But by golly, I got it in before the deadline.

Pffft.



Chapter 16

Mr. Baker pulled up the gravel drive and parked in front of Mr. Make Do’s house. Billy thought he’d arrived at Fred Sandford’s house. Once they had cleared the hedge row in front of the house, there was stuff all over the place. At first it looked like a junk yard, but the more Billy looked, the more it seemed to be arranged in some sort of order. There was a section for each and every household appliance you could imagine or at least what household appliances evolved from. Most everything looked like it hadn’t been made in years and years. The old house was just a farmhouse shack complete with a tin top and a big porch with almost every inch of it filled up with TVs of some sort or another.

Right on cue, Mr. Make Do threw open the screen door just as Mr. Baker killed the diesel. As soon as the engine went to rest, Billy could hear him cussing. He threw a look over at Mr. Baker and Mr. Baker shot him a wink, slapped him on the knee and said, “ Remember, don’t pick up any of that. Let’s go.”

Mr. Baker stepped out and made a B line for John. Bill was worried there was going to be a fight but managed the courage to step out of the truck and stand there in case Mr. Baker needed some help.

“Billy, I know I #$@%-ing well told you not to 234908-ing park that *&*&% diesel there a hunnert $%$^&%$ - *&^*&^8 – ing times before”

“Hush up you old goat. You’re going to scare my partner.”

“Who the sh(*&t you got there?”

“That’s Billy. Billy Brannon. He’s got equity in this deal.”

Mr. Make Do pulled one hand up on his hip and put all his weight on the same leg and studied in Billy’s direction. Billy swallowed hard and started forward and up the 2 steps towards them. “Pleased to meet you Mr. Wilson” and stuck out his hand. Mr. Make Do snorted and spit just to Billy’s left, “Where’d you find this one? F(*^^ ing Sunday School”? Billy didn’t understand, but that hat must have been the funniest thing Mr. Make Do had ever said before because he laughed so hard he almost choked himself. Billy didn’t think it was all that funny, but pulled his hand back and stuck it in his pocket and studied this character harder now. He was scrawny for an old man and didn’t look to take very good care of himself. His clothes looked like they came mail order back many years ago. Plain faded work pants, a button up work shirt and a ratty old T-shirt underneath. The more he studied, the less reason he seemed to find to like him. Mr. Make Do finally came to his senses and noticed the look on Billy’s face. “What the (*^&( are you looking at boy? You want to take a poke at me?” Billy pulled his hands out of his pocket, “Only if you think you need it, Mr.” and bowed up as if he could back it up. That set Mr. Make Do off again. This time he wretched even more than the last and staggered backwards and leaned against the wall with one hand.

Billy thought this was even less funny than the last time. He looked up at Mr. Baker and Mr. Baker winked at him again while he tried not to laugh. Finally, Mr. Make Do collected him self. “Whelp, William, looks like you’re running with a rough (*^*%-ing crowd these days” and that set him off again, but not quite as much as before this time.

Billy didn’t like this fella at all now.

“A’ite, come on then. I ain’t got all *(&&-ing day to (*^*&^ with you two (*^&(^s. You bring my (*^&^?”.

“It’s in the truck. Lets see it first though. I want to know what I’m paying for.”

“Oh (*9^ll Billy, you know I ain’t never cheated anybody, ya &$^# head. Come on then, lets go.

Billy really didn’t like this at all now. He’d decided if this old man kept it up he was going to get that poke afterall. He furrowed his brow, tilted his chin and fell in behind the two of them as they went of the end of the porch.

The back yard was even junkier than the front if that was possible. This was all gas burning stuff though with an occasional appliance. Motor cycles, lawn mowers, a few old cars, even a hearse that looked to be from the 50s. Now what kind of crazy old man keeps a hearse in his back yard, Billy thought to himself. They made there way through the junk and Mr. Make do unlatched the double doors on the shop that looked like it might fall at any second. He swung open one door and then the other. And there it was. A boat.

Billy stopped at mid step and shot a look towards Mr. Baker. Mr. Baker didn’t even look in his direction though.

“There D@%$#-it, I told ya”. Mr. Baker stepped in and up to the old jon boat sitting on saw horses. He put a hand on it and called Billy over. “Well Billy, what do you think?” Billy wasn’t sure what to think. “I don’t know Mr. Baker….about what”. “Well, do you think you could catch a fish out of this up at the lake?” Billy looked at the boat and when he realized what they were there for, his mouth went open for a second. That quickly was replaced with a smile. He put both hands on the gunnels and started studying it. “You bet your sweet…er….Yes Sir. I’m sure I can.” That set Mr. Make Do off again, but this time it didn’t bother Billy.

“Where’s the stuff that goes with it?” “Oh, well, (*^&*! I couldn’t find all of it Billy” “Now, we had a deal” “ !$#@, Billy, I know, but I found some other %#%$ to make up for it. Look, here it is” Mr. Make do started bringing it all over out of the corner and putting it in the boat. A life jacket, a paddle, a seat cushion, some rope and a home made anchor made out of what looked to be a railroad tie. I couldn’t find the %^$@^-ed seat, but I’m throwing in the anchor and cushion to make up for it. Will that *&%#-ing work?” “I suppose that’s fair, if you think so Billy” “Hmmm, oh, sure, that will be just fine”. “Now, what’d you bring me? And it better not be those &^%&^%-ing short jars neither”. “Come on, you’ll see.” And they left Billy in the shop admiring the boat. His boat. His first boat.

Mr. Make Do and William negotiated the particulars back at the truck. There was more cussing and some negotiating, but it ended up just like Mr. Baker planned it. John got all they had bargained for and William was able to force him to take the extra jars that Ann had sent as well. That seemed to make John mad, or at least it would have seemed that way to anyone listening to the conversation, but “the negotiation” went like planned. William fired the diesel and John guided him to the garage cussing the whole time about not hitting this or that, but managed to get the Ford backed up to the shop without too much fuss, well too much for Mr. Make Do anyway.

William dropped the tailgate and he and Billy loaded the boat into the back with no help from John. He had disappeared into the back of the shop and was rummaging and cussing. Once William and Billy had put the extras either in the cab or the boat, Mr. Make Do had made his way back to the front of the shop. “Here kid. I want you to take this too” “What’s that John, William asked. “Awww (*^(*&-ll, it’s just some old fishing stuff. Probably not much in there useful anyhow. Used to belong to a kid I knew. Anyway, ain’t much use in it sitting here. Maybe you can make do with some of it.” “John, I’m not” “@#$!##%-ing hush now Billy. I @#$!-ing know what I’m doing. Besides, you ain’t giving me (*&-it for free (*(*#$-it” Billy took it and put the box in the truck. He knew what it was. Billy turned back to Mr. Make do and stepped forward just as John said “Now, you two ^&#%-ers need to get in that (**&^% and” Billy wrapped his arms around Mr. Make Do’s waist and hugged him. It’s stopped Mr. Make Do mid cuss word. “Thank you Mr. Wilson. Thank you”. It wasn’t a long hug. But it was dang sure the best John Wilson had had in a long, long while. “You’re welcome son. You’re welcome…………..” He cleared his throat and roared back, “ Now…you two git, before I get mean” “And tell that pretty wife of yours she knows where she can find me when she get’s tired of your old (*^&-ing @%$#%$#-ss” And that set him off again.

“Thanks John. I’ll see you in a few weeks” “I hope so Billy, I hope so. And bring this fella with you. I might just need that poke by then”.

Billy and William loaded up and drove off and they could still hear Mr. Make Do laughing until they rounded the house.

not bad WB, you do have an imagination. Heck, I even heard you thought you caught more than one fish a couple of times, what an imagination I tell ya. Good work!