Thread: Billy and The Kid

Chapter 4

“Oh! Hello there. Billy, why didn’t you tell me we had company?” It wouldn’t register with Billy until the next day that Mrs. Ann had called Mr. William ‘Billy’, but when he did make the connection, that settled it for him. He definitely liked Mr. William calling him Billy.

“I’m Ann Baker, but you can call me Mrs. Ann, what’s your name?” “I’m Billy Brannon from next door” he said, trying on the nickname for the first time, “Very nice to meet you”. “Well, aren’t you just about the cutest thing I’ve seen all day. I’m sorry I don’t have time to stop and visit at the moment, but it is certainly nice to meet you and you’re welcome at our house any time and tell your Mom and Dad we’d love to meet them soon”. I will Mrs. Ann, but…..um…..it’s just me and my Mom next door.”, his eyes dropped to the floor searching for the words. “Oh, I see, well you be sure and tell her I said hello and that I’ll stop in soon once I get this house in order. Now I need to borrow Mr. Baker for a minute, but you stay right here and I’ll send him right back out, OK? “Yes Ma’am. And it was very nice to meet you.”

William and Ann stepped inside and they closed the door. Billy didn’t mind at all. He could use the time to gawk at the boat. He realized it said ‘Ranger’ on the side and he’d heard about them before. Now that he had a chance to look at it, he was sure it was longer than 20 feet and had a 225 horse power black motor on it. Wow! He didn’t even know they made them that big.

Billy knew he wouldn’t have long, so he set about taking in as much of that boat as he could. When he first saw the boat, it was covered, so he hadn’t seem much other than the hull. Even now, he couldn’t see much with all the tackle and boxes piled on top of it, but he could make out that it had 2 consoles and the biggest dang fishfinders he’d ever seen. One at the driver’s seat and another at the nose. The trailer had had 2 axles and the fenders on it matched the boat perfectly with the same sparkly flakes and in the well lit garage Billy half thought there were diamonds in the finish. Up at the front there was a big rubber piece mounted over the V of the hull. He’d never seen that before and wondered what it was for. He was so intent on studying it, he didn’t even realize his had had come to rest on the top cap and he was absent mindedly letting his fingers glide down the polished and smooth surface until he heard the door open. Quickly, he dropped his hand and put it in his pocket and did his best to look down at his feet quickly in the hopes that Mr. Will wouldn’t see.


Three minutes before, Ann had led William Baker deep just deep enough into the house to make sure Billy wouldn’t hear them talking and then turned around mid step and stopped William in his tracks. “William, I need about a dozen picture hangers so I can finish this hall. I want you to go to the hardware store and get them for me. But before you go, I want you to invite Billy over for lunch tomorrow at noon. And tell him to invite his Mother too. I think that boy doesn’t have a Dad around and I’ve noticed that his Mom hasn’t been home very much except at night ever since we moved in. It’s not right that he has to make his own lunch everyday and we’re going to change that.

When you invite Billy, I want you to ask him to come back over this afternoon if he can at about 3 o’clock and help you get that boat cleaned up. I don’t like it being all cluttered like that and he obviously was studying it just now. When you get back for the hardware store, I want you to help me hang these pictures and put away those winter clothes. That should give you plenty of time to go back out and meet Billy at 3.”

William had been so bombarded with orders that he realized his mouth was slightly open and he hadn’t blinked in too long. He took a breath in to start voicing his objections to getting involved with this “Billy” from next door, but just before he started to speak, he realized that just like the other kids that Ann had “adopted” over the years, this one was going to get adopted whether William objected or not. Matter of fact, whether Billy objected or not. Ann had decided. Mid-word, he changed it from “But” to “Be right back” as he reached for his keys.

Wannabe...

Watch it bub, I'm workin' this corner. Get yer own. Else, my pimp might pay you a visit.

Wannabe...