“Do you cuss like this in front of the kids?” A-Train laughed.
“Oh, hell no. So, let me see. Yeah, I lay this little fucker down, and I pull down his diaper in the back and look down in there. And nothing! He didn’t shit, he didn’t shart, he didn’t piss, nothing. He just farted. Could have cleared the stadium at the football game, I guarantee ya,” he said as he raised his beer and took another drink.
“Well, I’m sure Jessie’s farts stink like hell,” I laughed.
“Nope. Can’t even smell ‘em. I tell you what, that little girl has an ass smells like roses,” Ripp nodded his head as he spoke.
“You puked hot dogs on her because she smelled so bad,” A-Train shouted.
“When she was little. Now that she’s grown up she doesn’t. Not like that fuckin’ Casey,” Ripp chuckled.
“Hey…” I said.
Ripp nodded his head again, “It’s true.”
“And grown up? She isn’t grown up, she’s eight months old,” I shook my head and rolled my eyes as I reached for my glass of water.
“Well, she’s sort of grown up,” Ripp smiled.
“I suppose,” I agreed.
“Okay, so there’s more,” Ripp paused and placed his beer bottle on the table in front of where he stood.
“Ripp…” I pleaded.
“Shut up, Dekk. I got this,” he laughed.
“Okay, you listenin’ Train?” Ripp asked.
A-Train nodded his head, “Both ears.”
“Okay, so we get done at the park, and we load up the kids. Vee and I stop at the liquor store and get a bottle of wine because we’re going to get our fuck on later in the night. You know – like married folk do – when the kids are in bed asleep,” he turned toward me and raised one eyebrow.
“So I get the wine and toss it in the back, and we take off for Dekk’s place to drop off the stinkin’ kid,” he paused and reached for his beer.
“And we pull up in the drive and Vee pushes the door opener Dekk gave us. The door starts opening, and I see socks. Nothin’ but white god damned socks,” he tipped his beer and took a sip.
A-Train turned toward me momentarily, as if wondering what was next.
Ripp lowered his bottle and began the story again, excitedly, “So the door keeps coming up, and I see ass. White ass. And then I see white ass running. And then, I see it all. A naked assed Shane Dekkar, running for the garage door opener, with a fucking knife in his hand,” Ripp paused for effect.
“Naked?” A-Train asked.
“As the day he was fuckin’ born. Plus socks,” Ripp nodded.
A-Train turned toward me, “With a knife in his hand?”
“Yep, a big fucker,” Ripp responded.
A-Train shook his head and turned toward Ripp, “Please continue.”
“Well, so then he just turns around. Mr. World Champion isn’t scared of shit with his fifty million dollars and I ain’t never got to work again so fuck the world and every poor no money havin’ ass in it. He turns the fuck around,” Ripp hesitated and thrust his hips in the air and held them there.
“So now,” Ripp looked down at his crotch.
“I got Shane Dekkar naked with about ten inches of half-hard cock swinging between his legs,” Ripp looked up from his crotch and raised both eyebrows.
“Oh shit, say it ain’t so,” A-Train laughed.
“It’s so, brother. Wait it gets even better,” Ripp chuckled.
“So Vee screams. Like she’s been shot. Screams and covers her eyes. But she’s driving, ‘cause we got the kids, and they’re too young for the Chevelle. So she opens ‘em. And Dekk just walks across the garage. And that’s when I see it,” Ripp raised his beer to his mouth again and finished what was left in the bottle.
“Well, what was it? Was he skinnin’ a deer?” A-Train laughed, “Naked?”
“Nope. It was Kace. She’s in the back of the truck. In the fuckin’ bed, naked as fuck. Arms and legs tied up. All strung out. Tits and twat and ass everywhere. All spread eagle and shit,” Ripp turned to face me and shook his head as he spread his arms as wide as he could.
A-Train turned to face me, “What the fuck, Brother?”
“It wasn’t like that,” I said, shaking my head.
“Well?” he asked.
“Ripp and Vee got the kids, and Kace and I fucked in the garage. Eventually, we ended up in the bed of the truck and I tied her up, I was getting ready to cut her loose and the door opened. There wasn’t anything I could do,” I shrugged.
“Hmmm,” A-Train said as he rubbed his chin with his hand.
“Explains the knife, I suppose. Why the socks?” he asked.
I shrugged again, “Not really sure. Kace wanted me to wear them.”
“Okay. And if you got an empty house, why were you fucking in the bed of your truck?”
I shrugged again, “Not sure. It just happened.”
“Everything I said is true, A-Train. Naked assed motherfucker had a knife in his hand and stood there with his cock swinging in the breeze,” Ripp said as he waved to the waitress.
“Oh, I believe you. I’m just trying to find out why,” A-Train said as he continued to rub his chin and stare at me.
“Hard sayin, A-Train. Rich fuckers do weird shit,” Ripp responded as the waitress dropped off our beers.
“Here you go, Mr. Ripton,” the waitress said.
Ripp nodded his head and smiled at the waitress.
As I looked up at the new sign dangling from the upper canopy, I smiled. Ripp has never had anything in his life. Always struggling to get by, and barely making ends meet. It seemed only fitting, considering the amount of time and money he spent here.
The sign was simple. I glanced up at it again.
“Ripp’s”
A-Train caught my eye, and glanced up toward the sign as well.
“They damn sure do,” he nodded.
They damn sure do.
A-TRAIN. Brotherhood between friends is an interesting thing. I have always felt my brothers in the motorcycle club had become as close to me as I could ever be with another man. I must admit, I was wrong. Shane and Ripp are brothers to me and they always will be. They’re the type of brothers you’ll sacrifice everything for. I love them with all of the heart I have left to love with.
Kelsey is almost like a father to me. No longer than I have known him, he has proven to be as solid of a man as I have ever met. He’s got a temper and one hell of a smart mouth, but he’s earned his spot on this earth; and I respect him, his age and his experiences.
My time here in Austin has been pleasurable enough I now call this place my home. There’s been some discussion on beginning another chapter of the MC here, but I have no idea if it will ever actually happen. For now, I’ll just continue to do what it is I need to do to survive.
Breathe in, breathe out, and not kill anyone between breaths.
I reached down to pick up Casey, “Listen up, little man.”
As I raised his face to mine, he smiled. Seeing a baby smile is one of the best things a man can see. You know it’s genuine. Babies are about as honest as a human being can be. Babies don’t bullshit you and tell you what you want to hear. Babies are straight up honest. And a smiling baby is a happy baby.
“Your old man is a good fella, you hear me?”
“He’s a good solid man, so you make him proud of you as you learn from him, you understand?”
He laughed again as I held him over my shoulders. Seeing him smile allowed me to forget all of the bad on and in this earth we live in. Watching him causes me to have faith God is surely looking down on all of our lives with a little mercy and compassion. This kid is damned good for me.
“That’s what I thought. I knew the minute you were born you’d be a good listener. You see, we grow up a product of our environment. Violence breeds violence, and a loving family teaches compassionate behavior. Your parents are as good as gold. They love you. And Ripp and I love you, little man. You need to know if you ever want someo
ne to just kick it with you can always come to uncle A-Train. Remember that. I’ll keep telling you, just in case your little baby brain forgets. But I’ll be here for you, little man. Always.”
“You see, my old man was a pretty good dude, but he didn’t so much care for kids. Me? I’m different. I like little fellas like you. One of these days, I just might have to have one of my own. Maybe make a little brother for you. Some might call him a cousin, but that’s not the case. Are you paying attention to me, kid-o?”
He giggled, opened his mouth, and released a little bit of baby slobber. As I wiped his lips off, he attempted to watch on my finger, but lost focus.
“We’ll need to work on that, wont we?”
I moved my finger back and forth in front of his face slowly. As I did, his eyes followed it for the entire time.
“That’s better. We’ll tell your old man when he gets home you’re going to be a good baseball player. He’ll be excited. Bur remember, always keep your eye on the ball little man.”
He grinned and spit out a little of his lunch. After I wiped his face, we got back to our discussion.
“Brothers are brothers, and don’t ever let anyone tell you differently. Your aunt Katie and I might just make you a little brother or sister someday. If she’ll marry me, that is. I asked her father for permission, and he gave me the go ahead. I just need to make sure I’m ready for everything.”
I heard the garage door open as we finished talking about the possible marriage proposal. Dekk and Shorty had returned from the movie.
“Keep that marriage stuff quiet little man. Got it?”
“Right here,” I said as I held my clenched fist out, “pound it.”
Babies invariably have clenched fists. Further proof they’re always ready to make a promise and have every intention of keeping it. As I pounded his fist, he laughed.
“I know, the thought of it makes me giggle too,” I grinned.
As I carefully placed Casey into his swing, I wiped his mouth one last time and kissed his cheek.
“We don’t want your folks thinking I held you the entire time they were gone, so keep that quiet too.”
Filled with gratitude and appreciation for everything Casey provides me, I bowed my head and closed my eyes.
If you let me make Katie a part of my life, I’ll make you proud Lord. I certainly will.
SHANE. “There’s only one of us who doesn’t drink and it’s you Shane. It’s gotta be you,” Kace pleaded.
“Dude,” Ripp burped loudly, “I’m drunker than a motherfucker; I can’t drive.”
“Are you telling me there isn’t one in this entire house? Not one? Anywhere?” I asked.
She shook her head.
I turned toward Vee, “Is this a joke?”
“I don’t joke, so no, I don’t have one. I’m sorry, I’m just drunk too. We shouldn’t have had all the wine earlier,” Vee responded.
“I swear,” I sighed.
“And you probably ought to take my car and the kids. They’re still awake, and there are two car seats in the back,” Vee said as she reached into her purse.
I turned to face Kace and shrugged my shoulders, “Babe?”
“I’m sorry Shane. She’s,” she covered her mouth and appeared to almost vomit.
“I almost barfed,” Kace giggled.
I shook my head.
“I did. A little bit came up, but I swallowed it,” she laughed.
And everyone began to laugh. Everyone except me.
“I’m sorry Shane. You should take the kids. We have no business watching them, we’re drunk. It snuck up on me,” Kace giggled.
I shook my head and took the keys from Vee’s hand. Taking the kids for fifteen minutes was no big deal to me. Taking the kids to get tampons was a big deal. I didn’t really want to be seen in the store with a box of tampons. The condition of Ripp, Vee, and Kace was nothing short of awful. What started as a Dallas Cowboys football game on the television ended up being a drunken catastrophe.
“Fine, I’ll go. You coming?” I asked Ripp.
“Fuck yeah, I’ll go. But I ain’t carryin’ them fuckers to the register,” he laughed as he bent over to pick up Jessie.
I walked to where Casey was on the floor. After picking him up and Kissing Kace, we walked out to Vee’s SUV and started our trip to the CVS Pharmacy down the street. As I pulled up to the parking stall, I realized I knew absolutely nothing about buying tampons. I also realized I left in such a hurry, I forgot my phone.
As Ripp and I walked into the store, he immediately started being Ripp.
“Hey where’s the…”he screamed.
Before he finished speaking, I swung my arm his direction and punched him in the stomach.
“Dude, that was unnecessary,” he howled as he grabbed his stomach.
“Just follow me, I know where this stuff is, kind of,” I said as I raised Casey up far enough to rest him on my chest.
As we walked up to the tampon display, Ripp stared at the selection.
“Dude, they’ve got big and small. Shit, Does Kace have a big or small pussy,” Ripp asked.
“Ripp, shut the fuck up,” I snapped.
“Well, they do. Look at em. Light, Regular, and Super. So they’re big, medium and small. Look in the little window,” he said as he poked his finger into the cellophane on the side of the box.
“Well, shit,” I sighed.
“Just get one of each,” he shrugged.
“If I take home Super’s, and she doesn’t use Super’s, she’s going to be pissed. She’ll accuse me of not knowing what size pussy she’s got,” I said, frustrated at the fact they all weren’t the same size.
“Well, she’s tiny. Does she have a tiny pussy?” Ripp asked as he stared at the boxes, holding his finger to the box to compare the size of the tampon to the size of his finger.
“Ripp…”
“Ain’t none of these fuckers as big as a man’s cock, dude. Hell if she can fit your cock inside of her twat, she can shove any of these fuckers in there. Maybe all at once, huh?”
“Damn it, Ripp,” I growled.
“Well, I’m just saying. Dude, you’re hung like a mule. Maybe she doesn’t want to shove a big tampon in her little twat, hell I don’t know,” he hesitated and picked up a box and shook it as he looked at it.
“Maybe it’s supposed to be a pleasurable thing. You know, like a dildo. Vee’s got a dildo as big as a horse cock. Amazes me. But…”
“Ripp!”
He placed the box of tampons back on the shelf and shrugged, “Sorry bro. I’m just drunk.”
I stared at the boxes and tried to decide what to do. The smart choice was to get the light ones, and claim she had a tiny pussy. No girl wants to hear she has a big pussy, no matter what. If nothing else, she could use two. I grabbed the box and turned to walk toward the register.
“You getting’ the little guys?” Ripp asked as he ran to catch up with me.
“Yes,” I responded sharply.
“Good choice. It’s what I would have done,” he said as he adjusted Jessie on his arm.
I placed the tampons on the counter in front of the clerk. She appeared to be 18 years old or so. As she looked down at the tampons, she smiled. As she looked up, she smiled even more.
“You’re the boxer. Dekkar,” she giggled.
I nodded my head.
“My dad is a huge huge fan,” she smiled.
“Tell him I said thank you,” I smiled as I reached for my wallet.
“Would you consider signing something for him, he’d just die if you did. Say maybe like, uhhm, the receipt?” she asked.
“Sure,” I shrugged.
She rang up the tampons, and dropped them into a small plastic bag.
“That’s $7.32,” she smiled.
I handed her a ten dollar bill and waited for my change.
“Hey, not to be personal, but do girls like having big tampons in there or little ones, generally speaking?” Ripp asked.
“Ripp
!” I shouted as I turned toward him and gave my best scowl.
“It’s okay. You’ve never bought them before?” she asked.
We both shook our heads. Ripp pulled the box from the sack and held it up in front of the clerk.
“He got her the little guys. His girl is small, like you. She’s maybe a buck and a nickel,” Ripp said as he looked my direction and shrugged.
I nodded my head sheepishly.
“Well,” she began.
“The Light, Medium, and Super have to do with menstrual flow, not size,” she whispered.
“But they’re different sizes,” Ripp explained as he once again poked the box with his finger.
“The large ones are more absorbent. The smaller ones less,” she smiled.
“Shit, Dekk, you learn something new every day,” Ripp grinned as he dropped the box into the bag.
“Here’s your change,” she smiled as she handed me my change from the purchase.
I reached for the pen which sat beside her register and pulled the receipt from the slot in front. After I signed my name, I handed it to her and smiled.
“Tell your father I appreciate the support,” I said as I picked up the bag.
“Okay, thanks,” she grinned.
As we walked out to the truck, I shook my head, “I’m glad no one saw that.”
“Why?” Ripp asked as he began to walk around the vehicle.
“Well, it’s embarrassing. I’m just glad no one knows,” I said as I unlocked the car.
I opened the rear door and placed Casey into his seat. As I buckled the seat belt, Ripp stared across the width of the vehicle as he buckled Jessie.
“Yeah no one but her dad, your biggest fan,” he laughed.
What?” I asked.
“Dude, you just signed a receipt for her dad. It’s gonna say seven dollars and whatever cents. And on the side it’s gonna give a description of what you bought. Small Tampax,” he laughed.
Sometimes it is as if we can’t win when it comes to women. Other times, it’s as if we can’t lose. As I began to back out of the parking spot, I turned and looked through the interior of the vehicle and out the rear window. As I did, Casey smiled and attempted his best version of speaking. Every day, he seemed to change a little more. Become a little more able and a little more mature. But, no matter what, he’s our son and he’s incredible.