shoved the mower across the thick grass, cutting down to the dirt in some places. He started to cut the letters “F” and “U” in the grass when the mower stalled again. He heard his father come outside.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” His father yelled. “Look at this grass! It’s all burnt. God damn it. Give me that.” Earl stepped in front of Jimmy and leaned down to adjust the mower. “You got it too low. How many times…hell. Give me that. Always the damn same, if you want something done right.” He didn’t even finish talking but started the mower and began to fight the tall grass.
Jimmy went inside and took a shower.
In his room, he pulled a work shirt from his closet and buttoned it up in front of the mirror over his dresser. He looked at his trophies for a minute. They lined the dresser from one end to the other. “So what,” he said. He tossed his t-shirt over them and left the room.
“I’m going to work,” he said. His father was done with the grass and sat on the couch, watching ESPN. His memorabilia case stood next to him like a Labrador Retriever, polished and waiting, the returned baseball front and center. Jimmy looked away from the ball.
Linda came in the living room in time to hear Jimmy say he was leaving.
“Come home right after your shift,” she said with a sing-song lilt to her voice. “I’ll be watching the clock.” She pointed to the wall clock.
“Leave the boy alone,” Earl said.
After work, he and Double A walked into the parking lot.
“I’m going to the mall to buy a bracelet for Anna, but I can drop you off at home first.”
“I’ll go with you,” Jimmy said.
“I thought you were grounded,” Double A said.
“Fuck them,” Jimmy said.
“You all right?” Double A asked.
“No,” Jimmy said. “I’m not.”
“I’ll be fast,” Double A said and started the car.
In the mall jewelry store, Jimmy gazed into a glass case at a bracelet of blue gems that glittered like the light from Allison’s swimming pool.
Double A stood next to him, looking at charm necklaces.
“Do you think Anna will like this one?” Double A asked Jimmy, pointing to a charm of a heart.
“I bet Allison would like one of these,” Jimmy said. “I wish I had some frigging money.”
Behind the counter, a sales clerk chewed her gum in rhythm to the loud dance music pumping from the overhead speakers in the brightly lit store as she stared from Double A and Jimmy to the people passing by the store entrance, making their way through the busy mall. Despite the loud music, Jimmy heard the scratching sound the clerk’s fingernails as she worked away at an itch on the back of her head. Jimmy wandered down to the far end of the display case to get away from the noise.
A security guard leaned against a mirror pillar, ogling a girl from behind as she bent over to peer in a jewelry case.
Double A pointed to one bracelet. The sales clerk slid open the case door and fumbled with the bracelets. She finally hooked the right bracelet with one of her nails and took it out. She set the bracelet on a tan velvet pad to rub it with a buffing cloth. She adjusted her jacket sleeve and the name tag on her lapel that read “Sherle” and smiled as she handed the bracelet to Double A.
“I’m getting this one,” Double A said. “Then we’ll go.” He handed the bracelet back to the clerk and got out his wallet.
Jimmy felt a pang of envy as he watched Double A take a card out of his wallet. Jimmy really wanted to get something for Allison. He’d been a jerk to her and really wanted to make up for it.
He looked around the store and at the people passing by in the mall. It seemed to him everyone was carrying packages or pushing carts laden with bags of stuff they purchased with ease. He remembered Linda showing off her shopping bags, and he grew angry.
Jimmy moved down the counter to a rack holding sliver bracelets with butterfly designs. Jimmy saw the security guard busy adjusting his
“What the hell is wrong with you?” His father yelled. “Look at this grass! It’s all burnt. God damn it. Give me that.” Earl stepped in front of Jimmy and leaned down to adjust the mower. “You got it too low. How many times…hell. Give me that. Always the damn same, if you want something done right.” He didn’t even finish talking but started the mower and began to fight the tall grass.
Jimmy went inside and took a shower.
In his room, he pulled a work shirt from his closet and buttoned it up in front of the mirror over his dresser. He looked at his trophies for a minute. They lined the dresser from one end to the other. “So what,” he said. He tossed his t-shirt over them and left the room.
“I’m going to work,” he said. His father was done with the grass and sat on the couch, watching ESPN. His memorabilia case stood next to him like a Labrador Retriever, polished and waiting, the returned baseball front and center. Jimmy looked away from the ball.
Linda came in the living room in time to hear Jimmy say he was leaving.
“Come home right after your shift,” she said with a sing-song lilt to her voice. “I’ll be watching the clock.” She pointed to the wall clock.
“Leave the boy alone,” Earl said.
After work, he and Double A walked into the parking lot.
“I’m going to the mall to buy a bracelet for Anna, but I can drop you off at home first.”
“I’ll go with you,” Jimmy said.
“I thought you were grounded,” Double A said.
“Fuck them,” Jimmy said.
“You all right?” Double A asked.
“No,” Jimmy said. “I’m not.”
“I’ll be fast,” Double A said and started the car.
In the mall jewelry store, Jimmy gazed into a glass case at a bracelet of blue gems that glittered like the light from Allison’s swimming pool.
Double A stood next to him, looking at charm necklaces.
“Do you think Anna will like this one?” Double A asked Jimmy, pointing to a charm of a heart.
“I bet Allison would like one of these,” Jimmy said. “I wish I had some frigging money.”
Behind the counter, a sales clerk chewed her gum in rhythm to the loud dance music pumping from the overhead speakers in the brightly lit store as she stared from Double A and Jimmy to the people passing by the store entrance, making their way through the busy mall. Despite the loud music, Jimmy heard the scratching sound the clerk’s fingernails as she worked away at an itch on the back of her head. Jimmy wandered down to the far end of the display case to get away from the noise.
A security guard leaned against a mirror pillar, ogling a girl from behind as she bent over to peer in a jewelry case.
Double A pointed to one bracelet. The sales clerk slid open the case door and fumbled with the bracelets. She finally hooked the right bracelet with one of her nails and took it out. She set the bracelet on a tan velvet pad to rub it with a buffing cloth. She adjusted her jacket sleeve and the name tag on her lapel that read “Sherle” and smiled as she handed the bracelet to Double A.
“I’m getting this one,” Double A said. “Then we’ll go.” He handed the bracelet back to the clerk and got out his wallet.
Jimmy felt a pang of envy as he watched Double A take a card out of his wallet. Jimmy really wanted to get something for Allison. He’d been a jerk to her and really wanted to make up for it.
He looked around the store and at the people passing by in the mall. It seemed to him everyone was carrying packages or pushing carts laden with bags of stuff they purchased with ease. He remembered Linda showing off her shopping bags, and he grew angry.
Jimmy moved down the counter to a rack holding sliver bracelets with butterfly designs. Jimmy saw the security guard busy adjusting his
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