how to handle them. Are there any more bill collectors looking for you?”
“Not that I know of, that was the only account I’d had with my mother,” she said with a grimace. “It was originally opened because she was leaving town a lot, and if something happened, I’d have the card to pay for emergencies. I never had any emergencies, thankfully. I’d totally forgotten about that card until they started hounding me.” She plopped down on the couch, suddenly looking very tired. I pulled her into my arms and kissed her head.
“Well, there’ll be no more hounding my girl. I’m here for you, Addy. No matter what you need, I’ve got your back.”
I really would take care of anything she needed, no matter what. She had picked me up when I was down and had taken care of me when no one else would, so I would definitely not be letting her down. I think she knew that now.
Chapter 13 - Trouble on the Horizon
Things had been going good, too good. I should have seen this coming, but I hadn’t. I had been working for Christianson Electric for five months. Most of those jobs had been for Venture Builders. We were in the middle of a job, when we got a call from Leon, and he told me and the other guys to leave the Venture site and move to the subdivision Kyle was heading up. We hurried over there and got to work. I thought it odd, but I didn’t put two and two together until it was too late.
I was lucky I was good and fast when it came to pulling wire, because in the end, I was more efficient than the other guys. Leon let them go slowly, and each time he showed up on the site, I would freak out, worried I would be next. I was working my butt off, and in the end, it was down to me and Kyle. I knew Leon wouldn’t fire Kyle. He was close to their family. He was always asking about Kyle’s wife, Darlene, and their little boy.
We were finishing up the last of the jobs, when Leon gave it to us straight. They were going under, but they would have a few more months of work for just Kyle and I. Leon was selling off the work trucks to keep them afloat. When I told Addy about it, she picked up a couple more shifts at work, and I felt like I had failed her.
I had been working for Leon for almost a year, when he finally pulled Kyle and me aside. “Well, boys, I told you this day would come, and now it’s here,” he said, motioning for us to follow him. “You have a decision to make. I’m selling the last two trucks, but it’ll be without the tools. Now, you can either take the tools as payment and sell them or use them yourself, or you can let me sell off the tools and wait for your paycheck in the mail. Either way, this is it. Today was your last day of work.”
I knew immediately what I wanted to do. I had been pricing tools and stuff for my little handyman business, and I knew for a fact that what was on the truck was worth more than what I was owed. “I’ll take the tools,” I said.
Kyle rubbed his chin. “I’m going to need the paycheck. I’m sorry, Leon, I know it’ll be more work for you, but I can’t risk not being able to sell them to pay our bills.”
“I understand. Matthew, will you need a ride home?” he asked, looking at my little bike. I realized there was no way I would be able to get the tools home with it.
“Yeah, if that’s okay.”
Leon patted my back. “I really appreciate you boys sticking with me, even when you knew we weren’t going to stay in business. Venture Builders claiming bankruptcy and stiffing us really killed us. I filed several mechanics’ liens on the buildings we worked on, but I suspect we’re not the only ones who did. Those building will be hard to sell half-finished. I don’t imagine I’ll be seeing that money anytime soon,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s a shame they were allowed to do such a thing.”
Leon and Kyle helped me load the tools up into Leon’s truck. The amount of equipment he gave me was amazing, and I wondered if Kyle regretted the
“Not that I know of, that was the only account I’d had with my mother,” she said with a grimace. “It was originally opened because she was leaving town a lot, and if something happened, I’d have the card to pay for emergencies. I never had any emergencies, thankfully. I’d totally forgotten about that card until they started hounding me.” She plopped down on the couch, suddenly looking very tired. I pulled her into my arms and kissed her head.
“Well, there’ll be no more hounding my girl. I’m here for you, Addy. No matter what you need, I’ve got your back.”
I really would take care of anything she needed, no matter what. She had picked me up when I was down and had taken care of me when no one else would, so I would definitely not be letting her down. I think she knew that now.
Chapter 13 - Trouble on the Horizon
Things had been going good, too good. I should have seen this coming, but I hadn’t. I had been working for Christianson Electric for five months. Most of those jobs had been for Venture Builders. We were in the middle of a job, when we got a call from Leon, and he told me and the other guys to leave the Venture site and move to the subdivision Kyle was heading up. We hurried over there and got to work. I thought it odd, but I didn’t put two and two together until it was too late.
I was lucky I was good and fast when it came to pulling wire, because in the end, I was more efficient than the other guys. Leon let them go slowly, and each time he showed up on the site, I would freak out, worried I would be next. I was working my butt off, and in the end, it was down to me and Kyle. I knew Leon wouldn’t fire Kyle. He was close to their family. He was always asking about Kyle’s wife, Darlene, and their little boy.
We were finishing up the last of the jobs, when Leon gave it to us straight. They were going under, but they would have a few more months of work for just Kyle and I. Leon was selling off the work trucks to keep them afloat. When I told Addy about it, she picked up a couple more shifts at work, and I felt like I had failed her.
I had been working for Leon for almost a year, when he finally pulled Kyle and me aside. “Well, boys, I told you this day would come, and now it’s here,” he said, motioning for us to follow him. “You have a decision to make. I’m selling the last two trucks, but it’ll be without the tools. Now, you can either take the tools as payment and sell them or use them yourself, or you can let me sell off the tools and wait for your paycheck in the mail. Either way, this is it. Today was your last day of work.”
I knew immediately what I wanted to do. I had been pricing tools and stuff for my little handyman business, and I knew for a fact that what was on the truck was worth more than what I was owed. “I’ll take the tools,” I said.
Kyle rubbed his chin. “I’m going to need the paycheck. I’m sorry, Leon, I know it’ll be more work for you, but I can’t risk not being able to sell them to pay our bills.”
“I understand. Matthew, will you need a ride home?” he asked, looking at my little bike. I realized there was no way I would be able to get the tools home with it.
“Yeah, if that’s okay.”
Leon patted my back. “I really appreciate you boys sticking with me, even when you knew we weren’t going to stay in business. Venture Builders claiming bankruptcy and stiffing us really killed us. I filed several mechanics’ liens on the buildings we worked on, but I suspect we’re not the only ones who did. Those building will be hard to sell half-finished. I don’t imagine I’ll be seeing that money anytime soon,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s a shame they were allowed to do such a thing.”
Leon and Kyle helped me load the tools up into Leon’s truck. The amount of equipment he gave me was amazing, and I wondered if Kyle regretted the
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