The Prodigal Twin

THE

PRODIGAL

TWIN

P. Keith Snipes

AuthorHouse™

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Bloomington, IN 47403

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Phone: 1-800-839-8640

© 2013 by P. Keith Snipes. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 05/03/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4817-4856-8 (e)

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Contents

Acknowledgements

About The Book

Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge the following people who contributed to the writing of this story:

First and foremost, I give thanks to God. I believe He has given me a certain talent for writing and whether this story does well or not I believe I was led by His Spirit in the writing of it and it will serve His purpose somewhere along life’s trail.

To my wife, Beverly, for her always being there with a word of encouragement and an occasional, timely suggestion.

Jerry Gorton, for his multiple contributions.

Frank Farr for his technical advice.

Eddie Ross for sharing his knowledge of police procedures.

About The Book

This is my first novel. I have attempted others but never came out with a complete story. I allowed several people to read the pre-published version and was encouraged by their responses, for the most part.

There were a couple of responses that encouraged me to go into greater detail in describing scenery. I attempted to do that, but then realized that that is not who I am, and it served to distract me. I feel I am a story teller, not a decorator. So, if you are a reader who enjoys great detail, I hope you can put that aside for this book, because I think this is a good story and that it is well written. I hope that you will agree.

The big red Dodge van sits in the driveway with all four doors and the back hatch open. Phyllis is busily labeling the smaller boxes according to contents and placing them in the back. Bill throws a tarp over the roof rack and begins stacking the larger boxes atop. The twin boys, Will and Phil-10 years old, sit in the back seat reading comic books. Bill places the last box on the rack, wraps the tarp over the load and ties it down. Phyllis locks up the house and the journey is about to begin. They meant to be on the road at 8 a.m. Here it is after 11:00. Par for the course.

Is the back seat ready to go? Bill shouts.

Aye, aye sir. Ready, willing and able. Comes the reply in stereo.

Bill gives Phyllis a wink; she smiles back, and then opens her journal to begin recording the trip. They’ll be traveling just over 100 miles northeast from Stockton, CA to Truckee, CA where they will be renting a cabin on Donner Lake. Phyllis’s big sister, Mary; her brother-in-law, Rockford; and their two children, Alex-12 and Mari-13 will be driving southeast from Willows CA, which is also just over 100 miles, and meeting them there.

Bill and Rockford have a history that their wives would like to forget—they are not each other’s favorite person. Phyllis and Mary have made a pact to do all they can to convince Bill and Rockford to be civil to one another on this vacation. Both husbands have assured their wives that they will be friendly and not to worry. Oh, if only they could. The two men have a couple of things in common aside from that fact that they are married to sisters. They both love to drink beer and neither of them manages it very well.

An hour later Bill has driven a little past the halfway point and pulls into a strip mall he is familiar with that has a restaurant the family likes. The boys have read all their comic books already and are delighted to be stopping. They make a bee line for a novelty shop to load up.

Get back here you two, Phyllis shouts.

We’ll meet you in the restaurant, Will shouts back.

"No you won’t, get back over here… NOW!

The boys hang their heads and fall in line. Their disappointment is short lived as they are reminded of the great cheeseburgers and milkshakes this place makes. When the waitress comes over she is taken by the twins.

I’ve seen identical twins before, but these guys take the cake. Can even you see a difference? She asks Mary and Bill.

Yes, they say in matter of fact fashion, and go on to order.

So, you’ve gotten that question before, I take it?

Yes we do get that question a lot, Phyllis says.

Many parents would give anything to have such a handsome son and here you are with two of them with their raven black hair, strikingly beautiful eyes, and petite little noses.

Yeah, they take after their daddy, says Bill. If we get great service and good food we’ll arrange for you to get a special hug and a kiss from each of them, OK?

She smiles, Of course they’re handsome, just like their daddy, she says and takes their orders. This lady gets good tips.

After lunch the boys replenish their book supply and Bill purchases two six-packs of beer from the 7-11; the four of them amble contentedly toward the car.

I’ll drive this lap if you’d like to rest your head for a while, you handsome hunk you, by the way, how much did you tip her? Phyllis asks.

She got a healthy tip. He flips her the keys. I’ll drink a beer and maybe doze off.

Sounds like a plan. Phyllis loves to drive.

The traffic is heavy as she’s trying to leave the parking lot and she is getting weary waiting for a chance to get onto the freeway. Finally a space appears and she puts the petal to the metal and zips in between two oncoming cars; the distance between those two cars is not quite as great as she had thought it had been and the car behind her is driven by a lover of the horn. Suddenly Bill is sitting up straight and is no longer drowsy.

That was a pretty good move, sweetie, didn’t think you had it in you.

You taught me well.

Bill looks back at his boys who are lost in Superman and Tarzan. He cracks a beer open and leans back in his chair for another shot at relaxation. Bill has no problem sleeping in the car and the snoring sounds he emits seem to have acted like a sedative to the boys and now only Phyllis remains awake, luckily she’s immune.

Phyllis shakes his shoulder, "Wake up Bill. We’re at our cabin.

Hmm, nice looking cabin, Bill says after he brings it into focus.

Phyllis unlocks the door and they walk in. The boys grab their swim trunks and head for the lake.

I love this kitchen. Good sized fridge, they thought of everything, Phyllis says. I didn’t believe them when they said ‘fully furnished’ and I wasted my time packing cookware and silverware. Everything is so brand newish, I love it."

Newish, is that a word?

I don’t use non-words.

I think you might have this time, doll-face.

Look it up and see.

Together they unload the van; Bill gets the boxes open and leaves the putting away to Phyllis.

I’m going to walk down to the lake and check on the boys. I have my cell so give me a call when Mary and her lover boy show up.

Lover boy? Well that’s an improvement over your usual lingo.

Bill spots the boys. They are playing King of the Mountain with an anchored 6’ X 8’ wooden raft serving as their mountain. The raft is about 25 feet from the bank. It looks like they’ve made friends with several older kids and are enjoying the game. They’re having no luck at being king, but they love trying and being tossed back into the water. Bill locates a large flat rock and sits down. It feels good getting out of the city and knowing he’s going to be able to relax for a full two weeks in this great atmosphere. He’s having almost as much fun watching the boys as they are. His brother-in-law, Rockford, comes into his mind. Everybody calls him Rocky, except Bill, he usually calls him Rockhead.

I guess he’s not such a bad guy. Maybe, if I can find something to compliment him on that’ll help get us off to a good start. That might not be so easy to do though.

He never gets the phone call and finally heads back up to Phyllis. As the cabin comes into sight he sees Rocky and Mary’s van pulling into the parking spot at the cabin next to theirs. He stops and watches Rocky as he gets out and goes into his Ain’t I something special strut around the vehicle like a banty-rooster.

Only a Rockhead could think so highly of himself. If I could buy him for what he’s worth and sell him for what he thinks he’s worth I could retire. How did he ever get Mary to marry him?

Rocky sees Bill watching him and they stand looking at each other for a couple of seconds. Finally Bill takes steps in Rocky’s direction, smiles and says, Nice looking van, Phyllis told me you got a new one.

Yeah, thanks, it ain’t new but I got a good buy on it.

Buy it from a lot?

No, I got it from a rich kid in the neighborhood; he was going into the service and had to get rid of it. It only has 24K miles on it.

So you ripped off a serviceman?

Rocky grunts, No, I gave him his asking price, it was a good buy.

Where’s Will and Phil? Asks Alex and Mari, Rocky’s 12 year old boy and 13 year old girl.

Straight down that trail; it leads right to the river, get your suits on and go join ’em. Bill says.

Can we Dad?

Yeah, yeah, of course, go on.

Rocky and Mary start unloading and Bill goes in to check on Phyllis.

Good job girl, looks like you’ve got a place for everything and everything in its place. Rocky and Mary are unloading next door you know.

Oh, why didn’t you say something right away? She asks and heads for the door.

Bill grabs her and says, Not so fast sweet thing, we’re alone for a few minutes here, let’s take advantage. He pulls her close to him and they kiss for a nanosecond.

Let me go honey, I want to see my sister.

Go brat, he says and releases her. He pulls four beers out of the fridge and walks slowly over to their cabin.

The girls are jabbering away at the kitchen table and Rocky is sitting on the couch reading some kind of instruction manual. Rocky looks up when Bill walks in and Bill tosses him a beer then sets a beer in front of the jabberers who don’t even seem to notice him.

Thanks Bill, Rocky says.

Mary and Phyllis go over to the other cabin where Phyllis already has dinner started. Bill and Rocky are getting along like long lost cousins and the youngsters are enjoying each other. After dinner they go outside and get a nice fire going in the pit made for that purpose. About midnight they put the worn out children to bed. The four adults sit in a half circle drinking beer and swapping stories. The ladies are happy seeing their husbands being civil to one another.

The four kids are up early this morning and as a result of their noise-making the adults slowly start rousing and rising. Bill and Rocky down a quick cup of java then head for the lake to do some fishing. Rocky catches a couple of large trout right away—Bill zero so far.

"What are you using for bait over there Rock?

Same night crawlers you’re using, since that’s all we’ve got.

Bill chuckles and sets his pole down; he lights a cigar, sits on a rock and starts watching Rocky. Rocky notices he’s being watched and gets a little self-conscious.

You giving up already? Rocky asks.

Naw, just taking a smoke break.

That cigar’ll probably chase all the fish into the next county.

I don’t think so. Why don’t you sit for a bit? I’ve got a cigar waiting for you.

When Rocky glances over Bill tosses him a cigar and Rocky snags it. After lighting up and sitting, he says, Thanks Bill, this is a fine cigar.

Yeah, I thought you’d like it. It’s from Fidel’s Safe in Havana.

Sure it is.

No, really, that’s where it’s from. This little smoke shop by my house is named Fidel’s Safe in Havana.

What a great idea. Judging by this cigar, I’ll bet he does good business.

Back at the cabin they produce their seven fishes and the ladies are impressed. Bill is surprised Rocky hasn’t mentioned the fact that he caught five of them. Then he considers: Oh, yeah, Mary gave him the same—get along with, and be nice to, Bill—routine that I got from Phyllis.

The men clean the fish and leave them on the counter. The ladies cook them for a late brunch and serve them with eggs and potatoes.

All right, guys, let’s clean this mess up, says Mari in her own sweet way after everybody is through eating.

Will and Phil are attracted to the young lady (she is developed beyond what most 13 year old girls have come into at that age) and would gladly jump in the lake and swim across if she were to ask it of them. Alex, on the other hand, thinks she’s a snotty, bossy, big sister; a notion he’s grown up with. He has been shorter than she until this last year and he is now inches taller. As a result her manners toward him have gone from demanding to asking politely when she wants his cooperation. He is pleased with that change, but it has not altered his opinion of her. However, in this current situation she does not need him. Phil and Will give her the feeling of power she had been used to having over Alex and for the moment they’re all happy.

Mary and Phyllis walk down to the lake with the kids while Bill and Rocky head for the horseshoe pits. There are two pits. One is being used by two large, young women competing against one another. Bill and Rocky walk onto the empty pit and pick up the shoes.

You fellas wanna play a game of partners? One calls out to them.

Bill and Rocky look at each other and Bill answers, No, thanks. We’re just going to play each other.

Come on, she says, partners is so much more fun and we’d really like to whip your guys’ butts.

Game on! Rocky shouts and the men walk over to the other pit. The four of them introduce themselves. Bill and Gerty go north. Rocky and Mattie