09 More Worries

Gerald drove home a few hours later, after getting several drinks at a bar. He had paced himself and wasn't actually drunk, according to his intoxicated brain, and he only swerved a little on the road. He pulled into the driveway and parked beside his wife's car. He sighed at the extra expense that having two cars was; but, since he didn't want her to think about the money, he hadn't complained about exactly how tight their budget was.

Gerald had lied about the money left in his son's college account. There was only about three thousand dollars left, not the five thousand he had claimed. He felt bad about her finding out before he could put the money back, and that feeling was compounded by his drinking. He stepped out of the car and stumbled, then leaned against the car and eased the door shut. It was late, so he tried to be quiet because he didn't want to wake anyone up.

After waiting for a few minutes to make sure he wasn't going to trip and fall, he carefully pushed off from the car and walked slowly towards the house. As he reached for the door handle, the world spun and swirled, then he was on his back in the grass beside his car's right front tire. He fought to not throw up from the quick movements, then he felt a weight on his chest and looked up to see the most terrifying sight he had ever seen.

Arnold stood there with his foot on his father's chest and held the shovel to his father's neck. “Don't ever hurt my mother.” He warned in a deadly voice. “If you do, I want you to remember one thing.” He pressed down on the shovel just enough to choke a little and not enough to cut the skin. “There's always room for one more specimen in the backyard.”

Gerald's alcohol addled mind sobered up slightly as it reeled from the threat and his hands tried to push the shovel away from his neck. He couldn't believe this was real and thought he was hallucinating, until his hands gripped the shovel's sides and it didn't move an inch.

“I've been digging up the yard with this shovel ever since I was six and you showed me how to hide my work.” Arnold said and let a smile show on his face.

Even though it was technically the same smile he showed other people, his father instinctively knew that if he wasn't careful, it would be the very last thing he would ever see.

“I can see you understand.” Arnold said and moved the shovel from his father's throat and leaned over him. “I want to make sure you remember.” He said and before his father could react, he covered his mouth with a hand and swung the shovel and whacked him right between the legs.

Gerald let out a smothered yell and he sobered up almost completely as the pain shot up through him. It made his eyes tear up and he curled up into a ball on his side. Arnold's hand moved away from his mouth and when Gerald turned his tear streaked face to see where he went, he didn't see him. He relaxed as much as he could, considering the pain between his legs, and he stayed there in the grass beside his car.

It took almost an hour before Gerald gathered up the courage to try and move after receiving such an injury. It was painful, much more painful than anything he had ever felt before, and he rolled from his side onto his back and then sat up.

I think... he might have... broken it. Gerald thought and sat there for another fifteen minutes before he tried to stand up. He was grateful for the numbing effect that consuming so much alcohol had on him, because he thought if he had to feel everything, he might not have stayed conscious. He cursed silently and had to take waddle-like steps to get to the front door of the house. He opened it with his key and stepped inside.

It took another ten minutes to get to the kitchen and make up a bag of ice, then another twenty to waddle up the stairs to go to his bedroom. Annie was in bed and had her back to him, as Gerald had expected, and he had planned on talking to her before going to sleep. His thoughts immediately went to Arnold and his threat and he broke out in a nervous sweat.

Tomorrow. I'll do it tomorrow. Gerald thought as he very carefully laid down without aggravating his injury and held the bag of ice to his crotch. After work.

*

Arnold laid in bed and he had a smile on his face. He had done it. He protected his mother and no one but him and his father knew that he did, so he knew that he wouldn't get in trouble with no witnesses. If his father did say anything, Arnold knew his mother wouldn't believe him, not drunk like his father was. His father was smart, so he would listen to the warning and not hurt her.

He better. Arnold thought and the smile disappeared as his mind started to wonder just how different it was inside of a person than it was inside an animal. He drifted off to sleep while imagining his father after he didn't take the warning, and he was fine with that.

Arnold got up the next day and dressed, then went downstairs to discover that his father had gone to work already. His mother gave him an apologetic smile and a hug, then served him breakfast. After that, his mother changed out of her nightgown and robe and into more appropriate clothing, then they went to the bank to withdraw most of the remaining money.

When they sat down in the office of one of the bank representatives, they were informed exactly how much was actually left in the account. Twenty-nine hundred dollars and thirty-six cents. Arnold had watched his mother's face and he knew beyond a doubt that the reduced total had hurt her to hear. He reached out and took her hand, and she turned her head to look at her son. The son she had failed to protect from the frivolities of her husband.

Annie was surprised when she saw Arnold's happy smile, and she fought back her tears because she thought that he didn't understand what not having a lot of money meant.

“It's okay, mom.” Arnold said. “We'll get through this together.”

“Arnold.” Annie took a breath and let it out.

“We should open another account and put the money in it.” Arnold said.

“No.” Annie said. “There's no point if we're going to spend it.”

“Were going to spend it?” Arnold asked, confused. “I thought you wanted to save it?”

“I do... I did... when there was enough in the account that the interest made it grow every year. With only a couple thousand, it's a waste of the bank's time and ours.”

Arnold sat there and thought about it. “What about your other money?”

“My other money?” Annie asked.

“This was my college account, right? Don't you have one for normal things?”

Annie caught her breath and looked at the bank rep. “I need to know the state of my other account.”

“Of course.” The man said and brought up the information and printed off a sheet, then handed it over.

Annie's face drained of all its color as she read what was on that sheet. “Oh, god.” She whispered.

Before she could stop him, Arnold plucked the sheet from her hand and looked it over. He wasn't knowledgeable about a lot of things; but, he did know what the words 'current debt including loans' meant.

“Why did you let him do this?” Arnold asked.

“Arnold, I didn't...” Annie started to say.

“I didn't ask you, mom.” Arnold said in a cold voice and looked at the bank representative.

“He had a significant amount of money as collateral, not counting the inherent value of the house he owns. With those things, getting approval for a second mortgage was easy.” The man said.

“A second mortgage?” Annie asked, quite surprised. “We don't a have a first mortgage!”

“You've had a mortgage for nearly ten years and made steady payments. I can print off a detailed list for you to...”

“We are withdrawing the money from my college account.” Arnold cut him off.

“There's no need to...”

“We're taking everything but ten dollars, so you won't have the paperwork for closing the account.” Annie said.

“I'll need to get the manager's approval for that large of a withdrawal.”

“Did you need the manager's approval when my father stole the other twenty-five thousand from me?” Arnold asked the man, who looked shocked. “You knew it was my college fund and you let him take it without even telling us, even though our names are on the account.” He held up the paper and the note clearly said what it was for. “Get me the rest of my money. Right now.”

The bank rep nodded and left the room to do just that.

“Arnold, I'm so sorry.” Annie said and gave his hand a squeeze.

“It's not your fault.” Arnold said. “We both know whose fault this is.”

Annie sighed and nodded. She had never imagined that something like this could happen to her. She was now so deep in debt that she had no idea how she was going to buy groceries this week, let alone make the minimum payments on the mortgages and the loans. She couldn't fight back the tears anymore and let them pool up and drip from her eyes. She didn't know what to do now.

“It's okay, mom.” Arnold said and she looked at his face. It wasn't blank like it was a moment before. He had the makings of a good scowl and she took in a sharp breath at the sight. It was the first time he had made that face and she let his hand go, reached up and touched his brow briefly, then caressed his cheek.

“Arnold.” Annie said, because it broke her heart a little to have to see a scowl on her son's face.

“I'll use Heather's computer for now.” Arnold said, and the implications of that statement were not lost on his mother.

“Arnold, I'm sure that we can get a nice computer...”

Arnold shook his head. “I don't even know what to look for.” He said. “I'll talk to Heather and then search the internet before trying to buy anything.”

Annie wasn't surprised that he thought of that option, so she nodded. The bank rep came in with their money and it was a small stack of hundred dollar bills.

“Take that back and get twenties and fifties!” Annie said, slightly angry at the ridiculous currency denomination. “What would people say if an eighteen year old walked into a store and tried to buy something with a hundred dollar bill?”

The bank rep opened his mouth and saw Arnold's scowl, then he sighed and left again.

“God, how stupid can he be?” Annie said and shook her head. “They would probably call the police on you for trying to spend fake money.”

Arnold was surprised to hear this. “Why?”

“Most normal people rarely see a hundred dollar bill, let alone want to accept it and then try to give you change for it.” Annie said. “If they didn't call the police, they would laugh and tell you to come back with money they can use.”

“So... even though it's money... some forms of it aren't accepted.” Arnold said, and his mother nodded.

They sat in silence and the man came back with thirty of the fifty dollar bills, sixty-nine in twenty dollar bills, and a ten dollar bill for a total of twenty-eight hundred and ninety dollars. He counted them out after sitting down and handed it over.

“Is that satisfactory?” The bank rep asked.

“No.” Arnold said and shoved the money in his pocket, then plucked the man's business card from the desk. “We're going to tell everyone what happened at this bank and how you helped rob an eighteen year old of his future.”

“Arnold!” Annie exclaimed when the bank rep's face showed shock.

“Let's go, mother.” Arnold said and stood up, took his mother's hand, then led her from the room and out of the bank.

*

Gerald sat at his desk on an extra thick cushion, with a bag of ice between his legs. He was doing paperwork in his office, like he did every day, when his telephone rang. He hadn't been expecting a call this morning and answered it immediately. “Thank you for calling Charles and Associates. How can I help you today?”

The fake smile he always used when answering the phone faded as he listened to a bank representative tell him everything that just happened at the bank.

Oh, fuck. Gerald thought with a sigh and rubbed his forehead. She knows I lied about the money. He made some empty promises to the man about taking care of things and hung up. He didn't realize that he had made the same empty promises to his wife only the day before.

I really need a drink. Gerald thought and looked at the paperwork on his desk. He sighed and got back to work. He planned on having an extra long and probably completely liquid lunch.

*

Arnold and his mother arrived home and went inside. Annie tossed her keys onto the kitchen counter and took a deep breath and let it out. She looked at her hands and they trembled. Not only had her husband ruined their plans for Arnold, he had ruined their future as well. They had two mortgages, a massive loan to pay back, two cars to pay for that she thought had been bought outright, no more collateral to borrow against, and no money coming in except what her husband made.

Everything is falling apart! Annie thought and the tears started again. She felt a pair of surprisingly strong arms hug her from behind. “Arnold.”

“Tell me what I need to do to help.” Arnold said.

Annie sighed. “You're only eighteen. You can't take on a burden like this.”

“Mom.” Arnold said in a stern voice, and she startled slightly. His arms eased their hold and she turned around to look at him. He was exactly her height and he looked right into her eyes. “I will do anything to protect you.”

“Arnold, you... you don't have to...”

“I want to.” Arnold said with conviction.

Annie caught herself before she gasped. He's never admitted that he wanted anything before! She thought, shocked.

“What else can I do to help?” Arnold asked and let her go, then reached into his pocket and took out the money to give to her. “How do I get more of this?”

“You... Arnold, you're too inexperienced to get a job.”

“I'll start looking tomorrow.” Arnold said as if she hadn't just said he couldn't.

Annie knew he wasn't going to be convinced not to, so she only nodded and accepted the money. “I'm going out to get some groceries.” She said and took four of the fifty dollar bills and put the rest into a can on top of the refrigerator. “I'll be back in a couple of hours.”

Arnold nodded, because he knew that when she went shopping for food, it was an all afternoon affair. His mother gave him a quick hug and left the house as if she was in a hurry. He waited until her car had driven away before he grabbed several twenty dollar bills, his coat, and left the house. He estimated that he only had three hours to get to where he needed to go and be back before his mother knew he had been out of the house, unsupervised.