Chapter 8

The drive to the fast food restaurant was nerve-racking. What if Yertle’s mom had cops all around the place, waiting for our arrival? What if Stoker had a lapse and everything went wrong?

“You okay, Ray?” Stoker asked.

“I’m really nervous, Stoker,” I said, scratching at the fake beard he’d given me as part of a disguise. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

“Everything’s under control, man. We just go to the restaurant, sit down with Yertle’s mom, switch the baby for the cash, and get outta there.”

He pulled into the Crazy Joe’s Burger House parking lot and stopped the engine. Too late to back out now.

“You whanna wait out here?” Stoker asked as he took Yertle from the baby seat in the back.

“No,” I said. “I’ll come with.” I didn’t want to leave him alone, in case he had a bad lapse.

“Let’s get this over, man,” he said and we got out of the car.

As we walked into the restaurant, though it was packed with people, I recognized Yertle’s mother immediately. She was sitting in a booth, shredding napkins in her hands. Her face was pale and mascara rand down her face. She’d been crying. I pointed her out to Stoker and we walked over and sat in the seat opposite her.

For a while no one said anything. We were nervous to talk first and she was scared of us. Finally Stoker broke the silence.

“Hiya, ma’am,” he said.

“Hello,” she replied.

“We, uh, um, well, shoot, how do we do this sociably?” Stoker laughed nervously. To my surprise Yertle’s mother let out a nervous laugh too. Things were going well.

“Let me start by saying this: Yertle, er, Leroy is a swell kid. He’s a sweetie pie with a cherry on top.”

“Thank you,” she said weakly. I doubt she’d slept through this whole ordeal. “Is he-is he okay?” by this time Yertle had started to coo at his mom.

“Yep,” Stoker said. “Just misses his mommy.”

“C-can I hold him?” she asked, looking at her baby.

“Of course, he’s your kid.”
The mother smiled and took Yertle into her arms.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “Thank you so much.”

“I’m sorry we had to take him. There really was another way.”

“Oh, your money,” she reached down and picked up her purse form the seat. She opened it and handed Stoker a check. “It’s written out to Cash. Is that okay?”

Stoker looked at the check and showed me. The $1,000,000 wasn’t the first thing I saw. The thing that stood out the most was the background. It was a picture of Yertle. She must love that kid so much.

“This is perfect,” Stoker said.

“How did you know my father knew the president advisor’s father?” The mother asked. “I didn’t even know that. I haven’t spoken to him in years.”

“The internet’s an amazing thing,” Stoker smiled. Then, to my utter shock and surprise, he handed the check back.

“What are you doing?” The woman asked, as surprised as I was.

“Giving you this money,” Stoker said. “You’re a single mother living in this beat-down city and you have no family, except for a strained relationship with your father. You need this money more than we do and you should take it and go. Go and live life, ma’am.”

“But-but your operations…” the mother said softly.

“I don’t need any operations, ma’am. That was a lie. I’m sorry I had to lie to you like that. Now go and raise your son the best you can.”

Yertle’s mom’s jaw literally dropped and she was at a loss for words. All she could do was stand up, hug each of us, and leave the restaurant, her son in arms.

 

*

“Why did you do that?” I asked on our way home.

“Do what?” Stoker replied.

“Giver her our million dollars?” I wasn’t mad. In fact, I was amazed and proud of Stoker’s act, but a million dollars had been laid in our hands and he’d given it away. Anyone would be shocked.

“It was never ours, man,” Stoker said.

“What do you mean?”

“The plan all along was to give her the money. I was looking for the best person to do this for and Yertle’s mom was the best. I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d think the risk was too large just for a good deed.” He was right, of course.

“But why did you do it?” I asked. “Why the whole plan to begin with?”

“I’m cleaning up, man. I’m changing myself. I looked in the mirror one day and saw myself and how bad I was for the first time in my life. I wanted to change and I wanted to do the best thing I could think of to start my new life. See, Lee, I’ve messed up my life with drugs and pills and other junk. I’ve messed up other kids’ lives by giving Tuck Smalley my pills to sell. I’m done, man. I threw away everything tonight when you got home from work. Tomorrow I’m checking myself into a rehab clinic. I’m changing man.”

“I’m proud of you, Stoker,” I said. That’s all I could say. He seemed saintly to me and to this day is an inspiration.

“I need your help with something, though, Joe,” Stoker said.

“Anything,” I replied.

“You’re an amazing writer. I want you to write this and share it. Let others read it and maybe, for some of the lost ones, it can help them.”

“I will,” I said.

And I did.

 

Reviews

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I'm at a loss for words. I've rarely experienced so many emotions in one chapter. That must be the best twist I have ever read in a story and I'm amazed that I'm the only person on here to comment on this work. I absolutely loved this from start to finish, but this ending is something very, very special. I will be promoting this story as much as i possibly can. As Stoker said, 'You're an amazing writer'. Kudos on your exceptional workmanship and thank you very much for sharing this- all the best, spence