random weirdness

cypress johnny got the alarm bells to calm down a bit before he spoke again. though his mind was still racing. it always did when strangers came into the bar looking for the card game. especially this late in the evening. fact of the matter, there was a game going on in the back room. there was a game every wednesday night. friday and saturday nights as well. cypress johnny moved easily down the bar near the register. right at the spot where underneath the bar was a door behind which was a loaded .357. keeping his hands on the bar he nudged the small door open with his right knee.

card game? yeah. ok. deal is though, gents, it’s a private game. you have to be invited by someone. someone we know and trust. understand?

the brothers looked at one another then johnny basura spoke.

ah. yeah. ok. guess that wouldn’t be us then. right, jimmy?

suppose not, bro.

well fine then, cypress is it?

cypress johnny nodded.

yeah, well alright. we’ll finish our drinks and be on our way. no sense wasting our time if we can’t join the game. if we stick around town maybe we’ll be back so you get to know us better. you know…so…maybe we can play.

long as you don’t cause trouble you guys are welcome back anytime. we’ll have to see about the card game. i hope you understand.

oh, sure. not a problem. right, jimmy?

i got none.

the brothers finished their drinks said good night and left the bar. cypress johnny was glad to see them leave. they seemed ok but there was something about the two brothers. he figured he’d be seeing them again. their next visit might not be as friendly. it had happened before. jerry powell and his biker friends popped into cypress johnny’s mind as his hand reached under the bar to touch the .357.

outside the two brothers stood on the sidewalk taking in the cool night air. there was a tinge of cow crap smell mixed in with the night air.

well?

yeah, johnny. let’s do it. you smell the cow shit? brings back memories don’t it?

memories of mom beating us silly with a fly swatter? dad and his belt? come on, bro. forget that shit.

sure. i was just saying is all.

yeah yeah. ok. let’s get in the car and park down the street on the other side and watch the place for a while. it’s what? about 12:30? i figure the game will fold up around 2 when the bar closes.

johnny and jimmy got in the car and moved it to the other side of the street. they sat watching jacks or better for the next hour. the two old drunks left and that was it. no one else came out or went into the bar. the street was quiet as well. hardly any traffic and no cop cars at all.

johnny stirred and spoke.

now or never. time to roll little brother. i’ll take the glock, you grab the tire iron. we take out the bartender after he tells us where the game is. you should be able to get that out of him with a whack of two with the iron. though we may not need him. the ruckus might give the game up. we take everybody out. either with the 9mm or the tire iron. grab all the cash and get the hell out of this fucking shit hole for the last damn time. we probably ought to dump this car and pick up somebody’s in there. you with me?

yeah, johnny.

fine. onward.

johnny moved the car back to the other side of the street and parked. the brothers got out of the car and johnny checked the 9mm then slipped it in his waistband at the small of his back. the spare clip was in a back pants pocket. jimmy slid the tire iron up his jacket sleeve. it would drop effortlessly into his hand when the time came to wield it. as they got to the bar’s front door johnny whispered.

rock ‘n’ roll.

cypress johnny had given the card room last call. as he began cleaning up for the night he heard the front door open. not good he thought. never any good when somebody came around at closing time. he flashed back again to jerry powell. crap. no. he thought. he quickly ducked behind the bar and went straight for the .357. it was in his hand when he heard feet shuffling inside the bar. two of them he thought. the two brothers? he stayed down and quiet. he hoped no one came out of the card room.

hey! hello? anybody here?

who wants to know?

double down. johnny and jimmy basura. come out from behind there buddy and nobody gets hurt. real slow and show us your hands.

the name basura rang some sort of distant bell but cypress johnny had no time for that. he needed to act. the shuffling feet grew closer.

come on man. get up and show us your hands.

johnny and jimmy had their respective weapons out and at the ready. cypress johnny figured the two had to armed. he made a small noise by the register then silently duck walked down to the open end of the bar. he thought by making the noise the two brothers would be concentrating on the area around the register. he was right.

last chance my man. get up and show us your hands.

cypress stayed down and peeked around the corner of the bar. johnny had a gun and he was pointing it at the register. jimmy had a tire iron and had moved silently up to the bar. he was also looking at the register. the tire iron above his head ready to strike.

déjà vu all over again thought cypress johnny. crap. he took a deep breath. held it. quickly stood up. fired two rounds into johnny basura’s torso. both rounds found his heart and stopped it. cypress johnny then swung on jimmy. jimmy was moving toward him. screaming. two more shots rang out. the rounds impacted jimmy’s head. they blew the back of his head off. jimmy fell like a tree with the tire iron clattering to the floor. jimmy and johnny basura were dead. they lay in a heap on the bar room floor. blood slowly pooling about them.

cypress johnny walked over to the two dead men and kicked the glock out of johnny’s lifeless hand. he moved the tire iron away as well. no sense taking any chances. as he was doing this the card room door was slowly opening. a head stuck out from behind it. it was that night’s card dealer.

you ok cypress?

yeah, eddie. all clear. get everybody out of here and then i’ll call the cops.

sure cypress.

eddie went back into the room and hustled the six players out of the room and out the front door. after doing that he collected the house money and sat it on the bar. then he walked over to the dead bodies and looked at them.

you know cypress. these guys look sorta familiar.

as he said this, eddie otto was scratching a faint scar on his neck.

cypress johnny was dialing the phone.

bag the cash eddie and go home. i’ll put it away before the cops get here.

sure, cypress. sure.

the end

jmh

copyright 2012 john hauge all rights reserved

johnny and jimmy’s arrival into their old home town was something neither had ever expected to happen again. ever. when they hit town johnny suggested changing the plates on their stolen car. they drove around ontario in silence looking for a likely candidate. both brothers spotted an older guy in an older model white volvo getting out of his car in grocery store parking lot. the lot was quiet and the man would probably be gone long enough for them to get the job done. changing the plates was quick and easy. when they were finished they tossed the plates from the stolen car in a trash can. then covered them up with some newspaper. as the brothers were leaving the store parking lot johnny spoke.

let’s go by the old place.

alright.

they took euclid avenue south almost down to northern chino and their old home. the home where they had killed both of their parents. when they arrived johnny stopped the car across the street from the old place. it looked the same to them even after all those years. the walnut tree still stood in a corner of the front yard. much larger of course. the biggest change being the old dairy was gone. long gone.

after a bit jimmy spoke.

i wonder who’s living there now? maybe we should go up to the door and ask if we can come in to see if they ever got all that blood off the kitchen floor.

both brothers laughed loudly as they pulled away from the curb.

let’s get something to eat.

sure, johnny, but not mexican. i’m sick of mexican.

yeah, me too. we’ll find something else.

finding something other than mexican food in downtown ontario or just about any place in ontario proved to be difficult. they had cruised up and down euclid several times before either of them spotted the chinese joint.

hey. chinese. i think i remember that place when we were kids. or maybe not. looks like they have a bar. sweet. we can at least tie one on.

sounds good to me. a couple of shots would suit me fine just about now.

amen, brother.

johnny parked the car at the curb and the two brothers entered the dimly lit restaurant. the smell of very old chinese food greeted them. not a bad smell but different. jimmy went to look for a bathroom while johnny sat at the bar and ordered them both a vodka rocks. the good stuff. no more tequila for either of them. when jimmy got back johnny was about half way through his first drink. jimmy caught up shortly. they ordered two more. this time doubles then carried them over to a table and ordered dinner. dinner was so so. the important thing being it wasn’t mexican food.

after dinner they sat at the bar again and had several more drinks. they kept to themselves while listening in on the sparse bar crowd conversations. there was nothing of interest there until a well dressed gentleman came into the bar a half hour or so later. he sat on a stool next to jimmy. obviously a regular when the man ordered his ‘usual’. while the bartender made the man his drink the newcomer fumbled around with a semi large wad of cash. this caught the brothers attention. as the man’s drink was delivered the man peeled off a ten spot and told the bartender to keep the change. the bartender asked.

are you playing cards tonight?

nah. the old lady is pissed. i just need to be out of the house for a while.

i hear you. i just thought with that roll and all. you know.

ha. yeah. no, i sold a car today to some wet back. it was off the books. cash on the line. very nice deal. well, at least for me. the car will probably make it through the weekend before it dies and or falls apart.

both men found that to be very funny and spent a few minutes laughing about it. johnny and jimmy had begun to exchange looks as soon as they spotted the cash. no words were spoken. the brothers were like a well oiled machine and very professional when it came to taking what they wanted from someone unsuspecting. after all, they had been doing it since they were very very young.

it looked like the newcomer was good for at least several drinks as he had a couple of 20′s out on the bar. the rest of the cash was back in his pocket. the brothers ordered another round each. when they were finished they paid their tab and went outside. the night was cool and the air smelled fresh after being inside the chinese joint for so long. both brothers filled their lungs with the cool air.

you caught this. right, jimmy? the guy came in through the back. there must be a parking lot out back.

yep. picked up on it.

let’s go check it out. we have time.

the brothers got into their stolen ride and found their way around to the parking lot behind the restaurant. it was a small lot and less than a quarter full. they pulled into a space and shut the car off. then they sat and watched things for ten minutes or so.

well, what do you think, johnny?

looks ok to me. nice and dark and no one has come or gone. no foot traffic either. let’s get out and look around.

earlier in the day the brothers had disabled the overhead light and trunk light at a gas stop. johnny popped the trunk latch as he got out of the car. he stood looking about as jimmy went to the trunk and found the tire iron. then johnny walked over to the alley and looked both ways. nothing was stirring. he heard jimmy cough then turned and followed the sound. he found him behind a large trash dumpster. the dumpster reeked but it was the best place to lie in wait for their intended victim and his ambush.

they spent around 12 minutes waiting behind the dumpster. neither saying a word. there was no vehicle traffic or foot traffic in the alley or the parking lot. suddenly there was a noise and a shaft of light. the back door to the chinese place was opening. as the back door slowly closed they could see it was the man with the cash who’d sat at the bar. both brothers were suddenly sober as the adrenaline crashed through them. the surging adrenaline was something they both had come to love. that rush before the kill.

johnny and jimmy let the man get to his car. as he fumbled for his car keys each brother thought, another stupid one. they make it so easy. jimmy was on top of the man and swinging the tire iron with all of his might before the guy realized something wasn’t right. the tire iron caught the man full on at the back of his head. it crushed bone and made a sort of mushing sound as the heavy tire iron found gray matter. jimmy clobbered the man two more times before he hit the ground. the man from the bar was dead before the second blow connected.

the brothers worked quickly and quietly as they emptied the man’s pockets. being careful to avoid the blood they pushed the man underneath his car. the lot was dark enough that no one would see the blood until morning. hopefully, no one would walk through before then. johnny and jimmy went to their stolen car got in and slowly drove out of the lot. johnny even hit his blinker as he made a right turn out onto the street. it’s the little things each brother thought.

they drove around until johnny spotted a burger stand with a drive thru. they went thru it and ordered coffees. then they pulled into the well lit parking lot to check on their new found loot. jimmy counted the cash and he told johnny it amounted to $3,765.

cool. what else we get?

car keys, a bunch of paperwork. a wallet with no cash interestingly enough and a couple of credit cards. ah, a book of matches. that’s it.

let me see the car keys.

jimmy handed johnny the keys and said.

this book of matches is for some dive called, jacks or better. it isn’t far from here. i wonder if that’s what the bartender was talking about when he asked about the card game?

could be. hey, check this out. see this key? it’s for a small gun case. i bet it’s in the guys trunk.

yeah, maybe. let’s go back and check. can’t hurt.

jimmy got out of the car and tossed the wallet sans the cards, the paperwork, and their empty coffee containers in the trash. he put the book of matches in a shirt pocket. the brothers drove back to the parking lot in silence. it was quiet. no cops. no one had found the man or seen the blood yet. johnny pulled into the alley and cut the cars headlights. he coasted up to the dead man’s car and jimmy quickly got out and had the car trunk open in a second and found the gun case. picked it up then returned to their car. he found the key for the case and opened it up as johnny was pulling back out into the street.

nice. johnny, it’s a loaded glock 9 with another full clip.

alright. very cool. clear it and check out the action.

jimmy did what his older brother told him to do and then pronounced the gun perfectly serviceable. the two drove around for a while in silence. jimmy pulled the matchbook from his pocket and asked.

are you thinking what i am?

a streetlight caught johnny’s grin and his nod yes.

yeah. ok. make a left at the next street and head back towards holt. pretty sure it’s a left at the light.

once on holt blvd it was a short ride to jacks or better. it wasn’t easy to miss. a neon sign out front featuring an ace, a king, a queen, and two one eyed jacks.

this must be it. let’s check it out first.

solid.

johnny found a spot at the curb and parked. they left the gun under the front seat for now. the brothers got out of the car and made their way to the front door.

you ready for this, bro?

always.

johnny entered first followed by his brother jimmy. the place was almost empty with just a couple of old guys well into their cups drinking alone at separate tables. there was a guy about their age behind the bar. the bar’s speakers were set at about mid range playing a gram parsons tune, the streets of baltimore. the guy behind the bar spoke.

evening gents. what can i get for you fellows?

the two brothers ambled up to the bar and sat. for some strange reason the guy behind the bar looked vaguely familiar. though neither mentioned it. two vodka rocks. good stuff.

coming up.

as the bartender began working on the drinks he tried to make small talk.

i haven’t seen you guys around before. new in town or passing through?

a little bit of both i suppose. right, jimmy?

jimmy nodded his head.

absolut ok with you?

that’ll be fine barkeep.

name’s, johnny. cypress johnny.

well, ain’t that interesting. i’m a johnny as well. this is my brother jimmy.

cypress johnny sat the drinks in front of the two brothers and said. twelve bucks.

jimmy found a ten and a five and placed them on the bar.

keep the change.

thanks.

the brothers sipped their drinks and when johnny asked about if there was a card game alarm bells went off inside cypress johnny’s head.

jmh

the basura brothers became even more insane once in puberty’s death grip. the young boys doing things most other youngsters in puberty would probably never think of. probably. things like the boys parents finding clear dried stuff in odd places. when questioned about it the boys would say it was mucous or something. when in reality it was something entirely different. they’d take a swat for the mucous thing but if they told the truth. well, lets just say that wasn’t an option in their home.

johnny and jimmy cut a wide swath through the young girls in junior high school. the girls knew the brothers were up for just about anything. they had known that since the fifth grade. johnny and jimmy were up front about what they wanted. they would just ask. after awhile they didn’t even have to ask. the girls came to them. some of them. the basura brothers spent so much time having sex they began to neglect school even more than they normally did.

then one day their semi idyllic lives as sex fiends fell apart. the two brothers had been seeing two sisters. twins to be exact. they’d also been seeing numerous other girls but they got the twins pregnant. worse yet, the twins were only in the sixth grade. not a good thing to be sure even for junior high school boys. parents on both sides were livid to say the least. the girls parents demanded jail time or worse. though the trouble was everyone involved was under 14. not much the cops or the courts could do. as it turned out the girls parents sued the basuras and won. the basuras would have to pay for both girls medical bills and any other related costs. abortion wasn’t an option. not even on the table for discussion.

after the horse was already out of the barn maury began to keep closer tabs on the two brothers. beatings became more frequent. to say the least, johnny and jimmy were not happy about their current state of affairs. and lack of them as well. their mother began a relentless almost non stop verbal assault on the brothers. between mom and dad the boys were taking plenty of flak. so much so they were almost at a breaking points.

one evening after dinner the two brothers were washing dishes while their mother was giving them a particularly vicious tongue lashing. johnny had had enough. this was it. no more he thought. enough. he had been drying a large butcher knife when his synapses snapped. he swung the knife at his mother and caught her full on in the throat. she hit the floor spewing blood. her head almost decapitated lay at an odd angle. jimmy stopped washing dishes and watched as his mother began to bleed out on the floor. he didn’t say a word. neither did johnny.

maury was in the living room watching TV. he got up to go see what the strange noises were coming from the kitchen. he got as far as the door when he bellowed.

what the hell’s going on in here? i’m trying to watch the TV for christ’s sake!

johnny and jimmy looked at each and without a word jimmy grabbed another kitchen knife. then both young boys descended on their father who was so taken aback by the unfolding spectacle he was speechless and froze. soon he was just as dead as his wife. the cheap linoleum floor was awash in their parent’s blood.

still saying nothing the brothers dropped their knives then went looking for their father’s car keys. they ran from the house out to the car and drove away from the hideous death scene. they didn’t say anything about what they had just done. well, only if you don’t call laughter saying anything. they were laughing hysterically which it made it hard to drive the car. as a matter of fact, johnny and jimmy never did say anything about the killings. when asked it they would only laugh.

it took several days for the death smell to reach the neighbors. then there were the clouds of flies as well. something was up for sure. finally one of the neighbors called the cops. the boys? somehow or another they’d made it across the border unnoticed and down into mexico. south of rosarito beach they stopped. stole another car from some american surfers along with their boards and money. then, of course, johnny and jimmy killed the hapless surfers.

it took the federales several weeks to find the dead surfers. and then only after many calls to the mexican consulate in los angeles made by the worried parents of the surfers. they were days late in coming home from their surf trip. what was going on? what was going on indeed.

with a new car and money the boys bought some food, new clothing, and a few large bottles of mescal. then they found a deserted beach 20 miles or so south of rosarito. they camped out and learned how to surf on their own. getting wasted every night on the mexican booze.

it took several more weeks for the federales to figure what was going and then find the brothers. when they were found the brothers went peacefully as they were both drunk. the mexicans were dumbfounded by the fact the young boys were the murderers they were looking for. they put johnny and jimmy in jail outside of rosarito beach. they were still trying to figure out what to do with the brothers when word came down that the brothers basura were also wanted for the murder of their parents up in the states.

this changed things for the mexicans. they weren’t likely to send the boys back north to face murder charges that even at their young age might include the death penalty given the circumstances. odds were that wasn’t going to happen but no one could convince the mexicans other wise. the boys would stay in baja and face mexican murder charges for the death of the american surfers. it was indeed an odd set of circumstances but given the mexican governments total aversion to the death penalty there was noting anyone could do.

johnny and jimmy spent 25 years together in that baja jail. all things considered they were treated fairly well by their captors because they were so young and insane. the mexican government let the brothers go after the 25 years. they did it quietly. not wanting the american government to find out right away. the brothers stayed in mexico and wandered about the west coast of baja for several years. they of course committed many crimes in order to live.

at one point they began to feel some heat from the local federales who were finally beginning to put things together again. johnny and jimmy moved up the coast and into tijuana’s ‘zona roja’. they spent several months there rolling marines and naval personnel from san diego making a good amount of coin while doing so.

during one drunken whore filled night the brothers decided to rob a pawn shop the sailors and marines used when their money ran out and it was time to get back to base. of course, no cash made that a problem for the military personnel. johnny and jimmy had been inside the store on numerous occasions. they knew there was a large amount of jewelry and cash inside the pawn shop. getting to it wasn’t much of a problem. getting across the border and back into california wasn’t much of a problem after the robbery as well. a stolen gunny sergeant’s car made things even easier. killing the marine proved to be the hardest part of their evening and early morning. the drive back into their former childhood home of ontario, california was uneventful.

jmh

the brothers stood sweating in the warm kitchen not saying a word. johnny was the first to move. he went into the living room and made sure the screen door was latched and the front door locked. moving through the rest of the house he went room to room closing blinds and drapes. jimmy stayed in the kitchen not moving. johnny returned to the kitchen and shoved jimmy into the living room and onto the shabby couch.

johnny, i think i’m going to be sick.

alright but not here. go into the bathroom and make it quick. we have to be quiet.

ok.

jimmy scurried off to the bathroom. he wasn’t sick but he took a long leak. flushed and came back into the living room. by then the sirens had stopped. the boys knew the police and maybe an ambulance were at the dairy. several minutes passed in silence. johnny got up and used the bathroom. when he came back a siren started up and soon faded into the distance. the boys imagined it was the ambulance taking eddie otto to the hospital.

johnny what are we gonna do? mom and dad…

shut up jimmy. we have to be real quiet. i’ll think of something. you just be quiet. ok?

yeah. ok.

no crying either.

yeah. ok. shit.

it wasn’t long after that they heard a car pull up outside the house. johnny crept to the front window, shushed jimmy, and peeked out through a small crack in the drapes. it was a police car. two cops were getting out and heading up to the house.

it’s the cops, jimmy. be real quiet.

the brothers heard one of the cops climb up on the porch and saw his shadow as he passed to the front door. the cop began knocking on the front door. between knocks johnny and jimmy heard the crunch of gravel as the other cop made his way to the back of the house. soon there was pounding on the back door as well.

johnny put his left index finger to his lips. jimmy put his right index finger to his. both boys nodded. the knocking at the front door stopped but the cop stayed where he was. a few seconds later the pounding at the back door stopped. soon after they heard the other cop walking on the gravel back towards the front yard.

back door is locked too. the garage was clear.

ok. i’ll call in and we’ll just sit tight until one of the parents gets here. they must be in the house or in the wind. i’ll get some other units to cruise the area.

sounds good. i’ll go around back again and wait there. we’ll keep both doors covered.

alright. yell if you see or hear anything.

will do.

one of the cops went out to the car and talked on the radio for a few minutes. when he was finished talking he got out of the car wiping his brow from the heat. he walked up into the yard and stood in the shade of the large walnut tree that stood in the corner of the yard. a few minutes later several other cop cars pulled up in front of the house. johnny was still at the small crack in the drapes by the front window. he could see the cops talking. the cop in the yard gestured up the street and the other cars slowly pulled away to search the surrounding area.

the two brothers were scared and exhausted and soon fell asleep. johnny on the floor by the front window and jimmy on the couch. they were both awakened by a car door slamming. johnny looked out the front window. it was their mother. she was climbing out of a cop car. the cops had gone to her work and picked her up. not good. he knew their father would be arriving home soon as well. not good.

johnny made a quick decision. not one of his best but in the grand scheme of things certainly not one of his worst. he bolted for the kitchen and the back door.

johnny where you going? johnny?

jimmy stood by the couch wiping his eyes. he was still half asleep, tired, and now bewildered. he’d almost forgotten what had been going on that day. as he stood there he heard the back door open and the voice of the cop in the backyard.

hey! stop right there!

luckily for johnny the cop had been distracted by the horse the next door neighbors kept. he was in the corner of the yard by the fence. by the time he got moving johnny was around the corner and heading down the driveway at full tilt. johnny was moving well on the gravel even in his bare feet. the cop in the back yelled to the cop in the front that one of the kids was heading his way. also that the back door was open and he was going in.

johnny was flying down the gravel drive. he blew past the cop in the front yard. his mother and another cop near her. he’d made it to the end of the drive then made a hard left into the empty lot where the neighborhood kids played baseball. his mistake was staying near the street. not much foot traffic there as everyone cut across the vacant lot. johnny had run into an area where the puncture vines held sway.

johnny had traveled maybe thirty feet from the driveway when he realized his mistake. he’d ran right into the center of a very large spreading puncture vine. he hopped to a stop. both feet filled with the nasty sharp dried needle like balls. he fell to his butt getting some stuck in his hands and ass as well. one of the cops scooped him up and carried him to the front lawn where he began to remove the stickers.

johnny’s mother was livid. she was yelling and ranting uncontrollably. one of the other cops had to restrain her in order to get her away from her son. the cop from the back yard opened the front door. he had jimmy by the hand. johnny and jimmy basura’s first crime spree was over. sadly, there would be many more to come.

the rest of the day and night was a blur for the two youngsters. their mother yelling and crying. their father yelling and threatening all manner of retribution. the cops were in and out as well. they weren’t yelling. more like mystified by the brothers savage attack on the hapless teenage dairy attendant. eddie otto would survive. the last stab to his neck just missing his jugular by mere millimeters. though there was the fact he was now sporting close to one hundred stitches covering a large portion of his body.

the stitches hurt and stung but eddie figured that at some point that would stop and the scars along with the story about how he got them would become sort of a babe magnet. eddie otto was right about that. while he was in the hospital he might also ask a doctor why he could blow cigarette smoke out of his ears. he never did. no sense ruining a good thing.

as for johnny and jimmy they were placed in custody of the court for a time. the court figuring that maybe their crazed parents had something or another to do with their going off on eddie otto. they spent a lot of time with social workers and psychologists. both trying their collective best to try and figure the two brothers out. though being in the mid 50′s it was early for both fields and nothing much was really uncovered. the boys soon learned the ropes and after a year and a half the court decided the two kids were ok enough to be sent back to their parents and their home. both parents had calmed down and had received some of the same treatment the boys had. it worked about as well on them as it did their kids.

things at the basura household actually went well for a few years. the boys and their parents getting along reasonably well. reasonably well until the two youngsters hit puberty. even though johnny and jimmy were a year apart they hit puberty at the same time with a vengeance not often seen in those calmer and saner days. johnny and jimmy basura were to become what one wag would later say, the vanguard of what was to become of american youth.

jmh

johnny basura became a low life thug at a very early age. no one is sure just how or why that was only that it was. no doubt about it. not only johnny but his younger brother jimmy as well. the pair had been nothing but trouble since johnny was in the third grade and his little brother jimmy in the second. in the beginning they weren’t too bad really. just normal kids crying, laughing, and getting into the usual kid mischief. nothing very serious. then one summer day things went way south for the two brothers. and way south for the rest of the basura family as well.

the day was hot in the usual southern california summer way. almost 95 degrees by noon time. baking hot. the two basura brothers had been fooling around all morning playing baseball with some of the other neighborhood kids. the kids stopped their game for lunch. each of them went their separate ways for a sandwich or whatever. with the day promising only to get hotter the boys probably wouldn’t be playing anymore ball until the next morning or maybe after dinner that night. maybe.

johnny and jimmy ate their sandwiches in front of the old b/w TV. they watched cartoons while they ate. johnny spoke.

you want to go get a 50 – 50 bar after lunch, jimmy?

ok.

there was a dairy farm a short walk away with a drive thru area where you could buy milk, ice cream, eggs, and bread. of course, for the local neighborhood kids it was more of a walk thru as they ran their milk run errands for their families or scored ice cream for themselves. after they finished eating the boys cleaned up knowing that if they didn’t there would be trouble to pay when their parents got home from work. no sense getting chased around the house by an angry mother wielding a metal fly swatter and swinging wildly at them often making contact. all the while yelling wait until your father gets home. no, not something the two boys wanted on this hot summer day.

with the temperature now nearing 100 the two brothers gingerly walked barefoot to the dairy. almost burning their feet on the hot asphalt as they ran across the street. the dirt path on the other side was somewhat cooler and they kept their eyes peeled for puncture vines not wanting to step on any of the vicious dried spiked balls of weed with their bare feet. most of the time they were lucky but luck didn’t always hold out. today it did. at least in that regard.

johnny and jimmy always carried a knife. their father mauricio, or maury as family or friends called him, had given each of the boys a small pocket knife as soon they were both walking fairly well. their father thought kids should have some sort of protection as he put it and a knife could be a useful tool as well. most of the time the brothers used their knives for the random whittling of fallen tree branches or other errant pieces of wood. sure the boys often cut themselves but maury said that was just part of being a boy and growing up today. well, this day was about to become something entirely different.

as the brothers walked along the dirt path they raised little clouds of dust with each step. they spoke quietly about nothing until johnny put his hand out to stop his little brother. they stopped mid stride in the hot afternoon sun. little jimmy just stood there silently looking at his older brother and wondering what was up. there were no puncture vines close by and as far as he could tell no stray dogs about either. what was up?

jimmy, let’s rob the dairy.

what? are you kidding?

no. let’s do it.

why?

why not? it might be fun. we both have knives. we’ll each order a 50 – 50 bar and when eddie is digging them out of the freezer we’ll pull our knives and tell him it’s a stick up.

are you serious? we could get into big trouble. and mom and dad…

forget that stuff, ok? i’m going to do this whether you go along or not. and you’d better or i’ll kick your ass worse than mom or dad ever did.
understand?

ok. since you put it that way. i’m in. you know sometimes i don’t like you much, johnny.

yeah, i don’t like you much either. just shut up and follow my lead.

yeah yeah, sure.

the brothers continued their walk in the sun towards their destiny. when they reached the corner and the shade of several eucalyptus trees jimmy stopped and spoke.

johnny? i’m scared.

me too. but this will be fun. trust me.

ok. sure. shit.

rounding the corner they could see the dairy’s drive thru. there were no cars and eddie otto, the teenage attendant, was sitting in the shade smoking
a cigarette. he was always smoking or so it seemed. eddie favored lucky strikes and would smoke them down to nubs. then he’d put on a show for the local kids with the short cigarette butts. he’d put the butt in his mouth. close it then make smoke come out of his nose. open his mouth and roll the still lit smoke around on his tongue. flipping it over a couple of times. close his mouth again and then make smoke come out of his ears. it was truly an amazing sight. even for eddie otto. he had no idea why he was able to get the smoke to come out of his ears. though he really didn’t care because it looked very cool. regardless. and eddie otto was very cool.

eddie saw the two brothers approaching and waved to them. he drew deeply on his smoke several times in order to get it to the proper length for his little kid show. teenage boys and boredom. both of which were in for a shock that sweltering summer day. as johnny and jimmy neared the driveway they saw eddie hold up the cigarette butt and put it in his mouth. by the time they got to the cash register eddie was almost finished with his act. smoke was coming out of his ears when johnny spoke.

hi, eddie. we want two 50 – 50 bars. raspberry and an orange.

eddie spit out the butt and said.

sure. a dime each.

he turned around to reach into the freezer for the ice cream bars. when he turned back around holding the bars he spotted the two knives.

what? hey?

shut up, eddie. this is a stick up. give us all of the cash in the drawer. we’re serious.

what? don’t make me laugh. put those away before you guys get hurt or i’ll call the cops. understand boys?

shut up, eddie. give us the money.

eddie just glared at the two boys then said.

fuck this. i’m calling the cops.

eddie turned towards the telephone on the desk and began dialing the local cops.

johnny was first but jimmy was a very close second. both of the boys dove onto eddie otto and began to stab him repeatedly with their small pocket knives. eddie did his best to cover himself while trying to stop the two now frenzied brothers. he wasn’t very successful at either. johnny had the register open and grabbed the cash as jimmy kept on stabbing eddie. johnny stuffed the cash into a front pocket of his shorts. he lunged towards eddie for one more stab and caught the teenager in the throat with his small knife.

let’s go, jimmy!

the two brothers ran away heading towards home. they left eddie otto sitting on the ground, leaning against the desk, phone in his hand, and bleeding very badly. the two ice cream bars lay melting on the ground in hot sun.

as the two brothers ran home they barely felt the hot dirt and asphalt under their feet. it was as if something was lifting them as they ran. their feet hardly touching the ground. or so it seemed. they ran home and up the gravel driveway to the backdoor. both boys hit the door at the same time. once inside they slammed it shut and tried to catch their breaths. in the distance they heard sirens.

jmh