The First Three Rules (2 page)

On the other side, old fashioned soda taps with fat handles displayed the names of available drinks. A flat stove occupied a space in the back corner and a bank of glass walled freezers filled with barrels of ice cream separated the short order kitchen from the dining room. Workers wore paper hats and white aprons with the shop logo.

Rudy escaped Ellis’s grip and made a bee line for the ice cream. He pressed his nose to the glass and spread his large hands on either side of his head.

Ellis ran his fingers through his mop of blond hair as he followed him. This time he was too far away for Jon to hear what he said to his brother. Rudy’s smile wilted as he followed Ellis to the row of stools. He sat beside Rudy. Jon sat beside Ellis.

Rudy dug his baseball cards out of his pocket.

“Put those away,” Ellis said.

“But—”

“We’re here to eat, not look at cards.”

“Okay.”

To Jon, Ellis said, “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

His eyebrows went up. “Do you really have to ask?”

“He’s excited.” Jon shrugged. “It is ice cream, you know. Who doesn’t get excited about ice cream?” Ellis gave him a timid smile. Jon decided it was a good look for him.

“Can I have a sundae?” Rudy asked. “I like cherries. And chocolate.” He tugged one of the menus from the holder at the edge of the counter. Rudy pointed to the picture on the front. “See. Chocolate.”

Ellis gave Jon another apologetic look. “I’m sorry.”

“Will you quit saying that? Let him get a sundae. I’m getting breakfast.”

A large man stepped up in front of them, note pad in one hand and grease stains on his apron. His mustache rolled over his upper lip and down the sides of his mouth in a salt and pepper line. “You ready to order?”

Jon gave his, then Rudy.

“And no bananas,” Rudy said. “I’m allergic.”

“No, you’re not.” To the waiter Ellis said, “No bananas, please.”

“A sundae with no bananas?” The waiter raised both eyebrows.

“Yeah, Rudy…never mind. Long story. Just make sure there are no bananas.”

“Customer’s always right. And you?”

“I’m fine.”

“Eat something,” Jon said.

“No, really. I’m okay.” Then why did he keep glancing at the menu Rudy left lying on the counter?

“Order something, please.” Jon caught Ellis’s gaze. This time he held it without looking away.

“I don’t want to impose.”

“I wouldn’t have offered if I thought you were imposing.”

Ellis touched the menu, but he didn’t really look at it. “Grilled cheese and a bowl of chili. Wait, do you have chili this time of morning?”

The waiter laughed. “We got chili all day long. Give me ten minutes and I’ll have your food right up.”

The bells on the door clanged as an elderly couple came in. They traded hellos with two men sitting over by the window.

“So, how long have you lived here?” Jon said.

“My whole life.” Ellis rearranged the silverware. “My parents grew up here.”

Rudy leaned forward. “They’re dead now. I miss them. Mostly around Christmas.”

“Rudy.” Ellis pushed him back. “Stop.”

“But I was talking to Jon. He’s my friend.”

“I know.” He fumbled with the menu and handed it to Rudy. “Here, look at the pictures. If you’re good, maybe we can come back here next week.” Rudy took the menu. “Sor—”

Jon held up a hand. “I told you. No apologies.”

“What about you?” Ellis started to lift his gaze but seemed to catch himself. “How long have you been in Gilsford?”

Jon propped his heels on the foot rest at the base of the stool. “A couple of months.”

“Do you like it?”

“I don’t get out much so I can’t really say for sure.” Sometimes he didn’t get out at all. Most days the sounds were too loud, the sun too bright, and the people too many. Even in a small town, the people could be too many. Those were the days the memory of his brother made it difficult for Jon to breathe.

“Where are you from?”

“DC.”

Ellis’s eyes widened.

“I know. I have a southern twang. I was born and raised in Watkinsville. My parents owned a farm.”

“What made you go all the way up there?”

He needed to escape. He needed to be free. Only the ghosts had gone with him. Jon hadn’t known about the festering wound they’d created. By the time he did, it was too late. “Work,” he said. “I was a cop for about ten years and later on, a Marshal.”

“Oh.” Ellis stared at his hands, and then at a spot on the counter. He picked at it with his thumb.

“I take it you don’t like cops.”

Ellis shrugged. “They’re okay.”

“Something bad happen?”

Ellis pulled some napkins out of the dispenser and placed them in front of Rudy. “Can we talk about something else?”

“Sure, what would you—”

Their waiter returned with food in hand. A woman joined him with Rudy’s sundae. Piled up in a long silver dish, the damn thing was so huge it looked like a yacht ready to set sail. The woman set it down in front of Rudy and both servers left.

Ellis held out a spoon and pushed the napkins closer. Rudy closed his hand over the eating utensil but Ellis didn’t let go. “Eat slowly.”

“I will.”

“I’m serious, Rudy. You’ll get choked.” Rudy made a solemn face. Ellis let go of the spoon. He watched his brother for a moment. With exaggerated care, Rudy spooned up a bite.

Ellis pulled his plate closer. Jon did the same. Biscuits and gravy never looked so good. He dug in.

Damn. And they were good. Just enough pepper and salt to make the flour based gravy kick with flavor and the biscuits melted in his mouth. It had been a long time since Jon had eaten more than burned eggs out of an iron skillet.

While Jon worked to empty his plate, Ellis took small bites of his food. Every so often he’d look over at Rudy. Move a napkin. Reposition the tub of ice cream. Wipe a blob of whipped cream off his brother’s chin.

“Did you come Georgia because of work?”

“Huh? Oh, no.” Jon wiped his mouth. “I just wanted some place quiet.”

“Lot of places to live that are quiet. Why Gilford? I mean, we’re barely a speck on a map.”

“I don’t know to be honest. I just got in my car and drove. When I reached Gilford I stopped.” Jon shrugged. “Figured one small town is as good as the next when all I’m looking to do is pass the time.”

“You’re retired?”

“Do I look that old?” It wouldn’t have surprised Jon if he did.

“No. It’s just…” Ellis poked his spoon into the bowl of chili.

“I resigned.” It was the first time Jon said the word out loud. Resigned is what the department had called it. In reality he’d been relieved of duty because of psychiatric distress. Even after a year of therapy. A year of drugs. They’d refused to let him come back. He was a liability no one wanted to take a chance on.

Jon didn’t blame them but it didn’t stop him from being angry.

“So what do you do now?”

Jon chewed his bite of food and swallowed. “I play the stock market a little.” It wasn’t much but it made him some petty cash. “Work in my garden.” The brown patch in the back yard where he’d thought about growing some corn. “Tinker with a motorcycle I’m trying to restore.” Rust bucket would never run. He had no idea why he bought the damn thing at that yard sale a few weeks ago. “How about you?”

Ellis helped Rudy with wiping up the chocolate dripping down the spoon. “I take care of Rudy.”

“Full time?”

“Yeah, I don’t want him to be put in a home.”

“I have a home,” Rudy said. Chocolate ringed his mouth. Ellis dipped a napkin in his glass of ice water. “My home is with you.”

“I know, Rudy. We’re just talking.” Ellis cleaned him off.

“I have posters in my room.” Rudy looked at Jon. “You want to see them? I can show you.”

“Rudy…”

“I have a baseball, and a football, and Transformers…” He waved his spoon and drops of syrup landed on Ellis’s arm. He took the spoon away, pushed the bowl of ice cream back and cleaned up the mess.

“You have any family?” Jon said.

Ellis finished what he was doing, then gave the bowl of ice cream back to Rudy. “Slow.” Ellis turned. “What?”

“Family? Do you have any?”

“No, it’s just Rudy and me. Our parents died when I was twelve.” He ate the last bit of his grilled cheese.

“Who took care of things when you lost them?”

Ellis stirred his chili.

“Sorry that was…” What did he say? “That was really nosy of me.”

Ellis shrugged.

“My apologies.”

Another shrug.

“Can we go to the card shop after ice cream?” A glob of chocolate mixed with whipped cream slid off Rudy’s spoon and hit the counter with a plop. “Uh oh.” He reached for the napkins and his elbow caught one of the glasses, knocking it over. A tide of ice water washed across the counter. Rudy jerked his arm back. “I didn’t touch it.”

Ellis jumped off his seat but not fast enough to his pants from being soaked. “Damn it, Rudy.”

“I’m sorry.”

Jon used paper towels to stop the expanding puddle. He grabbed another handful and held them out to Ellis. People stared.

Rudy laughed. “You look like you peed your pants.”

Ellis dabbed the paper towels across his lap but it was useless. “Rudy, quit laughing, it isn’t funny.”

One of the servers came up to the counter with a couple of towels. “Here ya go, hun.” She held them out to Jon. He used them to stop the water from dripping off the side of the counter.

Ellis stared at the wet paper towels in his hand like he didn’t know what to do with them. Beside him, Rudy giggled.

“It happens.” Jon dropped the ice cubes back into the glass.

Ellis put the paper towels on his empty plate. “Thanks for breakfast, but we need to go.” He tried to tug Rudy off his stool.

“But I’m not done.” Rudy made a grab for the ice cream. Ellis pushed it away.

“Hang on, I’ll walk with you,” Jon dug out his wallet.

“Now, Rudy.” There was the slightest waver to Ellis’s voice.

“Am I in trouble?” Rudy held his hands to his chest.

“No, it’s just. We need to go, okay? Let’s just go.”

“I didn’t mean to.”

“I know. C’mon Rudy, please.”

Rudy slid off the stool and Ellis towed him out the door.

“Wait.” Jon tossed a twenty on the counter. It was too much but they were leaving a mess. He followed. “You didn’t have to leave. Stuff like that happens all the time.”

“It’s okay. We need to get home anyways. Thanks though.” Ellis walked faster.

“Please wait.” Jon put his hand on Ellis’s arm to make him stop. “Let me take you out to dinner.” Ellis stepped away. Had Jon read him wrong?

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Ellis likes pizza. With mushrooms and olives—”

“Rudy. Stop.”

Rudy put his hand over his mouth.

Jon smiled. “Pizza then.”

Ellis sighed so deep his shoulders rose and fell. Jon was taken aback by the sadness in Ellis’s eyes. “I’m sorry. I can’t. Now please don’t ask me again.” He pushed at Rudy to get him going.

Rudy shook free. “But Jon’s my friend.”

“Rudy, please.”

Rudy pulled his baseball cards from his pocket. “He’s my friend and I have to give him these.” He held them out. “Here, these are my favorite.”

“I can’t take those.”

“Please. You’re my friend. My best friend. You bought me ice cream.”

“But they’re yours.”

“I want you to have them. Please.”

Jon took the cards. “These are really nice. Thank you.”

Rudy pulled a plastic case out of his pocket. “And you have to put them in here. So they won’t get messed up.” He opened the top. “See, it’s a box.” Jon put the cards in the box and Rudy pushed it all into his hand. “You take the box. It will keep the cards nice. And thank you for the ice cream. It was really good. Especially the chocolate and cherries and no bananas.”

“Rudy.” Ellis took a few steps.

“I have to go now.” Ellis led Rudy away.

When they were out of sight Jon looked down at the plastic box in his hands. It was worn like the cards. He had no idea what he was going to do with them. On the side there was a half peeled label curling at its corners. Jon smoothed it out. It read ‘Rudy Harper’s cards. 2111 Kale Creek Road.’”

Muhammad and mountains came to mind. Jon started to put the box in his coat pocket but the gun was in the way. The smile on his face fell and the chill in the air condensed in his chest.

Because today was a beautiful day to die.

Ellis shut the door of the old Chevy truck. He waited for Rudy to climb in. His brother took his time in classic Rudy fashion.

“Seatbelt, you know the rules.”

Rudy pulled it over his chest. “You’re mad at me.” His voice was small.

“I’m not mad, I’m just…”
Frustrated. Tired.
“Please, Rudy. My pants are wet and my ass is cold.”

“No cussing. You said no cussing.”

“My butt then. My butt is cold.”

“I didn’t mean to.”

Ellis took the seatbelt buckle from Rudy and snapped it in place. “I know you didn’t mean to.” Rudy never meant to. It always just happened.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Ellis tapped the gas and turned the key. The old behemoth chugged a few times before roaring to life. The hood rattled and the tail gate shuddered, creating a hard metal sound to go with the rumbling engine.

The truck had belonged to their dad. It had been worn out then, now almost twenty years later, it needed a funeral. Even though they had Rudy’s monthly disability checks, Ellis was reluctant to spend any of the settlement money from his parents’ death on a new vehicle when this one still ran. At least when things went wrong with the truck he could fix it with cheap parts from the junk yard.

He stayed on the narrow back roads to bypass the highway, so Rudy wouldn’t chastise people for not using their turn signals. Sometimes Ellis felt like his entire life was a bypass, thanks to his brother. Today was a perfect example. At least Jon hadn’t laughed.

But it wouldn’t have been the first time Ellis had been laughed at because of Rudy. It didn’t make sense why it would be any worse with Jon.

There was just something about him that made it different.