Riven - Jerry B. Jenkins [78]
“I could get along with those guys.”
“Sure you could. But do you really want to do this, Brady? I mean, I’ll talk to the big boss and see what I can find, but I honestly don’t know.”
“I’ve decided, Alejandro. It’s done. Let me know as soon as you can.”
“You’re working tonight, right? Maybe I’ll know by then.”
Brady had forgotten it was his mother’s day off. No wonder she had been less than thrilled to be awakened by the dean’s phone call. The last thing he wanted was to talk to her, but he was freezing and needed to shower and change. He found her lounging in front of the television in her robe. She muted the TV as if relishing the chance to confront him.
“If it isn’t my favorite failure. So you’re out of the musical. That was one dream that needed to die, and you know it as well as I do.”
“What’re you talking about? You saw the paper. You know I was good. I could’ve become a star.”
“In your dreams.”
“I quit school too, you might as well know.”
“Brilliant. Well, you can’t live here without working because—”
“I’m working.”
“I mean full-time.”
“So do I.”
“Good, because no school means you pay rent.”
“What?”
“House rule.”
“Since when?”
“Since now. Take it or leave it.”
“Pay to live in a hole like this with you? You have got to be kidding me.”
“What do you think I do, Brady? I pay to live in a hole like this with you.”
“Well, I already got a place to live, so you don’t have to worry about me.”
“You gonna be working at the ash-phalt place?”
“Asphalt, Ma. Asphalt. Learn to talk.”
“Yeah, tell me about it, dropout.”
“Anyway, what do you care where I’m working? Just know I’ll be close enough to keep an eye on Petey.”
“You can’t protect him all the time.”
“What are you saying?”
“Just that if he needs discipline, he’s going to get it, especially with you not here threatening me all the time.”
“The threat still stands, Ma. You keep your hands off him. You’ll regret it if you don’t.”
“I’d have you in jail so fast your head would spin.”
“It’d be worth it if I was paying you back for hurting Petey.”
That afternoon, when the skies cleared, Brady walked all the way into Arlington to the storefront office of the Community Theater Players. A paunchy, middle-aged man was futzing about. He introduced himself as Walter. Brady told him he was an actor, working full-time, looking to audition for any roles they might have coming up for evenings and weekends.
Walter sat and studied him. “Are you even twenty-one yet?”
“Soon,” Brady said. Five years was soon enough.
“You know, we do light comedies, that kind of stuff. Most of us are my age or older, and if we need young people, they are usually relatives. Do you like to do crew stuff?”
“Nah. I’m an actor.”
“Um-hm. I can take your information and keep it on file.”
“Any productions coming up?”
“Kiss Me, Kate, but I don’t see a role there for your type.”
“I’m not a type. I have range. I played the leads in all the shows at Forest View when I was there.”
“You worked with Clancy? So did I! Well, let me call him and maybe something will open next spring you could audition for.”
Walter was going to call Clancy Nabertowitz? That would be the end of that.
Brady had been free only a few hours, and already he was tired of walking. As soon as he could get out from under his Laundromat debt to Tatlock, he’d have to start a car fund again. He wouldn’t need anything fancy. Just something to get around in.
Two things weighed on him as he trudged back to Addison. How was he going to tell Petey? And what would he do if Alejandro couldn’t find more work for him or a bunk in the laborers’ shack? Staying even one more night in the trailer suddenly sounded unbearable.
By the time Brady got back to the trailer park, Stevie Ray was pulling in from work. Brady jogged to his place. The baby was at day care, and Stevie’s wife was still at work. Stevie had kicked off his boots and was sitting on the couch with a brew. “Grab yourself one from the fridge, Brady.”
“You know what?” Brady said. “I appreciate it, but I hate beer.