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101 APPLE LANE
Home of Edom and Martha Grace
Adam pulled up the driveway slowly maneuvering between his parent's vehicles and his dad putting luggage in the trunk of his wife’s car.
“Adam, my boy! Just the one I was looking for! Park your ride son, so we can head inside to talk.”
Adam sighed and nodded his head before pulling his scooter inside the garage and removing his helmet. He already knew what was coming. He had been hearing it ever since he had begged his parents to let him stay home alone this weekend. He had even told David not 15 minutes ago what was coming. Did he know his parents or what? Adam had made his major point of defense for getting to stay home alone as being that he was nearly 17 years old, and they had let Joshua stay home alone at 15! Sometimes living in his brother’s shadow was more than he could take, and the fact that his brother was perfect made matters even worse!
“Hey….don't doddle we're leaving soon.” His dad called out as he headed into the house.
“Yes sir, I’ll be right in.” Adam called out as his dad closed the door, leaving him to retrieve the mountain of books out of his saddlebags. Seems the History, English, Algebra and Biology teachers at Edensville High had all conspired against their students giving them ample homework for the weekend. Students believed it was a conspiracy, but in truth, educators leaned more towards trying to wind things up before the Thanksgiving holiday that caused their students to slip into the dreaded Holiday Fog that floated around until January. It was a running joke in the classrooms of Edensville High that Holiday Fog caused students to become uncoordinated and unskilled at performing any kind of educational task during the holiday season. Students of all grades at times would face plant to their desks and call out Holiday Fog when asked to perform an assignment during the weeks that led up to the Christmas break. The educators took it all in stride, but they began to utilize the time that they did have to really press in and teach their students as much as they possible could the week and weekend before the holiday season began. It didn’t cure Holiday Fog, but it gave it a good shot in the arm like penicillin.
Inside, Adam paused to lay his books on the foyer table as he walked through to the kitchen. When he had this much homework to do his mom usually let him spread out his work on her beautiful mahogany dining table.
“Hey Mom, I’ve got quite a bit of homework this weekend. Is it okay if I use the dining room?” He grabbed a grape out of the bunch in the basket on the counter when he reached the kitchen where his mom seemed to spend most of her time.
“Well hello to you too, Adam Grace!” Her eyes were playfully wide as she gave him a hard time about speaking to her without a proper greeting after being gone all day.
Adam cracked a knowing grin. “Hiiiiiii mom….” He hummed as he planted a kiss on her cheek, just as his phone vibrated in his pocket, but he didn’t grab it right away. “How was your day?”
His parents were a bit old fashioned and had not readily embraced the new age of technology and only had cell phones for emergencies. Neither knew what Twitter, Instagram or Snap Chat were, and now that the youth had all but moved on and abandoned Facebook it was sad because it was finally becoming a part of their genre of communication. But his parents didn’t give into the circus that was today’s media. They constantly reminded their sons of how rude it was to interrupt a conversation by checking your phone, texting or playing games. In fact, Adam didn't mind, it made things seem a little less complicated when he was at home. Without technology interrupting them the personal interaction he got with his family was priceless. His dad quoted Einstein’s theory quite a bit, no not the one of relativity, but one of his others. You know the one that says I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. In all honesty, the genius was right on for today’s society.
“I have had an extremely good day! Thank you for asking.” She smiled warmly. “We’re all packed and ready to go get your brother for his fall break! I can’t wait to see him.” She clasped her hands together with bubbling excitement.
“Mom, it's only been about eight weeks since you have seen him, and you talk to him nearly every day.” He grabbed a few more grapes and popped them into his mouth as he leaned against the kitchen island and grinned as he chided her playfully.
“I do not, Adam Michael!” She sighed, “Well, maybe every other day or so, when he isn’t busy, but in my defense, I am his mom and interested in what he is doing up there at West Point. This is a very important time in his life, and I want to do my part to encourage him! You'll see all too soon yourself when you go off to college in a few years!”
Mr. Grace came back downstairs and walked into the kitchen. “Oh c’mon son, why do you give your mom such a hard time? She is almost an empty nester you know.” He placed an arm around his wife and took a moment to hug her to him before walking over toward the refrigerator. “And besides you are the last of her fledglings to fly the coop, so you had best be careful or she might just clip your wings and keep you here….. forever!” Edom Grace’s eyes danced playfully as said the word forever like the kid from the movie Sandlot did to indicate impending doom. He reached for a bottle of water and twisted the cap off before returning to place his arm back around his wife. She jabbed him playfully in the ribs as he took a sip. Adam smiled as he watched his father fiend great pain before breaking out into a big grin and laughing. “Hey it’s the truth!” He had a great laugh that filled the kitchen. “Well, are you ready to hit the dusty trail, my Love? We need to make it to the airport at least an hour earlier than our flight.”
“Yes, but have you had a chance to talk to Adam before we go?” His mom asked.
He planted a kiss on his wife’s cheek before looking up at his youngest son. “Nope, but we were just about to, weren't we Adam?”
Adam’s temperament sobered. “Yes sir.....” His smile was more absolute.
“Well, as you know there is to be absolutely no wild and crazy parties, no driving the 450, no girls, no boys, no drinking, no drugs, no sex….”
“Edom!” His wife interjected.
“Well Martha, you have to lay it out to kids nowadays.” He admitted. Adam’s phone vibrated again. It was David, he was sure of it.
“Uh…what about the football game tonight dad, can I go?” His father sighed heavily and looked at his mother who nodded her head in approval.
“I guess, but be back in this house no later than 10:30 because you know the stipulations of you getting to stay home this weekend.” Adam shook his head. Yeah, the stipulations of him getting to stay home for the weekend was that he had homework to do, and that didn't mean his homework from his teachers. That meant he had to work at home. As in weed his mother’s garden, clean the pool, clean the pool house, mow the front and back lawn, weed eat, replant his mother’s rose bushes from the front yard to the area sectioned off around the pool out back, and after all of that was done, he still had a boat load of homework to do from his teachers. It’s like his parents got together with his teachers and came up with a project called Keeping Adam Busy. Maybe he should have just gone with them instead. No, he wanted this weekend. He needed this weekend. He didn’t care that he had to work his tail off. He got to be home alone for the entire weekend!
Adam nodded his head up and down several times as he agreed. “Yes sir, I have plenty to do to keep me busy while you're away.”
“That’s right.” His father reassured solidly.
His mother on the other hand added a bit sweeter. “Oh, Adam, he’s just trying to make sure you don’t have too much time on your hands to do any of the horrible things your father thinks teenagers do while their parents are away.” She cut her eyes from her son to her husband then back again. “But we trust you son, we really do. Just know that.”
“Hey, I trust the boy Martha, but when a young man gets around a bunch of other boys his own age that’s when I begin to question their thinking. Then add a teena
ge girl in the mix and well..... that’s just bad news all the way around.”
Martha playfully hit at her husband’s elbow. “Trust him Edom, he is a good boy. Aren’t you honey?” She touched Adam’s cheek.
“Mom….” Embarrassed, he pulled away from her just as his phone vibrated once more.
“You better get that or that Highwayman is going to have a stroke!” Adam frowned at his mother’s use of his and David’s secret club name.
“Yeah?” Adam answered.
“Hello…is always a nice way to answer a phone.” His mother absentmindedly threw out as she folded the dishtowel on the counter for the hundredth time since Adam walked in the door. Adam nodded and whispered a quick yes ma’am before turning away and walking toward the living room.
“Well, can you go?” David anxiously questioned.
“Yeah, but I have to be home by 10:30.”
“Yeah me too, but so what? The games are usually over by 10:00 anyway. Hey, even if we leave at 10:15 we have our rides and can just zip right on past any traffic make it home to play video games long curfew, no big deal. Besides they’re not even gonna be home. How are they gonna know when you are home anyway?” David scoffed.
Adam sighed. “Oh, they'll know. Trust me. I'll get a phone call at precisely 10:30, you can count on it.”
Edom Grace walked into the living room at that exact moment and patted his son on the shoulder. “Yep, you can count on that son.” He stated flatly as he stood by Adam in the living room. Adam smiled and nodded at his father.
“So, I’ll meet you at the usual spot at 6:30?” David questioned.
“Yeah…..out.”
“Stix out.” David retorted Adam touched his key pad to end the call.
“Now son, you know that we are entrusting you with our home right?” His dad's voice was sobering and heavy.
“Yes sir, I know.......” His dad looked at him for a moment then turned back toward the kitchen and called out to his wife.
“Martha, babe, we need to leave. You ready?”
“…grabbing my purse, honey. I’m coming!” She called out from the kitchen.
His dad then made his way toward the front door. As an afterthought Adam added, “Oh hey dad, how am I gonna get the gas can back to the house for the lawnmower tomorrow? There is no place on my bike to carry the can?”
His dad frowned. “I told you sooner or later that you would need that basket I wanted to have put on there.” Adam scowled. His dad was totally using this as a told ya' so moment. Good thing it didn’t come with a told ya’ so dance. He couldn’t have stood that, and he was sure that his dad would’ve loved to have performed it just to drive his point home. Adam knew this would come around and bite him someday. Suddenly, his dad started laughing and tossed him his set of keys. “Just kidding. Here, use the truck to do your errands with this weekend....”
Adam caught the key ring with all the keys on it. “Whoa, you're kidding, right? You’re letting me use your truck to run errands while you’re gone?” Adam's eyes widened with excitement.
“Uh...that would be a big N and a big O.......I was referring to the delivery truck. The green monster as you and your brother insist on calling it.” He paused for a brief moment. “..... and Adam so help me, if you.....” His dad sighed. “….well you know the rules with the truck and driving it, right?”
Adam was already shaking his head. “…I know, I know Dad, if I let anything happen to it, I need to just pack a bag and head on out of town ‘cause you’re gonna disown me.” He had heard the same lecture since he had started driving, and he still believed his dad’s only reason to let him get his permit and scooter’s license at 15 was so that he could get him the scooter hoping he would just be happy with it. His dad just didn’t understand a ride was not just a vehicle to get from point A to point B in this day and time. A ride meant status and right now, Adam was so far under a rock in his current social situation he couldn’t buy status if he had the money.
His dad countered Adam's smug remark with his own. “Well, it would seem the boy does think he knows me.” He spoke toward the ceiling as if someone up there were listening before returning his attention back to his son. “So…. you think you know me so well huh? Well, what I was actually going to say is that every key to everything we own is on that ring. The house, the 150, the Hardware store and even my 450's keys are on there, and if I even get the notion that it has been moved ...well... do I really have to put into words what would happen? ” His dad's smile dripped with sarcasm.
Adam frowned. “No sir, I got it.”
His dad stepped forward and patted Adam’s cheek. “Awe.... now see you do know me.”
Adam nodded in agreement. “Yes sir.” His dad then gave his son’s shoulder a firm pat before grabbing him in a bear hug and tussling his hair. The two were locked in this playful scuffle when Martha Grace came into the living room.
“Having separation anxiety are you?” She asked jokingly to her husband of 25 years.
“Nah….just giving him my goodbye kiss!” Her husband’s eyes twinkled up at her.
The truck that his dad was referring to was his old work truck. A 1976 Ford F150. It was in great shape, but it was the ugliest two toned metallic green color Adam had ever seen. In fact, he and Joshua had nicknamed it the green monster when they were little because it was loud, blew a billow of smoke out of the tailpipe and seemed to roar like a monster when their dad started the engine. Edom Grace on the other hand was crazy about the old thing. He had said on more than on one occasion. It’s the first vehicle that I ever bought and paid for with my own money. In fact, it’s what made me a man of responsibility at a very young age. However, if you had asked Adam the sentimental attachment leaned more towards the fact that it’s what his dad had courted their mom in all those years ago. He had talked about eventually having it restored to all its former glory, but he hadn’t gotten around to it yet. They just used it as a shop truck for now to make deliveries in. Adam got to drive it only in those instances where his dad couldn’t go and make a delivery. Other than that, it sat in the driveway or out in front of the hardware store.
“Dad's letting me use the green monster this weekend!” Breathlessly Adam tried to explain to his mom in the midst of his dad’s version of a goodbye kiss. “And he was just showing me what will happen if anything happens to it.” At this point the two were laughing as Adam worked diligently to get out of the headlock his dad had him in. “It’s called kiss your butt goodbye!”
In the midst of the roughhousing Adam heard his mom add to what his father had already said. “You know it's just not him you'll have to answer to if anything happens to that truck, right?” It would seem that his father wasn’t the only one crazy about the old green monster. Of course, to be totally honest Adam was quite fond of it too. He just wouldn’t admit it because he and Joshua had given their dad such a hard time about it being so ugly and old.
Adam laughed and tried to nod his head in the headlock his dad had him in. “Oh yes ma'am, I am more than aware!”
His dad let go. “You better make sure nothing happens to that vehicle boy, or your mother will have your hide!” He gave a playful wink toward his wife. “Oh and you might wanna just toss a tarp in the back before you get the gas and the bags of mulch tomorrow.”
Adam frowned in questioning. “Mulch?”
His dad wiped the sweat from his brow that he had worked up scuffling with his Adam. “Yeah, you might as well go on and pick up about ten bags of mulch while you’re at the hardware store since you’re gonna have the truck anyway. Just drop by the shop, Naomi knows you’re coming by to pick up the other stuff that I ordered for the house just tell her you’re gonna get ten bags of mulch too.”
Adam nodded his head to let his father know that he was hearing what he was saying and that he understood. “Yes sir.” He also knew that getting mulch meant that his father had yet another project for him to do before the weekend was over, mulch all of the flower
beds.
Less than fifteen minutes later the three were standing on the front porch of their home and holding hands as they prayed. His parents asked God to watch over their son, their home and their belongings while they were gone. They seemed to trust God more than they trusted their own child, or so it seemed to Adam at times. The Grace’s believed in putting their trust in God first in all things and looked at the blessings they received as gifts from Him and thanked Him daily. Adam liked to think of himself as spiritual, not religious and churchy like his parents. Oh he believed in God and wanted to go to heaven and all, but he wasn't so sure about things like praying to keep their extra luggage from flying off the roof while driving or the engine and tires from blowing. However, if this meant that they were one step closer to being gone for the weekend then so be it. Adam bowed his head.
After saying Amen his mother kissed his cheek and hugged him tight. “There's cash in the jar on the fridge for the weekend. Oh, and if you'd like David to spend the night then that is fine with your father and I.”
Edom Grace frowned heavily. “Martha, I told the boy no friends.”
She waved him off. “Oh Edom, it’s just David. He has been here a hundred times and they are good boys. Besides, Jesse will only be a phone call away if they need anything.” Martha Grace reasoned. However, what she didn’t know was that Jesse, David’s father, was going to be out of town this weekend too. No big deal though, Adam thought, what kind of trouble could the two of them get into anyway?
“Thanks mom, I’ll see if David wants to and let you know when you call at 10:30.”
His dad winked and shook his head. “Atta boy.....and remember, you have plenty to do tomorrow so you may need to get an early start on it.
“Yes sir.” He kissed his mom on the cheek again. “Have a safe trip!”
She hugged him tightly once more before adding. “And don't forget you have church on Sunday too.”
“Yes ma'am and don't worry, you’ll be home before I even want you to be!” He teased her and then chuckled at the face she made. “Just kidding, I’ll be fine trust me......enjoy the trip and the time that you'll have Joshua all to yourself. I’m sure you won’t get much time after his friends learn he’s home.” He closed the door, winked at her and gave her a genuine full smile. He stepped back up on the sidewalk and waved as they backed down the drive.
“He’s a good boy, Edom. You don’t have to be so hard on him.” She reproved her husband slightly.
“Martha, he is a good boy because I am hard on him. He knows what I expect of him this way.” She blew her youngest son a kiss, and his father honked the horn as they pulled away. Adam watched as they disappeared down the street. He wanted to jump up and click his heels like they did in old movies, but he got a visual of himself falling flat on the driveway and hurting something, and then having to call them back to take him to the hospital and they'd have to stay, so he just went with a mental heel click instead. Laughing at himself, he turned to go back into the house and absentmindedly jabbed his hands into his pockets coming down hard on the keys that his dad had given time. OUCH! Looking at his injured knuckles, the most fantastic idea hit him. Adam pulled his phone out of his other pocket and hit David’s ICE digit.
“Hey what up?” David answered the phone briskly.
“Get over here as quick as you can! We’re going to the game as a couple of Kings of the Populars tonight.” He didn't give David a chance to ask questions. He hit end and headed into the house to take a shower before his best friend got there. He knew David too well and that he would be there in record time dying to know the details of what Adam meant by Kings of the Populars. So the knock on the French doors in less than 20 minutes later was not surprising. It was David signaling with his own specific knock.
“It’s open, D!” Adam called out from the kitchen. He had showered and was dressed in his new gray Fedora, black button up, skinny jeans and Chucks. David opened the door and stepped into the kitchen, his drumsticks sticking out of his back pocket and his hand run down in a bag of chips. If he wasn’t drumming on something, he was always eating something. David had made a habit of coming through the back gate and knocking on the French doors that lead to the kitchen. He said that it was because he was like family and family doesn't have to enter through the formal front door, but Adam always countered with yeah right, you only come through the backdoor because it’s closest to the kitchen! He could certainly throw back some groceries anywhere and at any time, but he sucked because he never seemed to show any weight gain from it.
“Hey, what’s up?” David asked around a mouth full of chips.
“Just grabbin’ some cash to get into the game and a pizza later.” Adam explained as he reached down into his mother’s favorite cookie jar, the one that her mother had left her.
David frowned. “Not what I meant dude. I meant why did you want me to come over here before the game, we usually just meet up there. And what did you mean by we're going as Kings of the Populars?” He furrowed his brow quizzically.
Adam slowly drug the keys out of his jeans pocket making the suspense deepen. Then he paused and asked rather dramatically, “Can I get a drum roll please?”
David voice was flat as his frown deepened. “Dude.”
“Dude, we….as in you and I….. are going to the game at Edensville High tonight against Palestine High in style.” He jingled the key ring that had his dad’s 450 on it and grinned mischievously.
“What?! No way!” He was stoked. “You got your dad’s truck?” David’s eyes lit up. “Like THE truck?”
THE truck to which David was referring was a candy apple red, four door Ford F450 totally tweaked out with a matted black push guard that held Ford’s exclusive sensor fog lights that dimmed to oncoming traffic’s lights, custom designed running boards that slid out the moment you pulled on the door handle or clicked the remote, which also operated the tailgate by raising or lowering it with the push of a button on the key fob. A set of Bridgestone’s finest were set on aluminum rims coupled with the highest lift kit package available making it the tallest truck on the streets of Edensville. The charcoal gray interior had heated and cooled seats both in the front and back. The windows, high as they were, held the darkest tint legally allowed in the state, and if that wasn’t enough, it had a satellite stereo system that was sure to blow the socks off of any girl or so said the sales guy. He did seem to be pleased with himself though and took the time to introduce everything on his dad’s specially ordered truck when it came in. He even elbowed Adam that same day saying this truck should come with a money back guarantee because if it fails to make girls drool or the guy driving it instantly cool there's definitely something terribly wrong! Adam was sure hoping that would be the case because that was exactly why they were taking it to the game tonight. They were going to drop the tailgate, and for the first time, have a tailgate party as the Populars did on Friday nights during football season.
David followed Adam as he strolled from the kitchen to the garage where he hit the garage door button springing it to life. The setting sun poured in and glared off the beast like a brand new penny. Now this is the vehicle that I’m supposed to have not some wimpy little Honda scooter he thought. He hit the button on the fob which unlocked the doors and caused the running boards to move slowly out like a personal red carpet invitation. Adam climbed up behind the wheel, David took his own cue and hopped up into the passenger seat to ride shotgun.
“Dude, this is going to be awesome!” David was so animated, on the inside Adam was too, but outwardly was playing it cool. His conscious smacked him several times, yeah he knew that this was wrong, his dad had even specifically told him not to drive it, but he just wanted one night for Eve’s eyes to light up for him and something he was driving like they did when she saw Lucian’s black Camaro. Adam was sure that if she saw him in this truck it would do just that too. So it would be worth it if his dad found out, which he wouldn’t if he drove carefully and didn’t let any
thing happen to it, but if he did his dad was sure to understand. Afterall, he did court their mom in his first F150. Adam laughed to himself. His dad courting his mom in the F150 was the beta version. This was Adam's dating style, the updated 4.0 version! Surely if he found out, his dad would remember the look on his mom’s face when he’d pick her up for their first date in the green monster way back then.