Chapter 18
Ernie tossed and turned in bed all night as all he could think about was Jesse being out of prison. It filled his thoughts since it felt like yesterday that he saved Erica's life back in 1956. Well, it was actually a couple of days ago for Ernie.
After a quick breakfast, Ernie got dressed, at a quick breakfast then headed to the plant.
At the plant, Ernie walked through the office area in deep thought about the past events.
He walked close to Rebecca.
She glanced up from her typewriter and saw Ernie walking near her desk. There was something about him that intrigued her for the first time. He seemed different. He seemed interesting. "Good morning. How was your weekend?" she called out when he walked past her desk.
Ernie was still in deep thought and didn't hear her at first. Then it dawned on him that she spoke. He stopped, turned around, and looked back at Rebecca. He saw her warm smile.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't hear from you. Good morning, Rebecca. My weekend was different. How was your weekend?"
"Boring. Very boring."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Ernie said then walked away with a little smile that she seemed interested in him.
Rebecca looked a little disappointed Ernie didn't stay to chat. She returned to her typing.
Ernie walked into his cubicle.
He sat down at his drafting table.
He stared at the wing design and looked disinterested.
He looked over at Louie's empty desk and missed having his cube mate to share the workday.
Ernie grabbed his coffee cup off a side table and headed out the cubicle.
Ernie headed over to the community coffee table.
Rebecca watched Ernie from her desk with interest.
After Ernie filled his cup, he eyed Rebecca and wanted to talk to her, but his mom was still on his mind.
He walked back to his cubicle and drafting table.
It was later that morning, and the sun was blazing across the Georgia countryside for another hot and humid day.
A two-lane road was in the middle of nowhere in the woods.
Along the dirt shoulder of that road, Jesse walked hot and tired.
A car drove down the road.
Jesse heard it, turned around, and stuck out his thumb for a ride.
The car moved over into the other lane and raced past him.
Jesse flipped the passing car The Finger.
Jesse walked a few more steps. He was too exhausted to continue, so he walked over and sat down in the dirt.
He heard the sound of another car coming down the road.
Jesse remained on his butt in the dirt while he stuck out his thumb.
The car raced past him.
"Asshole!" Jesse yelled out at the car.
He got up and walked toward the trees.
He sat down and leaned against a tree out of view of the road. He closed his eyes. He just needed a couple hours of sleep.
The afternoon dragged on, and Ernie decided he better start working on his wing design before he was fired.
"Good afternoon, Ernie," Kenny said when he entered the cubicle.
Ernie turned around and saw Kenny walking over to Louie's empty desk.
"Hi, Kenny."
"I sure hated to fire him, but I didn't have any choice. What he did was wrong. I wonder what he's up to?"
"Oh, knowing Louie, he's probably traveling and seeing the sights," Ernie replied and wondered where in time Louie was at this moment.
"I tried calling you at home this weekend, but you never answered your phone," Kenny said.
"I was away. Out of town," Ernie said while he glanced over at Louie's desk.
"Anyway, listen, I'm sending you to our plant in Kansas for a week. They're having some issues, and I think you're the man to help. You can leave Wednesday morning. Rebecca will make your travel arrangements."
Ernie looked disinterested with any traveling. Especially traveling to Kansas.
"Can't someone else go?"
"Why don't you want to go?" Kenny asked and appeared a little bothered with Ernie's response.
"It's my mom,"
"What about her?"
Ernie pondered for a few seconds for a bullshit answer to get him out of this trip.
"She's been feeling sick."
"Doesn't she have a husband?"
"Yes, but," Ernie replied.
"Good. You leave Wednesday, or you can process out on Thursday," Kenny replied and looked serious.
Kenny walked out of the cubicle.
Ernie looked disinterested with his wing design drawing. "I hate my job."
Ernie got off his chair and walked out of his cubicle and headed over to Rebecca's desk.
"Hey, Rebecca. Kenny needs to send me to the Kansas plant. He said you'll take care of my travel arrangements. He wants me to leave Wednesday."
"He told me this morning. Do you want a morning or afternoon flight?"
Ernie thought about her question for a few seconds. "Afternoon flight would be okay," Ernie replied and sounded disinterested.
"Don't you want to go?"
"Not really."
"I know what you mean. Nothing but wheat fields and flat land," she replied while she jotted down his request. "I'll have your ticket tomorrow."
Ernie smiled at her, then walked back to his cubicle.
He sat down at his drafting table and silently cursed that he had to leave town when Jesse was on the loose.
Way out in the Georgia countryside, Jesse walked down a two-lane road. It was hot, and he was getting pissed that nobody would give him a ride.
A 1960s rusted Ford pickup truck slowly drove down the road and headed toward Jesse.
Jesse stuck out his thumb.
The Ford pickup slowed down and stopped by Jesse.
The passenger window was down, and Jesse saw an old farmer in coveralls.
"Hop in. It's too hot to be walking," the farmer called out.
"Thanks," Jesse said while he opened up the passenger door then got inside the pickup.
The farmer drove down the road going about ten miles under the speed limit.
Jesse sat in deep thought in the passenger seat.
The farmer glanced over at Jesse's left arm and saw the numerous tattoos he got while in prison.
"I got me one of them tattoos. Got it when I was in the Navy during the Second World War," the farmer said then rolled up his sleeve.
Jesse looked over and saw a tattoo of a naked woman with her legs around an anchor on the farmer's right forearm. "That's nice," he said but could care less but decided to be polite since he had a ride.
Jesse stared out his car window and went into deep thought. Then he noticed that the farmer drove ten miles under the speed limit. "Can't you drive any faster?" he asked.
"Nope. I ain't in any kind of hurry," the farmer replied and appeared to be content with taking his sweet old time.
Jesse decided to leave it alone since he was moving faster down the road than he was on foot.
The farmer drove through a pothole. The glove box door dropped down.
Jesse eyed a pistol inside the glove box.
The farmer leaned over and closed the door. "It happens every time I hit a bump," the farmer said.
Jesse had a smirk when he glanced at the glove box door.
Later that evening, Ernie entered his apartment after leaving the airplane plant.
He immediately went into his kitchen where he made a beeline to the phone hung on the wall. He picked it up and punched in a phone number.
"Hello," Erica answered the call.
"Hi, mom. I was checking up on you," Ernie replied so glad to hear her voice.
"Don't worry. I'll be fine," she replied and didn't have a care in the world.
"I have to go to Kansas for a week on business. I'm leaving on Wednesday."
"Have a fun trip, and I'll see you when you get back," she replied.
Ernie hung up the phone and felt a little better but still hated to leave the area for Kansas.
Ernie walked over to his refrigerator and opened up the freezer. He removed a frozen TV dinner - Fried Chicken, Corn, Mashed Potatoes, and a Brownie.
He set it on the counter then walked over to his oven and turned it on.
Ernie walked out of the kitchen and headed down the hallway for the bathroom.
After Ernie at his TV dinner, he relaxed in his lazy boy chair and watched TV.
Jesse just entered the northern outskirt of Waterford.
He walked down a sidewalk along Waterford Blvd. He looked around the town, and it seemed so different from when he left for state prison.
He walked to a Shell station and headed to the payphone on the wall of the station.
An hour had passed, and Ernie was still kicked back in his lazy boy chair. His eyes started to drift close while he began to fall asleep.
A knock from his apartment door was heard.
Ernie was still asleep.
Another knock on the door was heard.
Ernie woke up and looked a little confused with what was that sound.
Pounding on his door was heard.
Ernie jumped up from the chair and rushed over to the door.
He looked cautious at the door.
He peeked in the peephole and looked relieved.
He opened the door.
Louie rushed inside and closed the door.
"We got a huge problem," Louie said in a panic.
"What's that?"
"I went twenty years into the future and learned you dad was released from prison," he said while he started to pace around a little.
"I heard about that yesterday," Ernie replied and started to get a little concerned with Louie's appearance.
"But," Louie said, but the sound of the phone ringing from the kitchen made him stop his sentence.
"Hold that thought," Ernie said while he rushed away and headed to the kitchen.
Ernie rushed over to the phone and picked it up. "Hello," he answered the call.
"Help Ernie!" Erica cried out in a panic from the phone.
Ernie looked fearful over the sound of her panicked voice.
"Mom! Are you okay?"
She didn't answer, and all Ernie heard was a dial tone from his phone.
"Mom!" he cried out into the phone.
The dial tone was the only response he heard from the phone.
He dropped his phone, and it swayed back and forth.
Ernie ran out of the kitchen and into the living room.
He ran over to Louie who looked concerned when he saw the fear in Ernie's eyes.
"Mom's in trouble. Might be dad," Ernie blurted out the second his hand touched the doorknob of his apartment door.
Ernie opened the door and rushed out of his apartment.
Louie rushed the apartment and closed the door behind him.
Ernie and Louie ran through the apartment parking lot.
They jumped inside Ernie's Tercel. Ernie started it up, backed his car out of the parking spot, and raced through the lot.