Date: Mon, 31 Aug 2020 15:42:46 -0400 From: Eric Murphey Subject: Transitions Book 2 Chapter 4 I kept thinking I want to rewrite this chapter. I still may. But, I wanted to share it with you all sooner rather then later. I am glad you all like this story so much. I love all the characters in it. Sorry i cant post as much as I want. I did work 96 hours in the last 6 days. I tell you I am tired and looking forward to no work tomorrow. I imagine I will sleep a hell of a lot. Donate to our friends at nifty. Eric Transitions Book 2 Chapter 4 Eric slept restlessly all night. Even though his two boys were with him. He kept having dreams about the bad what ifs about Tran. Not a pleasant night of dreams that's for certain. Around 445 he gave up and went to go get some coffee and get the boys things in the truck. He made some coffee, and as it was brewing in the pot he grabbed his bags and toted them downstairs. He then double checked to make sure what the boys were bringing. Because they were packed for a nudist colony. He saw they had both packed a ton of Legos. Not a bad idea help pass the time. They did a good job packing though. They had at least a weeks worth of clothes and sleeping things. He toted them down to the truck and loaded them in. Eric snuck into Trans room and grabbed his suitcase. He took it down and loaded it in the back as well. He finally went and got some coffee and drank down the first cup like it was nothing. He had a second and enjoyed this one. He glances at his phone and sees its 515. Time for another then get the boys down to the truck and get going. He sips his coffee and has a piece of dry toast. He heads upstairs and gets on some slacks a polo and a sweater. Slips on some sock and a pair of loafers. He goes and tells the boys to go get dressed and they can sleep more in the Escalade. They groggily get up and do as they are told. Eric heads to Trans room and he walks in and sees Tran has a bit of morning wood creating a nice tent in the sheet. Hes curious for sure. But, he wont do anything unless Tran initiates it. He sits on the bed and gently shakes Trans shoulder. "Tran buddy its time to get going. We need to get on the road. So you get dressed, you can sleep more on the way." "OK." He says and heads to the restroom. "We need to leave soon." Eric hears the water running because Tran like most boys just left the door open. "OK I will be ready in five minutes sir." "I will be in the kitchen so meet us there." Eric heads downstairs he waits about two minutes and Joey and Alejandro show up barely awake. About a minute later Tran shows up. They all head to the Escalade and Joey climbs in the very back seat. Alejandro takes the middle and Tran is up from next to Eric. As they take off all the boys are back to sleep pretty much before they got out of the garage. Eric had made a cup of coffee to go. Which is good and bad because well a man over 40 and coffee means he will have to pee soon. But, he plans on stopping in a few hours anyway when the boys get up for breakfast. Eric heads down the road setting the cruise control at a nice steady 77 mph. Granted the speed limit is 70 but he thinks he will probably get away with 7 over. If not its just a ticket. So he zips on down the interstate and drives through the big city before the traffic really starts to get heavy and he is making great time. Around about 9 the boys start to stir. "Poppi where are we?" "We are in Kentucky now buddy." "I got to pee and Im kind of hungry." "Yeah Dad me too." He looks at Tran who nods his head him too. "Alright lets get to the next stop and we will go get some breakfast and pee and get back on the road. Sound good?" "Yeah." Tran says. At the next exit Eric sees a sign for McDonald's. He owns them in this area so he knows its one of his. He pulls in and they boys race to the restroom with him lagging behind. When he finally gets to the restroom Joey and Eric are done and Tran is zipping up. "Alejandro heres some cash. You know what I want. Get me a coffee with 2 sugars to drink. I will be out in a minute." "Sure Poppi." Eric uses the restroom and washes his face. He looks at his eyes. They look tired. He wishes he could have gotten a bit better sleep last night. But, sometimes shit happens. He then washes his hands and sees the boys making there way to the table with the trays. Eric just follows them and sits down with them. "Heres your change Poppi." Alejandro says handing him the money back. "Thanks buddy. Oh while I am thinking about it. I better get you guys your allowances. Im going to give you each a hundred dollars this week just in case you see something in Memphis you want. If its more then that just let me know and we will see if its something you really need." Eric says handing each boy 5 twenty dollar bills. Eric opens up his deluxe big breakfast. "Alejandro would you please go get me some picante sauce for my eggs. They don't know me here and they don't know to put it in for me." "Sure Poppi I will be right back." Alejandro races off to get it with a smile on his face. Eric starts eating the pancakes and a minute later Alejandro is back looking very glum. He hands Eric the picante sauce and says. "Here Poppi." Alejandro usually a hearty eater is just kind of shoving his food around. "Alejandro what happened? Why are you down now you were pretty happy a few minutes ago." "Nothing Poppi." "Alejandro we don't lie to each other whats going on?" The tears starting coming from his beautiful boys eyes. "Poppi don't get mad." "Buddy that really makes me want to know." "I went to get your picante sauce and the man told me that us beaners wanted everything for nothing that we are ruining the country and I was probably here illegally and he should call the cops and if I wanted the picante sauce I had to pay him a dollar. So I pulled out my allowance you just gave me and he said it looks like a lot of money for a beaner and asked if I picked tomatoes for it. Or if I was a junior drug dealer." Eric grabbed the receipt up from the table and looked at the store number. He went to the server with the cameras on it and punched in the store and the time. Sure enough there it was with the man berating his son in his store. "Poppi your getting really red are you OK?" "I am fine buddy. I just have to take care of something give me a few minutes." Eric dialed his corporate office. "Hi Louise its Eric. How are you?" "Good Mr Eric. What can I do for you today?" "I need you to call the district manager of store number 113454 and have him here immediately." "Why whats going on." "You will find out. Just do as I ask please." He says very nicely, yet firm. "Sure thing Mr Eric. I hope its nothing bad." "It wont be for long." "You boys stay here. I will be right back." Eric marches up to the counter just full of fury. "Excuse me your the manager here right?" Eric says to the man who he now wants to beat. "Yes sir what can I do for you?" The man says politely. "My son says you called him a beaner and suggested he was in this country illegally. Also he is either a tomato picker or a drug dealer is that correct?" Eric says as calm as he can muster. "I don't know why he would say that. I would never do such a thing." "Who do you work for?" "McDonald's." "No let me ask that better. What franchise is this?" "We are owned by Eric Murphey enterprises." "Is that right?" Eric says pulling out his wallet and getting a business card out. "Maybe you should rethink what you just told me." Eric says handing him his card and hitting play on the video on his phone with the entire scene playing. The man turned ghostly white. "Thats exactly right. I'm Eric Murphey and that's my son, and you are so FUCKING FIRED!!!! Get your shit and get the fuck out of my store you back woods redneck mother fucker." "You cant talk to me like that, and I don't think you are Eric Murphey. Hes an old guy and how you got that video I don't know." Eric starts walking around the counter. "I'm calling the cops." The manager says. "You do that because I am going to file a trespassing warrant on your ass if you aren't out of here in two minutes." Eric is around the corner now and is right in the mans face, poking him in the chest. Now the entire crew is out front trying to calm the irate customer. "Sir please calm down because we will call the police. A nice elderly lady says. Eric turns to her to say something and he sees the fist coming at him from the manager. Eric blocks it and proceeds to punch the man dead square in the nose. It instantly starts gushing blood. The man grabs his nose screaming "YOU BROKE MY NOSE!" "Like I said get your shit, and get out of MY FUCKING STORE!!!" Eric grabs the manager by the arm and twists it behind his back, and is proceeding to lead him out of the store. As he does this a police cruiser pulls in lights flashing. Eric just shoves the man out of the store and he falls on his ass in front of the cruiser. Eric walks back into the store and about this time the district manager pulls in tires screeching. He jumps out of his car. "Mr Murphey whats going on. Why is Cliff bleeding?" So Eric quickly tells the cop who wants to put him in cuffs because he knows Cliff and not Eric and believes Cliff that this man is crazy and attacked him. Eric shows the cop his ID and then proceeds to show him the video then the video feed of Cliff trying to punch him first. Next thing you know a bleeding Cliff is in the back seat cuffed with two charges against him. Trespassing and attempted assault. Eric knows he wont get anything from it. But, he is out of his hair and wont EVER insult one of his kids or customers again. The cop takes off and of course one cop brings 5 so they are all there lights on and talking which draws a crowd. "Mark right?" Eric asks the District manager. "Yeah I cant believe you remembered we only met twice." "I recall everyone I am impressed with. Looks like we got a big crowd now. We better go help the crew until a new manager can be called in." Eric says. Mark quickly introduced Eric to the crew and then Eric started taking and filling orders. Like he had never retired. He was as good and efficient and friendly as ever. The boys to his surprise and not because they do listen have stayed glued to their seats. Seems to be a big rush of Mexicans to the store. Seems that one of the sandwich makers was Mexican and had told all his friends about the owner beating the shit out of Cliff because of his derogatory statements to his Hispanic son. Apparently Cliff has been doing this for a while. The Hispanics would walk in and Eric would hear their broken English and ask if they preferred Spanish. Most of them did. He got lots of congratulations and promises that they would start coming here again. Because most of them had boycotted the store because of Cliff. Eric found out later that this was the best two hours this store had done in years. People were packed in and drive thru was wrapped around the building. The manager called to replace Cliff called in more crew members to help. Everyone was in a joyful mood that Cliff was gone now. Once the rush had slowed down Eric went from around the counter to his sons. He sits down and looks at them a moment to gather the words he wants to say to them. "Boys. I know I tell you that a temper is a wonderful thing and you should never lose it. I know I also tell you that you should always try to avoid fighting because it doesn't solve anything. I need to apologize to you for my behavior and what you witnessed of my behavior. I was out of control and I wanted to hit that man because his words made someone I love very much upset and cry. His words were vicious and uncalled for. But, so were my actions. So boys I am so sorry for this." Alejandro climbs up on Erics lap and gives him a hug and a kiss. "Poppi if someone treated you like that I would do the same thing. I love you so much and sometimes people are mean for no reason at all. But, I have never seen you be mean to anyone. Until now, and he deserved to be treated mean." "Yeah Dad if I was bigger I would have hit him too." Joey says. "Ba I would have hit him too. I don't know Alejandro yet but, I know I love him already and Joey and you." Eric looks at Tran a little funny. "I called you Ba. I hope that's OK." "Im sure it is. Is it Chinese for something?" "Yeah Ba is Chinese for Dad. I saw how much you love Alejandro and I know you love Joey that much too. I know that you are a good Ba and I am going to call you that now. If that's OK?" Eric smiles big as do the boys. "Of course that's OK. It makes me very happy and honored you think that way. What is son in Chinese? "Erzi." (Sounds like eyedtsa) Tran says. "OK Erzi. Lets get going." The boys laugh at him because it barely sounds like what Tran said. "I will get it. Lets go guys we got lots of road to travel yet." Eric stands up carrying Alejandro. And the other boys are on his sides. As they leave the entire crew is at the front counter and clapping as they leave as is half the restaurant. Eric waves as he is walking out the door and smiling. "Boys today we made a difference. We stood up in the face of racism and smacked its ugly head back." "More like you did Poppi. Thank you." Alejandro says kissing his cheek. He plops Alejandro in the back seat and they all get in and buckled in. Eric takes off and the are back on the way to Memphis. They drive a couple of hours and Tran has slipped back to the back seat and the boys are watching a movie. When its over they ask Eric to play some music. So he puts on some Old B B King songs he has in the truck. Then he just puts on the XM Radio and puts it on a blues station. The boys get a real treat. Some Ella Fitzgerald, A bit of Billie Holiday, Alberta Hunter, a bit of John Coltrane. Just some of the greatest of all times. The boys are all enjoying it. But, Eric spies Joey listening and he can see mentally he is taking notes. After what seems like forever and no time at all they check into the hotel in Memphis. Its close to St Jude's is why Eric chose it. They are all beat and Eric and the boys go to the suite he rented and all shower and head to bed. They are all beat form the long drive and the excitement of the day. They all wake the next morning and Eric calls Dr Thomas and they talk a few minutes. He and the boys walk Tran over to the hospital. When they walk in they have a piano in the atrium for some reason. Joey like a bee to honey goes to the piano and sits down. Eric and the boys just follow because to listen to him play is a treat. He touches the keys lightly. Then he begins to play. Billie Holidays. God Bless the Child. He changed some of the words to make it more fitting for the occasion he figures Billie Holiday wouldn't mind. He draws a crowd pretty quickly of people coming in and starting to leave as he wails out the song. His and hers now. When he is done he just gets up and walks away. People are clapping and he just takes hold of Trans hand and they walk through the small crowd of people. OK small it wasn't in just a five minute time span over a hundred. But, small compared to the mall at Christmas. They all walk towards Dr Thomas's office and the clapping is behind them. "That was really pretty Joey." Tran says. "Thank you. I sang it for you." "Thank you. It was even more beautiful then." Then they walk into Dr Thomas's office and are greeted by a friendly nurse. They check in and sit down and wait to be seen