Good Days •Rafe Cameron•

Wheat Symbol

  

     Kiara, Sarah, and I sat inside the Twinkie as we laughed at a drawing John B drew of the well. "He said it looked something like this." Kiara giggles tracing the picture with her fingers.
"That's 50 feet down, and they're using 100-feet rope." Kiara states. "So I guess this little wagon will go straight to the gold room." Kiara laughs. "Who drew this?" Sarah asked in a fit of giggles. "Who do you think?" I smiled.
"Kie, this better work." JJ say, bringing the three bars of gold to the van. "We can't pawn this if there's a giant wheat symbol on it." JJ exclaims, throwing the gold into the floor of the van.
Kiara pulls out a blow torch. "Trust me. It's gonna work." She says, hopping out of the van. JJ and Kiara balance the bars on the open grill.
Pope and I watch the two as the begin to melt the pieces together. "Looks good." I say, impressed with my cousins welding abilities.
After an hour of melting the gold the wheat symbol finally disappear. The six of us pile into the Twinkie as we head of to the nearest pawn shop.
The ride was quick before we pulled into town. John B parks the van on the side of the street allowing us to get out.
"Hell of a job melting it down, Dr. Frankenstein." JJ says, sarcastically to Kie. He hold the gold in a dirty cloth rag. "Like you could have done any better." Kiara snaps. "I could have. I took a welding class." JJ says, matter of factly. "Oh really?" She shouts. "When?"
"Guys, guys, guys." John B says, stopping the two from arguing. "Chill out, okay?" John B demands. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one that has to pawn this piece of shit off." JJ says, waving the gold in the air.
"Yo, J! Put that thing down! People will see." I push the Pogues hands down. "Whatever." JJ sighs, putting the gold into his book bag. "How did I get this job anyway?" JJ asked walking into the pawn shop. The rest of us follow his lead. "Cause you're the best liar." Pope states.
I follow behind JJ looking around the pawn shop. The store was small. Most items being old radios from the early two thousands.
"Good Morning." JJ nod his head to the older woman standing at the counter. "Morning." She greets back. "I see you buy gold." JJ says. Pulling his book bag off of his shoulder.
"That's what the sign says, don't it?" The woman sassed putting her hands on her hips. "Well, I sure hope you buy a lot of it, because I'm about to blow your mind." JJ says, digging through the bag. "I ain't got much mind left to blow, so have at it." She watches as JJ dumped the gold onto the counter. "How about them gold apples." JJ smirks.
The woman laughs. "That ain't real." She says. "That ain't real?" JJ looks at us and then back to the woman. "Feel how heavy it is." He demands. The woman picks the gold up weighing it in her hands. She shines a light on the gold looking closely for any discretions.
"Spray-painted tungsten." She claims. "Spray-painted tungsten? Really? Okay. Why don't you see how soft it is?" JJ said, crossing his arms as he he grows impatient with the woman's skills.
"You mind?" She asked before tapping the gold with a hammer. "Hold your horses. We ain't got to the acid test yet." She pulls out a bottle of acid. She carefully drops the liquid onto the gold. Nothing happens.
"Mmhm." She sighs, confused. "Well, it ain't plated and it ain't painted." She says more to herself. "Ma'am, I'm telling ya, this is as real as the day is long." JJ says. "It looks like somebody tried to melt it down." The woman points to sly he melted prices on the gold.
"My mom. She had all this jewelry, laying around the house, and she thought it was best to melt it down." JJ lies. "To consolidate it." He adds.
   The woman picks the gold piece up putting it onto the weight. "Seven pounds?" She questioned. "That's a lot of earrings." She sassed.
    "Okay, to be honest, ma'am, it's really hard to see my mom fall apart with Alzheimers." JJ adds on to the lie.
    "Give me a minute." The woman says, moving from behind the counter to the back of the shop. "This isn't going to work." I say as soon as the woman leaves the room.
     "Phoebe's right." Pope exclaims. "She's getting suspicious. She probably back there calling the police right now-." Pope quickly shuts his mouth as the lady coke back from the room.
    "So, I talked to my boss. And, this is what I can do?" She says, handing JJ a piece of paper with a price on it.
    "Fifty thousand?" JJ snaps. "You think I walked in here not knowin' the spot price?" He claims. "Ma'am, I know for a fact this is worth 140, at least." He points to the gold.
    The Pogues and I watch together nervously. "Well, sweetie you in a pawn shop. This ain't Zurich. Do I look Swiss to you?" She rolls her neck.