Lay it on the Line : Prodigal book one

Chapter Three

Chapter 3

JJ and Sean were seated across from their mother and grandmother at the dinner table. The table was littered with various dishes of food and glasses. JJ let his fork slide onto the empty plate sitting before him causing it to make a clunking sound. His brother was on his second helping of rice and gravy, while his grandmother feed scraps to her ugly dog.

"So... I have something interesting tell yall." JJ picked up his glass of soda and downed the rest of it.

"Oh, man, mom you should have seen JJ today..." Sean blurted out with a mouth full of food. A few pieces of rice fell on his shirt causing his mother to fuss.

"Sean, you get more food on your shirt than in your mouth." Sean used his finger and thumb to pick up the stray rice grains, then popped them into his mouth.

"Anyways, I decided the career I would like to get into.... law enforcement." JJ's eyebrows fluttered up and down.

"Oh yeah, and when did you decide that?" His mother questioned as she began to pick up the dishes.

"Today actually.... I stopped a robber today at the store." JJ moved the glass side to side on the table.

"Oh mom, that dude never had a chance. JJ chunked a can of beans at the dudes' head." Sean started to lean back in his chair as he yapped away telling the story. JJ used his foot to tip his brother's chair backwards causing it to flip.

"Dang it JJ! Why man!" Sean groaned as he tried to stand up.

"Because I told you to let me tell mama! Anyways, that happened, and I got to talking with the deputies and they told me to swing by and get an application." JJ quickly finished before his brother could tell anymore.

The grandmother's dog ran towards Sean sniffing him. Sean let out a squeal causing the dog to run back to the grandmother in fear.

"Ugly snaggletooth, wimp dog." Sean yelled.

"Sean Andrew don't do that to her." His grandmother fussed at Sean.

"That's not a dog, that's a rat." JJ added in and the two brothers laughed.

"Awe my poor baby." The grandmother swaddled the small dog, comforting her.

"Maybe I should go into the k-9 department, I always wanted one of those dogs." JJ pondered out loud.

"I don't know, but if you break my furniture, I'm gonna break your butt! Sean go take out the trash and JJ come help me with these dishes boy." Mary barked orders to her boys. Sean sat the chair up right and went to do as his mother asked.

"Maw maw, when you gonna make me some bread pudding?" JJ asked as he began to gather the dishes. The grandmother let out a laugh and put the dog on the floor.

"You two just want food all the time. I'm not a baker you know."

"Yeah but you sit at home and just watch cooking shows all day, you think you would have us a lot of food." Sean added. The grandmother waved her hand towards them to signaling them to stop their picking.

"Well, Rosemary, thank you for supper but I have to get home." The grandmother kissed her daughter and then JJ.

"Yeah, it is almost eight, you might turn into a werewolf if you stay up any later." Johnny teased. The grandmother swatted his butt lightly and then kissed his cheek.

"Love you my baby..." she then the called her dog and left the house.

JJ locked the door, and his brother outside before going help his mother.

"I just want you to be sure that is what you want to do. It is a dangerous job. Also, don't just jump into it, then two months down the road up and quit." JJ rolled his eyes a bit.

"And don't forget you have to look at your grandmother's car..." his mother added.

"Yeah, it sounds like one of the Star Wars fighter planes." JJ added. His mother let out a laugh, but her smile left her when she heard Sean beating on the door.

"JJ let me in man!" A muffled voice called out followed by pounding.

"what is the password?" JJ called out to him.

"Oh, come on man!" Sean began to beat on the door.

"Johnny, let your brother in the house." Mary let out an aggravated sigh. There were a couple more pounds on the door, then the sound of pottery being broken.

"Sean! That better have not been my plants you broke!" Mary rushed to the door and swung open the door to investigate. JJ covered his laugh as to not get a swat from his mother.

"Well, he wouldn't let me in man." Sean had been throwing himself at the door and fell on one of her pots.

"Clean this mess up, and you are lucky you didn't break that pot your dad gave me before he passed away boy!" JJ stood in the doorway and watched his mother fuss at his younger brother. Today would be one of those happy memories imprinted on your mind. Like those memories that would creep in your thoughts when you were older, giving you a smile when you thought back on the olden days. The days when it was a simpler time, and all was right in your corner of the universe. A certain smell, phrase, or object would bring you back to that time in your life. Those moments of great joy, or horror, or sadness that stained your memory and you can never forget no matter how far you push it back into your mind. Those were the kind that were always there and would always pop up from time to time. Sometimes out of the blue or when you need them the most to remind you who you are or where you came from.

For JJ, this was of those moments. This would be a memory of the few remaining good times he had left with his family. A golden memory of his time as a young man, yet untarnished by the cruel world. Somehow, he knew he would need to hold on to this memory. For the Cajun's future would become a giant heart ache, he just didn't know it yet.