One Great Family

Chapter 2: The Almost Perfect Ride Home

Rufus comes to my desk after school and says "Mr. Franco can you give me a ride home? I don't want to face my dad in the car."

I then say "Of course but don't you know you have to face him at home anyways?" He then responds to me like he was offended and says "Um yes I ain't stupid!" I then say with one eyebrow raised "I know you aren't stupid. For gosh sakes you made a one hundred on your Oklahoma History test and it is a concept you haven't covered!"

Rufus then says "Okay let's go get in the car!" I then say "We have to call your dad first to tell him I am bringing you home."

I then pick up my phone and dial his number and a soft voice says "Hey bro what are you doing calling me this time of day?" I then say "Rufus wanted me to take him home. Is that okay with you?" He then responds in relief and says "Of course, I just got home from work and was about to head out and get him!" I then say "Well anything I need to get before I come to your house?" He then says "Well I always get him a large Dr Pepper after school from sonic." I then look over at Rufus and he is looking out the window and I say "Okay I will get on that. David do you want anything?" He then says "Well I am thirsty so I think I will get the same thing as Rufus." I then say "Wow what surprise that you want a Dr Pepper!" He then says "Like brother like brother." I then laugh and say "Well see you at your house and you don't have to pay me back!" David then says "Really? Thanks man, bye." I then say "Bye" and the phone hangs up.

I then say to Rufus "Let's go bud. I am stopping by sonic like your dad does!" Rufus then says " He doesn't do it everyday after school. Not at least last year when I was in eighth grade." I then say "Well this a new year maybe he will change his ways."

Rufus doesn't say anything as we are walking to the car and then a loud truck comes out of the corner road of the school and the driver slams on their breaks just in time not to hit us! A person gets out and I know his face and it is Mr. Derek the eleventh grade English teacher. He then says to Rufus and I "Is anyone hurt? Sorry I sped around that corner so fast I am running late for a doctors appointment!" I then say to him in a polite voice "No one is hurt and if you are running late for your appointment I reckon you get going!" He then says to me "I reckon you are right!" He then gets back in his truck and speed to the stoplight. He then runs the red light missing only a few people!

When we are on the outside of my car Rufus says " When I saw that truck I almost bolted out of there and left you!" I then say laughing "If I would have tried to run I probably would have fallen considering my age!" We both snicker a little and get in the car.

When we get in the car Rufus then puts on his headphones and begins to play his music.

I start backing up but my brother David begins to call me so I answer it and David says "Were are you bro? I thought you would be here by now?" I then say "I am just now leaving the school. Rufus and I almost got hit by Mr. Derek when we were walking in the road! He was going fast because he was running late for a doctors appointment!" I hear David laugh and then he says "Well glad everyone is okay. Text me when you are at sonic." Then I hear the phone beep but no goodbye was said.

I then hear a noise and then instantly after that my car felt like it had been hit! So I get out of the car but as soon as I do so the guy speeds off in his car! Rufus gets out of the car and takes off his headphones and says "Oh that is what I felt. I thought you just hit a pothole but this is much worse!" Right after Rufus said that he had a look on his face that looked like he expected me to start yelling at him and talk to him in a sarcastic tone. "Oh well what can you do? At least no one got hurt" I said.

We then both got in the car and headed are way safely to the sonic. When we got to sonic I ordered over the speaker and then when I was done Rufus said "Can you help me with something?" I then say "Of course. What do you need help with?" He then says in a nervous voice "Well there is this girl I like and I don't know how to tell her." I then look at him curious and say "Well what grade is this girl in?" He then said "She is a freshman like me. She has long blonde hair and is tall, skinny, and a very nice girl." I then ask him "Does she play any sports or participate in any school activities?" He then says "Yes. She is a Cheerleader." That is when I remembered that Rufus is a football player! I then look at him and say "What is her name?" He then says "Her name is Jaycee. Isn't that such a dreamy name?" I then can see that Rufus really does like this girl and then I say "Jaycee Withrow?" He then in a curious voice says "Yes, how did you know that?" I then say "She goes to are church and her and her family are very nice people!"

Are drinks are now being delivered to us and I pay the car hop and give her a tip. I then say to Rufus "The first thing you can do is clean up your act and learn how to be a gentleman." Rufus seemed to take it in offence that I didn't think he was gentleman because the next thing he said was "I am a gentleman! I hold doors open for ladies!"

We are now driving home and I say "Just because you hold the door open doesn't make you a gentleman." He then says to me "Then what does ?" I then tell him "Saying Yes ma'am and no ma'am and using you manners at the dinner table." He then says "What are table manner?" I then look at him confused and say "You don't know what table manners are?" He then says "No Uncle Will. Will you teach me?" I then say "I will but not today we will do it tomorrow when we have the whole day." Rufus then nods in agreement and says "So when do I ask Jaycee out on a date?" I then say "I will get you ready tomorrow for your date. I will teacher you manners and how to be a gentleman. I will also tell you how to ask a girl on a date."

We are pulling in the driveway when I am finished talking to him and it about six o'clock in the afternoon. David comes out and says "What took you guys so long?" I then say to him in a tense voice "Well you know what happened when we were walking out of the school and then another thing happened!" "What?" David said. I then said have a peek on the left side in the back." He walks back there and says "How did this happen?" I then say "Well when you called me I was backing up so I answered the call and I didn't pull forward. So when the call was over, oh and by the way I thought that was rude that you just didn't say bye to me before you hung up!" He then say "Oh yeah i forgot to tell you my phone died right after we were ending our conversation!" I then look at him in belief and continue by saying "Well when we were done talking I started to look back and then bam someone hit me but the only bad thing was is that the person backed up, went forward, and then sped away! I don't know why because it was my fault. The funny thing was is that is bumper was dragging on the ground when he was leaving!" When David and Rufus heard that they snickered.

Then David said "Well do you have my drink?" I then said in a enthusiastic voice "Well of course I did!" When I handed him his drink he said "Are you certain you don't want me to pay you back?" I then said "I have never been more certain of anything! Except for the time my wife was pregnant." David and I laughed at that one but for some reason Rufus did not. When David was walking over to talk to him Rufus clenched up and got scared. David then said "Son what is wrong? Are you afraid that I am going to hit you?" He then said in a soft quiet voice "Yes because when I was at school talking to you over the phone you said that we were going to talk about what I did when I got home." David then said "Why hit you? The last time I hit you was when you five years old and it was to teach you respect and discipline. The thing I wanted to say is that you are a freshman and you shouldn't be so immature and start a fight with an innocent person!" Rufus then said "Goofy isn't innocent though!" David and I looked at each other is curiosity and David said "What did he do that deserved for him to get beat up?" Rufus then replied "He was flirting with Jaycee!" David then asked me "Who is Jaycee?" I then replied "She is the girl Rufus like and has liked her since seventh grade. I am going to give him lessons tomorrow on hot to be a gentleman, how and what table manners are, and the proper way to ask a girl out. If that's okay with you. Is it? David then replied with pleasure and said "It is more than okay with me. I think it is a splendid idea!"

I then say "Well I better go home. Rufus! We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow! See you tomorrow buddy." Rufus then replies to me with love and says "Thanks for listening to me talk. I love you Uncle Will!" Then David says to me "I love you as well brother. Drive safely." I get in my car back up and head home. After I have turned around in the cul-de-sac I see Rufus and David are about to go inside and they are hugging and talking.