Page 42 of Ruckus

There are three disassembled cars on the front lawn, making it looks more like a scrapyard than a home. The paint on the house is flaking the path that leads to the front door has weeds growing up through the cracks in the concrete and the gate to it is rusty and hanging off its hinges.

“You sure this is the right place?” I check, though I don’t know why. I remember Griller and Greaser well, and this looks exactly like the kinda place they’d come from.

“This is it.” Alicia takes a deep breath before she gets out the car, and as we step up to the gate, a scraggy white terrier dashes off the front porch and starts barking at us.

“What’s ya business?” a shrill voice comes from the house, yet I can’t see anyone.

“I looking for Mrs. Stowman.” Alicia can’t hide the nerves from her voice and I take her hand to offer her some support.

“Shut up, Willy,” the voice hollas at what I’m assuming is the dog because he immediately quits yapping and races back to the porch.

“My name is Alicia, this is Freya… I was a friend of Griller’s,” Alicia speaks up, and when we hear the sound of metal scrapingwe both look at each other, confused. The front door opens and a very small, older woman stands in its center.

“You knew my Segwin?” Her bottom lip starts to wobble.

“Yes, Ma’am, I knew him.” Tears build in Alicia’s eyes and I squeeze her hand to remind her that I’m here, I figure now's really not the time to humor the fact Griller’s real name was Segwin Stowman.

“You best come in.” The woman steps aside so we can enter and, reluctantly, we step up and go inside.

“Sid, get your ass up, we got visitors,” she calls over to the couch where a tall, thickset body lays under a blanket. Then she smiles at us both warmly as she leads us into the kitchen.

“You’ll have to mind the mess, ain’t often we get visitors.” She clears the dishes from the table and dumps them in the basin before lighting herself a cigarette.

“I take it you heard that my boy is dead.” She sits on a chair, then gestures for us both to do the same. Among all the clutter I notice a picture of Griller and Greaser on the fridge together, both of them wearing their cuts and standing proud.

“I was there when it happened,” Alicia tells her quietly. “In fact, I was… I held him in my arms.” More tears fill her eyes and I quickly take her hand again.

“Well I’m sure he felt blessed to have had such a beautiful last sight.” The woman's aged, worn hand reaches across the table and I see Alicia’s eyes stretch open when it strokes her cheek. She’s frozen, not really knowing what to do, but eventually she makes an awkward smile and the woman drops her hand.

“So what brings ya here? If he owed ya money I can tell ya?—”

“No, nothing like that. He… doesn’t owe me anything.” Alicia quickly shakes her head. “I’m here because, before Griller died, me and him…”

“What’s happening, Ma?” a low growly voice comes from behind us, and when I turn my head, I’m not prepared for the sight of Greaser in his underwear.

“These young ladies knew your brother.” Mrs. Stowman looks up at him and smiles.

Greaser takes his time to look us both over, then laughs as he scratches between his thick hairy chest. “Young ladies, huh?” He opens the refrigerator and takes out a beer. “These are Soul gals, Mama, don’t be fooled.” Popping the cap, he takes the last available chair at the table, twists it around and straddles it.

“Oh…” The woman smiles awkwardly.

“Not those kinds of Soul girls. Our brothers are members.” I feel the need to intervene and explain.

“And was one of your brothers the one who took my Seggy’s eye?” she asks before toking back hard on her cigarette. I have no idea what she’s talking about, but Alicia shakes her head.

“No, Mrs. Stowman, that was the president.”

The sound of Greaser cracking his knuckles goes right through me and I can tell that now he’s here, Alicia is going to find what she has to explain so much harder.

“Why are ya here? You never gave a fuck about my brother. All those years he spent pining over you and you never even noticed him.” I don't like the way he’s looking at her. In fact, I don’t like this situation at all.

“That’s unfair, Grill—Segwin.” Alicia corrects herself and smiles at Mrs. Stowman. “He never made his feelings clear. I had no idea how he felt.”

“I can see why my boy liked you.” Mrs. Stowman reaches forward again, this time to touch the ends of Alicia's hair. “She’s pretty, ain’t she, Sid?”

Greaser says nothing, just knocks back his beer and laughs.

“However…” Alicia looks at me and breathes before continuing. “Just before the attack on the clubhouse, myself andSegwinhad… united.” Her palm is sweating in mine and she’s shaking.

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