Episode 15

                 ROBERT

Robert and Thunder has been getting a lot of attention every since they’ve offered to do a taping on The Othella Show.  Robert is so excited about
his first time on national television and more excited that he is doing it with
his new found best friend Thunder.

Today is the day that Robert cuts the ribbon and opens ‘What’s the Skinny Pastries and Stuff’.  He interviewed a young lady by the name of
Jackie who seems enthusiastic and has some business sense to run the new bakery.  After discussing it with his partner Thunder, they decided to hire her.

Robert wishes that Carla could be there to share the joy of opening the bakery, but she insisted of staying home with the kids, especially Shy and Itt.  Shy and Itt had to be home schooled this summer since they both had rough senior years. 

With local reporters, cameras, crowds of people, and even the Mayor made the day more exciting for the dual. “5, 4, 3, 2, 1 WHAT’S THE SKINNY!!!! Everyone yelled and counted down the time till the noon hour and Robert
cut the ribbon.  Jackie, a gracious host she was, had plenty of sample trays made up. Everyone seemed to be having a great time, except Thunder.  Robert was looking for Thunder for a photo opt and when he finally spotted the 6 foot 5 inch man through the crowd he appeared to be shouting at someone on his cell phone.

Robert took a few pictures for the newspapers and excused himself. He pursued towards Thunder through the crowd.  He didn’t want to get Thunder anymore upset than he already was so thankfully Thunder was done with the cell phone conversation once Robert approach him.

Robert throws his hand up and says with a lot of enthusiasm. “WHAT’S THE SKINNY!!”

“Oh hey Robert, yeah umm, what’s the skinny,” Thunder said not matching Robert’s enthusiasm but more in a low and sad tone.

“Well, is everything alright, Thunder?” Robert asked concerned.

“BULLY?!!” Jackie asked.

Thunder’s head swiftly turned at Jackie as if she knew something she shouldn’t.  “I will catch up with you later Robert and we will talk then, but right now I have to go.” Thunder said and walked off.

“Did I say something wrong?” Jackie asked Robert.

“No, you didn’t Jackie.  How do you like the Bully-claw?” Robert said
to Jackie while periodically watching Thunder in the distant.

“Well, I didn’t try it?”

“You should, it is a Bear-claw technically but the Bully have 15 grams of protein and all the B vitamins, so it’s not bad to have after a workout or before.  It packs a punch, a sucker punch, so we call it The Bully-claw, yeah Thunder came up with the name,” Robert explained to Jackie.

“I’m really worried about him,” Jackie said.

“Well, little lady you let me handle that.  You just keep making the
customers happy.  Everything will work out”, Robert said.

Robert feels in his pockets for his cell phone only to realize he left it back at the store.  Once inside the store he sees that Carla has been calling him.  He calls her back immediately hoping that everything is ok.

(one sided conversation)

“Hey dear, how are you and the kids?” Robert asked

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“Oh my, are you ok?  Do you need me to come home?” Robert said
concerned.

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“Thunder’s WHAT?” Robert said angrily.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Is this some type of set up?  I trusted this guy,” Robert said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Yeah it better be a very good explanation.  I didn’t even know he
had a family, let alone an insecure bully of a son,” Robert said.

Just as Robert is having the conversation Thunder stands there in the door way of Roberts’ office.

“Who are you talking about Robert?” Thunder asked.

“Hold on honey, as a matter of fact let me call you back.” Robert pushes ‘end’ on his cell phone and walks towards Thunder, with his belly touching Thunder and his head just below Thunders’ chin.  “Your son is the one
that has been bullying Shy,” Robert said angrily as he bumps Thunder with his belly.

“WHAT!? I didn’t even know he went to Shy’s school”, Thunder said with anger.

“THUNDER, HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW WHAT SCHOOL YOUR KID ATTENDS? THAT BANANAS!” Robert yelled.

“Robert it’s a long story.  That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.  I’m sorry about the bullying, but I had no idea,” Thunder said.

‘Tenemos gente Buena y ayudamos a la gente y la gente quiere hacer dano por nosotros' Robert turns back towards his desk mumbling to himself in his native language spanish.

(we’re good people and we help people and people want to do harm by us)#in english

“Hello” (knock knock knock) “Hello”

“This area is for employees only ma’am, I’ma have to ask you to go to the lobby,” Thunder said politely.

“I’m looking for my sister.  I think she works here,” Stacy said.

Thunder is staring at Stacy as if they are the only ones on the planet. 

“Hello, does my sister work here?  Her name is Jackie”, Stacy asked again.

“Thunder!” Robert yelled.

Thunder shakes his head and extends his hand to Stacy, “Have we met before?

“Umm, I don’t think so”, Stacy said.

“Are you sure maybe about 12 years ago maybe?” Thunder said.

“Honey, I can’t remember 5 minutes ago and you talking over a decade, I have met a lot of men in 12 years but never one that remembers me.” Stacy said as she stands there with her hands on her hip.

“Well I was a boy back then and I did a lot of people wrong,” Thunder said.

“Why are you telling me this?” Stacy asked.

“Stacy it’s me Percy,” Thunder said.

She takes a good look at Thunder, “well, well, well, Percy Cornroll Jenkins.  Look at you, all buff and stuff.”

Stacy walks over to Thunder looking as to give him a hug but instead deck him in the chin.

“YOU LEFT ME OUT THERE WITH MY SON.  MY LIFE COULD HAVE BEEN SO DIFFERENT.  YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT
HAPPENED TO ME THAT NIGHT, YOU ARE A MONSTER!!”

“Stacy?” Jackie says as she walks in the office.

Stacy walks out the office yelling, “YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE!”

Jackie goes after Stacy.  They stand outside the bakery. Stacy breathing is heavy and tears are rolling down her face. 

“Stacy, what’s going on?” Jackie asked concerned.

“Jackie, Thunder is Percy, he left us on the street and I got tricked into drugs”, Stacy said.

“Thunder is Percy, your ex-boyfriend that left you and Itt on the streets?” Jackie said.

______________________________________________

                CARLA/JANET/KIDS

“I just got off the phone with your dad and told him what happened, he was very upset,” Carla said.

“Mom that was amazing,” Brandy said.

“I wanna gansta bitch with a gansta booty”, Janet raps.

“JANET! The Children!  Look I don’t condone violence, I was protecting my son.  She was a grown lady, she had no right to hit him,” Carla said.

“Who hit who?” Thomas asked.  Thomas is Shy’s 12 year old
brother who is very into music.  He has his own band and they seem serious about their craft to be so young.  Carla and Robert bought Thomas a drum set when he was 6 years old because since he was a toddler he likes to beat things with his hand and it always had a funky beat.

“Mom and I just had a scuffle with Thunders’ girlfriend or wife and his son,” Shy said.

“Mom was amazing,” Brandy repeated.

“Mom you had a actual fight?” Thomas asked.

“Dang, I miss everything,” Ryan said disappointed.

“First of all Thomas, it’s ‘an’ actual fight, and second little Ryan, you didn’t miss anything at all, and third and final, thank you Brandy.  We are not a violent family and we will discuss this with Thunder.  He seems to be the rational one,” Carla said.

“She beat that bitch with a bat, she beat that bitch with a bat”, Janet raps.

Carla runs over to Janet and puts her hand over Janet’s mouth to shut her up.

“What’s important is that we find out what happened to Itt,” Carla said.

“Mom, do you think he left on his own or he was forced?” Shy asked.

“He will be okay, Shy.  We will figure it out.  Don’t worry,” Carla said and walks over and give Shy a hug.

The telephone starts to ring and Brandy answers, “Hey Uncle Jon!”

Janet gets up out the Lazy-Boy chair and stands next to Brandy. She holds her hand out to get the phone but Brandy is the talker of the
family and she is talking to her uncle like he is her best friend.

“Hey, hey little girl.  Give me the phone,” Janet demanded.

“Ok, love you Uncle Jon.  I’ll tell everybody you said ‘hello’.  Bye now. Aunt Janet…….”  Janet grabs the phone from Brandy.

“Hello? Hello? Hello?  Where did he go?  Did he ask to speak to me?” Janet asked.

“No he didn’t.  He said he was calling to check on us”,Brandy said.

Janet SLAPS Brandy.  “DON’T PLAY WITH ME YOU LITTLE SLUT”.

Carla gets off her couch slowly and walks toward Janet.  Janet stands with terror in her eyes.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry”, Janet fears for her life.

Carla doesn’t say a single word as she steps.  The children mouths
are open and Brandy is in a corner crying holding her cheeks.  Janet turns and darts down the hallway and runs up the stairs.  Janet draws the
curtains back from a window in one of the bedrooms to plan an escape.  She hears Carla heavy steps rapidly coming up the squeaky wood stairs.  The jump from the window is too far for her to escape but she thinks that it probably is a good option since she is gonna die anyway once Carla gets a hold of her.  The door slowly opens and Carla steps inside, she closes the door behind her and locks it. Carla approach Janet and Janet tries to talk her way out.  Carla back slaps Janet and she falls over the nightstand.  Carla grabs Janet up off the floor and tosses her to the wooden closet door. The door shatters into firewood. She pulls Janet out the closet by one leg.  Janet is kicking the other leg and calling for help.  Carla puts her knee in
Janet’s’ back and grabs her hair and bangs her head on the floor.  The kids are knocking on the door and hollering.  Carla hears the kids and it
brings her back.

“I give you two hours,” Carla says to Janet.

To be continued………….