Kenny Blasco’s Wheels
by Mike Mayak
“Okay, get in!” Kenny shouted over the roar of the truck engine.
“Where’d you get this thing?” Alex said, gawking at the flames painted on the side and the blue lights illuminating the underside and the wheels.
“I’m buying it from my cousin,” Kenny said as Alex hopped in the passenger seat.. “He and his girlfriend are getting serious, so he wants something more Dad-ish and less…less…”
“Lowridery?” Alex said, helpfully.
“Yeah. That.” Kenny said.
Kenny Blasco and Alex Van Buren had known each other since Junior High. They’d planned on going to the same college together but neither of them went. Alex’s car was in the shop so Kenny was picking him up after work in the used record store near the Lost Lakes Apartments.
It was dark and Kenny slowly pulled across the darkened lot. Past the shoe store, past the Pizza Place which was open ‘till Midnight, past the closed convenience store next to the sub place.
“You wanna grab something?” Kenny said, pointing at the ice cream place and the burger place at the end of the long row of connected parking lots.
“Naaaa. Not now.” Alex said. “Hey, pull over a moment, will ya?”
Kenny pulled to a stop under the sign proclaiming an insurance agent’s office. The offices were long closed and had been in a small fake-stucco building that had been a taco place, a Chinese place and a smoke shop.
“Whassup, Bro?” Kenny asked.
Alex took a deep breath. “Remember about three months ago when I had that interview downtown with that computer repair place?”
“Yeah.” Kenny said. “They thanked you and said they liked your resume but didn’t need anybody right now.”
“Well, they need me.” Alex said. “I got a call. And an e-mail. They want me to start next month!”
“Really? Fantastic!” Kenny said.
“Just one hitch.” Alex said. “They’re starting some branches out of town and they want me for the one in…” Alex took another deep breath. “Stuttgart, Arkansas.”
“Stuttgart? Wow!” Kenny said. “Do your folks know?”
“Yeah.” Alex said. “My Dad still eavesdrops on my phone calls.”
“So.” Kenny said. “When are you moving?”
“Couple of weeks.” Alex said. “Company’s putting me up in a hotel.”
“So we’re mot gonna see each other…” Kenny started.
“For a while.” Alex said, cutting him off.
“We got Zoom. And texts. And phone calls.” Kenny said.
“Yeah,” Alex said. “We do.”
The two friends sat in silence for a moment, listening to the passing cars on the street.
“Hey, hang on a sec.” Alex said, pulling out his phone. “Back this thing up a bit. In front of the old sub place.”
Kenny backed the truck up carefully, then put it in park.
“Roll your window down and turn all those lights back on. And look over there.” Alex said pointing.
In the big, dark window of the closed convenience store, the lit truck was perfectly reflected. Looking like it was the only thing in the dark.
Alex crawled over and leaned towards the driver’s side window, phone in hand.
“Okay, get over here.”
Kenny grinned and moved to where he and Alex were framed in the open drivers side window.
“This is for posterity,” Alex said aiming his phone. “Say cheese!”
The two of them laughed as Alex snapped a couple of pictures of them reflected in the store window. Pictures that they would glance at now and then for the rest of their lives.
—end—
authorjeffbaker 