Oats in a Field

Tuesday afternoon inside a dive bar, there was a handful of undesirable patrons. Anthony sat, watching a baseball game at the bar. He stared with desperation. He had bet on the game. Anthony was in his lower thirties, a war veteran, with long, unkempt hair and scars on his face. He'd drank five beers and chain-smoked half of his cigarettes. The game made him mad. "Take out that sorry pitcher! He couldn't throw it at the ground," Anthony drunkenly yelled. The bartender looked in disgust. "Aw shut up! Do you plan on paying your tab today?" the bartender responded. Anthony gave him a look. "Not today, but I'll hit a good lick one day and I'll be your favorite customer," said Anthony hopefully.

Two gargantuan men, in black, walk into the bar. They're both six foot, five and over three hundred pounds. They strolled up to both sides of Anthony. "Hello E-normous and Big Baby," said Anthony coyly. "Cut the pleasantries, do you have our Boss’s five grand," replied E-normous shortly. A moment passed. "Not quite, but I'm working on it," said Anthony. "Wrong answer," said Big Baby, with aggravation. The two goons grabbed him by the arms, yanked him from his chair, then dragged Anthony from the bar.

In the alley, the two goons had beat up Anthony for a minute. Very intoxicated, Anthony was very defenseless against the two brutes. E-normous made a call. "We got him right here. We smacked him around pretty good, Boss," said E-normous as he placed the call on speakerphone. "I said that I wanted my money and I meant that. Everybody wants to bet, but no one wants to pay the piper. You have one week, or you'll be swimming underground," said the Boss, with a very menacing and gruff voice. They hung up the phone and left Anthony, a mess, on the ground.

Over the next week, Anthony tried numerous ways to pool the money. He went to the pawn shop to sell various items. He swept up at a barbershop. He delivered food for a delivery service. But, none of the attempts yielded the money that he needed. As a last resort, he had to go visit his Aunt Dorothy and his cousin Randall, his closest family.

Aunt Dorothy was the epitome of the perfect Aunt. She was very loving, gave great advice, and she genuinely wanted everyone to succeed. Her only problem was her son, Randall. Randall was ill-natured and selfish. She worked on bettering him, constantly. She had slowly made him into a better person. But all progress was lost when his father died. Randall went off the deep end after that.

Anthony walked into Aunt Dorothy's quaint and cozy living room. "There's my other son! How have you been? I haven't seen you lately," exclaimed Aunt Dorothy. "I've been better. Truthfully, I actually need about three grand or I'm in some hot water," answered Anthony, ashamed. Aunt Dorothy looked disappointed. "I had hoped you would get it together by now... you and Randall. You both are so risky and looking for quick money, you got that from your uncle, God rest his soul." She grabbed his hands. "Be careful and remember, like I told you when you were kids. 'Oats in a field, hard work from the farmer, they will reveal.' You reap what you sow. I wish I had some money for you, baby. I really do, but I don't," she responded. Anthony believed her. "Maybe Randall can help you out but... Well just ask him.

Anthony walked into Randall's room. The room was the messy bachelor's paradise. Randall lied on his bed, scrolling on his phone, when he noticed Anthony. "Well if it ain't my good-for-nothing cousin," said Randall. "What's up soldier boy?" Anthony felt an all-time low for himself. "Hey Randall... how are you doing cou-" said Anthony, bashfully, before he got cut off from talking. "Just what do you want?" Randall interrupted. Anthony took a deep breath. "I'll be straight up, I need some money fast or I'm dead meat," pleaded Anthony. "Can you help me?!" A moment of silence as Randall thought it over, then started hysterically laughing. "I don't have one damn penny for you. Now get out of here! I have a date tonight, unlike your broke ass," exclaimed Randall. Anthony walked out, defeated and emasculated.

The next day, the goons came by Anthony's house. Anthony gave the money he had but he was short by three thousand dollars. "You heard what the Boss said last time." said E-normous as he went to pull out a gun. Anthony was sober, this time. He quickly threw a lamp at E-normous, which broke in his face, causing him to stumble backwards. Anthony struck Big Baby before he could move. One elbow to the stomach, then an uppercut to the jaw, which made Big Baby fall down. Anthony grabbed the gun in Big Baby's waist then pointed it at an unprepared E-normous. "Call your Boss and pray that he wants to make a deal," demanded Anthony, as he cocked the gun. E-normous, with a bloody nose, called his Boss.

The Boss picked up the speakerphone call. "This better be good news," yelled the Boss. "Sorry, this is bad news. I have some money. You’ll get the rest later. Hope that's fine or big boy will get shot with his own gun," answered Anthony. "Useless! Everyone around me is useless," exclaimed the Boss. "This day can't get any worse! But actually... I have a proposition for you," said the Boss. "Anything," responded Anthony, quickly.

"I just got some... troubling news," responded the Boss. "Some punk my daughter, Monica was dating, secretly made a sex tape without her consent. Now he’s blackmailing to sell it... I need this guy to stop breathing! Can you handle that?!" Anthony pondered it. He hadn't killed since the war. But he was out of options and this person, clearly was no saint. "Deal, my debt will be paid and we’re forever done," Anthony answered. "Deal," responded the Boss. "The Target frequents the pool hall on Third Street. When you get there, you’ll receive his picture. Get going, and you two galoots get back here!" Big Baby forcefully took his gun back and the goons left.

Anthony arrived at the location. He received the photo of his target, just as he saw a familiar face, his cousin Randall. "Randall can't be the one blackmailing the Boss," thought Anthony, is disbelief. He was conflicted. He didn’t want to Randall to die, but he also did not want to die. Randall was an awful person, but they were close long ago.

Randall was really drunk when he saw Anthony. "Get lost, I have no money for you," slurred Randall. "I might have found a way to deal with it," responded Anthony. "Well make yourself scarce, I got a hot date,” said Randall, while making a lewd gesture. Then, the date, a tall pretty brunette woman walked over to Randall.

Anthony sat in a corner, contemplating his next move. He watched his cousin with the Date, playing pool while flirting heavily. Randall walked away to grab them some drinks. Anthony briskly walked over to the Date. "Listen to me, you need to get away from this man. He is not a good guy," pleaded Anthony. "You seem like a creep, yourself," she responded. "Why should I trust you?" Anthony paused. "I'm his cousin and you should know his intentions. I'll distract him so you can take his phone," detailed Anthony. "Look through his texts to Monica and you'll see what I mean. Trust me, for your own good." He stepped back out of sight, as the date looked very concerned.

Randall came back with drinks, as the Date smiled, uneasily. All of a sudden, Anthony grabbed his cousin's shoulder, spun him around, and started shaking him. "You know, you're going to be the death of your mother! She's an angel and you're rotten to the core," yelled Anthony. The Date nervously grabbed the phone out of his pocket. "You're jealous because I still have my mom! Get the hell out of my face, I won't tell you again," screamed Randall. Anthony walked away, as Randall turned to his Date, who was red in the face after reading his phone.

"Tell me about Monica," requested the Date. Randall was taken aback. "She's just some crazy-" Randall said before he got cut off from talking. "No, it seems she's some girl you took advantage of, and you won't do that to me," said the Date, sharply. The Date stood on a chair. "This man is going to try to rape me," exclaimed the Date to the world. Men from around the pool hall started congregating to beat Randall. Anthony snatched Randall and pulled him out of the pool hall.

Anthony and Randall walked down the street. Randall, so inebriated, needed help walking. Anthony decided to double-cross the Boss and come clean. "Randall, Monica is a crime boss’s daughter, and he ordered me to kill you. But-" said Anthony before he got cut off from talking. "You came to kill me?! You loser! Try to kill me? I can take you," screamed Randall as he swung his fists at Anthony. Anthony avoided punch after punch. Randall charged Anthony, who sidestepped the lunge, but tried to grab Randall. Randall slipped from Anthony's grip, then stumbled in the street. He got hit by a car, and voraciously flipped over it. The car slammed on brakes. Anthony was frozen. The driver, a young woman, got out and ran to Randall, who was not breathing. The woman called the police. Anthony looked across the street and realized the goons were tailing him. The goons walked away. Anthony runs off in the opposite direction.

At the funeral, fifteen people were in attendance. Anthony arrived late, so he stood in the back. He saw Aunt Dorothy, bawling her eyes out and doubled over from the pain. Feeling responsible, Anthony left without saying a word, without telling the truth to Aunt Dorothy.

One month later, Anthony was still doing odd jobs to make money. He was eating lunch at home, and heard car doors closing outside of his home. "It's the police," he thought. He wanted to surrender. He awaited the bang on the door. But it was a soft rapping knock, instead. Perplexed, Anthony opened the door.

Two suited men stood with briefcases. They informed Anthony that they were a lawyer and an insurance agent. He didn’t understand. "We work for your aunt, or worked would be more accurate," said the Lawyer. Anthony was still confused. "Sorry, but your Aunt Dorothy has passed. After her son tragically died, I think she lost the will to live," said the Insurance Agent. “She didn’t have much, but she paid monthly for a service that provides affordable representation. She leaves behind this box,” said the Lawyer.

Anthony opens the box and it was $20,000 and a little black book. He opened the book and saw a message on the first page. "To my son, I hope you put this money to good use..." Anthony stopped reading and put the book down. The men turned to leave and Anthony dropped to his knees, unable to fathom the irreparable damage he'd done to those close to him. He realizes that he had in fact, 'hit a good lick' but that it had cost him everything. He and Randall both reaped what they had sown.

The next week, Anthony walked into the dive bar. "If you can’t pay off your tab, don't expect a sip of water!" Anthony reaches for his wallet. “Let me get an Oatmeal Stout,” said Anthony as he paid the tab and even gave a moderate tip. “I'm clearing this debt. Matter of fact, cancel that beer, and know I will never be in debt to you or anyone else, ever again... for Aunt Dorothy." Anthony walked out.

The End.