Jakes Dilemma ( Part 4)

Jake spent the whole day at his machine, nine hours straight, no lunch hour, he didn’t want to get into any talks with Stevie in case he let something slip. But his mind was racing, what did these guys want. They obviously had money already, that Bentley was worth about one hundred and fifty thousand at least, so if it wasn’t money then, what the fuck DID they want?

At five thirty he turned off his machine, Pisshead walked over to him.

“You were a busy little beaver today Jake, we don’t pay you for working through your breaks, you do realise that don’t you, still you needed to make up the hours what with you going to the “DOCTORS” yesterday”

His voice was full of sarcasm. Jake hated pisshead with every fibre of his body.

“That’s OK guv, just wanted to get my head down and get the work done”

“Listen Jake, you up for a bit of overtime, a bit of out of hours work?”

“Yeh sure, could always do with a bit more money!”

“Great, we’re gonna open up the factory Saturday night for an emergency job, don’t know much about it myself at the moment it’s all a bit hush hush, but the bosses have asked me to get four of five good lads in to work through the night, up for it?”

“Yeh great”

“Good I’ll put your name down; I’ll let you know more in a couple of days”

Pisshead walked off, Jake wasn’t sure if this was normal or not, he’d only been there a couple of months, he called out to Stevie.

“You been asked to work this Saturday?”

Steve walked over.

“Yeh pisshead just asked me, all a bit cloak and dagger stuff but it’s at time and a half plus a day off in lieu so I’m definitely in, coming for a pint?”

“No, got to get home, see you tomorrow”

Jake left Stevie and headed home, the two grand tucked firmly in his inside coat pocket; he didn’t really know what to do with it. Should he hide it until it was all over, or give it to Mum and Dad now?, god knows they could do with it, he knew that they were two months behind with the mortgage, he’d heard them arguing about it a few weeks before. Fuck it, he’d give it to them tonight, say he’d had a win on the horses, they knew he had a small bet from time to time, he’d take out a couple of hundred for himself and give them the rest, that’d put a smile on their faces!

Before he could work out his full story his phone rang, it was an unknown number.

“Hello Jake, I believe you might have a bit of info for us, go home, have your tea and meet us at the top of your road in half an hour".

Jake didn’t have a chance to answer; the phone went dead after the message.

What info? I aint got any info for them, what the fuck are they talking about. He racked his brains the rest of the way home, trying to think of what it might be.

Mum and Dad were in the kitchen when he got in.

“Guess what, you’ll never believe it, I had a win on the horses today, a Yankee, four winners!”

Jakes Dads face lit up.

“Well done son, good prices?”

“Err yeh, couple of big outsiders, comes to a few bob!”

Jakes Mum wasn’t so impressed, she hated any form of gambling.

“Now Jake, what have I told you about gambling, it’s a mugs game, only one winner and that’s the bookmaker, you never see a skint one!”

“Mum, it was only a couple of quid, and I won, guess how much?”

“I don’t care; you shouldn’t be putting your hard earned cash on bloody horses!”

Jakes Dad was more enthusiastic.

“Hundred pounds?”

“Nope, more, much more!”

“Two fifty?”

“Higher!”

Now Jakes Mum suddenly became very interested. She sat back down at the table her mouth wide open.

“More than two hundred and fifty pounds?”

“Yep Mum, much more!”

Jake took out the envelope from his pocket; he’d already taken some cash out for himself. He put the envelope on the table and emptied it.

Scottish twenty pounds notes spilled out onto the table.

“One thousand, seven hundred and twenty pounds!”

Both parents jumped up at the same time, their faces beaming, they hadn’t seen that much money in years.

Jake sat down and held his Mums hand.

“Right, this is the plan, tomorrow you go to the Building Society and you pay up the mortgage arrears, don’t ask me how I know, I just know. Then what’s left over I want you to book a holiday for you and Dad, somewhere nice and warm for a week, my treat. No arguments, that’s what’s going to happen!”

Jakes Mum started to cry, she gave Jake the biggest hug ever, he thought his bloody chest would cave in. Dad was also in tears; he also gave Jake a hug and whispered in his ear. “Thanks son”

Jake smiled at them both; it was a long time since he’d seen them so happy.

“Right then, I’m going out to get us all Chinese, wine and beer to celebrate”

He took thirty quid off the table and walked out the back door. He made his way to the top of the road where he could see the Bentley was already waiting for him. As he got close the back door opened, he got in.

“Well done Jake, so far so good, got some news for us then?”

“Look guys, I’m not sure I understand, I just work in a warehouse making door fittings and stuff, I’m not sure it’s me you want!”

“Let us be the judge of that Jake, now tell us about your day at work today”

“I started early, didn’t take a break, not even for a slash, then came home, and that’s it!”

“That’s’s not strictly true Jake is it; did your guvnor have a chat with you?”

“Oh yeh that. He asked if I could do some out of hours work for a special job coming up”

Squashed nose put his face close up to Jakes.

“When?”

“This Saturday night, work right through the night apparently, why what’s the big deal?”

“Nothing for you to worry about yet Jake, what else did he say?”

“Just that he would give me more details as soon as he knew anymore, but my names down to work through the night”

Squashed nose sat back into the leather upholstery, he smiled for the first time.

“Excellent work Jake, we’ll call again tomorrow, see what else you can find out about this Saturday, we want the names of the people who are going to work, also, anything you can tell us about your guvnor?”

“Well we all call him pisshead, cos he likes a pint or three and is always pissed after lunch!”

Squashed nose started to laugh.

“Fabulous news, just fabulous!”

Jake got out of the car, the door shut and the car roared off down the street. Jake continued his journey to the Take Away.