Chapter 22: Sheiba's New

Life

One Year Later

   I quietly walk across the ground, breathing slowy and softly. I see my target a few feet in front of me and get quieter. I go around the corner, my muscles tense getting ready to jump, then I pounce. "YAAAAAA!" I yell grabbing Kiara. She screams and the bucket she was carrying falls and splashes water everywhere. I start laughing. I hear Jerimiah and Nikkie chuckling a few feet behind us. "He got you again Kiara!" Jerimiah laughs. "SHEIBAAAAAA!" She yells angrily. I run off laughing with her following me, yelling her threats then jump on top of the truck. "No fair!" She yells. I laugh. She crosses her arms then looks back up and giggles. Then I jump down and she punches me in the arm. "Okay! Fun is over, time to get back to work!" Jerimiah says after he finishes laughing. I groan. "Don't gripe about it! A workers work is never done! If you ain't gonna work to earn your keep then you got nothing!" He says as I yawn, indicating that I've heard that over and over. Kiara giggles. He turns around and I make a face at him. Nikkie laughs under his breath. His fear of me seems to have completely vanished.

   I'm glad Sheiba is staying with us. After a couple months he started smiling alot more and got a little sense of humor. He's also a little bit of a prankster, but that's what makes him so fun to be around. It's almost like the glare he couldn't get rid of disappeared and was replaced with a smile. The loneliness and sadness in his eyes is gone too. Now he's got a special shine in them. Plus he hasn't been wearing his coat for a few months, although his gun never leaves his side. It's like he's part of the family now too! I don't know anymore about his past than I did when I first met him, but now that doesn't matter. I'm just glad that he's happy! He seems more like your average teenage boy now. I really love having him around because it feels I have a friend now. I hear a car pull up in the drive way, from the sound of it a van. Oh no....! It's gotta be The Rubens, Margie and John, with their kids, twin boys to be exact. Those kids are trouble especially when their mother's not around. They're the same age as Rabbit and Jean, only a day older. I think we're gonna have to babysit the boys again for them. They travel alot of places and sometimes can't take them along. "This is gonna be hell...." I hear Jerimiah say quietly. "Kiara!" Margie yells and wraps me in a hug, a very tight hug. She's the kind of person who can get very annoying sometimes. "Who's the new guy?" John asks, he's a big guy but is very kind. "That's Sheiba." Jerimiah says. "Guess I oughta go meet him." He says and starts walking over to him. "Wait!" I yell, but it's too late.

   Sheiba's already got him pinned on the ground. "Uh oh! Sorry, it's not smart to walk up behind me like that. My reflexes take over!" Sheiba says as he lets him go. "Ya. You learn not to do that. The last time I did I almost got my arm ripped off!" Nikkie says flexing his arm. John gets up and laughs. "That wasn't exactly the greeting I was looking for, but at least it was more exciting than a handshake! Although I can't understand how someone of your size could have thrown me to the ground seeing as big as I am." He says. Sheiba stays quiet. "Hey Jerimiah! How about a game of old maid! I'd like to take another shot at the champ!" John says. "Sadly I'm not the champ anymore." Jerimiah says and points to Sheiba. "Well then, you must be really good! How about it?" John asks. "Sure!" Sheiba says with a grin and we all go in the house. I think maybe they've played five games, all of them won by Sheiba. John reaches over and takes a card. It turns out to be the joker. "Your face gives nothing away! You must have had alot of training for something that can make you do that! What'd you do before you came here?" John asks. Sheiba's face stays emotionless then he gets a little smirk. "It's classified." He says with a smile, but his eyes seem to be warning him not to ask anymore. Everybody gets quiet. "So you must've been a secret agent or something.... but you look so young." John says quietly. Sheiba stays quiet. He can be goofy alot, but there are certain things that can make him get real quiet, just like he was a year ago. "It seems our flight leaves soon. We should be going." Margie says and they leave. The moment their car leaves the drive way the boys knock a glass of milk on the floor. "Sheiba.... meet The Ruben twins Koby and Travis..." I say. They both have dirty blonde hair and one green eye and one blue eye. The only way you can tell them apart is Koby's green eye is on the right and Travis' is on the left.

   The whole day goes by fast. The boys were a major handful. If they weren't picking on Rabbit and Jean they were breaking something! At least they're in bed now. It's actually pretty late. I was just out here looking up at the moon. Kiara comes out and sits down beside me. She stays quiet for a little while. "Here." She says and hands me a folded up denim thing. "What is it?" I ask. "It's a jacket! I made for you!" She says with a big smile. "You made it? Why?" I ask. "Well, your clothing style is a little boring! I put alot of work into it so you better wear it everyday for the rest of your life!" She says. I put it on. It's black denim with long sleeves, silver buckles, and two pockets inside and outside. "It fits perfectly! Thanks!" I tell her. "Thank goodness! I was afraid I might have to redo it!" She says leaning back. She yawns then leans against me. "If your so tired you should go to bed." I tell her. "But it gets lonely if you stare at the moon by yourself." She says. I stare at her. She's so kind to me, too kind. I don't deserve this happiness she's giving me.

  "Do you mind if I take my vacation now?" I ask my boss. "Well, you have been working hard. Go ahead! Do you need anything to take with you?" He says. "No! I'll be fine!" I tell him. I get on the next fight for California and arrive at 4:00 in the morning. My car is awaiting, a red mustang. It's my customized car for my job. I get in and drive off. It'll take a few hours to get to 'his' house. I look over at a picture on the dash. There's me when I was younger and my best friend with his curly brown hair. "I wonder if he'll even want to see me...after what I did to him..." I mumble. It's a long drive to the town where I grew up. I pull up to a convenience store and go in to get something to eat. I grab a dognut, an orange, and a cup of juice and take it to the checkout. I pay then go back to my car to eat it then listen to the radio. >As for the weather there will be clear skies and small winds with a temperature of 84....< The music comes back on as I pull out and start driving down an old dirt road. One I've been down a thousand times before.