Tales of the Ragoon, Kate's Movie Star (15 page)

“Not yet,” said Runyon. “I’m waiting for the
right moment. Like maybe over her cell.”

“I’m not sure that she’s going to be happy
about this.”

“It gets worse,” sighed Runyon. “She has to
live in the dorms for a year. She’ll only be staying with me on
weekends and holidays.”

Carlos chuckled. “I’m glad that I’m not the
one who must tell her that.”

“Tell me about it.”

The Ragoon encouraged people to have public
celebrations on the Fourth of July, as long as independence was not
mentioned, and as long a certain documents were not read and
certain songs were not played or sung.

Many people still attended public gatherings
on the Fourth, to drink and to eat or to watch fireworks.

But many other people gathered together on
the Fourth of July in the privacy of homes. There, they read the
forbidden documents, they sang the forbidden songs, they told their
children about their heritage, and they mourned what they had
lost.

So it happened at the Garcia home. But they
still drew pleasure in one another’s company. Carlos lit the grill
and did hamburgers and hot dogs.

Kate and Runyon were surprised to see Kurt
Santini show up.

“I hear that you are moving in with Runyon,”
said Kurt to Kate.

“You heard right,” replied Kate.

Santini looked at Runyon, and then he reached
into his pocket.

“Okay, you win,” he said. “Here are the keys
to my car.”

“What’s this?” asked Kate.

“I bet him that he wouldn’t have the balls to
ask you to go with him,” explained Santini.

“What?” exclaimed Kate turning to glare at
Runyon.

“Not true,” responded Runyon hurriedly. “He
bet me that I couldn’t make you happy.”

“Oh,” said Kate. She turned back to Dr.
Santini. “In that case, you lose. But I don’t suppose that you two
idiots remembered what happened to those kids in Oakdale who made a
bet?”

“We would never bet on a person,” said Runyon
in his defense. “We only bet the titles to our cars. So where’s the
title?” he asked Kurt.

“Right here.” Santini pulled the paper out of
his pocket, and he handed it to Runyon.

“Yesssss…” crowed Runyon.

He looked at the title and frowned.

“Wait a minute,” he objected. “You made this
title out to Kate.”

Santini shrugged. “Same difference,” he
noted.

“What?” yelled Kate. “Let me see that.” She
yanked the title out of Runyon’s hand and examined it.

“All right!” she beamed. “Thanks a lot, Dr.
Santini. Would you mind if I called you ‘Pop’?”

“Kate,” bellowed Runyon.

“Kate Garcia, I would be honored to have you
call me ‘Pop’,” replied Kurt Santini.

Kate flung her arms around Runyon, “Thanks
for the car, Sweetheart,” she said.

Runyon gave in. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, you’re
welcome,” he replied as he glared across Kate’s shoulder at his
former step father.

Kate yelled at Matt to take the suitcases out
of Runyon’s car and to put them in Dr. Santini’s car. Matt yelled
back that he was on the phone to Ashley, and that she should do it
herself. Runyon went to his room to get the title to his car.

“I’ll do the suitcases,” said Pete.

“Thanks, Pete,” said Kate and she gave him a
kiss.

“Don’t slobber on me,” complained Pete.

“I have the title to my car,” said Runyon
when he returned.

“Never mind,” said Santini. “I don’t actually
want that old clunker. I’ve been thinking about buying myself a
Maserati.”

“Ha, ha,” said Runyon. “Here, Juan. I’ll make
the title out to you.”

“You’re giving me your car? Thanks, Runyon,”
babbled Juan.

“Yeah, thanks, Runyon,” growled Juan’s
father.

“How will you get home, Pop?” asked Kate.

“Kate,” fumed Runyon.

“I’m taking him home tomorrow,” said her
father. “We talked about it before he came down from
Sacramento.”

“Where are you going to sleep?” asked Pete
innocently.

Everyone stopped talking.

No one said a word, and then Carlos spoke.
“So, do you think that the Giants will take the pennant this
year?”

Later, Kate put sheets and blankets on the
bare mattress on the bed in the bomb shelter.

“My brothers will probably be embarrassing me
until the day I die,” she grumbled to Runyon as she lay next to him
on her bed. He laughed and pulled her against him.

“You’re not touching me until we get to your
house,” she warned him.

The following day, Kate grudgingly agreed to
let Runyon drive her car while she sat in the passenger seat. After
some tearful farewells, they drove away. Kate turned to wave one
last time to her family. They had already turned away and had
gathered around Runyon’s old car.

At the MHRC, the District Supervisor asked
for their reports.

“He doesn’t drink to excess anymore, and he
is a more careful driver,” said Kate. “He can still be obnoxious at
times, but he’s working on it.”

“She follows the rules a lot better now, and
she has more respect for those in authority over her,” said Runyon.
“She can be annoying at times, but she’s working on it.”

“Very well,” said the District Supervisor
through it’s muzzle translator. “Here is an adage from one of your
spiritual books. ‘Go. And sin no more.’”

“Here’s one for you,” replied Kate sweetly.
“'Physician, heal thyself.'” Runyon winced.

“I think that we are done here,” interjected
Jane Laurence hastily. “The District Supervisor has much more
important work to do.”

Quickly, she helped Runyon push Kate out of
the office. Kate and Runyon got into her car and headed south.

“Physician, heal thyself?” said the District
Supervisor. “What does that mean?”

“Who knows?” said Jane. “She’s just a child.
Children are full of silly sayings.”

The Ragoon grunted.

“How was the reception to the movie that was
shown last night?” it asked.

“The prisoners enjoyed it very much, sir,’
replied Jane. “Thank you for allowing that.”

The Ragoon grunted again.

Mentally, Jane remembered that the movie,
‘The Bikini Wax Collector,’ had featured Kate’s movie star.