TEN SECONDS , The Kenny Ackerman Story BOOK ONE~ ORIGINS ,by Melly O'Hara

LEVI

"Oh, boo- fuckin'- hoo. Let's bring out the violins! What the fuck has this got ta do with Kuchel?" I asked. "I don' care 'bout some slobs hard luck story, Things are rough all over – for EVERYBODY! This world ain' no fairy-tale for fuck's sake!"

"Well", Bob continued, completely ignorin' me. "Well, he, Levi, comes in and orders some food, the cheapest we got and took one of our cheapest rooms for the night and....well....um.. l don't really know what happened. He was telling us his story, just the same as l told you here, and asked about any work in these parts. I told him the Old Grand mine, just south of here was hiring a few months back, that he could try there.

He was a nice kid, quiet. Good manners, paid without haggling and.. well Kuchel just seemed to take to him. By evening's end , after her shift was over, she was sitting at his table. And though they didn't seem to be saying much, it was like they were in a world of their own and the rest of us didn't exist.

So, anyways, next morning Levi left and Kuchel seemed sad to watch him go, but we pointed him in the direction of the Old Grand mine and told him where to find the cheapest rooms close to the mine, if he got the job. And that was that. I thought nothing more about it, until he came back a couple of days later to thank us, because he'd been hired and found rooms he could afford to rent. The wages weren't good and the rooms were pretty basic, but he was grateful. But you know what l noticed?" Bob asked.

"What did you notice, Sherlock?" I asked sacastically.

"When he walked through that doorway, she smiled. Not big, you understand, but a small smile just played on her lips and her eyes got a little sparkle to them. Come to think of it, he had the same sparkle when he saw her working at the bar.

And that was the beginning. From then on, he would come to the bar after work and he and Kuchel would just sit at a corner table, their heads together, in their own world. As time went on, he took her dancing! Can you imagine Kuchel dancing?! She was happy and he was always a right gentleman, always asked my permission, had her back at a decent hour and never tried anything funny, I swear to you Kenny. Otherwise, you know l would have said no, but she was so HAPPY."

"So's not only did ya do nothin'.... Ya actually encouraged the little runt, while ta jus' stood there fingerin' ya own ass-crack?! Fuckin' Hell!! I trusted you BOB!" I sneered at him."

"Kenny, that's not fair. My wife and l both cautioned her and made her keep curfew. But, she is nearly grown, Kenny, " he replied.

"Yeah, Bob. NEARLY grown! She's not eighteen for another month, yet Bob! An' ya did such a good job that she's out now dancin' 'round the town with this Levi, nobody fuckin' asshole. Fuckin' brilliant Bob! Well I'll jus' stay here 'til he brings her home an' then I'll go introduce myself ta him an' sort this crap out once an' for all!" I stated, pourin' myself another drink.

"Aaahhhh.....well.. you see", Bob began. "That's not really going to do you much good."

"Why the fuck not?" l asked.

"Ummm, because about four months ago, Levi came over for Kuchel and they picked up her things and left. She's gone to live with him," Bob finished.

"She's gone ta WHAT?!" I screamed, as l jumped up, nearly knockin' the desk over an' spillin' all whiskey.

"Whadda ya mean 'she's gone ta live with him? Where? Why?"

"Hang on Kenny. Just hang on. I've got the address right here. You can go see for yourself that she's okay", Bob answered, shovin' a piece o' paper inta my hand.

"See she's okay?! Are you outta your God-fearin' mind?! I'm haulin' her ass back here, toot-fuckin'-sweet!" I yelled as l pushed past him an' out the door.