REDEMPTION
Bill, at age nineteen sat in one of the back pews of the Anglican Church where he was attending the services. He was a tall kid, tall and large-something that had gotten him a long way in hockey and football and more recently, in intimidating anyone who got in his way. It had been five years since he had seen the inside of a church, and as the pallbearers carried the body of his grandmother inside her coffin down the centre isle he was more in a daze than any emotional state he could name. But just before the eulogy, the church organist played “Amazing Grace” which had been both his grandmother’s and his own favorite hymn. He could recall some of the words that he once sang with passion, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound… That saved a wretch like me… I once was lost but now am found… Was blind but now I see.” The old song choked him up a bit and he felt his eyes moisten, something he didn’t want to happen. He was too much of a tough guy now. He didn’t need him Mom on his case about school or a job or any teachers telling him he had to study some crap. Now that his grandmother was being buried he figured this would be about the last he would have to do with his family.
Bill couldn’t help but think that most of this service was bullshit. The pastor didn’t seem to know anything about his mother’s mom. He went on and on like they were best friends but he had never known his grandmother to attend this church. He sat through the service, munched down on some of the reception after, said hellos and goodbyes to his cousins and Uncles and, as soon as he got outside he phoned up a buddy to meet him at the small room he rented that he called home. On the way he picked up two 40 ounce bottles of cheap beer and then went home to change and get the hell away from all these formalities. And so, life went on like normal for the next few weeks.
Bill got his money the same way his Mom did, from welfare. At some point way back in school he got in one too many fights and failed one too many classes and some Doctor labelled him with a learning disability and when it came time to get his own cheque at age 18, he had no trouble doing so. The only real problem he had was making that monthly cheque last until the next one. Bill had a girl too, but it seemed she only liked him because he was huge and scary looking and no one ever messed with her or him when they were out. She said she liked his curly blonde hair and that he was cute but they hadn’t gotten to the point of co-habitating. He had a suspicion she was sleeping with someone else, but as long as she clung to him a couple of times a week and gave him what he wanted later that night he didn’t really care.
His friend Eli was a good guy, solid guy. He would never screw a guy over except maybe if he needed a drink or a hoot. He sure as hell wouldn’t rat a guy out and every time one of them or both of them had money it was a good time to celebrate with some beer. The problem came one night when they were at Eli’s apartment. They had bought a six-pack with their pooled money and it just wasn’t enough to give them a decent buzz.
“Shit man. I got an idea!” Bill said as he poured a few ounces of his beer into a glass that needed washing and pushed it over to his buddy who tipped the glass back without hesitation.
“Spill it. What’s the plan?”
“I know where my Mom keeps her spare key to the apartment, it’s just under a balcony that you can get to from outside.”
“How does that help us, dude?” Eli asked him, sounding interested.
“She always has money. Especially now I think she must have gotten something from my grandma. We go in, take a few bucks and then we can score some weed and at least another flat.” Eli’s eyes widened at the thought of 24 beer and some hoots.
