I excuse myself to find the restroom. As I return to the waiting area, everyone is standing around talking, except for Luke. I wonder where he went. My aunt hugs me, and we all head outside to the parking lot. Luke is standing at his truck. Ernie walks up to him, they shake hands, then embrace in a light hug.
Luke opens his door, about to climb in his truck, but stops and walks towards me. I look around for Jason, but I notice he is in his parents' car talking with Gladys. I look back at Luke.
"Can I give you a ride home?" he asks.
I look at Ernie, and he gives me a "go ahead" nod and smiles before turning to shake my uncle's hand.
"Sure," I reply.
A spark of excitement ignites through my body. Finally, I may be able to find out more about him. I say goodbye to my aunt and uncle, hugging them both tight. I wave to Ernie and Gladys, then walk with Luke to his truck. He opens my door for me and helps me up inside. He walks around the front of the vehicle and climbs up into the driver's seat. He closes his door and lets out a slow breath.
"I bet you have a lot of questions you would like to ask me," Luke says as he looks over at me.
He must have read my mind; I have a plethora of questions to ask him. I'm glad that he took the initiative. I look at him and nod. He turns the ignition, starting his truck, then shifts it into gear, and we begin to leave the parking lot.
Chapter Eleven
As we sit in silence, I notice how nice Luke's truck is. The inside is spotless with a light grey leather interior.
"What year is this?" I speak up, trying to break the quiet.
Luke looks over at me, with a raised eyebrow and a puzzled stare behind his eyes wondering why I might be asking something that is so far from the topic we need to discuss.
"It's a twenty-seventeen," he replies.
I can tell he is searching for the words to begin his story- how he came about here and his relationship with my father. I notice his apprehensiveness as he grips his bright orange steering wheel with both of his palms as he rolls them forward and back. Patiently, I wait for him to start talking.
"I'm not a bad person, contrary to what you've heard," Luke says as he grips tighter on his steering wheel. "Honestly, if your dad were here, he'd back me up on that."
I listen, without saying a word, while he tells me his entire story. He begins by saying that he is originally from San Diego, California. He was born and raised there. He got into some trouble and was sentenced to seven years in prison.
He was in a toxic on-and-off-again relationship with a girl who repeatedly accused him of cheating. Luke assured me that he had never cheated on her. They broke up, and three months later, she came back, claiming that she was pregnant. She demanded he take her back and help her raise their baby. His mother told him that he could still be a man by being there to help raise their child, but he did not need to put himself through that toxic relationship again. Since the girl was upset with his decision, she had her brother and a group of guys go after Luke. They jumped him one night after he got off work.
A few days later, he came home from work to find his mother's house, engulfed in flames. His mother was trapped inside. She received severe burns to her arms, chest, and face.
In a burst of rage, he went to the girl's house to find her brother. Luke beat him within an inch of his life, and he would've killed him if it weren't for the police ripping them apart. He was sentenced to seven years in prison for first-degree assault with an attempt to kill. However, he was released after only three years for good behavior. His mom came to visit a few times once she healed from her burns, but she decided to move to Arizona to live with a friend. Luke hasn't seen his mother since but speaks to her quite often; he goes on to say.
The baby was born while he was incarcerated, and he took a paternity test to find out that the baby was not his. The girl had been the one cheating, not Luke. When released from prison, there was nothing left for him in San Diego, and he wanted to leave his past behind him.
So, he took whatever little money he had and hitchhiked across the country. He stopped here and there along the way. When he arrived in Colorado, he stayed for a few weeks with a guy who picked him up in Las Vegas. He took on doing odd jobs to make a few bucks. He also traded work for a motorcycle before leaving Colorado and making his way to Wisconsin. He said that he was passing through when his bike broke down, and my father picked him up.
My father gave him a meal, a warm place to sleep, and even offered to help him fix his bike. Luke continued to tell me that he told my father he had no money to pay for the parts, but my dad said it was fine. He could work the debt off. Luke worked night and day for my dad, and anytime my dad needed help. He would also work when someone did not show up for their scheduled shift at the shop. Eventually, he and my dad grew a quick and healthy bond. My dad
