Chapter 2: The Money on the Counter
Jalen stared at the towel as if his father had placed a dead animal in front of him.
"You're serious?"" he asked.
Terrence didn't move.
"Does it look like I'm joking?""
Jalen glanced at Keisha.
"Mom?""
Keisha shook her head.
"Terrence, we are not doing this in front of customers.""
Terrence looked toward the waiting line.
"Then we should probably stop arguing and get back to running the business.""
He pointed at the towel.
"Jalen, that SUV in bay three needs its wheels cleaned. The customer paid for a full detail.""
Jalen laughed nervously.
"Dad, I don't know why you're acting like I don't work here.""
"Then show me.""
"I do plenty around here.""
"Name one thing you did today.""
Jalen looked at his mother again.
Keisha stepped forward.
"He handles things that you don't always see.""
Terrence nodded.
"Such as?""
"He helps me with customers.""
"Which customers?""
"Terrence, stop interrogating him.""
Terrence took a breath.
"Keisha, I watched Noah work for four hours. I watched you refuse to pay him. Then I watched you hand Jalen money. If there's something I'm missing, explain it.""
Jalen shoved his phone into his pocket.
"I don't have to prove myself every time you walk in.""
"No," Terrence replied.
"But if you're going to collect a paycheck, you should be able to explain what you did to earn it.""
A customer pulled into the parking lot and lowered his window.
"Hey, is somebody going to take my car?""
Terrence immediately stepped aside.
"Yes, sir. We'll be right with you.""
He looked at Noah.
"Stay seated.""
Then he walked toward the customer.
Noah leaned back in the chair.
His hands were trembling slightly.
Not because he was afraid.
Because he was angry.
He had never minded helping at the car wash. When he was younger, he used to follow his father around with a little broom, sweeping water away from the entrance.
Terrence would sometimes lift him onto an empty bucket and let him pretend to be the manager.
"You keep this place clean, Noah," his father used to say.
"One day, you'll understand that every business runs because somebody is willing to do the work nobody notices.""
Noah had believed him.
But lately, working for the family had become something different.
Jalen got credit.
Noah got instructions.
Jalen got money.
Noah got told to be grateful.
Keisha walked over and lowered her voice.
"Why are you sitting there looking miserable?""
Noah looked up.
"I'm tired.""
"Everybody gets tired.""
"I've been working all afternoon.""
"And your father told you to sit down. So what's the problem?""
Noah stared at her.
"You just gave him my money.""
Keisha's eyes narrowed.
"Watch how you speak to me.""
"I'm not being disrespectful. I'm asking why he gets paid for not working.""
Jalen stepped closer.
"Man, shut up already.""
Noah turned toward him.
"Why? Because I'm saying what everybody can see?""
Jalen grabbed the towel from the counter and dropped it onto Noah's lap.
"Here. Since you're so good at cleaning cars, finish mine too.""
Noah pushed it off his knees.
"That's your job now.""
Jalen's face tightened.
Before he could respond, Terrence returned.
He had finished speaking with the customer and was carrying a clipboard.
"What's happening?""
"Your son is getting an attitude," Keisha said.
Terrence looked at Noah.
"Did you say something disrespectful?""
"No, sir.""
"Then tell me what happened.""
Jalen rolled his eyes.
"Nothing. He's just mad because he didn't get paid.""
Terrence placed the clipboard on the counter.
"That's a reasonable thing to be mad about.""
Keisha threw her hands up.
"Oh, so now we're teaching him to demand money from his own mother?""
Terrence's voice remained calm.
"We're teaching him that work has value.""
He pulled out a small notepad and looked at Noah.
"What time did you start?""
"Noon.""
"How many cars?""
"Three full details, five exterior washes, and I cleaned the waiting area.""
Terrence wrote it down.
"Did you take a break?""
"No.""
Terrence stopped writing.
"Not even lunch?""
Noah shook his head.
Terrence looked at Keisha.
"You didn't give him a break?""
"He never asked.""
"He's seventeen.""
"And he's old enough to work.""
"Exactly. Old enough to work. Old enough to be paid.""
Jalen laughed.
"You're making this sound like some big crime.""
Terrence turned to him.
"Nobody said it was a crime. We're talking about fairness.""
Jalen pulled the bills from his pocket and counted them again.
"Fine. How much does he want?""
Noah looked at him.
"I don't want your money.""
"Then what are we arguing about?""
"I want the money I earned.""
For a second, Jalen had no answer.
Terrence nodded.
"That's the difference.""
Keisha walked behind the register.
"Terrence, we have bills to pay. We can't start paying every family member every time they help.""
Terrence looked at the register.
"That's why we have a payroll budget.""
"Jalen's money was already accounted for.""
"Then show me the hours.""
Keisha froze.
Terrence held out his hand.
"Bring me the time sheet.""
"Why?""
"Because I want to check today's payroll.""
She looked toward the office.
Then back at him.
"It's not finished.""
"That's fine. I'll wait.""
Jalen suddenly became interested in his phone.
Noah noticed.
His brother had been relaxed all afternoon. Now he was tapping his foot and glancing toward the office door.
Terrence opened the clipboard.
"Actually, let's do this properly. I'll check the schedule, the time sheets, and the payment records.""
Keisha's face changed.
"There's no need to drag the whole business into this.""
"The business is already involved.""
Terrence walked toward the office.
Jalen followed him with his eyes.
Then he leaned toward his mother.
"Mom, just give him something. This is ridiculous.""
Keisha whispered back.
"Don't worry. Your father doesn't know everything.""
Noah heard her.
He looked up.
"What does that mean?""
"Nothing," she snapped.
Terrence stopped at the office doorway.
"Keisha. I need the payroll folder.""
She didn't move.
"Terrence, I said it's not ready.""
He turned around.
"Then tell me where it is.""
For several seconds, Keisha stood perfectly still.
Finally, she walked behind the counter and reached into the bottom drawer.
She pulled out a thick black folder.
Terrence took it.
He opened the first page.
Then the second.
His eyebrows drew together.
He turned another page.
And another.
Noah watched his father's expression change.
"What is it, Dad?""
Terrence didn't answer immediately.
He looked at Jalen.
Then at Keisha.
"Why does this sheet say Jalen worked six hours today?""
Jalen shrugged.
"Because I was scheduled.""
Terrence tapped the paper.
"This isn't a schedule. It's a completed time sheet.""
Keisha quickly reached for the folder.
"Let me explain.""
Terrence held it away from her.
He looked down at the next line.
Then he read it aloud.
"And why does it say Noah wasn't scheduled to work at all?""
Noah slowly stood up.
He hadn't expected his father to find anything unusual.
But now he was looking at a page that seemed to erase the entire afternoon he had spent working.
Terrence turned toward his younger son.
"Did you sign this?""
"No, Dad.""
"Did you tell your mother to put your name down for zero hours?""
"No.""
Terrence looked back at Keisha.
She opened her mouth.
But before she could speak, Jalen stepped forward.
"Mom, tell him what you told me about the payroll.""
Terrence raised his eyes.
"What did she tell you?""
Jalen looked at his mother.
For the first time, his expression wasn't confident.
It was frightened.
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And then he said something that made Noah forget all about the money in his brother's hand.
"She said my name was supposed to be on every shift Noah covered.""
