Rock Hands’ Sons

By Gene Thomas

It’s been three and a half years since Gerald Williams fought and defeated Curl Burleson in a memorable fight that people still talked about in the small community of Helton where the fight was held.

It didn’t matter that the man known as ‘Rock Hands’ hadn’t fought since the fabled ‘fight of the Century’. He was constantly getting inquiries from seedy fight promoters and young, up and coming street fighters looking to make a name for themselves.

While he knew he would fight again, Gerald had long ago decided to take his time getting back. He and Amanda were enjoying married life especially with newborn twins. But his step son Ethan was itching to take up Gerald’s mantle, and he wasn’t the only one. Others in Helton fancied themselves as Gerald’s equal. One of them in particular would prove to be a major threat to Gerald’s family, a family Gerald would soon find out had grown quite a bit since his personal odyssey began.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gene Thomas
• Release date: Sep 10, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370889631

Gene Thomas

About the Author Gene Thomas has had several major careers. His first career was in air traffic control. Another was a Defense Contractor during the Reagan era. After a career in Education and extensive travels to different countries, Gene now devotes the majority of his time to pursuing his first love, writing. You will find that Gene’s writing style has always been characterized an easy read. His books in print (Amazon, Barnes & Noble) “Tales from the Tree House, 2010”, “Tree House to Palm Trees, 2011” mark the start of a prolific writing career that includes a collection of short stories, poems and novels already posted on sites like http://www.readwave.com/doceft/ . “Rock Hands” – a Depression Era saga reminiscent of John Steinbeck will be coming out later this year. The rights to that book are currently under contract with Quattro Media Publications. Gene has finished six 26 mile marathons and thousands of shorter races and still maintains an active exercise routine that includes walking no less than four miles a day. Gene currently lives in Belize, Central America, but was born in Brooklyn New York.

Book preview

Rock Hands’ Sons

A legacy to be filled – By Some

About 85,000 words

Written by Gene Thomas

Published by Gene Thomas

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © Statement

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including recording, photocopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.

Fiction Statement

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Table of Contents

Who is checking the scales?

Their Children

Joy’s Lovers

The warrior was being watched

We went to a fight and a reunion broke out

The legacy of the lost and found

What to do and where to do it

Turk and Pug

The price of peace without remorse

Greek funeral for the Black Sheep

School’s in Session

Tune up for the show

Knowing her own mind

Little brother where were you?

Myorka’s children

Coming to America?

Barbaros’ jewels

Fights nobody wanted

I think she likes me

Promises, Promises

Obsessions of youth

The wrong grudge

Scolding

So you think you got a chance?

There can be no other

No dancing with the Devil

The second ‘Fight of the Century’

The Aftermath and the Families

Epilogue

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Who is checking the scales?

Three and a half years after their father Bo died, Ethan and Edgar Rogers came home from working in the fields and found their mother had given birth to twins.

The embarrassment of finding out what kind of man Bo was and the turmoil surrounding his death had receded very quickly in their memories. It was not hard to do since no one in their circle of friends, including their family, ever raised the subject of Derrick ‘Bo’ Rogers in their presence.

While they kept their last names in Bo’s honor, the boys had grown to love and respect their mom Amanda’s new husband, Gerald.

It had also been three and a half years since Gerald Williams fought and defeated Curl Burleson in a memorable fight that people still talked about in the small community of Helton where the fight was held.

It didn’t matter that the man known as ‘rock hands’ hadn’t fought in the three and a half years since the fabled ‘fight of the Century’. He was constantly getting inquiries from seedy fight promoters and young, up and coming street fighters looking to make a name for themselves.

While he knew he would fight again, Gerald had long ago decided to take his time getting back. He wanted to focus on his responsibilities as a husband and now a father of his and someone else’s children – at least for now.

Helton was a small agrarian community located just off the main highway with railroad spurs that connected the farm and ranch lands of the Mid-Atlantic States with the big cities in the Northeast.

The Helton stockyard had the dubious distinction of attracting the largest crowd ever to watch a bare knuckle – or street fight – in the history of the state.

Several small fortunes were made and lost on that fight, but the most significant thing to the fight’s participants was the number of scores settled outside the street fighter’s ring.

Every score that was settled after that memorable fight related to what the two fighters did – or what was done to them – long before they stood against each other.

The titanic battle was fought on the bare concrete floor of the old warehouse, whose main wall was removed so the fighters were exposed to a stockyard full of screaming people looking for blood – and to win a few dollars on their favorite guy.

Curl survived Gerald’s ‘rock hands’ only to fall victim to the vengeful family of the young man whom he had fought prior to his epic fight with Gerald.

Julius and Roxanne Stevens saw to it their son’s death would not go unpunished, even though their son sought out and entered into a fight with a man who was clearly superior to him in skills, size and experience.

In the rough and tumble world of street fighting, men were often matched against each other in ways that were usually unfair to one of the contestants. The fight Curl had with Julius Jr was no exception.

Curl’s mistake was to use the younger Stevens as an example of what he intended to do to Gerald when they fought. The example Curl made of the clearly outclassed boy was both fatal and unnecessary. When Curl delivered the final blow to his helpless opponent, the boy was already out on his feet and unaware of his surroundings.

As word of the boy’s death and his bludgeoned corpse reached his parents, the Family made a vow to avenge his death in a way that would be long, painful and satisfying – to the Family.

Their revenge was satisfied shortly after the ‘fight of the Century’. Curl Burleson did die a painful death, but his suffering did not last as long as the Family had hoped.

Earlier in the same year before Julius Jr was killed in the street fight with Curl, the Steven’s second youngest son T.T. was killed in a street fight with Gerald.

While that fight was less lopsided, Gerald’s rock hands were responsible for ending the young man’s life on another cold cement floor in a warehouse full of screaming strangers.

Julius and Roxanne later met with Gerald and Amanda on her farm and worked through the issue of T.T.’s death. It was agreed that Gerald acted honorably and was doing what he was being paid to do. T.T. simply got in over his head.

The other consideration for the Family was that Gerald’s younger brother Val was beaten to death and had his body mutilated in a misplaced attempt at revenge. No one knew who had actually done the deed, but it was clear whoever did it was acting on orders from one of Julius Sr’s other two sons.

On that note, the Stevens agreed to leave Gerald and his new found family alone.

Once their business with Curl and Gerald was completed, Julius and Roxanne retreated to their hometown and tried to pick up the pieces of their life without their two youngest sons.

But it would not be the last time they would see Gerald and his family. Not by a long shot… .

Their Children

Gerald and Amanda Williams had been married for three years, but it had taken them several miscarriages to finally produce offspring.

As they stood around their mother’s bed gaping at the two tiny, sleeping bodies curled against her, Ethan and Edgar each felt a small degree of jealousy towards their new brother and sister.

Gerald had already decided the boy would be named after his murdered brother Val, but he and Amanda were having a difficult time coming up with a name for their new daughter.

Why don’t you name her after Auntie Joy? Ethan said. The boys nodded at each other, assuming Ethan’s suggestion would solve the dilemma.

No, I want to name her after my granny. If it wasn’t for her, we would not have had this farm and a roof over our heads, Amanda said. She was still groggy from childbirth. It would be several hours before she would feel comfortable enough to get out of bed and move around the house.

I think we shall think on it for a while longer, Gerald interjected from the chair he had been sitting in next to their bed.

After all, she’s gonna have that name for the rest of her life. Whatever we do, we want her to be happy with what we’ve chosen.

The boys looked at Gerald and shuffled their feet in silent protest. They both loved their Aunt dearly, but for different reasons. The older boy, Ethan, saw his Aunt in a far different light than his younger sibling who was now the middle child – although his new birth order hadn’t dawned on him yet.

Ethan was now sixteen and had developed into a strapping young man, thanks to hours of grueling farm work. His shock of brown hair had been bleached by many hours in the sun without a hat, so it was no surprise his well-tanned skin had begun to look leathery – even at his tender age.

Ethan’s clear brown eyes always seemed to mask some inner turmoil he never wanted to share. At nearly six feet, he had already outgrown his biological father by four inches.

Edgar was a smaller version of Ethan, but just as handsome. At fourteen, Edgar would need a few more years of farm work before his physique matched his brother’s, but it was already clear to everyone Edgar really had no desire to spend the rest of his life bucking hay.

What Edgar did like to do was read. He read everything he got his hands on, which wasn’t much in those days. But Edgar had already decided he was going to finish High School and go to college. Once he finished college, Edgar announced he would seek a career in the military – as an officer.

Since Amanda and Gerald had put away a lot of their winnings from Gerald’s fight, Edgar stood a great chance of fulfilling his dream – even though he had no idea what a military life was like, nor did he realize what the state of the world would be in once he graduated.

Still all of that was a long way off and Edgar’s parents chalked it up to a young man’s dreams.

The major reason for Edgar’s distaste with farm work was the accident he had only a year earlier.

Edgar and Ethan had spent the afternoon loading hay onto a flatbed at a farm on the other side of the county, when Edgar stepped back onto a pitchfork. The weight of Edgar’s own body forced two of the forks of the pitch folk through his right heel and out the front part of his lower calf.

Since Ethan was the only other person around for miles, he was the one who removed the pitch fork and tended to Edgar’s wound.

Ethan’s ‘tending’ was basically wrapping Edgar’s leg with a spare long sleeve shirt after he poured Edgar’s portion of their water supply onto his leg.

Ethan then went back to bucking hay while Edgar sat in the seat of the truck with his leg propped up on the passenger’s door window.

By the time they got back home, Edgar’s leg was swollen, but had stopped bleeding. The next day, Edgar stayed home and Doc James, the local country doctor came over to dress the wound and douse it with iodine.

The only pain killers Edgar got was some aspirin and the first real shot of Whiskey he had ever tasted. Edgar decided he didn’t like either concoction and stayed away from both for the rest of his life.

War was approaching. The United States had remained doggedly neutral through the end of the thirties, but that neutrality was already being tested as people of German descent began to feel uncomfortable about what they were hearing from Eastern Europe.

There was a large population of German expatriates who had made Helton home, but there were also many people from Scandinavia, North Africa and the Mediterranean.

To be sure, the small farming community Gerald and Amanda lived in was as much a melting pot as any place on the east coast of the U.S. when the 1930’s came to a close.

It was only a matter of time before misplaced nationalism created rifts in even this tiny community, where everyone knew and grew up with everyone else.

Ethan was the first to notice attitude changes in people he had known from childhood.

Some of the young girls he fancied were at first drawn to him, but when they found out some of his ancestors – on his father Bo’s side, were German, they quietly but pointedly avoided him.

More importantly, Ethan stopped getting farm hand jobs that usually went begging during harvest time. The farmers he usually went to suddenly found reasons to not hire him – even though Ethan had proven to be the hardest worker in the area for his age.

The sudden chill in his community left Ethan quietly bitter and confused.

At first he thought it might still be because of his biological father’s past. But he soon dismissed that notion when he realized the men who were freezing him out never met Bo. In fact, they all thought Gerald was his father – even though they hardly looked alike.

Gerald was taller than Ethan with olive skin and dark, curly hair. While he was muscular and solidly built, Gerald’s physique was narrow approaching slender. Ethan had his father’s wider, thicker build.

It was only through extensive physical activity that Ethan’s body – even at sixteen, was more than just a tall plump German American. Ethan was already able to toss around one hundred eighty pound bales of hay using only bucking hooks, his forearms and a twisting motion of his hips and legs.

Edgar was slowly learning how to use his body more efficiently, but only because he felt compelled to do so.

Ethan was Edgar’s idol in so many ways and since Ethan could work twelve to fifteen hours a day, Edgar decided to try to keep up. Most of the time he did, but Edgar’s days in the field were numbered and everybody knew it.

Joy’s Lovers

Joy was trying hard to stay away from her sister and Gerald, but it wasn’t working out exactly the way she’d planned. Most of the time Joy spent away from Amanda and Gerald’s house she could be found working at a bar in Bethany, Delaware, a midsized town nearly fifty miles from Helton.

Joy’s vices were still the same – sex and booze. While she was only slightly particular about whom she slept with, her alcohol consumption was indiscriminate and often. The effect of Joy’s drinking and private life caught the attention of her sister the last time Joy came back to visit.

You look like something the cat threw away, sis. What’s going on in your life? Amanda asked when Joy strolled into Amanda’s kitchen and went directly to the jug of grog sitting on top of the counter next to the cupboard.

Before she answered, Joy uncorked the jug, poured a stiff drink into a tin cup and downed it without stopping. Amanda viewed what Joy had just done as her way of steadying herself before she could answer any questions.

The nearly four years she had been married to Gerald had matured Amanda and softened her attitude towards her baby sister – who was now in her mid thirties, but actually looked older than Amanda. The strength of Amanda’s relationship with Gerald was apparent to everyone, which gave Amanda a good deal of confidence, but still stuck in Joy’s craw.

What do you mean Joy shot back. I’m doin’ just fine. Are you trying to start some shit with me again? If you are, let’s be clear; I’m no longer interested in Gerald.

I only asked about you because you look worn out and tired. I also don’t remember your skin looking so pale. That’s all, really, I am concerned about ya, sis, Amanda replied in the calmest voice she could muster, completely avoiding taking the bait about Gerald. And well she did. Joy was still in lust with Gerald, and over the years had become bitter and more withdrawn from her family because of her pent up feelings for Gerald.

For his part, Gerald could feel the sexual tension whenever he was around Joy and made it a point to be cordial, but physically distant. Gerald’s distance only fed Joy’s misconception about Gerald’s feelings for her.

Joy believed Gerald would succumb to her charms if she could only get him alone. At one point, Joy even began to plan an elaborate scheme to lure Gerald into the barn where she and he would have another torrid sexual tryst on the hay – for old times’ sake.

All of Joy’s plans fell apart when she discovered that Amanda had finally gotten pregnant after nearly two years of trying. The night Gerald, Amanda and the boys were celebrating the news of the pregnancy, Joy drove to Bethany Delaware, found a bar and proceeded to drown her sorrows in what she thought would be a solitary evening.

Dan Forrest would see to it that Joy would not be alone for long.

Hello, can I buy you a drink? You seem to need someone to share a few drinks with, Dan said, sitting down at the stool next to Joy.

It was remarkable; Dan Forrest looked to Joy like he could have been Gerald’s brother, with blue eyes and blond hair. Dan was tall with broad shoulders and appeared to be growing a beard.

It must be the booze. Now everybody looks like Gerald, Joy thought.

At least in Dan’s case, she was right – it was the booze and the sexually explicit thoughts of Gerald flooding her thoughts. Joy could almost feel Gerald’s long, thick member impaling her again and again, even though she had been with two other men since Gerald and it had been a long time since she had seen him naked.

"Did you hear me? I said can I buy you a drink?" Dan repeated himself.

I’m sorry; sure you can buy me a drink. It’s just you looked so much like someone I know, except he doesn’t have blond hair. My name is Joy, what’s yours? Joy had snapped out of her funk momentarily and began to appraise the man sitting next to her.

My name is Dan, Dan Forrest. I own this place, have for about four years. I don’t remember seeing you here before. Where you from? Dan’s eyes sparkled in the dim light of the bar mostly from his delight at seeing a good looking woman alone in his place.

Business had been slow and he was worried about whether he could stay open because of the Depression.

There were still some well heeled people who combed the Maryland/Delaware coastal cities looking for secluded places to take their wives or mistresses. When he saw Joy come in, Dan’s first thought was she was probably waiting for her lover or husband to show up. After about an hour, Dan decided she was there alone.

You probably don’t know where it is, but I’m from a little town called Helton. It’s about fifty miles from here, ever heard of it? Joy said.

Whether it was the booze or the aura of the man, Joy couldn’t be sure. But she decided before he bought her the first drink, she would take him to bed with her that night, and maybe a few nights after that for good measure. She needed to wash the memory of Gerald’s sex out of her system, and this handsome bar owner was as good a ‘bar of soap’ as any she’d seen in a long time.

Helton? Sure I know the place. I went to a street fight there a few years ago. They called it the ‘Fight of the Century’. There was some guy they called ‘Rock hands’ who fought the local pro and knocked him out. But not before the two really went at it. I tell you, that was some fight. By any chance did you see it? Dan’s eyes sparkled even brighter as he remembered the fight.

Yeah, I saw the fight, Joy said matter-of-factly. She had no desire to reveal her role in the fight or her relationship to the fighters.

She had enough of the ‘Fight of the Century’ to last her for the rest of her life. More importantly, Joy was in town looking for someone who could erase the residual memories of the fight from her mind.

Obviously this guy Dan had no idea who she was, he was simply trying to pick her up using whatever conversation he thought would make a connection. Little did he realize that when he sat down next to Joy, he had already scored.

There was more conversation between Joy and Dan, but after Dan’s recollections of the fight finally faded from his lips, he came right to the point.

If you’re here alone, why not let me fix you a drink in my cabin? If you get tired, I have a big wide bed we – I mean you – can sleep on. Whadda ya say? Dan looked around the bar and realized the only other couple there was preparing to leave. So he hurried over to their table and thanked them for their patronage. When he returned, Joy was standing up out of her seat reaching for her coat.

So where’s this cabin of yours? Joy said. Her skirt had slid up on the chair without her knowledge, revealing her long nylon covered legs.

Do you mind waiting while I close up? It will only take a few minutes, Dan said as he hurried around the end of the bar to turn off the small lanterns that gave the place its soft warm glow. By the time he was finished, Joy was standing by the back door that Dan had indicated they would be going through, tapping her foot.

Once inside the cabin, and Dan had lit a few lamps, Joy noticed the interior had been well appointed – as if done by a woman. Even in her alcohol induced perception, Joy had no problem realizing that Dan was a married man whose wife was gone for whatever reason.

But at this point Joy didn’t care. She wanted some fresh dick, and Dan certainly was indicating his willingness to provide her with as much as she wanted – tonight at least.

Joy walked over to the small bar near the entrance to the kitchen and leaned against it with her back. Dan came over and put his arms between hers and rested his hands on the bar. As their lips touched, Joy’s hips pushed forward into Dan as she felt her womanhood grow moist with anticipation.

Dan’s tongue pushed deep into Joy’s mouth, tasting her while he fondled her large smooth breasts through her dress and coat. Soon Joy felt Dan’s manhood increase as he pushed her legs apart while they stood together at the bar.

Finally, Joy broke free and walked to the middle of the living room. As she took off her coat, she watched Dan pull his shirt and sweater off in unison and over his head revealing a barrel chest with huge tufts of gray and blond hair covering what she could see of his body.

Joy reached back to her neck and undid the zipper of her dress, spreading her shoulders so the zipper would continue to open, but suddenly stopped.

Where’s that drink you promised me? she said.

I never promised you a drink, only a bed and it’s in there. If you want a drink, I’ll be glad to serve you in bed. What do ya want? Dan stopped unbuckling his belt and moved slowly to the bedroom door with Joy following close behind.

I changed my mind. I think I’ll take the bed and some of this… Joy said, reaching around and fondling Dan’s stiffened manhood.

Dan reacted by turning and picking Joy up by her waist and legs, walking into the room and tossing her on the large bed.

Joy had never slept on any bed this large before, much less made love on one. While she scrambled to remove her dress, she watched Dan drop his pants and undershorts in one motion, exposing his throbbing manhood.

There were no further words spoken, only grunts and soft moaning, as Dan didn’t give Joy time to remove her knickers or garters and nylons. He simply pushed himself into the left leg of her flimsy undergarment and entered Joy’s moistness with a single thrust.

Before Joy knew what had happened, Dan had climaxed. If he had thrust more than five times, Joy sure didn’t notice.

He was done and rolling over on his right side before Joy could bring her legs down. She had hoisted her legs high in the air to allow greater access to her hungry insides, but Dan really didn’t care about Joy’s pleasure. He was drunk and now sated. As far as he was concerned, it was time for them to go to sleep.

Joy watched angrily as Dan lapsed into a loud snoring slumber on the far side of the bed. She decided this bed was as good as any, so she got up, went to the wash basin on the other side of the bed and used the towel and water to clean herself off. Then she went back to the other side of