Chapter 74

"Jimmy, I just noticed the TV's display back here and it made me think of something I saw not long ago on one of those scientific channels. Video cameras have gotten so small and tough some companies are using them for a rear view instead of the mirrors," Bill said.

For a second I considered only what Bill had actually said and then it came to me it wasn't exactly what he'd been getting at. If the cameras could show a rear view they could show other views too.

"I'd never thought of it, but it might be helpful to have several cameras giving different views," I said.

"Especially for a young man of your means. You might even want one showing you what was going on in the sleeper while your were driving, in case you had a few of your closest companions around," Bill said, and made it sound lecherous.

That's the way I took it anyway and I'm sure we were on the same page.

"It would also be great to put one looking down from your mirrors," Bill said.

"Huh, what would that show me?" I asked.

"It would keep you from craning your neck to look down into the cars that pass you. You know, the ones with women in them, women who don't realize you can see what they are or aren't wearing," Bill said.

"I hadn't thought of that either, but I can see where I'd have a front row seat. How did you ever think of it?"

"You'd be surprised at the different ways a long haul driver can find to amuse himself during the trips. You'll also soon be surprised at the number of women who seem to need to air things out as they're driving along," Bill said.

"Sounds like a few cameras around could be fun, but I wonder where we can find out more about them?"

"I know someone who will be happy to get the details for us. Lately, Jeff has been feeling very sorry for the way he dragged his feet with our computer hardware," Mom said, with a nasty laugh.

"It looked like he was hard at it last time I saw him," I said.

"I'm sure it did. After he and George got their treatment I told them they'd be spending some time licking each other's assholes if I caught them stalling again. Jeff and George are making excellent progress now," Mom said.

Bill and I both lost it laughing at Mom's deadpan delivery and at the predicament Jeff and George had gotten themselves into. They'd just gone along blissfully dragging their feet for no good reason, secure in the knowledge they could get away with it by spouting techno babble when they were confronted. It's hard to get away with things when you aren't able to lie at all anymore.

Mom was right though, if anyone knew about some new type of technical toy, it was Jeff. I decided he needed a few more days to get the home schooling computers set up before he got on the peek into the fronts seats project. I wouldn't mention it just yet.

When we were back to the street we set out for Tom's lot. I hooked the flatbed when we got there and we went right back home. There was still a long line of trucks headed for the back yard but Chucky seemed to be holding most of them on the street now.

I guessed it might be getting a little crowded back behind the house, even if there was plenty of acreage. The trucks out on the street mostly had loads of the precast concrete sections and probably weren't needed yet. I was just glad they had my parking spot reserved right in front of the house.

When we headed inside I saw the new driveway for Jacob and I was nearly done. The concrete was poured already and now they were finishing it.

"Bill, how long will it take the concrete to dry?" I asked.

"It will be mostly cured by tomorrow, but it isn't really drying, or at least that isn't the point," Bill said.

"What do you mean?"

"The water is put in it to start the chemical reaction. It's what it does to get hard, it goes through a chemical reaction. I'm not sure what happens to the water but I do know the concrete will get hard even if the water doesn't go away," Bill said.

It didn't sound right to me, but I decided I didn't care. I just wanted to quit parking out on the street, even if I was going to have to learn to back out of the driveway. Surely I'd get the hang of it sooner or later.

I saw Jacob when we were inside and he gave me a rundown on driving over the road.

"Mostly, it sucks. Oh, it's fun at first, but after a while it's just boring. I can see where it would be an all right job, mostly. Sherry told me helping load or unload often went right along with it though and that could really suck," he said.

"Well, I wasn't looking for a job and you aren't either. We're just doing it for fun, really," I said.

"I hope we keep just doing it for fun then. I'll admit it's fun to have a big truck you can drive around whenever you want to. Driving it around when you don't really want to is the hard part," he said.

"How was it sleeping in the bunk while the truck was moving?" I asked.

"Impossible, that's how it was. Sherry told me it takes a while to get used to it and I believe her. Mostly I just lay there and tried to rest my eyes, I never did fall asleep the whole time," Jacob said.

"What do you think about all this crap going on around the house?"

"I don't know which way to look, and when I do look I don't understand what I'm seeing. There are men working all over the place. I thought we had some real construction going on when it was just Scott, extending the house. I can't keep up with what they're doing now," he said.

"I can't either. I went out and took one look at the new basement and just turned around and came back inside," I said.

"Basement, I didn't even know we were getting a basement," he said.

"Come on, I'll show you."

We walked out back and Jacob's expression must have been like mine was when I first saw it. His mouth was hanging open and he didn't know what to look at.

"All that stuff Scott did is gone now," he said.

"Yep, it was in the way of the basement. I think Scott and his guys are working on outbuildings or something. There are some starting up out there," I said.

"I just hope I don't have to figure out anything too complicated to get to my room," Jacob said.