177 - Tattoos and Tacos
*My last act is to be permanently embedded into the skin of every Saint that I have loved. Everyone of you that accepted me. Dino, I want you to design me a tattoo. Pretty and pink. – Becks*
After everyone who wanted to speak had done so, Molly walked over and picked up the wooden urn that held his wife’s ashes. Dan approached him and offered a supportive hug.
“Don’t worry about taking it right now, brother,” Dan told him. “The chapel is closed today; we can come back and get it all.”
He mumbled his thanks and pounded the smaller man on his back.
Molly carried the beautiful urn down the aisle and was followed by his family and then the Saints and everyone else fell in behind them. The kids were all settled into the car seats as all the riders moved to their bikes. Once everyone was settled, Priscilla, Camille and the musketeers started up their engines at the back of the very long line of bikes.
Reving their engines, they lead the final salute before the ride. Members of the Las Vegas Metro Police Department Motorcycle Unit joined in the salute as they waited to escort the group. The officers riding in patrol vehicles flipped on their lights and sirens to show their support.
Dino had already programmed the address of the tattoo shop and the route to get there into Molly’s phone. With Becks’ ashes securely tucked into his saddlebag and Eliza sitting behind him, he reached down and squeezed his daughter’s knee before he pushed off and headed towards the tattoo parlor.
The police escorts blocked the intersections on the pre-approved route. As soon as Dan heard that Becks had passed, and they had a date for her celebration, he applied for a parade permit. At first the city and county had balked, because it was less than the preferred 30 days.
He went back the next day with an estimated number of bikes and other vehicles that would be in the funeral procession. Along with the estimated two-hundred and fifty guests, he also told them about all the good she had done. Not just in Massachusetts, but with the Open Arms charity that was also there in Las Vegas.
On the third day, he went armed with the city, county and state statutes that said that the 30 days was preferred, but not required. When they still were not convinced, he called Celt’s uncle who called the local senator. After a quick phone call from the US Senator, the Special Event Permit was approved.
Molly followed the route and pulled into the large parking lot of the strip mall with Tripple D Tattoo Parlor. He parked in front of the main door and saw the sign on the door.
*Closed in honor of Momma Becks. No walk-ins. Private appointments only. David, Daniel and Dora*
The three siblings had apprenticed under Tats at the tattoo parlor back in Monroe. When Dino had called and told them about Becks’ request, they had promised as many chairs as was needed. The two brothers and sister rolled around the back of the building and then Dora came up through the shop to open the door.
Although the overhead lights came on, the window lights remained off. Dino and his five artists quickly set up having been there earlier to claim their chairs. The first tattoos went to Molly and the pretties. While they were in the chairs, Priscilla connected to the speaker system and started her playlist with Momma Becks’ favorite music.
The song that Camille had sung was one of the first songs on the list. The women sang along again, as did a few of the men who knew it.
At the odd look that he was getting, Chance shrugged. “I’m confident enough to be my mother’s savage daughter.
His mother kissed his cheek. “I’m glad to hear that.”
Rye snuggled against her husband, with his arms around her, they both sang the next chorus together.
David ran the tattoo through their printer making various sizes that the different artists would need. Molly got his on his forearm. Each of the pretties got theirs on their inner wrists. Priscilla and Eliza, the only little pretties old enough to get tattoos, Eliza by only a few weeks, both got theirs on the forearm.
For the first time in over six months, Priscilla was not wearing long sleeves. Her parents saw the property patch on her upper arm for the first time. It was obvious that it had been there for several months. Leo seemed quite proud to have his name on her skin. They couldn’t tell what her opinion was.
Daniel and Dora used practice tattoo guns with pink ball point pens in them to give the younger little pretties their memorial tattoos. When they were done, they told each of them that when they were old enough, they would do the memorial tattoo free of charge.
Molly and his pretties noticed that when Priscilla was done, Leo gave his spot to Camille. Before she could take her spot, Darkness picked her up and settled in the chair with her in his lap. When Dino was through with hers, Darkness presented his arm and received the tattoo on his arm, just below his elbow.
“Ummmm….” Dino looked at the dark skin and his pale pink ink.
“I’m sure that a brighter pink will appear pale on me.”
“Good point,” Dino agreed as he leaned over to look at the ink colors on the shelf behind the chair. He picked a new pink and set up his borrowed station with the new color. “Cookie, Kilo, I’ve got you guys over here.”
The two cousins and the other darker skinned brothers shifted over to Dino’s station. Cookie sat down in Darkness’ place when his tattoo was completed, and a protective ointment placed over it. Dino had just placed the stencil on Cookie’s inner bicep when the door opened.
“We’re closed,” David said from behind the reception desk.
“Yeah, uhhh….” The man standing at the door looked confused. “About three months ago, we received a catering order to here for the day that the Eternal Love Wedding Chapel was closed.”
“Okay?” David asked, indicating that the man needed to explain.
Nervously, the delivery man pulled out a pink envelope and held it out. He looked around at the many women in the building. “Molly?”
Molly stepped forward and took the envelope. His name was in big bold script that he did not recognize was on the front. Opening the pink envelope that matched Becks’ personal stationery, he found a single piece of matching paper with Becks’ handwriting on it.
*My darling love, my Molly,*
*I am now gone and can only hope that I am with our baby Angel and sweet Jess. I’m sure you’ve said some sweet things about me. Although I’m not sure that I deserve all of your wonderful words, I want you to remember that you are not alone. Our other pretties are still there with you.*
*My final gift to my loved ones, is one last meal from me. Since you always said that I was a short order cook, I found one for you. There is probably a very confused person standing in the Triple D waiting for further instructions.*
*There should be a taco truck outside because I know how much you like tacos. All kinds of tacos. Especially juicy and messy tacos. Pink tacos. Middle eastern tacos. Irish tacos. Hispanic tacos. Choco tacos.*
*Don’t ever lose your appetite my darling Molly. For tacos, or for life.*
*Forever yours,*
*Your Becks*