"Mike! Give me a whiskey and water," Weaver shouted over the din in the "Dinosaur Lounge."

    "Keep your pants on, Weaver," Mike shouted back.

    Weaver had been a regular at the Dinosaur for as long as the building had been standing. He had drank through the seven  various owners and name changes and survived them all. Weaver and Mabel, a waitress who had been kept on through the last five ownership changes, knew just about everyone who frequented the Dinosaur.

    "Here ya go, Weaver," Mike said as he set the drink down in front of him on the old mahogany bar that had seen better days. "Seems that every biker for miles around is in here tonight."

    "You're not complaining, are you, Mike?"

    "Naw, it's just that Mabel called in saying she'd be at the hospital tonight with her oldest kid."

    "Mabel's a good waitress, Mike. Lots of people come in here because they enjoy the way she treats them. Real personal service and all with a smile."

    "Yeah, she has a way with folks, Weaver, but her life's really been messed up lately. Seems that her oldest kid is pretty sick. The outlook isn't very good."

    "No kidding? You wouldn't know anything was wrong. I was in last night and she didn't say a word."

    Weaver thought about the way that Mabel always had a kind word for everyone. When one of the regulars showed up short of cash and in need of a drink, she would always buy one with the money in her tip jar. She had a soft heart, but she also had a very tough side that showed up whenever trouble broke out in the Dinosaur. No one messed with Mabel after the time that she sliced up a drugged up biker who was giving Mike a hard time. Even the bikers in the unfortunate man's brotherhood didn't fault Mabel when she protected her turf. Even if her name was not on the papers, Mabel took keeping order in the Dinosaur personally.

    "Mike, when you get a minute, head back over here okay?" Weaver shouted.

    Mike nodded and kept filling glasses and pitchers with draft beer for the thirsty and rowdy crowd. The band was blasting out a Stevie Ray Vaughn blues set and the place was rocking so hard that the floor trembled. Finally, Mike made his way back to Weaver.

    "Is Mabel in trouble financially, Mike? I mean, how's she handling this thing with her sick kid?"

    "I've been trying to help her as much as I can, but the kid needs an operation and she's having a devil of a time coming up with the money."

    Weaver thought on it for a while.

    "Would you have any objection if we took up a collection?" Weaver asked.

    "Nope. I've thought about it myself, but it'd probably be better if some one who wasn't owner or employee did it, so, knock yourself out!"

    Weaver knew all the band members in the "Aces 4 Eights" and he made his way to the stage. Big Al, the lead singer, saw Weaver approaching and nodded at him. When they finished the set and announced a break, Weaver waited for Big Al to jump off the stage and make his way through the crowd toward him.

    "Hey, my man, Weaver!" Big Al exclaimed as the two shook hands. "What's happening, man?"

    "Look, Al, you know Mabel, right?"

    "Silly question, man. When Selma had our last kid, Mabel showed up at the hospital with some really nice stuff for the baby and my old lady."
 
    "Well, it seems as if Mabel has some troubles of her own. Her oldest kid is pretty
sick and she needs to come up with some bucks for an operation. Mike said it'd be okay if we took up a collection. I'm sure we won't come up with enough for everything she needs, but whatever we get will help to take the pressure off of Mabel."

    At that point, the other band members had gathered around listening to the conversation intently. Each one had a story to share about how Mabel had helped each of them at one time or another. They were all in favor of the idea. In fact, each band member dug deep in their pockets and came up with lots of quiet money to start things off. The bass player whom everyone called the Viking, made the biggest donation. Viking offered to raffle off his vintage Indian Chief motorcycle.

    "Viking, you love that damn cycle, dude!" Big Al said.

    "Yeah, I do, but when I was in that crash 5 years ago and stood on the doorway to death, Mabel came to the hospital and rehab everyday. She's as close to a mother as I ever had. I owe her my life, man!" Viking said turning away so the guys wouldn't see a tear that was about to roll down his bearded face.

      "Al, you make the announcement, man. I'll bring the cycle in here and we can get this thing kicking."

    The band members went back on stage checking and tuning their instruments and when Viking came back with the Indian Chief Cycle, he parked it right in front of the stage.

    "Listen up, everyone. I've got something really important to say!"

    From the back of the room, one of the regulars yelled back, "Hey, Al, is this gonna be true confessions or something?"

    "Murphy, just shut up and listen!"

    When the room became quiet, Al told the crowd about Mabel's situation and what Viking had offered to do. Looks were exchanged among all the members of the various cycle clubs.

    Grizzley, the leader of the Brotherhood of Bloods club stood up.

    "Damn! There isn't anyone in this whole freakin' place who Mabel hasn't helped out in one way or another. There's NO reason for Viking to give up his cycle. We don't need something in return for helping  Mabel who been there for most of us and who damn well never expected anything back!" Grizzley shouted.

    The place exploded in cheers. Beer mugs were slamming against the wood tables in a tribal beat as Grizzley grabbed an old Stetson off the wall and started passing the hat from person to person. He had to return to the bar several times to dump the money on the bar for Mike and Weaver to tally up and rubberband into neat piles. The band went into their ZZ Top mode adding to the electricity that seemed to have taken the place over.

    At the end of the night, Weaver, Grizzley, Viking, the rest of the band and Mike tallied all the cash. Weaver just whistled through his teeth and the rest of the guys just looked at each other in amazement when they discovered that they had collected close to twenty thousand dollars for Mabel. None of them had expected that it could happen.

    Mike put the money in the floor safe and spun it locked. Grizzley offered to stay with Mike in the bar till the next day when Mabel would show up for the day shift. They weren't taking any chances that somebody would hear about the money and get some crazy idea about stealing it.

    The next morning when Mabel came into the Dinosaur she was surprised to see Mike sleeping at the bar and Grizzley fast asleep on the floor by the back door.

    "What's going on, you guys? Was there trouble in here last night? she asked ready to go into ballistic mode.

    Grizzley shook off sleep and stiff muscles and stood up and Mike raised his head from the bar.

    "No, Mabel, no trouble at all so cool your jets, woman!" Grizzley answered.

    "Well, would one of you two just clue me in on what's happening?" she asked with a confused look on her face as she went behind the bar to get her apron.

    Mike went to the floor board where the safe was hidden and lifted the trap door. He unlocked the safe and took out a canvas bag.

    "Oh, Mike! Don't tell me you didn't make a drop last night! You have to be more careful leaving all that cash around here," Mabel admonished him.

    Mike walked over to Mabel and handed her the heavy bag full of the money that had been collected the night before.

    "What's this about, Mike...Grizzley?"

    Grizzley spoke up.

    "Last night, all your friends, and believe me, lady, there are many, pitched in to make things a little easier on you, seeing as how your kid is so sick and all."

    Mabel looked at the bag in her hands and started to cry quietly.

    "Ah, come on, Mabel, you know I can't stand to see a woman cry," Grizzley said softly. "You've been there for just about everyone one of us whether it was to nurse us through an over dose, help us with our kids or just have a kind word when nothing seemed right in the world. Now, it's our turn to give some of that back you. We all love you, Mabel."

    Mabel looked with tear filled eyes to Mike and then to Grizzley.

    "I was just about to give up. Jimmy needs that operation soon and now, thanks to all of you, it looks like he's going to make it through."

    Grizzley gave Mabel a big bear hug lifting her clear off the floor. Mike smiled as he watched.

    "Mike, thank you so much," she whispered and hugged Mike.

    "Well, what say we get on my hog and get you to the bank?" Grizzley suggested.

    Mabel smiled through her tears of gratitude. Grizzley took the bag and handed Mabel a helmet which she proudly put on her head. It had the Brothers of Bloods insignia on the side and as she sat on the big Harley behind Grizzley, she felt like the luckiest woman on earth. Her Grandma had told her years ago that little kindnesses given out freely always had a way of coming back to you when you most needed them.

    As they roared away from the Dinosaur, Mabel was glad that once again Grandma had been right.