BOMAW Vol. 10-12 (18 page)

"Well, its bigger than Sheila and Dennis' place, bigger than Sylvia & Shawn's-..."

"Oh my god!" She squealed excitedly.

"Yep, get this, it's an old Victorian home, your things, your furnishings, your style, made for this place."

"Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! I love it already and I haven't even seen it!" She was just about dancing with joy.

"And listen at this, in the backyard, there's this massive ass, big ass gigantean oak tree, must be well over three hundred years old, its huge man!"

"Oh I wanna see it, I wanna see it! Oh Jake! I don't see how we got it for nothing?"

"Here's the best part of it all, my dad and mom, they bought it out right for us for a wedding gift."

"What?! You're kidding me? How could they afford to do that?"

"My parents have money, believe me, they're not filthy rich, but by no means, poor. So yep, they did. I was shocked as hell. To be honest, if there had been no you, there's no way in hell my father would have ever done this, not for me anyway. For Shawn, Derrick or one of the girls, yeah ... but not for me. So, I know it's because of you. They want you so bad for me, that they've done this. But hey, no biggie, I wanted it, the moment I laid eyes on it, I wanted it. I wanted it for us."

Vivian grew quiet, thinking about what he said, about his father and mother. "Jake, your dad does love you, he does."

"Doesn't matter, let's not kill the joy of the moment okay? Point is, we have a home. Last thing I need you to know about it is this, it's uh, it's a fixer upper."

"Ah - fixer - upper? What does that mean?"

He sighed with a deep and long exhaling. "Put it this way, if you saw it right now, at this very moment, chances are, you wouldn't like it."

"Why is that? What's wrong with it?"

"Ohhh, let me think, how can I say this, you wanna know what's wrong with it huh? Hmmm, okay, how about, everything's wrong with it."

"Everything is wrong with it as in how? Are you talkin' - like - its a derelict?"

"Emmm, worse. A derelict is just abandoned, trust me, this one is not abandoned, there are many things living in there." He grinned.

"WHAT?! Many things as in what? I don't like the sound of that Jake!"

He was laughing, "Baby, trust me. By the time I get done with it-..."

"Well what's wrong with it Jake, tell me what's wrong with it?"

"It's old Vivian. It hasn't been maintained. The old man that owned it, let the land and the home basically go. The house hasn't seen a lick of paint in God knows when. There's shit everywhere."

"Shit? What kind of shit? Cow shit? Horse shit? Goat shit? What kind of shit?"

He was laughing again, "No no no, trash, junk, heaps and piles of it. But ... by the time you see it, there will be a great improvement, I promise. Look, don't let what I'm telling you, scare you. I know a good find when I see one. This property just needs some serious TLC. Tender loving care and I'm just the man for the job. As you well know, don't you?"

Vivian blushed, smiling, "Oh yeah, how well I do know. I still can't wait to see it. I mean, our very own home, our first home!"

"Yep, and we have the place there, for a year anyway. Thing is, I'll be busy all week with it. I'll be putting in overtime at work and by the way ... when I returned to work, you should have seen the place, my boss. Needless to say, he was happy to see me back. So happy in fact, that I talked him into giving me a raise."

"Get out of here!? You did!? Whoa, you go bwoy! Wooooo!"

"Not only that, he won a bid as supplier to a few DIY warehouses, guess who'll be doing the deliveries?"

"You?"

"Me baby, and that's extra money. So see, I told you; let me take care of things. I mean, I still may not make as much as you do at the bank, but I don't think we'll be hungry and we sure as hell won't be homeless."

"But my bills-..."

"Hey, I know, okay? I know. Let me worry about that. All right?"

"Yes, okay."

"Good girl. Now get your ass home before it gets too late! I don't want you out late at night."

"I will."

"I'll be calling again tomorrow, I'll call you on Ms Martin's phone. Then Wednesday, our phone will be hooked up. You'll have to call me with the number, because I've already forgotten it, it's there at our place somewhere on the kitchen counter. Also, I forgot to get a hold of insurance today, I'll have to do it from work tomorrow. So be careful driving."

"I am, I'm always careful. I love you baby and I do miss you."

"I miss you too. Just think, two weeks from now, you'll be coming here."

"Will we be, staying in that house?"

"Depends on how much I can get done. If I tackle the really important stuff first, get it all done, don't see why we can't. If its not quite ready, you can stay by my folks until its done, okay?"

Vivian sighed, but gave in, she liked Bart and Gert, "Okay."

"Thank you. I'll be starting work at 5 in the morning instead of 8. Getting off at 5. I'll then go by the house, put in about 3 hours there, and then home and to bed, call you ... half an hour of talkin' dirty, bein' nasty-..."

Vivian threw her head back laughing deep from the gut, "'Cause you a nasty ol'man! Dirty dawg." She grinned.

"And you love this dirty ol'dog! Don't you?"

"Damn right I do, I love you with all my heart."

"That's what I'm talking about. Start sorting the things you won't mind me bringing back with me this weekend, because the next time I come there, it'll be to bring you back here with me. Maybe even, to our own home."

"I can't wait."

*

L. A.

"Jer'miah, you're home ... I mean ... you're here." Deidre corrected herself with a blush and a slight, I'm sorry smile.

Grinning, Jeremiah strode into the grand entrance, looking around at the stunning foyer with a wide sweeping staircase, playing it off about her little slip.

Deidre hadn't seen or heard from him all day. Which was unusual, since they'd been together almost daily from the shooting. Now, her day wasn't right if she didn't hear from him or see his face at least once a day. She had interior decorators and movers in and out getting everything in order. She was desperate to have all as it should be for when Angela came to visit. She wanted to invite everyone, the whole family, Shawn included, over for dinner, so everything had to be extra special to assure, that they all had a good time.

"Home huh?" He couldn't resist the urge to tease her.

"Stop it. I meant, here, my home." She tried to explain.

He only chuckled, looking around. "This is, one amazing place." He complimented.

"The staircase, the foyer, the quaint fire place, the atrium and huge windows for plants. How does this look, the piano there?" She asked, eager to see his reaction, she wanted to please him;
that
had suddenly, become a highlight in her life.

"First class style and definitely a show of rich taste and elegance. I love it there. Can you play? I remember once my mother mentioning something referring to you and piano lessons. They had you starting at 4, how far did you go?" He asked.

She smiled, walked over to the
Baldwin
grand piano, ebony and gleaming. Sat nice and proper, straight back, hands poised above the keys. She glanced up at him demurely as he came to stand beside the piano and then she began to play.

Jeremiah rocked back, roaring in laughter as she, with mischievous eyes, went into,
"Mary had a little Lamb."
His head shook as she continued on, posed as she was, looking for all the world as if she played a major symphony instead of the tune that he laughed at. But then, just as smooth as a breeze blowing one way can suddenly change direction, she changed on him and began playing
Je Suis Lindor,
smooth, seamless, clean and elegant, not missing a note. The humor left him, to be replaced by that of pure rapture, magic. He was entranced watching her. In no time at all, others stopped in the foyer to watch and hear her play. A couple of the movers, her interior designer and two assistants, and soon, Charlie and Samuel. The foyer was the perfect place for the piano. It had been tuned to perfection, and the keys she played filled each person standing, listening. Even Charlie, who did not care much for classical music, was enthralled by the sounds bouncing from the walls surrounding them. Deidre hadn't played in so long, she got carried away and was totally into it. She happened to glance up at Jeremiah to see that she had a small audience. She abruptly came to a stop, self conscious and smiling.

"Sorry for getting carried away, I forgot myself." She apologized.

Everyone started at once calling out, "Keep playing!"

"That was beautiful."

"Dee-dee, you go girl! Didn't know you had that in'yah! You know you one bonafide, pure-dee, rich, lil'o'white girl! Can play the piano and shit, like that!" She winked, laughing.

Jeremiah turned to look back at Charlie laughing at her, as well Deidre who had long given up correcting her on calling her Dee-dee.

She stood from the piano, "Glad you enjoyed that Charlie, if you behave, I may play again for you, later."

"Aaaw Dee-dee! A concert for me?" She grinned and then turned to Samuel, "Bet you ain't never got nobody to play the pee-anny for you?" She teased in her best, Beverly Hillbilly voice. Turning back with Samuel shaking his head at her, she looked at the others standing there, "Back to work everybody! Get this shit done! Ya'll ain't got all night; listening to her play; later for that, I'm 'bout to lock up house on you. That ain't no lie! You do not have all night! I'll be damn if I'm gone be following ya'll asses around all evening. You got 30 minutes!"

"Charlie!" Deidre half shouted, half cried her name. "They need to get this done... tonight!" Deidre informed her, once more frustrated.

"That's fine if they can get it done in 30 minutes! 30 minutes more is all I'm giving. I can tell you now, I don't care for all these goddamn people in and out of here, shit like this make me nervous. They make me feel like they might be up to something!"

"Charlie, they're up to decorating my new home! That's what they're up to!" Deidre argued.

Jeremiah, stood grinning and looking at Samuel as the two women locked horns. He stepped over to Samuel asking, "Does this go on all day?"

Samuel nodded, "A-a-all day long. All day. I'm beginning to wonder who's in charge here, Charlie or Deidre."

Who heard him and said, "I AM! I'm in charge! Have you forgotten that one fact... Cha-a-r-rle-e-ene!?" Deidre got back at her, using a name that she knew the other woman hated, putting her hands on her hips as if to say,
'How do you like that?'

"What? What you say? What you call me? Don't be callin' me no Charlene, you know I'on like that! Charlene! I'on look like no damn Charlene!" She turned to Samuel, "That right there, the reason you ain't never, not ever never, gone get no ... you know... don't make me say it! That's what blew it for you. Charlene." She nodded her head in warning to him and turned back to those standing and waiting for the verdict.

"I don't know what you all standing there for. Better get this shit shifted and some goddamn paintings on the wall, 'cause 30 minutes be over in no time!" She carried on as if Deidre had not just spoken.

Deidre looked at Jeremiah, exasperated. He shrugged grinning.

"Charlie! I wish you wouldn't do that. Someone is going to get offended and walk off the job."

"Do I look like I give a shit? For what you paying them, I'll hang the goddamn pictures on the wall! They need to hurry up!"

"Charlie, I want it all done -
today!
" Deidre stomped her foot, stating for the second time. "My daughter's coming and I need it done right."

"Hang on here goddammit - wait a minute! You want me to lay it out for you all at once? Or you wanna hear it in parts? Part one & Part two? I'm gone do you a favor and give you the shit in parts, here's part one! All of this shit you doing - all this shit they doing, ain't gone mean a damn thing to Angela Rae McPherson! Okay? I ain't even met the chile and I know that! You should know, as well as I do know, that she don't give a shit about what you trying to get done here! If she did, she would be here and not have chosen her po'ass daddy to live with! Okay, let's get real! She would not have chosen - another woman - to be her mama over you! All of this shit - is not - going to fix - the problem - okay? Stop wasting your money - on worthless - insignificant shit - like this - like paying them - when you and I, hell, we can get this shit done ourself! Doing it yourself see, that's what makes your house, your HOME. Because you put the shit together based on what you prefer. That way you can spend your money on a way to fix the real important shit - like with your daughter - so she wanna live -
here
- with
YOU!
" Charlie shot, breathing hard staring at Deidre, "You hear what I'm saying to you? This is all bullshit, okay?-..."