BOMAW Vol. 10-12 (189 page)

Every wall in the house had been stripped back to the beams, to check for roaches, parasites, termites, nests, living animals in the walls. Jake was through the moon to discover there were no sight of roaches, parasites or termites. However, they did find a few nests of baby mice and rats as well a bundle of clothing in the wall where tiny kittens, eyes unopened, three of them - crying out in loud mews for their mother. Marcus and Luis took them to a late open veterinary where they would be put down humanely as there was no sight of their mother present. Due to being feral kittens, they couldn't be domesticated, they would no doubt be scratchers, the risk too great to save and place in a home.

When they returned, Paul, Ben and Shawn2 were taking in roll after roll of insulation to be placed and tacked within the beams of the walls and floors. They were thorough, starting up in the attic, and then the next floor down, hitting every bedroom, both bathrooms on that floor, the hallway and then down another floor, hitting all the rooms there, the bathroom that would be there and last the basement. All the new plumbing pipes were carefully wrapped, the joints checked. The brand new hot water heater was then wired and hooked up. They also placed the new central air unit outside, wiring it up and running the duct work to all vents Jake, Ben and Paul cut into the floors that he'd marked. Once everything was in place; Jake did a check over all, letting the boys rest outside. He was happy to see everything was according to the check list he made out. Now, all that had to be done, was to get the electricity checked and passed, as well the plumbing. However he needed to give all a test himself. The only open wires not yet connected were the front and back porch lights. The cable there was tied in a knot and capped off until later, when the exterior was done and the porch lights chosen and placed.

He went in the basement did one more look and then walked to the water valve and turned them on. He stood holding his breath as he listened to the water rush through all the pipes to their destinations where they'd been temporarily capped off until all the sinks, showers, tubs and toilets were in. The water stopped flowing and the pipes trembled and braced up with a slight jump to show that water pressure had been maximized. Jake stood still, listening, softly walking around the basement looking up and waiting to see if any would spring a leek under the pressure. Nothing yet, he then made his way upstairs into the kitchen, all well - the bathrooms, the laundry room - all places where the water was flowing to, were dry, no leaks.

"YES! Thank you Lord, yes! Okay... now, the electricity." He spoke to himself, walking outside, "Ben, bring in that box full of light bulbs." Ben followed him as he first used his Electricity meter to test all the live circuits, waiting for the pass beep. Soon as he got it, Ben screwed in a light blub and flipped the switches testing them. Soon, every room was lit up and the house glowed. Pride and joy filled Jake to see where he was now, as to where he had been just a few months ago. He stood looking around at what would be his new home, in wonder. All because something about Vivian Cooke made him want to reach beyond the place he'd settled himself in. He stood with his thoughts also going back to Doris once more. He couldn't help thinking about her from time to time because he had stayed in that relationship for so long. She too had wanted him to get moving as he was now, but nothing about that relationship or her, motivated him because he always looked at her as Neil's wife that he took out of spite. He'd stayed with her so long out of guilt, he'd caused her to leave her home, her husband, her children. In the end, Vivian came into his life and he just couldn't ignore all that she would mean and could mean to his life; before his family. He came back from the reminisce to look around him once more, to see his son leaning in the doorway watching him.

"Well?" Ben asked, smiling.

"This is home, finally. There's still lots of work to be done, but - this is where I belong. I can't wait to finish it."

"We keep going like this, we'll be done in no time. We can marathon it this weekend if you want? Start before daylight Saturday morning, don't stop until Sunday ten o'clock at night." Ben suggested.

Jake turned to look at him, "You would do that? The whole weekend?"

"Can I claim a room?" He asked grinning.

Jake laughed, "What the hell, you claiming rooms all over the place aren't you?"

"Not having to pay rent keeps money in my pocket." He informed him, winking.

Jake laughed again, "And how many are you up to so far?"

"Hmmm, Chicago, gran's, here, working on one at Shawn's, maybe even L.A. now and then, at moms. I do dishes, cook dinners, clean up for my board."

"Smart guy, no plans to marry huh?" Jake asked.

"Naw - girl of my dreams - well - no, no plans yet."

Jake stood a moment staring at him, "Are you that serious about Crystal?"

Ben stood a moment thinking about the question and what he could say to really bring the point home, "If, she came to me right now, and asked me to take her away, her and the boys - we'd be gone in a heart beat. I'd ask Shawn if I could rent the L.A. condo from him, work there - marry her - and then plan the rest of our lives together."

Jake shook his head, "Shawn wouldn't like that, you taking her away, why not build your lives here?"

"He's here. Victor."

"So you'd take his sons away from him."

"If he wanted to see them, he could. He has the means to come to them, and we'd be here throughout the year to visit family of course."

"You've thought about it huh?"

"No, I've dreamed about it, fantasized about it, but thought on it is something you do when planning something definite. I'm in limbo - with no way of knowing what tomorrow will bring."

"So why'd you do it?"

"Fall in love? I don't know, just kind'ah happened that way. There is something about her that's pulled me in, from every direction - and I let her. Thinking in retrospect, I should have fought it huh?"

"Emmm, well - you could have tried. I tried, doesn't always work. Look at me now."

"Dad, you've never looked happier. Even so, you don't joke around like you used to, why is that?"

Jake thought about it a bit, and then surprised his son saying, "Defence mechanism - if you're always joking around, wreaking havoc, your victims think you're on top of the world. I went from really wanting to be the best that I could, to not giving a damn. Lived years, not giving a damn about anything - or..." He looked at his son, thinking about his other two.

"Go on, don't stop."

"...well - anything or anyone - I loved, but - I didn't like." Jake paused, thinking, "I don't know - I've never known - what I've wanted to be. You know that?"

Ben only shook his head, listening.

Jake stood a moment thinking, and said finally, "Actually, I did know what I wanted to be - but, it didn't seem as important, as - being Shawn. I wanted to be like him, for my father to look at me, the way he did Shawn. Now, years later - I've found out that maybe - things weren't always what they seemed. You guys are lucky. Your granddad is nothing like he used to be, when we were growing up, when Shawn was growing up."

Ben immediately thought about what Sylvia told him in L.A., "Dad, can I ask you something?"

Jake looked up, "Sure."

"Granddad - do you ever remember a time when he - well - how can I say this?" Ben took a deep breath, "When he maybe, went too far with Shawn?"

Jake stood a moment letting that question wash over him, he knew the answer, had already touched near to it with his earlier statement, "To be honest Ben, yeah - thinking back now, he did. Fact is, that's why Shawn ran off - everyone - wanted a piece of him, including me. We wouldn't let up. I wouldn't let up. Kathy Ann wouldn't let up. And then that situation with your mom, that - I caused probably nailed it, was the last straw. I know why he took off. But, look at him now. He's back, and you know what, he's picked up right where he left off, and I believe, he's worse than ever, to be honest with you. Mom always said, that Shawn used to be soft, gentle - wanting to draw and paint - that when he was young, real young, when we were all boys, he used to want to help her in the house all the time. She said that dad, would make him come outside instead - to do - men's work - to make a man out of him." Jake stopped, thinking back, remembering.

Ben stood trying to imagine the grandfather he knew now, being the way Sylvia told him he'd been, and now, Jake as well.

Jake looked up at him, "Your father, your real father, my brother - has been through a lot. Including - uh - abuse Ben. There - I said it. We don't say that, you know? McPherson's are - not abusers. But Shawn, Derrick - they got it. So, the funny thing is - I'll still never be what they are - because even under abuse, look how they turned out, success! And look at me, how I turned out - nothing - no one-..."

"That's not true dad, how can you say that?"

"Truth son. Even that, because of what Bartholomew did to them, makes them - more - special than I will ever be. They have that to claim, to share between them, yet - neither one of them will ever admit it, because you don't speak against our dad. That's why I'm the rotten one in the bunch, I fought, your granddad - I rebelled - I yelled back, I mocked and sometimes refused things, thumbing my nose at everything he raised us to embrace. You know, there have been times, when I think, he resented my even being born. Knowing that, made me worse."

Ben couldn't believe what he was hearing, but couldn't deny it due to bits and pieces he'd heard and picked up over the years, even so, "You weren't that bad dad, after all - you've always been there for granddad harvest season."

"Yeah, there's that. Anyway, no matter."

Jake went quiet, Ben waited and when he realized his father might not say anymore he asked him, "Dad, you never said, what you wanted to be?"

Jake looked up at him, smiled and answered, "I've always wanted to sing. Country and Western."

Ben smiled, remembering all the times he would be a bit tipsy and just messing around, would sing them a dirty ditty that sent them into laughter because it was made up of bad words and dirty sayings relating to sex. Now, thinking back to it, he remembered that he actually had a nice voice. "Wow - that's cool. It's not too late dad, ever think about it lately?"

"Yep - I've written out my first album. Shawn's going to help me copyright it, and his boss is going to help me produce it. First, I have to put a band together."

"Whoa! This is news to me! Excellent, got anything done?"

"No, just written. Keep it to yourself though, I don't want Vivian to know, not yet. Not until I've gotten something done to be sure it may take us somewhere."

"Got a name for the album yet?" Ben asked excited.

"I sure do, it's called, "Here We Come."

"Holy shit! I demand a performance of one of the songs, demand!"

Jake laughed, "Will do, this weekend on the marathon, I'll sing you one of the songs then. Well, this is it for tonight, all that's left is for it to be inspected."

They spoke a bit more as they made it outside where Paul, Marcus, Luis and Shawn2 were throwing a ball around waiting for them. Jake couldn't wait to move on to the next phase, once the inspectors passed it, he could start putting in the walls and floors. He'd made more work for himself by partially stripping all the floors, but he needed to be thorough with it being neglected for so long and then having animals living in it. He was happy for what they'd done that night. Walking out of the house, with Ben behind him, he showed his appreciation by giving Derrick's sons $50.00 each. Which neither had been expecting, and to his own sons, $150.

"Hey! Why they get $150?!" Shawn2 asked boldly, "I'm feeling a little favoritism going on here."

Jake scrunched up his face, explaining, "You three, are at the apprentice stage! My guys have built a smoke house, a barn, and an extension." Jake answered.

Ben hadn't been looking for any pay either so volunteered his money, "Thanks dad but ah, I'm not really, hurting for money."

Hearing this, Marcus called out, "I am, I'll take it!"

"Hey! Me too!" Luis joined in, as well Shawn2.

Jake smiled, "It's up to you."

Ben gave each of them a $50 from his pay; they then looked at Paul.

"Forget it! I'm keeping mine!"

It didn't matter to the boys, because suddenly, the highlight of their summer, was helping uncle Jake, redo his old house now - they wanted to camp out there until he was ready to do some more.

*

Vivian sat in Gert's kitchen, at her table - amidst laughter and cajoling - holding her forehead - shaking her head. Shanna, with Sylvia's help this time, had Gert stirred up into a right state of excitement, she was on the verge of doing a jig or the boogaloo.

"Wooo-hooo! My boys don't mess around! You know that first hand, don'cha Sylvia? Them boys'll nail you to the wall before you can blink! Woooo-weee! Oh wait until I tell Bart! Jake's got our Vivian cookin' and it sho' ain't stew!"

Shanna and Sylvia were cracking up at her, she was in the middle of the floor, too giddy to sit still.

"Shanna do you see what you have started!? You all gone look mighty funny when my period comes on!" Vivian broke into the celebration.

"Honey, I can tell you right now, you ain't gone be seeing any sign of that for the next nine months! Not with my Jake on the job! He-hee!" She turned to Shanna, "You keep me informed; when you say she due?"

"Tuesday! She should be on by Tuesday."

"Ain't gonna happen!"

Vivian turned and looked at Sylvia, mouth open, incredulous, too out down and in total disbelief at them discussing her 'possible' pregnancy as if she weren't in the room. All Sylvia could do was laugh some more, "Get used to it - I'm excited too - as you know, I'm with them." She grinned.

"You call Sheila and tell her yet?" Gert asked.

Vivian's eyes got big. "Shoot! No! You all - no one is to say anything to her about it yet. Let me confirm it first - then I'll tell her."

"You must have lost your mind! You wait to tell Sheila you might be pregnant and she will never speak to you again. When we get home, you better get your butt on the phone and tell her! Even if it's a false alarm." Sylvia warned.