BOMAW Vol. 10-12 (5 page)

Shawn2 pointed down the shared grass area to the problem of the Clarke's. "Their garage door is broke, we should offer to fix it for them." He tried to keep his smile at bay, the smile that clearly stated he had ulterior motives for wishing to help with the problem. Derrick stared at him a moment and then turned looking over the fence to see that truly they did need some assistance.

"Go on dad, introduce yourself, offer our assistance." Shawn2 nudged him on.

"I will, but you ... keep working, I don't need any assistance from you."

Shawn2 made a face, having every intention of going with his father to assist. It was too bad for him that Derrick wasn't falling for it, suspicious of his motives, so he had to be content with leaning over the fence and watching as his father left their yard and made his way to them.

Reaching the Clarke's garage, Derrick started right off, "Don't you just hate when that happens?"

Reginald turned and smiled, "Aaah man, you telling me."

With a smile and his hand extended Derrick introduced himself, "I'm your neighbor, across and two houses over, Derrick McPherson."

"Hey, hi you doing, Reginald Clarke. Call me Reggie."

"Thanks. Well Reggie, what's your plan for this?"

"To be honest with you, didn't even know I needed a plan. We just bought this house not too long ago, just moved in over a week ago. I knew I was gonna have to do some fixin' up on the garage, but I didn't think it would be this soon."

"Got anything to repair it with?" Derrick asked, looking it over.

"Not this week, next week maybe. I'd just be happy gettin' it closed for now."

"You need an entirely new frame here." Derrick observed.

"And a new roof on here, its all rotten up in that corner there." Reginald led him in and pointed it out. While they were discussing that, Ma'Keiba was gazing down the way at Shawn2, who was leaning over the fence, gazing at her as well, his two older brothers alongside him. Playing off a bit of bashfulness, she gave a slight roll of her eyes and looked back to what her father and Derrick were saying.

Shawn2 smiled, turned to his brother's, "She likes me."

"You go near her and dad will knock-you-out; not to mention putting you on punishment until you're 21." Luis warned him.

"I just gotta be more like you and Marcus, slick, sly and slippery, do the dirty and back like Mr. Innocent."

"Too late for you little brother, you've already blown your game. Been busted so bad, lad can't be trusted. 'Sides, she's too close to home. Number one rule, never do the girl next door." Marcus schooled him, looking from him to their father. Who just looked their way and summoned him to where they stood.

All three made their way to the fence when Marcus stopped them, "Ah ah ah, dad's only calling me, you two get back to work."

"No he didn't, he means all of us!" Shawn2 fussed going anyway. He knew that his dad was just calling Marcus, but he could always pretend otherwise. Because he was going, Luis followed suit.

"So you can fix this? Today?"

"Sure I can. You mind if I get my boys to work on it? I'm teaching them tools of the trade and if you're willing to let them do the work, we'll do it for free. I'll be supervising of course and all you'll need is a new bracket pulley for the door."

"You'll supervise? So it'll be done right?"

"Can't build a business off of a bad reputation, not to mention the fact that we're neighbors. I need all the references I can get; you see this is how I earn my summer dollars."

"I see, so what do you do otherwise?"

"I'm a teacher, a coach at one of Madison's high schools."

"Ah that's alright. Well, I'm at the hospital, Radiology. Sad to say, I'm not a Mr. Fixit when it comes to stuff like this."

"Hey, I'm right down the way from you, I am Mr. Fixit."

"Works for me, okay then, sure; I'm up for it."

Derrick turned around to see all three of his boys standing there when the only one he was calling for the time being was Marcus. Playing it off not to cause a ruckus in front of the neighbor, he smiled at them, narrowed his eyes at Shawn2 as a warning and introduced them. "My second son, Marcus." Who held his hand out to Reginald, "Nice to meet you Mr. Clarke."

"Man this your son? How tall are you?" He asked first Derrick and then Marcus.

"6'5 and growing sir." Marcus answered with a smile.

"Basketball boy! Tell me you play some b-ball?"

"Yes sir I do, that's the plan."

"Good for you. I know you must be proud?" Reginald asked Derrick.

"I most certainly am. My oldest son is away right now at training camp for the Philadelphia Eagles."

"Say what? What's his name? Man my two favorites, basketball and football! What's his name, so I can look out for'im."

"Derrick Paul McPherson Jr. made the draft this year."

"Now that's something to be proud of. And these two." He turned to Derrick's remaining.

"This is my third, Luis, and the fourth Shawn2 ... you guys, this is Mr. Clarke."

"Nice to meet you sir." Each took a turn greeting him, nodding, shaking his hand, as Shawn2 did so he was in a major battle not to look at Ma'Keiba; he was dying to but dare not, his father was watching him like a hawk.

Derrick addressed them, "You guys are going to take on your first job. I'll be supervising and you three will be completely rebuilding this garage door frame as well as patching his roof. So get ready, we'll be at it today until the job is done."

"Derrick I really appreciate this-..." Reginald stopped mid-sentence when he saw Shawn2 glancing at Ma'Keiba. He turned to his daughter, "You go on in the house, ain't nobody out here but boys and men! Go on, go help your mama cook! Gone, get in the house!"

With her lip poked out, she did as she was told. She dare not put up a fuss because she knew her father did not play when it came to telling her or her brother's what to do. "Man all I have is three, and one just had to be a girl! You don't know how lucky you are to have all boys."

"Let me correct you on that, I have five boys, and one girl! Your daughters age; I know what you're going through."

"Well at least she has five older brothers to look after her, my boys are the younger ones, so Ma'Keiba kind of on her own. Which mean I have to keep up with her tail, that or her mama and it ain't easy! She gettin' to that age now, growing an attitude, startin' to move a little bit slower when I or her mama tell her to do something. All I have is that one, but I know its gone be a trip raising her up right, already."

"Stick to your guns, she'll be okay. I'll be going through the same with mine. Now, about your garage door, I say we hit True Value or Menard's now, while its still early, pick up your brackets."

"I can swing the brackets, but the wood-..."

"Don't worry about that, I have plenty of what you'll need to fix this."

"Can I pay you for what you use next week? I'm good for it."

"Sounds like a plan to me, now how about we get busy here?"

With a plan of action, Derrick went back home telling Meribel what they would be doing for the next so many hours down the way, also inviting her to come out and introduce herself to Mrs. Clarke when they returned from purchasing the brackets. Teaching his sons from start to finish, Derrick took them along with him including Joseph and Reginald so they would know how to replace parts and make their way around a hardware store or Menard's. Reginald was impressed realizing he would need a pack of roofing shingles if they were going to fix that as well. By the time they returned, Meribel was at the Clarke's in the back yard talking to Shelly Clarke, and Ma'Keiba and Sasha had finally met and were getting on wonderfully. As Derrick and sons worked, the women visited each others homes, their daughters tagging along. Each decided to combine their prepared dinners and make it a social event as the work was being carried out. Derrick and Reginald stood talking about work, sports, life in general while Derrick stopped from time to time to tell his sons the next step in what they were doing. Building a scaffold had been the first step so that the rotted section of the roof could be repaired. Each step was carefully explained and supervised. The one Derrick made sure to keep occupied was Shawn2, it had not escaped his notice that his son was constantly stopping what he was doing to catch sight of Ma'Keiba. It was something that hadn't escaped Reginald's notice either.

"Can I ask you something Derrick?"

"Fire away."

"Your Shawn2, should I be keeping an eye out for him?" He asked bold and right to the point.

Derrick inhaled and exhaled and then nodded and finally looked Reginald in the eyes, "I most certainly would if I were you. He's my son and I love him as any father would, but to be perfectly honest with you, concerning your daughter, he's not to be trusted, not for a moment. From one father to another, I must make you aware, he's uh, well he's a healthy, curious young man going through the learning stages. Might I suggest you get a dog, a big one." Derrick smiled in earnest.

Reginald laughed shaking is head. "He that bad I need a dog?"

Derrick groaned, not wanting to say it but did, "Yeah, get a dog."

"Well at least you honest." Reginald laughed.

"I have to be, I have a daughter as well. Were the shoe on the other foot, I'd want to know. I can tell, you don't love your daughter any less, than I do my own, so - yes, watch that son of mine."

Shawn2 instinctively knew he was being talked about as both men glanced over at him. Marcus also noticed, leaned down and whispered close to his ear, "It's all over now little brother. Once the parents know each other, it's forget it time. By the way he's looking at you, dads givin' him the full 411 on you." He stood away laughing to himself about it. Saying nothing in return, Shawn2 had a feeling that his brother was right. Because for the rest of the day as they worked, Reginald Clarke was giving him
the look
. The look that said loud and clear,
"I got my eyes on you!"

Because it was away from the boys, Shelly Clarke allowed Ma'Keiba to visit with Sasha up in her bedroom, where the girls were now sitting, listening to music and talking about what girls their age do.

"This is gonna be so cool! Now when school starts back, I'll know someone, instead of starting with no friends."

"Oh I know, I would so hate that! No way is it gonna happen now, because we're friends." Sasha informed her happily.

"How many friends do you have around here?"

"Not a whole lot, my parents are kind'ah strict, my mom don't trust me going over to other peoples houses so its usually just me and my brothers."

With wide eyes and nodding head Ma'Keiba understood, "Mine? Same way! I take one step out the yard, its like an alarm goes off or something! Talk about
no life!
"

"I know right!? And because of all of my brothers, I'm watched like a hawk! They get on my nerves! It sucks being the only girl!"

"Sucks like a Hoover!" Ma'Keiba's head did the side shift.

"Well now, we've got each other and we live right across the way from one another which is really cool! Your mom knows my mom, so they won't mind you coming here and mine won't mind me going over to your house." Sasha was happy to announce.

"I know, I'm so happy, I thought I'd never have a friend! So, tell me, who's like the cutest boy you know?" Ma'Keiba asked eagerly.

"
Shad Gregory Moss
, Bow Wow is probably the best looking boy - on the face - of the earth!" Sasha exclaimed laying across her bed now alongside Ma'Keiba.

"He's nineteen years old! Way too old for you."

"I know, but I think I'm gonna like older men. Young boys are stupid anyway, look at my brothers."

"Your brothers are all good looking. Now that my dad knows your oldest brother plays football and is on a team for pro-ball; he'll be around all the time, which is good for us." She thrilled.

"I know right? He's the coolest of all my brothers, then Marcus is the next coolest, but no one is cooler than DJ, he's my favorite."

"So, who uh, is your least favorite?"

"Shawn2 - he gets - on - my - nerve! What a moron! Total reject!"

"Why you say that about him?"

"Trust me, I know him, I'm his sister, I live with him. He's always in trouble. Stays on punishment all the time, he's on punishment now as a matter of fact."

"Oh yeah, what'd he do?"

"Oh - get ready to be totally grossed out. I warn you, you may need a barf bag because this is going to totally make you wanna hurl! When he was at school, he got this girl in a closet, did something to her, that made her have a fit!"

"A fit? What kind of fit, like a seizure or something?"

Sasha sat up with wide eyes and grand gestures, "Oh ten times worse than a seizure! She was like, foaming at the mouth, her eyes rolled back in her head, she bit her tongue, her body went into like convulsions, like this..." Sasha making strange noises and shaking her head and arms around, "...it was horrible," She stopped to say and as serious as can be, finished with, "... we think she may be in a coma right now, could be for years." She exaggerated grandly.