BOMAW Vol. 10-12 (6 page)

"What?! Oh my god! Well, what did he do to her?"

"I told you, something - totally - gross!"

"What? Tell me, tell me!"

"I heard my brothers talking, and they said ... he ... well, he fingered her."

"Fing - gered - her?"

"Yes! Marcus calls him gold-fingers! He touched her, you know where? Down there, between her legs! Next thing he knew it, she went into convulsions and they had to rush her to the hospital! Critical condition, she's in a coma! Now that's bad! No way I'm ever, ever lettin' a boy touch me down there!" Sasha shivered distastefully, over her fish-tale, grown way out of proportion.

Ma'Keiba followed suit, "Me either! That is so gross! And I sure don't wanna end up in a coma! Because if that don't put me in one, my mom or dad finding out, sure will!"

Camp Daniels, Wi.

Jake was at Shanna's. The boys had dropped him off at her place and drove the rest of the way to Sylvia's house. There they would wait for him to come with the keys to get in. When he entered her place, Royce was sitting on the sofa, no shoes on, just socks, his feet up on the coffee table. Shanna was in the kitchen cooking while he watched TV. Right away upon seeing him, Royce sat up, taking his feet from the table.

"Hey! You're back from Chicago? How's the windy city?"

"Too damn far away! You moved in now? You lookin' mighty comfortable." Jake remarked eye balling him and then looking for his sister.

"Not yet I haven't, but who knows what's to come. Shanna tells me you're back to work tomorrow; bet you're looking forward to that, being off all this time."

"I'm ready to get back, got things to do, money to make. I'm gonna be needin' a place if I'm ever gonna get Vivian up here."

"You best get crackin' then." Shanna joined in having heard it all from the sink where she stood, "How long have you been back?" She asked.

"Just now, mom and dad have the majority of Vivian's things, they'll be storing it. Had to pack her up and move her out the other place she had, trouble was brewing there before I left. So I left my truck with her as well."

"You did? Wow, what a considerate thing to do; imagine that? You finally growin' up big brother."

"Yeah yeah yeah, whatever. Shawn's wanting me to stay at the house while they're gone; by the looks of things here, that's not such a bad idea."

Shanna and Royce both burst into big grins.

"So you'll be needing the keys then," She reached across the counter and removed a set of keys from the key hooks. "Here you go, the keys to the Navigator is on there as well if you need it; seeing as how you left your truck in Chicago."

"Thanks, what you cooking for dinner? Got the boys with me; make enough for us?" He asked.

"I'll make plenty for you and the boys, I'll call you when its done."

"So Jake, you gonna be looking for a place huh?" Royce asked.

"Yeah, I'm gonna have to. As I said, until I have one, I'm not gonna get her up here."

"Don't know if you know this or not, but there's some property, an old place not far from here, down from your brother's land, in fact ... it might border his land from behind. Wait, rather, Sylvia's land. No, come to think of it, there's some property between hers and this place I'm talking about. Either way, it's before you get to Hustler, between Barwood lane and Orange Mill lane, there's this old dirt track that leads to an old farm house, on about 8 acres of land. House looks a mess, like something out of a haunted movie, but its well built. Big, Victorian frame house, basement, two floors and a nice size attic. Had to chase some kids out of there the other night. They'd busted the windows and was partying there. Old man, Sparky used to live there, he passed away just a couple of weeks ago."

"Old man owned it huh?"

"Yep, retired military. Wife took off on him years ago, he raised his kids, they left and he let the place go. Hasn't seen repairs or a lick of paint in I don't know when. Land hasn't been worked either for that matter. It's rough looking, but hey, considering the state of the place, I bet someone will get a good price for it. Dirt cheap I'm bettin'. With the type of building you're used to doing and working in a lumber yard, I bet you'd have that place top shape in no time."

Jake stood a moment letting that bit of information sink in, curious he asked, "Where is it again?"

"Let's go get your boys, I'll take you by there." Royce volunteered, turning to Shanna, "We'll be back in a bit darlin'." He kissed her cheek and then put his shoes on so he could take Jake by the place.

Going down the long drive and then pulling into the yard, all three McPherson's mouths fell open. The place was a mess! There was garbage strewn all over the land like a badly neglected junk yard. Old, rusted out, gutted vehicles here and there. Old furniture, broken down, stuffing pulled out. The greatest collection of beer cans were loaded into a trailer, many of which had spilled out onto the ground. There was unrecognizable garbage as well; garbage that had been there for so long, the rain, wind and elements had turned it into a heap of black trash. The dirt track or road in was loaded with pot holes and broken pavement, in fact, what there was left of the pavement was more like rock chunks broken away from the track. Weeds had grown tall everywhere they could. They surrounded the house, surrounded the barn and another out building lean-to that was barely standing. Jake and his sons stood outside of the car staring in disbelief. The place was horrendous. As Royce said, the house had not seen a lick of paint for years; Jake was thinking, 25 to 30 years at the very least. Windows were broken and on the large porch that stood on two sides of the house, like an L, full of trash with spokes missing from the railing that surrounded it.

It was simply horrible.

They walked away from the car and made their way through the yard, quietly looking around.

"As you can see, ol'man Sparky wasn't much for keeping his property up. Word is, his son and two daughters came for the funeral, saw the property and turned their backs and walked away from it. I believe it was left for the son. He said he's going to sell it,
as is
. Wants nothing to do with it. He lives in Virginia and hasn't the time or money to be bothered with it. Whoever approaches him about it, I'm betting he'll take whatever offer is fair." Royce went on, following Jake and sons. They were making their way around the back of the house now, more and more junk, trash, weeds. Then suddenly, they saw it, standing tall in the midst of it all; the most glorious giant oak tree Jake had ever seen.

"My God, look at that tree!" He exclaimed in awe of it.

"Wow! How tall you think that is?" Kevin asked.

"Better yet, how old?! I bet its seen some things. Gotta be over a couple of hundred years." Paul commented.

"I'm thinking more than a couple of hundred son, easy. Look at the base of it, we're talking no less than three hundred years. Look at the limbs on it, look at that one right there. You know what that's perfect for?" He asked no one in particular.

"A swing! A tire swing! And, up there dad... look, I bet you could build a cool tree house in there." Paul pointed out enthusiastically.

"Yeah, I bet I could." Jake murmured softly. He then turned and looked at the house again. "Think it just looks bad... but ... maybe well built?" He asked Royce, making his way towards the back porch.

"You and your dad know more about that kind of thing than I do." He commented following Jake.

Jake stepped up on the first few steps, testing their strength. "Not bad, not bad at all. Fact is, if ... if I was to get this place, I'd more than likely redo the entire porch."

"I don't know dad, looks pretty sturdy to me." Kevin added following his father up on the back porch. Paul and Royce bringing up the rear. The back screen door was ragged, hanging. The back door window was broke and open. Jake walked into the kitchen, it was massive. Ruined, trashed, old fixtures, but massive. One thing he did notice, the flooring so far, was strong, no squeaks or creaks thus far.

"Think there's things maybe living in here dad?" Paul asked hesitantly.

"No doubt. Probably bats in the attic, rats in the basement." Jake commented just as Kevin let out a squeal.

"HOLY SHIT! See that! Don't think they're in the basement dad!"

Jake turned to him, grinning. "Scared of a lil'o'rat?"

"Dad, there was nothing little about that rat!"

"I'm not worried about them." Jake commented as he continued on, unfazed. Once more, because of the way their father raised them, the things they had to do, neither he or his brother's were afraid of bats, rats, mice, whatever vermin there might be. He and Shawn when they were younger, found a deep under cellar and went in it to find quite a few rats milling about. They just shifted them out the way with their booted foot and kept on. He remembered one landing on Shawn's shoulder, who calmly told him, "Get that off of me." To which Jake had, laughing he gripped the tail of it holding it up, teasing in a hillbilly pitch,
"We's gone eat sho'nuff good tonight!"

Obviously his sons didn't feel the same way, because as he turned to look back at them, they were standing in the door of the kitchen ready to sprint. He laughed, "Get your asses in here and quit being chicken shits!" He grinned.

"No way dad. That was one big mother of a rat!" Kevin gulped in fear.

"Dad do you realize the diseases that rats carry?" Paul alerted from the door, standing by his brother, also ready to sprint.

"They're more afraid of us, than we are of them. Only harm you if they're cornered. Long as they have a way to run off, they will." He informed them walking onward with Royce behind him. Even he was a bit reluctant. He was starting to scratch, feeling a bit jumpy.

"Well, it is private property, we should probably get permission to walk through this house this way."

"Go on Barney, wait with the boys, I'll be back." Jake teased, referring to him as Shawn had, Barney Fife from Andy Griffith show.

"Ha ha ha, everyone's a comedian. Don't take too long." He warned walking back to where the boys were. All three left out of the house and went back to walking around the yard, leaving Jake inside. He took his time to walk around inside, no longer seeing the mess of the house, but the possibilities of it. He tested the door frames, the floors, the walls. He found the basement door, opened it to look down the stairs. Tried the light switch but it wouldn't come on. He closed the door making it a point to come back and check it out further later on. He then went on to note that the kitchen was the entire length of the house in the back. There was a large dinning-room, with a wall separating it from a really big living-room, the wall that separated the two rooms had a fire place in it, which provided one for each room. Further along, a small foyer and off the foyer, a small sitting room, it too had a little fire place. There were big coat closets off the foyer and an old style coat bench, massive mirror, place for shoes, umbrella and hooks for coats. Also, nested in the show rack, a mother cat and her kittens. "Well look at you. Dinner's back in that kitchen, you might wanna get it." He spoke to it chuckling. She meowed a few times looking up at him, but didn't move from her spot. She was pretty healthy looking and Jake imagined she ate well with all the vermin within the large home. Turning away from her, he looked at the stairs. Again, careful, he tried them out. They were strong, some of them creaking on the way up, but sturdy. Upstairs, he found a long and wide hallway, a big main bath, with an old Victorian bath on fancy carved legs. And more cats, "I'm afraid you all are going to have to move this party to the barn." He informed them, moving along, smiling, yes, he recognized it as an old Victorian frame house that had once no doubt been the pride of whomever built it. His exploring brought him to four bedrooms, the master with a bath of its own. And stairs leading up one more level to the attic or upper room. By the time he came back down the stairs, making his way to exit the front door and then walked around the front and side porch, his heart was racing, his throat was tight and suddenly he let out a shout filled with joy.

"YES! Yes... this is home. This, Ms. Vivian, is where all of your old antique Victorian things should be. Right here baby... right here." He felt it in every fibre of his being that he was right. The others heard him and made their way back around to the front of the old house looking up at him as he leaned on the porch rail gazing down at them.

"You all right dad?"

Jake nodded, thinking, smiling. "Yeah, I'm just fine. Let's get out of here, I need to call mom and dad, get them over here tomorrow." He was wondering as he said it, just how much money he had left. And just how much would ol'man Sparky's son take for the property. Didn't matter, with every step that he took, he knew, that this ... was home. Once it became his, he would restore it back to its prime, back to its heyday, back to the glorious, grandeur someone originally built it to be. At the car, he stopped and looked back at it one more time. For as badly neglected as it was, looking for all the world like something that should be bull-dozed, he knew better. He knew what that house had been waiting for ... him ... for Vivian.

In his minds eye, he could see what it would become once he was done. He could see Vivian on that porch, waving him off to work and he could see his little girls, wanting him to stay at home with them. He looked at the mighty oak standing majestically behind; envisioning evenings of pushing them on the swing. Taking a deep breath, it all seemed to fit.