BOMAW Vol. 10-12 (9 page)

While his boss had started and gone on and on, Jake made his way to making himself a cup of coffee, waiting to answer where a space opened up for it; so it seemed, one had, he answered, "Yeah, I know about it."

"Well damn you, Jacob, least you could have done, is waited until you come back, to tell them about it, you know how short handed that left me? Had to hire goddamn temps to try and get things done and I'm telling you the place has fallen clear to hell." Softening again, he murmured gently, "Oh uh, heard about Doris, sorry to hear that. You ... uh, okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine ... it's unfortunate for her kids I imagine. Don't worry about me, anyway; you had Neil here, why didn't he see to things?"

"Well hell, he's just office. He can only do so much, he hired some temps, but there was nobody here to properly supervise them, show'em what's what on how to get things done! Shit, a couple had never worked in a lumber yard before. Had more goddamn injuries than we did work gettin' done. One son'va'bitch called in because he got a goddamn splinter,
a splinter!?
Say's it got infected, that he woke up with a fever, had to go into the hospital!"

Jake stood laughing, blowing into his coffee and walked to a chair, sitting down looking up at Carl; who hadn't aged too bad considering his years. He was in his early 70's, with a Mickey Rooney look about him, albeit, a healthier, taller, better looking Mickey Rooney. Bald on the top, grey hair on the back and sides that started the day out groomed, smooth, but by the end of the day, would be standing out in every direction. Brown dress pants, white dress shirt and brown stripes, suspenders stretched over his medium sized gut.

"I'm glad you think that's funny!" He went on to gently berate Jake.

"Hey, what can I say, you did choose him for the position if I remember correctly."

Carl groaned, "Aaaah come on Jacob, now you know why that is."

"No, I don't know why that is! But hey ... I've long had to accept that it's just the way it is. You work your ass off for a company for years in and out, dependable for anything brought forward and some shit face schmuck with a suit on and a degree, sitting in air conditioner the last umpteen years of his life, steps in without any knowledge
whatsoever
and gets the job that should have been yours."

"Now dammit Jacob, I let you get away with more shit than anyone here, I-..."

"Bullshit! It's the least you could do considering what you get out of me! I fuckin' do anything and everything you goddamn need done around here! No ifs, ands or buts! You need a woods cleared, I fuckin' get it done! You need a warehouse set up, I fuckin' organize it and get it done! We get backed up and need guys to stay for overtime, I get the fuckers to stay and work! Fuckin' orders need dispatching and delivered quick, who the fucks gets his ass out there to see that it's delivered? My stupid ass! And what does fuck-face do? The schmuck with the degrees?"

"Calm down, calm down ... don't get all upset, I know. Okay, I know."

"Yeah, you know,
you know
- but where am I for it all?" He asked glaring.

Carl sat back in his chair behind his desk, running his hand over his face.

Jake decided, now or never.

"I'm getting married."

Carl's hand moved from his face and looked at Jake as if he didn't understand what he'd just said. "What was that, you just said?"

"I'm getting married."

Carl sat up in his chair and with squinting eyes looked real close at Jake, "Run that by me, one more time?"

"I - am - getting - married."

Carl shot up from his chair and ran to the office door and yelled out over the yard. "HEY! Yeah you, you, you, you, you and you ... up here... NOW!" He shouted as if in a panic.

Jake sighed, shaking his head, he slumped back in the chair bored, his legs stretched out before him as Carl came back around and stood over his chair looking down at him. The men he called, who had been working there for a long time and knew Jake, made quite a racket as they rushed up the steps, flying to the door, out of breath, looking in at him and Jake.

"What's up Carl?! What happened? What's wrong?"

"All of you, get in here! Crowd around, right around here, now look at him. Look at him, look long and hard. Who the hell do you see? Sitting right there in that chair, who is that?"

Jake ran his hand through his hair, inhaling and exhaling patiently as all stood around him looking down at him.

"Well, even with the new haircut, it's pretty clear who that is." One answered.

"Yeah, that's Jake, Carl. What's going on? That what you call us up here for? You know who that is." Another boldly replied

"Jacob Patrick McPherson?" Carl asked.

"Yeah, Jacob Patrick McPherson, Jake!"

"Yeah, well, we'll see if you think so in a second." He said to them in warning and then to Jake, "Okay, tell'em. Tell'im what you just told me. Don't try to change it either! Makin' it out like I'm loosen my mind, say it the same way, you said it to me when there was no witnesses, now ... go on, say it." And then to the others, "Listen closely now, don't nobody say a word," and back to Jake, "You now, go ahead ... say it."

Jake sat up, looked and them and said, "
I'm
getting
married
."

He's words to someone in the group startled them so, they cried out like they'd heard a gun shot. "WHOA!" He, the one sucked in holding his breath as everyone else stood there staring at him, as if afraid to move. Really really looking at him this time. No one moved. Carl looked at the other five men nodding his head and looking back at Jake. One of the men in the back, spoke real low to the others as if afraid they would spook Jake, "Remember that movie,
Invasion of the Body-snatcher
, think it could really happen, maybe?"

"Okay, yeah yeah yeah, didn't realize there were 6 fuckin' stooges instead of three. Or is it the sons of the three stooges?" Jake quipped, not very amused by their antics.

Someone whispered, "Ask'em has he been to the doctor."

"I'm not askin'em, you ask." Another replied.

"Carl, ask'em has he been to the doctor."

"No no, ask'em, he been leavin' his drink unattended."

"Must'ah, 'cause somebody done slipped him a Micky. Jake? Jacob Patrick getting married?" Someone muttered incredulous.

"I'd sooner believe Stevie Wonder claimed he'd seen a u-f-o than believe Jake's getting married."

"Ah, Jacob, son ... you ... you uh, have a accident or somethin' while you was off?"

"No, I have not had an accident." Jake returned making a face at them. "Look, do you all mind? I need to talk to Carl before work starts, so if you would please?" He tossed his thumb over his shoulder indicating the door. "The exit's that way!"

"Well wait now Jake, at least tell us who she is?!" One asked.

"Yeah! Who is she Jake?"

"Yeah, who is she?"

"Is she a knockout?"

"When we gonna meet her?"

"Do we know her?"

"Somebody needs to call the paper? I mean, come on this is major!"

Jake stood up finally, "Excuse me! You guys are on my clock here!"

"Well at least tell us is she pretty?" Another asked as they slowly, reluctantly headed for the door, jammed up as a pack not wanting to leave.

"Yes, she's pretty, beautiful in fact. Now get going here!" He went behind them trying to push the mass towards the door and out.

"Have we ever seen her before? Where she live? What's her name?"

Jake looked at Bryan Clemmons, "You've seen her before."

"ME? I've seen her? Where? When Jake?"

"That's all I'm telling right now, now move it guys!"

"Well what's her name?!" They asked desperately, out the door but clinging to the frame to get that answered. "Yeah, what's her name? At least tell us her name?!"

"VIVIAN! Now out!"

"Wow... her name's Vivian!" He heard one exclaim as he stood at the now, closed door turning to look at Carl.

"Vivian huh? Where'd you meet her?" He just had to ask.

"I met her at my brother's wedding."

"Ah, I see. So ... it's uh, serious business then? Huh?"

"Yeah, it's serious business. And the work I do for you, that's serious business too. Considering what I make a year here, you haven't taken me serious Carl. Right now, I figure this way, I have two options here. I can do as my fiancée suggests I do, and that is quit. Relocate where she-..."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait now, let's not be hasty here. Have a seat son, have a seat. I can see you're serious, I mean, you ... gettin' married, that's, that's serious." Carl was sweating moving back around to his desk, taking his seat. That lumber business was his, passed down from his father, and to him from his father and so on. Quite a bit of profit had come from it, and one thing was certain, when he brought Jake on as a young kid, he'd been amazed at what the kid had known how to do. For years, he'd gotten away with paying him below minimum wage until his mother had paid him a visit and he'd given him a raise above minimum wage. Then his father a few years later came in to see him, and then another raise had been the result of it. A few years later, another visit from his father, another raise. Yet, none since then. As Carl sat there looking at him, he knew, that what he'd gotten out of him over the years, five more raises wouldn't quite balance his debt to him. For that reason, he'd let him earn extra money here and there doing deliveries, clearing forest for him. But now, he could tell, his time of extra profit gaining on
his
back was up.

"...-as I was saying, she feels that I should go to school, earn
my
degree-..."

"Now, wait now! Wait! Will you give me a minute here!? Now, now ... listen. You've invested all these years here, don't make a bit of sense to go and throw all that away now."

Jake crossed his arms over his chest, "Give me a reason to say. I've never asked anything extra from you,
ever!
Never asked you for a raise..." Which was true, because he never knew of the times his parents had come in demanding one for him sensing that Carl was taking advantage of him and his skills.

"Hey, but I've given you raises over the years." Carl pointed out because he knew, that Jake hadn't known about his parents coming in on his behalf.

"True you have, however ... we both know, I'm worth more than what you're paying me. So, I'm about to lay it on the line for you. I'm getting a house, property, paying off a truck, paying off a very expensive wedding ring, and about to take on a woman with a high standard of living and, she's worth it. If
I'm
about to marry her, you know she is."

Carl sucked in a huge amount of air, and slowly let it out, once more, running his hand over his face,
damn women
- there was always one that would come along and blow a good thing.

"Don't fret Carl, I'm going to make this easier on you than ever. Where are we with those contracts to the DIY's?"

Carl became alert.

"We got'em! In fact, I was just waiting on you to get back to go over that with you."

"I'm glad to hear that, because I've decided that I want that in addition to another raise. Also, to make up for all the years I've put my all into this place, I want whatever lumber, cement, roofing, gravel, gutters whatever I need to restore a property that I'm going to be purchasing. It's an old Victorian house that's seen better days. I may need a little wood here and there, or I might need quite a bit. But, because of the kind of boss you've always been, appreciating me as you do, you're going to give me whatever I need, as a wedding gift. Including a raise and the delivery contracts. Sound fair?"

Jake leaned back crossing his arms over his chest and waiting.

Carl sat for a moment just staring at him and all of a sudden he burst out laughing, "You sonofabitch!"

"I'm letting you off lightly, and you know it."

Carl reached up and scratched his head, "How much of a raise?"

"Bring me up to $30,000 a year."

Carl started choking on air. "That's, that's almost what Neil makes." He spoke out loud.

"Don't make this harder on yourself by mentioning that to me. Sonofabitch! What the hell does he do, that makes him worth more than that?"

Carl sat back rubbing his forehead, he was spinning.

"Relax Carl, that'll almost include the delivers, which of course will take it up a bit more per delivery. Sooo, I figure that will put me at about 36,000 a year. I'm worth it, I earned it, I want it." Jake finished and then added one more time, "And of course, whatever materials I need from around here until my home is done."

Carl sat staring, shaking his head he muttered his thoughts out loud, "She must be one hell'of'ah woman."

"Yep, that she is. So what's it gonna be?"

"All right, you got it."