"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 himthe 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.
"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!"
Chapter 225
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.
BOMAW 10-12 Page 4
