"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, un-fazed. 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.
He sat in the car, closed the door.
"I take it you like it?" Royce asked.
"Oh yeah, I do. Boys, get ready for one busy summer. I - am - home!"
"Are you serious dad? I don't know, I don't think Vivian is gonna feel the same, I mean the place is ... well, let's face it, creepy." Kevin offered his thoughts.
"Now it is, but not when I get done with it. Let's go."
Back at Sylvia's, Jake sat on the phone telling his mother about the house and the land that it was on, at the conclusion he asked, "So - how much do I have left of my money? I want this property."
Gert took a deep breath, she knew how much he had. Out of all of them, he had the most left. Especially since he worked, gave her a hundred dollars to put away from every check since he was 18. She'd matched every $100, to encourage him and he'd never failed to give it. It went with the money she'd had for them all. He had much more than he could ever imagine since he'd never dipped into it, even with supporting his boys. Kathy Ann had the least even though she'd told her that she had none left. Had she not, she would have gone through it all, wasting every bit of it if Gert hadn't told her it was gone. Jake on the other hand, had never asked for any of his in the past.
"Well son, considering you never touched it, in all these years it's sat accumulating interest, which is what I used for your boys for school, the interest. I'd say you're in perfect shape for it."
"Even after you paid for the place in Chicago?"
"Son, that didn't even dent it."
"Are you serious? Wow, so ummm, how much do I have?"
"Don't you worry about that, I ain't tellin' you; by the sounds of that property, I'd say you have more than enough to get it."
"YES! Okay, let me run something else by you, do I have enough to get that property and uh, pay Shawn for his truck too? I mean pay it clean off. I'm trying to get my bills lined up in my head. I'm going to have to take on Vivian's bills as well and I have that wedding ring to pay for, plus restore this property, it would help if I didn't have that truck to pay for as well."
"How much is that truck?"
"I'm thinking about offering him anywhere from 18,000 to 20,000, I know he paid more for it than that."
"I see."
"It's practically new."
"Well, let me talk things over with your dad, we'll go by there tomorrow so we can get an idea in mind of what that property is worth-..."
"I want that house, I want that land."
"I hear ya! Trust me son, you know I'd deny you nothing you need."
"It's not like I'm asking you guys to buy it for me, I gave you money to put away for me, to add to that-..."
"Jake! I know ... now get off the phone so I can talk to your father. We'll go by and look at it, then we'll meet you after work."
"At the property or here?"
"At the propert
y."
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then."
After hanging up, he sat a bit restless, anxious. Now that he'd seen the place, in his heart he felt that it was his. He wanted it, wanted it bad and hated having to wait for it. His sons were in Sylvia's refrigerator, "Get out of there! Shanna's cooking!"
"I'm hungry now! We should have stopped and picked something up!" Kevin returned.
"There's plenty of food in here dad! We should eat it before it goes bad. Can't waste it." Paul joined in.
"Wait until you eat at Shanna's, if you're still hungry after that, fine ... but not until then." He returned, his mind pre-occupied.
He was thinking about the rooms in that house, the stunning wood work, the fancy architrave around the doors, the high ceilings and cornices that graced each room. He was imagining the fire place and a roaring fire, the place all cleaned up. Wood stripped, buffed smooth, stained and varnished. The wood floors, stripped back, sanded and restored to gleaming. Walls repaired, smooth and freshly painted. Maybe new fixtures in the baths and kitchen, maybe. He'd have to give them a really good look over. In restoring the house, he didn't want to remove its character and vintage. Sitting as if in a trance, he imagined taking Vivian's furniture and filling the place with it. Suddenly it all came together, it all fit.
Once more, he never wanted anything more. He smiled correcting himself, not true, he'd wanted Vivian more. He wanted the two little girls he saw in his minds eye more. The house, the land, the oak tree, he wanted for her, for them. 'Yes,' He thought, 'It all fits.' Lost in the dream, lost in time, his sons had to call his name a third time out loud, "DAD! Earth to Jacob Patrick! Food's done - let's go eat!" He finally looked up at the open basement door they'd just gone out of, he stood. His blood was surging, his mind working. Time to put things in order. Back to work; get that land; gather materials; equipment to clean up the land to remove the trash; shoot for a higher position at work; get the songs written; get the house in good enough shape for living in; get married; get a hold of Vivian Cooke, even if it meant dragging her, kicking and screaming there; and get his babies started! Walking down the road towards his sisters place, he saw everything clear as a bright summer day.
He was almost 40 ... time up. Time to get busy.
* * *
L.A.
"Hold it right there, hold it right there! Don't take another step Mrs. McPherson!" Shawn ordered after parking the Hummer and racing to get in front of Sylvia before she made it to the front door of the condo.
Smiling, Sylvia stopped as she was told.
Crystal had Isaac walking around her to the front door; laughing, Angela had Darren and rushed by her as well, stopping at the door because she had the key. "Stop Sylvia!" She instructed full of glee, working with her father to make a dramatic event of Sylvia seeing the condo for the first time.
The bodyguards stood back at the limos, content to let them go on in. After the luggage was unloaded, they all left with one of the limos. They knew the condo was clean because they'd already been there that morning and checked it over via; Jeremiah's instructions. Deidre gave him card blanc on the matter of setting things up, after explaining how difficult Shawn would be if they were too blatant right away. She'd told him, "Whatever we can do without his knowledge, the better. The more he knows, the harder it will make things until he finds out that Angela has to come back to live here with me." Using her knowledge as a guide, Jeremiah saw to everything before their plane ever landed. In fact, carefully placed within the estate of the condo were plain clothed bodyguards that for all intents and purposes, looked apart of the scenery. Their one and only objective, keep Angela well guarded and safe. Wherever she was, they too would be. Each of them were told, "By no means are you to make your presence known. Stay cool, calm and watchful of her as close as you can get without them feeling your presence." With the plants in place, once the limos were emptied, the four from the airport, "Angela's" escorts, could leave and let the others in place take over, leaving behind a driver and the Lexus limo from Deidre.
"Toot to-to Toot, toot toot toot to-o-ot!" Angela stood at the door entrance, hand fisted at her mouth with a narrow opening as if she held a bugle, heralding the arrival of the queen. "Your majesty! Your palace, or ... L.A. pad awaits!" She announced with royal pomp. Sylvia started laughing, "You are so crazy... SHAWN!" She squealed as he came up behind her and scooped her up off of her feet, bouncing her up close to his chest. He was grinning wide, with a bright white smile, twinkle in his eye, excited by having her there. Sylvia wrapped her arms around him, "Anyone ever tell you, you can be oh so silly?"
Holding her securely he made slow steps towards the front door, "Is that so my queen, silly hmmm? Well, as long as my silly antics, brings forth such a smile and that gleam in your eyes, I care not my queen if silly I be, as long as I bring you laughter and you love me. Do you love me, this silly, lowly servant?"
"Oh aye, it is true, this queen is truly smitten I fear. Well pleased, and later, I shall have to reward you." She flirted like a tart, pitching her voice deep and raunchy, turning Shawn on, his eyes grew wide as he chuckled deep.
Angela stood rolling her eyes bashfully, blushing deep at their show of affection as her father reached her, turned sideways to fit within the door carrying Sylvia and straight on into the house, his eyes on his wife. "Is that a promise?"
"Oh yeah, that it is." She returned, her smile slipping. She was exhausted and it showed.
"I'm looking at you and thinking you need a few hours sleep." He gently suggested, still carrying her, through the small foyer, slowly up the stairs with her and then to his room, that was now theirs.
Angela gasped, looked up at Crystal, "She didn't even get down to look around the house."
Ruffling her bangs, Crystal replied, "I think she'll look around later."
Benjamin walked up loaded down with three bags, looked into Crystal's eyes smiling just as Angela stated in exasperation, "People in love, act strange!" She then entered the house, doing what her dad usually let her do.
Benjamin and Crystal were stumped for a brief moment by her words, both of them moving to quickly recover.
He asked, "Where should I put these?"
"I would say, for the time being anywhere inside, next to the stairs maybe? Until we know who will be where." He did as he was told with Mundo not far behind him.
"What's up with the limo out there? It's still there." He said bringing in bags.
"That limo is for me and mama, Deidre, Angela's mother told mama, we can use it all while we here... hahaha!" She teased him grinning.
"Ohhh, that's straight! Hey, ain't nothin' but a thang, chicken-wang ... you a woman, you and mama, ya'll need a limo, that's about yo' speed, but us men, we'll deal from the Hummer! Ain't that right Ben?"
"Man-o-man, it - is - schweet baby! Talk about the way to go."
"Ohhh, I wanna go for a ride in it!" Crystal piped in.
"In what?" Angela asked after going through the house turning on the air, setting the thermostat and rejoining them.
"Papah-Shawn rented a Hummer and we wanna ride in it, don't we?"
"Ye-ah! You better believe we do."
"Look you two, don't even start! Ya'll got that limo, be happy with that. That Hummer? That's a man's vehicle. So just forget it."
"Excuse you nig-ga-ro, you ain't runnin' nothing here!" Crystal resumed the tell off position.
"I'mo tell! You sho' ain't gone ride now! What you been told about calling me that? Soon as he come down, we gone check yo'ass!" Mundo threatened.
Grinning Crystal shook her head, "I ain't said, no such o'nothin'! Did you hear me say anything like that Angela?"
"I hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil." She laughed covering her eyes and going out the door with Isaac trailing after her to get more bags.
"Oh I see how it is! The black man, can't get no respect!" He turned to Ben, "Did she say niggaro? Did you hear Ms Loony Toon, call me by a derogatory description used to diminish the inner str
engths and integrity of the black man; used for centuries upon centuries to squash the spirit of our ambitions and goals to rise above, to our original status, as kings? Did that not roll off of that forked tongue!?"
Laughing, Ben put his hands in the air as if surrendering at gun point, "I'm - staying out of it! There are more bags out there to get, you two carry on." He grinned making his escape.
"Ha ha ha ... no witnesses, your word against mine!" She teased going out to help with the bags.
"You hungry?" Shawn asked, laying over Sylvia as he sat on the side of the bed. He'd laid her down and then leaned across her body to kiss her lips and check on her.
"No, I'm fine. There were nuts in the limo, I had enough where I feel pretty good. Do you know, Deidre is leaving that limo for us to use?"
"Is she really? Em." He returned stroking her hair from her brow. "Would you like that?"
"Well, it does allow me and the girls to get around without having to pester you to take us everywhere. If you don't want us to, we won't use it." She whispered softly, feeling a deep sleep about to slip over her.
"It's okay, I like the idea of you being catered to like that. If I'm at Pen-tab, you don't have to wait for me if you need something. I'll have to thank her for that." He spoke softly, watching her battle closing her eyes, they were squinted at him.
"You should thank her, she's ... really ... trying." She was nodding away.
"Go to sleep baby ... look at you. You rest," He leaned down and kissed her again, "We'll get everything unpacked and something for dinner on." He spoke in a whisper, but she was off to sleep. He leaned there watching her, gazing at her in rapt love and fascination, overcome with a strange feeling of euphoria to have her there with him in California. There at his condo. There to meet Mama JoJo, the James', King Louie. It was like inviting her into this whole other world of his, his other life. He caressed her brow gently, filled to the brim, filled to a tightness with all the things she made him feel and wish to share with her. He kissed her once more and sat up, unable to resist, his hand went to her rounding tummy, stroking there with a smile. "Godalmighty ... I love my wife." He spoke out to God as if he didn't know this one fact. After a few more moments of gazing at her, he stood, walked to the closet, opened it and pulled out a light tartan lap blanket and covered her. He could feel the air conditioner kicking in and soon it would be chilly from it. He bent down one last time, another kiss to her forehead and quietly left the room. Downstairs all the baggage had been brought in. He informed everyone that Sylvia was sleeping so keep it down. He showed them where everything was and that they had their own swimming pool. He looked at Crystal, "The boys and I are going to go out, hit a DIY and set up a safety barrier around that pool, so keep this door locked until that's set up." He cautioned Crystal.
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