Jake sighed, avoiding the subject by looking at what she was eating.
"That's not going to stick with you all morning." He warned.
"I'm ready, let's go. I can eat this on the way."
The boys stood, placing their plates in the sink, Jake followed along doing the same with his, still eyeballing Vivian, his focus and disapproval was for her food. She ignored him. They locked up and left in the truck to the places that Paul had found. It took them all morning and most of the afternoon, with two trips that had to be made. The second trip out, they had to ask Lydia for permission to store the materials in her garage. She gave the go ahead after hearing what they were doing. After they unloaded everything, Vivian went into the house, to wash her hands and fix them all a hearty lunch, re-heating leftovers as well as putting a pizza in for the boys. Also, though she played it off, she was ravenously hungry, shaking in fact from all the sorting, picking and loading they did. It was hard work, work that Jake kept telling her to go back to the truck and leave them to do. But she wasn't about to just stand around and watch, so she pitched in and helped where she could. Getting a few splinters, breaking two nails, and almost stepped onto a nail that was sticking up out of a board, which would have gone into her sneaker and thus, her foot if Jake hadn't been watching her and where she was stepping; he snatched her towards him, growling, "In the truck, before you really hurt yourself, we're almost done." Making a face, she finally did what he told her, only because she had run out of steam. Now, that they were back at the house, she was inside laying food out and eating as she went, she was so hungry.
They came in talking loud and happy with what they'd accumulated. They had enough materials to do quite a bit to the man's roof Paul was so eager to fix for him, and a few more if they wished. Vivian laid out the chips, sodas, pizza and leftovers and made a fresh salad to go along with it all as well, between the three, they polished off everything - leaving nothing behind, Paul even carried out one of the bags of chips to eat on the way to the man's house.
She couldn't believe it. Trying to clean up the mess, Jake called to her, "Leave it until we get home later, we'll help you clean up then, come on, times wasting, we need to get by there while we have good daylight time left."
Vivian whimpered, she hated leaving her place in a mess, but she dropped what she was doing and headed out the door, following them back to the truck. They'd packed it up with everything they imagined they'd need for roof repair.
By the time they reached the area where the man was, they first went by Dennis and Sheila's, to let them know they were in the area and where they were working and what they were doing. Dennis was hyped to hear it and promised to join them.
When they parked on the block and walked to where the man's house was, he was sitting out on his front porch, looking grumpy and mean. Jake walked up with his clip board in hand, the first to speak, "Hello sir, do you remember us? We, my son and I came through here a while back, looking over your roofing and gutters, you remember?"
"Yeah, do. Call that number you gimme, ain't get no answer."
"There's a reason for that sir, we've split off from my previous partner, Mr. Murphy, therefore, we're no longer Murphy Roofing and Gutters. I've started my own business, in my own name now, McPherson is my name, Jacob McPherson..." He went up the stairs with his hand out, "If you don't mind sir, we're back to finish what we started." The man leaned forward, rummy eyes searching his, as he took his hand, shaking it.
"Ain't no sensin' you coming back now, all my money gone on other stuff."
"If you don't mind sir, by what name may we address you?" Jake asked.
The old man was looking at his sons and then at Vivian.
"Mr Milton Hunter, my name."
"Well Mr Hunter, seeing as how we promised to come back and do a thorough inspection, we wanna hold true to that promise. With your permission, we'll inspect the work, and if there is a need for correction, we're willing to take care of that now."
"I ain't got no money, I told you."
"You don't need any money Mr. Hunter, you don't need a dime."
"You must think I done loss my mind ain't you? Can't get nothin' done for free - you after somethin'. Ain't no sense in you going through my house, I ain't got nothin' worth stealing, just got my house, all my stuff ol' - ain't nothin' in there do you no good."
Jake took a deep breath, looked back at Paul, then at Vivian and Kevin, thinking. He turned back, "Mr. Hunter, the best advertisement, is word of mouth. Do you believe that?"
"Yeah, I know that."
"Do you know, if I were to put my money into television advertising to build my business, I would be out of a lot of money, and maybe - no one would call me. Because, they don't know me, know what I do, know how reputable I am, how good I am. So there I would be, out of that money, and no one booking me for work. Would a business move like that make sense to you?"
"Don' seem as it would make no sense."
"Not to me either. But let's say, I used my money another way. Let's say, I did work for a few people who really needed the work done, and I did a really good job, my boys and I. You think, if I walked away, with that work done to perfection, they would tell somebody about me? About the work I did for them, you think?"
"Sho' they would, I know I would."
"See that's what I think too Mr Hunter, that's what I believe. So instead of me investing in TV commercials that cost a lot of money - I'd rather invest in doing work for you, that you need done, and all I need you to do for me, is to tell someone about us if you satisfied with the outcome. Does that sound fair to you?"
"If you sho'nuff, sho'nuff legit, yeah it sound fair."
"Okay then, let me introduce us, Mr Hunter, this is my fiancée, Vivian Cooke."
"Yo' fiancée? She look like a lil'o'girl." He grinned snag tooth at her.
Vivian smiled, stepping up the stairs holding her hand out, "No Mr. Hunter, I'm a full grown woman, birthday December 30th, 1977 - I'll be 29 at the end of this year, sir."
"Well gul' you sho' is a pretty young thang, that's for sho'!" He rose up out of his seat, holding onto Vivian's hand, "You with them gul?"
"Yes sir Mr. Hunter I am, as my fiancé explained, we're here to offer you services in exchange for real advertising, the kind that counts, that works." She jumped right in, following Jake's lead and admiring this ability of his.
"Em mm, you sho' is pretty, pretty as can be." He couldn't get enough of looking at her, searching her face and features, he looked back to Jake, who was tolerating his pawing on his girlfriend, keeping his humor in place. "One thang about yah'll, when you go for one, you always go for the gold, tha's fo'sho!"
"Why thank you sir, I'm gonna have to agree with you there, now - question is - do we have a deal sir?"
"Come on then, lemme show what done happen since last time you come." He let Vivian go, turned to his door, opening it to let them in. Vivian followed him, Jake behind her, the boys following him. When they went into his house, one wall of his dinning room was ruined from rain coming in. The ceiling was stained, and the plaster had fallen down, leaving exposed beams overhead. Jake groaned inwardly because they were looking at some serious work. They had everything they needed except sheet rock and plaster. Paul and Kevin stepped forward, looking it over.
Jake turned to Mr. Hunter, "Sir, you have an attic trap that I can go into?"
"Right over there you can."
"Okay." He replied and then to Paul and Kevin, "Unload the truck and bring the materials into his back yard."
"Right away dad."
He turned to Vivian, "Get Dennis on the phone, see if he has any construction ladders we can borrow, if not, you're going to have to fetch us a couple from the DIY - in which case, I'll have to make a list for you to fill and bring back, but first, see what he has."
"Okay, I'll call him now." She proudly answered, heading out the front door, bringing out her mobile phone, her chest filling with so much pride and love for him, she couldn't think stra
ight. She was amazed by him.
"All right Mr Hunter, lead the way, does that attic have a trap with a built in ladder to pull down?"
"Sho'do - I'm too old now, can't be climbing up there no more."
"No worries, we'll get you fixed up today, how's about that?"
"So yah'll gone do it, you really gone fix it? All of it?"
"Yes sir, we are, outside and in. We're going to inspect your entire roof, gutters, soffits, whatever needs correcting, we'll see to, today. If we don't finish it today, we'll be back first thing in the morning to complete it. Is that okay with you sir?"
"Sho' is okay, you better believe it. You wanna Coca Cola, got some Coca Cola if you want. Got some tuna fish made too, wanna sammich?"
Jake smiled, "No sir, we've been well fed thank you, had a great big ol'lunch, we're just fine."
Mr Hunter was grinning ear to ear, he couldn't believe his good fortune, he couldn't wait to start telling somebody. He knew lots of folks, at the church, when he played bingo, and at the club where he belonged. If they did good, he would be talking about it, non-stop.
* * *
In L.A...
"Mama JoJo, I see what Shawn means, you so stubborn and hard headed! Why aren't you outside taking it easy?" Sylvia fussed at her. She'd just come from upstairs gathering a load of clothes to wash in between fixing foods for the barbecue, that Shawn had invited King Louie to, or rather, Ezekiel.
"Baby, I ain't thinkin' 'bout you or Shawn. I can pull my own weight just fine thank you. Been takin' care o'me too long to have ya'll waitin' on me han' an' foot." She fussed right back, standing at the sink, cleaning the greens Sylvia had soaking in the sink. She'd made potato salad and claw slaw, summer salad and baked beans, that were in the oven. She would be doing a seafood and vegetable kabob, and for desert, Lemon yogurt and cool whip pies.
"I see now I'm just gone have to get used to this huh?"
Mama JoJo laughed, "Ain' too late to back out."
"Oh no you don't, you said yes, now that's that." She walked through carrying her basket, heading for the laundry room.
"You talkin' 'bout me, you been going all day, was out with me all yesterday, you need to rest a bit."
Shawn walked in from the patio just then, with a lemonade in hand, he was not allowed to have any beer, not even when King Louie arrived. He passed his wife, making a pleading expression holding up the lemonade. She stopped, smiling at him, "Yes, something wrong?"
"I can't have just one beer?"
"You had plenty the other night, what's wrong with Lemonade? And if King Louie is driving himself here, he don't need to be drinking, so you're doing him a favor, right?" Her look said the matter was closed, heading into the laundry room with her load.
Shawn had a mild fit on his way into the kitchen, and witnessing the whole scene sent Mama JoJo into a fit of giggles, "Woooweee, she got you right where you need to be." She was rinsing the last of the greens, cutting them up on the center island.
"Can't get away with nothin' with that one Mama JoJo." Shawn whined.
"You'on need to be, she tellin' you right, how that hand? I need to look at it?"
"I think I need to clean it, change the bandages maybe."
"You need to go'on then and do it, fo' company get here."
"I may get Ben to look at it."
"He gettin' his hair cut fo' they big night tonight, they up there in the bathroom."
"Well I guess I'll get my wife, I'm just gonna have to suffer through another session of her fussin' about it."
"Tha's good medicine, just take it like a man. Good Lord only gives good thangs, even when it's bitter to swallow."
"Yeah, don't I know it." He grumbled collecting the items he would need so she could see to him on the way back through. After he had them, Sylvia came through, he hid everything behind his back, smiled at her and headed off for the patio, "Mundo ... come help me do this. Can't ask your mom, she'll start fussing at me again."
Mundo grinned, "She see this stuff?"
"No, I almost had her do it, but I remembered you were out here, let's go around the side out of the way. She'll get going and won't stop."
Mundo couldn't help laughing at him, "Don't laugh at me, it's your ass that got me in this trouble in the first place."
Mundo sucked it up, trying to not laugh at him, because Shawn would do anything to avoid another telling off by her.
Upstairs, in the bathroom, Ben sat with a barbers cape on, head down while Crystal gave him a Caesar/fade cut. She specialized in men's hair cuts, able to do artist lines and designs in the fade. As for Ben, for this night, it was to be a cut that would make him stand out. Isaac and Darren were both watching, at a distance not to get hair on them. They learned that early on from when she cut Victor's; they'd gotten some of his hair on them and were itching like mad, until their mom gave them a bath and changed their clothes.
The day before, all had a wonderful time together. For the sake of the boys, the day was just about them. They were friends, but a step beyond that now. Choosing the movie, The Incredibles assured the boy's fun, after it, Isaac was wanting to have speed powers now like Dash, and was insisting to be called Dash. Crystal of course wasn't having it; visions of him dashing into the street, or something as dangerous made her end his fantasy immediately. Ben stayed out of it, because he agreed, while Dash was fun to watch, he wasn't one he cared for Isaac or Darren to emulate, not where they lived. Even so, after the movie, he did indulge him a bit by going to a park that sported a ball pitch, there, they played ball together letting them run after a few balls that Ben and Crystal threw for them. They went everywhere by bus, or by walking. And so, he and Crystal talked about a great deal of things, religion and their belief in God; politics, the unfortunate war, which he'd contemplated joining, however, he explained that his grandfather had adamantly talked him out of it. Even went so far as to threaten him, saying, it was another Vietnam and he wanted him to have nothing to do with it. He'd demanded the same of Kevin and Paul.
Crystal's reaction was, "Good for him, and good for you for listening."
They delved into many topics, while trying to keep focused on the boys at the same time. They found that they agreed on many things discussed. Had very similar out looks and fears about the future. It also did not escape their notice, that they never ran out of things to say when with each other, and when there were moments when they didn't speak, there too, they felt at ease. No awkward ill fitting spaces or events made them feel out of place or embarrassed with each other. In fact, they felt very much in sync - as if there was nothing they could not talk about, their communication was clear, open, absolute. No pressure. No fear. No expectations. Due to hitting the early matinée, they had plenty of time to head to the mall and get Ben a tux for the ball. While it took them a while to fit him in one that he and Crystal both liked, he left with one zipped up in a wardrobe bag over his shoulder. On the way home, they stopped for ice cream. Enjoying the end of their day treat, the boys sitting next to them, nodding, their little heads dropping left and then right, warn out from the day. Due to the melting dripping mess, their ice creams were taken off of them. Smiling, looking to everyone that saw them like a happy family, they gathered the sleeping boys up, grabbing their bags and caught a cab home.
And today, they readied themselves for the ball.
"You look really handsome Ben'amin." Isaac complimented, patiently watching as his mother finished up his haircut.
"Thank you very much." Benjamin returned.
"You gonna be my daddy now Ben'amin?" He asked curiously.
Crystal and Ben froze a moment. She held her tongue, waiting to see what he would say before she intervened on that one.
"You already have a daddy, remember? Victor is your daddy." He answered.
"Then what are you gonna be?"
"Your very best friend. Like I'm your mother's very best friend. Would that be okay?"
"Yeah, you can be my best friend, I like to have a best friend."
"Emmm, no." Isaac answered after a moment of thought.
"Not even a little Isaac?" Crystal asked, a bit hurt and disturbed at hearing that.
"We'ah see'im when we go home right?"
"Yeah, you will."
Isaac scrunched up his face, "He not fun like Mundo and Ben is, he just m'daddy, no fun."
"Daddy's can't always be fun you know." Ben added.
"I know tha-a-at - because my dad's not!" And he took off obviously not interested in talking about it any further. Darren looked at them and then where he brother took off and left off behind him.
Crystal stood stunned; hurt. Hurt because she didn't want her children feeling that way about their father. She had loved Victor, loved him a great deal and to see that his own sons did not worry over his absence disturbed her. She grew quiet all of a sudden. Ben could feel it, and refusing to be shut out, he spoke up. "When they get back, they'll be happy to see him again."
"Why don't they miss him Ben, they should miss him."
"It's because they have Mundo, me, Shawn, you, your mother, Angela - their lives are filled with plenty to do right now. That's all it is."
"Do you think, that I've done this? Oh I couldn't stand it to do anything to hurt him. Even though I know I did things to him that did hurt him, it wasn't intentional." She fretted over it. Ben stood, removing the cape, turning to face her, "Oh course you didn't do that, once you get back home, and they see him again, they'll be fine."
"I just, I just can't stand the thought of hurting him, of bringing him that kind of pain. I mean, I know what it feels like to hurt - I never wanna be responsible for causing anyone, the kind of pain I've gone through, I just can't."
BOMAW 10-12 Page 51
