BOMAW 4-6

by Mercedes Keyes

  "YOU'LL NOT LAY THAT AT MY DOOR! I WAS TOO A FATHER TO YOU!!" Bart shouted angrily.

  "YOU TELL ME OL'MAN... ONE TIME OR INSTANCE BEFORE SHAWN AND DERRICK LEFT HOME, WHERE YOU TOOK THE TIME TO BE MY FATHER? GIVE ME ONE!" Jake was breathing hard swiping his tears away. Through clenched teeth he challenged him, "Give me one instance of you being a father to me... and I will give you - at least ONE - where I've been a father to them! I can match your one, because that's all you've got! That one was the day my mother conceived me! I can match that one!"

  "YOU PUSHING IT BOY! You best stop this nonsense while you're ahead." Bart ground out, feeling his own face burn because he knew in a way, it was true. After all, how many arguments had he and Gert had over that very thing, where he neglected to spend any time with Jake. It had been Jake, after Shawn and Derrick left, who had come and made himself available to him, hoping for time from his father, approval from his father. Yet, because of the life course he'd taken, approval had never been fully realized.

  "Nonsense?! I think not! How dare you put me down before my sons, when you've never been a real father to me." They were both speaking in growls now, angry, breathing hard, paralyzing everyone that stood around listening to them.

  "I was a father to you!"

  "WHEN!?"

  "I'm not gonna discuss this with you any further, I've faced enough humiliation from you this day."

  "Oh how convenient! HOW CONVENIENT!" Jake yelled.

  "Jake... let it go... drop it." Derrick called to him.

  "WHY?! IT WAS OKAY FOR HIM TO DO IT TO ME!!" Jake was feeling too many emotions, one of them, shame over Doris; angry and hurt from his father to let it drop. "YOU DARE TO CHALLENGE WHAT KIND OF FATHER I'VE BEEN TO MY SONS - WHEN HAVE YOU EVER TAKEN ME FISHING!?!" Jake demanded following his father to the door. "WHEN HAVE YOU EVER TAKEN ME TO A GAME? PLAYED A GAME WITH ME? ANY KIND OF GAME?!" Jake pushed it by demanding.

  "Jake... leave'im alone!" Kathy Ann cried out to him.

  Jake ignored everyone else as he yelled at his father, "WHY WON'T YOU ANSWER ME!?! YOU EXPECTED ME TO TAKE IT FROM YOU! BUT YOU CAN'T TAKE IT! TRUTH HURTS - DOESN'T IT OL'MAN?! DON'T THINK FOR A MOMENT THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT I FAILED TO BE A GOOD FATHER TO MY SONS - WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO FACE THE SAME?!! ALL YOU EVER DID WAS IGNORE ME, AND WHEN YOU DID GIVE ME ANY ATTENTION, IT WAS TO POINT OUT WHAT A LOSER I AM!!! JUST ONCE, I WOULD HAVE LOVED FOR YOU TO TAKE THE TIME WITH ME AS YOU DID WITH DERRICK AND SHAWN. NOT ONCE DID YOU BOTHER TO TALK TO ME ABOUT ANYTHING - NOTHING! SPEND JUST A LITTLE TIME WITH ME! BOX WITH ME!"

  That was all Bart could stand, he turned at the back door, "You got it son!"

  Jake never saw the fist coming, all he could recall was seeing the room flip topsy turvy on him, and then the floor lay beneath him - the ceiling never looked so high above him. Shoes and pant legs surrounded him, obscuring his vision. He felt himself being hauled up by the under arms, his head was dropping back to see Shawn's sympathetic image swimming above him, he noted vaguely his feet lifted from the other end. He could hear his mother's distorted voice yelling, "WHY'D YOU HAVE TO HIT HIM BART!?"

  "He wanted me to box with him, one time he said... well he got his one time, and frankly speaking, the boy couldn't take it." Bart walked out the back door.

  Chapter 109

  Jake sat out on his parent's front porch working his jaw, testing it to guage the damage. His sons sat around him, concerned about him. Derrick had left with his crew following Shawn and Mundo. Kathy Ann and Dwight departed, and now he sat with Benjamin, Kevin and Paul. He couldn't believe the things they were saying to him, although his jaw ached, he'd been chuckling and smiling - painful as it was, despite it, to hear the way they felt about him was stunning, and uplifting. After he'd finally come to, shaking the stars free of his vision, he'd stepped out onto the front porch to sit and wallow in pity and humiliation - sending Shawn on with the promise of returning sometime tomorrow, thanks to his mom.

  His boys had come out one by one, sitting with him, talking to him, striking up idle talk until he cleared his voice to get their attention, and said.

  "I don't know how to thank you boys... for coming in my behalf today. It's not like I've done a whole lot to be deserving of such loyalty. No since in me beating around the bush - I was a lousy father to you."

  "Says who?" Benjamin asked.

  Jake looked at him as if he'd spoken in another language besides English.

  "Look son, that's not necessary... I'm not about to pretend-..."

  "You make it sound like you've never done anything with us." Kevin put in next.

  Again Jake stopped and stared at him.

  "You remember that time we called you mad as hell because mom had promised to take us to Six Flaggs, but then said she couldn't because they needed the money to invest in something for Quincy's business?" Kevin started out.

  Jake was trying to remember.

  "Dad you gotta remember, I was 13, Kevin was 11 and Paul was 8. We called up grandma, she was out, you answered the phone and I told you what was going on. You had me put mom on the phone, you two got to arguing and you told her fine - don't take'em... I will! You came and got us, we went and got Paul - we went to Six Flaggs, you let me drive the truck you had back then 'cause you got too drunk to drive... remember?! We had a good ol'time!" Benjamin cracked up laughing. Jake could only stare as Kevin added, "Ben drove that truck all over the place while you slept in the back, not realizing we were running out of gas and had to call mom to come and get us - and ya'll got to arguing again. 'Cause you was drunk and we'd run that truck dry, had to walk to a station and call her, all while you was sleeping in the back."

  Paul was laughing because he'd been sitting in the back on Jake's back, made to stay in case he woke up so he could tell him where Benjamin and Kevin had gone.

  "Dad you was sleeping so hard I thought you'd up and died on us." He grinned bashfully.

  "Your mother cursed the hell out of me, that I remember." Jake finally smiled remembering it now.

  "Before that... remember we was gone run away from home, we called Paul to tell him we was gone bring him with us, but we didn't have no money. We were mad at Quincy and we called you, told you we needed money to run away? Remember dad?" This from Benjamin again.

  Jake laughed because he did remember, because he asked them,

  "Well where you going?"

  "We don't know yet, we just leavin'! But we need some money! You got any?"

  "Got some... can I come too? That way you won't have to walk where you're going?!"

  "Well... sure... I guess its okay... even though you're our dad... its not like you're a real dad or anything... might be fun - come on!"

  They all laughed remembering, Jake had come and picked them up and took off with them for a four day trip until they started missing their mother and home and begged to be taken back. Jake had said to them, "Ah come on... you wanna go back already? We was just startin' to have some fun!"

  The boys had shaken their little heads saying, "We got to get back Jake, our mom'll be worried about us...and I miss being home. We wanna go back now."

  "If you say so, but that's an awful strange way of running away if you ask me. I'd think you'd wanna stay gone, that would teach Quincy and your mom something!"

  "Yeah dad... you'd already called mom and told her what you were gonna do, you had us fooled!"

  The four sat for a while reminiscing, laughing at the crazy things Jake did with them, until Jake sobered up saying, "I know we had those times, I'd forgotten about them. But ... I should have been there for your graduations, at your birthday parties, for your games. I should have been a real father to you guys."

  "Don't take this the wrong way dad... but we had a real father. Quincy. All the things you weren't there to do, he was there to do. He was a good father to us, and then... we had you too. We had plenty between you, grandma and granddad and Paul... well, he had us... right Paul?"

  "Yeah... but... if you want to... I graduate in a few weeks... i
f you want to, you can come to that... if... that is you want to?" He said in a way to let Jake know, that he didn't have to. Jake couldn't believe it... he grabbed Paul by the neck and pulled him to him. "I would be honored to be there. You better believe I wouldn't miss it for the world."

  * * *

  Shawn was feeling run down. Lack of sleep was finally coming down around him. Derrick had taken his kids home, and Angela was across the road with Crystal. She would be staying over there tonight so that Crystal could take her to school in the morning, this way he could get uninterrupted sleep. With the house silent around him, he showered, got into his most comfortable around the house trousers and crashed after checking his emails to see if he'd received any from Sylvia... nothing. He was too tired to feel true disappointment, besides, he knew that she was with Meribel and no doubt they were doing whatever women do.

  At first he was dreaming that the phone was ringing. It stopped, and then two minutes later it started again. Slowly his eyes drifted open and he turned his head to squint at the digital clock by the bed. It was 11:40pm. He wondered who could be ringing at this time of night? Suddenly he felt a surge of panic, thinking something may have happened with Sylvia and flipped over in the bed grabbing the phone, the surge of adrenaline bringing him instantly alert.

  "Hello?!"

  "Um... hi... who am I speaking with?"

  "Who are you calling?" Shawn asked a bit irritated.

  "Oh I hope I dialled the right number, this is Sylvia's friend... Edwina... remember, I was there at you guys wedding? Is this Shawn?" She asked softly.

  Shawn exhaled long and deep. "Yeah... this is Shawn, how can I help you? Sylvia's not here." He said right away.

  "Are you kidding me... she's still not back? Oh my goodness... I - well... I hate to be bothering you at a time like this... but... I didn't know who else to call. You do remember me don't you? I'm about Sylvia's height, lighter than her..."

  "Yes yes, how can I help you?" Shawn rushed her.

  "I'm - I'm stranded. On I-90... I was supposed to be meeting some friends at Ho-Chunk Casino, I'm off work all next week you see, we made plans-..."

  "Get to the point Edwina." Shawn rushed her again.

  "I'm sorry... please forgive me... my car broke down. I can't get a hold of my friends, they must be at the Casino. I would call Triple A - but I let it expire and well - now look at me. You all were the closest persons for me to call." She explained.

  Shawn groaned in abject misery.

  "If there was someone else to call, I would... but its almost midnight, and I'm scared... I haven't even seen a state trooper, I've been out here for at least 20 minutes now. I'll give you gas money, please come and get me."

  "Aaaah man... shit!" He muttered, running his hand over his face.

  "I'm so sorry, I promise I'll make it up to you." She pleaded.

  "Where are you on the I-90?" He asked sitting up in the bed, walking into the bathroom to splash his face.

  "I'm right between Mauston and a little town called, New Lisbon."

  "How can you be this far if you were going to Ho-Chunk? That's near Wisconsin Dells?"

  "Oh man, I keep getting them mixed up... we were suppose to meet at Rainbow Casino - and then I got lost. So I was turning around to go back and that's when my car broke down." She lied, pulling over as she spoke with him.

  "Well at least you're not that far... what will I be looking for?"

  "I'm driving a Monte Carlo... its an old one, '78 - maroon. Its my brother's car, I borrowed it. My hazards are flashing."

  "All right, give me a bit... I'll be there in... oooh... about 20 minutes."

  "Oh thank you... I owe you! I owe you big time! Hurry please?"

  "Yeah yeah yeah... I'll be there."

  "Try it again!" Shawn called from under the hood of her Monte Carlo, trying to get her car to start by jumping it as she sat behind the wheel. The traffic flying by them as he did. She'd gone through great pains to make sure he couldn't get the car to start. She'd parked on the side of the road, removed the good battery and replaced it with one that was shot, impossible to jump, telling him the one that was in the trunk was no good as well.

  To her shock, the car started, she was horrified.

  "Let it run a minute." Shawn instructed.

  Her heart was pounding because she couldn't believe it was able to start with that bad battery.

  "Okay... turn the engine off."

  She did.

  "Now try and start it."

  She almost wilted in misery, but the car only clicked... it wouldn't start.

  "Your battery is dead... dead dead. I can get it started, but the minute you turn it off, that's it. You can't drive this car like this." He informed her coming to her door talking to her as she sat in the drivers seat.

  "Oh nooo... now what'll I do?!" She cried, joyful inside... for a minute there, she thought her careful plan had failed.

  "Lock it up for tonight. You can go back to the house with me, and in the morning you can get a new battery for it, I'm pretty sure that's what it is."

  "Okay... I guess I have no other choice." She turned away smiling, her heart pounding at the thought of being with him. She reached over and locked the passenger side door, and then stepped from the vehicle, making sure to lock it. She prayed nothing happened to her brother's car... but desperate times, called for desperate measures, especially when it came to a man like this one. She walked to his truck and climbed into the passenger side, saying right away.

  "I really appreciate this... I don't know what I would have done if you guys didn't live so near."

  "Don't worry about it, buckle up." He instructed, waiting for the traffic to clear so he could pull out. He would have to drive all the way to Mauston, there was no other way off of the interstate until then, and then turn around. He was tempted to go to a gas station and purchase a battery that night, but if that weren't the problem it would only piss him off because he was too tired to be messing with an old car at that time of night. He just wanted to get home and back to bed, he'd help her get the car started in the morning.

  They drove in silence for a few minutes until she struck up a conversation. "You'll have to excuse me, but... I can't believe Sylvia is still gone! Is she... from that night? After the reception?"

  "Yeah." He answered simply and yawned.

  "Well that must be tough on you to deal with, have you heard from her at all since that night?"

  "Yep." He answered again with one word.

  "Well when is she coming home?"

  "Soon." He answered, unwilling to divulge any details of their relationship to her, friends or not. Had she been Sheila, that would be a different story.

  "As in... tomorrow, next day... next week?"

  "Next week."

  "Not a man of many words are you?" She asked, starting to resent his ill-manners.

  "You'll have to excuse me, its been one helluva week, and I just want to get back home and to bed. Not fit for company right now."

  "I understand... it is late."

  "Yes... it is... after midnight."

  "I bet my friends are having a good ol'time!" She commented in an effort to keep the conversation flowing.

  "We'll get your car fixed for you in the morning and then you can join them." He responded.

  "You ever visit the casino's?"

  "No... don't gamble."

  "Oh... I just do it for entertainment. Although I have won a great deal twice! I won $1500.00 last year and 2 months ago, I won $800.00... first time I won on the joker slot machine and the second time playing black jack."

  "Good for you."

  "Am I boring you that bad?"

  "As I said, I'm just tired. So you'll have to excuse me."

  "Seems the best thing for tiredness when driving, is talking... or... I could drive so you can relax, when you take the exit up a head, we could switch?" She offered.

  "Nooo, you're right... I'll talk."

  "Good... so... how long have you been a p
hotographer?"

  "Oooh, I've always liked doing various art. Photography only enhances what I already do."

  "Which is paint?" She responded.

  "Yes."

  "You'll have to show me some of your work... I would love to be painted, how much would you charge to do someone like me?"

  "Depends on where you'd want me to paint you... in one spot, or all over?" He joked.

  "Huh?" She asked, confused by his comment and then thought about how she said it and laughed, "Oooh, okay... noooo, I mean how much to paint a portrait of me, not paint me!" She laughed turning sideways in her seat to face him and said, "Love the new look."

  It was his turn to say, "Huh?"

  "Your hair... last time I saw you, it was longer. That earring got it goin' on as well."

  "Oh... yeah, thanks."

  "So how long have you and Sylvia known each other?"

  "I met her last year after I moved into my house across the way."

  "So... she went after you, or you went after her?"

  "I went after her."

  "I see... and her being pregnant... that what she wanted or you?"

  "Me again."

  "I see... so you're a family kind of guy."

  "I should hope so."

  "Hopefully Sylvia will come around and see how good she's got it."

  "That's what I'm hoping."

  They went on to light conversation, Edwina telling him what she did for a living. As she spoke to him, she noted he struggled to stay awake, shifting often in his seat. Widening his eyes, a few times she thought he might pull over and ask her to drive, but he endured until they pulled into the drive way. Stepping out, he lead the way into the house.

  "You'll have to excuse the look of things, its under construction as you can tell. If you're hungry or needing anything to eat or drink, you'll find it in the basement. You can sleep in the bedroom down that hall to the left, my daughter's across the road tonight. While I would love to continue our conversation, I really must get some sleep. So... make yourself at home, use the phone, watch t.v. whatever you like... I'm gonna hit the sack."