BOMAW 4-6

by Mercedes Keyes

  * * *

  Jake was pissed off! He couldn't remember a time when he was so mad. So mad in fact, that his sons weren't joking around anymore. They were quiet as he drove to Dennis and Sheila's home. His temples were ticking and throbbing. His pulse at the base of his jaw was going. He saw red - fiery red and at the end of the fire, standing within the flames, was one Vivian Cooke. When he turned down the block heading towards the house, he saw a red mustang parked out front and figured that to be Sylvia's car. So that meant she and his brother was there. He pulled in front of it and parked, getting out of his truck saying not a word as he walked to Sheila & Dennis home, with his sons in tow. Paul locking the doors of it and trailing behind.

  On the front porch, he knocked on the door and stood waiting. The front door was open with the screen shut.

  Inside, Sheila and Sylvia were talking, cleaning up the breakfast dishes, because she and Shawn had shown up there first thing that morning in anticipation of events, knowing that Jake would be coming there. They were not disappointed. Sylvia had said to Shawn that he should call his brother and tell him not to come because she had moved already. She had even talked to Vivian that morning, who in fact had just left not fifteen minutes earlier. Worrying her lip about if she should call and let him know. Again, Shawn had said to her as he had said to his wife, "No. Did you not - tell him - not to come?"

  "Yes I did." Vivian was squeamish just thinking about it.

  "All right then ... if he shows up, its his own fault. He aught to listen!"

  "Shawn! Why are you being like this?" Sylvia asked, exasperated.

  "Because I wanna see him through some shit! He's done it enough to others, now its his turn."

  "Shawn that's vengeful! That's your own brother, and you're deliberately encouraging her to make things as hard as possible for him. You guys just made up, now what if this causes a problem between you two? He gone be mad!" Sylvia fussed and pointed out.

  "I don't give a shit! Like what do I care, if he gets mad?"

  Dennis was shaking his head and laughing. "Man you trippin'! Don't ya'll get to thumpin' over this shit!"

  "I'm gonna call him." Vivian had said.

  "NO! Don't call him! He's so stubborn, he'll come anyway! He's like that, your calling him and trying to keep him from wasting a trip is equivalent to you telling him what to do. That's how he's going to take it - just leave it alone. He don't know where you are anyway."

  "Yeah but you know what he gone do! He gone bring his ass here asking us where she at! You know that shit!" Sheila broke in just seeing it.

  "Just leave it to me - I'll deal with him." Shawn instructed them all.

  "Ah hell - man - don't ya'll get to trippin' up in here - m'man Jake gone be smokin'! I'm tellin' you now, the man gone be mad!"

  That had been earlier and Dennis' prediction was right on the money. He and Shawn were in the back yard, in the garage when Tyrese came out to them saying right away to Shawn, "Yo' brother Jake here - and mama say - he mad!"

  Dennis and Shawn made it through the backyard, up the back steps and into the house where Jake stood in the kitchen with his sons. Sylvia was standing nibbling on her thumbnail and Sheila was trying to explain.

  "Jake ... she said she was ready to move. All we did was help her. I thought - we thought - she ain't call you, and tell you?!" Sheila fumbled in the face of his anger, turning to Sylvia for back up who was staying back. Jake was red in the face and she just wanted Shawn to come in and deal with him.

  "No she did not. Where'd she move to?"

  "Where?" Sheila asked just as Shawn and Dennis came into the kitchen.

  "Hey man, what's up?" Dennis asked.

  "You all think this shit's funny don't you?" Jake asked straight out. "You all think I'm stupid? Where'd she move to?" He asked the room at large.

  "Why does it matter?" Shawn asked stepping to the front.

  "Why does it matter?" Jake asked him back with a snarl. "She knew damn well I was gonna be here this morning to move her! She knew that! Where is she?" He asked Shawn.

  "Look man, it don't matter. You wanted to be done with the whole situation anyway. It's done, she's moved. She's moved on, now you too can move on." Shawn delighted in telling him.

  "You're enjoying this shit aren't you? I can see it on your goddamn face!"

  "Hey man, mind the kids man. Hey ya'll head to the basement, this grownup matters anyway." Dennis pointed out.

  "Sorry about that Dennis, Sheila. Now - all I wanna know, is where I can find her, then I'll be out of here." Jake announced.

  Sheila felt bad and whined saying, "Jake - she don't want us to tell you. That's why she went on and moved a few days ago. If it makes you feel better, I'll give her a ring and tell her she should have called you. I thought she was gone call you." Sheila lied, she turned to Sylvia, "Didn't she say something about calling him?"

  "I definitely heard something about her calling him, but - maybe she forgot?" Sylvia offered.

  Shawn chuckled, and then looked to Jake. "See, you've been done a favor. Now, you and your boys can just chill here with me and Dennis - and we can just head home together later on... hey, heard you rented the basement apartment from Sylvia's mother? What made you do that?" Shawn asked, rubbing it in even more.

  "I see what's going on here. So nobodies gonna tell me huh? You know what - no problem! I guarantee you this - it may have taken you weeks to find yours, but it won't take me that long to find-..." He stopped and turned red at what he almost said.

  "To find ... what? What was you about to say brother of mine? Let's see, it took me weeks to find mine? As in - woman? My woman? That's what you saying? So it ain't gonna take you weeks to find yours? As in your - woman? Is that what got stuck in your throat?" Shawn asked on the verge of laughing in his face.

  Jake stood gnashing his teeth, feeling absolute outrage and embarrassment. Unable to speak, his arm shot up with the back of his hand facing his brother, where his middle finger sprang up at him, shaking it for emphasis. Shawn burst out laughing, slapping his thigh as Jake turned from them storming out towards the door. "Let's go!" He called out to his boys. They smiled sheepishly at the others, laughing quietly and headed off to follow their father.

  "Man, them Jake's boys?" Sheila asked.

  "Yep ... all three." Shawn answered.

  "That one he got look more like you!" Sheila pointed out and turned to Sylvia as she said it. Sylvia's brows rose as she also noted startling similarities between Benjamin and Shawn. She'd seen him at the Maple rush, but she'd been too nervous and edgy to really focus on him. For some reason he'd looked different the first time she saw him. But now, they both had close cropped haircuts, both had an earring in their left ear. Seeing Shawn laughing and Benjamin laughing, was like an instant reply.

  "You should see the one by Derrick, he's so much like me they named him, Shawn2. What it is, we look so much like my mother, that we look alike as well." Shawn explained.

  "Em hm ... okay - whatever you say. But that boy look like you to me - he don't look nothing like Jake." Sheila pointed out, her powers of instinct for nosing in and catching notice of things others might miss was keen. She flashed Sylvia another look and then back at Shawn.

  "There you go again - shit stirring. You know you love to stir some shit up!" Dennis fussed heading back towards the back yard, "Come on man, don't mind her."

  Shawn winked at Sheila and followed Dennis out.

  Sheila turned to Sylvia.

  "I don't care what he say, that boy look like him. Have you taken a good look at him? Where he look like Jake?" She asked Sylvia.

  "I hadn't really noticed the similarity until now, but its true that Derrick and Meribel's son Shawn2 looks like him as well."

  "Emph, I guess, I can't say much about that one, saw him only briefly, if you say so."

  They finished up the kitchen, on their way to joining the men in the yard, but Sylvia kept playing over the look of him in her mind. She would dismiss it, were it not for the fact t
hat he was the son of the woman, Jake had taken from Shawn. She knew that both men had dated Christine, first Shawn and then Jake. Shawn had split up with her and left Wisconsin not long afterwards because Jake had been messing with her. The time she spent with Gert, she'd heard all about that part of their history, and now ... she wondered.

  Sheila was on the phone calling Vivian. "Girl - guess who just left here? Chile I can tell you now - he mad as hell!"

  * * *

  "Now what?" Benjamin asked.

  "Let me think here. She told me a while back that she found a place that was right up from Dennis and Sheila, in other words, she's in this general area. Question is, in which direction and how far out?"

  "What exactly did she tell you dad? I mean, about this place she was moving into?" Kevin asked as all four of them sat in the truck out in front of Sheila's home. Jake was thinking back to the conversation they'd had, if his memory was on the nose, "She said that she found a place and it was right over from them she said."

  "Right over from who?"

  "Them, here - Dennis and Sheila."

  "Right over hm?" Kevin was thinking. "When someone says, right over... that usually means very close." He went on.

  "Yeah, because if she said not far from, that would mean minutes to get to right? Like as in minutes in a car ride, or bus ride. But right over from, that means as close as same block maybe - you think?" Benjamin tossed out there for his dad and Kevin to think about.

  "Makes sense to me." Paul stated sitting next to Benjamin in the back seat.

  "Okay... I need you guys to help me on something here, I'm not going out like this."

  "What are you thinking?" Benjamin asked.

  "We're going door to door." Jake announced.

  "WHAT?! Like Jehovah's Witnesses?" Kevin burst out worried.

  Benjamin laughed, "Darnit all and I left my Watchtowers at home - shucks!"

  "Ha ha ha." Jake rolled his eyes at them, "No - I have another idea, thing is - we are going to need a few supplies. And business cards, where in the hell can we get business cards on short notice, like now?"

  Kevin smiled, "Follow my lead dad, and I can help you get whatever you need. First, tell me your idea."

  Jake did, they all groaned at the thought, but also realized their dad was on the ball, they admired his quick thinking and cunning. If their estimation of what she meant when she said, right over from was correct - their dads plan would work to find her. Of course, it meant that they'd have to catch her in.

  An hour later, after a visit to an office supply merchant and Kinko's, they were ready. Jake parked at one of the end blocks down from Dennis and Sheila and pairing up Benjamin and Kevin, as he and Paul worked together, they went door to door - after they practiced their opening.

  Knock knock knocking or ringing door bells they started out within a two block radius surrounding Dennis and Sheila's home.

  "Good afternoon, we're from Murphy's Roofing and Gutters, when was the last time you had yours inspected?"

  They didn't care how many doors closed in their faces, they just needed to say something when the door opened, they each had a clip board, card ready to pass. Jake of course, true to his nature, turned on too much of the charm and actually got someone interested. An old man, fussing about the condition or his ceiling and how he was taken by someone who hadn't fixed his roof right. Inviting Jake in to look at his ceiling and then outside to walk around and look at the roof. It took everything Paul had in him not to laugh because his dad was trapped into looking at this man's roof and gutters. Of course he left a card with him, and told him he would call to set up a thorough inspection. So he had to write down the man's name and number and schedule when to return. When they walked away, Paul was still fighting back his laughter. "We better find her soon dad, or you're going to end up doing a bunch of roof's and gutters."

  * * *

  Vivian hung up the phone with Sheila with her guts tied in knots after speaking with Sheila about Jake's expected arrival. She hadn't known what he was going to do. She had said, that he just flipped Shawn the finger and stormed out. Vivian stood leaning against her kitchen counter nibbling on the side of her thumb. She was worried, as well as curious. He'd also rented the basement apartment with Sylvia's mother she was told.

  That was interesting.

  "Why do I care? I told him forget it, that I didn't want anything else from him. That I didn't need his help. It's not my fault he drove all the way here for nothing." She said to herself, trying to shake the giddy idea of him actually being here in Chicago on the weekends. Everything in her wished to know where he was; did they just get back on the road and head back to Wisconsin, or was he at the basement apartment? "I should have called him and told him." She whimpered to herself. What if he really did drive off and - that was that? Vivian shook her head, trying to shake some sense into it - why would he rent an apartment there if he was giving up completely?

  She was standing in her micro blue jean shorts, or daisy dukes and a small tank top. Plans for the day was cleaning, unpacking and decorating her new place. So far she had her living room just about in order, now she was finishing up her kitchen and getting it done. When she cleaned house or decorated, she wore as little clothes as possible because it left her feeling freer to get on her hands and knees, dusting and other household chores comfortably. So her skimpy little shorts, more panties than shorts and spaghetti strap top was sufficient. Besides, she wasn't going anywhere else for the rest of the day, so what she wore was fine.

  Trying to block Jake from her mind, she pulled over another box and lifted it to her kitchen table, about to open it when someone knocked at her door. Turning from there she walked into her living room wondering who it could be.

  "Who is it?" She asked before opening the door.

  "Murphy's roofing and gutters, can we speak to you for a moment about yours ma'am?" Benjamin asked.

  Vivian opened the door and looked out, staring at two young men, from one to the other.

  "Can I help you?" she asked.

  They both smiled, big bright beaming smiles and presented her with a card, "We're just in the neighborhood offering a special to home owners for free inspection of their roof and gutters, you interested?" Benjamin asked, unable to help himself, his eyes drifted over her body, 'Holy Mackerel! Dad you're out of your mind! Leave it alone before she has you hook line and sinker. Danger danger danger woman with a face and body like that!'

  "Sorry... I'm just renting. No thank you." Vivian smiled, nodded and closed the door. Not remembering either of them from Sylvia's reception.

  Kevin and Benjamin stepped carefully down from her porch, took a few steps out of sight and suddenly both started laughing, and booked it back to the truck, at the corner, Benjamin did a, "YAHOOOOO!" Kick into the air. "We found her dad!"

  Chapter 135

  Dennis and Shawn were in the backyard setting up the grill to barbecue, with one man bragging about his barbecuing skill over the other. Sheila was doing potato salad and Sylvia had been cleaning greens when they heard the knock at the door.

  "I'll get it." Sylvia volunteered. Upon reaching it, she opened it to find Jake's three sons standing there.

  "Oh! Hi! Well, so you're back? Where's your father?"

  "He dropped us off and told us to wait here for him." Paul answered, the first one in the door, with his brother's following and Benjamin continuing with, "Actually, what he said was, if he wasn't back in an hour, we'd be getting a ride home with you and Uncle Shawn."

  "What? Where is he?" Sylvia asked closing the door. Sheila came to the kitchen door looking and listening.

  "He's uh - well - at Vivian's." Kevin volunteered with a blushing grin.

  "At Vivian's?" Sheila said from the other end of the room. They all turned to her with sheepish grins.

  "Yes ma'am - at Vivian's." They all said just about at the same time, all three blushing, but grinning, the same grin that seemed to run through all the men in that family.

  "Wait a
minute? How did he find her?" Sheila asked, and before they could answer, "Ya'll come on in here - you ain't got to be shy and scared here! We family! Have a seat, I needs to know what's going on." She instructed and then went to the back door of the kitchen and called out. "Ya'll! Mr. Jake done found Vivian, his boys here and they say he with her - now!" Sheila called out the back door to her husband and Shawn. Her sons were in the alley playing basketball, in and out of the backyard for water or something to drink. Their eldest one, Robert was home and playing with his brothers in the back.

  "OOOH ROB - BERT!" Sheila called out to him and of course the other's followed, so proud of their older brother who was visiting from college. Shawn and Dennis came into the house questioning Jake's sons as Sheila stood back to let her older two in to meet them after Shawn was done grilling them.

  "Hey, your dad dropped you all off here?" Shawn asked right away.

  "Yes sir he did." Kevin answered.

  "And how I'd like to know, did he find Vivian?" This inquiry from Shawn.

  "Yeah, me too - I wanna know as well." Sheila second.

  Sylvia had quietly returned to the sink, finishing up the greens and putting them on as everyone talked around her. Every now and then, she'd glance side ways to catch sight of Benjamin, watching carefully, his stand; his mannerisms; his gestures. The expressions on his face. His interaction with Shawn. Ever so carefully, she compared the two. The longer she did so, the more convinced she was becoming that father and son faced one another. Even their body build was very close. Benjamin was a bit taller than Shawn, in fact, Jake's height - but that meant nothing - he did after all have a tall grandfather. Flashing in her mind also was his grin. Benjamin's grin, was very much like Shawn's. Everyone was laughing, because Kevin was giving an animated version of what they had to do to find Vivian along with their father, and then Paul added that he and his dad might end up having to do an old man's roof and ceiling. As various ones laughed, something else snagged Sylvia's attention, Benjamin and Shawn's laughter sounded very much the same. Benjamin added something and Sylvia turned to watch him as he spoke, very close were their voices. Shawn's voice was a bit deeper, where Benjamin's had a softer, gentler quality, but the timbre and tone was right there. Sylvia thought her observations were covert, however - Sheila missed nothing. She too had been observing the two together and checking to see if Sylvia was doing the same. They made eye contact and Sylvia knew that Sheila more than likely picked up on everything she had and perhaps more.