BOMAW 4-6

by Mercedes Keyes

  Dennis introduced his son's to Jake's and they all grew so loud that Sheila made the entire group head back to the yard, men and all. Sylvia knew why, she'd collected enough on observation to now tally up the score with her.

  Sylvia was just putting the lid on the pot for the greens when Sheila walked over to the counter, leaned against it, crossed her arms and pointedly stared at Sylvia... waiting.

  Sylvia sighed and turned slowly to look at her.

  "You gone say it or am I?" Sheila asked.

  "Say what?"

  Sheila threw her hands into the air. "Oh girlfriend please! Don't start there! We beyond that now! I know what, and you know what. The question of what is - is - is it so?"

  "Sheila, fact of the matter is this, if what is - is so - its so from a long time ago. Can't undo the past, ain't no sense in me getting worked up over it."

  "True, 'cause you sho can't change it. The fact that that boy, Benjamin - is Shawn's - not Jake's ... I'm callin' it now. Mark my words girlfriend - your man got a son he don't even realize his."

  Sheila went on to opening cans of baked beans to doctor up to put in the oven as Sylvia stood in quiet contemplation. Something went through her, very close to the feeling of jealousy. Within her grew, possibly his son. She wouldn't admit it out loud to anyone, but she'd carried a sense of pride in the fact that she would be the one and only to give him sons if what she felt was so, that this child was just that, what he wanted - a son. Yet, something of her instincts warned, that it was no longer a possibility. Christine had taken that privilege and there was little she could do about it, but accept it - if it were in fact true. At that point, she began considering Benjamin's age, compared to Shawn and when he could have been born. When Christine must have conceived. It plagued her so that she excused herself from Sheila, went out into her car and called Gert. Her mind was too bombarded with the thought, she had to go to someone who must know.

  She sat on the passenger side with the door open, her feet against the curb. As she sat waiting for someone to answer, Sheila came to her front door, ever nosy - wondering what she was doing. Sylvia licked her tongue out at her, because she knew she was eaten up with curiosity. She was determined to keep to herself what her actions were about.

  "Hello?" Gert answered.

  "Hi Gert... it's me, Sylvia."

  "Sylvia! Hey darlin'! Wait ... are you with my son now or not? I need to know first of all?"

  "Yes ma'am..." Sylvia smiled. "... I'm with him."

  "Oooh good! To stay this time?"

  "Yes ... to stay."

  "Good girl ... now - what can I do for you?"

  Sylvia paused, wondering if she were overreacting to what she suspected, perhaps because of Sheila she was seeing things that really weren't there. Suspecting something that was ridiculous.

  "Sylvia? What's wrong honey, what's going on?" Gert asked softly, her hesitation clear.

  Sylvia took an audible deep breath, let it out and asked right out. "Is Benjamin, Shawn's son - and not Jake's?"

  Gert sucked in stunned. That was the last thing she expected to hear. And of course, that entire mess from way back when came to mind. Shawn leaving after catching Jake with Christine. Christine claiming to be pregnant. Thing is, all had always assumed she'd meant by Jake. Gert remembered the look on her face clearly when Bart had jumped the gun and raged about Jake. Christine had blushed deep red, and at that time Gert had thought it had been from embarrassment. Her mother had been present with her at the time, very unhappy about it all. Turning to Christine with a look of satisfaction on her face that she would see to it that everything would be sorted out. Because all had known that she'd been seeing Jake last, it was assumed that the child's father was Jake. Matters being what they had been, Bart would not consider any other possibility. He was caught up in nailing Jake for it and had.

  Back when Jake became Benjamin's father....

  Gert had invited mother and daughter in to have a seat, and then went to call her husband in from the field using the two way radios they'd always had. Never knowing where he might be from one moment to the next, the kids had provided them as a gift the previous Christmas so that she and their father could communicate when he was working on the land somewhere a field. Gert informed him that they had visitors and that is was important, real important. She'd entertained them offering tea or coffee. Christine's mother had sat accepting the coffee but was not at all happy, choosing to keep her words to herself until Bart entered the scene. Gert had observed a very nervous and unsure Christine. She was a brunette, not overly pretty - but wholesome in her looks, gentle by nature for the most part with a pleasant smile. Gert took a seat across from them.

  "What is this about?" She couldn't resist temptation to ask.

  "I'd just as soon wait until Mr. McPherson is here, as well, if you don't mind, I don't like having to repeat myself."

  "Surely you can give me a clue?" Gert pressed.

  "Its about my daughter - and your son!"

  Gert looked from mother to daughter, dread washing over her as the young girl sat with her head down. Just then the back door opened and all three looked up expecting to see Bart, but saw Jake walking into the kitchen instead.

  "THAT - young man right there!" Christine's mother accused.

  Christine looked up with wide scared eyes to stare at Jake as he slowly came to the door wondering why they were present.

  "You know what you've done, and I've come to have a word with your parents about you! What you've done to my daughter!"

  "What are you talkin' about?!" Jake returned, looking from Christine to her mother. He'd just gotten in from football practice, he was dirty, tired and wanted to get in the shower. He dropped his football equipment on the kitchen floor and came further into the room.

  "If its all the same to everyone, I think we should wait until my husband gets here." Gert was trying to stall everything until Bart showed up.

  "You should be ashamed of yourself!" Christine's mother went on practically spitting at Jake.

  "Momma please, don't embarrass me." Christine muttered low at her mother.

  "Embarrass you! What about the embarrassment your behavior's brought to me!? Hm? I raised you better than this Christine! I wanted better thangs for you, than what I did to ruin my own life - and look at you! Just a repeat of common stupidity!"

  Christine's eyes were welling up. She was scared to death. Confused. Humiliated, with no recourse to stopping her mother, now that she'd found out, that she was pregnant. Wasn't much she could do to hide it having been suffering with morning sickness for the last few weeks. She had her head down, and glanced sideways at Jake. His eyes were shooting daggers at her. She quickly looked away.

  They all heard the back door open and the heavy foot falls of Bart. Jake turned in the door to watch his father approach. Bart looked at Jake standing there and already assumed it had something to do with him. He joined his son in the doorway looking at mother and daughter.

  "Mr. McPherson ... glad you could join us. We have a situation on our hands, it seems that your boy there, has knocked up my daughter! Here I am raising my girls alone and then your boy comes along and leaves her, with a baby to take care of! I wanna know what you all plan to do about your son, and what he's done to my daughter?!

  "Hold on here, don't make out like its all my son's fault!" Gert defended.

  "Gert! Pipe it down." Bart corrected her and then turned to Jake. "You been with that girl boy?" Jake stood staring into his father's face, turning red with fear and uncertainty. "Cat got your tongue Jake?" Bart asked again. "I ask you a question, you been with that girl?"

  "Yes, I have... but - so had Shawn!" Jake blurted. "He had her first!"

  "You mean to tell me, you been with both brothers!" Christine's mother turned to her in blazing anger to ask. Faced with the humiliation of the truth, Christine denied it. "I dated Shawn, but I never went to bed with him - honest I didn't!" She denied, to her further disgrace.

  "YOU LIAR! I'm telli
ng you - Shawn had her first!-... OW!!!" Jake cried out as his father gave him a hard wrap with his knuckles to the back of his head.

  "You'll not stand here in my home, and cause further shame to us with your denials! Blaming it on your brother! Someone who is not even here to defend himself! Were you with the girl or not, that's all I wanna hear!"

  Jake stood braced before his father, wanting to argue back, but dare not - they hadn't been getting along much lately since Shawn took off on them. It seemed that Bart was dealing with feelings of guilt and was taking it out on Jake, and finding out about deeds he'd done made it worse, now this was something more. Jake stood defiantly refusing to say anything more. His anger and displeasure clear in the way that he faced his father.

  "I ask you a question boy?"

  "I - already - answered." Jake forced out through his teeth.

  Bart stood staring his son down until Jake lowered his gaze and pulled back out of site of the women, shielded behind the wall of the kitchen. His father glared at him long and hard, ordering as he warned. "Get in the shower, get yourself cleaned up. You and I, gone have a talk. Looks like your sports and practice days are over. Now get up them stairs and in the shower."

  Jake turned away bristling in anger to do what he was told.

  "Ma'am - you have our deepest apologies. Despite what you may think, I raised my boys right. I guarantee you this, he'll be doing right by this one here. Won't be no skippin' out and leaving her to bare it alone. You got my word on that."

  "My daughter's a young girl Mr. McPherson, she has her entire life before her. I've come for money to pay for an abortion."

  "Not if it's a McPherson you didn't. We don't do abortions." Bart returned adamantly. "She don't won't the child, at birth, she can leave it at our door."

  "I don't want an abortion!" Christine cried out, glaring at her mother.

  "Well then you best get prepared for your life to be flushed right down the toilet. Babies at your age ain't gone bring you nothing, but regret!" Her mother scolded.

  "It's my life! It's my baby! I'm keeping it!"

  After the two left the house, Gert and Bart faced each other. "What if that child is Shawn's, and not Jake's?" Gert asked Bart in the kitchen once they were alone.

  "Don't matter whose it is, it's a McPherson. Jake hadn't been messing with his brother's girl, he wouldn't be up for the blame." Bart returned, on his way up to speak with Jake.

  "What if it's neither of theirs?" Gert pressed. "You ever think of that? That is possible." She argued.

  Bart stood staring at her knowing, that it could be, just as it had been possible, that Shawn might have not been his, yet he took the boy as his, because he'd been with her just as well the other man. In this case, Jake could not deny because he'd been to bed with Christine, pure and simple.

  "Well?" Gert asked again.

  "A man shouldn't commit a act with a woman, he ain't willing to follow the consequences of, should something come of it. Some-thing's come of this with Jake. He wanna be dipping his wick all over town then dammit he'll pay! She pointed the finger at him, that's good enough for me." He turned and made his way up to his son to inform him of the changes his life was about to undertake.

  Back to Sylvia and Gert on the phone...

  "Gert? I wanna know the truth, please don't lie to me. Is he or is he not Shawn's son?" Sylvia coaxed.

  It was Gert's turn to exhale the audible sigh. "Why all of a sudden are you asking that?"

  "Because they're here. Jake and the boys, they came to help Vivian move. Which she'd already done days ago by the way."

  "Oh has she?! Where, does she still have the same phone number? I haven't called her in a bit so I don't know."

  "I'll have her call you Gert. Please let's not change the subject." Sylvia went on. "Well?"

  "I - I don't know Sylvia. I don't know. That's the honest to goodness truth. All I know for certain is that he's a McPherson. That's all we care about, and he is that. As to which of the two sired him, your guess is as good as mine. For the longest after he was born and as he grew, I - I thought - my god... this is Shawn's child... not Jake's. Then, Derrick went and had Shawn2. That threw me into complete confusion all over again. So - under those circumstances, I don't know if he's one's or the other's."

  "No one ever sought to get a blood test?"

  "Bart wouldn't hear of it. He's very old fashion in his beliefs Sylvia. Had the hole town slept with Christine, it wouldn't have mattered to Bart. She pointed at one of our boys and said, he done it, fact is, one of our boys had indeed slept with her. In his eyes, a real man does not walk away from his god given responsibility."

  "Has she, Christine ever confessed to you, that he might be?"

  "No. She holds fast, that he is Jake's."

  "Has Shawn... ever - mentioned it to you? Asked?"

  "How would he Sylvia? He's only been back here since last year. Matter of fact, he's only seen glimpses of the boy, and the longest ever not until the maple rush when he brought you for us to meet. Leave it alone honey. What's done is done. It's in the past. He's a McPherson - that's all that matters."

  "No offence Gert, but that's easy for you to say. As you pointed out, no matter what - he's a McPherson. But if he's Shawn's..."

  "Look Sylvia. Christine has said repeatedly, that he is Jake's. As far as everyone is concerned, he is."

  "Even Jake?"

  "Of course - even Jake."

  "Hmmm? I guess. If you say so, I'll have to drop it won't I?"

  "All Benjamin knows is that Jake is his father, and Quincy is his step father. Quincy raised him, and he loves and respects him. He also loves and respects his father, Jake-..."

  "Who may not be his father at all." Sylvia cut in, reeling from it all.

  "Leave it alone Sylvia ... I know-..."

  "I - will try! Okay ... I will try. But I can tell you now, he's here - with us - Shawn and I, and every moment I spend looking at him, it's as plain as the nose on anyone's face who his father is. I can tell you now, I suck at masquerades." On the tail of making that statement, Sylvia looked up to see Shawn, Benjamin and Kevin walking from the side of the house towards the car. Shawn had a perplexed look on his face to see her there, alone sitting in the car and on the phone.

  "Ummm, I gotta go, they're coming and ummm - I guess I'll talk to you later."

  "Sylvia-..."

  "We can talk later, bye." Sylvia clicked the phone off and stood just as Shawn reached the door. She stood looking up at him, tried to smile, but the attempt faltered.

  "Why you out here alone on the phone?" He asked, putting his hand on her arm, looking into her eyes as always, reading her mind as it were.

  "Had to make a phone call." She answered.

  "To who?" He asked.

  The question irritated her, she sighed. "I was talking to your mother."

  "My mother?"

  "Yes... just wanted her to know that I was back and that I'd be home soon." She lied, her eyes instantly drifted to Benjamin who was standing by smiling. She smiled in return, he was after all - innocent. She held nothing against him.

  "Oh, I see." Shawn shifted in her view so she could see him.

  "Why do you do that?" She asked a bit exasperated.

  "You okay?" He questioned, sensing that she wasn't.

  "I'm fine. Where you guys going?"

  "Uh... we're going to pick up some beer... mind?" Shawn asked hesitantly.

  Sylvia stared at him a moment. He was going to drink again obviously. "No... go right ahead." She answered smiling at Kevin next as she attempted to step around Shawn. He grabbed her arm. "Hang on here, don't I get a kiss?"

  The look that came into her eyes at that moment, directed only at him, set Shawn back a bit. As soon as the look came, it went and was quickly replaced by a smile, she leaned forward and offered him access to her lips. His eyes narrowed, and for the sake of the boys, he leaned down and gave her a gentle smack on the lips. Immediately she turned from him heading back to the house. "Be care
ful!" She called out with her back to them making her way to the stairs.

  "We will - you want anything?!" Shawn called.

  "Less drama!" She called back never breaking her stride.

  "HUH?!" He called.

  She stopped in the door, looking back at him as the boys climbed into the mustang. Pausing, she gave him a wave comprised of fluttering her fingers and went in.

  Shawn stood dumbfounded. "Now what?" He whispered to himself. Shaking it off, he went around to the drivers side and jumped in.

  Chapter 136

  Vivian was finishing up putting away the last of her dishes and was now placing her plants where they would remain to grow in the kitchen, they were everywhere - she loved them, they added a feeling of tranquility and richness to her decor. The music playing in the background was low and perfect, playing in all the rooms as she walked from one to the other getting her home the way she liked it. When she was alone, she listened to classical. Working in the bank, she'd become accustomed to it so much that she now played it at home. She didn't know all of the musical pieces and arrangements, but it was the kind of music that was non distracting. Didn't make you want to dance or sing along. It just kept you moving and your imagination was the place where it inspired most. In fact, few knew that she listened to it now more than hip hop, R & B, or soul. She had always liked all kinds of music, but classical hadn't been in her range of taste until the last four or more years. Now - the station she most enjoyed held a place among her other programmed in stations. She was sweeping up a bit of spilled soil when another knock sounded at her door. She figured it was Sheila or Sylvia. She promised to come over later after she got her house in order, maybe bring something to the barbecue.