BOMAW 7-9

by Mercedes Keyes

  "He'll be ah'ight! You can sleep in our bed tonight! Shit - but that pig... aaah, hell yeah, I'm eatin' his ass." He mumbled to himself, fantasies of himself running through fields of flowers, with barbecue sauce around him mouth, pork meat jammed up in his teeth as he floated along smiling, rib bone in one hand, barbecue pork meat in the other, sauce dripping from his fingers. He smiled again, then shook the fantasy and turned back to Shawn. "Shawn?"

  Vivian was standing at the back of the truck, looking in at it with wide eyes as well. Jake couldn't believe it, and walked over behind her, joking, he grabbed her suddenly by the back of the neck and arm, shoving her forward like he was going to put her in there on it. "JAKE, STOP - YO'CRAZY ASS!!!" She screamed out, turning and playfully slapped his arm, sending him back laughing at her. "Aaaah, you scared of the piggy piggy, too?!" He teased.

  Realizing the day was getting away from him, Shawn turned to his wife, "Take the kids and head on down to the house, babe." Shawn finally instructed, "Let's face it, dad gave it to go on the pit."

  "Ah'ight then, see - that's what I'm saying." Dennis backed him up, standing by his side.

  Sylvia smiled, sympathetically. She too felt sorry for the kids, but food was food. And meat... hell, that was not to be wasted, not where she came from. "They'll be alright." She murmured softly to him, still smiling. With Angela under her arm, she headed down the road, while softly talking in Angela's ear to calm her down and try to explain that it was a natural part of life. Long as the animal was not abused and lived well, while it lived, they could eat with a clear conscience. Angela listened, but vegetarianism was on her mind.

  "Okay, Dennis, you can relax, man, I'm moving it to the back of the house. Jake, you got pit duty." Shawn announced.

  "WHAT?! How'd I get pit duty!?"

  "I have all the other meat to cook... you get to do the pit; rock it; and gather the wood. There's plenty stacked behind my house. Dad loaned us his spit rack."

  "Oh, so, you're just ordering me, letting me know I get to do the pig! How about ask me!?"

  "Ask my ass, when I last broke wind, the answer you get, when I break wind again!"

  Dennis tossed his head back roaring, holding his stomach, he shook his head chuckling deep. "Ah'll shit, ass crazy! I swear fo'god!"

  Vivian turned away, trying not to laugh as Jake stood, giving Shawn a dirty look. "Don't look at me like that, you owe me one! You were supposed to get Shanna's stuff from storage! Anyway, you and that pig, share a kinship - you two have the most in common, so you get to cook it!" Shawn grinned, clicking his tongue and winking at his brother, teasing him as he jumped into the SUV.

  "Fuck you, Shawn! Asshole! I'm 39 goddamn years old!"

  "Chill, man, I got yo' back! We get it set up... shit ... I do it my damn self!" Dennis declared wiping tears of mirth.

  "No, man, no problems - I'm gonna do it! It's just Shawn! He still thinks we're at home and he's big daddy when dad's away!"

  Grinning, teasing, Vivian was walking back to the house and said, "Don't worry, baby, when you grow up, you get to be big daddy too - WI-OHH!" She shouted and took off, laughing when he faked as if going after her again.

  "Ah, well, come on, Dennis, let's get it started."

  Getting started meant digging a pit, lining it with rocks and stones where the wood for firing would be stacked on top, within the bowl they created. It had to burn on the stone and rocks for a while to get them good and hot, once they were retaining the heat, and a good heap of wood was smoldering hot, the pig would be carried over and placed over it, perched on the racks, left to rotate and cook all night. It would take four of them to lift the pig and mount it on the rack in place. Preparation, however, had to be seen to first - getting the fire going. After all was in place, someone would have to stay in attendance, adding more wood to the fire, and making sure the pig continued to turn. It would start off on the top hooks, and then be lowered as it cooked through the night.

  While they built the pit, Shawn - with Mundo and Zachary's help, unloaded the pig, washed it down, and then prepped it. While helping Jake, Dennis was watching and impressed.

  "Man, ya'll do this like pros!" He complimented.

  "We're used to it, aren't we, Jake?" Shawn called from the work benches that were set up with a 4 x 6 x 4 size wood panel laying across it for a makeshift table. That, too, from their father.

  "Aaah, Dennis, we used to do a pig three times a year. Fall pig roast, this time of the year, and New Year's! Be freezing our asses off, but that spit would be turning. We would all take turns having to go out and check it."

  "That must've been after I left. Because before then, my ass was out there turning it. Most times, I just stayed out there..." Shawn started, Mundo was watching him. Ever since the previous night, he now hung on to Shawn's every word. He had admired him before, but looked at him as if he were this perfect white male, charitable to them and him, without flaw. Often Mundo battled with demons, feeling he would not amount up to what he was. Now - he saw him differently. His feelings were not the same, not after last night. There was something in this man he realized, that was closer to understanding him than he at first thought. He was now starting to realize there was more to him than what met the eye. Just as he had demons, Shawn had them as well. Now, he watched him, studied him, and listened. Shawn was prepping the pig, smiling as he went on, "...freezing, dancing from one foot to the other. Snow high as hell. And if I weren't cold enough, that asshole would be throwing snowballs at me from the porch!"

  Jake was grinning, then laughing. "I helped you warm up, didn't I? Got you moving!"

  Shawn looked at him, smiled. "Yeah, I guess you did. Dennis, I'd catch that lil' fucker and dunk his ass in the snow-..."

  "Yeah, asshole! And that one time you did it, remember, Shawn... there must've been three feet of snow one year, and all I did was hit him with a snowball... what does he do!? Bury my ass in the snow! Dennis, man, I didn't have a coat on, no shoes! He tried to kill me!"

  "I did not! Don't exaggerate, Jake!"

  "You tried to see how fast my ass would freeze! If Kathy Ann hadn't seen you, I'd been a missing person, found at the thaw!" Jake laughed, now, that is ... back then, it hadn't been so funny.

  "I wasn't gonna leave you there."

  "Whatever, Shawn!"

  "Yeah, well - I got my ass beat good, didn't I?"

  "Ya'll use to get ass whippin's?" Dennis asked, "Shit, white kids I see, be telling they parents where to go! Black kids, shit - weekend come, we knew we was getting our ass beat for something. If you see ten kids going somewhere fast, half of'em running from a ass whippin'!" Dennis laughed. Shawn had to join him, "Dennis, man, I was one of those white kids, that was getting his ass beat all the time. That shit-for-brains there, never got his ass beat!"

  "Not true!" Jake defended.

  "Jake! Not once!"

  "NOT TRUE!"

  "Yeah, right, when did you ever get your ass kicked? By dad, I mean!"

  "Ha, ha, ha, I know what you mean! And I did, a couple of times, after you left. Remember that wood plaque you carved for dad when you were in school? You sculpted his face in it, and you wrote under it, "The face I wanna reflect when I become a man. I love you dad?" It was for Father's Day, remember?"

  "Yeah." Shawn returned, back and forth from prepping the pig to listening to his brother.

  "Well, I broke it. Dad was on my case about something, can't remember what right now. It was out in his garage, propped up on the workbench shelf. Frustrated with him, angry, I yanked it down and broke it against the countertop and tossed it across the garage. Dad attacked..." One brother stared across the space that divided them in the back yard area, Jake paused, remembering it, "...believe me, he kicked my ass, and good, started choking me. Kathy Ann was screaming, ran and got mom. By the time she got there, I was ready to pass out. He got right close in my face, and - with tears in his eyes - he said to me, that that, was all he had left of you. He said, you worthless fuck - you'll never be half the man y
our brother was, when he was a boy."

  Dennis stood with wide eyes, Mundo and Zachary stared quiet, Shawn felt his stomach tighten in a hard knot. Jake smiled. "Derrick helped mom pull him off of me. They had a huge fight that day. Mom packed up her things, my things, Shanna's - and she left him, taking us with her. Kathy Ann and Derrick didn't want to leave him, so they stayed behind. She left him for, oh, a good month. We went to granddad's in South Carolina." Jake shook his head, "You haven't a clue, Shawn. After you left, the next three years - were absolute hell. Mom blamed him for your taking off. He blamed me, and - himself. Needless to say, I got a few more from him before it was all said and done. Anyway - there you go."

  Sylvia returned to the house, Vivian not far behind; the women went on to do more in preparation, leaving the kids to play video games under their supervision. Sheila, Sylvia, and Gert took turns cleaning the chitterlings. It was a mighty task, but one well worth it. Vivian decided to arrange a couple of vegetable pizza's for everyone to snack on that day, because they were getting hungry. She loved this. The entire event surrounding gathering with friends for Memorial Day weekend. Laughter, talking, getting to know one another. She couldn't help but give some consideration to relocating here. But then, that would mean leaving her own family, and more importantly, Sheila. She loved Sheila. No matter how they fussed and argued sometimes, they were more family to each other than her flesh and blood family. Yet, everyone present, she'd come to love in some way, in such a short period of time as well. Her life had been touched by them all. They all opened a new door, into a new room, or better yet - a new world - she was enjoying the view. She felt like Alice In Wonderland, off on her own, discovering this other fantasy land where laughter, gatherings and enjoyment reigned. Perhaps she was psyching herself, because of course, there were no true fairytale lands where all was perfect, no matter how close it came to seeming that way. Each of them, while laughing, smiling and working together, had their own crosses to bear. Even Shanna, she was learning, hearing tidbits here and there about her, and her first marriage, now on the way to divorce court and soon. Just as Sylvia had suffered in a violent marriage, it seems that Shanna's husband was perhaps worse. She couldn't believe that anyone would hurt someone like her. She was smiles, sunshine, gentle in heart and lovely to be around. She then thought of Kathy Ann. She'd spoken to her earlier on the phone before she and Gert left to come here. She'd called to speak to her parents about borrowing their trailer to pick up the furniture Shawn was giving her. She hadn't been rude to her, however, she had a tone about her, in her voice, that was direct, no B.S. - no pretense. Kathy Ann spoke to her as if she'd always known her, there was no polite ice breaker, she had been very dry and matter of fact.

  Vivian had answered the phone because Bart and Gert were out by the large barn at the time of her call. "Hello?" She'd answered.

  There had been a very brief pause and then, "This Vivian?"

  "Yes, it is... who am I speaking with?" She'd asked softly.

  "Kathy Ann, how you?"

  "Uh, fine, thank you. And you?"

  "Needing to speak to my mom or dad. I'll be coming by Shawn's to get that furniture from him. Where are they?"

  "Outside by the barn, if you hold on, I'll go get them."

  "Naw! Just tell my dad I'll be coming by to pick up that trailer, can he have it in the yard for me."

  "No problem. I'll see you at Shawn's later."

  "You and Jake seein' each other now?"

  The out-of-the-blue question stunned Vivian a bit, she recovered quickly, answering, "Yes, we are."

  "Em ... I suppose. Well, good luck with him, you're gonna need it!" And she'd hung up, just like that.

  Needless to say, that brief conversation was on her mind, just as his slow response to her question about him being loyal; on the list with other things plaguing her about her future, now that she'd committed herself to Jacob Patrick. With a sigh, she shook it off. She was enjoying herself too much to let any of that worry her. She wanted this. To be a part of him, to be a part of his family. Everything about the McPherson men, the way they were, gave a woman a sense of place and pride in being a woman, belonging to them. There was something in their manner, that made you feel, if you belonged to one, then you belonged to them all. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she could feel it in the air when in their midst. This she noted as time went by. They all seemed to be so much alike, yet and still, different; that made each one of them an original, individual. Having stayed with Gert and Bart, she could easily see why Shawn and Jake were the way they were, after observing Bart. He was a man, kind, tender and patient when it came to women, his wife - his daughters, but different with his young men; this was how she noted he referred to them; as his young men. Shawn, Derrick, and Jacob. She'd only had a glimpse of the other brother, Derrick, at the reception when he gave toasts, and tried to intervene with the other two when they'd been fighting, and then again, the night of Sylvia's performance. Therefore, she wasn't as familiar with him, as she was with Shawn.

  She wasn't sure if it was because she was thinking of him or not, but suddenly, he was there, with all of his family. The middle brother, Derrick Paul McPherson. The noise level had already been high, but now - it was deafening with the addition of all of his kids, and his Puerto Rican wife, Meribel - whom she also liked. They all poured into the basement, and Vivian couldn't remember when she last saw so many kids all gathered together in one small area. Looking at them all, she knew that she needed to prepare a few more pizza's for everyone to snack on. She glanced at Sylvia, who stood to go to them and welcome them in.

  "He-e-ey! I was wondering when you guys were gonna show up!" She called out with a joyful smile. She watched her hug her sister-in-law, and then glance at Derrick with a humble sheepish look, and they both burst with laughter as he pulled her to him for a tight hug, making a comment she couldn't make out with all the noise of the kids. His wife was directing their kids where to take the food Meribel had prepared. Gert cleared a spot on the counter for the oldest to bring in a large, heavy, warm, soup pot.

  "What's in there, sweetie?" Gert asked. The second oldest son, Marcus, who stood taller than his father and his grandfather, yelled back across the length of the basement. "MA! MA! GRANDMA WANTS TO KNOW WHAT'S IN THIS POT?!"

  Meribel glanced up with a pinched brow, "Mijo! You know what's in there! Menudo! Puerto Rican style!" She answered, and then turned back to Sylvia pointing out what each of her children carried in.

  "Mami, mami - mirada, mirada - there's menudo there. Luis has the pasteles & pastelillos de carne; Shawn2 has my famous Puerto Rican rice, arroz con pollo; watch Jake with that, he will try and eat it all, or pick out all the sausage, pork and chicken! Sasha has the amarillos, (fried plantains - bananas)."

  "Oh, hell naw! I know you didn't bring all this smelling up the joint and think we gone be eatin' this tomorrow!?" Sheila stood up, directing the kids where to put stuff along with Gert.

  "I'm sorry, girlfriend, but we all hungry! We ain't have time to eat, because we been cookin'! Smells like soups on to me! Oh, my god! It smells so good, and I love me any kind of Spanish food!" Sylvia agreed with Sheila.

  "Mami, eat all you guys need! I made plenty!" Meribel smiled, and looking down at Sylvia's waist, she nudged her husband. "Whoeee, look at her! Mami, you are bigger since I seen you last! Isn't she, baby?!"

  Derrick and Meribel stood on either side of Sylvia as all three looked down at her midsection. Vivian smiled, asking, "What about these vegetable pizza's?"

  "Honey, as you will see, it will get eaten. In fact, make one more, because when all of these men start eating, this ain't gonna be enough!" Gert warned Vivian. She couldn't believe it, there was quite a bit of what Meribel cooked and brought, but she did as she said and finished up the one she was doing and started another one. Vivian's heart quickened with glee to be in on this. With absolute joy, this is what life was really about, as far as she was concerned.

  Shawn's wife, Sylvia - Derrick
's wife, Meribel and there she stood, her heart pounding, because soon - if blessings were theirs... she would stand with them, as Jake's wife.

  Sylvia must have been talking about her, because Derrick and Meribel both looked up at her and smiled. Derrick made his way to her. Vivian gulped. In no time at all, he was right upon her, his eyes staring into hers; Vivian melted. What a gentle and incredible looking man he was. So different from both brothers, she could see Bart all in him. Pure, absolute, unquestionable masculinity. Rugged in looks, but eyes of a tender soul. Hazel blue like his brothers, full of wonder, wisdom, and nowhere did she see, overt arrogance, like in her Jake. Although his eyes were on her, he spoke to his mother.

  "Mom? What is this I hear about you letting Jake near this fine young lady?! He's gonna ruin her!"

  "Derrick Paul! You leave my baby-boy alone - he may have messed a while, but he's got good taste when it comes down to serious business! Proud to say, all my boys have!" Gert grinned from the sink.

  "Looking here, I'd have to say it's true." Derrick commented, making Vivian blush, the two of them, mother and son, speaking as if not directly in front of her. "Ms. Cooke, I need to hear it from you, you're sure you wanna take on my lil' brother? You know what a pain in the rear he is?"

  "Oh, believe me, I have exactly what it takes... and then some, to deal with him! He caught me, at just the right time!"

  "Considering how he used to be, I'm thinking you caught him at the right time. He's startin' to slow down a bit, that 40 creepin' up on him, gaining speed." Derrick joked.

  "Derrick, you should have seen them earlier! She had Jake so he could barely draw his next breath!" Shanna joined in from her seat, laughing.

  "Ohhh, we had a tiny disagreement and he felt compelled to set me straight. I did the same and he decided he wasn't having it, a bit of Tom & Jerry commenced, me Jerry, him being Tom, you can imagine the rest." Vivian laughed.

  "I swear, Derrick, he is losing his mind, you should have seen'im!" Gert furthered.