BOMAW 7-9

by Mercedes Keyes

  Derrick left with his sons, Mundo joining them. He would come back with his mother and sisters. On the road now, on the way to the Dells, Derrick was remembering how Bart treated Shawn, as if he'd joined the army. Putting him through things in their woods, teaching him things as if he were preparing him for war—when—the war was over. At first, he thought that none of it was sinking in. That Shawn didn't get it, nor want to. How wrong that thought. In their area school—there were guys that knew that Shawn McPherson was scary dangerous, and one encounter with him was enough. He did things to them while fighting, that quickly disarmed them, hurt them, and bad.

  Derrick knew that Shawn only saved that for them, other people—men. Because when he and Jake fought, he'd never really hurt him. Even years later, at the reception, he hadn't done any of the things to him that Derrick knew he could, if he really wanted to hurt him. He hadn't. It was a passion scramble, a brother against brother. Yeah, they threw punches at each other. Gave each other black eyes, grappled on the ground, made a real mess of each other. That was a family fight. Both drunk, and Shawn getting out aggressions over Jake's stupidity with Sylvia. Even so, Shawn would never go against any of them, the way he would someone he considered his enemy. Derrick needed a distraction. He couldn't think about it anymore. He started talking to DJ about training camp; encouraging him to reach his goals, and how to gain a position in the starting lineup. Fighting off all thoughts of his brother, and the things he was capable of doing.

  For Shawn…it was not so easy. Now that only he and Shanna remained in the house, she asleep, he sat watching that clip on his computer screen, over and over again. Full up on it, body and mind; he finally turned from his computer, closing windows media player. He walked upstairs, opened the bedroom door and looked in on Shanna. She was still sleeping. He stood a moment staring at her, seeing her as that young wife on the clip. Hiding out. Frightened even to talk to the reporter, only to see…that she'd been frightened with good reason. He imagined her—being Shanna. He imagined her laying there, on the ground, as her husband stood over her lifeless body, pulling the trigger over and over, until his gun was empty—into her. He imagined her, laying there dead. Shawn felt a surge within him so powerful he saw lights. He turned away and closed the door.

  Shanna was awake, she was hearing her name being called out. She sat up in her brother's bed, stretching, yawning. "I'M IN HERE!" She yelled out, recognizing Vivian's voice. Vivian came to the bedroom door, opened it looking in. "Hey, sleepyhead…where's everybody at?" Vivian asked.

  Shanna smiled, stretching still and yawning, "Um, they were all here a while ago, what time is it?" She asked.

  "It's almost five o'clock in the evening. I'm afraid we all slept the day away, Jake and I just got up an hour ago." Vivian explained, as Shanna climbed out of the bed and went into Sylvia and Shawn's bathroom, closing the door to use it. Vivian sat on the bed, carrying on talking to her. "I cleaned up, fed your kitten. Put it back in the bathroom. I'm afraid when we went back last night, it was meowing to be fed, and I let it out, fed it and forgot to put it back. We had a ball trying to find it this morning, it was hiding under one of your chairs, balled up and sleeping. I checked to make sure it didn't do anything in there…didn't find anything."

  "I'm not worried about that, thanks!" Shanna called out from the bathroom.

  "Where's Shawn? Did he leave too?" Vivian asked.

  "Isn't he here?"

  "Maybe…I don't know. We came in through the office door, didn't see him around. Jake's in the basement, eating! Didn't see him down there, and I came up here looking for you, thought you might be in one of the other bedrooms." Vivian explained.

  Done using the toilet, washing up, Shanna came out.

  "Hmmm?" She thought out loud. "He's got to be around here somewhere." She finally said. "Oh, well, I'm sure he's around, in calling distance. Here, let me make up this bed."

  "I'll help you." Vivian stood, walking to the other side as they made it together.

  "Vivian…I've been thinking…can I ask you something?" Shanna started out.

  "Fire away." Vivian returned happily.

  Shanna stood across from her, on the other side of the king-size bed. Vivian was smiling and then straightened, her expression sobering when she saw the look on Shanna's face, she was nervously nibbling on her thumbnail. "What's wrong?" She asked, concerned. The other woman was older than her by a few years, but she seemed younger, more vulnerable. "Um, I just want you to know…that…if you say no—I understand." She started out, she had tears in her eyes.

  "What's wrong, Shanna?" Vivian asked again, concerned over her, the sight of tears in her eyes gripping her stomach tightly.

  Shanna blew to get a hold of herself, wiping at her eyes, she looked down at the bed and finished straightening the covers and said, "I, ah, know that you and Jake…maybe…probably, already have plans…I mean, or either, you two are discussing what…you know—what you're gonna do." She was beating around the bush, because she already knew that she might not get her way in this. "But I was thinking…" She looked up at Vivian again, "…I was thinking, that I would really—really love it…if…you were to come and live with me. I mean, you and Jake, of course; together. I know you live in Chicago, that's where your family is…but—we're your family too now, Vivian, once you marry Jake. I don't know…I just—I love having you guys there with me. Yesterday—before everything happened last night, it was so wonderful…to have everyone here, you know? Everyone was—right here. I like that, when family's all around. I just want you to know…that even if you can't…won't…well, it would be because…well—you don't want to. Not because…you're not welcome here, Vivian. You're welcome at my mom and dad's. Shawn just loves you, and you and Sylvia are such good friends, and I love you too…and so, if you didn't come here…to live—it would be because you didn't want to. But…we—we all want you, Vivian…would love you here. I—would love you here. Even though I had to come here last night, it felt nice knowing that you and Jake were there. And, well…am I being selfish?" She asked, sniffing.

  Vivian had tears in her eyes, shaking her head. She walked around to the bottom of the bed and sat there, sitting sideways, looking at Shanna. "I don't know what we're going to do yet, Shanna, I really don't." She confessed gently. "I want your brother to possibly…go back to school, to earn a degree—in—whatever he would like to do. If he does, that means I'll have to be the one bringing in an income. He won't be able to go to school and work too."

  "I see. So, where's he gonna go?"

  "No plans have been settled on yet. It's still in the very early discussion stages. And also, I make really good money where I am in Chicago."

  "At a bank, right?" Shanna asked.

  "Yeah, a downtown bank."

  "I see. I bet you could find a really good banking job in Tomah, or La Crosse even. That would mean only a thirty-five to forty minute drive to work each day, depending on where you found it, at which bank. There's Onalaska as well, which is right next to La Crosse. They would no doubt pay you really well, Vivian."

  Vivian smiled, sighed and didn't know what to say.

  "I'm not trying to pressure you. I just…well…it would be nice, that's all, I just thought it'd be nice."

  "Well, how's this? I won't completely dismiss the idea. I'll even go so far as to refresh my resume, and research some banks in the area and submit it to them, see what comes back. How's that?"

  Shanna smiled, big bold and bright. "That would be nice, real nice."

  "Of course, it goes without saying, that nothing may come of it." Vivian warned.

  "Of course, that's true…but at least you'll know what options are available by doing it." Shanna grinned.

  Vivian chuckled, shaking her head, rolling her eyes to the ceiling. "You McPherson's—I swear…ain't nothing like you all nowhere."

  "And just think..." Shanna eagerly rushed to sit next to Vivian, grabbing her hand, "...you're gonna be one soon!" She grinned, and then flexing her brows asked,
"So, how was your night together—alone?"

  Vivian gave a wicked, raunchy, deep laugh, and admitted, "I've ne-ver—e-ver—slept—so good!"

  They both crowed and laughed, falling back on the bed, carrying on like two teenagers, slapping each other's hands and making a nice noise as Shanna gushed, "So, I take it, my brother laid it on you?"

  "Hmph, ex-cuse me—I laid it on him, suga'-dahlin'! People in the next town, all know my name—VI-VI-A-A-AN!" She demonstrated. Shanna's mouth opened wide enough for a tractor trailer to drive through, and then screamed and laughed, clapping her hands, bouncing on the bed and did her own head rotation, cheering with, "You—go—girl!"

  Vivian laughed, throwing her body back on the bed, kicking her feet up in her joy.

  Jake was at the table eating his second plate of food, when his brother entered the basement. He looked up, his brow furrowed, curious he asked, "Where the hell have you been? What have you been doing? Look at you."

  His brother was dirty, from head to toe. Focused and wanting to shower and change, Shawn walked past him asking, "Mind going up to my room and bringing me something else down to put on? Something similar to what I'm wearing. I'm gonna jump in the shower here, don't wanna track all over the house." He said instead of answering his questions, going straight to the bathroom.

  Jake wondered at what was going on, but rose and did it, heading upstairs. He tapped on the door, looking in to see Vivian and Shanna sitting on the bed chit-chatting, giggling and laughing as women did. With squinted eyes aimed directly at Vivian, he warned, "Careful! What are you two talking about?"

  They looked at each other and dissolved into laughter again. Jake only smiled and looked around the bedroom. "Now where in the hell would his stuff be?" He spoke out loud, looking from the dresser, to the closet and then the Chester drawer.

  "What are you looking for, Jake?" Shanna asked.

  "Shawn's things, he needs a change of clothes. He's in the shower in the basement, sent me up to get him something to wear." He informed them deciding on the Chester.

  "Baby..." Vivian called to Jake as he gathered Shawn's things, he'd been right in looking into the Chester drawer.

  "Yes, lil'girl?" He replied finding Shawn clean underwear, socks, a shirt and training pants.

  "Until we know exactly what we're going to do, will you feel like getting me on Fridays so I can spend the weekends here? Shanna and I are making plans."

  Jake glanced down at her, and then his grinning little sister. "Plans for what?" He asked, grabbing Shawn's men's toiletry bag off the top, with the bundle he turned, holding them looking at them. "We're going to come up with a plan for making extra money. Shanna's going to be starting her own business soon. Sylvia's going to be doing the bed and breakfast, and we're going to mull over some ideas for me to make extra money."

  Jake's brows rose with an 'I see' expression, and then leaving them said, "Whatever you want, lil'girl, whatever you want. Now, if you ladies will excuse me, you may carry on with making your plans and talkin' about me!" He glanced back at Vivian, threw a kiss at her when she laughed saying, "What makes you think we're talkin' about you?" He looked back at her through the door stating, "Uh-huh, what else is there to talk, but me?" He winked at her and went about his way, leaving her rolling her eyes but she was smiling, because it was true.

  Back in the basement, he tapped on the bathroom door, "Here you go, Shawn." The door opened with steam coming out, Shawn stood with a towel around his waist, "Thanks." He grabbed the clothes, and closed the door to dress.

  "So where you been?" Jake asked going back to the table to finish eating.

  Shawn didn't answer until he came out of the bathroom, picking up his dirty discards, he walked to the washing machine and loaded them in. Then looked into the drop shoot sack for more dirty items to add to the load. Sylvia would have a fit if he washed clothes that wasn't part of a "full" load. Gathering enough from the sack, he went back to the washing machine, added them, detergents and started the load to washing.

  When he turned and walked back towards the small kitchen end, Jake was sitting there watching him. "What's up with you?"

  "Nothing, why?"

  Jake shook his head, discarded the comment and asked instead, "How'd you get so dirty?"

  "I was going through the woods, trying to make up my mind about how much would be used to add for a small tennis court and pool—you know, for the bed and breakfast. I fell."

  "You fell? What, you fall in a hole?"

  "Yeah."

  "And you got that dirty?"

  "Yeah."

  "Yeah?"

  "Yeah." Shawn finalized, fixing himself a plate of leftovers as well. "Shanna up yet?" He asked.

  "Yep, she's up. Vivian and her are giggling in a huddle, talkin' about me I'm sure." Jake grinned up at Shawn, flexing his brows. Shawn chuckled looking at him, "What's going on with you? Big fat grin on your face."

  Jake actually blushed, making Shawn's eyes really widen, laughing at him he said, "Look at you! You asking me what's up! The question is, what's up with you?!" He grinned, straddling a chair with his plate, a fork in hand.

  "Ohhh, Shawn, this woman—this woman. Shawn, lil'girl beat me, man, she beat me." He was grinning, blushing as he said it. He looked like a schoolboy who'd just lost his virginity, red in the face, all teeth showing, eyes rolling around as if he couldn't make eye contact, making Shawn laugh even harder, thinking he looked like one of Bill Cosby's famous bashful expressions.

  "She beat you? At what? And that's got you looking like you've just gotten your first piece of tail?"

  Jake leaned forward on the table, his elbows there, close enough to his brother to whisper. "Shawn—I swear to God—she's got a move, man, that knocked my socks off! Shawn—she made me shout! YOW!" Jake confided, shouting out.

  Shawn spit his food out, erupting into loud laughter. A deep belly laugh that had him rocking in his chair.

  "Laugh all you want, but, man—she put it on me in a way I didn't know it could be done. God-ah-mighty, Shawn…phew, man—I'm telling you, brother…that lil'girl—that lil'girl!"

  Shawn was wiping at his eyes and every time he looked at his brother, Jake's eyes would widen, grinning, giving his head a little nod to say he was still on the trip. "So I take it, it was a good thing no one went over there. Left you two in peace."

  "Oh, yeah, thanks for that. Anyway, man, I need to talk to you. Serious talk."

  "Okay, what's going on?"

  "I need help, Shawn, serious help."

  "What kind of help?"

  "Shawn, I need you to help me figure out how I can make some real money!"

  Shawn was all teeth, "Real money? For what?"

  "Shit, Shawn, I gotta put a ring on her finger—and soon! Real soon!"

  Shawn couldn't stop himself from laughing at him, his brother was changing right before his eyes. He'd always been a joker, getting into things, wreaking havoc, but this joy that he saw in him, was a different type of joy. The smile on his face wasn't hiding anything, no deviousness there to be seen. He was, as the world called it, in full form with his nose wide open, all was clear and bare to see.

  "I thought that was down the road? Did you not tell me that a while back? That a ring was not in the immediate plans? She put a move on you that good?"

  "Naw, that's got nothing to do with this, besides, what I said, that was then, this is now. Shawn, we're at that road right now. I'm telling you, Shawn, she does something for me man, I can't explain it - and it's not the sex, although, it helps." He grinned.

  "Well, I'll be damned, I wouldn't believe it if I weren't seeing it with my own eyes."

  "Well, momma was right, what can I say? I'll never admit it to her, but damned if she didn't hit it right on the head."

  "Momma was right, huh?" Shawn grinned.

  "Oh, yeah. Funny thing is…I don't know…I shouldn't be telling you this but—I, uh, I got a song in my head."

  "A what?!" Shawn started laughing again.

&n
bsp; "See, fuck you, Shawn! I shouldn't have said anything to you."

  "I'm sorry, really…so, uh, you got a song in your head, huh? About what? Or—about who?"

  "Vivian."

  "You're serious, aren't you?" Shawn was stunned.

  "I am. I've written down a few lines to it already—not finished yet. I don't know…I just can't get it out of my head."

  "You always had a nice voice. What does it sound like, give me a few lines."

  "Nah, it's just—a few lines… "

  "Let me hear it." Shawn pushed.

  "Let's go in your office—I don't want Vivian to hear it. It's a surprise."

  "Okay…let's go." Shawn agreed, grabbing his plate and lead the way to his office.

  Jake followed and once inside, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, there were several medium size perforated sheets of paper torn from a small tablet, with words all over them, folded within. He put his wallet on Shawn's desk and unfolded the sheets, looking them over. He explained as he looked them over, turning them this way and that, "I have like, the first verse and chorus written."

  "Lemme' hear."

  "Don't laugh."

  "I'm not laughing at you, lil' brother. This is nice, that you finally have someone who is inspiring you to do better things."

  "She does, man. And thoughts of her, what she does for me, I don't know…anyway…"

  "So, what's the name of the song?"

  "Vivian."

  "Vivian is the name of the song?"

  "Yes, country-rock—but, it's about her."