BOMAW 7-9

by Mercedes Keyes

  Benjamin was making faces as he listened, "What are you doing dad?"

  "Don't worry about me, what are you doing? What brought this on?" He was at the sink now, washing his hands with the phone tucked at his cheek.

  "It won't be all the time, just whenever I can get freelance work there in Chicago. Also, uh, I've moved out, I'm living with gran'pa now."

  "Bartholomew?" Jake asked with his brows drawn.

  "Yeah."

  "Why?"

  "It was time, don't you think?"

  "Bullshit! You didn't move out on your own, you moved in with my folks! Not the same move! You've relocated, why?"

  "Because, I'm just - well - sick of her lies."

  "You're talking about your mom?"

  "Yeah."

  "I see, lying - about what?" Jake asked shifting with his back to the sink, leaning there, lighting up another cigarette.

  Benjamin took a deep breath, "About, you & Shawn - about - who uh, really is my father." He gulped, his stomach tightened.

  Jake was quiet a moment, then, "I see." He shook his head and let out a, "Hmph." sound that pretty much was akin to the sarcastic thought, 'What a surprise.'

  What Benjamin didn't know, was that it really wasn't a good time to inform him of that following his fight the previous night with Vivian.

  "Dad? You still there?"

  "Yeah, still here, that it?"

  "No uh, I also - well - I want you to know that I went yesterday and gave blood, to be tested."

  "Tested huh? For what?" Jake asked, while he knew the answer.

  "DNA." He returned, then went quiet, waiting.

  "You go alone? Just you?"

  "No - Shawn, he agreed to go with me, giving blood as well."

  "Emmm, I see. So you're telling me, why?"

  "I wanted you to know."

  "Well now I know, anything else?"

  Benjamin exhaled, he could tell by his tone, he was not happy. "Are you upset?"

  "I'm busy! Anything else?"

  "Oh come on dad! Don't do this!"

  "Names Jake! Uncle - Jake - get used to it!"

  "GOD! Why does it have to be this way!?"

  "Hey! You've been given a choice, and you've chosen. Why don't you ask him to put you up?!"

  "I can't believe this! Don't do this! Please! Am I not supposed to know who my father is?"

  "Look, I gotta go. Anything else?"

  Benjamin dare not mention the trip to L.A. with them. "No, that's it. I just-..." He heard the click. "Jeez! Thanks!" He shook his head, sighing as Gail came out of the house, smiling, dressed fresh and bright for their day.

  "Didn't take long did it? Now our day can begin!"

  Jake laid his phone down, turned to the sink, grabbed his toothbrush, his toothpaste, turned the water on, wet it, applied the paste and leaned down and began brushing his teeth, ignoring the tear that dropped on his hand, and the next, and the next until they pissed him off inciting such a bellow of rage from him that he put his fist through the mirror, shattering it. He moved back as the shards of crystallized glass crashed down onto the sink and counter top, more onto the floor. Looking at his fist, just a few cuts, nothing major. He stood, toothbrush still in his mouth, toothpaste lather covering it. He sniffed as a couple of more rolled. He dare not wipe his eyes for the tiny flicks of glass.

  An hour later, glass cleaned up. Showered, shaved, dressed; he made several calls, one of them to the phone company to get a phone installed there. He would let Ms. Earthaleen know, she'd let whomever came - in to take care of the installation. It would be next week Wednesday. After that, he looked up a DYI in the Chicago phone book so he could get a mirror, replacing the one he'd broken. After measuring it, getting the size that would be needed, he headed out. Driving around the big city with his mind on everything and trying not to focus on any one thing. It was close to 12, he made it to the DYI, picked up a mirror and a few cans of paint. Leaving there, he made his way to the goodwill he'd stopped at the day before. Once inside, he explained this way, "I was to bring in a bag of clothes that my girlfriend was throwing out." A cheeky smile full of charm, he admitted, "This was yesterday, guess what? Wrong bag. If my life is to go on, I need that bag back."

  The woman smiled at him, took immediate sympathy on him, and for $25 dollars, he was allowed to go in the back and look for the bag. When he stepped back, escorted, he knew that he would find it. There were so many, as the woman explained, they wouldn't have gotten to it anyway until probably next week sometime. She showed him where all the bags dropped off the day before would be. Took him only 15 minutes to locate it. He opened it to be sure, satisfied, he thanked the woman, even though it cost him $25 dollars and departed. At Vivian's, he opened up her house with the key she didn't know - yet, that he had and placed the bag in her room on the floor by the closet. One by one, he took everything out, and hung it back up. Granted, some things were a bit wrinkled from being rolled up within, other than that, they were no worse for wear. That done, he headed out front, started painting the windows. Realizing the time, he had it neatly done in good time, even his father would have been proud. Yet, the entire time, he fought thought. Occupying himself, blocking his thought processes, he sang, getting tunes clear in his head. He was just about done when someone from behind him called out to him.

  He turned to see Vivian's sister, smiling, walking towards him.

  "Hey how you doing? What's your name again? I was hoping you be around. Paintin' huh? Look good, you do nice work."

  Jake sighed.

  She repeated the question, "What was your name?"

  "Jake." He provided kindly.

  "Yeah! Yeah yeah yeah yeah - that's right, that's right. Jake - I'mo remember that from now on."

  "What can I do for you Candace?"

  "Whoa! You remembered my name? That's straight up business there! I like that, I can't remember nobodies name from first meetin'em. 'Bout two more times, I get it straight."

  "That's nice, what can I do for you?"

  "I was wonderin' like - if - you know what I'm sayin', if there was some type of service I could provide, for ohhh, 'bout $35 dollars, you know - it could be like, anything you can think of."

  "I'm sorry, there's nothing I can think of." Jake returned, looking away from her to clean up out front. He needed to collect the paint tarp from in front underneath the widows. "Oh aye, let me help you do that." She jumped right in, grabbing the one that lay on the opposite window.

  "It's really not necessary."

  "Nah' now, I'on min' - like, you laid that money on me the other day, know what I'm saying'? That was straight bidness - we need to do more bidness! 'Cept, I'm willing to do more for you so its like, more fair for you, know what I'm sayin'? So like, if you willing to give, I need to be willin' to give something in return - know what I'm sayin'?"

  "Yes, I know what you saying. However, what I'm saying is this - I don't need anything. For that matter, you're wasting your time, I'm just about tapped out. What I have left in my pocket, I plan on keeping, sorry."

  "Aaaw man, come on now - can you like - spare just a little? Like, $15 maybe $10 - shoot, I'ah take $10?"

  "Sorry."

  "Come on now, don't say that. You wit' my lil'sister and thangs, we both know how uppity her ass is. She takin' care of you? You know what I mean right? Takin' care'o'yo' bidness? Knowing her, I don't think so. An' uh, bidness is bidness."

  Jake stood staring at her in disbelief. What a contrast between the two. He couldn't believe they were actually related. Candace Cooke and Vivian Cooke. "Candace, Vivian is your sister, what about that?"

  "Hey - look - like I said, this bidness, okay? Ain't you ever heard, you can't mix family ties up with bidness - messes up yo'game! Know what I'm sayin'? I won't be doin' nothing but providing a service in exchange for a small fee. Fif'teen dolla's - ten dolla's."

  Jake turned away shaking his head. "Sorry Candance, not interested. Why don't you go get some help or something? Get off that shit!" He asked pick
ing up the brushes and covering the paint cans.

  "Aaaw I ain' even try to hear that. You got it all wrong, I ain' on nothing, just trying to get a few dollars together, that's all."

  "Fine, whatever you say. You've gotten as much as you're gettin' out of me. Sorry, can't spare anymore."

  "You rushin' around and shit, gettin' ready to go somewhere?" She asked. Watching him clear the front of the house, taking everything to Vivian's back yard. She followed him back, watching as he placed everything neatly at her back porch.

  "Yeah, as soon as I get washed up, I'll be heading out."

  "Give me a ride somewhere? Drop me off?" She asked, following him back to the front.

  Jake stopped and turned looking down at her. "No offense intended Candace, however, considering that you're crack addicted, I'm not such a fool as to take you anywhere and drop you off. Some how the picture of me laying in an alley somewhere, half dead, robbed, truck gone," Jake shivered, "...is something I don't particularly wish to experience, thank you."

  "Ah shit! How you gone be?! What kind of shit is that? Who said I was on crack?"

  He turned away again and headed for the stairs. "Have to get washed up to go Candace, it's been nice." He was at the door of Vivian's house about to go in.

  "Can't I come in and we talk about it?"

  "I don't think Vivian would appreciate it Candace, bye bye."

  * * *

  Back In Wisconsin...

  "I love your hair!" Shanna exclaimed upon seeing Crystal after she, Sylvia and Angela re-joined her at the beauty parlor.

  "You really think it's me? I've gotten quite a bit cut off, I almost didn't do it." Crystal worried over the shorter length. Most of her life, her hair had been almost mid-way down her back, certainly past her shoulder blades; now it was just a bit passed her shoulders and curled wild and pulled loose with the fingers.

  "Crystal, she's right, this is you baby. You look incredible!"

  "I think you look really sexy Crystal!" Angela gushed.

  All three women laughed, "Listen at you, little girl! Sexy!" Sylvia hugged her laughing.

  "She does! You're really really pretty Crystal, I'm so glad you're my older sister. Wait 'til everybody sees you, especially my friends - they're not going to believe their eyes! I can't wait to get there to show you off!" She gushed.

  Crystal stood from the chair after the apron had been removed, it wasn't often that she let someone else do her hair. Usually she always did her own because of being a licensed cosmetologist. Her mother had talked her into it saying, "You need to let someone else do your hair for once, treat you." She'd followed her advise and standing to look at herself, she had to admit, it looked great. Her head felt light and free from having so much hair cut off; her hair was bouncy, moving like crazy and lively.

  The four left the beauty parlor, toting bags around with them and stopped to get their nails done next. All the while, they were trying to talk Shanna into going with them to L.A. "Shanna you know you need to come and have yourself some fun." Sylvia urged.

  "I've been once, that's a long flight. Besides, I'll be busy enough here. Have you forgotten, your appliances will be arriving Monday!" Shanna reminded her.

  "Oh shoot! That's right! You stay here!" Sylvia laughed.

  Crystal was chuckling with the shake of her head, "Yeah, the appliances, right... not to mention officer friendly coming around all the time. If I'm not mistaken, was his car not there, uh, al-l-l night, last night?" Crystal dropped that out real quick with a wink.

  Shanna blushed as Angela's eyes turned to her.

  Stammering she explained, "He was having car trouble-..."

  "Emmm hm." Mother and daughter both mumbled at the same time.

  "It's the truth, honestly. It was so late and I didn't want him out there fooling with it in the middle of the night. Besides, he's off today."

  "In other words, he'll be there when we get back. Perhaps all weekend? You go girl!" Sylvia winked.

  Shanna chuckled, "Well I can't be rude. Just leave him with nothing to do all weekend, all by himself."

  "Nooo, don't do that." Sylvia and Crystal both waved their hand the same way, rolling their eyes while batting their lashes, so comical Angela was cracking up. She mimicked them it was so funny. Making all three laugh at her.

  "Just know that while you all are gone, I will see to everything, watch the house, be there for your stuff."

  "You know I really appreciate it, that's a weight off my mind."

  "You all sure you have everything you're going to need?" Shanna asked.

  "We can just go shopping when we get there if we don't." Angela inserted.

  "True, we can but I'd rather get everything now, I hear things are really expensive there."

  "Well I have everything I need. Got two new books to read on flight. Got the boys new things, games to keep them busy and two books to read to them. My hair done, two new outfits, new swimming suit, new shades on-..."

  "You are like, ultra, mega-awesome kewl!" Angela praised her.

  "Baby, the Lord God is awesome, certainly mega-awesome - ain't no man or woman on earth that is awesome, keep that word for Him." Sylvia corrected her.

  "Oh, sorry. Well what word is as good as awesome?"

  "None, that's why it belongs to God. Crystal, she bad... that's what she is, baby bad to da'bone!" Sylvia went on, winking at her bragging, so very proud of her daughter.

  "Hey - hey hey!" Crystal sang tossing her head about, moving her upper body in a smooth move, feeling on top of the world. She was looking forward to this trip with a heightened sense of euphoria she could not explain, yet energy and a glow filled her being. Yes, things were looking up. It was over between her and Victor, yet - she could now face another day. Funny how a good cry, love by family and having her boys could get her through it just fine. In the midst of all that was happening, a thin, vague image, a certain face, kept popping into her head but diligently she quickly dismissed it, him. Refusing to bring that image, that face into focus. As she'd secretly declared to herself the days previous, she was moving forward. Her goals were to focus on herself and on her boys. No men allowed. Yet laughter rang out in her ear; memory of her bent over a strong, broad shoulder and being spun around once, then dumped on her mother's sofa as she squealed and screamed. Eyes looking down at her, full of joy and mischief.

  "Crystal?" Sylvia called out to her again, "Gurl, you were a million miles away. We asked if you wanna stop and get something to eat? Or we can cook when we get home?"

  "Aaah, doesn't matter to me. Either way is fine, I'm easy."

  "Sylvia?" Angela called as they were walking to the car.

  "Yes baby."

  "Can I tell you a secret?"

  "You can tell me anything sweety."

  Crystal and Shanna were all ears.

  "Benjamin thinks that my dad, is his dad. What do you think?"

  That stopped Sylvia in her tracks to look down at her.

  "Angela!" Crystal called out to her shocked that she would tell that when Benjamin shared it as a secret with them.

  "Sylvia should know, in case he is, we can throw him a party." Angela explained, drawing closer to Sylvia.

  "It's okay baby, I already know anyway, your dad told me."

  "What? So Benjamin's talking about Shawn being his father to you all? I don't understand why he can't just let it be, that Jake is his father." Shanna spoke up.

  All three turned to look at her, stopping by the SUV, Sylvia clicked the door remote. "The fact that he could be was going to circulate more at some point Shanna."

  "Well..." She stopped speechless. "When did this come up with you guys?" She asked as they loaded the vehicle. Sylvia jumped in and started it, needing to get some air circulating, it was a warm day and the Navigator was sweltering inside.

  "Shawn said he asked him would he mind getting tested. What was Shawn to do? Frankly speaking Shanna, the moment I got a really good look at that boy, I had a feeling he was Shawn's."

 
"Have they done it yet, gotten tested?" Shanna asked.

  "They went yesterday." Sylvia filled her in.

  "Oh no! I mean, does it really matter? He's a McPherson, they're brothers, does it really matter if Shawn or Jake is his father?"

  "I can't believe you're saying that!" Crystal snapped at her before she could catch herself. "Just because they're brother's, he's supposed to accept the one who people say is his father, even if it may not be true? Since when?"

  "God, I just wish that wasn't such an issue, his mother has really messed things up for all of them."

  "Not just his mother, other people as well, he grew up fighting with people about it. Being teased and picked on because gossip mongers stated that Jake wasn't his father and that Shawn was! Naturally, going through all of that, he wants to know the truth. Once and for all!" Anyone in his circumstances would want to know the same." Crystal went on to inform her.

  Sylvia sat behind the wheel staring at her strangely. "So, you and he have talked about that?"

  "Yeah Sylvia, he told us yesterday." Angela included herself.

  Sylvia's eyes were guarded as they went from Angela to her daughter. Crystal saw the look in her mother's eyes, she knew that look well and immediately stated, "We were just talking about things mama, Angela was there. It just came out in normal conversation." She explained.

  "Yep, it did." Angela backed her.

  Sylvia nodded and looked away, shifted the gears to reverse as Shanna went on to say.

  "Well I never knew that he was being picked on. He never said anything to us about it. I just wish that people would have minded their own damn business! Spreading that shit! I can tell you now, while Jake is trying to deal with it, it's still going to crush him that he's going that far with it!"

  "Shanna, I know he's your brother, just as Shawn is your brother - but he brought this all on himself."

  "Sylvia! He's human! Everyone makes mistakes! He's always been made to feel invisible by my dad. Jake's always had to grapple with not being good enough. That's why he always went after Shawn, fought with Shawn, did things to him. Not because he didn't love him - ohhh I don't know how to explain it to you. There was just so much that happened with them both! You would have had to been there, to grow up there, to see it, to understand. I didn't even understand it all until I moved away and came back. Being married to a psychotic jerk also opened my eyes to a lot of things. No matter who's fault it is - I can tell you now, if someone is going to be blamed it should be that bitch that is his mother-..."