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Sensing an opportunity I asked the kids if they would like to go on the pontoon boat tomorrow as I searched for timber. Plenty of opportunity to fish or watch for wild ducks I suggested. The sad reluctance on their faces as they both said no reminded me how this was going to be a long hard road.
It was starting to get late when Steven mentioned that it might be time to stow away his and Carol’s belongings. “Where is your trailer?” he asked thinking that he and Carol would share the small ratty trailer together with me.
“I’m afraid, I’ll have to disappoint you Steven. I bought the old Andrews place and I live in that house now. Gayle is there fixing up the rooms for y’all right now.” I explained. “Why don’t we get started that way. Grandma and Grandpa are coming over for supper and you’re also going to meet Gayle’s grandfather, Robert Lambert, who is my business partner along with Gayle.
All I heard on the trip to my house were snide comments about “this Gayle person” as Steven mentioned her. I tried to ignore his rudeness. “So, you boinking her?” he sneered.
I cut a glare at him as I continued to drive, “You remember Carol’s lesson earlier when she disrespected your mother? Are you trying for the same thing? Because if you are, I can accommodate you right here and now on the side of the road.” I said coldly. “Both of you better understand right now, Gayle is just as worthy of respect as your mother is and I will not tolerate any rudeness to her.”
The large ranch came into view and Carol and Steven were stunned at the size of the house along with the adjoining acreage. They became excited seeing the horses roaming in the fields and the large swimming pool in the backyard. Then they remembered they were suppose to be cool, disaffected teenagers and became quiet again.
Never had I seen a teenager so predisposed to utterly hate someone as Steven was as he stepped inside my house with his luggage. Never had I seen a quicker turnaround when Gayle walked into view beamed a smile at him and gave him a hug. “Hi Steven, it is so nice to finally meet you!” I thought he was going to melt as it dawned on me that he was lovestruck by Gayle instantaneously. Well, I couldn’t fault him with that.
Gayle turned to Carol and gave her the same measure of love and attention. Then she led them to their rooms. Large spacious rooms, complete with computers, TV’s, stereos and private baths. Both Steven and Carol mentioned the beautiful furniture and Gayle explained the wood was black walnut that we had dredged up in our business operation. An artisan had negotiated building the furniture in exchange for several logs for his own use.
It was then that the kids understood why we were doing our operation. It also gave them an understanding how I could afford this large house. Gayle had another surprise for Carol. Carol had always wanted a dog, but, Stella refused to ever consider it. On Carol’s bed was a Labrador Retriever puppy with a red bow on it. As soon as Carol went into the room and saw the eager puppy trying to get to her she ran to it and scooped it up as the puppy began licking her face.
“Oh my God, what is her name?” Carol excitedly asked.
“Well honey, it is your puppy so you get to name her.” I explained.
That earned both me and Gayle a big hug as she excitedly talked to Steven about a name. She decided on Pepper after their consultation and Pepper showed her approval by furiously wagging her little tail and licking Carol’s face. As Gayle and Carol discussed crate training the puppy, I called Steven outside to accompany me to the large shop building adjacent to the barn.
As I opened the large overhead door I told him that I hoped he would like it. Inside was a 1964 Ford Mustang in need of refurbishing. I told Steven that I hoped we could work together on bringing the car back to glory. He just stared there battling the duality of wanting to hate me and to love me. I just left him there to study his vehicle.
We all enjoyed the barbeque out in the backyard. Carol was listening to Grandpa explain how to make Pepper obey commands. Steven was hovering around Gayle listening closely to her every word and kept trying to impress her. Gayle knew what was going on and continued to show him polite deference instead of ridicule.
When everyone left, and Gayle and I said an early goodnight to Carol and Steven as we went to our room it answered a lot of questions. I saw a hard grimace on Steven as we left the room. The next day, we spent enrolling them in their new school. That night, I started asking them questions about their day.
This was something they had forgotten that I used to do. I insisted on knowing what my kids learned every day and having been absent for five years was not going to be an excuse. Each night they would have to be prepared to let me know what was going on and we would discuss their lessons. I also told them that I already signed up in the Parents Teachers Association and would soon be meeting with all their teachers to see what I could do to ensure a quality education for both of them.
After we ate, I asked Steven if he wanted to start working on his car. He quickly told me no. I had to chalk it up to his unrequited feelings for Gayle. I mentioned it to Gayle when we were in bed and she said she was working on a plan. I told her that I hoped it was a good one.
Time marched on, I would cherish my little victories and agonize over my little defeats with my children. Then events occurred that finally shifted the balance. It was time to start baling hay from the fields to provide fodder for the livestock. I kept using a small baler that made rectangular bails weighing around 50 to 60 pounds instead of the large round bales which are in vogue around the country.
The problem was the bales would have to be stacked in the barn. That meant it would be necessary to stack the bales on my grandfather’s flatbed trailer, transport them to the barn and offload them.
I enlisted Steven to help me. He and I would load and unload the bales as my grandfather would drive the truck through the field to each bale. What I hadn’t counted on was him raiding my stash of beer the night before and being hungover in the morning. When I saw his condition I just dragged him to the trailer and told my grandpa to start out into the field.
I made him haul in the heavy scratchy bales despite all his protests in the heat of the day. He quickly became sick and threw up the remains of the beer he had drank. He insisted he couldn’t do anymore.
I threw him a bottle of water to hydrate and I violated one of my major maxims. “So, you going to quit on me Steven? You going to quit on me, just like your mother quit on me?” Without waiting for any answer, I hopped off the trailer and walked over and lugged the closest bale toward the trailer.
Off in the distance, Steven was walking to another bale to collect. For the rest of the day he worked like a man possessed. He carried three bales to every one I did and when the last bale was in the barn, he turned to me; hot, perspiring, dusty and said, “Fuck you!” as he walked to the house to take a shower.This text is © NôvelDrama/.Org.
That evening, he continued to glare at me as we waited out in the backyard for Gayle to arrive so we could start grilling steaks. I was at a perilous brink with Steven and I couldn’t think of anyway to survive the precipice we were perched on.
Gayle arrived carrying groceries and to my puzzlement a passenger was similarly laden with sacks. As they got closer I was amazed to see a younger version of Gayle! They stopped in front of Steven and Gayle said, “Hi Steven, I want you to meet my niece, Betty. She and her family have just moved back here.” Steven was transfixed as he looked at Betty and I knew the desire he once held for Gayle had just transferred to the lovely teenager.
“Hi Steven, could you help me carry these sacks?” Before Betty could finish the question, Steven was on his feet to go to her and relieve her from her burden. As the three of them walked toward the house I could only shake my head at the miracle Gayle had produced.
All during the grill out, Steven and Betty ignored everything else and focused on each other. Steven asked her what she was doing next weekend. Betty mentioned that her father was having to bale hay next weekend and she would be busy with that. Steven immediately volunteered his services and I told Betty that she couldn’t find a better worker than Steven.
Steven looked at me with gratitude for the compliment I bestowed.
“Oh Steven, that would be fantastic! We could certainly use the help and as big and strong as you are it won’t take long to finish that work!” She hugged him in appreciation and I thought, Damn, he had gotten it bad for her.
I saw Gayle looking at me and realized I was no better. There was something about Lambert’s women that proved to be kryptonite to Perry’s men.
They continued to chatter and then Betty wanted to go look at Steven’s Mustang and begged him for a ride when he had it fixed. That I knew was all the incentive it would take for Steven to want to refurbish his car. As they left to go look, I held Carol back so Steven and Betty could have some private time.
Later that night in bed, I proclaimed that Gayle was a genius and she insisted I show my gratitude.
With the advent of Betty coming into Steven’s life things became smooth with Steven. In his desire to please Betty he transformed into the son I knew had been hiding under the pain and rejection.
For Carol it was a different matter. She kept insisting on her love for her twenty two years old boyfriend. I tried to explain that nature physically rejected that age differential since she had just turned thirteen. Later in life, when she matured it wouldn’t matter, but, now it was morally and legally wrong.