A Gathering of Brothers
by Atonia
Part 3
Chapter 1
With the stragglers down for breakfast and the kitchen clean up beginning, Anne took herself upstairs to gather up towels and washcloths for the laundry. It was the strong smell of cigarette smoke that caused her to open the door to Colin’s room.
"Colin, what are you doing up here by yourself, for goodness sake open that window and let some of this smoke out of here."
"Oh sorry, Mama." Colin got off his bed and opened the window.
"I never complained about smoke because your Dad smoked, but this room positively stinks I don’t know how you sit in here. Why aren’t you downstairs with the rest?"
"I don’t know, guess I wanted some time to think, some time alone you know?"
"Do I need to leave you alone then?"
"No, Mama."
Anne pulled the bedspread up on Richie’s bed and sat down, "What’s bothering you, Colin?"
"Oh, nothing really, just…thinking."
"Must be something important take that many cigarettes, look at that ashtray."
"That’s not all mine, Richie’s smoking."
"I worry about you, Colin, every day of my life. I don’t know why you have such a hard time. I wish there was something I could do."
"Ah don’t worry, Mama, I’m all right."
Anne looked at him until he looked away, "Uh huh, I see you are. Ever since you had your troubles I keep hoping you’d come home, get a fresh start. Come back where somebody knows you and cares about you. There’s nothing wrong with that, Colin, you can stay here as long as you want to, or until you get something going for yourself."
"Well thanks, Mama, but I’m a little old to be living at home."
"Nonsense. You remember that old tomcat we had, Bruno was his name, he used to go off for weeks at a time, come home all tore up, he’d stay home until he got well. What I’m trying to say is…"
"I know what you’re saying."
"Well then you know he had sense enough to come home where somebody could tend to his wounds and make him well again, get his strength back, fill his belly up, store up some petting before he took off again. Don’t go back to California, Colin."
Colin had his arm laying over his eyes, Anne watched the rise and fall of his chest until she saw it chug a few times and moved over and sat beside where he lay on his bed, she rubbed his arms, "Colin, it’s all right son."
Colin sat up and put his arms around his mother and she held him rocking a little back and forth. Tears ran down her face dripping onto his hair, but she held him tightly.
Sam, Michael and Mikey had some help this morning building the best fort in the world. Jeff had been brought in to engineer a roof. They found an old piece of tin roofing in the barn and Jeff was adding a little height to the fort before attaching the roof.
"Nail," he requested and a nail was passed to him by Michael, the nail person.
Mikey was in charge of finding like boards they could use and Sam was the measuring person.
"I think you’re gonna need a saw, Uncle Jeff, these boards don’t all match." Mikey had his hands on his hips.
"Go up to the house and get somebody to find a saw." Jeff watched Mikey run off to the house and smiled; he was a mini John.
"Okay, how much taller does it need to be?" Jeff turned to Sam.
Sam pulled Michael over to the wall and pulled the tape measure out he measured Michael and added.
"Uh we need one foot and a smidgen," he grinned.
Jeff laughed.
John came back with Mikey and a saw with Joey running alongside. "What are you building down here anyway?"
"It’s a fort, Uncle John," Michael answered.
"I see that,"
Joey went inside the fort and was promptly pushed back out by Mikey.
"Hey now, you don’t be pushing him out."
"It’s a construction zone, he’s too young."
John giggled. "Construction zone, eh, where’s your yellow tape, orange cones?
"We couldn’t find any," Michael answered.
"I see you’ve got this well under control, Jeff, I’ll leave you to it, come on Joey."
"No I wanna play."
John picked him up. "Wait till it’s finished."
"You can come back Joey" Jeff called out to him.
John easily carried his kicking and flailing four-year-old back to the house.
Ben settled on the front porch, his feet propped up on the railing and leaning back in a rocking chair smoking one of his cigars. He was at rest, at ease in his surroundings.
Cal opened the front door and joined him finding a seat in the porch swing.
"Hey, Cal."
"Yourself, Ben."
"A man could get used to this, idling away his time."
"Yeah, it’s a nice break."
"You’re doing some high powered writin’, I take your paper and keep up with what’s on your mind."
"Do you? I just report I don’t editorialize."
"You did a piece of work on Collins, you think that was wise?"
"I reckon I did, people had the right to know who they elected."
"It was you that got him elected wasn’t it?"
"I helped, worked as his campaign manager."
"Too bad you found his clay feet; it’s my opinion there ain’t no honest politicians anymore if there ever was."
Cal smiled, "How about your senator, he’s your man right?"
"Bought and paid for"
"How’s it going out there in your little Arizona empire?"
"Empire?" Ben raised a brow, "cattle ranch pays for itself."
"I don’t buy groceries much but I imagine the price of beef must be through the roof?"
"Just spit it out Cal."
"Pays good for lobbyist, especially for mining rights, eh?"
"I wouldn’t know."
"Oh I think you do, man like you keeps tabs on where his money goes."
"A man like me tends to his own business."
Cal pushed the swing setting it in motion, "You know the government is gonna take that strip of land, some kind of lizard has been discovered, probably only two or three in existence anymore."
"If I find the son of a bitches there won’t be any left."
Cal chuckled, "Now, now, Ben, that would upset the whole course of the universe."
"A man has got to have some rights on his own fuckin’ land. I damn well know what’s beneath the surface, it ain’t gonna happen, they ain’t takin’ my land. You can write that in your fuckin’ paper."
"I just stick to the facts, Ben. I think I’ll hold off on that."
"They come on my land they’ll be leaving feet first, fuck ‘em."
Cal got up "Now that I would write about," he passed by Ben grinning broadly and stepped off the porch.
"You bastard, spoiled my whole morning." Ben called after him. Son of a bitch, he fumed. Cal had always been able to do that to him, get him all riled up over something and walk off like he’d done nothing. He could look at most any man and the man would drop his eyes but not Cal. The thing he knew was that Cal was smart, the thing he feared was that Cal was smarter.
He got up and went into the house looking for Delia, he needed something sweet to take away the sour taste in his mouth.
Arranging his face before he walked into the kitchen, "Um something smells good, Delia, you cookin’, darlin’ ?"
"I thought I ‘d get something started with so many to feed. I don’t know how your mother did it all those years."
"She’d cook till about eleven in the morning and then she was done for the day. Set it all out on the stove top and we helped ourselves when we got hungry."
"You didn’t sit down to meals?"
"Only on Sunday after church, we had fried chicken every Sunday."
"Uh oh, it’s Sunday today and I’m making chili."
"I don’t think anybody would mind a bowl of your chili on a Sunday."
Donna had been up in the attic room gathering sheets, Joey had wet the bed again, she came down the attic stairs and passed by Colin’s room the door was partly open and she saw Anne with Colin in her arms comforting him and she frowned and quietly walked to the steps. She would ask John later what was wrong with Colin, he’d probably know.
She came into the kitchen and went to the alcove near the pantry where the washer and dryer were installed.
"Washin’ on Sunday Donna?" Ben smiled leaning against the kitchen counter.
"Wet sheets, can’t let them sit."
"You got a bed wetter."
"Joey, I think it’s because he’s sleeping in a different place, he’s quit this at home." She started the washer. "Anything I can do Delia that smells good."
"No, I’ve got this under control it’s only chili."
"Oh well then I’ll just get out of your way," Donna hunched her shoulders and passed between them and went out the back door. There seemed to be a lot of activity in the barn and she walked down to see what was going on.
"We don’t have anything to haul this stuff to the dump with, I’m with Steve, let’s have a big bonfire." John added to the growing pile in the middle of the barn floor.
"I think you have to have some kind of burn permit to have a fire the size we’re talking about." Richie said tossing a box of magazines down from the loft.
"Well let’s get one, I can’t believe the stuff she kept, how did she haul it out of the house?"
"Bit by bit over the years, Zack."
"What are you guys doing?" Donna stood in the barn door opening.
"Cleaning out a rat hole sweetheart," John answered.
"Did you ask her before you started this?"
"No because she would have wanted to go through every damn box, every bag of old worn out clothes, it’s best we do it this way, once it’s gone it’s gone."
"And besides, Donna, everything out here is covered in years of dirt so she hasn’t been out here looking for anything." Steve said.
"I doubt seriously if she knows what’s out here." Richie stopped and wiped his brow.
Cal came up behind Donna and let out a low whistle. "You boys are gonna be in trou…ble"
"Well make sure you run and tell on us.," Richie grinned.
"You know how she is about her stuff."
"Well this ain’t her stuff and I say this bag of clothes I wore when I was about ten can go." Steve tossed another plastic bag on the pile.
Donna’s hand went to her mouth. "Did she really keep your old clothes."
"Yes and we’re talking OLD CLOTHES here, hand-me-downs from Cal on down, whoever could fit into it wore it." John pushed his hair back behind his ears.
"Is Joey out here?"
"Yeah he’s back here we found a box of old broken toys," Richie answered her.
Donna stepped around the pile and found Joey in one of the stalls with exactly what Richie had said playing quietly.
"Look Mama, a bear but no eyes."
"I see he’s missing his eyes and part of an ear."
"He can’t see?"
"Aw maybe we could make him some eyes so he could see."
"Okay," Joey stood up with the old bear. Donna led him out of the barn and back to the house to find some "eyes."
Chapter 2
Anne wiped her eyes on Colin’s sheet, he’d gone to the bathroom. She hurt for him so bad, he’d broke down and told her everything about what he’d been doing and about Zack. She had suspected as much and now there it was out in the open. She didn’t blame Zack, he had a job to do but she intended to talk to him and she meant to keep Colin here at home. He’d agreed to stay for a little while until he could get himself straightened out. She didn’t wonder anymore why Colin wanted Richie to bunk with him, the boy came home looking for help.
She reckoned they all knew but her, that’s the way of them, keep something amongst themselves and don’t tell Mama, don’t worry Mama, well she’d had enough of that and intended to let them know it too. If something was wrong, somebody hurting, she wanted to know. Rotten rascals, she thought as she gathered up the towels from the floor and went downstairs.
It was unfortunate that Donna came in with Joey and the blind bear as Anne came through the kitchen with the load of towels. "Oh is somebody washing already."
"It’s Joey’s sheets, Mama, I’ll take them out if you have something."
"No, no, just towels they can wait." She dumped them in a basket in front of the washer and pushed her hair back walking over to the stove, "Chili that will be good today."
"Hey Joey sweetie what have you got there?"
"Bear but he can’t see Mama’s going to find some eyes."
"Oh my goodness you’ve been in the barn, this was your Uncle Colin’s bear, he drug that thing around for years. How did he find this?" she looked at Donna.
"Well, they’re cleaning out the barn?"
"Who is?"
"Um John, Richie, Zack and Steve," she smiled slightly.
"Huh," Anne opened the back door and walked down to the barn.
"Uh oh, Mama’s coming," John warned.
"Just what do you think you’re doing out here?"
"Mama, this stuff needs to go, there’s years of junk out here just feeding mice, probably rats too."
"Who gave you permission to throw my things away."
"Well Mama they’re not all yours, my old clothes, you don’t need this stuff."
"I’ll have you know each one of those boxes you’ve destroyed was packed away with memories. I know every hole in your old jeans Steve and how it got there. You’ve no right to come in here and start throwing things away, no right."
"It’s a fire hazard, Mama, all these old magazines and stuff, rotten old clothes." John tried.
"It was our lives I packed away, year after year I had the boxes numbered. This is what you wore that year, this is what magazines you read, it don’t mean nothing to you but it did to me."
"Mama," Richie tried to take her arm and she jerked it away.
"We saw all this stuff the other night when we were out here and thought we’d help out and clean the barn for you, really, Mama, you ought to look at what we’re throwing away, it’s junk, of no use to anybody but rats." John tried again.
She turned and started to leave and came back, "Burn it, go ahead and burn it all. It’s best there be no trace of us when we’re all gone."
"Mama, don’t be mad, nobody was trying to hurt you, nobody." Richie said finally getting his arm around her.
"I’ve got something else to say to at least four of you while you are here. It’s about Colin, he’s told me everything I reckon and, Zack, I want to talk to you later, but this business of keeping me in the dark is going to stop. You’ve been doing this to me for years and I never liked it. I’m your mama for goodness sake if you can’t tell it to me you have no business sharing it among yourselves. I’m talking about when something is wrong with one of you…you better tell me."
Richie raised his eyes to the loft and met Zack’s, he wondered if he was thinking about Ben too. There was no way he was going to say anything to his Mama about Ben.
Richie walked his mother back to the house and came in and made her a cup of tea. He sat down at the table across from her. "Sorry Mama, I guess we took too much upon ourselves."
"Well it’s done, I guess it don’t matter now, I reckon I’m a little crazy hanging on to the past."
"No, you’re a long way from crazy besides all those memories you packed away you’ve still got them."
Anne smiled a little. "I guess I do, but little things you know can spark a memory like that bear Joey found. That was Colin’s bear, I don’t know how many buttons I sewed on for eyes and he pulled on them until they fell off and then come crying for more. But all that’s over now, look at you with a son of your own, where have all the years gone?"
"I don’t know Mama but packing them away in boxes and bags ain’t gonna bring
them back. They were good years all of them."
"You’re right they were. I’d like to think you’re making good memories for your son, they’re only little once and once that time’s gone you can’t go back and insert something that wasn’t there."
She always had a way of going right to his soul like she could see into it. He’d failed miserably as a father and he knew it, it hadn’t been important to him and now he wasn’t going to get the chance to make it up. He looked across the kitchen, his lips slightly parted.
"I know it’s hard for you right now, Richie, it’s gonna get harder there’s no way around it. One of these days it’s going to hit you and it’s going to hurt. You make good use of what time you have with that son of yours he’s a fine little man."
"I have to go to court next week, I guess I’ll find out then."
"Do what’s best for him and if there’s any way he can come next summer I’d love to have him here."
"I’ll see if I can work that out."
"What about you, Richie, what are you working out for you?"
"All I do is work, I’m waiting on the results of my bar exam and I’m sure I passed it. I got a big case goin’ right now, it’s taking up a lot of my time."
"Don’t take this the wrong way but you’ve put everything in front of your family and now you’re about to lose that. I don’t want to see you hurt. It looks like your career is going great and if that’s what is most important to you I wish you well, just don’t forget that little boy out there in the fort."
"No, I won’t forget him, I promise you that, whatever happens next week…like you said I’ll try and make some good memories with him, when I have him."
"You know what, Richie?"
"What?"
"Somebody loves you."
Richie smiled, "I know, somebody loves you too. Is it all right if I go help finish what we started in the barn?"
"Yeah go ahead, clean it out," Anne got up and went to stir the big pot of chili.
Richie walked back to the barn, "We’ve got the go ahead, burn it all."
"All right, Mama okay?" John asked.
"Yeah, she’s okay now, what happened to Steve he bail out?"
"He found another piece of tin and took it down to the fort, he’s helping build that now."
Richie looked at Zack, "Listen, Zack, I know what she said about telling her everything, I don’t know what you know but I sense you know something, don’t tell her anything about Ben."
"I wasn’t going to."
"Okay somebody tell me cause I ain’t talking either." John put his rake down and walked over.
"This is just between us three okay?" Zack warned. "I don’t know it all because the investigation was halted claiming not enough evidence. The man Ben got his money and his land from was trafficking in dope and human cargo, spirited over from Mexico, you know his land borders. The man died in peculiar circumstances, it was ruled accidental death in the end. There is nothing to connect Ben with his death, but he was there. Any way a few years after the man died all that stopped. Ben comes out owner of everything the man had. All this was in a report I happened on one day."
"You think he killed him?"
"I have no idea John, I’d like to think he didn’t."
"All I got is a hunch, I’ve met his type before, smooth, charming, above suspicion in his daily life but underneath, poison. I think he’d pull a trigger in a heartbeat."
"The man wasn’t shot, Richie it seems he fell on a pitchfork."
"How the hell is that an accident?"
"I wasn’t on the case John I don’t know, probably somebody was bought off."
"When did all this happen?"
"About ten years ago maybe more."
"About the time Colin went and stayed with him for awhile? Colin is afraid of him. I said something to him about going to Ben and he went white and told me he couldn’t do that."
"I talked to him this morning, John, he told me he wasn’t going to Ben and I told him I was glad. Said he might go to Mexico."
"I doubt that now that Mama has hold of him."
"It was after that Colin got done for car theft. That’s all I know, I don’t have the details in front of me and I don’t think you need them anyway."
"So you’re not after Ben?" John asked.
"No, no reason to be he hasn’t broken the law that anybody can point to. He’s smart, whatever he’s up to I’d bet it’s not strictly legal. He’s got way too much money to be selling cattle."
"We don’t know what he’s got, a hired limo doesn’t mean shit." Richie patted his pockets for a cigarette.
"He came in on his own plane, I know cause I asked him about his flight." John stared at Zack."
"Well until he breaks the law there’s nothing anybody can do. And I’m hoping he doesn’t." Zack kicked a box. "Let’s get this mess cleaned up."
The next morning Richie and John went off to town to see about getting a burn permit. Anne was making up her bed when Zack appeared in her doorway.
"Mama, you said you wanted to talk to me yesterday is now a good time?"
"As good a time as any, Zack, let me get my bedspread off this chair and you can have a seat."
"I want you to know about Colin, I am trying not to bring him in."
"You don’t have to worry about that, he’s going to stay here, but I’ll tell you now if somebody shows up at my door looking for him, they’ll have to go through me. He’s had a hard time, Zack, and I know most of it is his own making but he deserves a chance and he wants a chance to straighten out his life. I’ll do what I can to help get him on the right track."
"So will I, he’s got brothers that want to help him too."
"I wouldn’t have doubted that, but keeping secrets like that from me don’t wash, Zack."
"I’ll remember that."
She tidied up her spread and sat down on the side of her bead, "Now tell me about you."
"Me, not much to tell. Sam and me you know."
"Nobody else in your life?"
"I’m seeing somebody, the, uh, stewardess that was involved when Sam was kidnapped."
"Oh, I remember you telling me something about her. I’m glad, Zack it’s time you found somebody, Sam’s all right with her cause that’s important."
"Oh yeah, I think he’s in love." Zack grinned.
"You’ve come a long way with him. I worried so about the two of you I hate it took what it did to bring you to your senses."
"Yeah me too, a lot of time wasted there."
"I hope you’ll let him come again next summer, I think Michael might be coming if Richie can arrange it."
"They’d have a blast, yeah he can come if his school work is up to par."
She walked over and hugged him, "You’re a good man, Zack."
"I had a good Mama and Daddy."
"Whoa look at this." Colin grinned at Jeff and Steve, "You boys still playing fort?"
"Hey, Colin, just helping out the kids." Steve jumped down from the top edge.
"Which kids?"
"The short ones." Jeff replied with a grin.
"Where are they?"
"Gone for supplies, you remember supplies, gotta have duct tape, a flash light, can of pork and beans."
"Yeah, Steve I remember." Colin chuckled. "We had pocket knives too but I don’t guess that’s allowed anymore."
"Nah, to dangerous now. I wonder why that is?"
"Dunno, Jeff, maybe because we were taught different and if you got a cut you put a band aid on it and went on."
"Great kids though all of them."
"Yeah they are."
"Colin, you doin’ alright today?"
"Yeah. I’m good, Steve."
"I’m glad to hear it." He tossed the hammer in the tool box. "Got my roofing job done, Jeff."
"Contract labor, he thinks he’s done now."
"What else is there to do?"
"Need to clean it out."
"Jeez, leave something for the kids to do…or are you planning on playing with them?"
Jeff crawled out of the fort. "Nope, my job here is done." He grinned.
"I thought I might ride into town, anybody want to go?"
"Yeah, Colin, I would I need to change clothes can you wait?"
"Yeah Steve, I’m in no hurry."
"I think I need a shower." Jeff brushed his jeans off and dusted his hands.
"Well I ain’t waiting’ all day, you coming too?"
"No, I’ll hang around here, thanks. Hey, Colin, I’m glad you’re gonna stay, Steve told me."
"Yeah, for awhile anyway." They started walking toward the house.
"Maybe you’ll get over to my place, I’ll cook dinner one night."
"You cook?"
"Yeah, well a man’s gotta eat you know."
Chapter 3
Anne walked into the kitchen to see Richie, Cal, John and Zack with an old scrabble game on the table along with a dictionary. She laughed and went to the fridge for a glass of tea. "Who’s winning?"
"Do you have to ask?"
"You were ahead there for a while, John." Cal smiled and completed another word.
"For about five seconds."
"You can always tell who’s losing by who’s whining." Zack added.
"It’s neck and neck, Mama, Cal and Richie."
Anne smiled and looked over Richie’s shoulder. "Good luck with that lot."
"Don’t say that, Mama." Richie covered his tray of letters.
The weather had been perfect for four days and now the rain had come. Anne stopped by a window and looked out at the gray skies. Jeff, Colin and Steve went over to Jeff’s apartment. The boys were upstairs playing and Donna and Joey were curled up on the loveseat watching a movie with Ben and Delia.
Ben was actually asleep. He’d only meant to close his eyes for a moment but here at home in his Mama’s house he relaxed to the point he’d drifted off. Delia noticed his head getting heavier on her shoulder and looked down at him and smiled.
John came in and leaned over the loveseat and kissed Donna on the cheek, "What are you watching?"
"Clint Eastwood."
"I mean what movie?"
"Does it matter, Clint’s in it?" she laughed.
John made a face. "Where’s Mama?"
"I think she went into her bedroom."
John pushed her door open she hadn’t shut it, "You okay, Mama?"
"Yes, John, I’m just fine. Come in for a minute. I’ve just been standing here looking out at the rain. You finish your game?"
"Oh I was finished a long time ago. It’s a death match now between Richie and Cal. I can’t compete with them. They’re too smart."
"They’re no smarter than you are. Are you okay up in Alaska? I swear I don’t know how much farther you could have moved away."
"We’re doing good. It’s a small little town but we do all right there. I know it’s a long way from home." He went over and hugged her for a moment. How about you here all by yourself?"
"I do all right too and Jeff’s in town if I need him."
"Guess Colin will be here too. I’m glad he’s staying."
"Well I think he came home looking for us to help him, John. I’ll do what I can for him. If he can find some work around here he’ll be fine. It’s not easy for him to come home feeling like he’s a failure. I love him just like I do the rest of you. Don’t matter to me whether you’re on top of the pile and making lots of money or king of the road. He’s my boy too.
"I want you to know I’m proud of you and Donna. You’ve got a good marriage and two of the sweetest little boys. I just wish I could spend more time with them."
"Thanks, Mama. I wish you could too but it’s a long haul down here. We’ll try and get home more often."
"I’d like it if you could but I know it’s expensive to fly four of you down here. Maybe I can get up there one day."
"Well you’d better come in summer."
Anne laughed. "That’s right cause I don’t have boots tall enough for winter."
"I’d better go check on the boys. They’re awfully quiet up there in the attic."
John came through the den and just for the heck of it thumped sleeping Ben on the head. By the time he opened his eyes John was up the stairs.
"What?"
Delia chuckled. "You weren’t asleep were you?"
"No…no just resting my eyes." He sat up and realized where he was and smiled. "I need something to drink."
"Want me to get it?"
"I can pour a glass of tea, Delia." He rose and went into the kitchen glancing at the nearly full scrabble board.
"I suppose Cal is winning?" He leaned on the counter with his glass.
"Richie’s ahead." Cal was concentrating.
Richie glanced up with a little smile.
"I’d think a man whose livelihood was words would have it aced."
"You want to call it?" Richie asked.
"No."
Richie sighed and sat back in his chair, "You only got two letters left."
"I know how many damn letters I got." Cal spat back. "Ya’ll shut up."
Ben grinned and sipped his tea. He thought these two brothers were a good match when it came to book smarts. He’d always thought Cal was the smartest of the bunch but maybe that was because he was the oldest. He always seemed to know everything about everything but Richie was sharp as a tack. It bothered him a little that Colin was sharing a room with him. Colin would keep his mouth shut.
Cal made his move.
Richie chuckled. "What the hell is that?"
"It’s a word. Look it up." Cal leaned on his elbows watching Richie look through the dictionary.
"A fuckin’ bird? How did you know that?"
"I’m a smartass."
Ben leaned over Richie’s shoulder, "pewit?" He left the kitchen laughing. Cal had won.
Ben walked to the front door and opened it stepping out onto the porch. It was still raining and cold but it felt good to him. It woke him up from the warm fuzzy fug he’d been enjoying in the house. He wondered why he hadn’t been home before this, why had he waited so long? This was one place he could come to and relax. He’d been feeling the tension drain out of him for the past few days. Of course it would be nicer to be here without his brothers but still it was good to see them too. He tried to keep up with Colin and Zack but the rest of them had gone their own ways and created their own lives. Zack and Colin were blood and that meant something to him. Blood would always be thicker as far as he was concerned.
"I thought I heard somebody come out here." Anne came around the side porch and joined him.
"What are you doin’ out here in the cold, Mama?"
"It’s not so bad and this old sweater keeps me warm. I’m so glad you came, Ben, and Delia is so nice and pretty. I’m glad you found her."
"Me too." He smiled. "Just goes to show there’s somebody out there for everybody."
"I’m beginning to wonder about that. Be nice to have a few more grandchildren before I go."
"You ain’t goin’ nowhere no time soon. There will probably be some more."
"You seem to be doing all right for yourself. Quite an entrance you made."
"Was it too much?"
Anne smiled a little, "Yeah, it was, Ben. No sense in showing off."
"Well when I left here I left on foot and I always said if I ever come back it would be in style. I finally got there. Mama, if there is anything in the world you want or need I can do it for you."
"I just want everybody to be happy and safe. I don’t want no trouble to find any of you and that’s something money can’t buy. I appreciate it though."
Ben finished his tea and dumped the ice out in the yard. "I think my troubles are behind me. It’s been a long road. I had to kick a lot of rocks on the way but I’m sitting on top right now with Delia and nothing’s gonna happen to mess that up."
"I hope not. You were a wild one, Ben. I tried my best with you but you’d do what you wanted."
"I’m a lot older now, Mama, and I ain’t so wild anymore. I’m just tryin’ to hold onto what I got. I wanna say that just because I ain’t been home don’t mean I didn’t think about you and this place. You were always in the back of my mind."
"I’ve got something I want to give you." She led him around the porch to the door to her bedroom. From her jewelry box she pulled out a bracelet.
"This was your mama’s. It belonged to our mother and she give it to her. I want you to have it for Delia. It’s not much but it is gold."
Ben took the bracelet and sat down on the end of her bed. "It’s been a long time since I thought about her."
"You remember her?"
"She was pretty and had long hair, dark hair." He fingered the bracelet. "I remember her. I hated her for a long time cause she went and got herself killed. She couldn’t help it but I was young and stupid."
"You were a very angry little boy but you’ve grown up to be a fine man."
Ben felt his eyes sting. If only she knew. But he’d never let her down, not ever. "Thank you, Mama, Delia will wear this proudly. That’s how she is. He looked up at Anne and she put her arms around him and hugged him.
They heard a car pull up and it was Jeff with Steve and Colin. They came in carrying a load of pizza boxes.
"We brought dinner." Jeff called out.
"Oh my word," Anne exclaimed, "that must have set you back a dollar or two."
"Steve and Jeff paid for them." Colin put his boxes down. "We’re celebrating, Mama, I got a job."
"Already? That is something to celebrate."
"We went by the shop and talked to Jones and he put him on. It’s not much but it’s a start. Always easier to find a job if you’ve got one." Jeff explained.
Richie and Cal cleared the table off putting away the scrabble game.
"Hey, c’mon we got pizza." Steve called out.
Zack was halfway down the stairs and went back up to get John and the boys.
"I thought since it was our last night here I’d do the cooking." Jeff kissed his mama’s cheek.
"You’re right handy to have around, Jeff." Anne laughed.
The next morning was total chaos with everyone running around trying not to forget anything. John and Donna were the first to leave to hop, skip and jump across the country trying to get home. By 6:00 that afternoon they’d all gone except Colin and Jeff who’d been sitting at the kitchen table talking. Anne went in to make a pot of coffee.
"Mama, Jeff and I’ve been talking and since I’m going to be working with him it might be a good idea if I stay with him for awhile. He’s got room."
"You don’t have but one bed, Jeff."
"Well we thought we’d come out here this weekend and take Colin’s old bed and set it up in my spare room if that’s okay with you. He can sleep on the couch till then."
Anne sighed, no need to hang onto things. "Yes, that’s fine with me and you might as well take his dresser too."
"Thanks, Mama." Colin smiled.
Soon Jeff and Colin left and Anne waved from the front porch. The last of them gone now the dust would settle and she’d get to the beds upstairs and wash the sheets and towels eventually. She looked down as her furry friend settled by her leg.
"Down to me and you, Pepper." His tail beat on the porch floor.
How quiet the house was now and how glad she was she’d held onto it after her husband died. They all had a place to come to and she had a houseful of memories to keep her company.