A Room in the House of the Ancestors Books One and Two

by Melody Clark

  “What’s that mean?” Stewart asked sharply, his eyes dimming with fear.

  “Stewart, go back in with your Uncle Andrew,” Edward said, answering the reluctance in his eyes with, “go ahead, I’ll take care of things here.”

  “Yes, sir,” Stewart said, backing away slowly before darting toward the other room.

  “And you,” Edward said, pointing at Tad. “Now you’ve done it. You’ve pissed me off. You want a big brother to read you the riot act? Fine, here it comes. Yankee Forthrightness. Your son loves you. Love looks different in West LA. To survive, it has to be masked. He may not act deferential, he may be overly direct, he may not behave the way you want him to, but that’s not the way it’s played where he grew up. You may not recognize it, it may be disguised, but it exists.”

  “I realize that –”

  “No, you don’t. You act the way you want him to where he’s from and you don’t survive for long. Say something like sans arrière pensée in his old neighborhood and see how fast you get a punch to the gut. It’s as simple as that. You haven’t seen half of what he’s seen in his young life.”

  “I’ve seen my share –” Tad said, rising to his feet.

  “Shut up, you can talk when I’m done. Trust me, if I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t be standing here right now. I am deeply grateful to you for dragging me out of hell, for always being on my side, even when I wasn’t on it myself. I’ve come to know you pretty well in the brief but intense hail storm of a relationship we’ve built up. You’re a very good man, just like Dad is. But you didn’t grow up where Stewart did. You don’t understand him. I did and I do.”

  Tad sank back into the bench. His face turned a pallid shade of gray. His hand moved to his stomach. “I think I’m going to be ill.”

  “Wonderful.” Edward pulled him up again. “Come with me.”

  He guided Tad into and through the room, past people drinking their troubles away, around obstacles made of pub grub platters. Eventually, he pushed their way into the men’s room.

  Eddie was grateful for small favors as he found the men’s room empty except for them. He plowed backward through a stall door to convey Tad face forward to the toilet.

  “Are you okay for a second?” Eddie asked. “I’ll get a cold rag of some kind.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,” Tad said.

  “Not going to puke?”

  “No, no, no,” Tad said, right before he commenced projectile vomiting into the toilet.

  Edward held onto his shoulders while he heard the men’s room door behind him open and close. He hoped it was Andrew. He looked around to see Stewart, gawking in horror. “Is Dad so drunk he’s throwing up? That’s so disgusting!”

  Edward turned around sharply. “Your dad is ill. Show some respect. Besides, I thought I told you to stay with your Uncle Andrew.”

  “Yeah, but I saw you come in here,” Stewart said.

  “That didn’t mean you could ignore what I said,” Eddie shot back. “Go stay with Andrew until we’re finished. I told you I’d handle things here. Now go.”

  Edward wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw something close to respect arise in the boy’s eyes. “Yes, sir,” he said, and left.

  Tad had stopped hurling. He reached over to flush the toilet. Pulling himself away from the stall wall where he had slumped, he stood up fully, looking more white than gray before he found a relative balance on his feet. “I think the worst is over,” he said, moving around Edward to go to the sink. He yanked on the faucet, filled his coupled hands and lowered his face into the water.

  He yanked down a paper towel to mop his face. Then he muttered, “I’m sorry, Eddie.”

  “It’s okay. As you keep reminding me, you’re human.”

  “True,” Tad said, yanking down several more sheets of paper to towel off his neck. “Let me tell you, when you decide to switch it up to Big Brother, you really deliver the goods. That was impressive.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m slow to climb up to angry, but when I’m there, I’m king of the mountain.”

  “I noticed,” Tad said, throwing away the paper towels he had used. “Thank you. For all this – and all that. After I dropped a clanger out there in public, too. And hurt your feelings.”

  “Oh, God, you didn’t hurt my feelings,” Edward said, laughing. “You have a long way to breach the armor that Wendell Bakunin helped develop.”

  “That’s what you say. Your eyes told a different story.”

  Eddie smiled. “They always do.”

  “Well,” Tad said, straightening Edward’s collar, “I have mortified my family, screamed at my brothers, embarrassed myself publicly, terrorized my son, scandalized the neighborhood and vomited profusely. Clearly, our work here is done.”

  “Good. Can we please go collect Andrew and Stewart and leave?” Edward asked plaintively. “I guess we should leave a message for James and Wilse.”

  “Oh, they texted me,” Tad said, waving his phone in Eddie’s direction. “You’ll never take us alive, coppers, or words to that effect. They aren’t coming.”

  “I kind of figured the story would be something like that. Which is fine, it means we can all go home now.”

  Tad seemed taken aback a moment. He smiled slowly. “You just called it home.”

  “Don’t I usually?” Edward asked.

  “No, you always say back to the house – off to Croftdon House – Dad’s home – what-have-you, but never home. You said home. That’s immense.”

  “Okay, then I’ll say it again, let’s get the hell out of here and go home. You sure you’re okay to walk?”

  “Walk, yes,” Tad said, “but thank Christ Andrew is driving.”

  Eddie moved like a shadow within, as usual, noting that Andrew and Tad blazed the trail into the house and Stewart barely made his way over the threshold. James came up to take their coats as Tad turned in his direction, pointing an accusatory finger.

  “Judas!” Tad said. “Betrayer of the Brothers Croftdon.”

  “Ah, the other apostles would’ve done the same damn thing given half the chance and you damn well know it, Saint Thaddeus!” James replied. “Anyway, I had to have the teeth cleaning, didn’t I?”

  “I thought you said it was a root canal,” Andrew shot back.

  “Like I said,” James answered, “I had to have the root canal, didn’t I?”

  “And you dragged young Wilse into your perfidy with you, you rapscallion,” Tad added.

  James hiked his chin. “We regret nothing,” he said, before carrying the coats away.

  Eddie grinned at the ongoing banter before sliding into a chair in a far dark corner of the great room. He leaned fully into the chair before Tad took one side and Andrew the other and they slid the chair with Edward into the light.

  “Gee, thanks,” Eddie said in response.

  “You’re welcome,” Tad said, grabbing up his mail from the hallway secretaire.

  “How did we do with our paternal responsibilities?” Thomas asked, appearing to greet them.

  Tad tossed him a droll stare as he dropped all his mail into the waste basket. “We did as can be expected. And while we’re talking about not meeting our responsibilities, what is this about your not participating in Eddie and Andrew’s ridiculous enterprise? The frodding thing won’t work. Help Eddie out with his silliness.”

  “Oh, God,” Eddie groaned, shaking his head. “It doesn’t matter, Dad. It was just an idea.”

  Thomas looked contrite as he walked over to Edward’s chair. “It’s just there are things in my mind, son, I might not want others to access. It’s a confidentiality issue.”

  Edward nodded again. “As I said, I can see that perspective. Your decision. We’ll figure something else out.”

  “I feel I owe you an explanation.”

  “You owe me nothing, Dad. I’m just grateful you’ve opened your home to me. Anyway, I had serious reservations
about the whole idea. You were right; it was a lot to ask.”

  “It’s just that it’s something of an invasion of privacy, isn’t it?”

  Eddie nodded. “Dad, I told you, it’s okay. I understand.”

  Tad rolled his stare towards the distant ceiling. He groaned to the gods. “You are unbelievable, you two. It’s like listening to graduates of the Chip and Dale Correspondence School of Diplomacy.”

  “It was my idea, Dad,” Andrew added. “Eddie didn’t even want to ask you. I can’t believe you have reservations.”

  “I can,” Tad said.

  Edward’s iPhone rang out from his pocket. He pulled out the phone to check the face. “Arvo Nurmi just texted me. What the hell could he want? I’d best go call him back. If you’ll excuse me,” he said, walking out the front door into the yard.

  “You know the exchange I overheard between Edward and his therapist?” Tad asked.

  Thomas glanced over at him. “I thought we agreed it wouldn’t be discussed.”

  “You agreed. I didn’t. Not to turn this into some insipid, maudlin exercise, but the therapist asked Edward, if he had to give a yes or no answer to the question does your father, meaning you, love you in which answer would he be most confident?” Tad lowered his voice. “Granted he was put to the wall for this, but would you like to make a guess which one he chose?”

  Thomas lowered his head and looked away. “Dear God.”

  “Knowing Eddie, he thinks I had already told you of that discussion. You know what he’s thinking you’re thinking. What you don’t want him to know. If you don’t correct him, he’ll keep believing that. That’s Eddie’s nature. That’s what he’s been taught to expect.” Tad looked intently into Thomas eyes. “You have to tell him everything, Dad. Including what it is you don’t want him to know.”

  Thomas shook his head. “I can’t tell him everything now. I’ll tell him in time. If he finds out we knew where he was, that I’d kept close tabs on him, how do I explain not rescuing him from that situation? It would make him more uncertain than ever.”

  “Not as uncertain as this does. The explanation, I’m afraid, is your problem to solve. But I shall tell you what I told Eddie about his habit. If you don’t tell him, I will.”

  Knowing Nurmi, Eddie could almost visualize the man on the other end of the phone – sitting in some hotel room, his action center of laptop and likewise at hand. A half-finished sweaty glass of Scotch, rapidly diluted by the melting of ice, would be waiting at his elbow. The phone would be gripped in his hand.

  He supposed he had heard Arvo Nurmi in darker spirits than these, but it had definitely been a while. Even then, he had never expected to hear from him again.

  “What is it?” Eddie asked when the line picked up.

  “Well, hello to you, too,” Arvo replied. “I guess you’re not that happy to hear from me.”

  “Not especially, no. What do you want?”

  “I’m calling as a favor,” Arvo said. “I always liked you, Eddie. I want you to know that. I did some shit to you I’m not proud of, I admit it. But it was never personal. It was strictly business.”

  “To quote Michael Corleone, everything is personal,” Eddie replied.

  “Just listen. Wendell Bakunin has gone nuts. As crazy as he’s ever been, he’s crazier than he’s ever been,” Arvo said, as if gasping each word through a tunnel in a maze. “He’s doing things I have never seen him do. And that, kiddo, is sayin’ somethin’.”

  Eddie studied him with suspicions. “Like have you call to frighten us with all this on Halloween?”

  “Shit, I didn’t even know it was Halloween. It’s not even Halloween here anymore. It’s three fuckin’ AM. But I’m history at Bakunin. I quit. I don’t want any part of what’s going on down there now. Hell, he’s already filed suit against me.”

  “Join the club,” Edward replied. “Okay, let’s say I believe you. Why tell me all this?”

  Arvo coughed out a nervous laugh. “Because I’m on my way somewhere where no one will find me. I am dropping off the radar. He has gone psycho paranoid on everybody. I just wanted to warn you.”

  Edward nodded. “You’re in no more danger than I am. All he’s done so far is send one of his goons here.”

  Arvo’s laugh sounded like a struggle with a demon inside him. “Like hell I’m not. Edward, you don’t know half what I know. Not even a quarter. But I’m just a business person. It’s a personal vendetta for him. The scariest part is the only person who can see the battlefield is him.”

  “Arvo,” Eddie said quickly. “You say you know more than I know. Can you tell me any of it?”

  “It’s not safe for you to know what I know,” Arvo said. “Let’s just say I wouldn’t put any limits on what he’s capable of. Watch yourself. Watch everyone. I wouldn’t put it past him to burn the whole house down, with all of you in it.”

  “I’ve heard similar things recently,” Eddie said.

  “Well, pay attention to them. I’m now going to vanish. It’s been nice knowing you. Just be careful.”

  “You, too,” Eddie replied. “And thank you.”

  Edward’s mind created a kaleidoscope of terrible images out of what had just been said. He knew that Wendell could strike out in a cold and callous fashion, like a two-year-old child, if he was emotionally provoked. Edward had seen it himself, had been the target of it. But Arvo might also have been doing the dirty work for Wendell. Scaring him away, because that was exactly what Eddie was thinking of doing. Leaving.

  “From your pallor, that doesn’t seem to have been a happy conversation,” Thomas said, from just outside the door.

  Edward turned toward him. “Nurmi says Wendell is on the warpath. He says he’s striking out at everything. That he’s gone crazy. Crazier than usual. Arvo quit because of it.”

  “Well, we were prepared for this sort of thing,” Thomas said.

  Eddie stared down at the ground, at the leaves blowing across his shoes. “Dad, I should leave. It would be safest for all of you. It’s the only way to protect you.”

  “Like hell it would. And like hell you will. Not for that reason.”

  “Believe me, I don’t want to, but it’s best in the long run.”

  “We’d be in his crosshairs regardless. If you want to stay, you will stay. Your leaving is what he wants.”

  “If I give him what he wants, it may keep him at bay.”

  “If you give him what he wants, he’ll want more,” Thomas said, “It will just embolden him. You know that. We don’t even know if we’re in his sights. If we are, it’s safer if we stick together here. Besides, you said yourself you’re the best one to fight him. Who better to head up our defense?”

  “It’s like Nurmi said,” Eddie replied, “I can’t see the battleground in his head. I don’t know where he’s coming from. I don’t know how to fight him.”

  “He’ll show himself regardless. If we wait. And watch.”

  Edward finally laughed to himself, grinning to complete his show of surrender. “God, I can’t win with you. You know just what to say.”

  “That’s because I’ve got the 1.0 model of your brain right here,” Thomas said, tapping his head.

  `

  Chapter Six

  “I can’t believe he doesn’t want to do it,” Andrew said, shaking his head. “That doesn’t even sound like Dad. I mean, he doesn’t hug a lot and he’s not a big crier, but he’s always been very expressive and open and that sort of thing.”

  Edward shrugged a little, tapping his mouse to bring up the screen. November 1st dia de los muertos flashed across the monitor, along with a sugar skulls banner that displayed on the search engine page. “It’s his choice. End of discussion.”

  “But why would he not want to participate?”

  “Who could blame a 15 year old kid for relief at that huge a burden being lifted? It’s understandab
le. He may be concerned I won’t comprehend that.”

  “But you would. You just did, in fact.”

  Eddie shook his head. “Objectively, of course. But what kind of subjective damage might that do to our relationship that’s only now beginning to form? It might not be worth the risk.”

  “I’m afraid there is an even more pressing family dilemma at hand,” Tad said, from the door to the library. “I think old Granddad is on the way out. As in permanently out. His vitals appear on the downgrade.”